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See the sidebar to this article for more about virtualization RAM technologies.
When you think service pack, you probably think of minor updates and fixes. You think of phrases such as "increased reliability" and "performance gains," not "industry-leading new features." These perceptions would be accurate if I were talking about Windows 7 SP1—it has updates to resolve problems and improve performance and some minor feature updates related to third-party federation integration, HDMI audio performance, and XPS document rendering, but nothing to justify an article. When we look at SP1 for Windows Server 2008 R2, however, it's a different ball game, and to say it adds industry-leading new features is no exaggeration. SP1 is a game changer for virtualization, particularly Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI).
SP1 for Server 2008 R2 makes some minor updates outside of Hyper-V, but in this article I'll be looking at the Hyper-V changes. Even before SP1, the hypervisors from different vendors had nearly reached parity, with little difference between them in terms of performance and functionality. Virtualization choices were made based on price, management, and integration with the rest of an organization's infrastructure. Hyper-V, however, had one weakness: It lacked memory overcommitment. With SP1, Microsoft has addressed this deficiency by avoiding memory overcommitment like the plague. Confused? Read on.
Hyper-V 2008 R2 SP1 introduced dynamic memory, which allows you to define an initial amount of RAM for a VM and the maximum amount of RAM it can be allocated. Hyper-V intelligently allocates memory to VMs over their initial amounts based on need and on the amount of physical RAM that's available. This is different from memory overcommitment, where you start each VM with the maximum amount of memory possible regardless of if or how it's being used and hope you don't run out of resources. With dynamic memory, VMs are allocated additional memory if it's available, and memory can be reallocated from other VMs that need it less.
Figure 1 shows the dialog for configuring memory for a Server 2008 R2 SP1 hosted VM. Notice that you can still use the old Static configuration, where you assign a VM a set amount of memory that is all allocated when the VM is turned on and can't be increased. The more interesting option is the Dynamic selection as you see selected in the figure. Startup RAM is the memory allocated to the VM when it is initially turned on and Maximum RAM is the size the memory for the VM can grow to based on the VMs needs and physical memory availability. The default value for the Maximum RAM is 64GB (the maximum supported by a VM in Hyper-V). I suggest you set more realistic values, both for planning and to protect you from some rogue process in one VM that allocates as much RAM as it can. In my example, I've set the maximum to 2GB. Based on my expected workloads, this is a reasonable amount for the VM.
Figure 1: Configuring dynamic memory for a VM
You can also see two sliders in the dialog. The first is a percentage of memory to keep as a buffer. You set a buffer because you don't want an OS to totally run out of memory before Hyper-V starts giving it more. The process of adding additional RAM can take a few seconds, and during those few seconds the performance of the VM could be crippled—the guest OS would start to move memory pages to its page file to handle the lack of RAM. To avoid this memory starvation, you set a desired percentage of memory to always be available in the VM (20 percent by default), and when the VM has less than that percentage available, more memory is added to the VM to bring it back to the desired figure (assuming RAM is available in the host). If 20 percent is too little or too much based on the VM's needs, you can change this setting using the slider, but 20 percent is generally a good value for most configurations.
The other slider is to set the priority of memory allocation for when there isn't enough physical RAM available to provide the desired amounts to all the VMs. Just like with CPU allocation, VMs with higher memory priority will receive additional memory before VMs with lower priority.
I've said that dynamic memory intelligently allocates additional memory to a VM and I use the phrase available memory, and not free memory. This is key because available memory and free memory are very different. Windows Vista and later OSs use all the memory that can for caching, helping improve performance by preloading programs into memory. The memory used for this caching can be used by applications whenever it's needed, so the cache is largely still available, so looking at free memory is fairly meaningless—you need to consider the available memory (which includes most of the memory being used for cache). Which is exactly what dynamic memory does.
An update to the Hyper-V integration services provides a new dynamic memory Virtual Server Client (VSC) in guest OSs. The VSC communicates with its corresponding Virtual Service Provider (VSP) in the parent partition to report its use of memory, specifically its amount of available memory. Based on the amount of available memory in the guest, the desired memory buffer configured for the VM, and the amount of physical RAM available in the host, additional memory may be allocated to the guest. This type of intelligent memory allocation is only possible because of the guest OS insight provided by the dynamic memory VSC. It wouldn't be possible if the hypervisor just looked at what memory is being used by a VM from the outside—Hyper-V wouldn't be able to tell if the memory was being used by an application or just for disposable purposes like pre-caching. See the sidebar for this article for more on the technologies involved. Figure 2 shows the memory that a VM has allocated and its percentage of available memory. You should see that the available memory is pretty close to the target memory buffer percentage you configure.
Figure 2: Memory configurations in Hyper-V Manager
Some versions of Windows have long had the ability to hot-add memory to the OS, but dynamic memory doesn't use this capability. Hot-addition of memory was the rare instance where you'd add an entire slot of memory to your hardware. That's very different from frequently adding memory in small amounts, and it was found that memory hot addition wasn't the right solution. Instead, the integration services for Hyper-V that run inside guest OSs were enhanced with a new kernel-level memory enlightenment that communicates with the parent. When it's told that additional memory has been allocated, the integration services present it to the guest OS, which continues working with its increased amount of memory. In my tests, this method has worked great.
When a VM doesn't need some memory any more, or another VM needs it more, dynamic memory uses a balloon driver to reclaim memory. A balloon driver is a kernel mode device driver (so when it asks for memory, the OS has to fulfill the request). Hyper-V tells integration services to grow the balloon driver to a certain size. The balloon driver demands the memory from the guest OS and leaves it free for Hyper-V to reallocate. The guest OS can intelligently decide where that memory will come from, including moving data with the least need to be in memory to the local page file. If the guest needs more memory later (and it's available), the balloon driver can deflate, returning memory for the guest.
When to be Dynamic
Dynamic memory isn't the right solution for every virtual workload, but it's a benefit to most. You might typically assign some services, such as domain controllers and file servers, 4GB of memory, but when you start paying attention, you could be surprised how little memory they actually use. VDI environments are another great fit for dynamic memory, because end user machines occasionally need large amounts of memory for intensive tasks, but can usually get by with a lot less. So when isn't it a good fit? Consider services that are very intelligent about memory and allocate memory when they're started, or services that will always consume as much memory as available. (Both SQL Server and Exchange Mailbox servers fit into both of these categories.) If you try to use dynamic memory with these services, they'll just absorb all the memory you throw at them, unless you use service level configurations to limit the amount of RAM that can be used. Generally, a static memory configuration will probably be better than a dynamic one for these memory absorbent services.
Dynamic memory doesn't mean we don't need to plan. You still need to figure out the normal memory usage patterns of your virtual environments and allocate resources accordingly. Dynamic memory means you don't have to allocate the peak memory used for the entire time a VM is running—you can allow a VM to have more memory when it's needed but use less when it's not. This lets you fit more VMs in your memory, saving you money and management effort.
RemoteFX is made up of three capabilities, all based around Microsoft's acquisition of Calista Technologies. Calista focused on improving the experience of presentation virtualization technologies such as Remote Desktop. One of the capabilities I'll discuss here is available for Remote Desktop Session Host (formally known as Terminal Services), but the two main capabilities are only available for Windows 7 VDI environments.
RemoteFX vGPU is aimed at providing consistent graphically fidelity for end users, no matter the capabilities of their endpoint device. Without vGPU, users connecting to Windows 7 VDI sessions from Windows 7 clients can enable desktop composition in the remote connection settings and get the full Aero Glass experience. Using multimedia redirection, certain types of supported media, such as WMV files, are sent raw to the client device and rendered locally, giving very smooth multimedia playback. Windows 7 clients get a good experience thanks to the local Windows 7 OS and fairly powerful local hardware. But when connecting from a basic thin client or legacy OS, users get a very different experience—basic graphics only and almost no rich media capabilities. vGPU is about equalizing the experience and giving all users to have the same Windows 7 VDI experience.
vGPU works using a new virtual GPU that is presented to the guest OS through an updated VMBus virtualization driver that is part of the SP1 integration services update. This vGPU uses a GPU in the host to perform the actual graphical computations. Note that you don't need one physical GPU per vGPU in a guest—one physical GPU can support multiple vGPUs in the same way that one physical processor core can be used by multiple virtual CPUs.
You have two options for the GPU requirements in the host. One option is to use graphics cards in the hosts that must support DirectX 9.0c and 10 with at least 256MB of RAM (although you'll want much more than this for any sizable implementation), PCI-Express connections (x16 ideally), and the processors in the host must support Second Level Address Translation (SLAT). Note that in production environments you'd use specialized high-end graphic cards and not consumer type GPUs, although in a lab environment a more basic GPU would be fine. (I use a GTX 275 with 1GB of RAM in my lab.) Note that these GPUs can be external in the form of an appliance. Your other option is to use a hardware device known as an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), which are used to offload GPU and CPU from the host.
With this vGPU the guest OS has advanced graphical capabilities including DirectX 3D 9.0c (which is used by productivity applications such as PowerPoint 2010), Silverlight, Adobe Flash, Aero and many others. All of the rendering and commands associated for the graphics on the VM vGPU are sent via the VMBus to the host OS Render Capture Compress component and replayed on the host GPU using off-screen memory. All rendering is done host side. The capture component then scans for changes in the off-screen memory display rendering, compresses the changes, and sends the changes to the client for display. This RemoteFX graphical content is sent over a new RemoteFX graphical Remote Desktop Protocol (RPD) virtual channel, which is why the client must support RDP 7.1 and be RemoteFX enabled. Notice that this setup doesn't use the endpoint's rendering capabilities at all, so you get the same experience no matter the capabilities of the local client (assuming it's a RemoteFX compatible client). If the client isn't RemoteFX capable or the client isn't connecting via LAN (a LAN connection is a requirement for RemoteFX), the client will default to the standard RDP experience and RemoteFX vGPU won't be used.
The good news is many clients will be able to take advantage of RemoteFX, including standard Windows clients, traditional thin clients, ultra-light thin clients with RemoteFX ASIC components for the decoding and decompression, and even monitors with the RemoteFX ASIC built-in. All of these clients will get exactly the same graphical experience, because all the rendering is performed host side and only screen updates are sent over the network. Remember that the target must be running Windows 7 SP1 on Hyper-V 2008 R2 SP1 with RemoteFX enabled—you can't use the RemoteFX vGPU and associated advanced graphical capabilities on a RDSH.
While I'm talking about the graphical side of RemoteFX, I must mention a component of RemoteFX that isn't talked about that often. RemoteFX has a new set of intelligent codecs for encoding and decoding of the graphical data sent over RDP, compressing the information. These codecs are key to the entire RemoteFX, giving a better experience and using less bandwidth. If you have an ASIC in the RDSH, the codec operations will still benefit by offloading encoding and decoding to the ASIC without using GPU capabilities.
RemoteFX USB Redirection
The other major feature of RemoteFX is USB redirection. Traditional RDP has several high-level device redirection capabilities, such as for input direction, smart card redirection, port redirection, bi-directional audio, picture transfer protocol, printers (using EasyPrint for driverless printing), and drive redirection. This might sound like a lot but in reality, there are still a huge number of devices that aren't supported by normal RDP redirection.
RemoteFX addresses this by redirecting a device at the USB protocol level. This means far more devices can be redirected using the RemoteFX USB redirection capability, and you get support for devices such as scanners, all-in-one printers, PDAs, mobile phones, multimedia headsets, webcams, and biometric devices. You can see an example of this improved USB redirection support in Figure 3. With normal RDP redirection, I see one device that can be redirected. With RemoteFX USB redirection, I see many more.
Figure 3: Configuring USB redirection
The addition of this feature doesn't mean the high level redirection of normal RDP is no longer needed. With RemoteFX USB redirection, you're redirecting at the USB level, so the driver for the device is redirected and must be installed in the remote OS. The device is no longer available on the local client, which wouldn't be good for keyboards and mice. With normal RDP redirection, the driver is only needed on the local client and that redirected device can be used on multiple sessions, whereas RemoteFX USB redirection makes it accessible to only one session at a time.
In the Server 2008 R2 SP1 release of RemoteFX, USB redirection and vGPU are tied together. If you can't enable vGPU on a VM because your processor lacks SLAT support or your server doesn't have a FPU, you won't be able to use RemoteFX USB redirection. This also means the RemoteFX USB redirection isn't available for RDSH-based sessions. You can expect enhancements in future versions, including a potential decoupling of these capabilities.
Because you're using an RDS component, you need RDS CALs for clients that are taking advantage of RemoteFX. Because it's tied to VDI configurations, however, most companies that could use RemoteFX already have the RDS CALs as part of a suite to enable use of other RDS components commonly used in VDI deployments.
Enabling and using RemoteFX
For a Hyper-V based VMs to use RemoteFX, you have to make several configuration changes to the server, and you should be sure the server meets the RemoteFX requirements (such as a GPU and SLAT support on the processor). You must enable the Remote Desktop Virtualization Host role service that's part of the Remote Desktop Services role and ensure the Core Services and RemoteFX child component of RDVH are installed, as Figure 4 shows.
Figure 4: RDS components needed to enable RemoteFX
Once the component is installed, you'll see a new type of hardware available to add to a VM, the RemoteFX 3D Video Adapter. Add this hardware to the VM and then configure it for the VM, as Figure 5 shows. Ensure the guest is running Windows 7 SP1 and then make your connection from an RDP 7.1, RemoteFX-enabled remote client.
Figure 5: Configuring RemoteFX
To allow RemoteFX USB redirection, you need to make a change for your clients, a change that's commonly made using Group Policy. Go to the policy Computer Configuration, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Remote Desktop Services, Remote Desktop Connection Client, RemoteFX USB Device Redirection and set Allow RDP redirection of other supported RemoteFX USB devices from this computer to Enabled. Set who has RemoteFX USB redirection rights then click OK and close the policy editor.
Remember that RemoteFX is only for LAN connections today, so check the Experience tab of the Remote Desktop Connection Client. If you choose anything other than LAN, RemoteFX will be disabled and you'll get a normal RDP experience.
SP1 is key in getting the most from your Hyper-V based virtualization infrastructure. SP1 not only catches Hyper-V up with the competition in terms of memory density, but also provides more intelligent handling of memory for virtual environments. With RemoteFX, Hyper-V based VDI environments offer an unmatched experience on any form-factor end-point that supports RemoteFX. These features definitely make SP1 something that you should try out in your environment.


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Daniel Gorman Jr. '14, an undergraduate at the University of Rochester, was recently named a 2013 Beinecke Scholar. The prestigious award provides students with funding for the pursuit of advanced degrees in the arts, humanities, or social sciences and is sponsored by the Sperry and Hutchinson Company. Gorman is one of just 20 recipients chosen from a national pool of applicants; a select group of 110 institutions are invited to nominate only one junior for the scholarship each year.
Gorman, a resident of Pearl River, N.Y., is a double major in history and religion. The sixth Beinecke Scholar from Rochester, he is the first student to receive this award since 2010. Previous Rochester Beinecke Scholars have pursued graduate study at institutions such as University of California Berkeley, New York University, and Harvard. According to the program's Web site, Beinecke Scholars have "demonstrated superior standards of intellectual ability, scholastic achievement and personal promise." The scholarship, which is awarded on the basis of both merit and financial need, provides $34,000 in funding that will help offset the cost of Gorman's work toward a doctoral degree in American history.
Besides being one of the only distinguished national student fellowships for the humanities, Belinda Redden, director of fellowships at Rochester, said the Beinecke Scholarship is special because it is awarded to students as juniors. "It increases their freedom to aim for the top graduate programs that fit their academic interests and aspirations, without overwhelming concern about how to pay for their studies," she explained.
"The Beinecke scholarship will be very helpful as I begin graduate work," said Gorman, who credits his success to several professors at the University, including Celia Applegate (now at Vanderbilt), Dahpon Ho, Michael Jarvis, and Anne Meredith, who encouraged and assisted him during the application process.
Gorman's interest in history lies in the ability to look back and interpret who we are and how we arrived in the present. "The study of history can be applied to draw moral lessons about how we act in the future," he said, noting that the lessons learned from our history can be instrumental to good citizenship and how we choose to act in daily life.
Once he earns his doctorate, Gorman hopes to teach at the college level, but he is also open to a career with the Library of Congress or a museum. "You can teach many more people through a public exhibit than in a classroom," he said. Through a summer 2012 internship with the University's Rare Books and Special Collections department, Gorman acquired first-hand archival experience, transcribing documents from the Post Family Papers for online publication. He has also contributed essays and photographs to several other Rare Books exhibits, which have been displayed in Rush Rhees Library.
It's working with primary documents, like the Post Papers, that inspires much of Gorman's studies. In spring 2013, he traveled to the National Conference on Undergraduate Research to present work on pulp fiction in the 1800s. His research focused on the influence these dime novels had on the work of Mark Twain. "Looking at primary documents, like the dime novels, instead of just recycling your textbooks makes homework a lot more interesting," Gorman said. He also presented a paper at NCUR in 2012 about the speechwriting of Franklin Roosevelt.
Next year, Gorman will begin work on his senior thesis, which will explore Upstate New York's religious history. Noting Mormons, Spiritualists, and Quakers all have strong ties in the region, he plans to look for connections between the religious culture of the area and political and social movements, like abolitionism.
Currently ranked in the top 3 percent of his class, the perennial Dean's List student was among 17 sophomores awarded Rochester's Iota Book Award in fall 2011 for outstanding academic work, as well as demonstration of humanistic values and leadership potential in extra-curricular pursuits throughout the freshman year. Gorman also has been inducted into the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Golden Key International Honour Society, and the national history society, Phi Alpha Theta.
In addition to his studies, Gorman is a senior staff writer for the Campus Times and a member of the Protestant Chapel Community and Undergraduate Religion and Classics Council. He takes cello lessons at the Eastman School of Music and performs with the River Campus student organization, No Jackets Required. Beyond campus, he is a contributing writer for The Daily Pulp.
"What sets Dan apart is that behind the impressive academic and extra-curricular records is a young man with a fierce, deeply curious intellect who continuously seeks to learn more, challenge himself, and be challenged by others with different perspectives," said Redden. "In the University nominating letter, we observed that Dan could be the Rochester poster boy for undergraduate research, for he simply loves everything about the process and is so generous in sharing not only the fruits of his intellectual labor but also his great enthusiasm for the endeavor."
The Beinecke Scholarship was created in honor of Edwin, Frederick, and Walter Beinecke, who all served in leadership capacities at the Sperry and Hutchinson Company. More than 500 students have been chosen for the scholarship since its inception in 1971.

subset: commoncrawl


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At Miramar La Cigale set course for refined and well-balanced cuisine prepared exclusively using products from the region.
For lunch, LE SAFRAN proposes a well-being buffet composed of seafood, hot dishes with meat and fish, accompanied by vegetables from the market.
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Oregon easily topped Stanford as the pick to win the Pacific-12 Conference North Division title in the league's annual media poll unveiled Tuesday.
Stanford, which shared the North title with Oregon last season, was tabbed to finish second in the division this fall. The Cardinal secured two first-place votes and 192 total points, compared to 37 first-place ballots and 232 points for the Ducks.
Cal, 1-11 and winless in the Pac-12 last season, was picked to finish last in the North again.
UCLA topped rival USC for the top spot in the Pac-12 South, collecting 37 first-place votes to just one for the Trojans.
Oregon was given the nod over the Bruins in the Pac-12 title game, which will be played Dec. 5 at the new Levi's Stadium.
Pac-12 Football Media Poll:
1. Oregon (37) 232 total votes
2. Stanford (2) 192
3. Washington 142
4. Oregon State 125
5. Washington State 87
6. Cal 41
3. Arizona State (1) 163
4. Arizona 112
5. Utah 82
6. Colorado 43
Pac-12 title game winner: Oregon (24 votes), UCLA (13), Stanford (1), USC (1).
Note: First-place votes in parenthesis. Based on 39 votes cast by media members who regularly cover Pac-12 football.
For more on Cal sports, see the Bear Talk blog at ibabuzz.com/beartalk. Follow Jeff Faraudo on Twitter at twitter.com/JeffFaraudo.


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PICS: Spice Girls arrive for the premiere of musical Viva Forever - but where is Posh?
VICTORIA Beckham gave her Spice Girl pals a Scary moment last night at the premiere of their new stage musical.
Victoria and I were always the bookends of the band, at opposite sides
She arrived just one minute before the start of Viva Forever.
Her bandmates Mel B, 37, Geri Halliwell, 40, Emma Bunton, 36, and Mel C, 38, were there in plenty of time.
They giggled and hugged as they posed for fans outside the Piccadilly Theatre in London's West End.
They waited as long as they could for their pal but were eventually ushered inside and took their seats as everyone asked: "Where on earth is Victoria?"
The curtain was about to go up when Posh, 38, appeared with seconds to spare and looking stressed after getting stuck in traffic.
Husband David, 37, and sons Brooklyn, 13, Romeo, 10, and Cruz, seven, looked dapper in their best suits.
The Beckhams took up their places 10 seats away from the other girls in the audience as the performance finally started 20 minutes late.
Also there was Jennifer Saunders, 54, who wrote the show set to the songs of the Spice Girls, and producer Judy Craymer, who was behind the hugely successful Mamma Mia!
Other star guests included telly funnyman Leigh Francis, 39, aka Keith Lemon, Holly Willoughby, 31, Graham Norton, 49, Andrew Lloyd Webber, 64, and Dawn French, 55.
The premiere of the musical, which features Spice Girls hits including Wannabe, Spice Up Your Life and title track Viva Forever, came after Mel B revealed the truth behind her bust-ups with bandmates at the height of the group's success.
Mel admitted for the first time that the stars would have regular fights within the group and she even came to blows with Mel C.
"Victoria and I were always the bookends of the band, at opposite sides," she said. "We've fought and argued but we always made up.
"I've even had punch-ups with Mel C. But we have unconditional love for each other underneath it all."


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William F. Fisher, Ph.D.
Associate Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies
Professor of International Development and Social Change
Department of International Development, Community, and Environment
Clark University
Worcester, MA 01610-1477
Phone: (508) 421-3765
Email: email@example.com
Faculty profile about Professor Fisher
Ph.D., Columbia University
Current Research and Teaching
Anthropology, social movements and development, global civil society, NGOs, involuntary resettlement, ethnicity, political economy, and South Asia.
From 1992 to 2000 Professor Fisher taught in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University, where he was Director of Graduate Studies in Anthropology and a Dillon Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. He also taught at Princeton University and Columbia, where he served as assistant director of Columbia's Center for South Asian Studies and directed the Economic and Political Development specialization at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. His research centers on the social and environmental impact of large dams, forced displacement, transnational advocacy, competition over natural resources and non-governmental organizations. His research and work for such agencies as CARE, USAID, and the UNDP have taken him to several continents. Other research activities, mostly in South Asia, include ethnic associations, competition for natural resources, non-governmental associations, and the role of participation and community-based institutions in development planning and action.
William Fisher's first sabbatical (2007) since coming to Clark provided him with the opportunity for new research and travel. This past year he gave lectures, presentations and media interviews in Nepal, Kenya, France, and San Jose. In January 2007, he participated in the World Social Forum in Nairobi, Kenya and, while there, enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with IDCE alums. During the past year he has been the co-director of the Difficult Dialogues program at Clark University and is heading the Clark partnership of aids2031.
As co-convener of the aids2031 Social Drivers Working Group, Fisher has organized numerous research meetings in Worcester and Washington, D.C. He is the principal investigator of two grants from UNAIDS awarded to the Social Drivers Group totaling more than $650,000. Fisher is also the principle investigator for two additional grants from UNAIDS totaling more than $2.7 million that fund the aids2031 Project Management Unit (PMU). This unit is staffed with four full-time employees, several part-time staff, and graduate student assistants. Offices for the project are in both Worcester and New York, where the PMU coordinates the research and products of the nine diverse aids2031 working groups. For more information, please visit www.aids2031.org.
Fisher is also continuing his research on post-conflict Nepal and will be returning to Nepal for research in the summer of 2007 and in 2008. Recent work includes forthcoming chapters on "Civil Society and its Fragments" in a volume on Activism and Civil Society in South Asia, and on "Local Displacement, Global Activism: DIDR and Transnational Advocacy" in a volume on Development Induced Displacement. During his sabbatical year of 2008, Fisher is continuing his work on post-conflict Nepal. He will return there several times during the year to complete a set of interviews with key activists and political leaders.
Fisher is also working with Thomas Ponniah (Geography/Ph.D. '06) on a follow-up volume to their 2004 book on the World Social Forum, Another World is Possible.
Selected Publications
"Revolutionizing the AIDS Response." (with Geeta Rao Gupta, Ann Warner, and Jessica Ogden) Global Public Health, 2011.
"Social capital and AIDS-resilient communities: Strengthening the AIDS response." (With Barbara Thomas-Slayter) Global Public Health, 2011.
"Revolutionizing the Aids Response: Building Aids-Competent Communities." (With Geeta Rao Gupta.) Aids 2031 Social Drivers Working Group Synthesis Paper. 2010.
"Mobilizing Social Capital in a World with AIDS." (With Barbara Thomas Slayter.) Aids2031 Project. 2010.
"Civil Society and Its Fragments," In Activism and Civil Society in South Asia. Edited by David Gellner. Sage 2010.
"Local Displacement, Global Activism: DIDR and Transnational Advocacy," Development Induced Displacement and Anthropology, SAR Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2009.
Another World is Possible: Popular Alternatives to Globalization at the World Forum, William F. Fisher and Thomas Ponniah (Ph.D. candidate in geography) eds. London and New York: Zed Books. 2003. Editions published in Japanese and French, 2004. Click here to learn more about this publication.
"The Politics of Difference and the Reach of Modernity: Reflections on the State and Civil Society in Central Nepal," Resistance and the State: Nepalese Experiences, David Gellner, ed. Oxford Press. 2003.
Fluid Boundaries: Forming and Transforming Thakali Identity in Nepal. Columbia University Press 2001.
Toward Sustainable Development? Struggling Over India's Narmada River (ed.) M.E.Sharpe Publishers 1995.
"Grands barrages, flux mondiaux, et petites gens," Critique Internationale, No. 13. October 2001.
"Diverting Water: Revisiting the Sardar Sarovar Project", Water Resources Development , Vol. 17, No. 3. 2001.
"Sacred Rivers, Sacred Dams: Visions of Social Justice and Sustainable Development along the Narmada," Hinduism and Ecology . Chrisopher Chapple and Arvind Sharma (eds). Harvard University Press 2000.
"Going Under: Indigenous Peoples and the Struggle against Large Dams," Cultural Survival Quarterly. Fall 1999.
"Doing Good? The Politics and Anti-Politics of NGO Practices." Annual Review of Anthropology, Volume 26, 1997.


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Bernardino v. Owens-Corning Fiber, et al
Plaintiff: Florentino Bernardino
Defendant: American Asbestos Company, Anchor Packing Co., Combustion Engineering, Inc., GAF Corporation, Garlock, Inc., MacArthur Company, Metalclad Insulation Corporation, Owens-Illinois, Inc., Parker Hannifin Corp, Pittsburgh Corning Corporation, Babcock & Wilcox Co., Thorpe Insulation Company and Western MacArthur Company
Case Number: 3:1994cv00356
Filed: February 1, 1994
Court: California Northern District Court
Office: San Francisco Office
County: San Francisco
Presiding Judge: Claudia Wilken
Nature of Suit: Asbestos Personal Injury Product Liability
Cause of Action: 28:1346
Jury Demanded By: Defendant
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The TLV262x single supply operational amplifiers provide rail-to-rail output with an input range that
includes the positive rail. The TLV262x takes the minimum operating supply voltage down to 2.7 V over the
extended industrial temperature range (40°C to 125°C) while adding the rail-to-rail output swing feature. The TLV262x also provides 11-MHz bandwidth from only 800 µA of supply current. The maximum recommended supply voltage is 5.5 V, which, when coupled with a 2.7-V minimum, allows the devices to be operated from lithium ion cells. The combination of wide bandwidth, low noise, and low distortion makes it ideal for high speed and high resolution data converter applications. The positive input range allows it to directly interface to positive rail referred systems. All members are available in PDIP and SOIC with the singles in the small SOT-23 package, duals in the MSOP, and quads in the TSSOP package.
The 2.7-V operation makes it compatible with Li-Ion powered systems and the operating supply voltage range of many micro-power micro-controllers available today including TIs MSP430.


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This year I'm growing edamame, an East Asian soybean that is picked immature before it ripens. This was a total experiment and I had no idea what to expect, but they've actually been incredibly easy to grow and are already starting to develop bean pods. Take a look:
These beans have a small root system so I was able to plant them in containers pretty close together. This 14 inch pot is successfully holding 9 healthy plants. For comparison, I'm using the same sized pot to grow ONE eggplant plant. Talk about using your space well!
The edamame plant grows upright and does not need any support like my string beans do. It first developed tiny purple flowers (so tiny that I almost missed the flower blooms!) and then the flowers push out fuzzy green seed pods. I'm really into the fuzziness factor. That's pretty much the best part.
Here's a look at the plant in context of the garden (edamame are in the 2 pots in the bottom right corner of the photo):
I'll harvest the soybeans when the leaves have turned a slightly yellow color and the beans inside the pods are plump. I plan to eat half my harvest fresh and then freeze the rest to use throughout winter. To do so, just blanche them for 2 minutes before putting them in the freezer.
Ok, now here's the good news: you still have time to plant your own edamame! If you plant seeds now (near NYC), you should have a harvest at the end of summer/early fall. Do it, do it! So easy! Fuzzy plants! FUZZY PLANTS!!
If you want to grow edamame, look for seeds labeled Green Soybean, though some seed companies simply label the seeds "edamame" for easy identification. I found my seeds at Whole Foods, but you can also get them online-- check out this seed company specializing in varieties of edamame.


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Michael Francis headed for the exit Monday at JCPenney after nine short months with the company. Seems the "dream team" is not winning any medals.
Francis was responsible for marketing and merchandising, which will now fall under the control of CEO Ron Johnson — you know, the dream CEO that came from Apple?
After celebrating the one-year anniversary since announcing he will take the helm at the company just last week, as I said in my recent blog, there will be no love letters for Johnson. The stock price is now down more than 30 percent since it was announced Johnson would take the helm, raising hopes that he would transform JCPenney into "America's Favorite Store."


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What Should Apple Do With Its Cash? Buy BlackBerry
The next generation of tech products should combine the two companies' best attributes.
This would create a nearly unassailable device entry in the enterprise segment: Apple's ease of use with Blackberry's security.
Now, the minute I saw Google Glass, I loved it, and I predicted that it would be huge, while most others were skeptical, if not outright negative. In fact, now I'm nearly convinced that this will be the next huge consumer tech product and category.
But here's the rub: How does Google Glass and all the data that is going to flow through the product stay secure? Sure, there are plenty of ways, but the enterprise customer is never the early adopter. In fact, many times enterprise buyers are the last to arrive following a huge consumer wave. After all, it took nearly two years before most companies completely gave up and joined the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) craze, which Apple iPhones and iPads ushered in. And, really, the iPad was the key device in turning the tide.
Thus, if Apple were to combine iPhone/iPad products with the vaunted RIM -- oh, I mean BlackBerry -- security, they would secure an already steady revenue stream and possibly even grow it. This would then buy them time to bring forth their next slate of iSomethings for consumer and enterprise use. Then, whatever huge amounts of future data/bandwidth was generated would already be riding on the highly secure network and deemed safe for enterprise users.
Now do I think this is probable? Not at all. But I do think that it's possible and as stated above, I think this would be a master stroke for Apple.
Deparment of Justice concerns? None, as Apple doesn't even have 50% of US market share anymore.
Canadian government concerns? I don't think so since Apple is a US company, and it already has customer service call centers in Canada. Also, Apple could easily agree to keep the BlackBerry workers, R&D, and facilities in Canada.
Too high a deal price? Here again, I think Apple would have a huge advantage. First, the company could offer a lower price than most others and grant BlackBerry employees Apple stock options at a much cheaper price now that the stock has come down so much. Also, Apple can easily afford to pay a deal price that most other companies would balk at. In fact, Apple could pay a 70-80% premium, or a $13.5-14.0 billion market cap, and hardly dent its own balance sheet!
Bottom line: The more I look, the more I think this deal would be insanely great!
Also see:
Google Has Destroyed Apple's Walled Garden From Within
Should Apple Be More Worried About Samsung or Google?
Don't Stop Believing in US Equities: This Time Might Be Different
Twitter: @UdallTechStrat
This story is an excerpt from Sean's TechStrat Report, a tech focused newsletter. Take a free trial!
New! The TechStrat Report by Sean Udall. Sean provides in-depth analysis, strategies and trades across the technology sector. Take a FREE 14 day trial.
Disclosure: Minyanville Studios, a division of Minyanville Media, has a business relationship with BlackBerry.
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How media trends are made0
Contributed article
NEW YORK — Take a look at what's offered in media today – did you ever think you'd spend so much time with ice truckers and over-pampered, middle-aged housewives? What about your childhood comic heroes? Did you expect the sense of humor in so many commercials would be so intentionally obtuse?
What accounts for the seemingly drastic differences between what people watch today and what audiences gravitated toward 10, 20 and 30 years ago?
"There are important differences between today's media and that of 1983 – and there will be noticeable differences between what we experience today and 2043 – but underneath the apparent differences are important commonalities and overriding themes," says Vlad Yudin, (vladar.com) a Russian-born media entrepreneur and successful filmmaker, currently juggling multiple projects.
Yudin, a writer, director and producer, reviews five characteristics that feed an audience's media sensibilities at any given time:
• It's messy and organic. The zeitgeist, or the spirit of a time period, is never fully accounted for by any one thing; there are always many influences, including politics, economy, technology and a host of similar factors. For example, Yudin is working with "Game of Thrones" producer Mark Huffam on adapting into a film C.C. Humphrey's historical fiction novel "The French Executioner," which takes place in 1536. Why does there seem to be an appetite for stories set in the distant past? "One reason is that audiences want relief from today's technology and rapidly changing world," Yudin says. "The distant past was a far more dangerous but, on the surface at least, a much simpler time."
• Visceral and emotional content works. Whether a storyteller appeals to the heartstrings of a mostly female audience in a romantic genre or the masculine appetite for violence and action, audiences pay attention to visceral content. One of Yudin's recent projects, a graphic novel titled "Head Smash," has quickly garnered traction among comic fans, and he already plans to turn into a film. In recent years, comics have proven to be part of a winning formula for a film project's success. "Today's audiences have nostalgia for the comics they read as kids, but they gravitate toward darker, flawed heroes," Yudin says. "They're not kids anymore."
• People aspire to ideals. Human beings have always interpreted gods as ideal human specimens, from the grace and beauty of Venus to the power of Hercules. People who look perfect pique attention, which is why Yudin decided to revisit the fascination behind the 1977 hit "Pumping Iron" with his docudrama "Generation Iron," which updates viewers to today's body builders. "Arnold Schwarzenegger didn't become a household name through his acting talent," Yudin says.
• Gravitation toward an inspirational narrative. The ethos of the United States – the American Dream – appeals to contemporary ambitious immigrants, including Yudin. People want to improve themselves, and they like experiencing movies where characters start off low, but end on a high. That's the idea behind Yudin's 2010 film release "Last Day of Summer," about a low-ranking fast-food protagonist who finds his confidence. "Most of us want to root for the underdog, even if his actions for improving his lot are less-than-noble," he says.
• We fancy the fanciful. Ghosts, monsters, fairies, trolls, witches, wizards – our stories are filled with magic. Aliens are a comparatively more recent manifestation that even highly educated scientists believe are a possibility somewhere in the universe. We like to think that what may be impossible is possible, which is why Yudin created "Catskill Park," a film to be released this year. It follows three friends who document an extraterrestrial presence during their camping trip to upstate New York.
Russian-born writer, director, producer Vlad Yudin is the principal of The Vladar Co., a media and entertainment production company. New projects include the ARCANA Comics graphic novel and film "Head Smash," and the bodybuilding docudrama "Generation Iron," a remake of the 1977 hit "Pumping Iron." Additionally, he is currently working with "Game of Thrones" producer Mark Huffam in adapting into film the historical fiction novel "The French Executioner," the story of the greatest executioner in all of Europe, Jean Rombeaud. Yudin is developing the graphic novel "Head Smash," which is led by Sean O'Reilly, publisher of "Cowboys and Aliens." The sci-fi thriller centers on an orphan named Smash who finds a safe haven with a brutal syndicate, The Horde. Yudin is best known for directing and producing the docufilm "Big Pun: The Legacy" (2008), a critically acclaimed biopic about legendary rapper Christopher Lee Rios, and "Last Day of Summer," which he wrote, directed and produced. Yudin grew up in Russia and New York and is a graduate of Pace University and the New York University Filmmaking Program.


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Mel Johnson's Illinois Beanfield Buck has stood as Pope and Young's top-scoring typical for more than 45 years. Will this giant 12-pointer ever fall from bowhunting's top spot?
By Les Davenport
After arriving at a Peoria County farm on Friday afternoon, archer Mel Johnson of Metamora, Ill., nestled into some brush along a standing soybean field. It was Oct. 29, 1965, and three times on prior hunts he had seen a giant buck. Just before losing good shooting light, Johnson noticed the same huge-racked whitetail enter the field from woods almost 300 yards away. Wind in his face, he found it hard to believe the buck was walking steadily straight at him!
The diehard archer double-lunged the deer only a few bean rows from his spot of ambush. The rest is history. A 72-pound-draw Howett recurve, a fiberglass arrow tipped with a Zwickey broadhead, and a bit of luck put this Illinois resident and the renowned whitetail at the top of Pope and Young's "Typical" category.
Nobody would have guessed that more than 45 years later it would not be topped!
As an avid archer from near Johnson's hometown, I was not surprised when I got word of a new world record coming from Peoria County. This heavily timbered area near the Illinois River bluffs was known for big whitetails; it had just the right mix of agricultural ground for growing big, mature bucks. I was eventually hired on at Caterpillar where Johnson worked, but did not meet him until after becoming an outdoor writer. I, like most who became acquainted with Mel, admired him for his modesty, a trait rarely associated with today's so-called whitetail "pros."
The first scoring of Johnson's buck tallied a net of only 194-4/8. Incredibly, the official scorer missed a 10-inch measurement! Once panel judged, the buck's prior score was annulled and it was declared a new world record bow kill at 204-4/8. Nearly 40 years later, when I interviewed Mel at his home, he commented about the unbelievable odds of the deer still being No. 1.
Two facts make it hard for anyone to fathom this buck could still be on top: Whitetail numbers had exploded tenfold since the mid-60s, and advances in archery equipment had enabled a new, rapidly growing breed of archers — sportsmen who only hunted for trophies.
Odds Are?
Considering average annual permit sales nationwide and the number of P&Y whitetails entered each year, an archer's odds of killing any typical or non-typical record-book whitetail with bow are approximately 15,000 to 1.
For tagging a Boone and Crockett-class buck with any weapon, the odds jump to about 80,000 to 1. When calculating the odds of an archer taking the next P&Y world-record typical during an upcoming season, the likelihood stymies the mind; it's truly a million-to-one happening. To put things into perspective, during the Johnson buck's 45-year reign, America has experienced 10 years of Vietnam War, two Gulf Wars and 10 presidents.
Yet, when critiquing the Johnson buck, the net main beam credits were less than 27 inches. More than half of P&Y's Top 10 bucks have greater net beam length. And what about its 23⅝-inch inside spread? Although this is a stellar width for a whitetail, several bucks not even in the Top 10 surpass that measurement by 2 to 4 inches.
In regard to total tine length and mass, Mel's buck falls well short of many other Midwest and Canadian world-class whitetails. Truthfully, had the Johnson, Hanson and Damery bucks been walking noses to tails past most archers, they'd have shot the Macon County, Illinois, Damery buck; it is more impressive than both the typical P&Y and B&C world-record deer.
Mainframe symmetry and the lack of abnormal points has been the deciding factor in keeping many world-class bucks from claiming the top typical spots in the two most-recognized scoring systems, P&Y and B&C.
What bolsters the odds for good symmetry? Two things: genetics and killing the buck before it reaches 6½ years of age.
The Johnson Buck was thought to be 4 or 5 years old, and the Hanson Buck might well have been only 3 or 4. Even with the genetic tendency to be typical, most white-tailed bucks begin sprouting abnormal points by age 6. At the suspected age of 5, the Damery Buck had already grown double brow tines totaling 14 inches. Without those abnormal points, it would have netted 2142/8 typical, or almost 10 inches more than the Johnson Buck and ⅝ inch better than B&C's No. 1, the 213⅝-inch Hanson Buck.
Even with distinct genetics for symmetry, whitetails need exceptional year-round food sources and the ability to reach mid-age. The Johnson Buck field dressed at 270 pounds and had an estimated live weight of 340.
I was one of the first to put a tape on the Damery Buck, and although I don't know the estimated or actual live weight, this deer was probably one of the most sleek, big whitetails I have ever laid eyes on. Brian Damery, like Johnson and Hanson, was a very modest and deserving hunter.
Who Will Be Next?
Lightning could have struck twice in the same spot. In November 1993, within spitting distance of where the Johnson Buck was dropped, gun hunter Jill Adcock shot a 4½-year-old 10-point that grossed 195-6/8 inches. This buck had great symmetry and no abnormal points. Unfortunately, five inches of tine length was missing due to a break. Had it lived another year and been taken by a bow-hunter … who knows!
Frankly, it's a guessing game where the next world-record typical bow-kill could come from. It would only take a 3- or 4-year-old, 180-inch-net 6-by-6 to put on another 25 balanced inches in its next year. Considering today's quality deer management trend, even the small state of Maryland has shown the potential to grow that one special whitetail. It's unlikely a mainframe 5-by-5 will ever become the deer to accomplish this stature; although it's not impossible. The former world-record Jordan Buck proves this theory.
Of course, the two most broad-based guesses for where the next P&Y world record will come from are Canada and the Midwest's Corn Belt. There are definite constraints each region has for actually producing this extraordinary whitetail. In the Corn Belt, it's a rare 180-inch typical that goes unnoticed; there are very few Midwest farms without 24-hour trail camera surveillance or an overabundance of archers, firearm hunters … and poachers. When calculating the minuscule percent of net 180-plus, 6-by-6 typicals that could grow to net 205 with one more year of life, point-blankly, they have very little chance of making it. Yet, if a buck of that caliber did live one more defining year, odds are that it would grow abnormal points.
Canada, on the other hand, has great expanses of unscathed forestland that would easily hide many world-record whitetails. However, the smaller number of archers, lower deer densities and cyclical winter kill greatly reduces the odds that Canada will produce anything more than another B&C record-topper.
So where will the next P&Y No. 1 come from?
Until 10 years ago, I'd have put my money on western Illinois. But after witnessing a decade of extremely poor DNR deer management and an overabundance of counterfeit outfitters in this part of the state, my new pick would be Ohio — where agriculture meets big woods.
Conscientious herd management by Buckeye State deer managers makes this a very probable pick. The one-buck limit and an aggressive approach to reducing poaching might well give that one young buck the chance it needs to become a top-all typical.
Truth Be Known
Pen breeders juggling genetics are definitely attempting to produce a new No. 1 in the typical category; it's already been proven they can accomplish this in the nontypical class. Could you imagine what a straw of semen from a 214-inch 6-by-6 would be worth? The real problem here is not that a breeder would covertly allow a whitetail of this magnitude to be shot on film in the wild. Rather, selling that buck's genetics to wealthy Texans for inseminating penned does later turned into the wild on large ranches would have the potential of creating a new world record with tampered ancestry.
For sure, word would eventually get out on a deer like this, and it would then be up to P&Y officials to make a ruling on eligibility. Without actual proof of a tainted pedigree, any suspect deer allowed to knock off the Johnson Buck would only serve to discredit the long-standing Pope and Young Big Game Records of North America. This would be a sad state of affairs.
With the jealousy experienced in the whitetail world, a new world-record typical bow-kill would be questioned no matter who claimed it. And could you guess the repercussions if a TV "pro" killed the next top typical? Only viewers who are now duped by some of these limelighters would believe the actual kill footage.
Final Thoughts
My only hope is that if Mel Johnson's buck is beaten, it falls to an archer who is both deserving and humble. It would turn my stomach to see it killed on video and then hear, "Booyah! I think I just killed the next world record, baby!"
And, when an antler buyer comes around with his wallet open, I hope the lucky hunter sells him a replica and not the original rack. Of all the world-class whitetails I've written articles about during my 30-year writing career, most were sold to wealthy collectors. Within very little time, the money was gone and the sellers would just about give up their souls to get back the original set of antlers. A replica would simply not be the same to the hunter.
— Les Davenport is a veteran whitetail hunter from Illinois.
Want to know some serious strategies for hunting top end bucks? Check out these resources from Deer & Deer Hunting:


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DuWop Lip Venom Flash Gold
'Venom Flash Gold from DuWop has the same spicy tingly shape plumping formula as original 'Lip Venom' plus it's spiked with a subtle gold shimmer. A must you want to 'Bee' kissed and sparkle.
The same tingly formula from Lip Venom is used as a base in Venom Flash, to which we added tiny particles of mica*. Mica* is a mineral known for its beautiful pearly shine, and combined with the Lip Venom formula, gives lips a shimmery luster.


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The Swift Rise and Apparent Demise of "Jesus' Wife"
On September 18, 2012, Prof. Karen L. King of Harvard Divinity School made public the so-called "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" at a conference in Rome. The text, written in Coptic (the form of Egyptian spoken in the early Christian period), is preserved on a codex papyrus fragment (4 x 8 centimeters) with eight visible lines on one side (the other side is heavily faded). The fragment seems to come from the middle of a page, with lost text on either side of what is visible, as well as above and below. Prof. King argues that the fragment is from the fourth century CE and is likely a translation of a second-century CE Greek original.
Most likely, readers will have heard of this papyrus due to the content of the fourth and fifth lines: the fourth line reads, in part, "Jesus said to them, 'My wife…'"; the fifth line includes "she will be able to become my disciple…." The texts of the New Testament make no mention of Jesus being married. The canonical Gospels do mention some women as being part of Jesus' "circle" (cf. Luke 8:1-3). The papyrus raises questions both concerning Jesus' marital status and about whether women might have been included alongside men in the group called "the disciples."
As part of her publishing the fragment, Prof. King gave an interview to reporters, provided high-resolution images and a transcription of the Coptic text (with adjoining English translation) on the HDS website, and posted a draft of her article on the papyrus scheduled to be published in Harvard Theological Review in January 2013. Not surprisingly, news of the fragment spread quickly as major news outlets around the globe carried the story. Bloggers both academic and popular debated various issues surrounding the papyrus; scholars posted academic papers directly to the Web; NPR covered the story on "All Things Considered"; and even YouTube videos appeared discussing various aspects of the problem.
One special difficulty has concerned the papyrus's provenance; the antiquities market in the Middle East is notoriously complex, and very little is known with certainty about this fragment's origin. But the doubts about the papyrus extend beyond this matter even to its authenticity as a whole. As part of its standard protocol for vetting potential publications, HTR consulted three anonymous reviewers regarding Prof. King's essay. As she notes, one reviewer accepted the fragment as genuine, a second raised queries, and a third asked serious questions about the grammar and handwriting. This mixed response has continued: while at least one papyrologist and an expert in Coptic grammar have affirmed aspects of the fragment as genuine, others have not been so sure.
Francis Watson, from the UK's Durham University, was one of the early detractors of the fragment's authenticity. He argued that significant material in the text derives from the Gospel of Thomas, and specifically from a modern print edition of that text. Leo Depuydt of Brown University has come to similar conclusions, with his views scheduled to be published in HTR alongside Prof. King's publication. Finally, Andrew Bernhard, connected with Oxford University, has discovered what seems to be a "typo" in the "Gospel of Jesus' Wife" that is also present in a widely-distributed electronic interlinear transcription and translation of the Gospel of Thomas. For these reasons, at the time of this writing, the tide of scholarly opinion seems to be turning decidedly against the authenticity of the fragment.
On the chance that the papyrus fragment turns out to be legitimate, we should say that Jesus' reference to "my wife" can be understood in a number of different ways. It is possible that some second- to fourth-century Christian(s) thought that Jesus was married in the way that we understand it today, but we must also remember that Gnostic groups with Christian affiliations used language of marriage and family (including the concept of "spiritual marriage") with great fluidity during those centuries. Regardless, the papyrus and its reception again demonstrate an insatiable appetite in the media for controversial "discoveries" concerning the origins of Christianity; this appetite will surely continue to manifest itself in the future.


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did you think you'd ever fall in love with someone...
The Kidnapping
- by Kidrauhl16
- Rating:
- Published: 21 Apr 2014
- Updated: 1 Jan 2015
- Status: In Progress
Jason McCann runs away until he can get his name cleared over the recent murder he has been accused of doing, which makes it easier for his girlfriends father to kidnap her and make her pay for the hurt she caused him. It's down to her brother and his best mate to try and contact Jason to help get her back, will they get hold of him or will they have to risk it by themselves?
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A low two is when a man's balls smack a female's bottom during a celebratory final thrust after great sex. Like a high five.
L: We had to low two after sex last night; it was that good. Balls deep with a satisfying smack!
by KKrazy April 17, 2009
Rather than a high five, the low two is when you butt bump someone.
In Modern Family, Cameron says to Jay "oh sure when you're gay you just walk around giving butt bumps to everybody... it's like a high five, it's a low two"
by RUFFLESx February 04, 2010
Similar to a High-Five, the Low Two is when two dudes' balls slap together in the act of double penetrating a woman.
Yo, Jeff, gimme a low two, cause this hood-rat can take it to the base!
by Fobill April 19, 2010


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U.S. stocks fell, following the biggest rally in a year for the Standard & Poor's 500 Index, as Federal Reserve policy makers said they will probably end their $85 billion monthly bond-purchase program sometime in 2013.
The S&P 500 fell 0.2 percent to 1,459.24 at 4 p.m. in New York. The benchmark index yesterday reached its highest level since September after lawmakers passed a budget bill.
"Concern that they're taking the punch bowl away could certainly cause some jitters in the market," James Gaul, a portfolio manager at Boston Advisors LLC, which oversees about $2.3 billion in assets, said in a telephone interview. "The sell-off sits with what we've been thinking, which is that this has been a Fed-supported rally. The liquidity the Fed has been providing to generate financial asset inflation has been driving the market."
Four years after cutting the main interest rate to near zero, policy makers are expanding their third round of so-called quantitative easing to boost economic growth and cut the jobless rate, now at 7.7 percent. Minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee meeting show policy makers are likely to end their $85 billion monthly bond purchases sometime in 2013.
The minutes show a divide among FOMC participants on how long the purchases should last. Participants who provided estimates were "approximately evenly divided" between those who said it would be appropriate to end the purchases around mid-2013 and those who said they should continue beyond that date.
Fiscal Cliff
The S&P 500 surged 2.5 percent yesterday, the most since December 2011, as lawmakers passed a bill averting spending cuts and tax increases scheduled to come into effect this year. After this week's deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, investors are turning their attention to impending confrontations between congressional Republicans and the White House over spending.
Lawmakers may need to approve an increase in the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling as early as mid-February, with Republicans planning to use the vote to force President Barack Obama to accept cuts in entitlement programs such as Medicare. Another showdown might emerge in early March, when Congress must confront the $110 billion in automatic spending cuts that were put off in the Jan. 1 tax deal.
The budget agreement passed by Congress on Jan. 1 won't lower the country's deficit enough to avoid a sovereign-rating downgrade, Moody's Investors Service said yesterday. Moody's, which has assigned its top Aaa ranking for the U.S., has a negative outlook on the world's biggest economy, as does Fitch Ratings.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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When your cat starts doing something you don't like—such as scratching the furniture or peeing outside the litter box—it's easy to become frustrated. We can help you resolve most cat behavior issues by explaining why your cat may be acting that way and giving you the tools to correct the behavior.
You'll find out that most common behavior problems can be solved by making your cat feel safe, secure, and stimulated.
Spotlight on a Solution: Cats Scratching the Furniture
Cats need to climb and like to hang out on places that feel safe. So how do you keep your cat off the back of your favorite chair?
Learn how


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By Sandra Gordon of AOL Health
"What did you do in school today?" "Who did you play with at recess?" "Did you see that article in the newspaper?" Eating together as a family is one of those things that doesn't seem like such a big deal. But it can make a big difference for your kids in terms of self-image, sense of security, self-esteem and overall sense of happiness. "Regular family meals are probably the best psychological 'daily vitamin' parents can give their children," says Carleton Kendrick, a family therapist in Millis, Mass., and author of "Take Out Your Nose Ring, Honey, We're Going to Grandma's." "They're far more powerful in the long and short term than you might think they are."
That's because family meals make kids feel good, especially when you focus on keeping the conversation positive. "Dinner can be a wonderful time to hear about everyone's day or anything else your kids want to talk about that you don't usually take the time to discuss," says Vicki Panaccione, Ph.D., founder of the Better Parenting Institute in Melbourne, Fla. It also gives kids the chance to be themselves and share their opinions within the safe confines of home, without risking the rejection of their peers. And even toddlers can begin to feel like a valued contributing member of their family when they scoot their chair up to the dinner table and start to chime in. While the peas are being passed, the open forum gives your kids the opportunity to learn about your family's history and your past -- for example, the time when you got sent to the principal because you threw peas in the lunch room. Mom threw peas?! Who knew?
It's no wonder that family meals are associated with lower teenage pregnancy rates, higher grade point averages, fewer eating disorders in teens and lower risk of depression. Moreover, the psychological benefits go both ways. A recent telephone survey of 2,008 Americans sponsored by Barilla found that adults who eat with their kids regularly with few distractions (no TV or phone) report higher overall life satisfaction. "Family meals pay off for adults and children," says William J. Doherty, Ph.D., professor of family social science at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, who helped Barilla analyze the survey results. It's a ritual none of us really ever outgrow. The key is to start the meal tradition when your kids are young, then keep it up. "When you get your kids into the habit of family dinners, they'll keep doing it when they get older and become more independent," Doherty says. In other words, when they morph into eye-rolling teenagers.
To keep everyone coming back for more, turn off the TV and cell phone and up the fun factor. We asked moms across the U.S. to share the unique ways in which they make meals memorable and festive for the whole family.
We have picnics on the dining room floor.
"Every now and then, my family of seven eats dinner on the floor. We spread out a tablecloth or picnic blanket and eat something on the ground that's really a drag to clean up, like the rice in burritos or Chinese food. My kids think sitting on the floor is weird and fun, and even funnier that my husband and I are doing it, too. I notice that when we eat on the floor, my kids don't complain as much about the food and they can't jockey for seats or get up and wander around like they sometimes do. It breaks us out of a rut."
--Michelle Nicholasen, Somerville, Mass.
We have DIY dinners.
"At least once a week, I'll put out all the parts of the dinner separately and have my husband and son make their own version of whatever it is we're having. With taco night, for example, I'll put out corn tortillas, refried beans, Spanish rice, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, cheese, salsa, meat, and cheese. My husband and son love it because they can make their own taco combos and I love it because I don't have to be the one to do all the work. Build-a-dinner works great with pasta, burritos, pizza and even dessert with company such as a make-your-own sundae bar."
--Jill Houk, Chicago
We have table talkers.
"We have a 'talk about it' bowl, an actual bowl that my kids and my husband and I can fill with conversation starters, such as an article we've seen, a photo we've ripped out of a magazine, or an object, like a funny sticker, to later talk about at the table. If no one puts something in the bowl, I have a list of questions I've typed up and folded up like Chinese fortunes that are meant to stir conversation, such as: What actor/actresses would play you in the movie of your life and why? What's the funniest story you know about yourself as a baby? If you could change your name, what would it be? What activities would fit into your perfect day? Would you be willing to have nightmares every night for a year if you could be rewarded with extraordinary wealth? If you could have one superpower, what would you choose? The questions have changed as my girls, who are now teenagers, have gotten older. But over the years, we've found out some interesting stuff about each other. This game is even more fun to do with guests."
--Jeanne Muchnick, Larchmont, New York
We light candles every night.
"Eating by candlelight makes the dinner seem special and gets my three kids to slow down, have a conversation, and linger at the table to share stories from the day long after the food is gone."
--Pamela MacPhee, Encinitas, Calif.
My husband and sons do the cooking.
"Every Tuesday night, my husband and two sons plan dinner and prepare it. I love it because I have a night off, plus it's a great way for the kids to learn to cook."
Padi Selwyn
Sebastopol, Calif.
We have storybook dinners.
"When my 6-year-old son, Franklin, gets interested in a character or a historical happening, I create a meal around it. For example, he's been watching a DVD of an Australian storybook in which the characters eat pavlova (a meringue-based dessert with strawberries or kiwi) and lamington (sponge cake dipped in chocolate), so we found recipes for these desserts and made them for a little Aussie dinner party, along with shrimp on the barbie. If we center dinner around a theme, it's no problem to get everyone excited about it."
--Elura Nanos Kish, Cherry Hill, N.J.
I fix lots of finger foods.
"My boys love to dip and dunk so I often serve finger foods such as wings, ribs, celery stuffed with light cream cheese and Greek yogurt, and carrot sticks. I also fill a compartmentalized appetizer tray with sliced cucumbers, sliced peppers, pieces of strong cheese, nuts, olives, crackers, and sliced whole-grain breads along with Greek yogurt, hummus, tzatziki, even applesauce. They love to play with the combinations."
--Georgia Orcutt, Boston
My kids help make dinner an event.
"My girls, ages 8, 6, and 3, help me plan our meals for the week. They'll write the grocery list for me, drawing items if they can't spell them. Then they'll carry the list through the grocery store and check off items as we find them. I think my girls have more fun with dinner because they're included in the process. They've planned entirely green dinners--pesto chicken, broccoli, honeydew melon, and a salad. We've also had princess night in which everyone comes in costume and dinner is served on our good china."
--Christine Bolzan, Boxford, Mass.
Read Erin Zammett Ruddy's hilarious piece on trying to make family meals happen with a 3-year-old and 8-month-old.


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The Week's Best (And Worst) Celebrity Tweets: Drake, Pharrell and Wyclef Jean
It was the best of timelines and it was the worst…
From Drake getting his education on to Wyclef's err… birthday package, here's the week's special Twitter treats.
Not only did Drizzy flood the blogs with new music con A$AP Rocky and Kendrick Lamar, the Canuck rapper also completed his high school degree. Such a class act.


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The lakeside town of Davidson takes its name from the local college, which was founded in 1837. The college itself was named for a local Revolutionary War hero, General William Lee Davidson, and erected on land donated by his son. Located 20 miles north of the urban center of Charlotte, this once sleepy farming community has grown a bit over the years, though the town still maintains its tight-knit community spirit.
Davidson residents love the small college town's commitment to walk- and bike-friendly streets, its Rockwell-esque downtown, and its vibrant farmers market. Davidson is a community that is committed to diversity, open space, and prudent town planning. Nearby Lake Norman also offers plenty of opportunity for outdoors recreation. All of this adds up to a great quality of life for Davidson residents.
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Garry Rayno's State House Dome: Gas tax increase still a political hot potatoBy GARRY RAYNO
State House Bureau
February 15. 2014 10:59PM
Raising the gas tax is often the political third rail for those seeking higher office, including former Republican gubernatorial candidate Jim Coburn in 2006.
Early in his campaign against incumbent Democratic Gov. John Lynch, Coburn voiced his support for increasing the gas tax. Lynch's campaign pounced and brow beat the poor guy with the issue for the next six months.
Coburn's thrashing sent many gas tax supporters into hiding for years.
Last year was the first serious attempt since 2006 to raise the levy, which has not budged from 18 cents since 1991, although inflation has more than doubled since then and gas prices have more than tripled.
Rep. David Campbell, D-Nashua, the House Public Works and Highways Committee chairman, proposed increasing the tax 15 cents, but the House Ways and Means Committee knocked it down to 12 cents over three years.
It barely passed the House and was killed resoundingly in the Senate, where the leadership backed casino gambling and using 45 percent of the state's take for highways and bridges, including finishing the Interstate 93 expansion between Salem and Manchester.
When the Senate was debating the issue, Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Jim Rausch, R-Derry, made an impassioned plea for lawmakers to do something for the state's crumbling infrastructure and later was given the go ahead by then-Senate President Peter Bragdon, R-Milford, to put together a proposal lawmakers would look at this year.
Rausch developed a plan that uses a consumer price index formula to bump up the state's gas tax and keep it current with inflation.
Under the formula, the state's 18 cent gas tax would increase about 4.2 cents a gallon, raising about $30 million in new revenue dedicated to transportation projects. Some of the gas tax would be siphoned off by the Department of Safety (state police), the courts and the Attorney General's Office, among other state agencies.
Rausch's formula would be reapplied every four years to adjust the gas tax to more align with inflation.
"I'm trying to restore the purchasing power that has been eroded since the last tax increase in 1991," Rausch said when he explained his proposals to reporters. "I want to be very clear this is a small step."
Rausch is also a sponsor of House Bill 1633, which would establish the regulatory framework for a casino.
On Tuesday, the public will have an opportunity to let lawmakers know what they think of the idea. Senate Bill 367 has a public hearing before the Senate Ways and Means Committee beginning at 9 a.m. in Room 103 in the State House.
Before the notice of the public hearing was published, one group that has vehemently opposed any increase in the gas tax, the NH Motor Transport Association, made up of truckers, slammed the tax.
The association's president, Robert Sculley, said the bill would allow the tax to go up every four years without a public hearing or lawmakers debating the issue.
Any attempt to have a similar automatic increase for the business profits tax, or the rooms and meals tax or the real estate transfer tax would face certain defeat, he noted.
"I seriously doubt the average New Hampshire citizen would approve of their voice being taken away from them when it comes to the legislative body debating a tax increase that will impact them," Sculley said. "In fact, I believe most of them would be outraged."
Last year, Gov. Maggie Hassan said she supported efforts to reach an agreement to provide additional money for the state's highways and bridges, but did not endorse Campbell's bill.
This time, Hassan voiced support for the efforts by Rausch, a Republican state senator, and last week said on New Hampshire Public Radio's "The Exchange'' that she would sign the bill.
The governor's support is good, but the key supporter Rausch needs is not on board. Senate President Chuck Morse, R-Salem, continues to oppose any increase in the gas tax and continues to support carving out some of the gambling revenue for roads and bridges.
It is hard to see SB 367 passing the Senate, which it needs to do before the House can approve it or Hassan sign it.
Meanwhile, Department of Transportation Commissioner Chris Clement continues to beat the drum for more revenue to fix the state's roads and bridges and tackle needed turnpike projects, such as finishing the I-93 expansion, making upgrades to Spaulding, widening the F.E. Everett and adding overhead tolling around the Bedford Tolls, and redoing Interstate 293 exits in Manchester's Millyard.
The turnpike projects will mean a toll increase, and lawmakers can relax and take a deep breath because that decision rests with the Executive Council.
- - - - - - - - - -
Medicaid Expansion: Three Republican state senators and three Democratic state senators last week unveiled their proposal to expand the state's Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act, but they - mainly the Republicans - don't want to call it Medicaid expansion.
Instead, we have the New Hampshire Health Protection Program, which works in much the same way as the proposal last fall that grew out of the Medicaid expansion study commission, with a few tweaks to break the stalemate between the Democratically controlled House and Republican-controlled Senate.
As is always true, the devil is in the details.
When the two sides last faced off, the key sticking points were when the expanded coverage would begin and how quickly newly eligible recipients would have to move to private insurance.
Under the bipartisan plan, Democrats got more of what they wanted: The new coverage could begin without the state first receiving a federal waiver - as soon as July 1 - and the newly eligible would not have to join a private insurance plan through the state's health insurance exchange until Jan. 1, 2016.
All along, however, Republicans have insisted the financial risk for expanding coverage to about 50,000 low-income adults should be carried by private insurers, and that is certainly what the program does.
Most of the talking points will be about providing federally funded health insurance to the state's working poor, but the compromise does a delicate dance that involves health care providers, insurance companies, state obligations and the newly eligible recipients.
All state residents who have employer provided or individual health insurance have seen their premiums increase consistently, and one big reason is what is called uncompensated care, or health services that aren't paid for, either by individuals or by the government, which pays about 50 cents on the dollar for care through the Medicaid program.
Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, calls uncompensated care the state's largest hidden tax.
The hospitals and providers recoup their lost uncompensated care money by charging those of us with health insurance more, or what is called cost shifting. That is one of the reasons New Hampshire - one of the healthiest states in the country - has some of the highest premiums.
The state recently moved to a managed care program for Medicaid and hired three private companies to administer the program. When the contracts were negotiated, the three companies expected to pick up the 50,000 or so newly eligible Medicaid patients under the Affordable Care Act.
But the Supreme Court, in ruling that the ACA was constitutional, also said Medicaid expansion could not be mandatory for states.
With the state's plan to use private insurers to cover about 75 percent of the newly eligible Medicaid recipients, the managed care companies are looking at a much smaller pool of people than they envisioned when they signed the contracts.
The companies probably had their legal departments at work in case the state went ahead with its plan.
Instead, the new proposal would allow the companies to automatically enroll the newly eligible recipients - who would be on the managed care program for at least six months and probably 18 months - in private plans offered through the state's health insurance exchange.
Also, the companies' contracts with the state will be renegotiated beginning July 1 - the starting date for the newly eligible recipients - which will allow the state to increase its Medicaid reimbursement rates at no cost to the state because the federal government is paying 100 percent of the cost for the first three years of expansion.
That allows Medicaid rates to approach Medicare rates, which are about 100 percent of cost, and private rates, which are above 100 percent of cost.
That not only does away with a potential lawsuit, but also makes a major reduction in hospitals' uncompensated care costs.
And if the three managed care companies want to automatically enroll the new recipients, they will have to offer plans on the state's health insurance exchange.
That will increase competition in the individual health insurance market, which everyone has sought for years.
Increased competition should lower costs and force Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield - the only carrier on the exchange this year - to broaden its provider network to include the nine hospitals that are not now in it.
That is why Senate Bill 413 will sail through the Senate when the senators vote on it after they come back from their February vacation.
Hassan backed the proposal during her State of the State address.
The House is bound to make some changes to the bill in order to capture a little more of what members want, but before April is done, New Hampshire will join the ranks of states expanding Medicaid eligibility under the ACA.
A public hearing on the bill will be held at 9:15 a.m. Tuesday in Room 100 of the State House before the Senate Health, Education and Human Services Committee.
Some conservative groups opposed to Medicaid expansion have scheduled a news conference for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday to remind Republicans they face primaries if they vote for the new plan.
There may be an bipartisan agreement, but that does not mean there will not be controversy.


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PITTSBURGH (AP) — A Pennsylvania Supreme Court justice, a court aide, and a former state senator — all three sisters — have all now been convicted of public corruption charges, accusing them of using state employees for political campaign work.
Justice Joan Orie Melvin and older sister Janine Orie were convicted Thursday of theft-of-service charges and other crimes. Former Sen. Jane Orie, the youngest of the three, was convicted last year and is serving 2½ to 10 years in prison.
The staunchly Republican, Catholic sisters from a Pittsburgh suburb say the charges were overblown or outright lies whipped up by a Democratic prosecutor.
A sentencing date for Melvin and Janine Orie has not yet been set. A lawyer for Orie said he didn't like the verdict and planned to appeal.


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This article originally appeared on TomDispatch.
In May, the US economy lost 345,000 nonfarm jobs, pushing the unemployment rate from 8.9 percent to 9.4 percent. According to official statistics, 14.5 million Americans are now looking for work and, as a recent headline at Time.com put it, "The jobs aren't coming back anytime soon." In fact, a team of economists at the San Francisco Federal Reserve Bank recently reported that "the level of labor market slack could be higher by the end of 2009 than at any other time in the post-World War II period."
The news, however, is not altogether grim. While times are especially tough for teenagers (22.7 percent jobless rate) and blacks (14.9 percent jobless rate), one group is doing remarkably well. I'm talking about former members of the Bush administration, who are taking up prestigious academic posts, inking lucrative book deals, signing up with speakers bureaus, joining big-time law firms and top public relations agencies and grabbing spots on corporate boards of directors. While their high-priced wars, ruinous economic policies and shredding of economic safety nets have proved disastrous for so many, for them the economic outlook remains bright and jobs are seemingly plentiful. In fact, many of them have performed the eye-opening feat of securing two or more potentially lucrative revenue streams at once during these tough financial times.
While it would likely take a small book to catalogue the fates of all former "loyal Bushies," a look at just a few of these fortunate folks indicates that not everybody was harmed by the Bush era.
The Memoirists
Many of the top figures of the Bush years are joining the ranks of (or reaffirming their credentials as) men and women of letters. Following in the footsteps of 2003-2006 White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, who wrote the tell-some exposé What Happened: Inside the Bush White House and Washington's Culture of Deception, is former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2001-2006). Now penning his life story for Sentinel, a conservative imprint of the Penguin Group, he has announced that he is forgoing an advance and donating all proceeds to charity. Similarly, 2006-2009 Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson is reportedly donating the "author's profits" from his forthcoming "insider's account of [his] experiences as Treasury Secretary." Many other former colleagues are, however, apparently intent on cashing in on their public service.