text:
Long night ends with loss for Dodgers
WASHINGTON -- The Dodgers found problems in several places Monday as the opening game of their series with the Nationals became a long day's journey into night.
They first ran into trouble with Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann, who threw four shutout innings before rain forced a three-hour, 17-minute delay. After the stoppage, the Nationals used five pitchers, each of whom blanked the Dodgers and helped Washington to a 4-0 victory at Nationals Park.View Full Game Coverage
WASHINGTON -- The Dodgers found problems in several places Monday as the opening game of their series with the Nationals became a long day's journey into night.
They first ran into trouble with Washington starter Jordan Zimmermann, who threw four shutout innings before rain forced a three-hour, 17-minute delay. After the stoppage, the Nationals used five pitchers, each of whom blanked the Dodgers and helped Washington to a 4-0 victory at Nationals Park.View Full Game Coverage
Los Angeles (18-15) cranked up some offense at times, finishing with eight hits -- led by three from Carl Crawford and two more from Matt Kemp. The problem was that the Dodgers couldn't come up with key hits to bring in runs, ending up 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position, stranding six and losing a second consecutive game.
"We had chances, we just didn't do anything," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "We didn't really get anybody on enough and do enough to win the game. It's as simple as that, really."
The Dodgers went down in order only twice -- in the fifth and again in the ninth. They also had runners in scoring position in three innings, but they just couldn't drive in a run.
The long rain delay also cost them in a few ways. Starter Zack Greinke (5-1) took the loss but could pitch only three innings -- the Nationals (18-14) also couldn't bring back starter Jordan Zimmermann after just four innings -- so Mattingly and Washington manager Matt Williams each had to go to their bullpens to finish the game.
"It's the same both ways," Mattingly said. "Welcome to the East Coast, really. You do this 10-15 times a year out here. It's what you do. You have delays. It's the same on both clubs."
Greinke said he stayed loose during the delay, but after about an hour, that was it. He gave up two runs on five hits, with both runs coming on Anthony Rendon's first-inning homer.
This game ended an impressive streak for Greinke, who had gone at least five innings and allowed two or fewer runs in 18 straight regular-season starts. This was the longest streak of its kind in the Major Leagues since 1914.
But the weather problems robbed Greinke of a chance to extend that streak. The umpires stopped the game at 8:26 p.m. ET before the start of the bottom of the fourth. They waited out the rain and began the game again at 11:43 p.m.
"A lot of pretty good pitches that they were smoking early," Grienke said. "[Overall], I thought I pitched pretty good, wasn't perfect, but started to make adjustments [and was] starting to feel better as the game went on. Then, it started raining."
After the rain, the Washington bullpen took care of business. Aaron Barrett, Jerry Blevins, Drew Storen, Tyler Clippard and Rafael Soriano each shut out the Dodgers for one inning. Barrett (2-0) -- who knew Mattingly and his sons while growing up -- got the win after pitching a perfect fifth inning.
"That is how you plan it," Williams said. "[But] it doesn't always go according to plan."
This time it did, on a night the Dodgers fell behind early and never could catch up. In the first inning, Denard Span led off by slicing a low Greinke pitch down the left-field line for a double. Rendon followed with a two-run homer to left-center.
Greinke needed 26 pitches to get through that first inning but settled down after that. He gave up a single in the second that didn't cause any harm but gave up a single and a walk in the third that gave Washington runners on first and second with one out.
After that, Greinke then got Ian Desmond to hit a grounder back to the box, and the pitcher started a 1-4-3 double play that ended the inning. The rains picked up soon after, and the umpires stopped the game and ended Greinke's night.
Brandon League came on after the delay to throw two shutout innings before Chris Withrow did the same thing in the sixth. Brian Wilson entered in the seventh and gave up two hits and a walk but escaped a bases-loaded jam with two outs by striking out Adam LaRoche.
Pedro Baez, the team's 10th-ranked prospect who was called up earlier in the day from Double-A Chattanooga, made his Major League debut in the eighth and struck out two but allowed a two-run homer to Danny Espinosa that gave the Nationals a 4-0 lead.
There were just a handful of fans left by then -- including a large group cheering for the Dodgers behind their third-base dugout -- but the game went on, ending at 1:21 a.m., more than six hours after it began with 25,447 in attendance.
"It is like a back-field Spring Training game," Espinosa said. "You have to stay locked in and focused [despite the small crowd]."
Jeff Seidel is a contributor to MLB.com.


text:
A guild site for the Order of Perfect Light, an allegiance based in the Solclaim server of Asheron's Call. This site is open to all and will include various questing guides done by yours truly.
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Current date/time is Sun Dec 16, 2018 4:49 am

subset: commoncrawl


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- What's Included
Water is a vital building block to living a healthy life yet for many of us it is a difficult task to ensure we drink enough each day despite our best intentions. This becomes an even larger struggle now-a-days with so many alternative flavored drinks available but the BTA711-BLACK Tritan Water Bottle with Fruit Infuser is here to help even the playing field. This 20oz water bottle provides a delicious new alternative to plain water that can also help to reduce food cravings in the process. The Pure Flavour 2 Go Water Bottle subtly infuses water with delicious new flavors and nutrients as it allows you to place cut up pieces of your favorite fruits and vegetables in the middle container so that their flavors can infuse with your drinking water. Get creative by mixing and matching different fruits and vegetables to make hydrating your body fun and delicious, rather than a chore. This water bottle is designed to handle the active lifestyle as the tritan material it is made from is virtually unbreakable, 100% BPA free and dishwasher safe.
Specifications Manufacturer Ad-N-Art Manufacturer Product No. BTA711-BLACK UPC 842591004452 Capacity 20oz Construction Material Tritan BPA Free Yes Dishwasher Safe Yes Cap Color Black
- 1x - Tritan Water Bottle with Fruit Infuser, Black
- 1x - Tritan Water Bottle with Fruit Infuser, Black


text: On Mon, 28 Jun 2004, Joel Jaeggli wrote: > at the point where you get a whole rack of nodes off a single > powersupply the size of the conductors for some of the voltages get quite > large (the 3.3volt and 5volt especially if you need a couple hundred > amps)... if you want to go that route you're better off using a very large > dc power supply telco style -48volt dc for example and a dc-dc power > supply which will be quite compact and relativly efficient. 1kw wouldn't > be that huge anyway that's enough for 4-6 dual opteron nodes. telco style PS is about 5x-10x the regular price of equivalent consumer/industrial grade power supplies how you power up your motherboard is the trick question of the size of wires and current capacity you need from the +12v power supply - assumption is each moboard is +12v @3A ... or to be safe, use 5A and that'd be trivially provided by the existin 1U, 600W power supply - 1 power supply for each 10 motherboards - 1 power cord instead of 10 ... in a rack .. that'd be 100 power cords for 100 power supplies vs 10 power supplies used to its typical loads - the big problem is if that one ps dies, all 5 or 10 systems goes down too .. so we're back to 1 ps for each 5 systems which keeps the load on the ps at about 25%-50% of its rated +12v capacity - all the other 3.3v and -12v and -5v power output is just extra heat that is thrown away - we use a dc-dc +12v power supply to generate all the atx voltages and currents - the experiment is how much current is needed for dual opterons in idle mode c ya alvin


text:
All four men running for Colorado's 4th Congressional District seat contend they're running to change the status quo in Washington, D.C.
One of those four who says he shares that frustration is the incumbent congressman, U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, a Yuma Republican who's campaigning for a second two-year term in the sprawling multiple-county district that includes the Longmont corner of northeast Boulder County as well as all of Weld County.
When it comes to addressing such problems as federal budget deficits, the national debt and the need for regulatory and tax reform, Gardner said that "you can't keep kicking the can down the road" and pretending solutions can await a future congressional or presidential election year.
Gardner is promising to pursue a set of fiscal policies that he said will "get our economy back on track" by "getting government out of the way" of businesses that could then grow and create jobs.
Gardner said in an interview that he's the best qualified candidate in this year's four-way contest for the 4th CD seat because his values and experiences are most representative of "all four corners of the 4th Congressional District." He said voters in the district know "that increasing taxes, increasing regulations, increasing the role of government is not the answer."
But Longmont Democrat Brandon Shaffer, who's hoping to replace Gardner in the 4th CD seat, said he's heard complaints throughout the district about the inability of the current Congress -- and the current crop of federal lawmakers that now includes Gardner -- to get things done.
Said Shaffer, who's wrapping up eight years representing an eastern Boulder County state Senate district, the last three of which he's served as Senate president, said that when it comes to Congress, "people are sick and tired of the bickering and the politics that are being played and that have prevented getting things done."
Shaffer, citing his background as a U.S. Navy officer, said in an interview that he learned in the service how to plan and carry out a mission, something he suggested is missing from the current Congress, which he said includes "fewer veterans today than at any time since World War II."
The result, Shaffer said, has been what he called congressional "mission failure" in addressing the personal economic problems facing the nation in general, and 4th CD residents and businesses in particular.
Shaffer has been promoting his own set of proposals for measures he says would get federal government's fiscal house in order and improve the economy while supporting the middle class, helping small businesses, investing in education and training the people that he will be needed to fill the jobs he predicts will be created as the result.
Also vying for the 4th Congressional District seat are the American Constitution Party's Doug Aden and Libertarian Josh Gilliland, each of whom is hoping to convince dissatisfied-with-Washington voters that they offer a realistic alternative to major-party candidates Gardner and Shaffer.
Aden, a Fort Lupton-area resident who was an unsuccessful candidate for the 4th CD seat in 2010, said voters in the district -- including, he says, many of "the incumbent's party members" -- persuaded him to run again. He is pitching himself to voters he says should be fed up with losing their "birthright of endowed and inalienable rights" spelled out in the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.
Aden identifies himself as "pro-life, pro-liberty and pro-pursuit of happiness." He says on his website that "if you are pro-death, pro-bondage or pro-socialism, there are two other candidates on the ballot that may represent you well" -- apparently referring to Gardner and Shaffer, before Gilliland joined the field.
Strasburg resident Gilliland has said that "as a Libertarian, I'm a firm believer in personal freedom while maintaining our personal responsibility, and I will do all that's in my power to get the government out of your way."
Gilliland writes in his campaign website that "the American government is taking away more and more of our liberties as time goes by. Until we break the cycle of Democratic and Republican control of our government, this trend will continue."
In separate interviews, however, both Gilliland and Aden -- like Shaffer and Gardner -- cited the need for Congress to address the nation's economic woes.
"Obviously, the top issue on everyone's mind right now is the economy and the job situation," said Aden, who criticized a federal regulatory system he said has created "a lot of unknowns as far as businesses go, where they're going to have to jump, what they have to pay.
"We have to come up with a concise plan and restore confidence in businesses small and large that we aren't going to keep adding to the massive legislation, so they can settle down and actually create jobs," Aden said.
Gardner, who's said tax and regulatory reforms are needed to give businesses and individuals "regulatory certainty and tax certainty" about what's ahead of them, said some government regulation is appropriate.
However, he said, "we need common-sense regulations and we need to make sure the benefits outweigh the costs."
Shaffer said that "we need a regulatory environment that supports business" as well as a national foreign policy that supports American-produced goods and services.
Gilliland, like Gardner, called for a balanced-budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, but Gilliland said that'll have to then result in sharp reductions in the kind of federal spending that many people have become accustomed to -- including "tremendous cuts to our military spending" as well as the phasing out of such entitlement programs as Medicare, Social Security and various public-assistance service programs for the needy, like Medicaid.
"I want to be honest," Gilliland said. "There will be pain in it for all of us."
Shaffer has said that while "we must work together to fix our nation's budget problems," and while that'll mean facing tough spending decisions for living within means, he's pledged "to honor the promises we've made to our seniors and our veterans, and work to preserve Medicare and Social Security."
Shaffer and Gardner -- onetime law-school classmates -- are offering different approaches to dealing with the economy and federal fiscal reform. And while each has suggested that the other's party is part of the problem, each said in separate interviews that such finger-pointing -- and the answering exchanges that result -- have to end, at some point.
"It shouldn't be about blame," Gardner said. "It should be about action. It should be about results."
Said Shaffer: "At the end of the day, I don't think the people of the 4th Congressional District are interested in excuses. They're interested in results."
John Fryar can be reached at 303-684-5211 or jfryar@


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6 month old puppy - impacted teeth?
My wheaten puppy is now a few days shy of 6 months old Since his 4 month mark he's lost some teeth, but definitely not all (he seemed to lose a bunch at lightening speed and then stopped / slowed waaay down).
Today when I looked in his mouth I noticed that the canines on his top jaw seem impacted...new teeth are coming in but the baby ones are still there. When I touched the baby canines they seem VERY VERY slightly wiggly...but definitely nowhere near ready to come out for another little while. Should I be worried?
I know many vets will remove impacted teeth at the time of neutering...but we already had Goose neutered at 5.5 months.
A part of me feels like it isn't time to worry YET but some advice / opinions from experienced dog-owners will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
When Shayker was a baby, her adult teeth came in and she had 2 rows of teeth. Looked like a shark. The vet said he would remove them when she was spayed. Unfortunately, Shayker was diagnosed with renal failure and we never had her spayed. She died at 14 months. You pup will be fine with the double teeth. Not a big deal, just enjoy the shark smiles.. you will probably have to have them taken out though...
The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog...
There ain't no cure for stupid ...... but we should make sure we laugh and point it out to everyone else
You need to keep an eye on retained teeth because they can interfere with the correct alignment of permanent teeth, also trap food debris and be a site of gum infection and inflammation. If they can't move because the permanent tooth is down beside them you may need to have them extracted. What horrified me is people at shows suggesting that, when permanent teeth are only partway down, you let the dog play tug of war with a towel and jerk those baby teeth out, a judge even advised snapping them off like that. I happened to have a little container in my handbag, not removed after a trip to the vet, in which there was two temporary canine teeth from one of my shelties and these proved him wrong in saying the roots weren't very long. There is more in the gum than out of the gum with temporary (and permanent) canines.
We always had them removed by the vet if the both sets of canines were there. Here is what can go wrong with retained teeth. This is Toby's mouth and you can see the hole where his temporary canine had been, also how the permanent one had been pushed forward, thus not allowing the lower canine to come up through the gap where it should. The common term for that upper canine that is pushed forward like that is a lance canine. From memory we just applied gentle pressure every now and then to the top canine and his mouth ended up fine, but that doesn't always happen.
Oops I meant to say enjoy them until you have them taken out. Yep those baby teeth can cause problems.
The more I get to know people, the more I love my dog...
There ain't no cure for stupid ...... but we should make sure we laugh and point it out to everyone else
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on transcripts of testimony to Senate panel about 2016 Trump Tower meeting (all times local):
Photo: Pixabay
12:52 p.m.
The Senate intelligence committee says it agrees with a 2017 assessment by intelligence agencies that Russia intervened in the presidential election earlier to hurt the candidacy of Democrat Hillary Clinton and to help Donald Trump.
Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr said in a statement Wednesday that his staff has spent 14 months "reviewing the sources, tradecraft, and analytic work, and we see no reason to dispute the conclusions."
That's in contrast to the House intelligence committee, which agreed with the majority of the report but said last month that the agencies "did not employ proper analytic tradecraft" while assessing Russian president Vladimir Putin's intentions.
Lawmakers on that committee said they agreed that Putin had wanted to hurt Clinton, but did not agree that meant he wanted to help Trump.
12:20 p.m.
An attendee of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting told congressional investigators he was "concerned" about discussing negative information about Hillary Clinton.
Ike Kaveladze told the Senate Judiciary Committee last year that he learned from an associate days before the sit-down that Russian pop singer Emin Agalarov mentioned the possibility of political dirt.
Kaveladze works for Agalarov's father, a Russian developer who partnered with Donald Trump to host the Miss Universe contest in Moscow in 2013.
Kaveladze said he was troubled by the "morality and ethics of the situation," more than potential legal issues. He said he supported Clinton politically.
Kaveladze told investigators his concern was assuaged in a pre-meeting lunch with Russian lawyer Natalia Vaselnitskaya who said the Trump Tower meeting would strictly stick to the Magnitsky Act.
11:30 a.m.
Donald Trump Jr. says he was "candid and forthright" in answering questions by the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Russia investigation.
The panel has released more than 1,800 pages of transcripts of interviews with Trump Jr. and others who attended a June 9, 2016, meeting with a Russia lawyer. According to emails, Trump Jr. was promised dirt about Trump's opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.
In a statement Wednesday, Trump Jr. says "The public can now see that for over five hours I answered every question asked and was candid and forthright with the committee."
Trump Jr. thanked the members of the committee for "their courtesy and professionalism."
11 a.m.
Donald Trump Jr. says he received direct messages via Twitter from WikiLeaks asking if he would leak his father's tax return.
That's according to transcripts of his interview last year with the Senate Judiciary Committee released on Wednesday.
Trump Jr. says he never communicated with Julian Assange, the head of WikiLeaks. He described the person who contacted him via Twitter as "a lady that appeared to work at a law firm, if I recall correctly."
Trump Jr. said the organization would "reach out on a few occasions sort of passing along news" and suggesting that he tweet it. He says he thinks the only time he responded was to say, "Hey, when (am I) going to receive the next leak"?
He said he was not aware whether anyone else on the campaign had contact with WikiLeaks.
10:37 a.m.
Donald Trump Jr. shut down the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower by telling his Russian guests perhaps they'd revisit the discussion about lifting sanctions legislation should his father win the election.
That's according to Ike Kaveladze, who told the Senate Judiciary Committee the sit-down between a Russian lawyer and top Trump campaign officials was dominated by talk of the Magnitsky Act.
The congressional panel released Kaveladze's transcript from the November 2017 interview on Wednesday.
Kaveladze works for Aras Agalarov, a Russian developer who helped organize the meeting with his pop singer son, Emin.
Kaveladze told congressional investigators the campaign staffers appeared unimpressed by the meeting.
He said Paul Manafort didn't look up from his phone and Jared Kushner asked aloud why they were there "listening to that Magnitsky Act story."
10:20 a.m.
The Senate intelligence committee is questioning top Obama administration intelligence officials about the intelligence agencies' assessment about Russian meddling in the 2016 president election.
Former National Intelligence Director James Clapper, former CIA director John Brennan and former National Security Agency director Mike Rogers headed into a classified meeting Wednesday with members of the committee. Former FBI Director James Comey had been invited as well, but his attorney, David Kelley, said he had a "prior commitment" and could not attend.
The intelligence agencies' assessment concluded that the Russian government interfered in the election and that Russian military intelligence provided hacked information from the Democratic National Committee and senior Democratic officials to the website WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks has denied that Russia was the source of the stolen emails.
10:18 a.m.
Donald Trump Jr. says he doesn't remember a lot when it comes to the circumstances around a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower with a Russian attorney.
Transcripts released Wednesday detail an interview the president's eldest son gave to the Senate Judiciary Committee last year. They show that Trump Jr. says he doesn't remember ever discussing the Russia investigation at all with his father. He also doesn't recall several emails and phone calls leading up to the meeting or even that a Russian-American lobbyist, Rinat Akhmetshin, attended.
That's despite another attendee recalling that Akhmetshin was dressed in hot pink jeans and a hot pink shirt that day.
10:05 a.m.
Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats say interview transcripts detailing a 2016 meeting between Trump campaign officials and a Russian lawyer are just "one piece of a much larger puzzle."
The Democrats say the transcripts do not tell the full story of the meeting because some participants were not interviewed and Senate Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley was unwilling to subpoena them. Without interviews of former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, adviser Jared Kushner and others, Democrats say "much of the truth remains hidden."
In a list of findings, the Democrats say that Donald Trump Jr.'s willingness to take the meeting with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya "confirms that the Trump campaign was willing to accept Russia's assistance."
The interviews were part of the panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Donald Trump Jr. struck an unapologetic tone during hours of congressional questioning last year, saying he didn't think there was anything wrong with meeting a Russian lawyer at Trump Tower ahead of the 2016 presidential election or that the get-together might have been part of a Russian government effort to aid his father, according to transcripts released Wednesday
The president's eldest son also deflected multiple questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee, responding to dozens of queries by saying he could not recall or remember or remember the answer.
The committee released more than 1,800 pages of transcripts of interviews with Trump Jr. and others who attended a June 9, 2016, meeting at which they expected to receive dirt about Trump's opponent, Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Meanwhile, the Senate intelligence committee said it stands behind a 2017 assessment by U.S. intelligence agencies that Russia intervened in the election to hurt Clinton and help Trump. Republican chairman Richard Burr of North Carolina said in a statement that his staff had spent 14 months "reviewing the sources, tradecraft and analytic work, and we see no reason to dispute the conclusions."
The Judiciary Committee transcripts reveal new details about how the Trump Tower meeting — central to special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into potential collusion between Trump aides and the Kremlin — came to be arranged and efforts afterward to mitigate the political damage arising from its disclosure.
The transcripts show the dissatisfaction of Trump Jr. and other campaign aides, including brother-in-law Jared Kushner, when the meeting failed to yield the harmful Clinton information they thought they'd get — as well as the increasing panic of one of the meeting participants who feared his reputation would be ruined by his role in having set it up.
In addition, the transcripts reflect an aggressive Russian outreach to Trump both before and after the June 2016 meeting, including an effort to arrange a follow-up get-together that November with members of his transition team. One year earlier, Trump was invited to the 60th birthday party of a friend in Moscow at which the opportunity to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin was dangled.
Trump Jr. answered "No, I don't recall" when asked if he had spoken with his father about the Russia investigation, and he could not recall if he had spoken with him the day the Trump Tower meeting was arranged. But he insisted he had never discussed the meeting with him.
Asked if he thought it was problematic to take a meeting described to him as part of a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign, Trump Jr. said no.
"I didn't think that listening to someone with information relevant to the fitness and character of a presidential candidate would be an issue, no."
Senate Judiciary Democrats said the transcripts are just "one piece of a much larger puzzle" and do not tell the entire story because some meeting participants were not interviewed and Republican committee chairman Chuck Grassley did not subpoena them to compel their appearance.
Though the witnesses were not under oath, they were nonetheless required to tell Congress the truth.
In addition to Trump Jr., the committee interviewed four other people who attended the meeting in New York — publicist Rob Goldstone, who set up the meeting with the promise of dirt on Clinton; Rinat Akhmetshin, a prominent Russian-American lobbyist; Ike Kaveladze, a business associate of a Moscow-based developer, and a translator.
The committee did not interview Natalia Veselnitskaya, the Russian lawyer at the center of the meeting. But the panel released her written responses to a letter that Grassley sent her.
The panel was also not able to interview Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, or Paul Manafort, Trump's former campaign chairman, though both attended.
The committee did release one page of notes that Manafort took during the meeting.
His notes mention "Russian adoption by American families" and Bill Browder, a British citizen who has spearheaded a U.S. sanctions law —known as the Magnitsky Act— that targets Russian officials over human rights abuses. The relatively cryptic notes appear to track with some of the details contained in a presentation that Veselnitskaya has given in an attempt to undermine the sanctions law.
Manafort's notes also contain references to "tied into Cheney" and "active sponsors of RNC" without any further explanation.
Mueller has brought several unrelated charges against Manafort, including money-laundering conspiracy, false statements and acting as an unregistered foreign agent related to Ukrainian political work.
The special counsel is investigating the Russian meddling in the election, whether Trump's campaign was involved and possible obstruction of justice. The New York meeting and the administration's initial response to reports of it have been a focus of the probe.
The White House has said the president was involved in drafting an initial statement after news of the meeting broke last year.
That statement said the meeting primarily concerned a Russian adoption program, though Trump Jr. later released the emails showing he agreed to the sit-down after he was promised information on Clinton. The emails also show he accepted the meeting despite it being described as part of a Russian government effort to aid his father's campaign.
Asked in the interview if his father was involved in drafting the statement, Trump said: "I don't know. I never spoke to my father about it."
The transcripts provide a timeline of the days leading up to the meeting as well as misgivings about the appropriateness of a Russian lawyer meeting with a U.S. presidential campaign.
Music publicist Rob Goldstone, who arranged the meeting at the request of Azerbaijani-Russian pop singer Emin Agalarov, said he thought the meeting was a "bad idea."
"I believed it was a bad idea and that we shouldn't do it. And I gave the reason for that being that I'm a music publicist. Politics, I knew nothing about," Goldstone said, adding that neither did Emin Agalarov nor his father, Aras.
The Agalarovs had bonded with the Trumps during the 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow.
Like Trump Jr. and Kushner, who released a public statement about the meeting last year, Goldstone said the meeting was disappointing. He said he reported back to Emin Agalarov that "this was the most embarrassing thing you've ever asked me to do. I've just sat in a meeting about adoption."
In a series of increasingly panicked messages to Emin Agalarov, which were released alongside the testimony, Goldstone said his career was imploding. He said he desperately needed a lawyer, wanted to speak publicly about the case but couldn't because the Trump lawyers wouldn't let him and was hoping to be compensated by the Agalarovs for his troubles.
"I work in music and it's FULL of Liberals and I am seen as some weird link to the kremlin. Have you been watching the news!" Goldstone wrote. "And because I am not able to respond out of courtesy to you and your father. So am painted as some mysterious link to Putin."
Agalarov responded: "That should give you mega PR."
Associated Press writers Colleen Long and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.


text:
Making Schools Work: Contracting Options for Better Management
Can America's public schools be improved? Unquestionably. Without additional spending, school administrators can take advantage of the expertise of the private sector, introducing innovations that will make a world of difference. This study reveals dozens of examples of private companies now providing management, instructional, and support services to public schools across America. A must-read for anyone interested in changing public education by putting competition and the profit motive to work. 28 pages.


text:
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Richard Perry has not received any gifts yet
Welcome, Richard! Glad you could join us. :D
Please consider joining a group to meet people and talk about anything that's on your mind, Hang With Friends. You could start a discussion about the origin of your new cynicism. You'd get support from us.
You might also like Medical Atheists and Are You Experienced?. After you've searched for stuff that interests you in "Groups" above and in the "Forums", don't forget to look at recent activity which hides along the right margin of the page all the way at the bottom.
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text:
HTC and T-Mobile US have begun pushing out an over-the-air firmware update for the 8X on the carrier starting yesterday. The update is minor and very specific: "Features audio experience improvements for the Skype application" and bumps the firmware from 1532.20.20004.531 to 1532.20.20008.531.
There's no word on specifically how this improves Skype or why perhaps others phones won't be getting this update, which leads us to believe that there was some optimization needed in the previous Portico update that was not present.
Despite its specificity though, it's still pleasant to see Microsoft, HTC and T-Mobile push out firmware updates seemingly with ease, making sure customers are getting the best possible experience from their Windows Phone.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy for more details.


text:
This article is a collaboration between MedPage Today® and:
The cardiovascular risk factors of smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and type 2 diabetes each contribute to men's chance of developing significant peripheral artery disease, and together account for most of the risk, a large prospective study showed.
Compared with men who have none of the risk factors, the adjusted hazard ratio for peripheral artery disease with every additional risk factor was 2.06 (95% CI 1.88 to 2.26, P for trend <0.001), according to Michel M. Joosten, PhD, and colleagues from Harvard University in Boston.
In addition, the population-attributable risk for all four risk factors was 75% (95% CI 61 to 84), the researchers reported in the Oct. 24/31 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"Peripheral artery disease is a distinct atherosclerotic syndrome marked by stenosis or occlusion of the arteries, particularly of the lower extremities," they explained.
While risk factors for peripheral artery disease are considered to be similar to those associated with other cardiovascular diseases, the magnitude of the risk has been less clear.
To explore the risks associated with smoking, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, Joosten and colleagues analyzed data from 44,985 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who completed biennial health questionnaires beginning in 1986.
The diagnosis of peripheral artery disease required confirmation, such as through a report of revascularization, an angiogram, or a physician diagnosis of the condition.
During more than 24 years of follow-up, the researchers identified 537 cases.
For men who had reported all four of the risk factors, the absolute incidence of peripheral artery disease was 3.5 per 1,000 person-years; the age-adjusted incidence was 1.9 per 1,000.
These age-adjusted incidence rates per 100,000 person-years were seen according to the number of risk factors present:
- Zero risk factors, 9 (95% CI 6 to 14)
- One risk factor, 23 (95% CI 18 to 28)
- Two risk factors, 47 (95% CI 39 to 56)
- Three risk factors, 92 (95% CI 76 to 111)
- Four risk factors, 186 (95% CI 141 to 246)
The risks associated with smoking were particularly striking, the researchers found.
For instance, compared with men who had never smoked, the adjusted hazard ratio for current users who smoked two packs of cigarettes a day was 12.89 (95% CI 8.59 to 19.34).
And although the risk decreased with time after quitting, even after 20 years the risk remained elevated (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.10 to 1.76).
Duration of type 2 diabetes and hypercholesterolemia appeared to raise the risk for peripheral artery disease, while duration of hypertension did not.
However, the severity of hypertension did correlate with risk, with a hazard ratio of 2.07 (95% CI 1.55 to 2.78) for men taking two or more antihypertensive medications.
The hazard ratio for men who had none of the risk factors was 0.23 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.36).
For men who never smoked, the attributable risk for the other three risk factors was 53% (95% CI 29 to 71).
Despite the significant risks identified in this analysis, the researchers noted that the absolute incidence of peripheral artery disease was low, at 1%, in the entire cohort.
The reason for this was probably because of the strict definition of the disease they used, and the fact that most individuals with peripheral artery disease do not undergo procedures such as revascularization.
Moreover, many more cases are never diagnosed.
Nonetheless, the cases identified are likely to be those that are most clinically meaningful, they noted.
Further research will be required to see if interventions targeting these risk factors in patients with peripheral artery disease can influence morbidity or mortality.
This remains uncertain, for example, because lipid lowering has not been shown to have demonstrable clinical benefits such as improved perfusion of the calf muscles and better functional capacity.
The necessity of avoiding hypertension is clear, however.
"We have previously reported the importance of healthy lifestyle practices in prevention of [coronary heart disease] among men with hypertension, and our current findings support the need for lifestyle measures to prevent hypertension and reduce its severity when possible," Joosten and colleagues stated.
They concluded that in this large cohort followed for more than 20 years, the four cardiovascular risk factors "each demonstrated strong, graded, and independent associations with risk of clinically significant [peripheral artery disease]."
Limitations of the study included its observational design, the self-report of risk factors, and its inclusion of predominantly white males.
From the American Heart Association:
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Health Effects Institute.
The authors reported no relevant financial conflicts.
- Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco and Dorothy Caputo, MA, BSN, RN, Nurse Planner
Primary Source
Journal of the American Medical AssociationSource Reference: Joosten M, et al "Associations between conventional cardiovascular risk factors and risk of peripheral artery disease in men" JAMA 2012; 308: 1660-1667.


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Information in Chinese
Frequently Asked Questions
LLL Leaders and breastfeeding supporters in Taiwan have kindly created translations of some of our most popular Frequently Asked Questions files into Chinese. The files are in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. More translations will be available soon.
- Can breastfeeding prevent illnesses?
- How often will I have to pump when I go back to work?
- I want to know if my breasts are making milk normally. Do I have enough milk?
- My breast hurts--What can I do?
- Is it possible to breastfeed both an infant and a toddler?
Thanks to BabysGarden for translation assistance. If you can't read the files, please download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
NEW BEGINNINGS Articles
- Allergies and the Breastfeeding Family, from NEW BEGINNINGS Vol. 15 No. 4, July - August 1998 (PDF format)
Other Breastfeeding Information
- Are Your Nipples Sore? 1 2
- Are Your Nipples Sore? (PDF -- traditional Chinese)
- Breastfeeding Tips
- Breastfeeding Tips (PDF -- traditional Chinese)
- Breastfeeding, Your Baby's First Immunization
- Breastfeeding, Your Baby's First Immunization (PDF -- traditional Chinese)
- Establishing Your Milk Supply
- How to Know if your Breastfed Baby is Getting Enough Milk
- If Your Breasts Become Engorged 1 2
- The Importance of Breastfeeding 1 2
- Mastitis Care Plan
- Mastitis Care Plan (PDF -- traditional Chinese)
- Preparing to Breastfeed 1 2
- Storing Human Milk 1 2
- Tips for Rousing a Sleepy Newborn


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Bo Pelini: Marijuana use is 'out of control' in society
Bo Pelini spoke at the annual Big Red Breakfast on Friday morning and provided more than just his thoughts on the upcoming season. According to Rich Kaipust of the Omaha World-Herald, the Nebraska coach somehow went off on a tangent about weed. His basic message was that drugs are very, very bad, mmkay.
"It is out of control," Pelini told the crowd of about 250 people, noting that marijuana use is an issue in all levels of school. "Let's face it, it's not OK. I think everybody that's our age, my age, hopefully understands that it's not OK. It's not good. It's not good for you. And these kids do it on a daily basis and a yearly basis … and it's a real problem out there."
Bo also said the Cornhuskers are lucky it has not been an issue within their program.
[Related: Bo Pelini on media, fans in 2011: 'F– you, f— all of you]
"Fortunately for us it is not (an issue) in our program," he said. "But I can tell you around college football and college athletics … serious in college. I guarantee you walk into dorms nowadays and it is a horrible problem.
"I think it's something in society we need to get fixed, but unfortunately they get bad information."
Interestingly enough, Pelini's comments came on the same day a report surfaced indicating the NFL is considering more lenient penalties for marijuana use. It sounds like Pelini would like a word with the league before that happens.
H/T Deadspin


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BiologyPage address: http://www.mnsu.edu/programs/biology.html
|Biological Sciences
|Science, Engineering & Technology
|Program Website
|Undergraduate Degree Type(s)
|Program Description
|The Biology major offers a core program intended to develop a common background in biology and additional upper level courses designed to provide specialized options. Students typically take a broad based general biology major or an emphasis in one of the following 8 areas: general biology, cytotechnology, ecology, human biology, microbiology, physiology, plant science, toxicology, or zoology. The Department of Biological Sciences also supports Bachelor of Science (B.S.) programs in Biotechnology, Clinical Laboratory Sciences/Medical Technology, Environmental Science, Food Science Technology, and Science Education.
Biology majors are appropriate options for students planning to pursue medical school, physical therapy, veterinary school, or other science-based professional programs.
|Admission Requirements
|Admission to the major is required for enrollment in junior and senior level courses. Application forms are available in the College Advising Center, Trafton C-125.
Admission requirements are 32 earned semester credit hours including BIOL 105 and 106, with a grade of a "C" or better in both BIOL 105 and 106; and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00.
|Other Requirements
|All courses leading to a major or a minor in biology must be taken for letter grades. Any exception to this policy must be approved by the chairperson of the department.
|Academic Bulletin
|A full description of the program including class listings and class descriptions are listed in the Academic Bulletin.
|Program Contact Information
|Department of Biological Sciences
242 Trafton Science Center South
Mankato, MN 56001
Phone: 507-389-2786
Fax: 507-389-2788
Email: Department Chair
|College Advising
|All biology majors are assigned to an academic advisor, based on their primary area of emphasis. Advising is required prior to each registration. Additional advising support is available at:
College of Science, Engineering & Technology Advising Center
Ken Adams, Student Relations Coordinator
Trafton C-125
Note: This page may not print properly from Internet Explorer.


text: Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - 1st World decays, Developing countries RISE Get TEFL Certified & Start Your Adventure Today! Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in 1st World decays, Developing countries RISE Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> France View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message eclecticJoined: 09 Nov 2006Posts: 1122 Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2010 3:34 am Post subject: 1st World decays, Developing countries RISE Tough to shake the mystique of the US, Japan, England or France. Nearly a century of hearing how they are the centers of civilization and economic opportunity, unbridled entrepeneurism, etc. How tough it is to shake those images. Even in these decaying times for those 1st world ex-powerhouses, people still flock to them..... .....when indeed the real growth opportunities are in for example the BRIC countries. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> France All times are GMT Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Where to Begin----------------General DiscussionNewbie ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumOnline Teaching Forum Africa Forums----------------General Africa Forum Asia Forums----------------CambodiaChina (Job-related Posts Only)China (Off-Topic)Hong KongIndiaIndonesiaJapanMalaysiaPhilippinesSingaporeTaiwanThailandGeneral Asia ForumVietnam Caribbean Forums----------------General Caribbean Forum Europe Forums----------------Czech RepublicFranceGermanyGreeceItalyMacedonia and the BalkansPolandRomaniaRussia & C.I.S.SpainTurkeyUkraineUnited KingdomGeneral Europe Forum Latin America Forums----------------ArgentinaBrazilChileColombiaCosta RicaMexicoMexico (off-topic)PeruGeneral Latin America Forum The Middle East Forums----------------BahrainEgyptIsraelKuwaitOmanQatarSaudi ArabiaUnited Arab EmiratesGeneral Middle East Forum North America Forums----------------General North America Forum Oceania----------------Australia/New Zealand You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group Teaching Jobs in China


text:
Center Adnan Hodzic and guard Josh Slater will have a great deal to do with whether or not the Lipscomb Bisons are successful Thursday night at Belmont in the first edition of the "Battle of the Boulevard" for the 2010-2011 season. But when the game tips off at 7:30 at the Curb Event Center Lipscomb coach Scott Sanderson is going to be counting on reserve center Milos Kleut and point guard Jacob Arnett.
The game can be seen on ESPN 3 on the Internet.
"You don't win with two guys," Sanderson said. "You have to have 15 guys playing as a cohesive group.
"We haven't played at our peak, but we are still in there. It is more mental. It is a matter of us going out there and executing."
The Bisons enter the game with a 9-6 record, 4-2 in the A-Sun. Belmont is 14-3 and remains unbeaten in the A-Sun with a 6-0 record. The Bisons have won the last three meetings. Belmont holds an 8-7 edge overall in the NCAA era.
"Belmont's players are good team defenders," Sanderson said. "They do a good job of executing offensively and getting the shot they want to get."
Kleut plays behind Hodzic which limits his time on the court. Against North Florida Kleut played 10 minutes as Hodzic got into foul trouble early. He scored four points and grabbed three rebounds, but his presence on the court made a difference defensively with his 6-foot-10 frame.
"Milos needs to play that way for us against Belmont," Sanderson said. "He is a very good defensive player. Not only does he cover his man, but he covers a lot of sins down there."
Arnett could be back in the starting lineup for the second game in a row based on how Robert Boyd is feeling.
"We won the league last year with Jacob at the point," Sanderson said. "He had one of his better games against North Florida. "We need unexpected guys to step up. That's why the role guys from six-to-10 are more important."
Sanderson is going to be counting on his reserves to step up not only against Belmont, but for the rest of the season.
"We are an easier scout for a lot of teams," Sanderson said. "They know that Adnan and Josh are going to get a lot of shots. And then Jordan Burgason, Michael Teller and Brian Wright will get shots.
"In conference games teams will try to take those guys away and see if we are good enough to have someone else beat them. In league play teams understand what we are trying to do. We need to have nine or 10 guys playing, but we need quality minutes, not just time on the floor."
Sanderson knows his players mark the Belmont games on their calendars each season. He can't do anything to control that. But what he tries to do is keep the game in perspective with the rest of the A-Sun schedule.
"From a coaching standpoint you can't make the Belmont games any different because the fans and players are doing that," Sanderson said. "It is more about what you don't say than what you do say."
Written by Mark McGee, Senior Publisher/Director of Media Relations.


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Computer Access in the Libraries for Current UW Students, Faculty, and Staff
Student Computers
Workstations require log-in with UW NetID.
Locations: All Libraries branches.
Provide access to:
- Email & Internet
- Virtually all databases and online resources licensed by University Libraries
- Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access
- Additional software and hardware
Technology Spaces
Media Arcade
Provides access to computers and technology for audio and video editing and creation, as well as for general use by UW students, faculty, and staff.
Odegaard Learning Commons
Provides access to powerful computer workstations, useful software packages, innovative technology studios, help desk services, and more.
Library Workstations
Workstations with only access to Libraries resources, no log-in required; see details on Guest Research Stations. Generally provided for use by visitors or for quick access to Libraries resources.
Wireless Access
Wireless Internet access is available on all three UW campuses and in all the libraries. Log-in with UW NetID or Eduroam participation is required.
Printing & Scanning
Provided by Creative Communications
Payment for Printing:
- Husky Card for UW students, faculty, & staff
- Dawg Prints card for non-UW users
Scanning options:
- To a USB (flash drive - cannot be Mac-formatted drive)
- To a print station
- To email (non-UW users should ask staff for a Temporary NetID)
- To mobile device
- To Google Drive
Wireless printing: To print from your laptop through the wireless network, you must download a print driver for your particular location.


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Halejian's 17 Points Leads Yale, Graf Adds 12 Points
PRINCETON, N.J. - Looking to stay close to the leaders in the Ivy League standings, Yale needed a win at Princeton on Saturday night, but the Tigers took an early lead and claimed the victory over the Bulldogs.
Blake Dietrick scored 25 of her game-high 28 points in the first half to lead the Tigers to a 96-75 win over the Bulldogs at Jadwin Gym.
The loss dropped Yale to 10-12 overall and 4-4 in the Ivy League, while Princeton moved to 14-6 overall and 5-1 in the league.
Sarah Halejian led Yale with 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds. She also added three steals. Janna Graf added 12 points and three assists, while Nyasha Sarju came off the bench to add 10 points.
Dietrick added six assists and six rebounds to lead five players in double-figures for Princeton. Alex Wheatley had 15 points, Michelle Miller had 14, Taylor Williams added 13 and Amanda Bernsten had 10 points. Kristen Helmstetter had a game-high 10 rebounds.
Yale scored on its first two possessions and took an early 5-4 lead on a Halejian three-pointer before Princeton took the lead for good with a run of 12 straight points.
Sarju stopped the run with seven straight points to make it 16-12. The Bulldogs were still within 32-25 following an Emmy Allen layup with 5:40 left in the half, but the Tigers outscored Yale, 17-8, the rest of the half to take a 49-33 lead into halftime.
Yale got back within single-digits early in the second half, outscoring Princeton, 13-6, in the opening minutes. Following a three-pointer by Graf and jumper by Whitney Wyckoff the Bulldogs' deficit was cut to 55-46.
A three-pointer by Hayden Latham with 15:36 to play made it 58-49, but Princeton put the game out of reach by outscoring Yale, 19-2, over the next six minutes to put the game out of reach. Amanda Tyson, who was 3-for-3 from the field in the second half, hit a three-pointer with 0:16 remaining for the final margin.
Yale forced 15 Princeton turnovers, while committing just 11, and shot 41.5 percent from the floor, but the Tigers shot 59.7 percent and held a 46-27 rebounding margin.
Yale returns home to host Cornell on Friday night next weekend. The Bulldogs will host Columbia on Saturday for its Pink Zone game in support of breast health awareness.Report filed by Jeff Mead, Yale Sports Publicity


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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Chinita's Visit to URBE
Friday, November 23, 2007
Edward's Free hugs video!
You can visit his blog here: http://angraxedward.blogspot.com/2007/11/free-hugs_1218.html
Free hugs at urbe Edward garcia
Uploaded by doris3m
"Will You Be There"
Hold Me
Like The River Jordan
And I Will Then Say To Thee
You Are My Friend
Carry Me
Like You Are My Brother
Love Me Like A Mother
Will You Be There?
Tell Me Will You Hold Me
When Wrong, Will You Skold Me
When Lost Will You Find Me?
But They Told Me
A Man Should Be Faithful
And Walk When Not Able
And Fight Till The End
But I'm Only Human
Everyone's Taking Control Of Me
Seems That The World's
Got A Role For Me
I'm So Confused
Will You Show To Me
You'll Be There For Me
And Care Enough To Bear Me
Hold Me
Lay Your Head Lowly
Softly Then Boldly
Carry Me There
Lead Me
Love Me And Feed Me
Kiss Me And Free Me
I Will Feel Blessed
Carry Me Boldly
Lift Me Up Slowly
Carry Me There
Save Me
Heal Me And Bathe Me
Softly You Say To Me
I Will Be There
Lift Me
Lift Me Up Slowly
Carry Me Boldly
Show Me You Care
Hold Me
Lay Your Head Lowly
Softly Then Boldly
Carry Me There
Need Me
Love Me And Feed Me
Kiss Me And Free Me
I Will Feel Blessed
In Our Darkest Hour
In My Deepest Despair
Will You Still Care?
Will You Be There?
In My Trials
And My Tripulations
Through Our Doubts
And Frustrations
In My Violence
In My Turbulence
Through My Fear
And My Confessions
In My Anguish And My Pain
Through My Joy And My Sorrow
In The Promise Of Another Tomorrow
I'll Never Let You Part
For You're Always In My Heart.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Study skills!
1. Learn to focus while you work. Turn off the phone, music, and other distractions.
2. Use your class time wisely so that you will not have as much work to do at home.
3. Always do your homework. Record the assignments you have before you leave class.
4. Write it down! Take notes in class and as you read.
5. Do not delay learning. Learn the material the first time you see it.
6. Get in the habit of quizzing yourself as you study.
7. Don't try to cram. Keeping up is far easier than frantically trying to catch up.
8. Make and use flashcards.
9. Get organized and stay that way.
10. Believe in yourself. Have confidence that you can achieve your dreams.
11. Review your class notes within 24 hours.
12. Use colors to help you learn. Write on colored paper or use a bright ink or highlighter.
13. "Looking it over" is a waste of time. Write it down, call it out to a friend, sing it, say it over and over…don't just stare at the page and daydream.
14. Use your biological clock to your advantage. Study when you are most alert.
15. Plan your work and work your plan.
16. Pay attention when your teacher talks.
17. Make up your work right away when you have been absent.
18. Ask for help when you need it.
19. Take good notes in class and while you read. Then, study those notes.
20. When you study notes, mark them up. Underline or circle key points. Draw arrows to connect facts…whatever works for you.
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Chinita's Day!
November 18th is a very important day in our state. Today there will be many activities all around the state and specially here in Maracaibo. People will remember and rejoice in Chinita's honor.
Reading on wikipedia, we can find her story:
An old lady made a living by washing other people's clothes, a job she did every morning at the shores of the lake. On November 18th 1709 she took a bulk of clothes, and as usual, went to the lake to start washing them. This old lady was at her chores when she saw a wooden board floating towards her. She picked it up thinking that it might be of some use. When she finished her work, she went home carrying the clothes, the board and a small vase with fresh water. She then placed the board on top of the vase. Then, she noticed a small figure in the board but couldn't tell what it was.She fell asleep, and when she áwoke up it was already late and dark. She decided to go to a local grocery store to buy some candles. On her way back a small gathering of people had formed outside her house, and after coming closer she noted that her home was filled with light. After entering she and some of the neighbors witnessed the small wooden board floating in the air surrounded by light with a bright crisp image of the Virgin Mary. At this, everyone was amazed and called the event a miracle.
Since that day the street where she lived was renamed "El Milagro" which means Miracle in Spanish, and to this day it is one of the most important streets in the neighborhood of "El Saladillo" in the city of Maracaibo. To this day the wood with the image on it can still be seen in the Basilica in Maracaibo.Legend has it that the government decided that the wood with the image belonged in the capital city, Caracas. So they ordered it moved. As the soldiers following the order carried the image away from Maracaibo it got heavier and heavier until finally no one could lift it. They returned it to the basilica in Maracaibo where it has remained with the belief that no one can remove it.
The people of Maracaibo celebrate the Festival of La Chinita in November with an all night party. One of the main city streets, Bella Vista, is closed for several blocks and the city puts lights along the whole street. The lights stay up for months, until after Christmas. There are stages set up, sponsored by the government and businesses around the city. There are firework shows and street vendors, and hundreds of thousands of people line the streets and celebrate all night.
"Our Lady of Rosario of Chiquinquirá." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007. Answers.com 18 Nov. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/our-lady-of-rosario-of-chiquinquirAlso, one important part of the celebration is selecting a beauty queen for the fair. Here you can see the candidates of this year. This year's winner was Leilany Nava.
Of course, sports are present in the celebration. There is one important game today. EL juego de Baseball de la Chinita. Last year we won... let's pray our lady to help us today... Chinita hacenos el milagrito de que ganen las Aguilas otra vez..... God bless our Chinita and our baseball team Aguilas del Zulia. Go team!!!!
Another big thing in the Feria is the bull fight (La Corrida de Toros)... I personally don't like it but a lot of people like going to the bullfight ring and yell "Ole". This is a tradition that comes from Spain and in my opinion it is horrible... I'm against torture and violence. But that's just me.
Now, what's your opinion about our fair? Did you enjoy our fair this year? Tell us what you did to enferiarte? Where did you go? how was it? What did you like the most? What you didn't like... if there's something you didn't like...
Looking forward to reading all the stories from this year celebration.
And Chinita....... Gloria a ti casta Señora! Happy Day!
I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed working on this posting in honor to my chinita!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
"SUMANDO PASOS PARA TU VIDA" Adding steps to you life!!!
Last October 24th (Rafael Urdaneta's birthday) 800 students from Urbe walked for two hours and ten minutes a distance of 8 kilometers to participate in the XV Urbe 2007 Marathon. Students walked on Delicias Ave., Universidad Ave., Bella Vista Ave. and Circunvalación No. 2 to finish back in URBE 2 hours later. The idea is to support health and the practice of sports. This activity was promoted by Direccion de Deportes. We want to thank you guys for helping our students and personnel at URBE to stay healthy.
Checking the Dirección de Deportes site I found out that in URBE we have different sport clubs: dancing therapy or bailoterapia, aikido, basketball, ping pong, softball, volleyball, baseball, soccer, taebox, chess, and kicking ball. Visit their site and find out when those clubs get to together and join them.
Here you can see a slide show of the activity.
Now, what about you? Do you play any sports? what sports do you like or don't like? Do you watch sports on TV?
Announcing leveling and Intensive courses!
This is to let you know that the dates to register for the Leveling test (pruebas extraordinarias) and the Intensive courses (cursos intensivos) are already posted at URBE's ESL page, if you are interested in taking these exams or registering to the intensive course go there and get all the info you need.
Improve your Communication Skills!!
Enjoy and if you have any comments.....
Velvet Revolution... a little bit of History!
The "Velvet Revolution" (Czech: sametová revoluce, Slovak: nežná revolúcia) (November 16 – December 29 1989) refers to a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that saw the overthrow of the Marxist-Leninist government there.[1]
On November 17, 1989, a peaceful student demonstration in Prague was suppressed by riot police. That event sparked a series of popular demonstrations from November 19 to late December. By November 20 the number of peaceful protesters assembled in Prague had swelled from 200,000 the previous day to an estimated half-million. A two hour general strike, involving all citizens of Czechoslovakia, was held on November 27.
With the collapse of other Communist governments, and increasing street protests, the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia announced on November 28 that it would relinquish power and dismantle the single-party state. Barbed wire and other obstructions were removed from the border with West Germany and Austria in early December. On December 10, President Gustáv Husák appointed the first largely non-Communist government in Czechoslovakia since 1948, and resigned. Alexander Dubček was elected speaker of the federal parliament on December 28 and Václav Havel the President of Czechoslovakia on December 29 1989.
In June 1990 the first democratic elections since 1946 were held in Czechoslovakia, resulting in the country's first completely non-Communist government in over forty years.
Well.... do we have any questions or comments... let's us know...the usual way!
Keep on shining and blogging!
"Velvet Revolution." Wikipedia. Wikipedia, 2007. Answers.com 17 Nov. 2007. http://www.answers.com/topic/velvet-revolution
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Free Writing Course!
This is what she wrote......
English course starting now - free for this round
Hi Online Colleagues and Friends!
My online IWE English course is starting right now, this week, and lasting six weeks. If you are interested in joining for free and writing with Japanese, French and possibly some Argentinian and German students, please register http://www.writeit.fi/sys/ and join Round 55. Try the test section first, and then write an introduction telling about yourself.
I've started a forum with a message called 'Finnish and international students write your introductions here'. You simply reply to my message. Others have started so you get get ideas from them.
I can discuss this more later, but please send an introduction this week if you wish to join. We're a bit short of European partners for the Japanese now.
If you have a class of students with upper-intermediate or advanced English skills they can join too free-of-charge for this round - but everyone who registers must be committed to doing the tasks for six weeks..
See you online soon!
Ruth Vilmi
Ruth Vilmi Online Education Ltd
E-learning, language checking and translation services
Company Web page: www.writeit.to
Ruth's Blog: www.writeit.to/ruth
Art gallery: www.writeit.to/ruth/gallery
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Monday, November 12, 2007
Free hugs at urbe_0003
Free hugs at urbe_0003
Video sent by doris3m
EFL Fun at URBE... Free hugs for the world!
Last thurdsday 8th of November we had our free hugs fun. This is the video.. it's a little long but we didn't want to leave anybody out. What do you think of the video? For those who were there with us... Did you like giving hugs and getting hugs back? Would you do it next semester? For the ones who weren't there.... close your eyes and now imagine the people in the video hugging you.... a Virtual hug is better than nothing.. it isn't as powerful as the real hug but ........ for sure it made you smile. A warm hug for everybody.... this video is dedicated to all of us... we need more hugs in our lives.
Remenber you don't have to wait for a teacher to tell you about all of this... go ahead go find someone to hug!
Sunday, November 11, 2007
November 14th ... World Diabetes Day!
On December 20 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations passed a landmark Resolution recognizing diabetes as a chronic, debilitating and costly disease. The Resolution designates World Diabetes Day as a United Nations Day to be observed every year starting in 2007.
The UN Resolution makes World Diabetes Day stronger than ever and provides the opportunity for a significant increase in the visibility of the campaign and an increase in government and media participation on or around November 14. The Resolution will ensure even greater reach for awareness-raising activities throughout the diabetes world.The theme of this year's World Diabetes Day campaign is Diabetes in Children and Adolescents.Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. It can strike children at any age, including pre-school children and even toddlers. Yet diabetes in children is often diagnosed late, when the child has diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), or it is misdiagnosed completely. In many parts of the world, insulin, the main life-saving medication that children with diabetes need to survive, is not available (or is available but remains inaccessible for reasons of economy, geography or constraints on supply). As a consequence, many children die of diabetes, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Those closest to the child - family, school staff, family doctor - may not be aware of the ominous signs. The World Diabetes Day 2007 and 2008 campaigns set out to challenge this and firmly establish the message that 'no child should die of diabetes'.
Venezuela is also participating in this world campaign. On November 14, a lot of buildings around the world are going to be lighten up with blue lights and the logo of the campaign to raise awareness on this terrible disease.
Those are the buildings or landmarks that are getting blue next wednesday. Also, Hospital Tower at the Centro Medico Docente la Trinidad, in Caracas
What do you know about diabetes? do you or any member of your family have it? Is this campaign important?
Monday, November 5, 2007
Free hugs...
Student Blogs Sept-Dec 2007
Teacher Sasha asked where our blogs are.... so here we are....
Level 6 Students
Alejandro Araujo http://portumaracucho.blogspot.com/
Cristina Velasco: http://tinavelasco.blogspot.com/
Rs.Ellasalvatore: http://ellasalvatore.blogspot.com/
Johann Nuñez: http://federer-johann.blogspot.com/
Anabell Ayala: http://anabell5ayala.blogspot.com/
Eric Sanchez: http://cirewhite.blogspot.com/
Roberto Roman: http://robblog12.blogspot.com/
Ludim Pereira: http://ludimpereira.blogspot.com/
Deyjos Carruci: my blog http://deyjos13.blogspot.com/
Maria Zerpa Blanco: http://mariandres2901.blogspot.com/
Manuel Hidalgo: http://motoman21.blogspot.com/
Luis Enrique Govea Diaz: http://kikegovea.blogspot.com/
Ileana Yoris: http://ileana85.blogspot.com/
Anna Perdomo http://www.gothladyanna.blogspot.com/
Luis Barroso http://www.luisitobarroso.blogspot.com/
Angela fernandez http://www.angela-lalablog.blogspot.com/
Melvin Jhonson http://www.butofoot07.blogspot.com/
Ileana Yoris http://www.ileana85.blogspot.com/
Anna http://www.ileana85.blogspot.com/
Level 4 Students
Cindy Vilchez http://bellebrune14.blogspot.com/
Carlos Montiel http://carloscesarmontiel.blogspot.com/
Alfonso Moreno http://www.v3ruz.blogspot.com/
Hilmary Briceño http://www.hilmary.blogspot.com/
Gianni leal http://www.gianni-leal.blogspot.com/
Andrea Arteaga http://www.andrearteaga.blogspot.com/
Edurdo Rumbos http://www.walorumbos.blogspot.com/
Oscar Herrera http://www.oscarh18.blogspot.com/
Zara Parra http://www.sary-sarha.blogspot.com/
Yubisay Roa http://www.yubisayroa.blogspot.com/
Carlos Atencio http://carlosalbertoatencionava.blogspot.com/
Argilio Torbello http://argilio.blogspot.com/
Danny Rodriguez http://danny-just-th3-b3st.blogspot.com/
Roxeli Mejia http://kaprishor.blogspot.com/
Maryori Quintero http://maryorie28.blogspot.com/
Frank Campos http://frank-kimg.blogspot.com/
Paul Mejia http://paulmejia7.blogspot.com/
Julio Coronado http://www.jacu1406.blogspot.com/
Andres serrudo http://www.andresserrudo.blogspot.com/
Maria Araque http://www.maria7araq.blogspot.com/
Gerald Prado http://www.geraldprado.blogspot.com/
Kurt Ocken http://www.milan4ever9.blogspot.com/
Silvia Nuñez http://www.silviax17.blogspot.com/
Freddy Gonzalez http://www.gonzalezfreddy.blogspot.com/
Eric Rodriguez http://www.ericrod23.blogspot.com/
Hadi Kanafani http://www.hadik2.blogspot.com/
Luis Martinez http://www.luisfelipe366.blogspot.com/
Daniel Ocando http://www.danielocando17.blogspot.com/
yanina alvillar: http://www.ninax25.blogspot.com/
Daniela Carvajal http://www.danielacc.blogspot.com/
Jose Revilla http://www.joserevilla23.blogspot.com/
Jesus Rincon http://www.jesus-enrique-urbe.blogspot.com/
Alirio Rincon http://ajru0404.blogspot.com/
Pedro Luzardo http://www.pedroluzardo.blogspot.com/
Hector fuenmayor http://www.hec-barca.blogspot.com/
Joel Fuenmayor http://www.joelhfuenmayor.blogspot.com/
Yelitza Ortiz http://www.yeorle.blogspot.com/
Fabiola Mejias http://fabi88-fabi.blogspot.com/
Michelle Morales http://michimamg2.blogspot.com/
Susana Nieto http://chikie-susana.blogspot.com/
Yenifer Paz http://yenifer2704englishiv.blogspot.com/
Janice Haynes http://urbeinglesnivel4.blogspot.com/
Karisol Arrieta http://karisolarrieta.blogspot.com/
Angel Parra http://jeter0222.blogspot.com/
Aldrey Lopez http://aldrey-aj1111.blogspot.com/
Luis Aguilar http://luisxaguilar.blogspot.com/
Liliana Marcano http://lilianamarcano.blogspot.com/
Viviana Villalobos http://viviana89villalobos.blogspot.com/
Georgina Sanchez http://gjsv.blogspot.com/
Patricia Urdaneta http://patriciacarolina3107.blogspot.com/
Angela Serrano http://www.angela2406.blogspot.com/
Rene Lovera http://www.renelovera.blogspot.com/
Maria Rodriguez http://www.maripaorodri.blogspot.com/
Daniel Harris http://www.danielharris7.blogspot.com/
Kenneth Muñoz http://www.allankene.blogspot.com/
Gustavo Valecillos http://www.gustavovalecillos.blogspot.com/
Greysi Morales http://www.greysi-morales.blogspot.com/
Alejandro Quintero http://gnial1.blogspot.com/
Daine Chavez http://www.dainesitas.blog.blogspot.com/
Gabriela Melendez http://www.gabrielamelendez.blogspot.com/
Olena Martinez http://www.olena1005.blogspot.com/
Adrian Pirela http://www.adnfx2.blogspot.com/
Ernesto Rincon http://www.ernestoblogingles.blogspot.com/
Juan Estrada http://www.juanvi1989.blogspot.com/
Rafael Martinez http://www.rafael19890.blogspot.com/
Julia Acosta http://www.julitaacosta.blogspot.com/
Jose Abreu http://www.joseeabreu.blogspot.com/
Rony Villalobos http://www.ronyvillalobos.blogspot.com/
Henry Morillo http://www.henrybacho.blogspot.com/
Ormary Oria http://www.ormary.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Torres http://www.jennifertorres.blogspot.com/
Maria Agreda http://www.maria8805.blogspot.com/
Leonardo Añez http://www.leo061.blogspot.com/
Simon Mendoza http://www.x-joey-x.blogspot.com/
Marylian Echeverria http://www.maryecheverria1007.blogspot.com/
Desiree Rivas http://www.rivasdesiree0110.blogspot.com/
Christian Solis http://www.cristiansolis.blogspot.com/
Edmar Gonzalez http://www.edmargonzalez.blogspot.com/
Jacqueline Urdaneta www.jackieurdaneta.blogspot.com
Maria Aranguibel www.mariaaranguibel.blogspot.com
Duverley Rodriguez www.duverleyrodriguez-522.blogspot.com
Juan Acosta www.juancarlos1985.blogspot.com
Gianni Lombardi www.giannilombardi.blogspot.com
Orianna Gonzalez www.origonzalez2000.blogspot.com
Jose Marcano www.josemarcano4.blogspot.com
Ronald Gelvez www.ronaldgelvez.blogspot.com
Edinson Talavera www.edinsonkorn.blogspot.com
Andreina di Giovanni www.andreinadigiovanni.blogspot.com
Sergio Fuenmayor www.sergiofuenmayor.blogspot.com
Fiorella Rojas www.fiorellarojasrivadeneira.blogspot.com
Yuglenis Cardenas www.yuglenisc.blogspot.com
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Abrazo en Familia WeeK!
This is a great opportunity to hug everybody. Here, in URBE! This week students and teachers from the ESL Center will be emulating Juan Mann and his brighten a day campaign of FREE HUGS! Get ready to hug each other and celebrate Abrazo en Familia Week.
All you have to do is to stand up with arms wide open and hug or hug back members of this family.... URBE Family! Happy Free Hug Week to everybody! We are going to make a video and take lots of photos to post here. Hope to see you around! Everybody is invited! Bring your FREE HUGS sign!
Here is Juan Mann's story! To read more go to his website
Brighten Up A Strangers Day 'Free Hugs'. - Click here for the funniest movie of the week
All The Same lyrics
by Sick Puppies.
I don't mind where you come from
As long as you come to me
I don't like illusions I can't see
Them clearly
I don't care no I wouldn't dare
To fix the twist in you
You've shown me eventually
What you'll do
I don't mind...
I don't care...
As long as you're here
Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same
Hours slide and days go by
Till you decide to come
And in between it always seems too long
All of a sudden
And I have the skill, yeah I have the will
To breathe you in while I can
However long you stay
Is all that I am
[ All The Same lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com/ ]
I don't mind...
I don't care...
As long as you're here
Go ahead tell me you'll leave again
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's always the same
Wrong or right
Black or white
If I close my eyes
It's all the same
In my life
The compromise
I close my eyes
It's all the same
Go ahead say it you're leaving
You'll just come back running
Holding your scarred heart in hand
It's all the same
And I'll take you for who you are
If you take me for everything
Do it all over again
It's all the same
Here, we have another great video... so we get inspired
FREE HUGS - Brisbane 13-April-2007 - These bloopers are hilarious
This is another personality test!!!!
Well, there it is... now it's your turn...
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Well, and what about Teacher's Nelba's students!!!
Barbara`s blog
Matias Basilico
The TIC world


text:
Competitive demonstrations are providing valuable returns for modest outlays
With its budget under pressure and its future under debate, prize challenges and competitions have a unique appeal to NASA. To the financial leverage of paying only for success and the intellectual outreach of looking beyond traditional contractors is added the publicity boost of being seen to encourage innovation.
Not a bad return on a small investment for a space agency struggling to stay in manned spaceflight, and keep its aeronautics research relevant. And NASA's success with challenges is catching the eye of other government agencies.
NASA's flagship is its Centennial Challenges, which since 2005 have ranged from designing an astronaut's glove to flying a lunar lander. "We have done nine challenges, and 24 competitions within those nine," says Larry Cooper, Centennial Challenges program executive. "We have awarded over $6 million to 15 teams, and had more than 100 teams compete."
Past events have seen technology breakthroughs, winners of 2011's Green Flight Challenge more than doubling the targeted fuel efficiency and boosting interest in electric aircraft. Others have kick-started new entrants in fields from laser power-beaming to reusable suborbital spaceflight.
Three Centennial Challenges are active. In June, Worcester (Mass.) Polytechnic Institute (WPI) will host the $1.5 million Sample-Return Robot Challenge. First staged in June 2012, when no one won the prize, this contest is for a robot that can locate and retrieve geologic samples from varied terrain without human control.
Also space-related, the $1.5 million Night Rover Challenge is expected to be launched shortly, with the first competition to take place at NASA Glenn Research Center in Ohio early in 2014. The goal is to stimulate innovations in high energy-density storage enabling a Moon rover to operate through the lunar night, but also benefitting terrestrial vehicles and renewable-energy generation systems.
Next is expected to be the $1.5 million Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airspace Operations Challenge (UAS AOC). To be conducted in two stages of increasing difficulty, with the first competition planned for spring 2014, this challenge will tackle the thorny problem of the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into national airspace.
In the $500,000 Level 1 challenge, contestants will have to demonstrate their UAS can fly reliably and accurately, stay well clear of other aircraft, obey the same rules as other air traffic and continue to operate safely even after the command-and-control link or GPS navigation is lost.
A year after the Level 1 prize is won, NASA plans to stage the $1 million Level 2 challenge, which will require competing UAS to maintain safe separation from non-cooperative air traffic not fitted with automatic dependent surveillance broadcast systems. The unmanned aircraft will also be required to "be able to communicate verbally with the air traffic control system under lost link conditions," says NASA.
Compared with grants and contracts, traditional ways of doing business with NASA, prize challenges "offer a way to engage competitors not within our normal reach," says Cooper. "And it's appealing to them because of the low burden of reporting to the government." For the agency, "it's an opportunity to encourage development of a whole range of solutions, rather than NASA having to pick one and award a contract."
Then there is the fiscal argument. "We only pay out if they succeed, so there's a lot of financial leverage for NASA," he says. In Green Flight, teams spent a total of $7.6 million in pursuit of the $1.47 million purse. And there is the opportunity to pick up technology. "If we are interested in the IP [intellectual property], we can license it. But they retain the IP and can license it to other people. It's a win-win."
In the case of UAS Airspace Operations Challenge, "it's an innovative way to cast a wider net," says Daryl Davidson, executive director of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Foundation. The $1 million prize for the second challenge, meanwhile, "is enough to get companies involved," and not just student teams, he says.
NASA has a set of precepts to identify ideas suitable for Centennial Challenges, one of which is that the problem "is open to many possible solutions," says Cooper. "The problem with having problems to solve is not having enough money to explore the entire space of solutions," he says. "If you know the answer, go buy it. If you're not certain, then use a prize challenge to let lots of people have a go at it."
Another requirement is that there is "an objective way to determine the winner, otherwise that's one way to get the competitors annoyed," Cooper says. A challenge that will capture the public's attention, as did the Lunar Lander and Green Flight competitions, is a further requirement.
NASA also wants to identify problems requiring solutions that go beyond its own needs, Cooper says. "We do not want to put any more money in than we absolutely need to. So if there is a life after the challenge, an opportunity to make a business or commercialize a technology, we can put more emphasis on that and less on the purse."
At any time, the agency is looking at hundreds of ideas for all of its mission directorates, he says. The agency issues requests for information (RFI) to gauge competitor interest in a challenge, as it did late last year for the UAS AOC.
"We take one or two [challenge ideas] a year to senior management," Cooper says. The Centennial Challenges program has a budget of $5 million a year, which NASA can use to launch a prize then hold for up to 10 years. "That's unique," he says. "We are not stuck in a 'use it or lose it' situation."
NASA has learned a few lessons along the way to becoming among the most adept of government agencies at using prize challenges—one or two from its failures.
Cooper cites the MoonROx Challenge, which expired in 2009 with its $1 million purse unclaimed. The goal was to generate oxygen from simulated lunar regolith. "We misjudged the interest, the size of the prize, difficulty of the challenge and its commercial potential, and never got anyone to register."
NASA now takes "a lot more time up front to understand the lay of the land, to announce potential challenges and gauge the interest, so when we are ready to launch, we have the rules and can start registering contestants immediately," he says.
NASA has also learned to work with outside organizations to conduct the challenges, as the Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency (CAFE) Foundation did for Green Flight, bringing in Google to sponsor the event, for which NASA offered its biggest aviation prize ever—$1.35 million.
Partnering "saves us money, allows greater flexibility, brings in outside technical experts and broadens the base of support," Cooper says. Sample-Return Robot, being staged with WPI, lists 14 teams as active, including one from Canada and one from Estonia. Night Rover will be staged with Cleantech Open, a non-profit organization that acts as a business accelerator for "clean technology" entrepreneurs.
NASA received more than 40 responses to its October 2012 RFI on the UAS AOC. "We are evaluating proposals for the management organization and should be underway in the spring," he says. Partnering comes at a price. One organization that holds its own contests lost interest in hosting the airspace challenge when it realized NASA would only fund the prize purse and there would be no money to support running the competition, unless sponsors could be found.
Cooper cites the Google-backed Green Flight as among the most successful of NASA's recent challenges. "We saw a significant advancement in the state of the art for energy efficiency in that size of aircraft. It captured public interest, the winner was nominated for the 2012 Collier trophy, and there was a commercial follow-on," he says, with winner Pipistrel planning to produce hybrid- and electric-powered aircraft.
The Astronaut Glove and Lunar Lander challenges, meanwhile, spurred the formation of new businesses. Peter Homer, the Maine-based engineer who won the 2007 and 2009 glove design challenges, formed Flagsuit to develop space-suit gloves and is now a NASA contractor. Masten Space Systems and Armadillo Aerospace, first and second in the 2009 Lunar Lander contest, were selected to provide commercial suborbital launches under NASA's Flight Opportunities program.
"The challenges have helped build a pool of potential competitors for procurements down the road," says Cooper. But there is no guarantee. LaserMotive received some NASA study contracts after winning the Power Beaming Challenge, only to see the agency's interest in laser propulsion wane (see page 54).
Typically, Cooper says, NASA will run a challenge "till someone wins, or until it looks unlikely to be won in any reasonable timescale." The $2 million Power Beaming Challenge, to demonstrate wireless power transmission to a space-elevator "climber," was staged four times between 2005 and 2009, when LaserMotive won the $900,000 second-level prize for powering a climber up a 1-km cable with a laser.
"The winner did not get the top prize, but they came so close it was not worth repeating the competition just to give the money away," he says—a decision that disappointed LaserMotive. The companion Strong Tether Challenge to demonstrate materials for space-elevator cables never produced a winner.
There have been challenges that have proved too hard, such as MoonROx, says Cooper, "but we have never had one that was too easy." Even though Green Flight was won the first time, "when we put the rules together, we thought no one would win it for years. But two teams came close to doubling the requirement."
Following a successful competition can be a challenge in itself. "Thrilled" with the results of Green Flight, for which he drafted the first rules, NASA Langley engineer Mark Moore came up with the idea for a university-focused "eVSTOL" prize for a sub-scale electric-powered vertical/short-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. But the Centennial Challenges program decided not to fund it.
The CAFE Foundation, meanwhile, has had a "tremendous response" to its proposal to follow Green Flight with not one, but five challenges, to be run over five years with a prize purse totalling $13.5 million, says President Brien Seeley. The CAFE Green Flight Challenge Program would culminate in demonstration of a quiet, fast, autonomous "sky taxi."
Challenges are becoming part of the way NASA operates. "Centennial Challenges is our flagship program, but we have experience with other prize types—not just big technology demonstrations where teams bring hardware and compete with others," says Jennifer Gustetic, NASA program executive for challenges and competitions.
Individual NASA programs can fund prizes, and the volume of challenges is growing. "It's another tool in their toolkit" to solve problems, she says.
Tap on the icon in the digital edition of AW&ST for more on NASA's nine Centennial Challenges, or go to AviationWeek.com/innovation


text:
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Topic closed
My system before an accident that occured in English was working just fine. I have a few very important documents that I would not want to lose.
/dev/sda1: clean, 225275/942848 files, 1921691/3769242 blocks
ERROR: root device mounted successfully, but /bin/systemd ro does not exist
Bailing out, you are on your own. Good luck.
sh: can't access tty; job control turned off
Last edited by Invie (2012-09-30 14:11:39)
Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Andersen
Perhaps you need only to add it in the kernel line as: init=/bin/systemd....
To make it permanent, enter it in grub.cfg after bootup.
Prediction...This year will be a very odd year!
Hard work does not kill people but why risk it: Charlie Mccarthy
A man is not complete until he is married..then..he is finished.
When ALL is lost, what can be found? Even bytes get lonely for a little bit! X-ray confirms Iam spineless!
What accident occurred? Why does the language matter?
Post your bootloader configuration, at the very least, and any other details that you consider relevant.
Perhaps you need only to add it in the kernel line as: init=/bin/systemd....
To make it permanent, enter it in grub.cfg after bootup.
Where exactly can I add these lines? Grub is not present when I ls in /etc.
[rootfs /etc]#
fstab initrd-release mtab udev
Boot loader configuration? I cannot find it as it seems that in the root file system possesses only these directories:
bin dev init new_root run tmp
bin config hooks lib root sys
sbin usr proc
Laptop battery popped out in the middle of systemd upgrade. Was in the middle of creating the configuration files after adding the init=/bin/systemd line.
Last edited by Invie (2012-09-25 15:24:50)
Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Andersen
Probably the systemd files needed for boot are corrupted due to the crash. You will be able to start using sysvinit hopefully. Bring your bootloader to stop before loading anything and modify the kernel line. Remove init=/bin/systemd , then try to boot it.
If you still cannot boot, try booting with "init=/bin/bash" on the kernel command line. You then have to mount your root read-write: "mount -o remount,rw /", reinstall systemd (which should already be downloaded): "pacman -S systemd", before syncing your fs and remounting it read-only again: "sync ; mount -o remount,ro /" and then reboot.
Ah, I apologize for the waste of everyone's time, I decided to just reinstall Arch. I simply could not find any solutions to this problem. Thanks for the help.
Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ~Hans Christian Andersen
I think that situations like these should not really be marked as solved, since it is kind of a windowsy solution of "nuke and replace".... I thought that not doing that was one of the draws of a rolling release.
BTW, I am glad you solved your problem.
Last edited by WonderWoofy (2012-09-30 14:57:10)
Ran into this very issue couple nights ago. The issue occurred after I rebooted from a massive update.
/bin/systemd doesn't exist anymore. Not sure if it was a symlink or a binary file itself, however, the file is located under the path /usr/lib/systemd/systemd.
For immediate relief, on the Grub boot loader screen, enter the configuration editor by hitting "e" and then find and modify init=/bin/systemd to init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd
Hit F10 to boot using this new temporary configuration.
Once in, you'll need to update your /etc/defaults/grub.cfg file to change the reference init=/bin/systemd to init=/usr/lib/systemd/systemd and regenerate grub config using grub-mkconfig. Review ArchWiki for actual steps
Linux karim-inspiron 4.18.8-arch1-1-ARCH #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Sep 15 20:34:48 UTC 2018 x86_64 GNU/Linux
jimmy00784, please always carefully read pacman's output.
I am going to go ahead and close this thread because it is a different problem with the same symptom.
This is new issue is a known artifact and is addressed in the pacman output and is immortalized in the pacman logs.
Nothing is too wonderful to be true, if it be consistent with the laws of nature -- Michael Faraday
Sometimes it is the people no one can imagine anything of who do the things no one can imagine. -- Alan Turing
How to Ask Questions the Smart Way
Pages: 1
Topic closed


text:
There are numerous problems with that sentiment. In fact, the last people I would expect such a statement from is from open source and Free software enthusiasts, who generally believe that it are the users who should control and understand their computers and the software that runs on them, instead of big, greedy, and scary corporations. The statement above goes directly against that entire noble idea, hence my surprise to see the statement made so often.
The statement can be broken up in three parts, all of which raise serious questions:
- Normal users shouldn't see the FHS,
- and advanced users are smart enough to figure out
- how the FHS works
I want to focus on the third part first. "How the FHS works". As has been shown by numerous people in the thread to the GoboLinux story, but also in various articles around the web, the Filesystem Hierarchy Standard does not work. In theory, the system sounds like it could work. The standard exlains which files should go where, so that both developers and users can find these files, as long as they know how the standard works.
In practice, the situation isn't as pretty and idealistic. The reality of things is that every distribution has their own rules, and organises their files in a way they deem fit. This effectively means that as soon as you figured out how the filesystem is laid out in distribution Abc, you'll have to re-learn various things before you know how distribution Xyz lays out its filesystem. And to make matters worse - the standard itself allows for various exceptions, such as
X11R6 being placed in
Because of this, the FHS can barely be regarded as a standard. How much of a standard is a standard that nobody follows (ever seen the
/srv directory?)? Consequently, the merits of the FHS are debatable. Its goals are to make various UNIX systems' filesystem layouts consistent with one another, but there is no consistency among Linux distributions - let alone other UNIX systems such as Mac OS X or the BSD systems. In other words, how valuable is the FHS in reality? Does it really provide the often-advocated advantages?
Which brings me to the second part. "And advanced users are smart enough to figure out". I am an advanced user. I know my way around stuff. I know how to get tricky things done in Linux, Windows, Mac OS X, and my personal favourite, BeOS. Still, I would greatly appreciate a human-readable filesystem. It would make my life so much easier if I didn't need to decipher cryptic acronyms and learn ten billion million exceptions for each specific UNIX variant.
Why is that just because I'm an advanced user, I need to painstakingly invest so much time in learning things that can be done so much easier? How much easier would Windows maintenance be if the
/Windows directory actually made sense? How much easier would it be to fix a broken Ubuntu install if files were located in directories whose names actually explain what they do?
So, why do so many people resist the idea of making computers easier to use not just at the surface, but also at the core? Why do I, as an advanced user, need to learn a lot of difficult and cryptic things? Is it because the developers want to take revenge on other people because they had to learn it themselves too? A sort of geek hazing? Creating job security?
This leaves me with the first part of the statement, which also happens to be the most important one to me. "Normal users shouldn't see the FHS." I'll keep it plain and simple.
Why not?
Seriously. Why shouldn't normal users see the original directory structure on their machines? Are we purposefully trying to prevent users from learning how their systems work? Isn't the goal of Free and open source software to allow users to take ownership of their systems again, contrary to proprietary software such as Windows? If that's the case, than why do we still hang on to an incomprehensible directory structure that pre-dates the first ice age?
If we make the directory structure easier to understand and to manage, by making it human readable and clear, we will make it easier for normal folk to move from merely using their computers, to actually understanding them. I'm harping on the directory structure here, but of course, this goes for a lot more parts of a modern operating system.
Designing for developers, by developers
All three major operating systems today are designed for developers, by developers, and it shows in almost every aspect of computing except the very surface. Developers have stacked layer upon layer upon layer just to make it possible for ordinary people to use these complex beasts we call operating systems. Funnily enough, by providing all these layers, developers actually flat-out admit operating systems are anything but designed for users. If they were actually designed for users from the ground up, they wouldn't need all those layers. Those layers are the developers saying: "look, we know we have an incomprehensible messy system that even we ourselves barely understand, but instead of actually fixing the problems and making our operating systems better, we'll just staple another layer on top to hide the ugliness."
The holy grail of the coming ten years of the operating system world is to make them not only pretty on the surface, but also pretty underneath - logical, structured, human-readable. This is exactly what I've been trying to do with my theoretical program management system, which I designed from the ground up to be easily usable by all those hypothetical grandmothers, while still offering advanced functionality that no other operating system offers. I strongly believe that this is the next big challenge for developers on all sides - Windows, Mac OS X, or Linux.
We got computers to work. We got them in every home. We got them to be usable. The next big step is to make them manageable.


text:
A Way of Caring, A Way of Life, a BETTER way for our ResidentsOUR MISSION Hays Nursing & Rehab Center exists to take care of the needs of the citzens of our community. As a Seventh-Day Adventist organization, we have a mission to reflect the healing ministry of Christ with a loving concern for the whole person, meeting the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs of all who reside or work with us. Through the dedication of fair and caring leadership and a compassionate staff, we look upon every task as a noble opportunity to serve, and every staff person as a valued team member. We measure our quality of care by meeting high clinical standars and by the satisfaction of our residents and families.
We aspire to reflect the healing ministry of Christ
1900 Medical Parkway . San Marcos, TX 78666 . (512) 396-1888