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No matter what kind of economic environment homebuyers find themselves in, one thing always holds true: They'll be looking for a deal. Although there are many aspects of a home that can increase or decrease its value — such as climate, school district, landscaping, or the age of the home itself — usually buyers expect that the bigger the house, the bigger the price tag.
Around the country, however, no square foot is created equal and in some places bigger houses don't necessarily translate to sky-high home values. With the latest data from real estate website Zillow.com,the following list highlights homes in U.S. metro areas with the lowest average price per square foot. This list includes all homes in the area, owned, for sale and recently sold. In effect, these cities are where your real estate dollar would go the furthest — places where you can buy the most space with the least amount of money.
On one end of the spectrum, the three most expensive cities by square foot are Honolulu, Hawaii ($399), San Jose, Calif. ($344) and Santa Cruz, Calif. ($305). The notoriously expensive New York metro area ranks seventh, at $225 per square foot, while the U.S. average stands at $92 per square foot, according to the Zillow data.
So, where can you get the biggest bang for your buck around the country? Click ahead for the list.
By Paul Toscano
Posted 13 Dec 2011


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Bear Creek freshman McKenzie Bacich started wrestling when she was 4 years old.
Bear Creek freshman McKenzie Bacich started wrestling when she was 4 years old.
Her father, Harold Bacich, coaches at Bear Creek and also at the club level. McKenzie is about as experienced in the sport as a soon-to-be 15-year-old can be. But even she can't help but feel some butterflies entering the California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships today at Lemoore High.
"I'm nervous but I'm going to take it like a regular tournament, not put any pressure on myself," she said. "That's it."
Bacich is among 18 area girls who qualified for the state tournament, which runs today and Saturday. All hope to duplicate the feat of Edison's Clover Esquivel, who earned a state title last season, the first by any wrestler from a Stockton high school. Bacich has a 42-4 record and the No. 5 seed in the 100-pound weight class. Her only losses were against the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the state, Kaylee Chevez of Anaheim-Savannah and Anissa Rodriguez of Delano-Chavez, respectively.
"Even with as much experience as she has, I think the nerves come into play," said Harold Bacich, who is in Lemoore to support his daughter, while his assistant coaches are tending to Bear Creek wrestlers Aaron Rugnao and Pablo Moreno today at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters at Stockton Arena. "She's been in numerous state and national tournaments, but those are kids things. This is a bigger stage."
Competing again this year are Sarah Phillips of East Union, who finished sixth in the state last year at 103 pounds, Alyssa Cantu of Weston Ranch, who was sixth in the state last year at 165 pounds, and Lincoln's Katie Kraft, who was fifth in the state last year at 189 pounds.
Contact sports editor Bob Highfill at (209) 546-8282 or firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


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Executive Summary:
Until Microsoft SQL Server supports the OVER clause, your best solutions for running aggregates are a set-based solution using subqueries or joins, for very small partition sizes, or a CLR data reader–based solution, for large partitions.
A running aggregate is an aggregate that keeps accumulating values over a sequence—typically temporal, possibly within partitions. A running sum of quantity over time (days) for each employee is an example of a running aggregate. For each employee and date, you're looking for the total quantity from the beginning of the employee's activity until the current date.
In previous articles I covered three solutions to running aggregates: a set-based solution using subqueries or joins, a T-SQL cursor-based solution, and a CLR-based solution using a data reader. (See the Learning Path for these and other articles related to running aggregates.) I explained how the solutions scale when you change various aspects, such as the number of aggregations, the number of partitions, and the partition size.
In this article I present two new solutions—one based on nested iterations that you can implement in SQL Server 2008 and 2005, and another that SQL Server doesn't yet support (as of SQL Server 2008), but hopefully will in the future.
Getting Started
For consistency with my previous articles, I'll use the same problem and sample data. Web Listing 1, Web Listing 2, and Web Listing 3 contain the code to create the Sales table from my previous examples and populate it with sample data. Run the code in Web Listing 1 to create the Sales table. Run the code in Web Listing 2 to create a table function called GetNums that generates a sequence of integers of a requested size, which is later used to populate the Sales table. Run the code in Web Listing 3 to populate the Sales table with sample data. Set the values of the variables @num_partitions and @rows_per_partition to determine the number of partitions (employees) and partition size, respectively, based on your needs.
My sample problem is to calculate the running total quantity for each employee over dates. That is, for each employee and date, calculate the running total quantity from the beginning of the employee activity until the current date.
Solution Based on Nested Iterations
In my previous articles, the solutions I presented were either purely set-based (using subqueries or joins) or purely cursor-based (using a T-SQL cursor or a .NET data reader). The first solution I present in this article combines iterative and set-based logic. The idea is to iterate through the entries within a partition in sequence order, using a set-based query in each iteration to process the nth entry across all partitions. Listing 1 contains an implementation of this approach using a recursive query.
The code in Listing 1 first generates row numbers for the rows from the Sales table, partitioned by empid, ordered by dt, materializes the sales rows along with the row numbers (rownum column) in a temporary table, and clusters the table by rownum and empid. The code then defines a common table expression (CTE) that calculates the running sum. The CTE's anchor member processes the first entry for all employees (rownum = 1), and the recursive member processes in each iteration the next entry (previous rownum plus 1) for all employees, adding the current entry's quantity to the running sum of quantity that was accumulated so far.
Listing 2 has an implementation of the nested iterations using loops instead of recursive queries. You might want to use this solution if you're working with SQL Server versions prior to 2005.
Materializing the sales rows with the row numbers in a temporary table and indexing that table obviously involves a cost (especially the indexing part, which involves sorting). However, this solution's greatest cost is in calculating the running aggregation. Therefore, I focus on the second part of the solution in my performance discussions. Figure 1 shows the execution plan for the recursive query used in Listing 1.
The first Clustered Index Seek operator in the plan fetches all rows with rownum = 1 from the index. The plan then spools those rows (i.e., stores them in a temporary table). Then, the plan uses a loop, and in each iteration the code processes all rows with the next row number, calculating the running aggregate and adding the rows from the current round to the spool, until no more rows are found. The plan uses a seek operation per each row from the previous round to match it with the next row (rownum greater than previous by one) for the same employee.
Solution Based on the OVER Clause
The second solution I present isn't yet supported in SQL Server (as of SQL Server 2008); hopefully the next major SQL Server release will support it. This solution is based on the standard OVER clause, which SQL Server only partially implements. Unfortunately, SQL Server doesn't yet implement the parts of the OVER clause that are necessary to calculate running aggregations (i.e., the ORDER BY, ROWS, and other subclauses of the OVER clause for aggregate functions). The ORDER BY subclause lets you define logical ordering in the window, and the ROWS subclause lets you define the range of rows you want to aggregate, marking the low boundary and high boundary points with respect to the current row. For example, to express the running sum of quantity for each employee and date, you'd run the following code:
SELECT empid, dt, qty, SUM(qty) OVER(PARTITION BY empid ORDER BY dt ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW) AS sumqty FROM dbo.Sales;
Remember, you can't actually run this code in SQL Server. As you can see, the code is very natural and intuitive. Because the calculation is supposed to be independent for each employee, you specify PARTITION BY empid. Because ordering is supposed to be based on dates, you specify ORDER BY dt. Finally, because you want to aggregate all rows with no low boundary point until the current row, you specify ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW.
If you know how SQL Server optimizes those aspects of the OVER clause that are currently implemented, you'll have a good sense of how running aggregates will perform once SQL Server implements them. For example, consider the following running count aggregate that isn't yet supported in SQL Server:
SELECT empid, dt, qty, COUNT(*) OVER(PARTITION BY empid ORDER BY dt ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW) AS sumqty FROM dbo.Sales;
This aggregate is logically equivalent to the following row number calculation:
SELECT empid, dt, qty, ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY empid ORDER BY dt) AS rownum FROM dbo.Sales;
Figure 2 shows the plan for the row number calculation.
As you can see, the plan is highly efficient. The clustered index on empid and dt is scanned in order. The Segment operator is in charge of passing one partition (segment) at a time to the next operator. Finally, the Sequence Project operator is in charge of assigning the row numbers. It resets the value to 1 for the first row in the segment, and it increments the previous value by 1 for all other rows. When SQL Server enhances the OVER clause in the future to support running aggregates, the plan will likely be very similar in the special case of ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND CURRENT ROW. Only the Sequence Project operator will apply other calculations, such as adding the current measure's value instead of just adding 1. Therefore, it should be safe to use the existing ROW_NUMBER calculation to evaluate the expected future performance of running aggregates based on the OVER clause.
Performance of Solutions
To evaluate the solutions' performance, I changed three aspects: number of aggregations, number of partitions, and partition size. For both solutions (i.e., the solution based on nested iterations and the solution based on the OVER clause), most of the cost of the plan is associated with access to the data, and not the calculations. Adding more aggregations in both cases adds to the calculations but not to the amount of data access. Therefore, adding more aggregations adds little cost, and the complexity is close to constant.
As for adding partitions but keeping the partition size constant, in both solutions the impact should be linear, because both involve a constant cost per partition. However, the solution based on nested iterations should be substantially less efficient than the one based on the OVER clause. The former involves scanning the data, calculating row numbers, materializing the result in a temporary table, and indexing it, plus performing a seek operation in the clustered index per each row. With the latter, the data is scanned only once in clustered index order, and the calculation using the OVER clause is based on the existing index ordering.
The graph in Figure 3 shows the effect of changing the number of partitions. It includes the two solutions I discuss in this article, as well as the three solutions I discussed in previous articles.
It's interesting to note that all five solutions have fairly linear complexity with respect to changes in the number of partitions. With the tested partition size (10 rows per partition), the solution based on the OVER clause leaves all the others behind. With small partitions, the solution based on nested iterations is more efficient than the T-SQL cursor-based solution, but it's slower than the others.
As for the effect of partition size, again, because both solutions (i.e., nested iterations and the OVER clause) involve a fairly constant cost per row, their scaling with respect to partition size should be linear. I should mention again that the solution based on nested iterations materializes the rows in a temporary table and creates an index on that table, which therefore involves sorting. The complexity of sorting isn't linear, but because this part of the solution is a small portion of the entire solution cost (with the sizes I used in my performance tests), I ignored this part. The second part of the solution that processes the recursive query (or the looping logic) does involve a constant cost per row.
The graph in Figure 4 shows how all five solutions, including the new ones, scale with respect to changes in partition size. You can see that all the solutions—other than the set-based solution using subqueries or joins, which has quadratic complexity—have fairly linear complexity. With the number of partitions used in this test (1,000), and partition size varying between 10 and 1,000, analyzing the result is interesting. As you can see, the solution based on the OVER clause is by far the big winner in all cases. The solution based on nested iterations is faster than the T-SQL cursor but slower than the CLR data reader. It is slower than the set-based solution using subqueries or joins up to a partition size of about 350 rows, but beyond this point becomes faster.
Until the OVER Clause is Supported...
In the past few months I covered five solutions to running aggregations. Four of these solutions can currently be implemented in SQL Server, and one solution (i.e., the solution based on the OVER clause) will hopefully be available in a future version of SQL Server. The performance expectations for the OVER clause solution show that it will leave all the other solutions far behind. Hopefully Microsoft will implement this solution in the next major release of SQL Server. Until then, the set-based solution using subqueries or joins is a reasonable choice for very small partition sizes; its quadratic complexity makes it too slow with large partitions. For large partitions, the fastest current solution is the one based on the CLR data reader.
Web Listing 1: DDL Statement to Create Sales Table
SET NOCOUNT ON; USE tempdb; IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.Sales', 'U') IS NOT NULL DROP TABLE dbo.Sales; CREATE TABLE dbo.Sales ( empid INT NOT NULL, -- partitioning column dt DATETIME NOT NULL, -- ordering column qty INT NOT NULL DEFAULT (1), -- measure 1 val MONEY NOT NULL DEFAULT (1.00), -- measure 2 CONSTRAINT PK_Sales PRIMARY KEY(empid, dt) ); GO
Web Listing 2: DDL Statement to Create GetNums Function
IF OBJECT_ID('dbo.GetNums', 'IF') IS NOT NULL DROP FUNCTION dbo.GetNums; GO CREATE FUNCTION dbo.GetNums(@n AS BIGINT) RETURNS TABLE AS RETURN WITH L0 AS(SELECT 1 AS c UNION ALL SELECT 1), L1 AS(SELECT 1 AS c FROM L0 AS A CROSS JOIN L0 AS B), L2 AS(SELECT 1 AS c FROM L1 AS A CROSS JOIN L1 AS B), L3 AS(SELECT 1 AS c FROM L2 AS A CROSS JOIN L2 AS B), L4 AS(SELECT 1 AS c FROM L3 AS A CROSS JOIN L3 AS B), L5 AS(SELECT 1 AS c FROM L4 AS A CROSS JOIN L4 AS B), Nums AS(SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER(ORDER BY (SELECT 0)) AS n FROM L5) SELECT n FROM Nums WHERE n <= @n; GO
Web Listing 3: Code to Populate Sales Table with Sample Data
DECLARE @num_partitions AS INT, @rows_per_partition AS INT, @start_dt AS DATETIME; SET @num_partitions = 10000; SET @rows_per_partition = 10; SET @start_dt = '20090101'; TRUNCATE TABLE dbo.Sales; INSERT INTO dbo.Sales WITH (TABLOCK) (empid, dt) SELECT NP.n AS empid, DATEADD(day, RPP.n - 1, @start_dt) AS dt FROM dbo.GetNums(@num_partitions) AS NP CROSS JOIN dbo.GetNums(@rows_per_partition) AS RPP;
Listing 1: Nested Iterations, Using Recursive Queries
SELECT empid, dt, qty, ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY empid ORDER BY dt) AS rownum INTO #Sales FROM dbo.Sales; CREATE UNIQUE CLUSTERED INDEX idx_rownum_empid ON #Sales(rownum, empid); WITH C AS ( SELECT 1 AS rownum, empid, dt, qty, qty AS sumqty FROM #Sales WHERE rownum = 1 UNION ALL SELECT PRV.rownum + 1, PRV.empid, PRV.dt, CUR.qty, PRV.sumqty + CUR.qty FROM C AS PRV JOIN #Sales AS CUR ON CUR.rownum = PRV.rownum + 1 AND CUR.empid = PRV.empid ) SELECT empid, dt, qty, sumqty FROM C OPTION (MAXRECURSION 0); DROP TABLE #Sales;
Listing 2: Nested Iterations, Using Loops
SELECT ROW_NUMBER() OVER(PARTITION BY empid ORDER BY dt) AS rownum, empid, dt, qty, CAST(qty AS BIGINT) AS sumqty INTO #Sales FROM dbo.Sales; CREATE UNIQUE CLUSTERED INDEX idx_rownum_empid ON #Sales(rownum, empid); DECLARE @rownum AS INT; SET @rownum = 1; BEGIN TRAN; WHILE 1 = 1 BEGIN SET @rownum = @rownum + 1; UPDATE CUR SET sumqty = PRV.sumqty + CUR.qty FROM #Sales AS CUR JOIN #Sales AS PRV ON CUR.rownum = @rownum AND PRV.rownum = @rownum - 1 AND CUR.empid = PRV.empid; IF @@rowcount = 0 BREAK; END COMMIT TRAN; SELECT empid, dt, qty, sumqty FROM #Sales; DROP TABLE #Sales;


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In the 3.3 release, we are planning on working on some of the outstanding defects that have accumulated for the Compare component. Some of the areas we plan on looking at are:
- Asynchronous loading and update of compare editors
- Improving the save life-cycling
- Improving difference and change Navigation
- Use of text buffers when comparing local content
- Upgrade to use the new Commands/Key bindings framework
- Switch to using the History view for local history operations (Compare/Replace/Restore)
The following sections outline some thoughts on each of these areas.
Save Life-cycle
Saving properly in the Compare framework has always been a bit of a black art. See bug 125538 for a description of one way of making it work. The reason for this is the layered nature of the Compare framework. For a local file, the layers are:
- The file (instance of IFile)
- The ResourceNode (instance of IEditableContent)
- The TextMergeViewer
- The CompareEditorInput
- The CompareEditor or CompareDialog
Assume you have an merge viewer open and edit the left side. A save is triggered by a Save operation or selecting another element to edit. What happens in this case is the following:
- Save is called on ContentMergeViewer
- Save obtains the content from the left side of the content merge viewer and passes it to the viewer content provider (instance of MergeViewerContentProvider).
- The content provider calls saveContent on the left typed element of the compare input (if the compare input is an IEditableContent).
- the ResourceNode updates its buffer to contain the new content and fire a change event
- if you want the file to be saved, you need to listen to that event and call commit on the ResourceDiffNode. For Team, we implement the save behavior in a couple of places. In the old-style syncs, it was a subclass of CompareEditorInput (SyncInfoCompareInput) that listened to the contet change and performed the commit (i.e. the method on ResourceNode that saves). For the new-style sync, we have a class associated with the resource (ResourceSaveableComparison) that performs the save.
There are a couple of observations that can be made about this:
- The ContentMergeViewer portion of the above only works with byte oriented content.
- Both the document in the TextMergeViewer and the ResourceNode buffer the contents of the file (that means there are at least two in-memory versions of the file for each side (and the ancestor if there is one).
- the save method of ContentMergeViewer is really a flush.
- However most client (e.g. Team Synchronize) treat the flush as an indication that a save should occur.
There are a few other issues to consider here:
- Implementors of custom ContentMergeViewers need to be able to participate in the saving of ContentMergeViewers (see bug 143852)
- The Saveable API was introduced in Eclipse 3.2 and could potentially be used by merge viewers. The new-style model-based sync makes use of this API already.
Here are some thoughts on how this could work.
- Each CompareInput may have one or more Saveables associated with them.
- The CompareEditorInput would keep track of what Saveables it contained and would keep the workbench view of them up-to-date.
- If the ContentMergeViewer or subclass wants to save, they can flush and then invoke save on the appropriate Saveables (i.e. it may only be a subset of the Saveables in the CompareEditorInput).
- If the editor is saved, again, a flush is required before the save is issued to all dirty saveables of the CompareEditorInput.
- Of course, backwards compatibility must be maintained.
Viewer flushing
There are two different styles at odds here:
- The current style involes a merge viewer that buffers the changes in the viewer's document and flushes them to the compare input (or diff node) before a save or if the comapre input changes.
- An alternate style involves the changes being recording into the compare input (i.e. Saveable or file buffer) immediately.
The second style, in combination with the use of file buffers, would make the Compare editor save lifecycle more in-line with the workbench. The problem is backwards compatibility. We can modify ContentMergeViewer, TextMergeViewer and all other SDK subclasses to work with Saveables but the old behavior must remain for other ContentMergeViewer subclasses. Similarly, CompareEditorInputs that don't use Saveables and require viewer flushes must still work as well.


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I really enjoyed this book, and probably for different reasons than intended. And probably for what some people consider to be the least glamorous parts of this story!
Charlie Radford grew up in Devon. Joining the Royal Engineers just prior to the start of the Second World War as a boy Sapper. We follow Charlie to North Africa, where he was in action with an RE Field Company in Algeria and Tunisia – one of the least known campaigns of the war. Volunteering for Special Forces, Charlie then joined the SAS. The SAS had been formed only a few years before in North Africa, and Charlie Radford joined just in time to take part in operations behind enemy lines in German occupied France, immediately after D-Day. After returning from France, his unit were then sent to Italy, to link up with Partisans in Northern Italy.
The SAS in 1944 was still in its infancy, and although the modern Regiment traces its lineage back to this time, the early pioneers were still very much finding their way by trial and error. Trained to parachute into action, the SAS had much success operating in North West Europe behind German lines, with heavily armed and mobile Jeeps. It was a tactic that had worked in the Desert. By contrast, when Radford and his comrades parachuted into Northern Italy, they seem to have struggled for equipment and supplies, and were dependant on local partisans – a slightly precarious position, one feels.
After leaving the SAS, Charlie had to serve out his service with the Royal Engineers, his parent unit. He didn't do this quietly, for he was sent to East Africa as an NCO in an Engineer Squadron, working with African natives, in particular the Askari tribe, in Kenya, Tanazania and Somalia. These were interesting times, and Radford's recollections of life in 1940's British Africa are fascinating. In fact, to consider this just another Special Forces memoir is to do it a diservice.
The stories of SAS raids are exciting, and I suspect why the publishers felt Radford's memoirs deserved to make it into print. But for me, it is the human elements that make this story so interesting. The memories of a young man from Devon joining the Army and going through basic training, life onboard troopships, liaisons with women during wartime, Army food, and things like that. For example, Charlie felt that Winston Churchill lost the General Election in 1945, as his generation were more educated and more independently minded than their forefathers in 1918, and did not want to be controlled or talked down to any more. Interesting stuff for the social historian. In particular I was rivetted by his experiences in East Africa, certainly not a part of the world that many young men from England would have known much about in the 1940's.
But all throughout, Radford sounds like a very normal, down to earth young man – something that is very endearing to the reader, and very important in keeping our sense of perspective that these men were young men, the same as we are today. The more of these kinds of memoirs that make into print the better – we will be very glad of it in years to come.
SAS Trooper is published by Pen and Sword


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Wii U hardware test: UK & Europe launch guide
Wii U has launched across UK and Europe . VG247's Dave Cook runs down everything you need to know about Nintendo's latest console and its launch.
Wii U hardware reviews – quick links
Nintendo has long polarised gamers since it ushered in a motion-controlled sea change within the gaming industry. The original Wii still splits opinion to this day, but in Wii U, the Japanese company has worked hard to remedy many complaints directed at its predecessor.
It's been a long time coming, but the console finally launches across Europe and in the UK from today. I thought I'd chart the console's progress from its first shaky reveal at E3 2011, right up to its launch, and give you everything you need to know about what Wii U involves.
There's much to cover, from launch day games, GamePad features, game impressions and more. I've also included a price guide to the Wii U console itself. So if you want a hefty dose of Nintendo goodness, then you've definitely come to the right place.
Damp squibb
I was there last year, right there in the crowd when Reggie Fils-Aime first uttered the name 'Wii U'. Then we saw a flashy highlight reel of GamePad mechanics – but no shots of the actual console itself – and a string of tech demos.
After the spectacle had ended, the crowd went ballistic as is expected by the laws of common courtesy, but afterwards once we got back into the Los Angeles sun, the press started to talk about what they had just witnessed.
"What does it actually do?" I asked my then-colleagues. My question was met with plenty of theoretical uses for the GamePad, but we didn't know if it was an add-on for the original Wii, a new console altogether, or something we hadn't yet considered.
Still, we all thought the bit where the man threw a YouTube video from the GamePad on to his telly looked pretty mint.
One year later and the Wii U got a proper showing at E3 2012, and then it all started to make sense. It was Nintendo's way of embracing the Smartphone and tablet mentality that has become so popular in recent years.
'Asynchronous play', the promise of Pikmin 3 touch screen mechanics and motion control up the warp pipe. How could such a cacophony of features roll together as a coherent whole? I've been playing around with my console for a week now, so I'll try to explain how it all works.
Stress test
The first really cool thing I noticed about Wii U is the level that it communicates with other devices. For example, you don't have to make a new Mii avatar if you have a 3DS. You can simple sync both devices in seconds and send your little avatar bugger across to your TV.
The GamePad itself might look toy-like, but it's incredibly sophisticated. During the console's initial set-up you can configure Nintendo's device to act as your TV remote. All I had to do was search for my TV manufacturer on a list and bang, I could control my Sony TV from anywhere in the house.
Wii U retail launch titles (UK & Europe)
Disney Epic Mickey 2. The Power Of Two
Mass Effect 3: Special Edition
Assassin's Creed 3
Batman: Arkham City Armoured Edition
Ben 10: Omniverse
Call of Duty: Black Ops 2
Darksiders 2
Family Party: 30 Great Games Obstacle Arcade
Funky Barn
Game Party Champions
Just Dance 4
New Super Mario Bros. U
Nintendo Land
Rabbids Land
Skylanders Giants
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sports Connection
Tank! Tank! Tank!
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Transformers Prime
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
This might not sound so impressive, but it does mean I can keep playing New Super Mario Bros. U whenever my partner wants to watch TV. I can then sulk off to the bedroom and keep playing if I want, all in a flash. It's incredibly simple.
Also bundled with the Wii U hardware is on on board web browser and MiiVerse, Nintendo's social bespoke social network. Here you can participate in forums, ask other gamers for tips, post sketches on game threads, send private messages, follow particular users and send out friend requests.
It does away with Nintendo's horribly archaic 'Friend Code' format from the original Wii, instead allowing gamers to add each other via their Nintendo Network ID in an instant. If you already have one you can link it to your Wii U in a snap.
The patch also adds in the Wii U eShop, a digital store front similar to Xbox Live and PSN. Nintendo and its respective third-party publishers – such as Namco Bandai and Tecmo Koei – will be offering full retail game downloads from day-one, while other studios will release smaller download games further down the line.
Hard drive space is always an issue whenever consoles allow you to download games, and the Wii U is no exception. The day-one patch alone comes in a reported 5GB, so it doesn't leave you much space if you have an 8GB standard edition console.
However, gamers have discovered that you can play games direct from a portable SD card as long as you plug a USB reader into your Wii U, meaning you can spread your files around if need be.
The Wii U also comes with YouTube, Netflix and Love Film apps preloaded, although you need to perform the day-one patch to access them. Also coming further down the line is Nintendo's TVii app, which serves as a companion app when watching sports – displays scores and stats – and other features. It's coming to Europe in 2013, check it out here.
Buyer's guide
I've compiled a handy little shopping guide to UK retailers selling Wii U. There are two models, a premium black edition that features a 32GB internal hard drive, and comes with a GamePad and Nintendo Land game bundled, and a basic edition that comes with an 8GB hard drive and no games.
Both versions are backwards compatible with old Wii games after the day-one update is installed, and reportedly, the Wii U will upscale them on HD televisions. Speaking of HD, the Wii U console supports 720p, 1080p and 1080i resolution settings. It makes New Super Mario Bros. U look especially shiny.
Here's the price breakdown:
- Amazon is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.99, the basic white Wii U for £248.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £329.99.
- Game is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £309.99, the basic white Wii U for £259.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £329.99.
- HMV is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £329.99.
- Gamestop UK is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.97, and the basic white Wii U for £249.97.
- GameStop Ireland is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for €379.97, and the basic white Wii U for €319.97.
- Play is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £309.99, the basic white Wii U for £259.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £349.99.
- Shopto is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £309.99, the basic white Wii U for £259.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle with New Super Mario Bros. U at £374.99. They are also selling the premium Wii U with New Super Mario Bros. U at £339.85, and the premium Wii U with FIFA 13 at £339.95. In fact, they have a lot of bundle deals. Check them out here.
- ASDA is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.99 and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £339.99.
- Tesco is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.99, and the basic white Wii U for £248.99.
- Sainsbury's has a lot of bundle deals on consoles with games, but for simplicity's sake, they're also selling the 32GB premium Wii U, as well as the basic white Wii U. Both are out of stock on their own however, and no prices are listed.
- Zavvi is selling the 32GB premium Wii U for £299.99, the basic white Wii U for £249.99, and the special edition ZombiU premium bundle at £319.99.
Games a-plenty
Wii U eShop games
Chasing Aurora (£10.79 / €11.99)
Little Inferno (£12.99 / €14.99)
Nano Assault Neo (£8.99 / €9.99)
Puddle (£7.19 / €7.99)
Trine 2: Director's Cut (£10.99 / €13.49)
Free demo downloads
Full retail downloads
Ben 10: Omniverse (£35.99)
Darksiders II (£49.99)
Family Party (£27.99)
Just Dance 4 (£39.99)
New Super Mario Bros. U (£49.99)
Nintendo Land (£49.99)
Sonic Racing Transformed (£39.99)
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (£37.49)
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper (£49.99)
So let's say you've bought your Wii U, you've spent ages making your Mii avatar and gawking at how damned cute it is. You naturally want to play some games. Well, luckily for you I played the whole of the core launch line-up recently in Frankfurt.
I think once you sit down and actually start playing some Wii U games, you really start to see how neat the GamePad is. ZombiU is the best launch day showcase of what the GamePad can do, as it has been incorporated in many neat ways. You can read all about how the pad works in my ZombiU impressions piece here:
It's a great game if you're a horror fan, taking a slow, survival angle on the genre like old-school Resident Evil or Silent Hill. But if horror isn't your thing you can always check out New Super Mario Bros. U, which is a superb HD platformer that riff on 1992 SNES classic Super Mario World. I also appraised this game, and you can read all about it here:
Elsewhere you've got Nintendo Land, the incredibly fun party game for up to five people, and a host of third-party games that all play well, but come with bespoke Wii U features. For example, Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition comes with a mad Nintendo-themed bonus game.
It sees fighters dressing up as classic Nintendo characters fighting in an arena full of mushrooms. It's mad. Also, Mass Effect 3 comes with bonus weapons, Assassin's Creed 3 has touch and GamePad mapping features, and more.
Wii U won't just be home to full retail games on disc however. I already touched on how the online eShop will sell full-priced releases from day-one, but there will also be a continuous stream of smaller indie games on there too.
From launch you can buy Toki Tori 2, Nano Assault Neo, Trine 2 and Little Inferno, showing that Nintendo is taking a grassroots approach to indie games. What's more, the format will support Unity, the game engine geared towards indie development.
I recently interviewed Unity CEO David Helgason about how the company struck a deal with Nintendo, and how all of its first and third-party studios will be using it when exploring Wii U games going forward. If anything it should mean lots of neat, affordable indie titles on the Wii U eShop in future. Check out what he had to say here:
We've also got a new addition to The Legend of Zelda series to look forward to, a new fully-3D Mario game, the Wii U-exclusive Bayonetta 2, a new version of Aliens: Colonial Marines and many more games to look forward to.
It's going to be a busy holiday period for Nintendo, and indeed going in to next year. It will be interesting to see how long third-party studios keep up their support of Wii U, and how the catalogue of games expands over time.
Now you know the essentials, let us know what you think of the Wii U below, and be sure to check out these images from the HMV Oxford Street launch this morning.


text:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesRSS
Movie Description(Click Here To Hide)
The sequel to 2010's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, "Rodrick Rules" is also based on the book of the same name by author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. Back in middle school after summer vacation, Greg Heffley (Zachary Gordon) and his older brother Rodrick (Devon Bostick) must deal with their parents' misguided attempts to have them bond. Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List also star.
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text:
|1-unit wide VME64X 6U module
|Analog Input
8 channels, single-ended (SE) or differential.
Input range: 1Vpp; Bandwidth: 250MHz.
Programmable DAC for Offset Adjust x ch. (SE only).
|Digital Conversion
Resolution: 8 bit; Sampling rate: 200 to 500 MS/s simultaneously on each channel; multi board synchronization (one board can act as clock master).
External Gate Clock capability (NIM/TTL) for burst or single sampling mode.
|ADC Sampling Clock generation
Three operating modes:
- PLL mode - internal reference (50 MHz loc. oscillator).
- PLL mode - external reference on CLK_IN (�100ppm tolerance).
- PLL Bypass mode: Ext. clock on CLK_IN drives directly ADC clocks (Freq.: 10 � 500 MHz).
|AC coupled differential input clock LVDS, ECL, PECL, LVPECL, CML (single ended NIM/TTL available by custom cable).
|DC coupled differential LVDS output clock, locked to ADC sampling clock. Freq.: 10 � 500MHz.
|Memory Buffer
4 MS/ch @ 1GS/s or 2 MS/ch @ 500MS/s Multi Event Buffer
Divisible into 1 � 1024 buffers
Independent read and write access
Programmable event size and pre-post trigger
|Common External TRGIN (NIM or TTL) and VME CommandIndividual channel autotrigger (time over/under threshold)TRGOUT (NIM or TTL) for the trigger propagation to other V1731 boards.
|Trigger Time Stamp
|32bit - 8ns (34s range). Sync input for Time Stamp alignment
|ADC and Memory controller FPGA
|One Altera Cyclone EP1C4 per channel
|Optical Link
|Data readout and slow control with transfer rate up to 80 MB/s, to be used instead of VME bus. Daisy chainable: one A2818 PCI card can control and read eight VX1731 boards in a chain.
|VME interface
VME64X compliant
D32, BLT32, MBLT64, CBLT32/64, 2eVME, 2eSST, Multi Cast CyclesTransfer rate: 60MB/s (MBLT64), 100MB/s (2eVME), 160MB/s (2eSST).
Sequential and random access to the data of the Multi Event Buffer. The Chained readout allows to read one event from all the boards in a VME crate with a BLT access.
|VX1731 firmware can be upgraded via VME or Optical Link
|General purpose C Libraries and Demo Programs (CAENScope).
|Analog Monitor
12bit / 100MHz DAC FPGA controlled output, four operating modes:
Test Waveform: 1 Vpp test ramp generator
Majority: MON/Σ output signal is proportional to the number of channels (enabled) under/over threshold (1 step = 125mV)
Buffer Occupancy: MON/Σ output signal is proportional to the Multi Event Buffer Occupancy
Voltage level: MON/Σ output signal is a programmable voltage level
16 gen. purpose LVDS I/O controlled by FPGA
Busy, Data Ready, Memory full, Individual Trig-Out and other function can be programmed.
An Input Pattern from the LVDS I/O can be associated to each trigger as an event marker.
|Input connectors
Single ended: MCX
Differential: Tyco MODU II
|Firmware CONET2 Compliant
|x721-x731 Standard FW CONET 2 Compliant
|Apr, 2013
|Release Notes 10.42 KB - Type: .txt
|FW Package 307.18 KB - Type: .cfa
|Related Models
|Digitizer Software
|Digitizer Software for Signal Inspection and Waveform Recording (New Version)
|Digitizer Software
|CAEN WaveDump
|CAEN Digitizer readout application
|Digitizer Software
|CAENDigitizer Library
|Library of functions for CAEN Digitizers high level management
|Digitizer Software
|Firmware Upgrade Tool for Front-end Boards Bridges & VME Power Supply
|Digitizer Software
|CAEN SyncTest
|Software Demo for CAEN Digitizers Synchronization
|VX1731B - 4/8 Ch. 8 bit 1000/500 MS/s Digitizer:4/2MS/ch, C4, DIFF
|VX1731 - 4/8 Ch. 8 bit 1000/500 MS/s Digitizer: 4/2MS/ch, C4, SE
|PCI CONET Controller
|7U 21 Slot VME64 Low Cost Crate
|5U 9 Slot VME64 Mini Crate
|8U 21 Slot VME64/64X Enhanced Crate Series
|7U 21 Slot VME64 Low Cost Crate
|PCI Express CONET2 Controller
|1U 2 Slot VME64 Mini Crate
|Digitizer Software for Signal Inspection and Waveform Recording (New Version)
|CAEN WaveDump
|CAEN Digitizer readout application
|CAENDigitizer Library
|Library of functions for CAEN Digitizers high level management
|9U 21Slot VME64X Enhanced Crate series
|Firmware Upgrade Tool for Front-end Boards Bridges & VME Power Supply
|2U 4 Slot VME64 Mini Crate
|7U CRATE VME/NIM 8 slot VME64 365W, 5 slot NIM 150W
|CAEN SyncTest
|Software Demo for CAEN Digitizers Synchronization
|Related Accessories
|PCI CONET Controller
|Single Channel MCX to LEMO Cable Adapter
|PCI Express CONET2 Controller
|Single Channel MCX to BNC Cable Adapter
|Optical Fiber Series
|Clock Distribution Cable
|Last Update
|V1721 & VX1721 & V1731 & VX1731 User Manual
|29 April, 2013
|V1721 & VX1721 & V1731 & VX1731 User Manual Release Notes
|29 April, 2013
|V1721 & VX1721 & V1731 & VX1731 Registers Description
|29 April, 2013
Precautions for Handling Storage and Installation
|Application Notes
|Last Update
|In this application note we describe how to upgrade the firmware of CAEN products with optical link to migrate from CONET1 to CONET2 protocol AN2472 - CONET1 to CONET2 migration
|27 May, 2011
|This Application Note shows how to synchronize two or more homogeneous CAEN digitizers in a multi-board acquisition system. This document briefly shows three example of hardware configuration and their relative features. The technical procedures including software implementation and hardware connection is described more extensively in the Application Note AN2086 AN2862 - Synchronization of CAEN Digitizers in Multiple Board Acquisition Systems: Concise Review
|9 May, 2013
|This Application Note shows how to synchronize two or more homogeneous CAEN digitizers in a multi-board acquisition system. We describe the steps needed to synchronize a simple system, composed by two V1720 in three different hardware set-up which can be easily generalized to more complex cases. AN2086 - Synchronization of CAEN Digitizers in Multiple Board Acquisition Systems
|9 May, 2013
|Last Update
|This QuickStart Guide contains the basic information and commands that will let you use WaveDump in few steps. WaveDump is a C based console application that can control any model of CAEN digitizer and it must be considered as a starting point in order to create an own acquisition software: it is an example of the use of the CAENDigitizer library. GD2483 - WaveDump QuickStart Guide
|February, 2018
|This QuickStart Guide contains the basic information and commands that will let you use CAENScope (CAEN Digitizer Oscilloscope Tool) in few steps. GD2484 - CAENScope QuickStart Guide
|30 September, 2011
|This QuickStart Guide contains the basic information and examples that will let you use CAENUpgrader in few steps. CAENUpgrader is a software with a C based console application and a Java Graphical User Interface. It reunites all the functions included in cvUpgrade, CAENBridgeUpgrade and PLLConfig programs. GD2512 - CAENUpgrader QuickStart Guide
|November 7th, 2016
|Brochures, Flyers
|Last Update
|This brochure describes the CAEN Digitizer Family: instruments housing high speed (up to 5 GS/s) multichannel flash ADC, with local memory and FPGA for Digital Pulse Processing. VME, NIM, and Desktop form factors. Up tp 14 bit resolution, from 1 to 64 channels, programmable PLL. VME64X, Optical Link and USB 2.0 interfaces. Software Tools for Windows and Linux.(ADOCUME00084) BF2585 - Digitizer & DPP Family Flyer
|March, 2016
C.A.E.N. grants you a limited non-exclusive licence to use this CAEN SwFw for any purpose, including commercial applications and redistribute it freely, subject to the following restrictions:
1.�����������Licensed Uses and Restrictions.
CAEN SwFw applications, documentation, and local computer files installed or utilised by the installer application are owned by C.A.E.N., and are licensed to you on a worldwide (except as limited below), non-exclusive, non-sublicenseable basis on the terms and conditions set forth herein. This CAEN SwFw Licence defines legal use of the CAEN SwFw, all updates, revisions, substitutions, and any copies of the CAEN SwFw made by or for you. All rights not expressly granted to you are reserved by C.A.E.N. or their respective owners.
A. (i) YOU MAY install and personally use the CAEN SwFw and any updates provided by C.A.E.N. (in its sole discretion) in object code form on a personal computer or on board on CAEN Products owned or controlled by you and may use the CAEN SwFw for your own non commercial use or benefit. Your licence to the CAEN SwFw under this CAEN SwFw Licence continues until it is terminated by either party. You may terminate the CAEN SwFw Licence by discontinuing use of all or any of the CAEN SwFw and by destroying all your copies of the applicable CAEN SwFw. This CAEN SwFw Licence terminates automatically if you violate any term of this CAEN SwFw Licence, C.A.E.N. publicly posts a written notice of termination on C.A.E.N.ís web site, or C.A.E.N. sends a written notice of termination to you.
A. (ii) You may make a CAEN SwFw copy only if it is necessary for its use.
(i) decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, modify the CAEN SwFw or any portion thereof in order to resell, rent, lease, derivative works (as defined by the Italian Copyright Act, l.22 April 1941, n.633 and following amendments) or improvements (as defined by Italian patent law), without C.A.E.N.ís prior, express, written permission.
(ii) incorporate the CAEN SwFw into any computer chip or the firmware of a computing device manufactured by or for you except in those where you have received.
(iii) use the CAEN SwFw in any unlawful manner, for any unlawful purpose.
(iv) you may not use the CAEN SwFw to operate nuclear facilities, life support, or other mission critical application where human life or property may be at stake. You understand that the CAEN SwFw is not designed for such purposes and that its failure in such cases could lead to death, personal injury, or severe property or environmental damage for which C.A.E.N. is not responsible.
(v) use or export the CAEN SwFw in violation of applicable Italian laws or regulations
(vi) sell, lease, loan, distribute, transfer, or sub-license the CAEN SwFw or access thereto or derive income from the use or provision of the CAEN SwFw, whether for direct commercial or monetary gain or otherwise, without C.A.E.N.ís prior, express, written permission.
C. As provided from Berna Convention concerning the Protection of Works of Art and Literature acknowledged in Italy with Law 20 June 1978, n. 399, the provisions of this agreement can not be interpreted to allow their application is a jeopardizing event for the owner of the rights or is in conflict with the ordinary use of the CAEN SwFw
2.�����������Ownership and Relationship of Parties.
The CAEN SwFw is protected by copyrights, trademarks, service marks, international treaties, and/or other proprietary rights and laws of the U.S. and other countries. You agree to abide by all applicable proprietary rights laws and other laws. C.A.E.N. owns all rights, title, and interest in and to their applicable contributions to the CAEN SwFw. This CAEN SwFw Licence grants you no right, title, or interest in any intellectual property owned or licensed by C.A.E.N., including (but not limited to) the CAEN SwFw and the C.A.E.N. trademarks, and creates no relationship between you and C.A.E.N. other than that of C.A.E.N. to licensee.
You agree that you will use the CAEN SwFw, and any data accessed through the CAEN SwFw, for your own personal non-commercial use only. You agree not to assign, copy, transfer, or transmit CAEN SwFw. Your licence to use the CAEN SwFw will terminate if you violate these restrictions. If your licence terminates, you agree to cease any and all use of the CAEN SwFw. All rights in any third-party data, any third-party CAEN SwFw, and any third-party data servers, including all ownership rights are reserved and remain with the respective third parties. You agree that these third parties may enforce their rights under this Agreement against you directly in their own name.
3.�����������Support and CAEN SwFw Updates.
C.A.E.N. may elect to provide you with customer support and/or CAEN SwFw upgrades, enhancements, or modifications for the CAEN SwFw (collectively, "Support"), in its sole discretion, and may terminate such Support at any time without notice to you. C.A.E.N. may change, suspend, or discontinue any aspect of the CAEN SwFw at any time, including the availability of any CAEN SwFw feature, database, or content. C.A.E.N. may also impose limits on certain features and services or restrict your access to parts or all of the CAEN SwFw or the C.A.E.N. web site without notice or liability.
4.�����������Fees and Payments.
C.A.E.N. reserves the right to charge fees for future use of or access to the CAEN SwFw in C.A.E.N.'s sole discretion. If C.A.E.N. decides to charge for the CAEN SwFw , such charges will be disclosed to you 28 days before they are applied.
5.�����������Disclaimer of Warranties by C.A.E.N.
Use of the CAEN SwFw and any data accessed through the CAEN SwFw is at your sole risk. They are Provided "as is."
Any service or otherwise obtained through the use of the CAEN SwFw is done at your own discretion and risk, and you will be solely responsible for any damage to your computer system or loss of data that results from the download and/or use of any such material or service.
C.A.E.N., its officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, affiliates, and assigns (collectively, "C.A.E.N. Entities"), and C.A.E.N.ís Licensors do not represent that the CAEN SwFw or any data accessed therefrom is appropriate or available for use outside Italy.
The C.A.E.N. Entities and C.A.E.N. Licensors expressly disclaim all warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, relating to the CAEN SwFw and any data accessed therefrom, or the accuracy, timeliness, completeness, or adequacy of the CAEN SwFw and any data accessed therefrom, including the implied warranties of title, merchantability, satisfactory quality, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
If the CAEN SwFw or any data accessed therefrom proves defective, you (and not the C.A.E.N. Entities, or the C.A.E.N. Licensors) assume the entire cost of all repair or injury of any kind, even if the C.A.E.N. Entities, or C.A.E.N. Licensors have been advised of the possibility of such a defect or damages. Some jurisdictions do not allow restrictions on implied warranties so some of these limitations may not apply to you.
6.�����������Limitation of liability.
Notwithstanding any other provision, nothing in this CAEN SwFw Licence shall exclude or limit either party's liability for the tort of deceit, fraudulent misrepresentation, death or personal injury caused by negligence.
The C.A.E.N. Entities and C.A.E.N. Licensors will not be liable to you for claims and liabilities of any kind arising out of or in any way related to the use of the CAEN SwFw or any derivative work by yourself or by third parties, to the use or non-use of any brokerage firm or dealer, or to the sale or purchase of any security, whether such claims and liabilities are based on any legal or equitable theory.
The C.A.E.N. Entities and C.A.E.N. Licensors are not liable to you for any and all direct, incidental, special, indirect, or consequential damages arising out of the use or inability to use the CAEN SwFw or any derivative work, arising out of or related to any third-party CAEN SwFw or any derivative work , any data accessed through the CAEN SwFw or any derivative work, your use or inability to use or access the CAEN SwFw or any derivative work, or any data provided through the CAEN SwFw or any derivative work , whether such damage claims are brought under any theory of law or equity. Damages excluded by this clause include, without limitation, those for loss of business profits, injury to person or property, business interruption, loss of business or personal information. Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of incidental or consequential damages so this restriction may not apply to you.
Information provided through the CAEN SwFw , may be delayed, inaccurate, or contain errors or omissions, and the C.A.E.N. Entities and C.A.E.N. Licensors will have no liability with respect thereto. C.A.E.N. may change or discontinue any aspect or feature of the CAEN SwFw or the use of all or any features or technology in the CAEN SwFw at any time without prior notice to you, including, but not limited to, content, hours of availability.
You are solely responsible for compliance with agreements you have executed with third parties. You agree to indemnify and hold the C.A.E.N. Entities harmless from any claim or demand, including reasonable legal fees, made by any third party in connection with or arising out of your use of the CAEN SwFw, your violation of any terms or conditions of this CAEN SwFw Licence, your violation of applicable laws, or your violation of any rights of another person or entity.
8.�����������Controlling Law.
This CAEN SwFw Licence and the relationship between you and C.A.E.N. is governed by the laws of Italy.
This Agreement shall be construed and governed by Italian Law.
The United Nations Convention on the International Sale of Goods does not apply to this CAEN SwFw Licence.
Any dispute arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be referred to and finally resolved by Arbitration under the provisions of Italian Law (c.p.c. art 816 and following.) by one Arbitrator.
The Arbitrator shall be nominated from Chairman of the Court of Milan.
The place of Arbitration shall be Milan, Italy and the language shall be English.
This CAEN SwFw Licence constitute the entire understanding between the parties respecting use of the CAEN SwFw, superseding all prior agreements between you and C.A.E.N.. In the event of any conflict between the terms and conditions of this CAEN SwFw Licence, the terms and conditions of this CAEN SwFw Licence will control
10.�����������Surviving Provisions.
Sections 2, and 4 through 10, will survive any termination of this Agreement.
Tel No: +39.0584.388398 , Fax No.: +39.0584.388959, E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Tum ad sacerdotes creandos animum advertis, quamquam ipse plurimis sacris, maxime sacris Iovis, praeerat. Sed quia in civitate bellicosa plures Romuli quam Numae similes reges fore putabat iturosque ipsos ad bella, ne rege absente sacra neglegerentur, Iovi assiduum sacerdotem creavit qui 'flamen Dialis' appellatus est.
I'm perplexed by the phrase '..maxime sacris Iovis, praeerat' '...even though he himself most of all was foremost - then 'sacris' - with sacrifices ? and then for some reason we have 'Iovis' genitive? I can't work out why it's in this case.


text:
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Does one's brain have to be as small as a dog's? Truth pretty harmer upskirt Dani did swing club
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text:
CHICAGO (AP) - An Illinois hotline for people who need help signing up for new federal health insurance is extending its hours through Monday.
That's an important deadline under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul.
People who want their private insurance coverage to start on Jan. 1 must enroll by Monday, although enrollment continues for private coverage through March 31.
The Get Covered Illinois help desk will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Monday. Normal hours - 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. - will resume on Tuesday. The help desk phone number is 866-311-1119.
Applications for Medicaid, the government health program for low-income residents, are accepted throughout the year.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
The EEOC works with the Fair Employment Practice Agencies (FEPAs) and the Tribal Employment Rights Offices (TEROs) to manage charges of discrimination and the protection of the employment rights of Native Americans. The EEOC contracts with approximately 90 FEPAs nationwide to process more than 48,000 discrimination charges annually. These charges raise claims under state and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination as well as the federal laws enforced by the EEOC. FEPA and TERO offices for the area covered by this office are listed below.
Michigan Department of Civil Rights (FEPA)
Detroit Civil Rights Office
Service Center
Cadillac Place
3054 West Grand Boulevard, Suite 3-600
Detroit, MI 48202
Phone: 313-456-3700
Fax: 313-456-3701
Website: www.michigan.gov/mdcr
Ohio Civil Rights Commission - Toledo Regional Office (FEPA)
One Government Center
640 Jackson Street, Suite 936
Toledo, OH 43604
Phone: 419-245-2900
Fax: 419-245-2668
Website: http://www.crc.ohio.gov/AboutUs/RegionalOffices/ToledoRegionalOffice.aspx
Ohio Civil Rights Commission - Dayton Regional Office (FEPA)
40 West 4th Centre
Suite 1900
Dayton, OH 45402
Phone: 937-285-6500
Fax: 937-285-6606
Website: http://www.state.oh.us/crc
E-mail: email@example.com


text:
Wasps 33-29 Gloucester, Aviva Premiership
Wasps boost play-off hopes
February 17, 2013
Wasps edge out Gloucester at Adams Park%]
Wasps maintained their unbeaten home record in the Aviva Premiership with a 33-29 victory over a Gloucester side who failed to capitalise on long spells of dominance at Adams Park.
Gloucester were the better side for much of the contest, but they missed four penalties and that proved their undoing. With 20 minutes to go, Gloucester led 17-13, but tries followed from the impressive Christian Wade and Billy Vunipola and enabled Wasps to consolidate fourth place.
Two bonus points for the visitors, who crossed for a pair of even later tries, took Gloucester about Northampton into fifth.
Wasps made two changes to the XV that beat Harlequins last weekend, with Stephen Jones coming in at outside half and Andrea Masi at centre in place of Nick Robinson and Elliot Daly. Gloucester were unchanged following last week's excellent win at Northampton. Gloucester had the first chance for points but Rob Cook failed with a long-distance penalty attempt. The visitors continued to dominate the opening 15 minutes as Wasps struggled to get out of their own half.
Gloucester earned reward for that dominance when flanker Akapusi Qera burst away from a maul on halfway to race 40 metres and send Dan Robson in for the try which Rob Cook converted. On their first incursion into opposition territory, Wasps got on the scoreboard when Jones kicked a penalty after the visitors were penalised at a scrum.
The score was the catalyst for the hosts to gain a platform in the game and they took the lead when Ashley Johnson finished off a driving maul for a try which Jones converted. Back came Gloucester with a Cook penalty before surprisingly Jones missed with a simple effort for the Wasps.
Gloucester fly-half Ryan Mills then hit a post with a penalty kick from inside his own half while Jones kicked an easy one to leave Wasps in front by 13-10 at the interval. Gloucester would have been hugely disappointed with that scoreline as they had much the better of the half in terms of territory and possession and should have been comfortably ahead.
Gloucester were dealt a further blow when their stand-out performer, Qera, failed to come out for the second half after suffering a neck injury. But within minutes of the restart they should have been back on level terms only for Cook to miss badly with his penalty attempt.
After 46 minutes, Gloucester were deservedly back in the lead when Mike Tindall easily brushed aside a weak tackle from Chris Bell to score the try which Cook converted. A further penalty from Jones reduced the arrears to one point before an excellent try from Wade saw the lead change hands once again.
On halfway Vunipola picked up a loose ball to feed Wade; the wing managed to collect the high pass to dash 50 metres for the line, evading Jonny May's tackle in the process. Jones converted but that was his last action as he was replaced by former Gloucester favourite Nick Robinson.
Cook again missed horribly with another penalty before the full-back was substituted with 12 minutes remaining. The disappointment of Cook's misses hit Gloucester hard. Their heads temporarily dropped allowing Vunipola to smash past two tackles from a scrum 15 metres out for the decisive try which Robinson converted before adding a penalty.
Gloucester staged a commendable late rally with two tries in the last five minutes, one from Mills and the other from Charlie Sharples. Tindall converted one to give them two valuable bonus points but the hosts hung on.
Wasps director of rugby Dai Young admitted his team were fortunate to come out on top. He said: "It was a great game for the neutral but we are having the rub of the green at the moment. I'm disappointed at the way we played in the first half as we were extremely pleased to go in at 13-10 ahead. Gloucester should have been a couple of scores in front.
"We didn't play well for most of that game - perhaps for only 20 minutes - and we haven't produced an 80-minute performance all season. We are far from the finished article and still have a long way to go."
While Young's Gloucester counterpart, Nigel Davies, believed that his side should have secured victory. He said: "We controlled large parts of that match but we didn't take our opportunities, mainly in the first half. We made a number of errors and they took their chances, especially when we messed up a scrum to give Christian Wade the opportunity to score. That was the turning point in the match."
Christian Wade races over to score a great try against Gloucester © Getty Images
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Communication error please reload the page.


text:
Three undergraduates and one fraternity at the University of Rochester were honored with four awards at the Northeast Greek Leadership Association (NGLA) Conference, held in Hartford, Conn., last month. The NGLA provides opportunities for learning and leadership to members of fraternities and sororities throughout the northeast region.
Three students from the University, Kyle Coapman '13 of Delta Upsilon Fraternity, Harini Morisetty '13 (T5) of Delta Phi Omega Sorority, and Kelly Scull '14, Sigma Delta Tau Sorority, were recipients of the Greek Leaders of Distinction Award. This award recognizes students who exemplify the ideals of their fraternity or sorority within their daily lives. Nominees were judged on several criteria, including leadership, scholastic and academic achievement, character as displayed through fraternity or sorority membership, and service to the University, to the individual's organization, and to the fraternity and sorority community at large.
Sigma Phi Epsilon also was recognized with the Amy Vojta Impact Award for Philanthropy & Service; which recognizes programming and initiatives that made an impact on a chapter. The fraternity was honored for their work planning and organizing the 19th Ward Spelling Bee.
The annual event is a partnership between Sigma Phi Epsilon, the 19th Ward Community Association, Rochester City School District, Rochester Area Community Foundation, and University of Rochester Admissions Office. Throughout the academic year students in grades three through seven receive spelling bee support in their respective schools and attend monthly sessions where members of Sigma Phi Epsilon tutor them in preparation for the preliminary and the final rounds. Students' hard work culminates with the final round, held in the spring. Prior to the competition students and their parents also have the opportunity to explore the River Campus and engage with members of the University community.
"By bringing students to our school and showing them what they are capable of, we believe that we intrinsically motivate them to learn and reach their full potential," wrote Jonathan Macoskey '15, Sigma Phi Epsilon president, in a letter nominating the fraternity for the award. "We hope that as these students near the end of high school, this event's impact will be visible; encouraging the pursuit of higher education at a young age will hopefully aid in increasing high school graduation rates in the city of Rochester."
Winners for each grade level receive a $500 scholarship given upon high school graduation and intent to attend college.


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The combination of better than expected data in the U.S. and an accommodative central bank in Japan has pushed Yen futures (CME:J6U13) lower. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is only at the beginning of its quantitative easing plan, and the repatriation of funds by Japanese investors has created headwinds for the BOJ, which is hampering the growth process. With growth in Japan just beginning to show signs of traction, Yen futures should decline in the months to come.
The yield differential is usually a strong driving force behind the movements in the currency market. The yield differential is the difference between one country's yield on government bonds and another country's yield on government bonds. The yield differential between U.S. 10-year bonds (CBOT:ZBU13) and Japanese 10-year bonds has climbed to 182 basis points, allowing long term investors to benefit from holding U.S. bonds relative to Japanese bonds. The differential is rising because the U.S. economy is starting to show signs of growth, which is driving up yields across the interest rate curve.
The most recent data point of note was the July 5 Employment report released by the Department of Labor. According to the BLS, nonfarm payrolls increased by 195,000 jobs compared to the 150,000 expected by economists. April and May's numbers were also revised. April increased by 20,000 jobs while May saw an increase of 50,000 jobs. In addition to the positive report, average hourly earnings increased by .4%, which was more than expected. In a separate report, generated from a household survey, the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.6%. This was largely due to an increase in the participation rate from 63.4% to 63.5%. Almost immediately after the government employment report, U.S. 10-year yields increased 11 basis points reaching a three-year high.


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Checking out another gluten-free blogger is always a fun assignment. Learning their writing style, checking out their food photography, reading their stories and test driving some new recipes is great inspiration. So it was with great relish that I spent time prowling around Until the Thin Lady Sings, a gluten-free, low-carb and chemical-free blog written by Rachel Cobb, a self-described foodie opera singer. I decided to adopt this wonderful blogger for the Adopt a Gluten Free Blogger event founded by the Book of Yum and hosted this month by Enjoying Gluten-Free Life.
Cobb is a wonderfully vivacious writer and she provides a lot of information about healthy foods, from bone broth to low carbohydrate baking, with plenty of recipes and kitchen tips on the side. I love the energy in her writing and her "evangelism" in giving readers the inspiration to try out new ingredients and cooking techniques.
For my adoption, the first thing I made was a batch of her terribly addictive Coconut Flour Cheese Biscuits. These were so moist and they filled the house with a tremendously inviting savory smell as they were baking. They were very easy to make too, so I have gotten this recipe in my permanent rotation.
I also tried out some of the Thin Lady's Blueberry Lemon Bars with Stevia. They weren't quite sweet enough (I use the stevia I had at home, which was in packets, so perhaps I undermeasured), so we added a little pure maple syrup drizzle to each serving and these were then quite heavenly with a lovely almond flour crust. The blueberries are soft and pop in your mouth.
I recommend the Cobb's blog to anyone who is looking for healthy, low-carbohydrate and gluten-free recipes and food posts. She is particularly fond of baking sweet, though sugar-free treats, and I intend to explore more of these as I work my way through more of her recipes.
Be sure to stop by Enjoying Gluten-Free Life in the next couple of days to check out the full roundup for the Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger event. You'll see what other bloggers have been cooking up from our colleague's recipes and get some new favorite blogs to check out for yourself.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Until the Thin Sings for her Lemon-Blueberry Bars and Garlic Cheese Biscuits
4 comments:
- Rachel C - thinladysings said...
Thank you! How nice. Yes, those blueberry lemon bars are very low on sweet. Also, stevia varies sooo much so sometimes with stevia, you just have to give it a taste test before you bake.
- Saturday, 07 July, 2012
- Shannon Brown said...
I love that this event shows us bloggers who are new to us. I'd never been to her blog before but love her take on things. Her Blueberry Lemon Bars with Stevia look like something my husband would enjoy. Thank you for joining in.
- Sunday, 08 July, 2012
- Gladys said...
Wow Rachel-you made me hungry with these, LOL!
- Thursday, 02 August, 2012
- Rise-n-Shine Life said...
I enjoyed reading your Adopt A Blogger post! I'm gonna need to see about making those biscuits! :)
- Friday, 03 August, 2012
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TheWigs wrote:I got blocked as well, since they are blocking us from sending the message, are they also blocking FBTB from clicking the links to give the tots the toys?
onions wrote:yeah we're dead in the water right now. i'm considring driving out to my local starbucks.
Gooker1 wrote:TheWigs wrote:
Just to play fun conspiracy stuff, it's as if they don't want to give toys to the kids! Kidding.
onions wrote:yeah, i'm starting to have serious doubts as to whether or not they truly intended to hit the 1mil toy mark. their safety measures to protect the health of their server is severely limiting the progress. ip blocking is probably the biggest FU they could have thrown at us.
since the time i've noticed that i was no longer receiving emails, i've received handful more, so maybe some more are still coming through.
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Boss Waza Pedals - The Art Of Great Tone
Waza - The Art Of Great Tone
They've been dedicated to the art and craft of great guitar effects for over 30 years so Boss and Roland have a pretty impressive back catalogue of effects, from distortion to delay in rack form, stomp boxes and table top units. They've always moved with the times and pushed at the boundaries using advanced analogue design, digital modelling and creating software for studio integration. The compact pedal is particularly iconic, squeezing complex effects into a bomb proof enclosure and running off now industry standard 9v power supplies. Suffice to say modern guitar effects wouldn't be the same without Boss and Roland and it's easy to take for granted just how much is going "under the hood". While increasing numbers of pedals are using impressive digital tech to emulate the sound of yesteryear there is still a lot to be said for pure analogue effects. That's why Boss have gone back to some of their best loved pedals, the pinnacles of analogue circuit design and added even more features and connectivity for the modern guitarist's pedal board.
Boss DM-2W Analogue Delay Pedal - The original DM-2 is revered in guitar circles, spoken of in hushed tones since being discontinued many years ago. It's back and better than before with more I/O and controls.
Boss SD-1W Overdrive - A favourite for guitarists looking to push their amp with some dirty drive. Using classic discrete analogue components the SD-1W offers the same sound but loaded with enough features to make any boutique pedal buff blush.
Boss BD-2W Blues Driver - The Blues Driver has been modded by tons of blues rockers looking to finely tailor their tone. The BD-2W comes already hot rodded and finely tuned, elevated above the classic Blues Driver with an all new design.
Roland Blues Cube
It's not just Boss that are revisiting classic tones, Roland have delivered the ultimate tweed combo amp without the need to replace valves or lug a huge load to the gig. The Blues Cube Artist and Stage are 1x12" combos with up to 60 and 80 watts of power respectively. You can dial that power back very easily to get proper drive at lower volumes. Add in effects loops, USB recording and tone controls and you can see why this is an exciting prospect for anyone after a vintage tweed tone without the hassle that can come from ancient valve amps.
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Boss BD-2W Custom Blues Driver Pedal
Boss have been in the business of making guitar effects pedal for decades, defining the sounds of music made over several eras. The BD-2 has been used by alternative guitarists to get distortion and metallers to drive high gain amps and tighten tone. This Waza Craft model goes back to the roots of tone craft with discrete analogue components and…
Web Price:135.00
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Boss DM-2W Custom Delay Pedal
The return of an all analogue legend. The original DM-2 now commands some crazy prices second hand. The DM-2W gives you all the same BBD pedal goodness with a good deal more flexibility and Waza craft quality. A Little History The DM-2 played a big part in the delay pedal revolution that occurred in the 80's, led by guitarists like…
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Boss SD-1W Custom Overdrive Pedal
The Waza Craft pedals are custom designed to deliver the sound of classic Boss pedals with the hot rodded flexibility of modern FX. The SD-1 is much loved for it's ability to push your amp into the sweet spot and tighten tone. A Little History The original Boss SD-1 was designed to deliver a tube like response and push the…
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Roland Blues Cube Artist Combo Amp
The original tweed amps achieved something special with a relatively simple setup, some tubes, a few controls and a single speaker gave a tone that defined an era. The Blues Cube Artist has that same amazing tone with a range of features and compact flexibility that was made to be played on stage. Musical, Highly Responsive Amp Tones with Tube…
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Roland Blues Cube Stage Combo Amp
Roland have taken the sound of early rock and roll and combined it with modern features and a single speaker combo that is simple to maintain and gig with. Musical, Highly Responsive Amp Tones with Tube Logic Warm, bouncy, responsive, dynamic, elastic…these are all terms that guitarists use to describe the satisfying experience of playing their favorite tube amps.…
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Armed toll booth robber sought in Orange County
Police: Man held up toll booth attendant
Armed toll booth robber sought in Orange County
Police: Man held up toll booth attendant
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —
Orlando police are searching for a toll booth robber Friday.
In a surveillance photo, the robber is seen pointing a handgun at toll booth attendant on State Road 528 and Airport Boulevard.
Officials said the man demanded the tray from the register and the attendant complied. He got away with an undisclosed amount of money.
The man is white and was wearing a mask over his face, according to a release. The robber was also wearing a black jacket with a horizontal stripe.
Investigators said the man was driving a light-colored, four-door car that could possibly be a Nissan Altima.
No one was hurt in the incident.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call Crimeline at 800-423-TIPS.


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My husband and I recognized the transformation instantly upon our arrival at Marrakech's airport for a week's vacation last April. After six years away from the Moroccan city we once called home—and where our daughter, now ten, learned to converse in a rapid-fire medley of Arabic, French, and English—it was no surprise that changes had occurred in our absence. But who knew they would be so immediate?
The terminal we remembered as being a modest structure of faded pink stucco, where stray cats slinked through the waiting room, had been expanded with a sweeping grand concourse designed by the French firm CR Architecture and E2A Architecture of Casablanca in a style that could aptly be described as Maghreb Mod. Giant rhomboid skylights fitted with photovoltaic panels filtered the blazing sun, the soft, diamondlike openings following the curve of the roof and morphing into glass walls frosted with an arabesque pattern. Across the face of the new building stretched a long metal canopy, a brise-soleil pierced with traditional North African star motifs. There was even an outpost of Hudson News selling scores of global magazines. Dowdy Marrakech-Menara Airport had become groovy and eye-opening—a worldly symbol of a Marrakech markedly different than the one we left behind. (To browse a slide show on where to eat, shop, and stay in Marrakech now, click here.)
Not that the fabled Red City, founded in the 11th century by Sultan Youssef ben Tachfine, had slumbered during our time there, from 2003 to 2006. Major changes were already afoot. Once a byword for louche living, where tailleurs gave way to caftans and supine was the preferred posture, Marrakech had lost much of the druggy bohemianism that made its reputation in the 1960s and '70s. Chic boutique hotels known as maisons d'hôte were springing up the medina, while posh resorts began to creep across the city's sandy outskirts, welcoming well-heeled and well-traveled Europeans as well as elites from the Persian Gulf, for whom Morocco represents an escape from strictures against immodest clothing, public mingling of the sexes, and drinking alcohol.
At its core, however, Marrakech remains a crowded, cacophonous city, where sand-color Mercedes-Benz taxis jostle with mopeds, bicycles, carts pulled by worn-out donkeys or middle-aged men, feral cats, package tourists in T-shirts, and oblivious jaywalkers wearing everything from homemade djellabas to designer jeans. Marrakech is a market town, blessed with all the importuning that implies. In the walled city known as the medina—a UNESCO World Heritage site—hundreds of vendors, like their forefathers before them, gently sidle up to unsuspecting passersby with sibilant offers to consider a Berber carpet or a fragrant spice, while hustlers in the sweltering Jemaa el Fna Square scrounge up a day's wages by showing off tame rhesus monkeys or charming cobras (the serpents' mouths are sewn shut, by the way). The sunbaked terra-cotta-red buildings are still architecturally modest, their unremarkable façades giving no hint of whether they shelter a hovel or a palace. Neighborhoods ring with the sounds of artisans beating metal into lanterns. And five times each day scores of minarets broadcast the call to prayer, a throaty, melodious wail that is the Islamic world's answer to church bells and to my mind one of the most hypnotically beautiful sounds on the planet. Equal parts mercantile, mysterious, and maddening, Marrakech is the most fascinating place I have ever lived and the only one I have ever truly missed.
Marrakech, like most major Moroccan cities, offers two faces to the traveler, a product of its legacy as a French protectorate from 1912 to 1956. One is the dusty medina, an embodiment of Morocco before Western powers took a geopolitical interest in this corner of the Maghreb. The other is the Ville Nouvelle, often referred to as Guéliz, the modern town that the French built outside the medina, an urbane community of spacious boulevards and tree-shaded streets that was originally lined with clay-color Art Moderne villas as neat as sugar cubes.
Some of the charming residences of yesteryear survive, though most are crumbling. The best can be seen in the neighborhood around La Saadia, also known as Villa Taylor, a Moorish extravaganza commissioned from Poisson in the 1920s by New York millionaires Edith and Moses Taylor. That magical estate is where Winston Churchill and Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent a night following the wartime Casablanca Conference in 1943.
Increasingly, however, that evocative colonial atmosphere, dismissed as irrelevant by many younger Moroccans, has all but disappeared. Smart, if often stylistically dubious, apartment towers have sprouted along Avenue Mohammed V, the Ville Nouvelle's main artery, interspersed with chain stores such as Zara Home, Lacoste, Guess, and Etam. Relieving the parade of global labels, however, is a promising handful of venues championing Moroccan contemporary art, including the outstanding David Bloch Gallery and Galerie Rê. Like the country's wine industry, Morocco's art community is unexpectedly vibrant and underappreciated—but it's beginning to attract the attention it deserves.
The city now hosts a biennial festival (the latest edition was held earlier this year) that bills itself as "an international gathering of performance, screening, and debate." Its leader is British arts patron and philanthropist Vanessa Branson, a part-time Marrakech resident, former gallerist, and sister of Virgin Group's Sir Richard Branson. She is also an owner of Riad El Fenn, a sensationally stylish maison d'hôte that opened eight years ago in the medina's Bab Laksour neighborhood and instantly put all other boutique hoteliers on notice, what with its gleaming tadelakt walls hung with works by contemporary artists such as Bridget Riley and Antony Gormley and seated rooftop dinners for a hundred or more. Since then Riad el Fenn has taken over a couple of neighboring mansions, so it now has three swimming pools and a strikingly seductive bar whose beamed ceiling is encased entirely in mirrored glass.
To be sure, the city's march of progress has sent housing prices skyrocketing and led to an influx of discotheques, golf courses, and gated communities. "Saint-Tropez minus the yachts" is how the German newspaper Der Spiegel described Marrakech a couple of years ago. Of course, one can't deny that all the construction projects do provide work for laborers, and the new hotels, restaurants, galleries, and shops mean more jobs in a country with significant unemployment.
Still it was painful to discover that a particularly romantic mansion in Guéliz dating from the 1920s, an Orientalist whimsy on rue Ibn Aïcha, had been replaced by an apartment block of depressing mediocrity. Not far away, I was briefly dismayed to come across another residential tower on the spot once occupied by the restaurant Bagatelle, a homey, family-owned culinary icon since 1949, where my standard Wednesday luncheon had always been avocat vinaigrette, foie de veau persillé, and a couple of heady gin fizzes. To my joy, however, the restaurant had been been reincarnated on the same block, and its old-fashioned cuisine is as intact as the vintage black-and-white photographs of Marrakech's French colonial days that line the dining room's polished wood paneling.
Other beloved landmarks have been rejuvenated as well. The public botanical garden known as Jardin Majorelle, a 1930s gem saved from destruction by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé in 1980, was a weedy wonderland when I last wandered its shaded paths. Since then American landscape designer Madison Cox has sensitively restored the nearly one-acre paradise, which also houses a small, exquisite museum that hosts exhibitions of everything from Saint Laurent's Moroccan-inspired couture to Berber costumes. Elsewhere, the museum known as Palais Bahia—a late-19th-century landmark in the medina that novelist Edith Wharton called "the loveliest and most fantastic of Moroccan palaces" in her 1919 travel guide to the country—had long been maintained in a desultory fashion by the Ministry of Culture. But the complex's days of benign neglect are numbered, thanks to a two-year, $2.2 million restoration directed by local architect Mohammad Lemcherfi.
The city's array of hotels has been exponentially enriched, too, both inside the medina and out. Prince Fabrizio Ruspoli has gracefully expanded the exquisite La Maison Arabe, which he has owned since 1996, dappling the medina destination with bronze light fixtures by designer du jour Yahya and adding a subterranean spa enriched with traditional zellige tilework. The hotel's signature restaurant was better than I remembered. Our daughter, Catherine, pronounced the silky carrot soup "the best I ever had," which brought a gratified smile to the Paris-born nobleman's handsome face.
French interiors guru Jacques Garcia transformed the long-tired La Mamounia hotel into the acme of glamour with a three-year renovation that was completed in 2009—and which seems to have resulted in the largest order of red velvet upholstery in history. Though its former boutiques featuring local talents in jewelry and fashion have been swept away in favor of global luxury brands, the almost 90-year-old hotel does offer the best people-watching perch in town—the Majorelle Gallery, an 80-foot-long, double-height interior promenade flanked by an alluring, dimly lit bar and restaurant and divided by button-tufted banquettes that seem to stretch for miles. (I do quibble with the location of the spa, however, which requires patrons to stroll through the lobby in terry-cloth robes and slippers.)
Beyond the city walls, where the five-star Amanjena long reigned as the ultimate getaway, spa-resort competitors have proliferated at an astonishing rate. Last year the Four Seasons Resort Marrakech opened on a prime piece of real estate near the bucolic Menara Gardens, a royal orchard and olive grove dating to the 12th century. This past April saw the debut of the Oetker Collection's Moghul-style Palais Namaskar. A month later entrepreneurs Saida and Abdeslam Bennani Smires unveiled the Selman Marrakech, also decorated by Garcia, where beds of white roses alternate with paddocks for the family's Arabian Thoroughbreds. Spa lovers take note: The Selman is the only resort in Morocco that offers the cutting-edge biontology treatments devised by French wellness guru Henri Chenot.
Out in the sprawling Palmeraie oasis—an estate-strewn area that is the Marrakchi Palm Springs—American expat architect and designer Stuart Church has conjured the lush Taj Palace Marrakech, a heady hybrid of sultanic Morocco and princely India that will begin welcoming guests later this summer or in the early fall. In addition, the Delano Marrakech is slated to open in September, the Mondrian Marrakech will arrive next year, and Armani has plans to add a luxury hotel to the landscape, scheduled for 2015.
The best of all these new additions to the booming hospitality landscape, however, is the Royal Mansour, constructed on eight prime acres in the medina. Concocted by a consortium of impeccable tastemakers—the international architecture and design firm OBM, the French interior design team 3BIS, and Spanish landscape architect Luis Vallejo—the resort is palatial, which stands to reason, since it was bankrolled by Mohammed VI, who co-opted one of the arched city gates as the hotel's entrance. His Majesty wanted the Royal Mansour to honor traditional Moroccan craftsmanship, which explains all the exquisitely carved white plaster, or gebs, and handmade, handcut tiles set into starburst patterns with the perfection of pavé diamonds, executed by more than a thousand of the country's most accomplished artisans. Rather than a typical layout of guest rooms spread across floors of a hotel, the Royal Mansour offers 53 three-story riads, or traditional courtyard houses, scattered throughout its gardens.
In addition to being an object lesson in Moroccan style at its most refined and costly (the budget remains a state secret), the Royal Mansour has become something of a court hangout. My husband spotted the king's dazzling young wife, Lalla Salma, lunching on the terrace. A lissome redhead in flowered capri pants and sunglasses, she was separated from us by a Maginot Line of unoccupied tables and watched by a discreet battalion of clean-cut bodyguards. Her presence was something of a surprise. After all, back in the days of the present king's father, Hassan II, the royal wife was never seen in public and had no title. But if the consort of the present Commander of the Faithful can show up at a local restaurant, with her offspring in tow, then Marrakech—indeed all of Morocco—has entered a new era.


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NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Former New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots cornerback Randall Gay is among the plaintiffs in a newly filed lawsuit accusing the NFL of failing to protect players from concussion risks.
The federal suit was filed Wednesday in New Orleans on behalf of 18 former NFL players.
The case is likely to be transferred to Philadelphia, where a judge presides over a batch of similar suits, including several others that were filed in New Orleans. Gay, a Louisiana native, was an LSU standout before the Patriots signed him in 2004.
The Saints signed him in 2008 and cut him in 2011 after he missed much of the previous season with a concussion.
The NFL has vowed to vigorously defend itself against the suits.


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Skull discovery in North Conway prompts call from Mass. familyBy KATHRYN MARCHOCKI
New Hampshire Union Leader
October 14. 2013 9:01PM
The state Medical Examiner's Office has not yet identified the human remains discovered in the North Conway woods Saturday by searchers looking for missing Conway teen Abigail Hernandez.
A portion of a skull and teeth were found during a line search of the wooded terrain about two miles from Cranmore Mountain Resort in North Conway, officials have said.
The Medical Examiner's office removed the remains and are expected to do DNA testing in an attempt to identify them.
"There is a possibility they could come up with a general and possible time line based on the condition of the remains," State Police Capt. David G. Parenteau said Monday.
Parenteau said a Massachusetts family called Monday to provide information on a missing family member should an identification be made on the remains. Their relative was last seen in Portland, Maine, he said.
The identity and gender of the person is not known. However, Maj. Kevin Jordan of New Hampshire Fish and Game has said his agency wants to determine if they belong to a man reported missing about seven years ago.
The discovery is believed to be unrelated to the Oct. 9 disappearance of Hernandez, 14, who was last seen walking home from Kennett High School.
Fish and Game Col. Martin S. Garabedian said it is rare to find unknown human remains in the White Mountain National Forest.
"It's very unusual," Garabedian said.
Of those reported missing to conservation officers, "very few people are unaccounted for," he added. He estimated the number to be two to three.


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October 8, 1914 - August 19, 2013
Chester, NY
Edith Irene Leatham, of Chester, passed away on August 19, 2013 at Orange Regional Medical Center, Middletown. She was 98 years old.
Born on October 8, 1914 in Chester, NY, she was the daughter of the late James and Pearl (Van Gelder) Lawrence.
She was married to the late George Leatham.
A homemaker, Edith was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Chester.
She is survived by her sons: James Leatham of Chester, and George Lawrence Leatham of Big Springs, Texas; her grandchildren: Sydney Leatham and Taylor Leatham; and three great-grandchildren: Providence, Chicago and Boston.
Visitation will be on Friday, August 23rd, from 2-4 & 7-9 pm at Lazear-Smith & Vander Plaat Memorial Home, 17 Oakland Avenue, Warwick. Funeral service will be on Saturday at 10:00 am at the funeral home, followed by interment in Warwick Cemetery.
Memorial donations may be sent to Chester Volunteer Ambulance, 79 Laroe Road, Chester, NY 10918.
For further information, directions or to send an online condolence, see www.lsvpmemorialhome.com


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Since returning from CES, the number one question I get from all my friends has been "did you see that cool tablet?" Typically I have to ask them which tablet they are referring to and then I have to tell them that it won't be available for quite some time. The truth is, most tablets that were unveiled at CES will hit store shelves in the next month or two (whenever Google gets the chance to put the finishing touches on Honeycomb) but you'll still have to march into your local service provider's store and sign a contract if you don't have $600 or more to shell out.
So what's the best Android tablet option? Right now, the Samsung Galaxy Tab is the clear choice, but the price is simply too much for most. Yes, the price is dropping, but most people simply can't justify spending more on an Android tablet than they would on a more useful netbook. For me and my wife, the best tablet option was the one we already had, the NOOKcolor. At $250, the Nook Color is certainly the cheapest Android tablet on the market. The only catch is that you'll need to void your warranty and root the device in order to get any tablet functionality out of it.
Out of the box, the Nook Color is one of the most capable eReaders on the market. It features a 7″ 1024×600 IPS color display, an 800 MHz Ti OMAP 3621 processor with a PowerVR SGX530 GPU, 512 MB of RAM, and an ample 8 GB of internal storage. Barnes and Noble chose to launch the eReader with Android 2.1 which allows users to play games, browse the web, view documents, listen to music, and of course download, read and share eBooks. But if you're looking to a bit more functionality, the beefy specs also gives you the opportunity to easily turn the NOOKcolor into an extremely capable Android tablet.
Rooting the NOOKcolor is almost as easy as counting to three. When developers first gained root access, it looked like it was a daunting task. Fortunately, things have come a long way in the past few months. Now, all you need is a spare microSD card and about ten minutes of spare time. I won't go into all the details since there are about a million tutorials already out on the web, but if you're interested in rooting your NOOKcolor I would highly suggest you check out the YouTube video by huskermania.
I guess now you probably want to know how the NOOKcolor stacks up against the Samsung Galaxy Tab. You want the truth? Well… the Galaxy Tab is a much better tablet than the NOOKcolor. But the fact that the NOOKcolor costs half what you'll pay for the Galaxy Tab goes a long way to even out the score. By rooting the NOOKcolor you gain access to the Android Market which in turn opens up endless possibilities. With apps like ADWLauncher you can customize your home screen and app launcher to your liking, giving the NOOKcolor a more "traditional" Android tablet feel.
Since the NOOKcolor was never intended to operate as a tablet, there are some limitations and disadvantages in how the NOOKcolor operates. The main example is the fact that the device only features one button (Home) under the screen. Developers have added a few soft keys (Back and Menu) into the NOOKcolor's notification/menu bar, but things get a little tricky when you're in an app or game that expands to use the full screen.
With the NOOKcolor, you'll need to spend a little extra time customizing the tablet feel to your liking. But once things are set up, the NOOKcolor offers a rewarding tablet experience. Over the past few days, my wife and I have used the tablet to play games, surf the web, check Facebook and Twitter and enjoy some pretty entertaining YouTube clips. The Barnes and Noble NOOKcolor may not be the most refined Android tablet currently on the market; but with a reasonably low price point and impressive hardware, the NOOKcolor should keep most of you entertained long enough to pass on the first two or three Honeycomb tablets that hit the market this spring.


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Pancreas surface, SEM
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Keywords: acinar, acini cells, anatomical, anatomy, biological, biology, cell, close-up, colored, coloured, detail, digestion, digestive enzymes, digestive system, exocrinal, exocrine, exterior, external surface, fissure, fissures, healthy, lobe, lobed, lobes, normal, pancreas, pancreatic, scanning electron micrograph, scanning electron microscope, sem, tissue
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