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The LG Optimus GT540 may be aimed at users on a budget, but its build quality and design haven't suffered because of this. It has sleek curved edges at the top and bottom, and the silver version we reviewed has an attractive metallic-looking finish. The Optimus is constructed using good quality plastics, and there are no loose or moving parts; it's a solid feeling handset. The physical camera button is a nice touch and there is also a quick search button and external volume controls.
Manufacturers generally make some compromises with budget mobile phones, and in the case of the LG Optimus GT540 it is the display that suffers most. The 3in screen uses resistive rather than capacitive technology, so its far less responsive as screens seen on higher end Android phones like the HTC Desire. The display will suit those who like to tap screens with their fingernails but it possesses poor viewing angles and is difficult to see in direct sunlight.
Although it is reasonably responsive for a resistive touchscreen, we quickly became frustrated when trying to press or slide towards the edges of the screen. For example, we had to use a fingernail, rather than a fingertip to drag down the notifications bar; a basic action that most Google Android users will undertake frequently. The display also affects text input — keys are tiny in the standard portrait QWERTY orientation, though an on-screen keypad with predictive text input can be selected instead.
The LG Optimus runs the older 1.6 version of Google's Android operating system with a slightly tweaked interface. The most notable change is the SNS or Social Networking Services application, allowing you to add Facebook, Twitter and Bebo updates to the home screen as live widgets. Updates, status and messaging widgets are included and allow you to send a single update to all three social networking services, read messages and direct mentions and view user profiles, photos and a range of other content.
Though the application does offer access to more features than the Facebook and Twitter clients for Android (available for download in the Android Market) we prefer the interface and the speed of the standard apps. The app is particularly slow at loading photos and messages, even over a Wi-Fi connection. On the plus side, it does offer the option to import contacts from Facebook, Twitter and Bebo one-by-one or en masse. (However it will simply create new entries rather than update any current ones.)
We really like LG's customised 'LG Home' interface. It offers customisable quick access icons at the bottom of each home screen (by default set to the dialler and messaging), a main menu than cleanly separates Android default, carrier default and downloaded applications, and five themes that match the available colours of the Optimus. The aforementioned notifications bar also gets handy custom toggles for sound, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS.
The LG Optimus otherwise offers the regular features and functions of Android, including the Android Market for third party apps, the excellent notifications taskbar and automatic and seamless synchronisation with Google services. Like all Android smartphones, the LG Optimus automatically synchronises your Google calendar, mail and contacts over the air. Despite running an older version of Android, the LG Optimus GT540 felt relatively snappy during testing and we experienced little to no lag or slowdown during most tasks.
Surprisingly, the LG Optimus GT540 is a reasonable multimedia smartphone. It boasts a standard 3.5mm headphone hack, has DivX and Xvid file support and a 3D image and video viewer makes it cool — and quite practical — for browsing through your media collection, especially if you have a large library. We were pleasantly surprised at how smooth the scrolling was. The LG Optimus uses the standard Android music player but there is a wealth of customisable music player applications downloadable from the Android Market.
Web browsing on the LG Optimus is hindered by the resistive display. There is no multitouch support, so you can't pinch the screen to zoom in and out, and it also lacks Flash support. Thankfully text is automatically reformatted when zooming, though we found the browser was generally slower to load pages than many Android phones we've reviewed. Other features of the LG Optimus include a 3-megapixel camera, a built-in accelerometer, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, a digital compass and a microSD card slot for extra storage.
The LG Optimus GT540 is a fully featured Google Android smartphone hindered by a resistive touchscreen. It represents decent value at this price, provided you can live with its flaws.


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Padraig Harrington upstaged Rory McIlroy in Texas a week ahead of the Masters – but the Ulsterman is still dreaming of that green jacket.
Harrington finished the opening round of the Valero Texas Open tied for second place on four under par, just a shot behind leaders Matt Bettencourt and Peter Tomasulo.
McIlroy's erratic form of late continued with a level par 72 in a tournament he only entered at the last minute to fine tune his preparations for the Masters which begins at Augusta next Thursday.
And Georgia was clearly on McIlroy's mind when he spoke to the Press Association after that opening round as he continues to adapt to his new Nike clubs.
World number two McIlroy said: "The green jacket would mean everything. I'm halfway to the career Grand Slam and that's one of the pieces of the puzzle.
"The Open Championship is the other. That's a big goal for me - to try to win more major championships. I feel like I'm at a stage now where, sure I want to win other tournaments, but the majors are the focus."
McIlroy insists his focus is on the four majors this year despite changing his schedule to include Texas in a bid to find consistency.
He added: "I don't care if I miss 10 cuts in a row if I win a major a year. That's what it's all about - winning the big tournaments.
"Of course, it's not going to be great for your confidence going into those majors if you're missing 10 cuts in a row, but when people look back on a person's career, you don't say 'Jack Nicklaus was so consistent'.
"You could say he finished 19 times second in a major. But what you think about is the 18 majors he won. That's what people remember. People remember the wins.
"They don't remember that I shot 65 at Doral to finish eighth. They remember the wins and they remember the high points. It's only a minority that will remember the low points and will get on you for that.
"I remember last year, my five wins, my second major championship, the Ryder Cup, winning player of the year. I don't remember missing four or five cuts or whatever it was in the middle of the season. I mean, I remember, but that's not what I think about. I think about the high points."
The level par 72 was a reasonable start to his Texas bid according to McIlroy.
He added: "I'm relatively pleased with the way I played. It could have been a little better, but it could have been a little worse too."
Dubliner Harrington, a three time major winner, bogeyed the 18th as he set the early clubhouse lead on four under.
Harrington said: "I'm not walking away from this round thinking 'Wow, I hit a number of pure golf shots', or anything like that. It was more mental fortitude than ball striking."

subset: commoncrawl


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Style # 214397
Rated 5 out of 5�by 1 reviewer.
Rated 5 out of 5�by Bebebliss Perfect fit and comfortable These pants are so comfortable and easy to move in. They're great for running, walking or the gym and they look terrific and keep their shape, simply the best. April 24, 2013
1-1 of 1


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Taking Flight With the Jupiter Hotel
August 06, 2008
Jenna Bush stayed there. Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, the Ranconteurs' Jack White, and Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro partied there.
These are just a few of the famous guests who have frequented Kelsey Bunker's hip Jupiter Hotel in Portland's lower Burnside district–the stretch between Grand and Sandy avenues, dubbed LoBu. Transformed from a seedy Travel Inn, this 80-room boutique hotel with its attached Doug Fir Lounge combines cutting-edge design with an indie ambience that offers "a new experience in urban hospitality." In 2005, the hotel landed on Condé Nast Traveller's coveted hot list.
Bunker, however, leaves the celebrity tracking to her business partner, Ted Breslau, while she concentrates on the more organic, relational elements of the space and its visitors.
"We don't really offer a tranquil spa-like hotel experience," she says. "We think of it as a high-energy, fun environment where you never know what's going to happen next."
When she travels, Bunker finds that it's the people she meets along the way telling stories and offering a different outlook on life who leave her with meaningful memories. Her goal at the Jupiter is to create an environment that gives people from diverse backgrounds an opportunity to meet and mingle.
"On one hand, we cater to rockers and a highly tattooed clientele. On the other, we attract politicos, architects, and designers," she says. "We want people to feel comfortable, whether they arrive in a limo or by skateboard or bicycle."
And when an event takes place on the property, Bunker encourages the host to invite hotel guests to join in.
Before partnering with Breslau, Bunker envisioned opening a comprehensive yoga center combined with a boutique and macrobiotic cafe. When the "doors didn't open" for that project, her broker introduced her to Breslau, and their plans for the hotel fell into place. To handle the day-to-day details, they hired talented, experienced hotel managers.
"I had the good sense to ask a lot of questions–continually," she says.
Strengthened by her legal background, Bunker's business acumen is also guided by her spirituality. After briefly practicing law, she gave it up and become a "hyper soccer mom." When her 19-year marriage crumbled, she looked for inspiration at a workshop based on the 1997 book The Four Agreements (be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions, and always do your best).
After nine years of study with author Don Miguel Ruiz, a descendent of a long line of shamanic teachers and healers, she's achieved a sense of freedom and joy, a strong faith and trust in herself, and a willingness to take chances and learn from her mistakes without being attached to the outcomes of success or failure.
Bunker sees herself "playing in the business world" for another 10 years, then honoring her artistic side and opening her own studio.
"Then again, you never know," she says. "I could be in business 20 years from now if I'm still having fun."
–by Pattie Pace


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"New Orleans has not been able to function as a modern airport," was the blunt assessment of a 1986 study conducted for the State Department of Transportation and Development. "(It) has not performed well in the deregulated environment."
On the plus side, passenger boardings in New Orleans increased 4.7 percent last year to 3.2 million. That was only about half the national average, but after years of lagging behind the rest of the nation, officials hope it's a sign of a general upward trend.
"I really believe New Orleans and the airport are about to burst forward," says Norman Francis, president of Xavier University and chairman of the New Orleans Aviation Board since last summer.
Francis points out that at least two airlines - TranStar and Continental - appear committed to building up their flight schedules in New Orleans.
And, he says, the increase in convention business last year, the record-setting Mardi Gras crowds in 1987 and the continued ability to attract major sports events like the Super Bowl and college basketball's Final Four bode well for the airport's and the city's future.
The airport itself is in th early stages of a long-overdue $81.1 million rebuilding program. A crucial runway extension is in the works, and the miniscule baggage claim area - possibly the airport's most maddening feature - will finally be 3expanded and modernized over the next two years.
In addition, experts say New Orleans current level of air service isn't particularly bad in comparison with what's available in cities of similar size.
A recent study by Northwestern University in Evanston, Il, measuring nonstop air service in the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas, ranks New Orleans 28th - one place better than its population ranking. According to the study, nonstop service is available to 65 percent of the destinations in the New Orleans market.
Still, most observers concede that New Orleans probably won't shake its status as an aviation backwater overnight.
The poor local economy, which cuts down travel by local vacationers and businessmen, continues to worsen. And New Orleans still suffers in comparison to smaller cities that have hub airlines and even some that don't
Memphis, for example, has about 400,000 fewer residents in its metro area but nonstop flights to twice as many destinations as New Orleans.
That's mainly because Republic Airlines picked Memphis in 1981 as the site for its southeastern hub. Passenger boardings at Memphis International have been increasing by leaps and bounds ever since. Memphis in fact, has won more flights since Republic was merged into Northwest Airlines last Oct. 1.
Airlines began concentrating their flights at hub airports after the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 gave them the freedom to enter and leave markets without having to ask for government approval. The hubsystems gave airlines the ability to control their traffic from origin to destination rather than lose it to competing carriers.
Besides providing cities with better air service, hub airlines also create jobs.
Hartsfield Atlanta International, a major hub for Delta and Eastern and the nation's second busiest airport after Chicago's O'Hare, generates between 30,000 and 35,000 jobs. Hartsfield officials say that makes it the largest non-federal employer in the Southeast.
Except for Pride Air, which lasted for less than four months in 1985, New Orleans has never had a hub airline. Geography, economics and a lack of salesmanship all seem to have worked against the airport.
With the Gulf of Mexico at its back, New Orleans is virtually useless as a hub for domestic north-south air traffic, industry observers say.
"Geography is the key," said American Airlines spokesman Al Becker. "If New Orleans were in Missouri, Kansas or Oklahoma, it would be a major hub today."
And with no major airline headquartered here, New Orleans didn't have the head start enjoyed by cities such as Houston, Dallas and Atlanta, where Continental, American and Delta respectively are headquartered.
Las Vegas, on the other hand, has show that an airport in a tourism-minded city can prosper even without a hub airline. Between 1982 and 1987, tourism in creased 30 percent in Las Vegas. During that time, boarding at McCarran International Airport increase by the same amount - more than triple the rate in new Orleans.
The airport has also suffered from having no full-time marketing experts on its staff to lobby the airlines for more flights.
"If you want better service you've got to go out and get it," says John Nammack, an Arlington, Va. based airline consultant. "You're in competition with every other airport int eh nation."
Mayor Sidney Barthelemy has launched his own campaign of airline diplomacy since he took office last year. The mayor has visited high-ranking executives with Delta and Continental, and saw some of their effort pay off earlier this year when Continental nearly doubled its level of service in New Orleans.
"I think it matters tremendously to them," Bartholemy says of his visits with airline officials. "for the most part, I don't think they're aware of all the things New Orleans has to offer."
Francis and Aviation Director James Chubbuck have also been waging a steady battle to convince the airlines to spend more money to upgrade New Orleans Interational.
Under their existing master lease with the airport, the airlines pay for all construction projects at the airport, except for runways an the air traffic control system, which are paid for by the federal government.
In return, for shouldering the financial burden, the airlines have veto power over what gets built. It's a power they've used often in the past, especially on such big ticket items as the $10 million baggage claim area expansion.
By not investing money in New Orleans, the airlines kept their landing fees low here. As recently as 1984 , landing fees charged at New Orleans International were only 21 cents per 1,0-00 pounds of takeoff weight, one-fourth the average amount being charged at 30 other U.S. Airports at the time.
But negotiations in 1985 finally produced a $48.3 million bond issue that will finance a variety of projects, including the baggage claim area, a new parking garage and several cosmetic improvements to the 27-year-old terminal building.
"The airlines got ayay with murder here for years," Francis says. "They didn't have the foresight to spend the money needed here, and now it's crying time and paying time."
But as Barthelemy points out, the city itself wasn't exactly farsighted in the past. The mayor notes that New Orleans International is wedged onto 1,500 acres in the middle of Kenner, with no room for expansion except into the environmentally and politically sensitive wetlands of St. Charles Parish.
"It would be almost impossible to expand out there, but we're going to have to expand if we're going to be competitive," Bartholemy said.
When New Orleans began developing what was the Moisant International in the 1940s and '50s, there was a large amount of open land around the airfield. But, rather than buying up vacant land, the airport allowed itself to be hemmed in by residential developments.
A movement began in the late 1960s to build a new airport for the region and a 1920 study recommended building it in the eastern end of Lake Pontchartrain at a estimated cost of $250 million.
But in 1974, the state concluded a year-long study of its own. Gov. Edwin W. Edwards with support of New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and Kenner officials, announced that the existing facility would be the airport of New Orleans future.
Rumors have circulated recently that group of private businessmen are attempting to revive the idea of a new airport -- this time on semi-dry land in eastern New Orleans rather than in the lake.
But city officials consistently have denied the reports and even if the move gathers team, the costs are likely to be prohibitive. The airport the city of Denver is building to replace Stapleton International will cost $1.7 billion.
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Mon, 16 June 2008 at 12:11 am
Daniel Radcliffe is Tony Awards Surprised
Daniel Radcliffe, star of the Harry Potter films, is in pure shock as he walks the red carpet at the 2008 Tony Awards held at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday in New York City.
Radcliffe, 18, is planning his Broadway debut later this year in Equus. He will be reprising the role he first performed in London's West End. He appears naked on stage!
DO YOU THINK you'll buy tickets to see Daniel Radcliffe perform on Broadway?
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Photos: Bryan Bedder/Getty Posted to: Daniel Radcliffe
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The following items were taken from the Sept. 28 through Oct. 4, 1913, Examiner.
• Missouri illiteracy is rapidly decreasing. Ten years ago the percentage of the population made up of persons who could not read nor write was 6.4. Now it is 4.3 percent, according to a bulletin issued from the state office at Jefferson City. The negroes are rapidly being educated, as well as the white persons. Ten years ago 28.1 percent of negroes were illiterates, now only 17.4 percent of the negroes belong in that class.
• C.L. Flaugh, representing a number of property owners in Mount Washington, asked the county court to take up with the Missouri Pacific and the Kansas City Southern Railway Companies the matter of building a subway under their tracks at the place where they are crossed by Arlington Avenue. The two railways run parallel and only a few feet apart.
• Teaching a hundred foreign children how to read and write in the American language would seem a hard job for the most of us. But it is easy according to Prof. H.J. Liggett, principal of the Riverview School at Sugar Creek. Of the 171 pupils enrolled at Sugar Creek this year, at least 100 are of foreign parentage and many of them knew not a word of the English language. Italians, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Swedes, Australians, Bohemians and other nationalities are represented. Their fathers are employed at the Standard Oil Refinery.
• The Mary Paxton Study Class, which has been in continuous existence for about 20 years, met at the home of Mrs. W.V. Clark on North Delaware to organize for the work of the ensuing year. Miss Azubah Chiles was elected president; Mrs. Calvin Atkins, vice president; Mrs. Llewellyn Jones secretary and treasurer; and Mrs. W. L. C. Palmer critic. They will spend the year studying the poems of Robert Browning.
– Jillayne Ritchie


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Number: 111- 32
Date: February 4, 2010
The House Passes H.R. 4532,
Social Security Disability Applicants' Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010
On February 4, 2010, the House passed H.R. 4532, the " Social Security Disability Applicants' Access to Professional Representation Act of 2010, "by a vote of 412 - 6. (Identical provisions were passed by the House on December 17, 2009, in H.R. 2847, the "Jobs for Main Street Act, 2010" (Legislative Bulletin 111-28).) H.R. 4532 now goes to the Senate and we expect that it will be voted on before the March 1 st expiration of the current-law provisions.
Permanent Extension of Attorney Fee Withholding Procedures to Title XVI
• Would permanently extend the Title II attorney fee withholding process to Title XVI. The current authority expires March 1, 2010.
• Would be effective upon enactment.
Permanent Extension of Fee Withholding Procedures to Qualified Non-Attorney Representatives
• Would permanently extend the fee withholding process to all non-attorney representatives who meet the following prerequisites: hold a bachelor's degree or have equivalent qualifications, pass an examination written and administered by the Commissioner, secure professional liability insurance or the equivalent, undergo a criminal background check, and complete continuing education courses. The current fee withholding demonstration project would expire March 1, 2010. (In effect, the current demonstration project would be made permanent without any changes in the current provisions.)


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The Canon imageCLASS D660 digital copier/printer is intended for businesses that need a robust copier with maintenance-free performance. The copier features Canon's exclusive Single Cartridge System, which contains the drum, development unit and toner in one easily replaceable cartridge. The imageCLASS D660's L50 cartridge, which ships with the product, yields approximately 5,000 black-and-white copies at 5% density, for an economical $0.3 per copy. A 30-sheet automatic document feeder can accept originals up to legal size and reproduce letter-size documents at 13 copies-per-minute (cpm) and legal-size documents at 10 cpm. Digital technology, through the touch of a single button, facilitates collating of multi-page documents.
The imageCLASS D660 features Canon's Advanced Printing Technology for high-quality laser prints with a resolution of 600 x 600 dpi. For added flexibility and user convenience, the imageCLASS D660 supports both parallel and USB interfaces. The imageCLASS D660 offers fast, efficient paper handling through a 500-sheet front-loading paper cassette and a 100-sheet multi-purpose tray, which accepts a variety of media, including bond, plain and colored paper, transparencies, labels and envelopes, for fast, no-worry operation.


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Talk:Midnight Office
I personally think this article should be re-titled "The Midnight Office", because this is the most common term used in English, at least in my experience -- see the Lenten Triodion, for example.
-Fr. John Whiteford 3/20/2007
- I think it would nice if someone could create a cross-reference of same names for different services. Such as the common name, the Greek name, the Slavonic name, and other names. This would be helpful especially for: Memorial service, Parastas, Panikhida, Pomen, Molebin, Vigil, Vespers, Matins, Orthros, Compline, Nocturne, and Hours. Andrew 05:40, March 20, 2007 (PDT)


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Bills' Wood moves to front of the line
Virtually the entire roster was on hand last Thursday for the Bills' final "voluntary" spring workout. Still, it was hard to find a fond, familiar face, one of the guys I'd customarily seek out for a useful comment.
George Wilson, the "Senator," was no longer around to provide wisdom in measured, stentorian tones. Chris Kelsay was gone after 10 seasons. No more Ryan Fitzpatrick and his beard. Andy Levitre, gone. No Nick Barnett to urge dubious fans to jump aboard the bandwagon.
All NFL teams change from year to year. But it's even more so when you go through a regime change. Management tends to sweep out the old failures and replace them with fresh faces who at least haven't let you down yet.
Things change fast these days. Evidently, they're moving pretty fast on the field, too. The prevailing theme last week was the fast tempo of workouts. Doug Marrone, the new coach, was urging his players to do everything faster, as if the Bills are in a hurry to get somewhere.
Marrone has a reputation for playing fast on offense. He established a quick tempo last year at Syracuse, using a lot of no-huddle, and the Orange became a fast-striking offensive force. That's the way of the NFL nowadays, and you can be sure Marrone will want to be on the cutting edge.
Buffalo fans relish the no-huddle, of course. It was the scourge of the league in the Super Bowl days, when Jim Kelly and Thurman Thomas ran up and down the field. I'm not sure they have the personnel for it now. But they do have one player who seems ideal for it: Eric Wood.
Players and coaches from the glory days will tell you the late Kent Hull might have been the key to the no-huddle back them. Hull made the line calls. He was the physical and intellectual pivot of the attack, a tough, agile center who had the footwork necessary to get out and lead plays on the run.
Wood said he welcomes the move to a faster offensive approach.
"Oh, yeah," said Wood, who is going into his fifth NFL season. "Bring it on. We're excited about the tempo. Hopefully, we can make defenses compromise. That's kind of the way the league is gearing, switching up the tempo.
"You're not always going to be snapping it with 30 seconds on the clock, but it's good to mix it up and keep them on their heels a little bit," he added.
Playing fast appeals to Wood from both a mental and physical perspective. He believes he will thrive in Marrone's offense.
"I've always prided myself on staying in good shape," Wood said. "So from a conditioning standpoint, I definitely welcome it. And from a leadership standpoint, I think I can get us in the right spots. I'll have a little more pressure on me this year to make some calls and do whatever. But it's a role I'm comfortable with."
He has to stay on the field to anchor the offensive line. Wood has missed 17 games with three separate injuries during his four NFL seasons. That's more than one-quarter of his games. Marrone was quick to mention Wood's injury history. Wood knows he must prove he can stay healthy.
"Yeah, that's an issue," he said. "I've come in each year in the best shape of my life. It's been unfortunate. Last year I said, 'I'm not going to stop moving my feet all year. So if I do get hit, my feet are moving.' Then the defensive end from Jacksonville wipes me out completely and I miss two games with an MCL."
Wood came back quickly from the knee sprain to show the Bills he wasn't giving up on a bad season. He felt it was important to be a leader. Wood is a natural leader, a guy who has been a locker room spokesman at every level of his career.
Three years ago, he talked about wanting to be vocal in the locker room. Last year, he ripped the Toronto series as a competitive disadvantage for the Bills, attacking a venture the organization considers vital for business.
"I've always kind of been like that," he said. "But I guess someone's got to do it. I've always felt comfortable being the one to say something. That's led to some confrontations in life."
Much of the old leadership core is gone. Wood has taken on another of Kent Hull's roles, as a vocal leader, as a "go-to" guy for the local media. At 27, he is like an old man on a rapidly changing team. There are just six players left who were on the roster when he came in '09.
"I definitely feel like I'm hopping into more of a veteran role," Wood said. "I'm not old by any means. But in this league, going into my fifth year, you're expected to be a leader. Especially if you've been in one spot for five years."
For four years, Wood had the locker next to former guard Andy Levitre, who also came in that '09 draft. Wood often spoke about the importance of continuity in an offensive line. But Levitre hit free agency a year sooner and signed with the Titans last month for six years, $46.8 million.
When the Bills let Levitre walk, the assumption was they were saving the money for Wood, who will be a free agent after the 2013 season. Wood is a potential Pro Bowler, but centers aren't as valued on the market. His injury issues could suppress his value. The Bills might be wise to re-sign him early, rather than let him test the market.
"I'm not sitting here wondering if it's going to happen, when it's going to happen, or how much it's going to be," Wood said. "That's why you pay an agent. At this point, I'm not too concerned about it. If it happens, it happens. If not, I'll keep doing my job and keep a good attitude about everything."
He says his knee feels great. Wood says he's excited about the new regime and can't wait for the new season to start. The new season will be here before you know. Come the fall, things figure to be moving even faster.
email: email@example.com


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The 'Future Is Bright' for Residential Solar
Valley News
April 7, 2013
Improved technology, expanded manufacturing and skilled installation are making solar power more affordable for home use, and government incentives are bringing the amortized monthly payments of units to about the same as electric bills...
..."One of the most dramatic things that has happened is the drop in the price of silicon, which is used in solar panels," said Charles R. Sullivan, an associate professor of engineering at Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, who specializes renewable energy.
"And the industry has gotten more mature. There have been vast improvements in the production process, and the technology is helping maximize the efficiency," Sullivan said.
Improved technology is helping systems be more efficient in the Northeast and elsewhere, but even the older solar panels work pretty well here, Sullivan said, noting that Thayer researchers were surprised by the results of a study tracking the performance of a system that was installed at the school in 1996.
"It put out more than the predictions," about two-thirds of what a similar system would have done in sunnier parts of the country.


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Djokovic, Sharapova sparkle after others toil
Djokovic, who had won only two matches in the hard court run-up to the season's final grand slam after getting married just days after his Wimbledon triumph, was back to his best once the center court spotlight shone on him at Flushing Meadows.
The 2011 champion treated his first-round match against unseeded 22-year-old Argentine Diego Schwartzman like a breezy workout, dominating in all phases with 24 winners including seven aces in a 6-1 6-2 6-4 rout.
His fast work followed a scintillating finish by French Open champion and 2006 winner Sharapova, as the fifth seed won 10 straight games to prevail 6-4 6-0 after falling 2-4 behind against her Russian compatriot and old friend Maria Kirilenko.
Despite the night program starting one hour later than scheduled due to ceremonies featuring bands, speeches and fireworks, Djokovic enabled the New York night crowd to head to the exits shortly before the stroke of midnight.
"I'm very pleased," the Serbian world number one said in a courtside interview after his 97-minute win. "It's never easy to start a U.S. Open smoothly."
Several of the favorites at Flushing Meadows could attest to his opinion.
Busy bees made life difficult for two grizzled veterans and a pair of favorites were forced to work overtime on a hot, steamy day at the U.S. National Tennis Center that drew a combined 57,000 fans to the day and night sessions.
Eighth-seeded 2012 champion Andy Murray fought off cramps to beat Dutchman Robin Haase in four painful sets, while women's second seed Simona Halep lost an early tiebreak to U.S. debutant Danielle Collins before claiming victory.
And in an intriguing match-up of 19th seed Venus Williams and Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan, the oldest players in the women's draw, some pesky bees joined in and refused to leave them alone.
Murray appeared on course for an easy victory before he fell victim to cramps that left him stretching and straining to get comfortable before clinching a 6-3 7-6 (6) 1-6 7-5 victory over Haase.
"I felt extremely good before the match, and I did train very, very hard to get ready for the tournament," said Murray, one of the fittest players on the ATP Tour.
"My quads were cramping, then it started to get to my lats, then my forearms," he added. "I just tried to hang around and at the end I was trying to play without moving my legs much and managed to get through."
Murray said he might consult with a nutritionist before meeting his second-round opponent, Germany's Matthias Bachinger.
A less serious intrusion hit the irresistible women's clash between seven-times grand slam singles winner Williams and Japan's remarkable Date-Krumm, who were beset by bees.
First the 43-year-old Japanese player and later 34-year-old Williams dipped, ducked and danced away before ballgirls helped usher the stubborn swarm away from the baseline.
When finally left to play tennis on a sun-bathed Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Williams stung her opponent 2-6 6-3 6-3 to advance.
Asked about who presented the peskier test in the two-hour match, two-time U.S. Open winner Williams said: "The bee was a challenge but easily the answer is Kimiko."
In an upset on the men's side, twice U.S. Open semi-finalist Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, the 21st seed, fell to big-serving Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios 7-5 7-6 (4) 2-6 7-6 (1).
The 19-year-old Kyrgios, who made a Wimbledon splash by ousting Rafa Nadal in the fourth round to reach the quarter-finals, blasted 26 aces.
The 60th-ranked Kyrgios moved on to a second-round match against Italy's Andreas Seppi.
Advancing with relative ease in straight sets were Australian Open champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland and fifth-seeded Canadian Milos Raonic, a Wimbledon semi-finalist.
The Swiss third seed beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic to set up a second-round test against Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci, while big-serving Raonic defeated Japan's Taro Daniel to get to the next round against Peter Gojowczyk of Germany.
Halep survived a scare in the tournament's first match on stadium court before overtaking Collins 6-7 (2) 6-1 6-2.
The 22-year-old Romanian, a French Open finalist, admitted to a bout of nerves in being thrust onto the big stage as the opening act of the season's last grand slam.
"She played a tough match, I want to congratulate her," Halep said of her 20-year-old opponent, who was given a wild card into her first tour-level event for winning the U.S. collegiate championship.
"The first set I was a little bit nervous. This court is huge.
"I have to enjoy it, but it's not easy. Everybody is telling me I have chances to win this title."
She moves on to face Slovakian Jana Cepelova, a 2-6 7-5 6-1 winner over Spain's Maria-Teresa Torro-Flor, in the second round of the season's last grand slam.
Also advancing on the women's side were fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, sixth seed Angelique Kerber of Germany, and former world number one Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, the ninth seed.-Reuters


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My Favorite Flirts is a feature that lets you reach your favorite Flirts easily from My Account or on 1-800-TO-FLIRT.Manage My Favorites
(3 Reviews)
I am a Materialistic bitch. It's not about you doing little tasks to make Me happy, but it is all about you filling My pockets full of cash and overflowing My bank account with Love and Devotion!
I am the twisted little playmate you have been craving to crawl into bed with, I do those really naughty things that makes all the other girls call me a slut.
I love all kinds of roleplays, but the ones that really get me off are the ones that prove that the mind fuck is the best orgasm.


text:
This is a progressive electro house track with big synths and a sound that's perfect as background music for corporate, fashion, youth, party or action videos. Many contemporary ads also use this kind of music. Of course, it also works in the club!
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Just replace GroovingGecko (but keep the ?ref=) with your own Envato/AudioJungle username and post the link to your blog, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook or anywhere else. You can even post the preview (WITH the watermark) on YouTube directing viewers here with your referral link.
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Or you can contact me directly and I will clear your video for you right away. I can also whitelist your entire YouTube channel before you upload your video.


text:
Percutaneous Aortic Valve 18F System for the Treatment of Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01475799
Recruitment Status : Active, not recruiting
First Posted : November 21, 2011
Last Update Posted : November 1, 2016
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Aortic Valve Stenosis
|Device: Replacement of the Aortic Stenotic Valve
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|112 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Evaluation of the Direct Flow Medical Percutaneous Aortic Valve 18F System for the Treatment of Patients With Severe Aortic Stenosis
|Study Start Date :
|November 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|July 2014
|Estimated Study Completion Date :
|July 2019
Experimental: Percutaneous Aortic Valve 18F System
Evaluation of the Direct Flow Medical Percutaneous Aortic Valve 18F System for the Treatment of Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis.
Device: Replacement of the Aortic Stenotic Valve
Treatment for patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis.
Other Name: TAVR
- Freedom from all-cause mortality from procedure to 30 days [ Time Frame: Procedure to 30 days ]
- Device Success at procedure completion [ Time Frame: At procedure completion ]Device success is assessed at the completion of the study procedure based on TEE
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|70 Years and older (Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria
All candidates for the study must meet the following inclusion criteria:
- Severe aortic valve stenosis determined by echocardiogram and Doppler, defined as: mean gradient >40 mmHg or peak jet velocity >4.0 m/s and an aortic valve area ≤0.8 cm2 or aortic valve area index ≤0.5 cm2/m2
- Symptomatic aortic valve stenosis demonstrated by angina, congestive heart failure, NYHA Functional Class ≥ II, or syncope
- Patient is an extreme risk candidate for open surgical aortic valve repair such that the site Investigators (interventional cardiologist and cardiothoracic surgeon) agree that medical factors preclude operation, based on the conclusion that the probability of death or serious morbidity exceeds the probability of meaningful improvement due to the patient's co-morbidities (such as, but not limited to, severe COPD, porcelain aorta, previous thorax irradiation) or logistic EuroSCORE ≥ 20
- ≥ 70 years old
- Patient has been informed of the nature of the study and has provided written informed consent
- Patient and treating physician agree that the patient will return for all required post-procedure follow-up visits
Exclusion Criteria
Candidates will be excluded from the study if any of the following criteria are present:
- Patient is a surgical candidate for aortic valve replacement
- Congenital bicuspid or unicuspid valve determined by echocardiography
- Native valve annulus diameter is <17mm or >22mm determined by the screening CT scan
- Extreme asymmetrical calcification of the native aortic valve determined by the screening CT scan
- Native valvular or peripheral vascular anatomy is not appropriate for the DFM bioprosthesis and 18F delivery system
- Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <30% determined by resting echocardiogram
- Evidence of an acute myocardial infarction (Refer to Definitions in Section 8) within 30 days prior to the study procedure
- Any percutaneous coronary or peripheral interventional procedure performed within 30 days prior to the study procedure
- Any planned surgical or percutaneous coronary or peripheral procedure to be performed during the study procedure or prior to 30 day follow-up visit
- Need for emergency surgery for any reason
- Untreated clinically significant ( > 70% obstruction) coronary artery disease requiring revascularization
- Prior aortic or mitral valve surgery
- Pre-existing prosthetic heart valve in any position
- Mitral insufficiency greater than moderate determined by resting echocardiography
- Echocardiographic evidence of intra-cardiac mass, thrombus or vegetation
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA)
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) >4.5 cm
- Presence of an endovascular stent graft for treatment of AAA or TAA
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
- Hemodynamic instability (e.g. requiring inotropic support)
- Trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) is contraindicated
- Renal insufficiency (creatinine > 3.0 mg/dL) and/or end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis at the time of screening
- Active endocarditis or sepsis within 6 months prior to the study procedure
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) within 6 months prior to the study procedure
- Cardiogenic shock within 30 days prior to the study procedure
- Active peptic ulcer or upper GI bleeding within 3 months prior to the study procedure
- Leukopenia (WBC <3000/mm³), acute anemia (Hb <9 g/dL), or thrombocytopenia (platelet count <100,000 cells/mm3)
- History of bleeding diathesis or coagulopathy or refusal of blood transfusions
- A known hypersensitivity or contraindication to aspirin, heparin, ticlopidine or clopidogrel, or sensitivity to contrast media, which cannot be adequately pre-medicated
- Currently participating in an investigational drug or another device trial
- Previously enrolled in this study
- Patient refusal of surgery
- Life expectancy thought to be <12 months
- Dementia (resulting in either inability to provide informed consent for the trial/procedure, prevents independent lifestyle outside of a chronic care facility, or will fundamentally complicate rehabilitation from the procedure or compliance with follow-up visits)
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01475799
|L'Institut Hospitalier Jacques Cartier
|Massy, France, 91300
|Clinique Pasteur
|Toulouse, France, 31300
|Vivantes Klinikum im Friedrichshain
|Berlin, DE, Germany, 10623
|University Hospital Bonn
|Bonn, Germany
|Elisabeth-Krankenhaus Essen, GmbH
|Essen, Germany, 45138
|Medical Care Center, Prof Mathey, Prof Schofer
|Hamburg, Germany, 22527
|Krankenhaus der Barmherzigen Brüder Trier
|Trier, Germany
|San Raffaele Hospital
|Milan, Italy, 20132
|Azienda Ospedaliera Niguarda Ca Granda
|Milan, Italy
|Centre hospitalier de Luxembourg
|Luxembourg, Luxembourg
|United Kingdom
|St. Bartholomew's Hospital
|London, United Kingdom, EC1A 7BE
|St. Thomas' Hospital
|London, United Kingdom, SE1 7EH
|Principal Investigator:
|Thierry LeFevre, M.D.
|Study PI
|Principal Investigator:
|Prof. Joachim Schofer
|Study PI
|Responsible Party:
|Direct Flow Medical, Inc.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01475799 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|November 21, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|November 1, 2016
|Last Verified:
|October 2016
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Constriction, Pathologic
Aortic Valve Stenosis
Pathological Conditions, Anatomical
Heart Valve Diseases
Heart Diseases
Cardiovascular Diseases
Ventricular Outflow Obstruction


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Shop 2/1 Brygon Creek Drive Upper Coomera, Gold Coast, QLD
Pizza Temptations
Well we just took a 40min round trip just to try your guys pizzas and I am happy to say after 2 slices I am in a food comma so so happy and will be highly recommend absolutely loved the customer service you guys were awesome with our 3 year old having a tanty in Ur store we will definitely be back super dooper happy 🙂 🙂
Peggy Sellin, via Facebook
Bloody hullo chopper here just had the best desert in my bloody arghhhhhhhh life chopper bloody loved it 🙂
Darrell Jones, via Facebook
Yummy food and great service. NACHO PIZZA – is the best! Ordered a satay pizza tonight which was tasty and heaps of topping but really disappointed I was charged $1.50 extra for sour cream when it was very minimal. Dont mind paying extra if u actually get a decent amount…..
Sam Bell, Facebook
Great new pizza shop !! Under the pump on a Friday night but made delicious, filling food. Really impressed with everything we tried (ribs, pasta and pizza + dessert). Highly recommended. A few extra staff wouldn't go astray but this all comes with a new business – you will be a success if you keep pumping out great tasting food!!
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Was given a free pasta dish as a giveaway! Was amazing, the service was lovely with the staff being nice. Will definitely be coming every week now! Definitely worth the drive
Amber Rose, via Facebook
1300 22 33 17
Shop 7, 2623 Gold Coast Highway,
Broadbeach, Queensland 4218
Tel: 130-022-3317
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The NEB has altered its mandate to regulate pipelines and energy development. It is failing to factor in economic and social considerations that represent the interests and concerns of all Canadians.
The board's latest decision to throw a potentially fatal roadblock in the path of TransCanada's $15.7 billion, 4,500 km Energy East pipeline is a gross over-reach of its mandate. It is ignoring the economic concerns of eastern Canada where provincial governments, businesses and residents are in favour of the pipeline.
At almost the same time that hurricane Harvey was battering Houston, shutting down refineries and sending oil prices soaring across Canada, the NEB decided to overstep its powers and cripple our country's access to its own oil. Just when it was evident that eastern Canada should not be held hostage to offshore oil issues, the NEB thumbed its nose at the region.
TransCanada plans to pump approximately one million barrels a day through the Energy East pipeline to refineries in Montreal and – of special interest to Atlantic Canada – the huge Irving Oil refinery in Saint John. Thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions in construction costs are at stake, nowhere more so than New Brunswick. The pipeline will provide a secure supply of Canadian oil, which helps Alberta and our national economy, and end the need to import hundreds of thousands of barrels of foreign oil every day. Three years after submitting its application, TransCanada is still waiting for a decision.
Environmental groups had pushed for the Energy East review to include a climate test. The recent decision to consider indirect greenhouse gas emissions in evaluating the pipeline is a capitulation to those groups and a cause of grave concern.
The board has changed the rules midway through the process and generated outrage from provincial governments in New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan. To no one's surprise, TransCanada is putting its application on hold. Many consider the project is dead. TransCanada hints the pipeline could be cancelled unless there are some immediate and major changes to the NEB.
The NEB decision on so-called upstream and downstream greenhouse gas emissions could also derail any future energy developments in Canada and opens up other sectors to the same new rules. Will utilities, auto manufacturing, rail lines or trucking companies now be subject to an emissions test?
The federal government should step in to get the review process back on track and clarify the role and mandate of the NEB. Oil is necessary to our survival and way of life – today and well into the foreseeable future - even as the world transitions to cleaner fuels.
Protecting the environment should not mean the death knell for any new pipelines. The NEB is withdrawing into a dream world of electric cars and solar and wind power.
It gets very cold in Canada during the winter. That's the reality. Deal with it.


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Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The (UK - BD RB)
Scott McKenzie takes a look at Terry Gilliam's overblown over-budget movie...
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen tells the tale of the titular adventurer, who has to try and save a besieged town from the Turkish army. With his superpower-endowed companions in tow, his travels take him for an audience with the king of the moon, a dance with Venus and into the bowels of a whale. But are his stories nothing more than tall tales and are his on screen adventures just in his mind?
Munchausen is the third movie in Terry Gilliam's loose trilogy about the dreams of man through the ages. Starting with children in Time Bandits, then middle-age in Brazil, Munchausen focuses on the dreams and fantasies of an old man. It's no surprise that Gilliam attempted to make a film based on the story on Don Quixote because the representation of the baron here and Cervantes' fictional creation are very similar. Both characters are old men possibly losing their marbles who set out on wild adventures, and Gilliam uses this to blur the lines between reality and fantasy.
I'm a big fan of Terry Gilliam and I count Brazil as one of my favourite movies, but the concepts that make his 1985 masterpiece a rewarding movie don't quite work in Munchausen. For example, the elaborate sets in Brazil served a purpose and were almost a character themselves within the movie, but here (and as he states in the extras), Gilliam didn't have the same grasp on the budget and set design this time around. This is just one example of how the increasingly expensive movie was out of control of the man who was supposed to be the creative driving force behind the project.
I don't want to give anything away with either movie, but where the ending of Brazil was so moving, the ending of Munchausen is confusing, leaving the viewer questioning whether some or all of the movie they just watched actually happened. It's interesting to discover from the extras on this disc that this was a movie Gilliam made with his daughter in mind because that might be one of the reasons why Munchausen failed to perform at the box office—the combination of child-friendly slapstick action and Gilliam's dark side worked once in Time Bandits, but he couldn't pull it off a second time.
John Neville was convinced to return to film acting by the title role and he inhabits the character well, having a convincing relationship with the young Sarah Polley, our eyes and ears in the mad world of Baron Munchausen. Eric Idle delivers exactly the kind of performance you would expect from a Python alumnus and there are interesting appearances by Oliver Reed, a young Uma Thurman and Robin Williams. It's when we meet Robin Williams as the king of the moon that the movie descends into pure silliness and I would expect this to be the point when viewers are either drawn into the movie or put off by it.
Munchausen is definitely worth watching though, especially for fans of Time Bandits and the Monty Python movies. It's also no surprise that it was nominated for four technical Oscars, showing that a large amount of the money that disappeared during the making of the movie actually ended up on the screen. Gilliam's signature themes and conventions are here and it feels like a Gilliam movie, but it doesn't quite have the emotional punch of Brazil or the polished finish of Twelve Monkeys.
Munchausen is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen (1080p) and I'm pleased to report that the picture quality isn't bad. I wasn't expecting too much from a movie that's almost twenty years old and not exactly well-loved, but it's clear that it has been remastered, with less grain than I was expecting, although the quality of the model shots is significantly worse than the rest of the movie. The detail on this high definition release is impressive, allowing the viewer to pick out every wrinkle on the baron's face. However, this also means that some of the dodgy blue-screen work is even more obvious.
While there is the welcome inclusion of a Dolby TrueHD audio track, the quality isn't really there to make this a disc to show off your surround system with. The balance between dialogue, music and effects is perfectly fine, but the audio is rather muted throughout. There are plenty of explosions and while they are nice and loud, there's not the same use of directional sound that you would expect from a movie made in 2008. On a positive note, Michael Kamen's score is very enjoyable and is probably the aspect of the soundtrack that is best represented on this release.
The movie comes with a commentary track by Terry Gilliam and the screenwriter Charles McKeown. It's clear as I went through the extras that the preparation for this release was a good excuse to get these two people in the same room together and the results are very rewarding. Even though they haven't seen each other for a long time, it's clear they enjoyed working together and they share plenty of banter. There's lots of talk about the problems they had filming on a quickly diminishing budget and the fact that after one week of filming, they were already one week behind.
'Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen' is a three-part making of documentary that clocks in at well over an hour and is an excellent retrospective look at an almost-doomed movie. The interviews with Gilliam allow him to go into more detail about the changes that were made to the movie as they scaled down the costs, including the fact that Sean Connery was signed on to play the king of the moon until the screenplay was changed.
There is also a featurette that focuses on the storyboards for un-filmed scenes. This is significantly better than the slideshow of drawings you usually expect to find as DVD filler. Instead, each scene is introduced by Gilliam and McKeown and they provide narration and sound effects for each scene. This featurette is about half an hour long and is actually a lot better as an indication of what is missing from the movie than the deleted scenes themselves, of which there are only four. The trivia track rounds out the extras very well, filling in any gaps you may have missed elsewhere, but it took far too long to load on my player and I had to wait on an interminably slow progress bar to go fill up before I exited the movie and got back to the main menu.
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen is an interesting movie and is a great example of how no matter how much is in the filmmakers' budget, it'll never be enough. The movie has been cleaned up for this release so it looks and sounds pretty good. There may not be a huge list of extras here, but there is a lot of detail and they certainly enhance the viewing experience so fans of the movie should definitely think about picking up this release.
* Note: The above images are taken from the Blu-ray release and resized for the page.
Review by Scott McKenzie
General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children
Disc Details
Release Date: 7th April 2008
Discs: 1
Disc Type: Blu-ray Disc
RCE: No
Video: 1080p
Aspect: 1.85:1
Anamorphic: No
Colour: Yes
Audio: Dolby TrueHD 5.1English, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Spanish, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 Hungarian
Subtitles: English, Spanish, Dutch, Arabic, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovene, Slovak, Swedish, Turkish
Extras: Commentary, Trivia Track, Madness and Misadventures of Munchausen, Storyboards, Deleted Scenes
Easter Egg: No
Feature Details
Director: Terry Gilliam
Cast: John Neville, Sarah Polley, Eric Idle, Oliver Reed, Uma Thurman
Genre: Action and Adventure
Length: 121 minutes
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memories of days gone by
The Judges at BetterPhoto.com 9/25/2011 9:53:34 PMNice use of writing overlay. #1410727
Tammy Hudson 9/26/2011 6:39:57 AMThank you! #9694924
ALLEN O. HOWARD 9/26/2011 3:22:20 PMVery, VERY nice! Congratulations Tammy! #9696955
Usman M. Bajwa 9/28/2011 1:43:55 AMCONGRATZ on this beautifully treated capture, Tammy!!!
Dominick M. Dimacale 9/28/2011 6:42:36 AMCongratulations Tammy on your Win!!!
Dominick #9702785
Mary Beth Aiello 9/28/2011 7:21:53 AMGorgeous work, Tammy. Huge congrats. #9702884
Tammy Hudson 9/28/2011 9:16:57 AMThank you all! I was so happy that this image turned out (I fell into the lake a few minutes after taking it with my camera in hand!) #9703125
Merna L. Nobile 10/2/2011 12:07:27 PM
Youre the kind of person who makes the world a better, brighter place You worked hard for this, you made it happen, and you have a right to be proud. So enjoy these satisfying moments; you deserve every one! Merna
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The Settlers Review
It's clear to see that the Real Time Strategy genre is heating up in a major way as of late. You've seen extensive coverage here on a variety of solid games like Uniwar, Quantum Collapse, and Command & Conquer Red Alert to name a few. Thanks to Gameloft, another RTS franchise with a rich PC lineage has come to the iPhone. While many people will be discovering The Settlers for the first time here, there's a huge fan-base that'll be interested to see how faithful this game is to the franchise.
There's a reason why The Settlers has remained exclusive to the PC for years: it's not exactly the most accessible game out there. Whereas you can get a good feel for the progression trees on both units and buildings on other entry-level RTS games, The Settlers demands your attention with its myriad of options. This iPhone edition is fundamentally developed in that spirit, but there is an extensive three-level tutorial designed to gradually build up your proficiency. It does an adequate job, but we can see folks still being overwhelmed if they don't have the right disposition going in.
Missions are sorted out across campaigns for four groups – Romans, Vikings, Mayans, Dark Tribe – and objectives are of the typical sort. Create this, explore that, vanquish foes, etc. Nothing revolutionary, but solid stuff all around. The major commonalty we found throughout the game was that resource management is much more emphasized over blitzkrieg tactics. So remember that if you're repeatedly failing missions.
The UI and controls are solid, yet extensive. Using icons in all four corners of the screen, it's easy to pop in and out of various actions. The bottom-left home icon is what your thumb will be banging on consistently. A clean view of your army's resources always lives at the top of the screen, and it's easy to reference levels of your gold, coal, and troop levels amongst several other considerations. That's the jump-off for building military structures, food depositories, and expanding your army's capabilities. When selecting the area to place structures, the ground has color-coded dots indicating the best area to build in. Any problems or confusion with the controls come from the reality that there are a lot of commands being shoehorned into a 3.5' screen. There will be some stumblin' and fumblin' with your thumbs, but Gameloft gets high marks for effort.
The Settlers biggest sin is the lack of any skirmish (no even against the CPU) or multiplayer modes. Once you've banged through all 21 levels, there's no reason to load it up again. It's a damn shame, too, because this is a game that dedicated players could dial into and have some epic, strategic battles. Even an online connected leaderboard would have been a tasty consolation prize.
Gameloft has again delivered a 'Gameloftian' style game that's refined in nearly every respect. They took a hardcore RTS game and made a faithful iPhone edition that only features a subtle nod to the casual crowd. Hopefully, The Settlers will see an update that'll make it less antisocial. Until then, it's just a good game flirting with the edge of extraordinary.


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Friday, August 13, 2010
Post-Trade Deadline attendance
My sense is that people are encouraged at what they've seen the last couple of weeks, and they're somewhat optimistic that the people in charge get it. Drayton McLane has wanted stars. He apparently figured people wouldn't come out to see young, unproven players.
I think he's wrong about that. If fans think the team has a plan, if they see a roster with young players who are excited about being there and bust their tails, they'll tolerate some growing pains.
Let's put it to the test, as it gets the County Clerk treatment!
*53 games were played at Minute Maid Park from the season opener to July 31, the date of Brett Wallace's debut.
*Average attendance for those 53 dates was 27,925.
*The season high for attendance was Opening Day against the Giants (obviously), with 43,836 in attendance. If you take that game out, the average attendance was 27,619.
*Outside of Opening Day, the home game with the highest attendance was G69 vs. Texas, with 41,060. The game with the lowest attendance was G25, a Monday game against the Diamondbacks, drawing 20,370 as the Astros lost their 8th straight game.
*The next highest home attendance (after G69)? G103 against the Brewers. What was special about that game? It was Brett Wallace's debut, and the first home game after the Astros had traded Lance and Roy.
*Though there have only been five home games since the trading deadline, average announced attendance has gone from that 27,925 to 33,395.
*This weekend will be a bellwether on the excitement Astros fans feel, with the Pirates in town, but the average Saturday home game attendance has been 34,412 - including G19, a Saturday game against Pittsburgh that drew 30,562.
3 comments:
G103 was also "Faith & Family Night," with a post-game Jars of Clay concert and what was supposed to be a testimony by Lance Berkman, which I imagine had a lot to do with boosting attendance that night. But I imagine that Wallace's debut and Lance's and Roy's departures had some impact too, and I think they've certainly had an impact since then. Very interesting.
- August 13, 2010 at 3:33 PM
- Andrew said...
I was noticing the increased attendance as well. Another test will be what happens when school is back in session. Shortly after that football will be in full force, so there are a couple of tests for the theory ahead.
- August 13, 2010 at 4:13 PM
- Eric said...
Attendance will likely be strong this weekend. They've been running all kinds of promotions to get people in the ballpark, including $9 seats in the lower level and $10 food vouchers with purchase of full price tickets.
- August 13, 2010 at 5:34 PM


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VeriFone Enables Retailers to Interact. Impact. Impress.
VeriFone Enables Retailers to Interact. Impact. Impress.
Powering the Mobile Retail and Commerce Revolution to Elevate the Consumer Experience
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- VeriFone Systems, Inc. (NYS: PAY) , today, reveals how its comprehensive suite of payments solutions is helping leading retailers interact with, impact and impress their customers.
New innovations on the show floor will include:
- A new, size-adaptable payment acceptance solution for tablets—the first to work with iPad mini.
- New versions of PAYware Mobile for iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch.
- New, cloud-based services for bridging today with tomorrow's innovations and managing ever-growing payments complexity.
"VeriFone is enabling retailers to enrich their relationship with the consumer by providing the latest in mobile technology and services needed to untether themselves from the checkout counter, deploy mobility, reduce payments and infrastructure complexity, and impress their customers with new content and new experiences," said Jennifer Miles, VeriFone executive vice president, North America.
Transforming Transactions into Meaningful Interactions
VeriFone makes it simple for retailers to interact with customers to ensure not just a sale, but an experience, utilizing tablets and smart devices that empower the salesperson and delight the consumer:
Microsoft presents at BIG Ideas session
Microsoft will demonstrate in a BIG Ideas session how it is now accepting payments with a single, mobile interface using a Windows phone to drive purchases and enhance the customer experience at its Microsoft Store retail locations. VeriFone is providing the payments acceptance for the co-branded solution, which offers end-to-end encryption of cardholder data and PCI compliance and handles all transactions through VeriFone's PAYware Connect gateway.
New version of PAYware Mobile for Tablets
VeriFone's latest version of PAYware Mobile is adaptable and provides the first complete retail payment acceptance solution for iPad mini. This new, certified, core payment solution can accommodate 7-to-10-inch tablets, such as the latest iPad with retina display for a growing number of use cases from kiosk to roaming retail applications. This new version supports mag-stripe, EMV and NFC payment acceptance, and incorporates a 2D bar code imager and PIN pad.
PAYware Mobile for iPhone 5, new iPod touch
VeriFone's latest version of PAYware Mobile for iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch is a multifunction solution incorporating mag-stripe, NFC and EMV acceptance, with an integrated PIN pad, as well as a 2D barcode imager.
Mobile wallet and alternative payment acceptance
VeriFone will provide NRF attendees with the opportunity to experience PayPal, Google Wallet and the Isis Mobile Commerce Application at its booth. The company has made paying with mobile wallets at the checkout a reality at thousands of checkout lanes for retailers including Abercrombie & Fitch, American Eagle Outfitters, Babies 'R' Us, Bloomingdales, Champs, Foot Locker, Jos. A. Bank, Macy's, Radio Shack, The Container Store and Toys 'R' Us.
Impacting Business Efficiency
VeriFone continues to build its portfolio of cloud-based services designed to ease the burden on retailers of supporting complexity such as PCI, EMV and deployment of mobile devices:
VeriFone HQ cloud-based estate management
VeriFone HQ, a next generation, cloud-based estate management solution that continues to gain momentum, and is now deployed at a number of top retailers to help manage the increasing complexity of the payment ecosystem.
Elevating the Consumer Experience
VeriFone provides the technology and services to transform cash registers into roaming mobile points of interaction, and deliver videos, promotions and other content to enhance sales at the point of purchase.
VeriFone GlobalBay Doubles Customer Base
VeriFone GlobalBay doubled its customer base in 2012. More than 60 specialty retailers are using GlobalBay software—often in tandem with PAYware Mobile—to create exciting new in-store and omni-channel experiences for their customers through mobile POS, virtual look-books, online catalogues, clienteling and on-the-spot inventory management systems.
MX 900 series becoming the de facto standard
VeriFone's customers include 80 percent of the top 200 U.S. retailers. Since it was announced at NRF last year, dozens of these customers have standardized on the MX 900 Series to provide an enhanced customer experience at the point of sale. The MX 900 Series is a comprehensive payment-enabled media solution that securely delivers powerful multimedia, content and payments. The MX 925 features a stunning 7-inch color display for targeted video and promotional presentations. The MX 915 provides full-motion video capabilities in a slim, space-saving design.
Experience Interact. Impact. Impress.
Attendees can visit VeriFone at booth 1053 to touch and feel the new, impactful retail experience and hear how retailers are transforming transactions, impacting business efficiency, and elevating the consumer experience. Or, visit VeriFone's BIG Ideas sessions at NRF:
- Monday, Jan. 14, 9:15 - 9:45 a.m. - VeriFone will discuss EMV basics and the challenges associated with the upcoming US migration. This session is ideal for retailers that would like to learn about EMV and start to create a plan towards the transition. Room 3D09, EXPO Hall.
- Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2:30 - 3:15 p.m. - Microsoft unveils how its retail environments now securely accept multiple payments with a single interface. Discussion will focus on the company's move from traditional point-of-sale to virtual shopping assistants and mobile wallets with VeriFone. Room 3D08, EXPO Hall.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for VeriFone Systems, Inc.
This press release includes certain forward-looking statements related to VeriFone Systems, Inc. within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on VeriFone management's current expectations or beliefs and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may vary materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements herein due to changes in economic, business, competitive, technological and/or regulatory factors, and other risks and uncertainties affecting the operation of the business of VeriFone Systems, Inc. These risks and uncertainties include: customer acceptance and adoption of our new solution offerings, our ability to protect against fraud, the status of our relationship with and condition of third parties upon whom we rely in the conduct of our business, our dependence on a limited number of customers, uncertainties related to the conduct of our business internationally, our dependence on a limited number of key employees, short product cycles, rapidly changing technologies and maintaining competitive leadership position with respect to our payment solution offerings. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. VeriFone is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise.
About VeriFone Systems, Inc. (www.verifone.com)
VeriFone Systems, Inc. ("VeriFone") (NYS: PAY) is the global leader in secure electronic payment solutions. VeriFone provides expertise, solutions and services that add value to the point of sale with merchant-operated, consumer-facing and self-service payment systems for the financial, retail, hospitality, petroleum, government and healthcare vertical markets. VeriFone solutions are designed to meet the needs of merchants, processors and acquirers in developed and emerging economies worldwide.
VeriFone Media Relations
Pete Bartolik, +1-508-283-4112
Zeno Group for VeriFone Systems
Dani Siemon, +1-650-801-7956
KEYWORDS: United States North America New York
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Their aim was to develop a means for astronauts to produce edible meat for use on long voyages, such as a trip to Mars. Vat-grown meat
offers a good source of protein, and would be a welcome change from the
usual freeze-dried fare. But it isn't very appetizing, particularly
considering that meat developed in this way is essentially a cultured
muscle tumor.
More recent efforts at the University of Maryland have led to some new methods which may prove useful on the road to Meatville, with the
intent to bring "in vitro" meat to the masses. And they think they may
be able to improve on nature's recipe while they're at it.
From the UniverseToday article:
"Cultured meat could also reduce the pollution that results from raising livestock, and you wouldn't need the drugs that are used on animals raised for meat."
Jason Matheny and his team suggest two viable approaches for the meat-o-matic of the future: It could be grown on thin, flat membranes
and then stacked to achieve thickness; or it could be cultured on tiny
beads, then harvested and made into processed meats like chicken nuggets
or ground beef. Either way, to get the taste and texture right, the
meat will need to be stretched and exercised as it goes, just like a
real animal muscle would be.
This technology could spell the end of moral vegetarianism, since animals would no longer be part of the meat-producing process. But it
raises some interesting questions… For instance, would it be acceptable
to use one of these machines to produce meat based on human muscle
tissue? Practically speaking, human meat is extremely nutritious to
humans, and such vat-grown man-burgers would not have originated from a
human. There would also be no risk of cannibalism-related diseases.
But on the other hand… Ew.
Because the idea of vat meat isn't particularly appetizing, one has to wonder whether these meat machines will become the source of cheap
meat for the massive underclass of the future. The rich will dine on
corn-fed Iowa beef while the poor masses slave away in the underground
factories, lunching on cultured meat tumor-chow laced with
obedience-enhancing drugs. It seems almost inevitable.
If the world embraces the technology, all of this might one day be accomplished by an appliance churning away on your kitchen counter…
producing whatever meat you desire from a small packet of "seed" cells.
Gone would be the concerns of animal welfare, slaughterhouse
cleanliness, and livestock-related environmental impact. In theory, one
cell of meat could be cultured enough to provide for the meat demands
of the entire world.
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WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Dustin Byfuglien brings a lot more than size and strength to the Winnipeg Jets. The 6-foot-5 defenseman also has eight goals this season - and his latest was a big one.
Byfuglien scored at 1:23 of overtime to help the Jets continue their hunt for a playoff berth with a season-high fifth straight victory, 4-3 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.
Byfuglien beat Justin Peters off a rebound from a shot by Andrew Ladd, who finished with three assists for the Jets.
``Ladd was by himself and I just jumped up,'' said Byfuglien, who has 25 points this season. ``I think he shot it off that pad on purpose and I got the rebound.''
Alexander Semin tied it 3-3 with 1:12 left in regulation with Peters on the bench for an extra attacker, beating Jets goalie Ondrej Pavelec on the glove side.
Blake Wheeler had a goal and two assists, and Zach Bogosian and Paul Postma also scored for the Jets, who are ninth in the Eastern Conference but moved within two points of the Southeast Division-leading Washington Capitals.
Washington, which lost 3-1 to Ottawa, has 50 points. The Jets and New York Rangers are tied with 48, but the Rangers have played one fewer game and currently own the eighth and final playoff spot. New York beat Florida 6-1 on Thursday night.
Tuomo Ruutu scored a pair of goals and Jordan Staal had two assists for Carolina.
``I thought we had a really good push at the end,'' Ruutu said. ``It's too bad that we couldn't get the win tonight.''
The Jets, whose win streak is the team's longest since they relocated to Winnipeg before last season, host the New York Islanders on Saturday in another key matchup. The Islanders are in seventh place in the East, three points ahead of the Jets.
``The next two points are huge for us and we've just got to take it a game at a time,'' said Bogosian, who has six points in his last three games, including five assists. ``We can't worry about other teams or what streaks we have going on.''
Pavelec made 24 stops, including a spectacular one in the second period that sparked a standing ovation. Carolina defenseman Justin Faulk fired a wrist shot from close in but Pavelec whipped out his stick to get a piece of the puck before smothering it.
Peters finished with 27 saves, including a breakaway stop on Byfuglien in the second when Winnipeg was ahead 1-0.
It was Postma, though, who beat Peters with a high shot over his glove with three seconds left on a power play to make it 2-0 at 8:27 of the period.
Ruutu scored with a shot that rang off the inside of the post on Pavelec's stick side and zipped across and into the netting at 10:38 to make it 2-1 heading into the third.
Hurricanes coach Kirk Muller, coaching in his 100th NHL game, wasn't surprised his team fought back from a 3-1 deficit midway through the final period.
``That's the way our guys have been playing,'' he said. ``We haven't got the breaks or the results that we, to be honest, we really deserve in our performance in the last three, four weeks. So it's unfortunate because I'm really proud of the guys the way they've been battling, playing hard and playing well.
``When it does change, they're going to get rewarded and it will pay off somewhere along the line.''
Notes: Ladd extended his points streak to six games, tying a career high. He has four goals and eight assists in the streak. ... Jets C Bryan Little played his 400th NHL game and had one assist to stretch his points streak to five games (one goal, eight assists). ... Wheeler is also on a five-game points run with three goals and seven assists. ... Staal has six assists in his last six games.


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WolfKing Timberwolf FPS Gaming Keyboard
When you hear about someone that put together a killer gaming computer to play all the latest games on, you think about components like the CPU, memory, and the video card. As important as they are, to make it all worthwhile, you need to have the right input devices to give you that gaming edge. Response time is crucial when you are head-to-head with your enemy and that millisecond can make the difference between you or him taking the fall. A great keyboard gives you quick access to the things you need and nothing makes that happen like the WolfKing Timberwolf FPS Gaming Keyboard. For those of you who don't know what a FPS game is, it stands for First Person Shooter, which include games such as Counter Strike, F.E.A.R, and the Battlefield series.
The Wolf King Keyboard was designed to make FPS games easier to play by arranging keys for faster access that traditional keyboards do not offer. According to WolfKing Inc, its products are "Engineered to give you the ultimate experience, its one palm size fits all keys concept makes your movement even more professional and precise as opposed to a standard keyboard. Experts can now play more professionally and beginners will be able to adapt to FPS games much faster and easier."
Closer Look:
The Timberwolf takes WolfKing's original product, the WolfKing Warrior (a circular type keyboard to have beside your regular keyboard), and merges it with a compact version of a full QWERTY keyboard to give you the best of both worlds in one complete package. Now that we have our minds thinking what this looks like, lets take a look at the packaging before we get to the keyboard itself. The front has that gaming feel showing a picture of the keyboard and a Wolf dressed in Desert Camo. The back highlights the features of the keyboard, as well as some review comments.
Now let's get into this box and let the "Wolf" free. The keyboard is secured between foam to keep it well protected. Once it is opened, you can see the way this keyboard differs from normal ones. Included in the package are the Timberwolf Keyboard and a User's Guide in English, French, and Spanish.
Right off of the bat you can see the uniqueness of this device. The main part of the keyboard is compact, without the number pad on traditional keyboards. Instead, the number pad is transferred to the left hand side and expanded to make the "Gaming" portion of this device. The left side has the keys most used in FPS games, so with one hand you can reach for the keys you need and not the ones you don't. The keyboard is made of a rubbery plastic that has a smooth and comfortable feel to it.
On the top of the keyboard there are three LEDs that display power, caps lock, and scroll lock. There are also eight internet "Hot Keys" to aid in web navigating. From left to right, they are browser back, browser forward, stop loading, refresh, search, My Computer, home, and email.
This keyboard has a USB connector. Being USB, it offers something that most other keyboards do not, which is a built-in 2 port USB hub at the top of the board. This is great for plugging in your gaming headset or flash drives without having to stretch the cord to the back of the computer.


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By Sara Angle
One in a series
HERSHEY, Pa. — Pilgrims attending World Youth Day have been told to pack light, so what exactly does that mean when you are taking a week long trip to a foreign country? Well, I thought I'd share what I'll be bringing, for anyone curious. Attending WYD and still haven't loaded your suitcase? Maybe this will motivate you! I've included:
— Cotton shirts and lightweight cotton skirts (church-appropriate with shoulders covered and skirts at the knee).
— Breezy cotton dresses to beat the heat.
— Some gym clothes so I can get in a nice run (perfect way to see a new city!)
— Cotton PJs.
— Plenty of socks.
— Three pairs of closed-toe shoes (with so many people, feet are bound to get stepped on).
— One pair of sandals (let those piggly-wigglies breathe!)
— One bathing suit (you never know).
— One hat to keep the sun off my face.
— Umbrella and poncho. (I'm a Girl Scout, be prepared!)
— Belts and scarves to dress up anything I decide to re-wear.
— A yoga mat for sleeping outside with the other pilgrims on the final night (too hot for a sleeping bag).
Not pictured:
— Lots of underwear! Of course.
— Two bottles of sunscreen.
— Dry shampoo for in-between hair days.
— Madrid guidebook.
— Hand sanitizer and toilet paper (you'd be surprised how many European bathrooms leave out the essentials).
— Reusable water bottle.
— Basic over-the-counter medications (because its a pain to read labels in another language if you are sick!)
— Do-it-all soap (good for washing YOU and your laundry in a hotel sink!)
Happy packing and safe travels to all of you headed to WYD! For everyone else, keep your eye out for my adventures. Oh, and I'll also be bringing a lot of electronics to make sure all our readers are up to date on the latest happenings at WYD!
Sara Angle, 21, is a senior at Villanova University and has written for CNS from Rome and Washington. She enjoys traveling and soaking up the culture of her surroundings, be it through food, fashion or faith, and looks forward to covering WYD for CNS — from the big events to the off-beat adventures. Sara loves reading and writing (but not arithmetic) and dancing like no one is watching. You can also follow her on Twitter @CatholicNewsSvc. She'll be using the hashtag #SaraInMadrid.


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Take a look at our real estate glossary to learn definitions of common words and phrases used in the industry.
Existing-Home Sales Jump in January
WASHINGTON (February 22, 2017) — Existing-home sales stepped out to a fast start in 2017, surpassing a recent cyclical high and increasing in January to the fastest pace in almost a decade, according to the National Association of Realtors®. All major regions except for the Midwest saw sales gains last month.


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Friday December 14, 2018; 12:46 am EST
Don't pick up the line unless you're ready for a raunchy ear-full
Lauren Powell (Lauren Miller, who also co-wrote the screenplay) is living her New York dream: A perfect apartment, a closet full of cute yet conservative clothes, a career in publishing and a dreamy boyfriend.
As usually happens in movies like this, Lauren loses it all inside of a week. Except she gets to keep the clothes. Lonely, jobless and in need of a place to stay, Lauren turns to her best friend Jesse (Justin Long: New Girl). Jesse hooks prim Lauren up with her nemesis, Katie (Ari Graynor: Celeste and Jesse Forever), a former party girl who accidentally peed on Lauren at a college kegger. Lauren's held a grudge, and the girls haven't talked since freshman year.
Neither lady is happy with the arrangement, but both need a roommate and, well, the apartment is gorgeous. While investigating odd noises coming from Katie's room, Lauren discovers the main source of her roommate's income: Katie is a premiere phone sex operator.
At first disgusted, Lauren does some calculations and discovers that Katie could earn quadruple what she makes by starting her own erotic call company. The two make a deal: Lauren will handle the business, Katie will, ahem, handle the customers. They'll split the profits.
A few months and a lot of salacious dialog later, the women are best friends and mini-moguls in the sex industry. Katie has become more stable and Lauren has let her hair down. Now that Lauren has all the money in the world and a spicier sense of self, she must choose whether to resume her vanilla life or embrace her inner vixen. Want to know what happens? You'll have to pay to find out.
Coming on the heels of other successfully raunchy female-led comedies like Bridesmaids, For a Good Time, Call … is a funny, flawed film with so much filthy dialog it makes The Hangover look mundane.
The film does love a good cliché. Lauren is an uptight brunette with high collars and her hair in prim braids. Katie is a wild-haired blonde with skin-tight clothes and a foul mouth. The girls' only other friend, it seems, is a mildly flamboyant gay man, because in these films, it is a law that all single women living in New York City must have a gay best friend who is played for laughs by a straight actor.
It's also worth noting that the movie presents phone sex work as a lucrative career. If you could really rake in the dough doing the work the girls do, I have a feeling land lines would come back in style in this economy.
The lead performers save the movie from devolving into utter silliness. Miller, in her screen debut, uses expressive eyes and a wry wit to keep her character from becoming an insufferable nag. Graynor steals the movie as the bratty, ditzy Katie. Though the character is fairly one-note, Graynor is able to use physical comedy and her petulant expression to make Katie seem like a lost woman who uses her sexuality and flighty nature as a shield against the world.
Though the plot strains credibility, the relationship between Lauren and Katie is funny and believable. The movie, however, is only for those with no problem viewing eye-popping sex toys, hearing colorful language and celebrating the sisterhood of sex workers. For a Good Time, Call … might not be worth $4.99 a minute, but it's worth $10 for an hour and a half of bawdy girl power.


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Hello fellow kiters,
Would like get your take on kite inflation...
Is this an exact science and if so other than using a pressure gauge, how do you get it right?
Do certain conditions (wind, temperature) require the kite to be a little under pressure than over pressure?
How does kite inflation affect flying characteristics of kite?
Does anyone over inflate the struts, pinch and slightly under inflate leading edge or other way around provided you don't have single valve inflation system?
Any other thoughts regarding inflation would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts.


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Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 4th Jan 2012 18:28 UTC
Hold on to your panties, because this should come as a surprise: I'm actually agreeing that Samsung is copying Apple. The Korean company just released a new entry-level Android smartphone, and it's called the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus. While Apple's previous complaints regarding Samsung's supposed copying were obviously nonsense, this Galaxy Ace Plus, on the other hand... It's almost as if Samsung is giving Apple the finger by copying the iPhone 3G(S) almost verbatim.
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RE[3]: I miss the "good" old days
by bogomipz on Wed 4th Jan 2012 22:24 UTC in reply to "RE[2]: I miss the "good" old days"


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A conspicuously embarrassed University of Delaware abandoned its residence life education program last week after details of its curriculum were made public by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE). At issue was the training manual prepared by Shakti Butler, a diversity training specialist with a national practice, who has conducted facilitator training sessions for Shell Global and the Kellogg Foundation. Butler's Diversity Facilitation Training manual was meant to guide the university's resident assistants in their meetings and training sessions with students (a one-on-one meeting with the RA was mandatory).
The manual begins with a fascinating glossary, according to which all whites, without exception, are racists, while non-whites cannot be ("by definition," it explains helpfully). To read the entire glossary is to take a nostalgic journey into the identity politics of a generation ago (in fact, it is a 1995 revision of an even older document). For example:
A RACIST: A racist is one who is both privileged and socialized on the basis of race by a white supremacist (racist) system. The term applies to all white people (i.e., people of European descent) living in the United States, regardless of class, gender, religion, culture, or sexuality. By this definition, people of color cannot be racists . . .
A NON-RACIST: A non-term. The term was created by whites to deny responsibility for systemic racism, to maintain an aura of innocence in the face of racial oppression, and to shift responsibility for that oppression from whites to people of color (called "blaming the victim") . . .
Although the University of Delaware program was spectacularly inept, it is hardly the nation's only residential life program that includes ideological indoctrination. Such programs have become rather common, although this will be news to most adults over thirty. In fact, the emergence of these residential life programs in the past decade is a sociological phenomenon of considerable interest, and marks a great swing of the generational pendulum.
Fifty years ago, it was still understood that colleges would exert some sort of moral control over the lives of its students—through such institutions as parietal hours and compulsory chapel. Such prudery was soon swept away everywhere, and by the 1970's, colleges no longer presumed themselves to be acting in loco parentis. Their scope of moral action had been reduced to that of a policeman at Woodstock: act in a life-threatening situation and otherwise look away.
But in the past generation, colleges have rediscovered their moralizing potential—at first reluctantly and then, in many cases, eagerly. In large part, this was the result of anxiety over underage drinking. With the drinking age raised to twenty-one, and with dire financial consequences for alcohol-related deaths, colleges began working diligently to reduce any legal liability they might incur. But once administrators were hired to monitor student life, they soon widened their purview—moving from what students drink to what they think. In an ominous essay, John Leo offers a tantalizing hypothesis as to how this happened: "highly ideological freshman orientation programs are now widespread and meet so little resistance, the temptation to extend the brainwashing to all four years of college may seem irresistible to eager ideologues."
When the celebrated architect Louis Kahn was hired in 1960 to design a dormitory at Bryn Mawr College, he was told that the rooms were not to have locks on the doors. The women students might lock their valuables in closets, but they were not to be able to lock their doors. Today's students no longer need worry about guarding the privacy of their rooms. As for the privacy of their minds, that is another matter.Download file "Indoctrination at the University of Delaware"
Schools: University of Delaware Cases: University of Delaware: Students Required to Undergo Ideological Reeducation