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Back in late November, Boston author Dennis Lehane was speaking to fans in Western Massachusetts when the subject of social media came up.
Mr. Lehane said he'd tried Twitter but he didn't really understand the allure. His Facebook account was primarily a venue for promoting his books.
But all that changed at Christmastime when the Lehane family's beloved beagle, Tessa, slipped out of the yard and into the wilds of Brookline. There was a Facebook post on the author's wall asking folks to keep an eye out for Tessa — and the promise that if someone found her, they'd become a character in his next book.
Then there was a Tweet. And more Facebook postings. Those were followed by a barrage of media attention, including CNN.
Now there's a community of more than 3,500 Facebook followers who spend time plastering posters to poles and scouring the streets hoping to find the elusive hound. Those too far away to join the physical search send prayers, offer tips and post on the Finding Tessa Facebook page, stories of other lost dogs found after seemingly hopeless amounts of time.
Among those offering help were the members of Granite State Dog Recovery, a nonprofit group that in January alone helped reunite 100 dogs with their owners.
The group started when a few folks who'd been deploying themselves to find missing dogs decided they could incorporate and help even more dog owners.
"And a year and a half later, we have 15,000 followers," said Beth Corr, a member of the group's board of directors.
Granite State loans out traps and trail cameras. They help search, print posters and operate on a budget that consists only of donations. The biggest expense is gas to get them to and from searches.
Though it's named for the state of New Hampshire, Granite State Dog Recovery branches out into all of New England. The volunteers there offer tips on how to keep a dog from becoming lost, and if one does they spring into action to help find the canine.
Snoopy, a rescued beagle from Sutton, probably wouldn't have survived without the incredible exposure he got on the Internet.
"He would have died standing there," Snoopy's owner Lynne Feiz said.
But Snoopy lived, despite having his retractable leash caught in some brush as he stood freezing in a swamp on Jan. 2.
Because he'd run off once before and been found quickly, Ms. Feiz knew she had to get the word out that Snoopy was missing after her daughter fell while walking him and he ran off. She posted on Facebook and Granite State Dog Recovery and quickly found, as she searched for the dog, that she wasn't alone.
"There were other people out there, people we didn't even know, who were out there looking," she said. "Hundreds and maybe thousands of people saw that posting."
And so, when a neighbor a short distance away spotted the missing dog poster on Facebook, she realized the animal sound she heard coming from the swamp near her house might have been Snoopy.
Ms. Feiz said her family traipsed into the swamp, though muck so thick their boots kept coming off. Her brother spotted Snoopy, hunkered down, cold, scared and stuck. He cut the leash with his pocket knife and they passed the dog back and forth as they alternately freed themselves from the mud.
Since then, Snoopy's been outfitted with a GPS tracking system, just in case. Ms. Feiz said she, and many others, incorrectly thought Snoopy could be tracked by the microchip implanted under his skin.
She even called the company and asked them to track the dog but learned that the chip is "really just an implanted tattoo," and that it won't provide any information unless the dog is found and scanned.
Jennifer Cosgrove of Auburn is pretty sure her sister's dog, Mischief, wouldn't have been found without Facebook, either.
"She had stopped in to see a friend in Worcester at work for a few minutes, and she locked Mischief in the car, but the window was down just enough for someone to reach through," Ms. Cosgrove said. "When she came back, the dog was gone and her collar was thrown in the back seat."
The car was still locked.
The family immediately suspected the good natured gray pit bull was stolen.
Ms. Cosgrove turned to Facebook, quickly sharing pictures of the dog and the news that she was missing. They used the Granite State Dog Recovery template and posted a flier on the group's Facebook page.
Like the old shampoo commercial, two friends told two friends, and so on and so on, until people who lived hundreds of miles away were posting Mischief's picture.
Less than a day later, a man called wanting to return the dog.
"He said he'd found her running loose," Ms. Cosgrove said, adding that while the story seemed suspect, the main objective was to get the dog back and that was accomplished.
Ms. Corr said the focus is always to get the dog back, and by posting pictures and sharing the information, either people look for and find the dog or, in the less frequent cases of stolen dogs, thieves see the posts and get uneasy.
Country singer Dierks Bentley's dog, Jake, bolted during a Tennessee thunderstorm on Jan. 13 and was found and returned after someone saw his owner's frantic Facebook posts.
"One of the happiest days of my life," the singer wrote once Jake was home. "Grown men don't cry ... yeah, right. Thank you to everyone on Facebook and Twitter that spread the word."
While most of the stories have happy endings, some dogs do not survive their ordeals.
There are those who wonder whether or when they should give up looking, to which Ms. Corr responds: Never.
"Never, ever, give up until you have a resolution," she said.
Granite State has found a dog missing for two years and another, they dubbed Gypsy, was on the run for a year. Dogs, she said, are surprisingly resourceful, especially rescue dogs that have lived on the street before.
"One of the things that still amazes me is how quickly they go into flight mode," she said of the dogs she's searched for.
The biggest threat to dogs on the run are probably cars, Ms. Corr said. There are not as many predator attacks as one would think, and traffic-savvy dogs can do okay, but dogs unfamiliar with living on the streets are more likely to be hit.
In the case of Tessa and canines like her, having been a rescue dog is both a blessing and a curse. She likely has the street smarts to survive, but that may also make her less likely to come to someone who's trying to help.
Tessa's family is hoping that if someone did take her in, they will get her to a veterinarian because she was being treated for heartworm and needs medication, something they recently revealed on their Facebook page.
Ms. Corr said many folks who aren't fans of the Internet or social media learn quite quickly that it has its good uses.
"I often wonder how people found their missing pets before," she said.


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Rely on Horror - They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. So how much does Castlevania's stellar Lords of Shadow like Kratos and the gang on Mt. Olympus?
add a bit of shadow of the colossus to that pie and this game is pretty much a homage and a very enjoyable one at that
They are kinda similar but not too much, Castlevania is a lot more platfformer focused, I would say, this is more a Prince of Persia than a God of War. Trailers and demo were really misleading.
It doesn't matter, both franchises are great :)
about this very article! Why are people hailing Cv: LOS GOTY? It's a great game mayne I am really enjoying almost all of this game. Some of the puzzles are just lazy and do NOT need to be there.. come on.... your shaking scarecrows for crying out loud WTF!
I said all this to say that I tried to ignore the GOW similarities... It just became too hard to miss after a while.
Again Cv: LOS is an excellent game to play fun and all... but I just can't shake these obvious similarities... but it will not stop me from playing this game. I just won't be jumping on that GOTY bandwagon anytime soon...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Rolling Out The Welcome Mat
Top HeadlinesDate: June 5, 2008
Contact: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 269-471-3348
"This is the day." The day Andrews University officially rolled out the welcome mat and invited the community to step in, said Andrews University President Niels-Erik Andreasen. The grand opening of the new entrance to campus marked nearly 30 years of planning and culminated with faculty, staff, students, community friends and local officials taking part in the celebration on Monday, June 2.
Up until the early morning hours of June 2, crews were busy with the finishing touches on the new J.N. Andrews Boulevard and its gateway off of M-139 in Berrien Springs. Draped in blue and gold ribbon, the new entrance stood ready and waiting to be officially opened as a crowd of more than 700 gathered to witness the momentous occasion.
Dr. Andreasen began the ceremony by sharing a personal reflection. "This new entrance represents the fulfillment of a personal dream for me. Ever since I first arrived here, I cringed at the cumbersome, unattractive, unsafe way this university welcomed its faculty, staff, students and guests through the back door, or the kitchen door as it were. But no more. We have a proper front door and you are invited to come in."
Thanking the donors who made the dream of a new entrance become a reality, David Faehner, vice president of University Advancement, took a moment to focus on three families in a special way. Dr. David Cromwell, an alumnus of the class of '63, and two families who aren't Andrews alumni, yet strong believers of Seventh-day Adventist education: John and Dede Howard, and the late William Colson and his wife, Bonnie, who provided the lead gift for the new entrance. Faehner shared the series of events leading to the Colson family making the largest personal gift in school history, ending by quoting William Colson, "'God has given me so much. How can I refuse any worthy project?'"
Richard Scott, director of facilities management, thanked the many individuals who were involved over the past 30 years in the planning, design and construction of the new entrance. A special thank you was given to Wightman Associates Inc. of Benton Harbor, the lead contractor and project manager of the project, for bringing together the vast array of contractor resources in southwest Michigan to make the new entrance what it is today.
Berrien Springs Village President Bill Dustin said he was glad to have Andrews University in his community and offered congratulations on the new entrance. "For your donor, who gave to this project, you have done him right."
Al Pscholka, district representative for Congressman Fred Upton, said the new entrance is a great front door. "Twenty years ago, when I came out here, I drove right past this place. I didn't know all the great stuff that was happening right here."
Ernest Hildebrand, supervisor of Oronoko Charter Township, said, "I can remember many years ago [getting updates on the project.] I kept thinking, 'I hope it happens in my lifetime yet.'" He added, "It certainly adds a lot of beauty to your campus."
Heather Knight, provost for Andrews University, shared why the new boulevard was named in honor of J.N. Andrews, for whom Andrews University is named. A noted scholar and early church leader, J.N. Andrews also has the distinction of being the first missionary to go overseas on behalf of the Seventh-day Adventist church in 1874, the same year Andrews University (then Battle Creek College) was born.
Knight also pointed out the new globe photo opportunity feature complete with adequate parking, a much-needed asset to a university with a global mission and vision. "This is the place to take pictures to say, 'I was at Andrews. I have arrived.'"
A prayer of blessing was offered by Gerry Karst, chair of the Andrews University Board of Trustees and vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, followed by James North, professor of pastoral care and chaplaincy, leading the crowd in singing the school song, "Our Dear A.U."
Following the ribbon-cutting, the crowd spilled out onto J.N. Andrews Boulevard and began putting the new globe photo-op to use. The Andrews University bus, carrying university administration and local officials, was the first vehicle to drive on the newly open boulevard. A historical parade of classic cars, including a horse and wagon, circled the boulevard representing the vast timeline of Andrews University.


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Oakland, Berkeley, And East Bay News, Events, Restaurants, Music, & Arts
Professor Bertram Potts is the youngest of eight bookish academics assembling a dictionary of slang. They find a perfect "research associate" in the curvaceous form of strip-tease dancer Kathryn "Sugar Puss" O'Shea, who has hidden out at the professors' domicile to escape Joe Lilac, her gangster boyfriend. As Sugar Puss interprets various slang expressions, she and the professors grow quite fond of one another. She brings their personalities out from under their collegiate facades, while they revive her essential decency and genial womanhood. When Joe and his enforcer Duke Pastrami show up to claim Kathryn, the professors save the day.


text:
Note: This page contains links to PDF files. For more information, see the web page on Accessing files.
September 2011
© Commonwealth of Australia 2011
ISBN 978-0-642-79563-2 (Printed version)
ISBN 978-0-642-79564-9 (HTML version)
View the report as a single document - (PDF 285KB)
View the report as separate downloadable parts:
Purpose of the reportConduct of the Committee's review
IntroductionProposed amendmentsImpact on AustraliaFinancial costsAustralia's interest in passing the amendmentsIndustry supportConclusion
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text:
No Changes!?
Since my last post I did notice this (thanks to reddit). It is a new piece of ascended gear, an accessory. It's description is what is interesting.
I wonder what other dark artifacts they are conjuring. And what about their alliance makes this possible?
New thoughts on New Castle
The wolf carving above the entrance to wolf lodge,
The only other thing you can see in the castle is some fencing which seems to match this fencing found in wolf lodge (didn't see it anywhere else).
Once you enter the hole this is what you see in front of you,


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Value Line is regarded as the best independent research available. More than just recommendations, Value Line provides the rationale behind its picks for greater understanding.
The highly anticipated initial public offering of social networking site Twitter, Inc. (TWTR), which had been eagerly awaited by the investment community for months, has been completed. The company issued 70 million shares on November 7, 2013 at a price of $26.00 per share, valuing the firm at $18.2 billion in terms of market capitalization. The stock began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol TWTR at $45.10 a share, more than 70% higher than its offering price. It closed its first day of trading at $44.90.
Twitter, which boasts over 200 million monthly active users, has become popular among the masses due to its microblogging platform, which allows members to publish posts consisting of 140 characters or less, called "tweets". It's a trend that has not only caught the attention of the general public, who can use the site to connect with their social circles in real time, but also of celebrities and corporations. Indeed, Twitter has become a platform for the dissemination of information on an incredibly wide scale, allowing the rich and famous to connect with their fan bases and companies to communicate with their customers and investors.
The company generates the majority of its revenue from advertisers, through the sale of its Promoted Products: Promoted Tweets, Promoted Accounts, and Promoted Trends. It expects the main top-line driver going forward to be advertising revenue generated on the company's mobile platforms, which already accounts for about 70% of total ad sales. This is largely due to Twitter's emphasis on the "on-the-go" approach, promoted by its user-friendly mobile applications.
As opposed to fellow social networking firm Facebook Inc. (FB), Twitter's focus is on real time updates, which means users may be more active on the site throughout the day than on other sites. This augurs well for advertising revenue, as the company's user base is still growing at a rapid rate. In fact, active users increased 39%, year over year, during the three months ended September 30, 2013. Meanwhile, advertising revenue more than doubled, to $153.4 million, over the same time frame.
That said, the company has yet to turn a profit. In fact, it has incurred steep operating losses since its inception. This is likely a result of the hefty investments Twitter has made in its technology platforms and infrastructure. And although revenues are likely to increase, growth will probably moderate in subsequent periods, while costs continue to rise. This may further hinder profitability for the foreseeable future.
Nevertheless, Twitter has an interesting business model, which lends itself better to long-term growth than many of its competitors, due to its ability to streamline the flow of information via the Web. There have been mixed reviews on Wall Street regarding the company's prospects, but its unique position in the social networking space may well serve as a catapult for Twitter over the long haul, particularly if it manages to turn a profit in the next couple of years.
We advise investors to take a wait-and-see approach here, while awaiting Twitter's introduction into The Value Line Investment Survey.
At the time of this article's writing, the author did not have any positions in any of the companies mentioned.


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FRIDAY, Oct. 26 (HealthDay News) -- It's the time of year when you should be thinking about flu vaccinations for yourself and your family.
Latest Cold and Flu News
Some people, however, decide not to get the flu vaccine and put themselves and others at risk of getting sick just because they believe long-held myths about the vaccine.
"This is a pretty busy time around here," Dr. Dennis Cunningham, an infectious diseases doctor at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, said in a hospital news release. "Our emergency department, urgent-care centers and our inpatient numbers always go up because of the flu, although many of those patients could avoid getting sick by practicing just a few simple precautions."
It is especially important that children receive a flu vaccination. Because they are around so many people, they are the biggest carriers of the flu. Giving them the vaccine can protect a wide range of people, including siblings, parents, grandparents, friends, classmates and teachers.
One of the most common myths is that you can catch the flu from flu vaccine, which is not true.
"The vaccine can give you some mild symptoms; you may feel a bit achy and your arm may be a little tender where you first get the shot," Cunningham explained. "But that's actually a good thing and shows that the vaccine is working. It tells us your body is responding appropriately to the vaccine."
Another myth is that you should wait until it is cold outside to get your flu vaccine.
"Some people are worried that if you get the vaccine too soon, it will wear off by the time winter gets here," Cunningham said. "The truth is, vaccinating people even in August will protect them throughout the entire flu season. This also includes the elderly, who typically have been the group people are most worried about."
There's also a myth that flu vaccines do not protect against current flu strains.
"The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention pick the strains they think are most likely to circulate in the coming months so that people are protected against everything that may go around," Cunningham said. "Every year there are two A strains and one B strain of influenza included in the vaccine."
-- Robert Preidt
Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
SOURCE: Nationwide Children's Hospital, news release, October 2012


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CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's lead investigator says countries of some of the victims of the deadly balloon crash in Luxor have asked to join the probe.
Walid el-Moqadem said Thursday that Hong Kong, Britain, Japan and Hungary will not be sending investigators so far. He says they have been granted an advisory role and will for now be upraised of progress through emails.
Nineteen foreign tourists died when their hot air balloon caught fire and plummeted about 1,000 feet to the ground on Tuesday in southern Egypt.
Initial reports say the balloon was in the process of landing when a cable got caught around a gas tube and a fire erupted.
He says Egyptian investigators are currently collecting and documenting data. A separate criminal investigation is under way to rule out foul play.


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MoneySavingGuide needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 52 designs submitted by 18 freelance designers.
We are seeking a logo for our new website, MoneySavingGuide.com. This website will be designed as a deep and helpful resource for consumers seeking the latest, as well as the most time-tested, strategies, advice and resources for saving money.
OverviewWe intend to have a bright yet professional color palette, logo and iconography that will emphasize Credibility without stuffiness, Helpfulness, Inclusiveness, Accessibility, Optimism and Humor. We will target consumers between 18 and 50 years of age who
are seeking to save money in varying ways.
Web Page Palette
The logo will be placed in a masthead, which has the
background color # d9e99f. Here are the rest of the colors in web page palette:
Navigation: #75ae29, Highlight: # e1ff97, Lowlight: # 407000.
Secondary Palette for Headings, etc.
Orange colors for the page headings, etc. H1:
#d35e08 and a dotted line that incorporates the following: #ff9900,
#ffc64c, #f8e9a6.
Textual ContentThe logo should carry the .com inline with the rest of the
domain name. A very small trademark, aligned top-right, should follow the .com.
All together, the logo should contain the following textual content:
Capitalization and orientation will be at the discretion of
the designer. A tagline (TBD) may be positioned under the domain name, so
please consider this element in the logo design.
Graphical ContentThe logo should incorporate a piggy bank with coins falling
into it.
LayoutAs the logo will be used in the header of our website, which
will have limited vertical space (80 pixels high), we recommend that the logo should be wider
than it is tall.
MediumWeb only. Please avoid fine design details which may look good
in print, but render poorly on a computer screen.
Please do not provide a logo with all white lettering.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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- Doctors
- New York
- New York City
- Dermatologists
- Dr. Jeffrey L. Ainspan
You may also like
Dr. Sue Ann Wee
Ratings for Dr. Jeffrey L. Ainspan
I have been going to Dr. Ainspan for over 10 years and love him ! He is very thorough and knowledgable and knows his stuff. I went this week and within seconds of my walking into the room he zeroed in on a suspicious mole in my eyebrow ! I even took my daughter to him for her acne and excema and he explained every thing patiently and thoroughly . His office might not be state of the art, but he is one of the best. I am not looking for a fancy office and high prices , I judge an MD by his knowledge of the problems and the way that he treats me as a patient. I agree that his office staff can be friendlier, and I always make the first appointment in the morning to avoid delays
I dont know how this doctor has such great ratings. I visited him as a friend of mine highly recommended him and also I noticed that he had some great ratings here. I saw him for couple of times with the acne issues that I have had for the last six/seven years. After putting me on antibiotics and on some gel for my face and after couple of visits, he couldn't figure out what was wrong with my skin and gave up. He literally told me that there is nothing else he can do or help me with. Really? Very disappointed with my experience with him.
Dr. Ainspan is a fantastic Dermatologist. He is very informative and super attentive. I certainly felt like I had his full attention. It was an awesome experience.
I felt Dr. Ainspan was a satisfactory dermatologist. However, since a biopsy returned showing I have a basel cell carcinoma, I felt that I wanted a more modern, full-service office than what he has. His office space is anything "but" modern. It is a space of perhaps 10x15. Since I'm more than likely going to have surgery on my face, I want an office that is more "state-of-the -art" with facilities where they are able to cut and check in order not to have to cut too much. I don't want to be second guessed . I was not unhappy with the service in the past. I agree with much that has been said about the office staff. They are often less than professional.
Oh, this guy is good. I walked in already knowing a lot about my skin condition and possible differentials, and he rapidly, thoroughly, and yet with an almost scientific precision took care of all of them. He ordered exactly as many tests as required, neither more nor less, and explained every reason and intuition behind his hypotheses. He clearly not only knows what the manifestations of particular skin conditions are, but *why* they are so, and the sharing of that information will make you feel as if you've had one of the most thorough skin exams of your life, even if the actual examination is minimal. His knowledge of treatments is equally impressive, and he was able to easily weigh specific treatments based on side effects, appropriateness for the specific condition, and aggressiveness. I was extremely impressed. The wait was fairly long (and a rude patient of the GP he shares an office with kept sneezing who knows what at me without covering his mouth), but it was worth it.
Excellent-Knowledgable-Extremely friendly personality-Very down to earth. Honest.I don't know how anyone can have anything bad to say. I've read all the reviews. So what some people waited- we wait at ALL doctors offices. I've been at his offive many times as the doctor he shares the office with is my primary doctor. I have never seen anything inappropriate with his staff. I've seen him, and my mother has seen him (separate occasions), and we both had great experiences. My mother wanted a tiny growth removed for cosmetic reasons, which her insurance did not cover, and he talked her out of it as it wasn't necessary. Another Park Ave doc wanted to charge her $450 to remove that growth. So, I fully agree w/ the patient who said Dr.Ainspan was not in it to fatten his pocketbook. Forget the stuck up Park Ave doctors who try to talk you into everything and give you unecessary tests in order for you or your insurance co to pay for their lavish offices. I highly, highly recommend Dr. Ainspan.
I have to say that I love Dr. Ainspan. I started going to him back in 2005 for severe acne. He was very thorough, knowledgeable and friendly. His staff were always really friendly and go above and beyond what I have needed. They even remembered me after I making an appointment for today. I changed insurances and he was not on my plan. But he is on my plan now and I am happy to be able to go back to see him after all these years. Yes, he can be somewhat dry, but he is knowledgeable and effective which is what counts for me. Good luck.
Dr. Ainspan was great, but his office staff is HORRENDOUS. I've never seen a ****ier, nastier group of ladies in my life. They fought with each other and were rude with patients the entire 30 minutes I waited in the waiting room, and (worst of all) I was glared at when I asked for my insurance card back. I have to go back for another appointment, but if I have to deal with those wretched cows everytime I visit, I'll be taking my business elsewhere.
I would recommend Dr. Ainspan. He seems confident and knowledgeable, and is patient in answering any questions you may have. His manner of communication is rather dry and direct, but I prefer that in my doctors (no beating around the bush, just straight answers). Staff is a bit apathetic, which may come across as slightly rude, but it shouldn't deter you from going. The wait time varies - sometimes the wait is 5 minutes, other times (and the longest I've waited) 30 minutes.
I was very happy with my appt. with Dr. Ainspan. I went to his office for a visit based on all the pos. reviews and was extremely happy I did so. He was very nice and professional. He even called me when my results came back. He def. an excellent dermatologist. It was def. worth the wait. I would def. recommend him to family and friends.
Dr. Jeffrey L. Ainspan's Credentials
Facility Affiliations
Accepting New Patients
- Albany Medical College Of Union University (Grad. 1981)
Other Specialties
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Awards & Recognitions
Publications & Research
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Top Hospitals in New York City, NY
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"Boo-hoo for the DC suburbs," one reader snarked.
"Boo-hoo for the DC suburbs," one reader snarked.
"DC area = Crybabies," another postulated.
"Good. It's about time," someone else exulted.
The fact that the deep budget cuts known as the sequester will hit the Washington region particularly hard has the rest of the nation reveling in schadenfreudean glee.
And, in truth, it's not hard to see why.
The only thing more prominent than the Washington Monument on the D.C. skyline are the towering cranes building even more fancy condos.
A bunch of new restaurants open every week — places with $15 drinks and $19 appetizers — and they're packed every night. A new chain of salons just opened that does nothing but blow dry your hair, for $40 a head. A Google search for "doggie day care, Washington D.C." gives you as many results as a search for "day care, Washington, D.C." It's even more plush in places such as Bethesda, Md., Great Falls and Tysons Corner, Va., which Spanx recently targeted as the best spot in the country to open its first store selling $56 underpants to make women with fat wallets and midriffs look two pounds slimmer.
If panty pricing doesn't impress you, take a look at the U.S. Census Bureau's recent ranking of counties according to where the nation's highest earners live.
The top three are all in Northern Virginia: the city of Falls Church, and Loudon and Fairfax counties. With the exception of a few Manhattan and Northern California suburbs, the rest of the top tier is all around the Beltway.
Seven of the top 15 counties are suburbs of Washington, where the federal government and its army of contractors have been on a gargantuan spending binge ever since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
No wonder folks across the country, still struggling to recover from the worst downturn since the Great Depression, are pumped that our region may have to cut back a bit. I mean, there's a lot to cut.
An online reader known as "grunk" joked in the comments section of one sequester story about the sacrifices D.C. might be facing: "The Beltway will only go one direction. 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will become 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue. RG3 to RG2. The Pentagon will be reduced to just four sides." The rest of the country has had it with the nation's capital.
Last month, for the first time since the 1990s, Americans told the Gallup pollsters that the way Washington operates is the biggest problem facing the country. Usually, they say the economy or unemployment are their biggest worries. But last month, the rest of America pointed the finger right here, a couple blocks away from the blow-drying salon, not far from that new oyster place.
"These results suggest that average Americans are generally shifting their focus — from worry about macroeconomic problems to worry about issues associated with the way government works," wrote Gallup Editor-in-Chief Frank Newport. Or doesn't work.
The truth is, the rest of the country sees Washington as a place filled with pompous politicians and self-important bureaucrats, said University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato.
But here's the problem. It's not the affluent who will suffer when the ax falls. It's poor kids, the elderly and the sick. And they won't just suffer in the DMV.
The White House estimates that 27,000 school children in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia would be affected by education funding cuts. But it would affect 172,000 kids in Texas and 178,000 in California.
Nutrition assistance for seniors in the District, Maryland and Virginia would plummet by $2.3 million, the White House warned. But it would plunge by $3.8 million in Florida and $1.8 million in Michigan.
It may be satisfying to some to watch Washington squirm. But these cuts are going hurt every state, city and town in America. We need to care more about people than payback.


text:
Package includes:
The TDXone TD-Q8A HT is a compact hand held transceiver providing 4 watts in the frequency range of 144-148 MHz and 430-450 MHz. It features 128 memories , simple controls, High/Low power, time-out timer, lock, English/Chinese voice prompt, VOX, CTCSS/DCS encode/decode, 1750 Hz burst, dual band display, battery saver, LED flashlight, low battery alert and FM broadcast band reception.
It will fit in your shirt pocket with room to spare at only 2.25 x 4.35 x 1.3" 7 ounces. The TD-Q8A comes with Li-ion battery, AC charger, standard SMA antenna, manual and belt clip.
Dual frequency, dual display&standby
DTMF setting
10 channel FM radio storage
Wide/Narrow Band(25kHz/12.5kHz)
VOX (level adjustable)
Chinese/English voice prompt
Priority scan
squelch (levels selectable)
LED display mode
Power-on message
Keypad lock
Channel name edit and display
Shift direction
Offset frequency
Transmit power setting (High/Low)
Scan mode setting
Power save function
Auto keypad lock
Busy channel lock
Time out timer (TOT)
Beep function
Emergency alarm call
PC programmable
Wire clone
128 memory channels
A/B frequency independent operation
All call,group call,selective call
IP65 waterproof (water jets)
Comes with:
Notice: Specifications may be revised without notice due to technical improvement.
Thank you
Size : 10.5 in x 7 in x 2.5 inch
Weight : 1.75 lbs
Q8A User Manual.pdf 9.3Mb PDF
TDX-Q8A-EN-V6.0-setup.exe 3Mb programming software
NOTE: Do NOT use this software on the older TDX-Q8 model. whos (S/N starts T2013Q800xxx) (Sold before Dec 2013.)
For older model radios use :
TDX-Q8-setup.exe 3Mb programming software
DO not use this software on the newer 'A' model. who's (S/N starts 2013Q8A0xxxx) (Sold after Dec 2013).
USB Cable Drivers for Windows 98/ME/2K/XP, Vista, 7, 8 9.5Mb ZIP file
Study with the Best!
NEW 2014 Gordon West Technician Manual. Covers Question Pool Effective JULY 1, 2014 - JUNE 30, 2018 for examination.
Complete study guide with answer explanations. Re-organized into logical study topic order with highlighted key words and all NEW helpful "HAM HINTS" by ELMER with hundreds of related resource website links. BONUS CD INCLUDED - "Getting on the Air!". Gordo introduces you to to using your Technician privileges, UHF/VHF operations and equipment and how to make DX contacts with Technician privileges. This book is an excellent companion to the GWTW-14 Audio CD Course for in depth class-room style instruction for home study.
NEW UPDATED FCC rules as of Jan 2013 Printed version of the complete FCC Part 97 Rules and Regulations. A must have for every radio amateur licensee !
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It's easy to blame your equipment when it takes an improper exposure. But a camera is an unthinking, unfeeling machine. It doesn't know if a scene is too dark or too light, nor does it care.
It's easy to blame your equipment when it takes an improper exposure. But a camera is an unthinking, unfeeling machine. It doesn't know if a scene is too dark or too light, nor does it care.
It takes in information about what's coming through the lens and then adjusts the camera's settings to set algorithms.
Most cameras are set to expose for an overall average, meaning that they average out all the values of a scene from light to dark. If a background or foreground is too light or dark, it can affect the overall exposure of the photo.
A snowy scene, for example, is mostly white, but the camera will think the overall scene is too bright and will try to compensate by adjusting the settings to make things darker. The result is snow that will be gray and muddy.
On the other hand, something like a concert will usually have a performer on stage illuminated by a spotlight with the rest of the stage fading off into unlit blackness. The camera will see that as a scene that is too dark and the camera will compensate in the other direction and the performer will glow almost radioactively in the overexposure.
Most cameras will have three main auto exposure modes: shutter priority, where you set the shutter speed and the camera sets the aperture; aperture priority, where you set the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed; and programmed mode, where the camera sets both the shutter speed and aperture. When auto exposure cameras first became popular about 30 years or so ago, they could easily be fooled. Today's latest cameras are much more sophisticated and are better than those old cameras, but they aren't perfect and still can be duped.
This is why shooting manually comes in handy.
I know, most people think setting their own aperture and shutter speed is complicated and don't want to mess with it.
And in the old days of film, when you had to wait hours, days or even weeks to get your pictures back from the photo finisher, it could be frustrating learning how to operate your camera on your own.
It was difficult to remember what you did right or wrong back when you took the photo. It was easier to have something that was over/underexposed (and blame the camera) than to muck with the arcane business of manual exposures.
But with today's digital cameras, shooting manually is easier than ever. Sure, you have to fiddle with the camera's controls, but nowadays you can instantly review the picture you just shot on the monitor on the back of your camera (instant gratification is a wonderful thing). Then you can stop your lens down/increase the shutter speed if the scene is too bright, or open up the aperture/decrease the shutter if it's too dark. Unless the light changes, you can just leave the settings where they are and shoot away.
There are compensatory settings that many cameras have, including some point-and-shoot ones, but they, too, involve either pressing certain buttons or going into the camera's menu and choosing them, so you may as well choose manual and have complete control of your camera's exposure.
It takes a little while to master, but once you get the hang of it you can fine tune your exposures in a way you couldn't before.
It's sort of like driving your car or taking the bus. If you take the bus, it may take you close to where you're going but probably not exactly where you want, and you have to confer with the bus schedules to see what time a bus will be coming by.
If you're driving, you can go directly to your destination exactly when you want to. It's a matter of control. When shooting with manual exposures, the brains of the operation would be you, not some unthinking machine.
Contact photographer Clifford Oto at (209) 546-8263 or email@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/otoblog.


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product description
Related Products:
Victorinox Swiss Army (Forschner)
Paring, Petty and Garnish
Stainless - Other
Stainless Steel
Kitchen Knives
Maker: Victorinox Swiss Army (Forschner) (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $7.02
Saving: $0.78
Item num: 90727
Blade length: 2.25 in.Cutting edge length: 2.25 in.Total length: 6.50 in.Blade height (at heel): 0.54 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.01 in.Item weight: 0.72 oz.Blade: Stainless steelHandle: Fibrox
Description: The curved blade of a bird's beak paring knife is perfect for peeling, garnishing and decorating -- from apple coring to zucchini peeling, and a lot of small jobs in-between. This knife, also known as a tourne knife, is used to create an oblong-shaped cut for vegetables such as carrots, potatoes or squash that provides a distinctive and consistent appearance to the food item being served.
Designed for the rigors of restaurant and commercial kitchens, the Victorinox (R.H. Forschner) Fibrox series features high performance, high carbon, stainless steel blades with its patented Fibrox handle. This commercial-quality Victorinox Swiss Army knife is a mainstay in any kitchen. Preferred by culinary professionals worldwide, the Fibrox series are great knives for the economically-minded.
The Fibrox series has earned many distinctions. The Victorinox 8 inch Chef's Knife won the distinction of Best Value in the April, 2007 Cook's Illustrated test. Testers for this popular consumer magazine summarized their review by saying, "This is exactly what a knife is supposed to be." The August, 2009 Cook's Illustrated acclaims, "While it's easy to blow your budget on a fancy chef's knife, the inexpensive, lightweight Victorinox Fibrox remains the test kitchen favorite." America�s Test Kitchen loved it and gave it top marks in every category (handle, blade, slicing, chopping, mincing and butchering). It was also the only �Highly Recommended� knife in their �Inexpensive Chef�s Knives� category, where it won out over eight other knives, including offerings from premium brands like Wusthof and Henckels. It was "Highly Recommended" in the �Hybrid Chef�s Knife� category. Michael Chu from Cooking for Engineers also liked it, naming it �Best Value� in a extensive and comparative test between 11 different knives from some of the best German and Japanese brands around.High carbon stainless steel blades are hand finished at Victorinox in Switzerland by skilled craftsmen. The blade is tapered toward the tip and edge for precision cutting. The steel, along with the expert manufacturing processes, ensures a superior cutting edge that is easy to maintain.
The Fibrox handle, which is molded directly to a three-quarter tang for balance and strength, is dishwasher safe and slip resistant, even when wet. It is NSF approved, as crevices that would offer hospitality to bacteria are minimized. As with all Victorinox knives, the handle is ergonomically designed to minimize wrist tension and provides a comfortable, natural grip.


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Railroad Facts contains more than 80 pages of facts and statistics for 2009, as well as historical data on critical aspects of railroad business, including: finance, operations, plant and equipment, employment and compensation, fuel consumption, and costs. The publication contains a profile of each Class I railroad, Amtrak, the two major Canadian railroads, and the two largest Mexican railways. New this year are "Year in Review" and "Preview of 2010" features, as well as designated sections for advertisement.
Copies of the publication are available for purchase by non-AAR members for $20 with discounts applied for purchases of two or more copies. The cost for AAR members is $5 per copy. Additional shipping and handling charges apply for each order. The publication is also available online at www.aar.org. Go to Statistics & Publications – Publications – Online catalog.


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Don Meyer, one of the winningest coaches in college basketball who came back from a near-fatal car accident and liver cancer before closing out his career, has died in South Dakota. He was 69.
Meyer led his teams into the playoffs 19 times and compiled a 923-324 during his 38-year career, most of which he spent at Lipscomb in Tennessee and Northern State in South Dakota.
The former Northern State coach died of cancer at 6:52 a.m. Sunday at his home in Aberdeen where he had recently gone into hospice care, family spokeswoman Brenda Dreyer said.
Four months after a near-fatal car accident and a cancer diagnosis, Meyer passed Bobby Knight as the NCAA's winningest coach in men's basketball history in 2009. The native of Wayne, Nebraska, retired following the 2010 season at Northern State and a 13-14 record — only his fourth losing season — before Duke's Mike Krzyzewski surpassed his record in 2012.
Meyer spent his entire head coaching career first at tiny Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minn, then at Lipscomb and finally at Northern State in S.D.
His 1985-86 Lipscomb team won the NAIA national championship and he led the Bisons to the national tournament 12 other seasons.
His teams most often played before small crowds with very little media coverage, yet Mr. Meyer's notoriety grew and grew throughout his career mainly because of his profound success and because of the respect he garnered from his players and others in his profession.
"Upon meeting Coach Meyer and I became instant friends," said Tennessee women's basketball coach emeritus Pat Summitt. "We shared a passion for the game and were constantly pulling from each others' materials. His knowledge of the game was extraordinary and his willingness to share it with others incredible. He was an awesome teacher of the game and I always soaked up everything I could when in his presence."
When he wasn't busy winning games Mr. Meyer was producing instructional videotapes, conducting youth and coaching clinics and also relying on other methods to teach.
He produced more than 40 and 15 books and at one point had the largest camp in the world with more than 5,000 campers each summer.
"So few have been able to do what Don did," said Belmont coach Rick Byrd, who faced Meyer early in his career with the Bruins. "Morgan Wootten was the coach at DeMatha High School (Hyattsville, Md.) and became a guy that was a national clinician and everybody in the coaching profession knew who he was. He and Don are the only two I can think of who became so well known even though they did not coach at a big school."
Mr. Meyer became popular for the many ways he figured out to provide instruction.
"It's tremendous success, which gives you validity, that got him started," Byrd said. "And then it was all the coaching materials that he put out. All the videos and the huge camps that he had and the people who came and worked his camp. He just developed a reputation as a guy who really studied and knew the game of basketball. There are all kinds of personalities in coaching, but there are few who are just about the game and that was Don."
Nebraska coach Tim Miles, who coached against Meyer at Northern State and worked Meyer's camps at Lipscomb when he was an assistant coach, once said, "It didn't matter if you were friend or foe. He would open up his playbook and show you his plays, and then he would turn around and beat you with that same play when your team played his."
Meyer kept coaching after being critically injured in traffic accident in September 2008. He was alone in a compact car, leading a caravan of vehicles heading to an annual team retreat, when he collided head-on with a grain truck. Multiple operations followed to remove Meyer's spleen, repair cracked ribs and deal with a mangled left leg later amputated below the knee.
He would later call the accident a blessing, because doctors also found cancer in his liver and small intestines.
Four months later — while coaching from a wheelchair — he became the winningest men's basketball coach on Jan. 10, 2009. Yet always the humble teacher, Meyer noted during the post-game huddle defensive lapses on some 3-pointers.
"How selfish it would be if I was celebrating all this stuff and they were trying to be a better team," he said at the time.
But a few minutes after the historic victory, Meyer finally smiled — and thought of his wife.
"I haven't had this much fun since Carmen and I were married," he said, standing on his right leg and leaning against the scorer's table as streamers and confetti drifted to the floor and the crowd of 6,654 listened to his postgame comments.
He was honored in July 2009 with ESPN's Jimmy V Perseverance Award, given to a member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles. It's named for former North Carolina State coach Jimmy Valvano, who died in 1993 after a fight against cancer. Meyer also was given the John W. Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in August 2010.
Meyer was a standout baseball and basketball player at Northern Colorado. He graduated in 1967 then began his head coaching career with three seasons at Hamline in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1972.
He later moved to Nashville, where he coached 24 seasons at Lipscomb — twice being named NAIA coach of the year and leading the Bison to the 1986 title. He took over at Northern State in 1999, and two years later started a run of seven consecutive 20-win seasons.
Meyer compiled records of 37-41 at Hamline, 665-179 at Lipscomb, and 221-104 at Northern State.
He'd had other health problems in recent years, including surgery in August 2012 to implant a heart pacemaker. That came after doctors replaced three of Meyer's heart valves with mechanical ones and repaired a hole in his heart.
He is survived by his wife, Carmen, and three children.
The Associated Press and The Tennesseean, a Gannett Company, contributed to this report.


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Salvete, discipuli!
I'm having a little trouble with this sentence: "He ruled from 1665 until his death in 1675." I can handle everything except "in 1675": Ab anno 1665 usque ad mortem duxit.
My problem is, if I just add anno 1675, it would mean He ruled in 1675, from 1665 until his death, which makes no sense.
Is apposition the best way to handle this? Ab anno 1665 usque ad mortem annum 1675 duxit?
Gratias tibi ago.


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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Feb. 15, 2009) - Junior Latisha Belcher (Martinsville, Va.) scored a season-high 25 points and freshman Natalie Pickwell (Kingsport, Tenn.) came off the bench to score all eight of her points in critical parts of the second half, and the Lady Buccaneers powered their way past Belmont, 86-76, Sunday afternoon inside the Curb Event Center.
The victory marked ETSU's fourth series sweep over a conference foe this season and the Lady Bucs improved to 15-9, 13-3 in A-Sun play. The ETSU win also gives the Lady Bucs a two-game lead over
To go with Belcher's and Pickwell's strong efforts, junior Siarre Evans (
"Prior to the game our focus was to take care of the basketball, and during the timeout (at the 18:29 mark of the first half) the focus was still to take care of the ball but push the ball down the floor and not force anything," commented head coach Karen Kemp, whose team has now won four straight against Belmont. "Once we settled down and let the game come to us, things started to turn around into our favor. In the end, we were able to come out with a big win today, but now we need to regroup and turn our attention to
The hangover from the Buccaneer men's loss inside the Curb Event Center last night carried over on Sunday afternoon for the Lady Bucs, as Belmont took advantage of five ETSU turnovers in the opening two and half minutes and grabbed a quick 7-0 lead. However, the Lady Bucs quickly erased the poor play and scored seven unanswered of their own and forced the Bruins to call a 30-second timeout after Washington laid one in at the 16:17 mark. ETSU was finally able to see its lead grow to four, 11-7, but Amber Rockwell - who the Lady Bucs held to one point in Johnson City - exploded by sinking a pair of 3-pointers and tied the game at 15-all with 13:55 remaining in the first half.
From that juncture, the game was tightly contested as there were six ties and 12 lead changes in the final 13-plus minutes of the first half.
ETSU was able to take a 32-27 lead after Evans scored her first points of the day with a long trey, but the Bruins evened the game back up for the fifth time of the game (33-33) when LaWanna Holiday connected on a 3-pointer with 5:10 left on the clock.
The Lady Bucs were able to enjoy a small cushion at the break, as ETSU closed out the final two minutes and twenty-two seconds on a 6-2 run to take a 45-41 lead into the locker room.
Both teams shot the ball well in the opening 20 minutes, as ETSU posted a 51.4 shooting percentage (18-35) and
The Lady Bucs did an excellent job using Belcher in the post to start the second half.
The 6-2 junior scored 10 of ETSU's first 13 points to start the final stanza and the Lady Bucs saw their 4-point halftime lead grow to 10, 58-48, after Belcher sank a pair of free throws with 16:06 remaining in the contest.
With ETSU doing a great job forcing Jessica Bobbitt into three fouls at that 16-minute mark that only meant Rockwell would get more touches and it paid off for
However, over the next four minutes, ETSU pushed its lead back up to nine, 63-54, when Pickwell nailed a long jumper in front of the Lady Buccaneer bench with 10:17 left in the contest. Then, Pickwell was able to get herself positioned behind the arc, and stepped up with two huge treys - which gave ETSU a 71-61 lead at the 6:14 point - marking the first time the Lady Bucs held a double digit advantage.
Despite losing Bobbitt with five fouls (4:46), Belmont never folded and lowered its deficit to six, 71-65, but Davis' first points of the second half paid off in a big way when she nailed a three from the corner - putting the Lady Bucs back up nine - 74-65 with four minutes left.
Both teams hit 28 field goals a piece and
To go with Belcher's 25-point effort, the
"We told Tish that teams were going to start doubling down on her, and she had to be strong with the basketball," said Kemp. "She is a really good post player and we feel like one-on-one she can take it in against anybody."
"Natalie also stepped up big for us tonight," Kemp said. "After the game I like to pick someone out to recognize in the locker room and she was that player. She gave us a huge lift when we needed it."
ETSU continues its four-game road swing on Thursday night when they travel to
For more information on Lady Buccaneer basketball, visit www.ETSUBucs.com.


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Reviewed by Josh R. (age 7)
I like the book. I thought the story was funny. The book makes me feel happy. The writers style was so funny. The pictures were cool. The illustrator drew a picture of the people that are talking at that point. My favorite part of the book was when I heard that Harris ate dinner in the bathtub. It made me think about what would happen if you ate dinner in the bathtub. Harris was very interesting! The point is that you can learn stuff from other families.
I think you should read this book because it's fun and you can learn stuff from it. You can learn what would happen if you ate dinner in the bathtub. You can learn lots of stuff from other families. If people read this book they would be nice to each other even though they are different.


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Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, greets Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa during their meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, May 28, 2013. Photo: Xinhua
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa might be leaving office at the end of next month, but he nonetheless got a personal audience Tuesday with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The meeting came in advance of Xi's scheduled trip to California June 7-8 to meet President Obama.
Xi, who officially stepped into the presidency in March after his elevation last year to head the Chinese Communist Party, has been holding a flurry of diplomatic meetings in recent weeks, but it is somewhat outside protocol for the president to receive a mayor.
"Somehow we really hit it off," said Villaraigosa, recalling that he'd first met Xi last year when the Chinese leader was still vice president and the mayor hosted him in Los Angeles at a Lakers game. He described Xi as a "warm, genuine person, very down to earth."
The mayor is leading a trade delegation sponsored by the Port of Los Angeles, the Tourism and Convention Board and Los Angeles World Airports. During the trip, the delegation announced the opening of a tourism office in Shanghai and the signing of $122-million deal for two Chinese shipping companies to modernize their L.A. port facilities.
Ernest Wooden, president of the Tourism and Convention Board, said that 40% of Chinese trade in the U.S. moves through Los Angeles. The city also is the leading destination in the United States for Chinese tourists, approximately 460,000 of them last year.
Officials said discussions during the trip included expanding the six daily flights from China to Los Angeles, perhaps adding direct flights from second-tier Chinese cities such as Chengdu or Chongqing.
"I'd like to put Mandarin-speaking greeters at LAX," Villaraigosa said.
The mayor said that Xi, in their 50-minute meeting, referred to Los Angeles as the "epicenter" of the U.S-China relationship.
"Los Angeles is the gateway to Asia. As China rises, Los Angeles will benefit disproportionately," the mayor said.
The Chinese state news agency quoted Xi saying during the meeting that "the growth of China-U.S. relations is inseparable from exchanges and cooperation at local levels, and even so with universal participation and the active support of the people of the two countries."
Next month's meeting between Xi and Obama is to be held at Sunnylands, the landmark estate built by Walter and Leonore Annenberg southeast of Palm Springs. In preparation, Xi met Monday with White House National Security Advisor Tom Donilon.
|No comment
Rhythm Media Group is a multi-media company, operating a US-based Chinese daily newspaper, The China Press, and the paper's website - uschinapress.com (which has mobile-app version), as well as a Beijing-based English website Sino-US.com. The group boasts 15 branch offices across the US, and a number of cultural centers focusing on culture-related business in the North America, Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan.Launched in September 2012, the Sino-US.com is designed to serve as a bridge between China and the US, and to keep its readership inside or outside China better informed by providing news and insights on China's current affairs, culture, life, business, people and sports.


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When asked about Bowling Green's defense, Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey and offensive coordinator Bob Cole drew comparisons to two Big Ten teams.
Cole said the Falcons' defensive line is "right up there with Iowa's defensive line, same thing with their linebackers."
And from what Carey has seen on film, the Falcons' attitude is comparable to that of Michigan State.
"Everyone likes to talk about the Big Ten with Michigan State's defense," he said. "I've seen some [Bowling Green] film through crossover games, very similar attitude. They attack. That gives you a point of reference. That's what makes them tough."
The question is, will the
Falcons be tough enough to stop Northern Illinois?
The Mid-American Conference championship game tonight in Detroit pits one of the nation's most explosive offenses against one of the most obstructive defenses.
The Huskies, going for their third straight championship in hopes of a repeat BCS bowl bid, will play their fourth different opponent in four straight seasons in the MAC title game.
This season's opponent may not be so easy to score against, and offense has been NIU's specialty, of course.
Almost every college football fan knows by now how prolific the No. 14 Huskies' offense has been in building a 12-0 regular-season record behind senior quarterback Jordan Lynch.
The Huskies rank fourth nationally in total offense with 542.3 yards per game and in rushing offense with 318.9 yards per game. Scoring 42.8 points per game, they rank ninth in the country.
Completely shutting down Lynch and company is something Bowling Green coach Dave Clawson doesn't even venture to assert as a game plan.
"There are things Northern does that we've defended," he said. "The combination of what they do and how they do it and who they do it with are certainly unique. … They're a very difficult out. Their numbers and their stats and their record speak for themselves."
As teams often do when they're about to face each other for a title, they are heaping praise on their opponents. But NIU's wariness of the Falcons' defense is warranted.
Bowling Green (9-3), playing for its first MAC championship since 2003, allows only 13.8 points per game, which ranks fifth nationally, and it gives up just 296.6 yards per game to rank seventh nationally. The Falcons rank in the top 25 by holding their opponents to a 34.4 completion percentage on third downs.
"They're extremely sound, they're well coached and they fit in their gaps," Cole said. "You're rarely going to find them out of position, and they're aggressive. Then their defensive backs are good enough where they can play man-to-man on you so they can do a lot of things up front with their front seven. It's going to be a good challenge for us."
Bowling Green isn't exactly a sloth on offense. The Falcons average 34.4 points per game. And the Huskies are no slouches on defense, limiting six of their last seven opponents to 20 or fewer points.
Before his news conference Tuesday, Carey said he had spent 45 minutes analyzing Bowling Green's third-down package. He came away impressed with the totality of the team's skill and experience.
"Probably the finest team we've played to date," he said. "All three phases fit perfectly. You can tell they've been together as a staff for a while. The systems haven't changed, they've just gotten better."
MAC Championship
NIU (12-0) vs. Bowling Green (9-3)
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
Line: NIU by 4½


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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — An independent civilian review board has cleared a Salt Lake City officer in the fatal shooting of a dog in its own fenced backyard.
Police Chief Chris Burbank announced Friday that the panel found Detective Brett Olsen "acted within policy" when he shot the dog during a search for a missing 3-year-old boy on June 18. The shooting prompted protests and hundreds of emails demanding Olsen's termination.
A report says Olsen was authorized to enter the yard without a warrant because he believed the boy's life could be threatened, and he feared for his safety when the dog started charging him.
The boy later was found safe inside his home.
Sean Kendall, owner of the slain Weimaraner, says Olsen entered his backyard illegally and he plans to pursue legal action against the department.


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- Mubadala Tennis Championship
Murray beaten by Tipsarevic on season opener
The Mubadala Tennis Championship is live on ESPN. Click for details on how to subscribe.
Andy Murray made a stuttering start to the new season as he was beaten by Janko Tipsarevic at the Mubadala Tennis Championship.
The US Open champion stepped up his Australian Open preparations at the six-man exhibition event in Abu Dhabi, but failed to hit the ground running as he was beaten in straight sets.
Murray, who has spent the off-season training in Miami with coach Ivan Lendl, looked some way off his best as he slumped to a 6-3 6-4 defeat.
The British No. 1 will now head to Australia for the defence of his Brisbane International title ahead of the first grand slam of the year in Melbourne on January 14.
After a momentary delay for a brief rain shower after a single point had been played, Murray made a bright start, but missed a chance to take an early lead.
The Scot was then made to pay for a sloppy game, as Tipsarevic made the breakthrough, breaking Murray to love for a 3-1 lead. The world No. 3, who won the inaugural event in 2009, showed flashes of brilliance, but a number of unforced errors proved costly.
Tipsarevic briefly wobbled when serving for the opener, but fended off a couple of break points to close out the first set. An early break in the second set put him on course for victory, and although Murray began to find his range, he was unable to find a way back into the contest.
Meanwhile, David Ferrer booked a semi-final clash with world No. 1 Novak Djokovic after he defeated Tomas Berdych 6-2 6-4.
The Spaniard began the new season in style as he raced to a 5-0 lead before comfortably wrapping up the opening set. Berdych provided greater resistance in the second, but Ferrer was able to effectively neutralise the Czech's power, breaking for a 5-4 lead before wrapping up victory with a forehand down the line.


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Orion/Releng Builds
The Orion builds follow many of the same practices used by the Eclipse Platform Project. The builds are based on PDE/Build and run automatically on build.eclipse.org via cron job.
There is only one kind of build. Integration builds run daily from tagged repository versions. Map files are used to specify where a project is located in the repository and what version of that project to use in the build. The map files are located in the org.eclipse.orion.releng project. The builder itself performs the tagging so all the latest changes in "master" stream are picked up by every build. No manual tagging by committers is required.
Contributing changes to the build
Contributing to a build is easy, just commit your code to the master stream of the Orion repository and it will be included in the next integration build.
Setting up your workspace
- See Orion/Getting the source for instructions on how to set up your workspace to work with Orion source code.
- Import 'org.eclipse.orion.releng' into your workspace. It is located in the org.eclipse.orion.server.git repository under the releng folder.
Contributing your changes
Once you have made code changes, you can contribute them to the Integration build as follows:
- Commit your changes to the local repository and push them to the master
git commit -a -m "fix lots of bugs" #commits all changes git push #push local commits to the master
How the build works
The build is kicked off by a "bootstrap" script that is not under version control. The only purpose of this script is to fetch the real build script and invoke the build. The script is located at:
The build type is passed as an argument. -I means integration build (with tagging). -N is equivalent but does not perform any tagging (in both cases the contents of master are used to perform the build).
You can also pass an -email argument to cause the build notifications to only be sent to an individual. This is useful for test builds:
bootstrap.orion.sh -I -email email@example.com
The bootstrap script is typically invoked by a cron entry in the e4Build user account. For example here is a cron entry to start a build every Wednesday at 8:55am:
55 08 * * Wed /opt/buildhomes/e4Build/bootstrap.orion.sh -I
Invoke "crontab -e" to edit the cron entries (using vi), or "crontab -l" to simply list them.
The bootstrap fetches and invokes the main build script, called masterBuild.sh. This script is under version control, so you need to push any changes to this script into the master branch for them to take effect. If you scroll to the very bottom of this script you can see the steps it performs:
tagRepositories # perform auto-tagging of the Orion git repositories updateRelengProject # fetch latest from Orion releng project (our scripts and maps) updateBaseBuilder # fetch the PDE builder to use in the build setProperties # various initialization steps runBuild # invoke the PDE build runTests # invoke client and server tests publish # send results email
build log
The results of the build, including any failures from any step, can found found in the build log at:
This is the first place to check when the build fails. It is typically very long so it is often helpful to use tail to start near the end. This exact same log gets copied into the download directory so it is available for reference for any build we produce. For example:
Repository cache
For performance reasons, PDE build maintains a cache of fetched prerequisite bundles. This lives at /shared/eclipse/e4/orion/target/transformedRepos on the build machine. The build will pick up the newest version of each required bundle from that location. If you ever need to force the build to go back to an *older* version of a bundle, this cache needs to be cleared. Simply delete the transformedRepos directory prior to the build.
Deploying builds to orion.eclipse.org or orionhub.org
Builds are deployed using the script deploy.sh. This script should be copied to your home directory and run from there. Your home directory will contain a symlink to the downloads directory, so you can perform a deploy directly from the downloads area. The script takes a single argument which is the location of the zip containing the download. For our servers we want the Linux 64-bit build. It is useful to log the output of this script so it can be reviewed later. Example:
./deploy.sh -archive downloads/orion/drops/I201201102230/eclipse-orion-I20120110-2230-linux.gtk.x86_64.zip >> deploy.log
This script simply copies the build onto the deployment server, and invokes an upgrade script on that server - upgrade.sh. The upgrade script shuts down the old server, moves it, unzips and configures the new build, and finally starts it.
The entire deploy/upgrade process takes about 5 seconds when it runs smoothly. Occasionally there will be a communication error copying the new build onto the target machine. In this case simply re-running the script usually succeeds.
Server configuration
The server configuration file on orion.eclipse.org and orionhub.org is found in ~admin/current/orion.conf. This file gets copied into the server by the deployment script. So, any change made to this configuration file will take effect only on the next deployment.


text:
Reviewed by Trista D (age 7)
I think you should read this book because it may help you make decisions. I like the book and I learned an important lesson. You shouldn't be greedy and be happy with what you can have even it it's only one thing. I think Molly changed in the story and learned to be nicer, not so mean especially to grandpa, and not to be greedy.
I think you would like it if you just read it because this book teaches a good lesson. I think this book would be good for kids in any grade because everyone likes a good story especially when it's funny. I also like the characters in the story even though the pictures are cartoons this could happen to a real person.


text:
404Found! needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 88 designs submitted by 30 freelance designers.
Web design company looking to rebrand their company - Creative/Pro look and feel needed in the blue shades of colors
VIUU is pronounced "view" - Basically this is a new word by itself that could have multiple meanings:
Bring your point of view to our point of Viuu!
Visual Intelligence with a Unique Understanding. ViUU
Let us express your point of ViUU
This is a web design company / media group
Play around with the letters, do something amazing, a logo that everyone will remember - An eye can be incorporated somewhere which could be a good idea.
- Fancy/Pro/Unique logo
- Blue colors
- Incorporate an eye somewhere
- Play with the letters for example "VIuU" ...
- Add or not a symbol next to the name
- Slogan must be "Unique designs come from your Viuu"
- Amateur designs
- Fancy fonts
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text: Personalities Mark Kayser Mark Kayser has been photographing and writing about the outdoors since junior high with a career spanning more than two decades. Raised in the Great Plains of South Dakota, Mark's appreciation for wildlife was spurred by his parent's enjoyment of camping and his grandfather's addiction to hunting. Together, the two created a thirst for Mark to be in the outdoors. His interest in art was transformed from pencil to camera and he's been hooked on photography since. A B.S. in News Editorial Journalism from South Dakota State University helped him shape his career in outdoor communications. His work has been published in nearly every major outdoor publication on the market today including Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Sports Afield, American Hunter, North American Hunter, Turkey Call, Turkey and Turkey Hunting, Free Hunters, Cabela's Outfitter Journal, Sporting Classics, Shooting Sportsman, Bowhunter, Bowhunting World, Harris Publications, and Grand View Media titles. In addition, his photographs have been on the cover of six books, dozens of magazines and several video covers. Together with outdoor photography and writing, Mark is an avid hunter with special interest in big game. He's an accomplished bowhunter and firearm hunter for all species and has hunted white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear, moose, Dall's sheep, wild turkey, red deer and a variety of African game. When not chasing big game, Mark goes afield in his native South Dakota for upland game and waterfowl. Mark also guides hunters for big game and turkeys in the West as time allows. Mark's hunting has been featured on a variety of television outdoor shows and videos including: Realtree Outdoors, Realtree's Monster Bucks, Realtree's All-Stars of Spring, North American Hunter on OLN, and North American's Tales of the Hunt on The Outdoor Channel and scores of other shows he's appeared on. Currently, Mark co hosts North American Hunter Television on Versus, and Extreme Pursuits on the Pursuit Channel. When he's not out pursuing outdoor adventures, Mark retreats to his small ranch nestled in the Missouri River breaks of central South Dakota. He lives there with his wife Sharon, his son Cole and his daughter Katelyn. They share their land with two quarter horses, a herd of mule deer, ring-necked pheasants, sharp-tailed grouse, greater prairie chickens and a variety of other small game. Related Shows Ultimate Buck Zone


text:
DENX.Trash Web PreferencesThe following settings are web preferences of the DENX.Trash web. These preferences overwrite the site-level preferences in TWikiPreferences, and can be overwritten by user preferences (your personal topic, i.e. TWikiGuest in the DENX.Main web) Preferences:
- Supported boards
- Set BOARDS = bamboo, bubinga, ebony, haleakala, incaip, katmai, kilauea, luan, lwmon5, motionpro, ocotea, pm520, rainier, sequoia, sycamore, taishan, tqm5200, tqm8xxl, tqm885d, tqm8272, tqm834x, tqm8540, tqm8541, tqm8555, tqm8560, v38b, walnut, yellowstone, yosemite, yucca
- Default Board name
- Set BOARD = tqm8xxl
- List of topics of the DENX.Trash web:
- Web specific background color: (Pick a lighter one of the StandardColors)
- Set WEBBGCOLOR = #D0D0D0
- List this web in the SiteMap:
- If yes, set SITEMAPLIST to
on, do not set NOSEARCHALL, and add the "what" and "use to..." description for the site map. Make sure to list only links that include the name of the web, e.g. Trash.Topic links.
- Set SITEMAPLIST =
- Set SITEMAPWHAT =
- Set SITEMAPUSETO = ...collaborate on
- If yes, set SITEMAPLIST to
- Exclude web from a
web="all"search: (Set to
onfor hidden webs)
- Set NOSEARCHALL = on
- Default template for new topics and form(s) for this web:
- WebTopicEditTemplate?: Default template for new topics in this web. (Site-level is used if topic does not exist)
- TWiki.WebTopicEditTemplate: Site-level default template
- TWikiForms: How to enable form(s)
- Set WEBFORMS =
- Users or groups who are not / are allowed to view / change / rename topics in the Trash web: (See TWikiAccessControl)
- Set DENYWEBVIEW =
- Set ALLOWWEBVIEW =
- Set DENYWEBCHANGE =
- Set ALLOWWEBCHANGE =
- Set DENYWEBRENAME =
- Set ALLOWWEBRENAME = TWikiAdminGroup
- Users or groups allowed to change or rename this WebPreferences topic: (I.e. TWikiAdminGroup)
- Set ALLOWTOPICCHANGE = TWikiAdminGroup, BartlomiejSieka, MarianBalakowicz, RafalJaworowski
- Set ALLOWTOPICRENAME = TWikiAdminGroup, BartlomiejSieka, MarianBalakowicz, RafalJaworowski
- Web preferences that are not allowed to be overridden by user preferences:
- Set FINALPREFERENCES = WEBTOPICLIST, DENYWEBVIEW, ALLOWWEBVIEW, DENYWEBCHANGE, ALLOWWEBCHANGE, DENYWEBRENAME, ALLOWWEBRENAME
- Web specific graphic icons
Be sure to define the icons as pointing to the /wiki/pub of the Web so
they will be copied on publishing the web.
These definitions link the images intentionally to the DULG Web, so they
can also be used by included Topics from the DULGData Web.
- Set H =
- Set I =
- Set M =
- Set N =
- Set P =
- Set Q =
- Set S =
- Set T =
- Set U =
- Set X =
- Set Y =
- A preference is defined as:
6 spaces * Set NAME = value
- Set WEBBGCOLOR = #FFFFC0
- Preferences are used as TWikiVariables by enclosing the name in percent signs. Example:
- When you write variable
%WEBBGCOLOR%, it gets expanded to
- When you write variable
- The sequential order of the preference settings is significant. Define preferences that use other preferences first, i.e. set
%WEBCOPYRIGHT%uses the
- You can introduce new preferences variables and use them in your topics and templates. There is no need to change the DENX engine (Perl scripts).
- TWikiPreferences has site-level preferences.
- TWikiUsers has a list of user topics. User topics can have optional user preferences.
- TWikiVariables has a list of common
- TWikiAccessControl explains how to restrict access by users or groups.


text:
New Zealand law change bolsters spy agency powers
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand passed a law Wednesday that strengthens the powers of its foreign spy agency to operate domestically.
The law now explicitly allows the Government Communications Security Bureau to spy on New Zealanders in cases when the agency has a warrant from a domestic agency. The contentious change was passed in a 61-59 vote on party lines, and the law is likely to take effect in late September.
Supporters said the bill helped clarify a legal gray area while opponents said it's an unwarranted expansion of the agency's powers.
The law change arose after the agency concluded that it had unlawfully spied on indicted Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom before his 2012 arrest.
Dotcom was born in Germany but had become a legal New Zealand resident.


text:
Royals Sign Francoeur to Two-Year Contract Extension
KANSAS CITY - The Kansas City Royals announced today that the club has signed outfielder Jeff Francoeur to a two-year contract extensionthrough 2013. Consistent with club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
The 27-year-old Francoeur is hitting .277 this season for the Royals, his firstwith the club. He has recorded 35 doubles, fifth-most in baseball, with three triples, 15 home runs, 66 RBI, 60 runs and a career-high 19 stolen bases. In addition, the 2007 Rawlings Gold Glove winner is third in the Majors with 12 outfield assists and leads all of baseball with 93 assists since the 2005 season.
Francoeur initially signed a one-year contract with the Royals on December 15, 2010. He and his wife, Catie, reside in Duluth, Georgia.


text:
Pilot program: starting with the 2009 winter meeting in Chicago, we are providing recordings of some sessions and panels. They are provided free of charge and may be used for private, non-commercial, or educational purposes only.
Feedback is welcome and encouraged. Please drop us a line with your thoughts!
Video (Recorded Live Broadcasts)
2010 APS/AAPT Joint Winter Meeting
Audio - MP3
Winter Meeting 2009
Rotating Galaxies and Dark Matter, Vera Rubin, Carnegie Institution of Washington DC (AAPT Richtmyer Memorial Award Plenary)


text:
The thought, at first, seems ridiculous.
What would the Flyers do with another goaltender?
TSN's well-connected Darren Dreger reported yesterday that the Flyers are one of three NHL teams interested in signing Ray Emery to a contract. The other team mentioned was Anaheim, and Dreger left the third team anonymous.
Emery, 28, as has been well chronicled, last played in the NHL with the Flyers last February before having an intense bone graft surgery to cure a nagging disease. He has been rehabbing since and was recently cleared to play.
Emery's agent, J.P. Barry, reportedly told Dreger that Emery "fully expects" to prove himself in the AHL before getting a shot in the NHL this season.
That's where the Flyers could come into play.
"I don't know that we have room to add him," an organizational source told the Daily News. "But if he was willing to sign a two-way contract, hell, why not? That changes things."
There are three caveats to this:
1) Emery needs to sign before Feb. 28 in order to be eligible for the playoffs, so time is of the essence.
2) How do waivers come into play? Since Emery did not play anywhere this season, he would not need to clear waivers to play in the NHL or sign a contract.
3) Do the Flyers have enough room to sign Emery? While his contract would put the Flyers at the limit of 50 contracts, requiring them to subtract in order to add at the Feb. 28 trade deadline if they so choose, exactly 16 of them are either unrestricted free agents or restricted free agents come July 1. That number isn't permanent.
The best move - for any team - would be to sign Emery to a two-way contract, which he reportedly would accept, that way he could be moved between the NHL and AHL without the waiver fiasco that ultimately sent Evgeni Nabokov to Long Island.
Speaking of Detroit, it wouldn't surprise me if Detroit was the third team in the mix, since Chris Osgood is still on the shelf with an injury and Jimmy Howard could use an insurance policy.
And that's what Emery would be with the Flyers.
Even with Michael Leighton and Johan Backlund on the roster for the AHL's Adirondack Phantoms - and Nic Riopel backed up all the way to ECHL Greenville - the answer I keep coming up with is, "Why not?"
It really wouldn't cost the Flyers much - at most a prorated $500,000 for the last 30 games of the season - and the reward could be huge, especially if they get an unexpected goalie injury in the playoffs.
Yes, Leighton and Backlund both have one-way NHL contracts next season. But has anyone actually gotten the sense that the Flyers are eager to have either one in net next season? That's not the sense I get.
Emery said in a recent interview with CBC's Elliotte Friedman that if he had his choice, he would sign with the Flyers because he loved playing here and he loved his teammates here.
For me, the most interesting thing - as Emery has worked out with the OHL's Brampton Battalion over the last few weeks - is that Emery may be better now than he was when he was with the Flyers. And that's saying something, since he still had the best stats of any of the Flyers' seven goalies last year.
I caught up with Emery in Toronto in December, and he said he was in the process then of re-teaching himself how to move in the crease. He said he is more explosive and athletic now than when he was trying to play through the pain in his hip.
Holmgren told me in that story, back in December, that he would keep tabs on Emery's progress. Well, the time is here. What's the worst that could possibly happen? We've seen crazier things.
WELCOME: Defenseman Matt Carle became the second Flyer to join the Twitter-sphere earlier this week. His username is @MattCarle25. Forward James van Riemsdyk (@JVReemer21), with more than 10,000 followers, is the only other confirmed Flyers player on Twitter.
There are numerous fake accounts out there, including one from Mike Richards, that are not legit.
HELLO, MY NAME IS: While most Flyers fans were quick to notice - and e-mail me complaining - about Mike Richards wearing a New York Yankees hat to Villanova's win over Marquette on Monday night, the real highlight came on TV.
ESPNU broadcaster Charlie Neal tried to point out Dan Carcillo (called him Dan Car-cee-low) and then bungled James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux by calling them a combined "James van-Giroux-dyke."
CrossingBroad.com was quick to capture the gaffe. Head over there to watch it.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
Get exclusive videos and analysis in our new app for iPhone and Android. Download it here.


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Style # 211154
Nautical stripes never looked so sexy! This bebe dress features contrast stripe paneling, a soft tee-like fabric and a flirty high-low hemline. Try it with gold add-ons for a resort-chic pop.
- 95% rayon, 5% spandex
- Center back to hem: 9" (23 cm)
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S
Stripe Tube High Low Dress is rated out of 5 by 14.
Rated 5 out of 5 by Romantiac from Love this dress! The style is so fun! When you walk the material flows behind you and I even got compliments on how it looks when I walk. It's comfortable! It can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion.
Date published: 2013-09-05
Rated 5 out of 5 by fanznanz from beautiful and flowy first time wearing a maxi dress, and I felt fabulous on this. fits like a glove. i am short, almost 5"4 and wear a size small, i wore the dress and it was a little long, but sky high wedges did the trick. beautiful and flowy... highly recommend for anyone who is short like me.
Date published: 2013-08-03
Rated 5 out of 5 by Flirt562 from Beautiful! I luv, luv, luv this dress. I don't mean to brag but I look HOT...lol. Bebe has come out with so many beautifl maxi dressess over the last two months. I have several and get a compliment on EVERYONE of them. I got a Med and I am 5'4", 165lbs. The color is is gorgeous, run out and get this ladies.
Date published: 2013-07-04
Rated 5 out of 5 by Askrenee from Perfect Fit Luv it luv it luv it - very comfortable and sexy. dress fits perfect to my curves. bebe make more colors
Date published: 2013-06-26
Rated 5 out of 5 by Kailiyah from gotta have it I love this dress I just got it today!!! its so form fitting. at first I didnt think that I would like it. but I just love how it fits on me!
Date published: 2013-06-23
Rated 5 out of 5 by bebegirl19 from Beautiful dress I would highly recommend this dress. It is so comfortable and the color is so beautifully bright. It fits true to size and the xs is plently long on my 5'7 frame. A great addition to your summer wardrobe as it is easy to pack and hangs out easily. Can be dressed up or down easily by simply changing shoes. A must have.
Date published: 2013-06-10
Rated 5 out of 5 by ladyinred from Perfect Summer maxi dress Absolutely in love with the way this dress fits. I am super curvy, 120lbs 5'3, but this definitely slims you down. The material is perfect, not too thick for the heat but just enough not to be transparent. Can't wait for bright solid colors in this style!
Date published: 2013-06-06
Rated 4 out of 5 by SimpleBeauty from Runs small This dress runs a bit small, I tried my usual size S (34.27.42) and the fit was too snug, especially around the waist (where the top and bottom connects there's elastic that makes it a little uncomfortable). Then I tried the M and the fit was perfect except the back was a bit long (I'm 5'4" so wedges it is!). It's a cute and flirty dress for the summer though, love the color!
Date published: 2013-06-02


text:
Why is gun sanity so elusive? Forget the "hard stuff" like a crackdown on assault rifles or high-capacity magazines ("hard stuff" even though both are supported by a strong majority of Americans) but even stronger background checks -- supported by roughly 90 percent of the electorate and backed once upon a time by a not-so-whackado NRA -- looks less and less likely, even after 20 first-graders were slaughtered in Connecticut classrooms. Jonathan Tamari of the Inquirer had a good piece today analyzing why other long stalled progressive goals like gay marriage and immigration reform are moving, but guns...not so much:
And when it comes to voting patterns, there has long been an "intensity gap" between supporters of gun rights and gun control, Dimock said.
Nearly one in four voters who call gun rights a top priority has donated money to the cause, against 5 percent of those who prioritize gun control, according to a Pew poll released in January.
In the last election cycle, gun- rights organizations and advocates gave $4.2 million directly to federal candidates, parties, and outside spending groups, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. And that doesn't count more than $25 million the National Rifle Association spent independently.Groups and individuals backing gay and lesbian rights gave $5.5 million. For gun-control groups, the comparable giving was $5,036.
This is most certainly true, although I think it's a little more complicated. For one thing, immigration reform isn't moving because of money but because both parties are competing for a fast-growing Latino vote. Looking at the other issues, I think the key factor is not so much dollars as what I would call "ownership." By that, I mean the different between whether an idea is just something you passively "support" or whether it's in your face, a part of your day-to-day existence.
The people who care most passionately about same-sex marriage are, not surprisingly, gays and lesbians -- to many of them the fact that most jurisdictions do not permit them to marry their partner is a denial of a fundamental human and civil right. A majority of Americans are not gay, but, as we transition to a world where most homosexuals live openly, enough other folks came to see this right denied to a family member (see Portman, Rob) or a close friend, public opinion flipped quickly. Opponents -- who aren't gay or who don't think they see this situation in their everyday life -- are just not going to be as passionate.
On guns, though, progressives are losing because the people with guns in their daily lives are...gun owners. The bill of goods they've been sold by the NRA -- that big bad government wants to take away the gun or guns that they already have -- burns deeply for them. Supporters of gun-sanity measures are a mixed bag -- some do deal with gun violence on a regular basis, as residents of crime-bitten inner city neighborhoods -- but many are suburbanites who don't own guns, who live in relatively safe areas and who only "confront" gun violence as breaking news on their TV. As much as they swear otherwise after every Newtown or Virginia Tech, they will never match the staying power of gun owners (and the financial support that comes from gun manufacturers.) Gun-sanity supporters will have to "own" the mental concept of a safer society as passionately as gun advocates own their Bushmaster or Smith and Wesson.
In other words, they will have to defeat basic human nature.


text: UPDATE: The contest has closed and we have a winner! Steve Groves has been randomly selected - and he scores the 1:1 with yours truly, $500 from Adorama and the entire PhotoWeek 2014 from CreativeLive. Stevo: send an email to email@example.com to claim your prize and get that consult scheduled. Everyone else: thank you so much for entering! __ I can point to a handful of in-person meetings that changed the trajectory of my career... read more ›


text: Ugly game, ugly game. I just feel bad for Tony G he deserves better than this. I want to know what Carl and Clark have to say about how terrible this team really is and how long do they think it's going to take to rebuild, and what are they going to do fix the problem. Anybody have a clue what management thinks...aside from the fact that Herm sees the wheels turning and we are going in the right direction. If he was a man he would resign on his own.


text:
The Wolters home in Birmingham. Beautiful new construction by architect Dean Robinson.
My friend, and a sponsor on Cote de Texas – Jackie Sharbrough of The Urban Market – sent an email introducing me to a friend of hers who is an interior designer. I love learning about other decorators, especially when their portfolio is so beautiful! The designer is Dana Wolter and she is certainly garnering a lot of press lately. Her Alabama house was featured in the Christmas edition of Southern Living Magazine and was in the Nov/Dec issue of Birmingham Home & Garden magazine. With good reason – her house is beautiful! A quick look at her web site shows so many wonderful interiors that I thought you would enjoy seeing her house for yourself, especially since it was photographed decorated for the holidays.
Dana Wolter, Interior Designer
Dana is the mother of three young daughters who keep her very busy, yet she still manages to run a successful design business. She graduated from the University of Alabama and spent her early career in sales. As is often the case – designing for friends got her into the business and she opened the doors to Dana Wolter Interiors in 2005. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of Dana in the years to come.
The first glimpse into Dana's house shows a beautiful staircase decorated for Christmas.
Straight ahead, you can see into the family room.
The entry is roomy enough for a settee and chairs. The built in cabinets have the same iron motif found on the window transoms.
I love the hide rug Dana placed in the entry.
The living/dining room is a mix of antiques and contemporary pieces. The palette is serenely monochromatic. Dana likes to layer textures, starting on the floor with the natural rug leading up to the fabulous ceiling of pecky cypress. The sparkly crystal chandelier is a perfect juxtaposition to all the rough luxe.
An antique mirror and console mix with a contemporary lamp.
The window seats flanking the fireplace are set apart by luscious curtains and fabric walls. So cozy!
A close up of the window seat. Here you can see the stone floor found in the living/dining room.
The dining area of the living/dining room has an unusual seating arrangement – a high back, velvet covered banquette takes the place of chairs on one side of the table.
The family room is Belgian inspired with its long linen slipcovered sofa and industrial styled coffee table.
The Christmas tree blends right into the décor with its white, silver and gold colored balls.
Looking the other way, a contemporary triptych hangs behind the sofa. The lighting fixture is an Italian inspired wood chandelier.
Such a pretty room!
The breakfast room has another banquette against the bay window. The walls are paneled and the table has a zinc top.
Dana says the upholstery on the banquette is an extremely hard wearing polyester.
In the kitchen, an unusual combination of pecky cypress paired with white marble makes up the island.
More texture comes in the stainless quilted backsplash. So pretty!
The master bedroom continues the quiet monochromatic scheme. Again, a mixture of modern and antique makes an interesting interior.
But the headboard is the real focal point – it extends from wall to wall.
In a daughter's bedroom, one wall is covered in wallpaper – cute window seat too!
Notice the Christmas tree and reindeer!
A close up of Dana's holiday table set in the dining room.
And a close up of the holiday table set in the breakfast room.
More From Dana Wolter Interiors:
In another house that Dana designed, a warm family room sits next to the breakfast room.
Here, Dana used facing sofas and a large ottoman/coffee table, along with two arm chairs.
In still another house, a kitchen and breakfast room was remodeled by Dana.
She again used pecky cypress on the island. Notice the great trough sink on the island!k
And – using her trademark - a high banquette sits along a back wall. The contemporary damask is really eye catching.
These kitchens photos are by Jean Allsopp Photography
And one of my favorites on Dana's web site: her daughter's bedroom.
So cute with the contemporary fabrics and hide rug mixed in with vintage furniture.
To see Dana Wolter Interiors web site, go HERE.
And finally, a huge thank you to Dana for sharing her beautiful photographs with us! Thank you!


text: We previously reported that some Samsung Galaxy Note II's didn't have the advertised multi-window support, but an update that is rolling out today will fix that. This will allow Galaxy Note II owners to split the 5.5″ screen in half and run two android apps at the same time. The original Galaxy Note had a similar feature, but it was limited to only Samsung apps. This time around there is support for not only Samsung apps but some Google apps as well as select third party apps such as Twitter. This update is version XXALIJ1 and it also includes a new baseband version of Chrome. The Galaxy Note II will be available in the states later this month.


text:
At Megavolt, we offer a mega range of hardware and tools at mega bargains! You will find everything you need for Home Security, Storage & Cleaning, Auto & 4X4, Water Pump, Power & Lighting, Renovation, Gardening and Boating.
So why are we different? We specialise in hardware and tools only, nothing else! We source our products direct from manufacturers. What you get is genuine quality and warranty without having to bear the costs of advertising!
Don't miss out! Start browsing our store today!


text:
Cider Cheese Fondue
|Bread, Dairy, Beverage Alcohol
|Day Part
|Menu Part
|Side Dish
|Cuisine Type
A delightfully gooey cheese fondue well flavored with cider and just a hint of nutmeg. Bread cubes and apple slices make great dippers for this classic fondue.
3 scallions
1 tbsp. butter
11⁄2 cups hard cider or dry white wine
14 oz. grated Gruyère cheese (about 31⁄2 cups)
2 tbsp. flour
Generous pinch ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 baguette, cut into cubes
2 apples, cut into wedges
1. Finely chop white parts of scallions; reserve green tops. Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add chopped scallions; sauté 5 min. until soft.
2. Pour cider or wine into saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and keep cider at a simmer.
3. Toss cheese with flour until well coated. Add cheese mixture by handfuls, stirring until cheese is melted and smooth before adding more. (Thin with cider if mixture is too thick.) Stir in nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer mixture to fondue pot. Set pot over canned heat burner to keep warm.
5. Snip reserved green onion tops into small pieces and sprinkle on top, along with a little additional ground nutmeg. Serve with bread and apples for dipping.