text:
Down 2 sets, Federer comes back at Wimbledon
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- A day after Rafael Nadal's stunning exit at Wimbledon, the only other men who have won the tournament since 2003 -- six-time champion Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic -- found themselves trailing far-less-accomplished opponents, too.
Here we go again?
Not quite.
Federer sure came close to following Nadal out the door, though. The owner of a record 16 major trophies, and a quarterfinalist or better at 32 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, the third-seeded Federer dropped the first two sets against 29th-seeded Julien Benneteau of France, then was two points away from losing six times, before coming all the way back Friday to pull out a 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-1 victory in the third round.
"Oh, my God, it was brutal," Federer said. "The thing, when you're down two sets to love, is to stay calm, even though it's hard, because people are freaking out, people are worried for you. ... You don't have, obviously, many lives left out there. You just try to play tough and focus point for point. Sounds so boring, but it's the right thing to do out there."
He should know.
This was the eighth time in Federer's illustrious career that he overcame a two-set hole, including against 2009 U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro in the French Open quarterfinals 3 1/2 weeks ago.
"Mentally, he's a rock. He's two sets down and he doesn't show anything. And after that, if your level is a little bit lower -- right here, right now, he takes the opportunity," said Benneteau, whose cramping thighs were massaged by a trainer during two final-set changeovers. "At the beginning of the third set, I was not as good as I was in the first two sets, and in 5 minutes, it's 4-0."
Actually, that took about 10 minutes. Still, it hardly was the last key moment. With Federer serving while down 6-5 in the fourth set, Benneteau hit a forehand winner to get to 15-30, putting him two points from the upset. Federer hit a forehand winner that made it 30-all, still two points away for Benneteau. The game had two deuces, too -- each one placing Benneteau that close again. But Federer held there, the crowd roaring with each point he won.
"I appreciate their support for so many years out here," Federer said. "Tonight was special."
In the tiebreaker, Federer was two points from being gone at 5-all, then 6-all. But on the latter, a nine-stroke exchange ended with Benneteau netting a backhand. That gave Federer his second set point -- he already had wasted three others in the second set -- and a powerful forehand forced a Benneteau forehand error. Federer jogged to his chair, showered with a standing ovation.
That was the beginning of the end for Benneteau.
, and it allowed Federer to avoid the sort of surprise that befell the second-seeded Nadal, whose five-set loss Thursday night to the 100th-ranked and previously unknown Lukas Rosol was still reverberating around the All England Club.
"You cannot take for granted anybody. You can't underestimate any opponent. I don't think Rafa did," said the top-seeded Djokovic, who faced Nadal in each of the previous four Grand Slam finals, winning at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open and the Australian Open, before losing at the French Open.
"It's Wimbledon. Everybody wants to come up with their best game, especially when you're playing one of the top players, one of the favorites," Djokovic added. "You have nothing to lose."
Like Federer and Nadal, Djokovic fell behind against someone he was expected to beat easily: The Serb ceded the first set, getting broken at love by No. 28 Radek Stepanek, Rosol's Davis Cup teammate for the Czech Republic. But quick as can be, Djokovic turned things around, breaking Stepanek to begin each of the next three sets for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 victory that moved him closer to a semifinal showdown against Federer.
Once Djokovic had Stepanek's serve-and-volley style measured, the passing winners and shoetop-high returns started flowing. Talking about falling behind in the second set, Stepanek said: "Not a good move from my side, because once you get these top guys going, then it's tough to stop them."
Benneteau might have sounded the same lament. For quite a lengthy stretch, he played positively Rosol-esque tennis: hard serves and stinging groundstrokes directed at lines. No fear.
But Federer found an opening and barged through, saved in particular by this: He won 63 of the 80 points he served over the last three sets.
Both Djokovic -- who takes on unseeded Viktor Troicki in an all-Serbian matchup Monday -- and Federer -- who begins Week 2 by meeting 2002 Wimbledon semifinalist Xavier Malisse -- found it odd to be playing with Centre Court's retractable roof closed as a precaution, despite a blue sky overhead.
"That's a bit of getting used to. Indoor grass is not something we're quite familiar with," Federer said.
Here's what happened: A drizzle delayed the start of play Monday, so tournament officials decided to shut the roof. By the time it was closed, and Djokovic headed out to play, the sun was out.
"I was a little bit surprised, when I saw sunshine, that the roof is closed," Djokovic said. "Obviously, they're relying on a forecast that I don't think is very reliable here."
Among those moving into the fourth round on outdoor courts: Denis Istomin, the first player from Uzbekistan to make it that far at any Grand Slam tournament, No. 18 Richard Gasquet, No. 26 Mikhail Youzhny and No. 31 Florian Mayer. Unseeded American Sam Querrey, still working his way back up the rankings after right elbow surgery a year ago, finished off a suspended second-round match, eliminating No. 21 Milos Raonic of Canada 6-7 (3), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (8), 6-4.
Seeded women who won included No. 1 Maria Sharapova, No. 3 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 8 Angelique Kerber and No. 15 Sabine Lisicki. Four-time major champion Kim Clijsters got through when No. 12 Vera Zvonareva, the 2010 Wimbledon runner-up, quit in the second set because of what she said was a respiratory infection, while 145th-ranked qualifier Camila Giorgi of Italy defeated No. 20 Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-3, 7-6 (6).
All rather ho-hum, really, when compared to Nadal's loss and Federer's near-loss.
Benneteau has zero tournament titles to Federer's 74, and only once has made it to a Grand Slam quarterfinal (which he lost, by the way, at the 2006 French Open). Ranked 32nd, Benneteau was attempting to become the first man outside No. 30 to beat Federer at a major tournament in more than nine years.
"He proved he is great. The greatest," Benneteau said. "Technically, physically, mentally, he was exceptional."
They've known each other since they were kids on the junior circuit, and Federer credited Benneteau with having played "a wonderful match, from start to finish. ... Could have -- or should have -- gotten me."
Rosol did get Nadal and instantly became something of a curiosity: A player no one had ever heard of before Thursday was a big deal on Friday.
His buddy Stepanek likened the brash Rosol's performance against Nadal to a gambler getting paid time after time at the roulette table.
"If you put a million on red yesterday, it was there every single time," Stepanek said. "He was just swinging, swinging, and, you know, it was very impressive."
A little more than 12 hours after pulling off as shocking a result as tennis has seen in years, Rosol was back in action, albeit under far different circumstances.
Instead of the tournament's 14,979-capacity main arena, Rosol was a short walk away at 318-seat Court 15. Instead of facing 11-time Grand Slam champion Nadal in singles, Rosol teamed with Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan against James Cerretani of the United States and Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France in a second-round doubles match between unseeded pairs.
Normally, a matchup like theirs might be watched by friends, family and some fans mainly interested in a place to sit. Given Rosol's newfound notoriety, though, the place was standing-room only; some spectators sought out spots at adjacent Court 14 and watched from there as Rosol and Kukushkin lost in five sets.
Now everyone will be eager to find out how Rosol fares Saturday in singles on Court 12 against No. 27 Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany.
"I'm curious to see how he's going to play tomorrow. ... To me, he looked a little bit arrogant out there, so I wonder how he'll react in his next match, if he can stay grounded," Clijsters said. "You can beat Nadal, but if you lose the next round. ..."
Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich


text:
Continued from UK trip 2 May 2005: Heathrow to Bath | Khanya
We woke up at at Pickford House, Beckington, at 5:00 am, to the sound of birds singing, and the sun rising over the Somerset fields. Went down to breakfast at 7:30, and then set off for Bristol to fetch my second cousin Mary Jane Conway. We drove through Norton St Philip, to miss the Bath traffic, but the road was still pretty busy, and signposting got less adequate the closer we got to the centre of Bristol, so we ended up going around under the Clifton suspension bridge, which was a nice thing to see anyway, but had difficulty finding the area where Jane Conway's house was. We stopped to ask at an estate agent's, and when we eventually found it there was nowhere to park, so Val went in and brought Jane out, and then we went off to Kelston, travelling through Bitton, where our great great grandparents James Andrew Hayes and Catherine Chaffey were married in 1846, but didn't see the church, which was off the road. But at least we got a picture of what the village looked like.
We found Upper Lodge, Kelston, without difficulty, and Josephine Tsegaye, our 5th cousin, was there with her sister Catharine Stokes, and we chatted to them about the family history, and I got Catharine's information up to date, as well as the details of her children.
They had a Liberal Democrat poster outside their gate. There was to be a general election, but the political campaigning seemed more subdued than in South Africa, with most of the posters being smaller. We had seen mostly Liberal Democrat ones, and a few Conservative ones, but very few Labour. In South African cities election posters were tied to every lamp post, but here they were tied to people's fences, so one could guess the political affiliation of the residents.
After lunch we took Jane Conway to Winscombe, Somerset, where our great great great grandparents Simon Hayes and Rachel Allen were married in 1814, and took photos of the church, and got copies of the parish magazine.
The church of St James was quite a way from the centre of the village.Simon and Rachel Hayes had four sons, one of whom died young. The other three moved to Bristol where they were builders and carpenters.
We then went to Axbridge, to see where our great grandfather William Allen Hayes had spent the latter part of his life as landlord of the Red Lion pub, and my grandfather Percy Hayes had grown up. William Allen Hayes had married Mary Barber Stooke, and was first a builder in Bristol before moving to Axbridge to run the pub.
The Red Lion is no longer a pub, but a private house. Nevertheless, Jane, bold as brass, knocked on the
door and asked if we could have a look inside. It was now owned by an American couple, David and Juliet Maclay. David's family were from Boston, and he does historical restorations, and offered us a cup of tea and showed us the library he had built upstairs, which was very kind of him to do for complete strangers. He also had an interesting icon of Ronald Reagan making a speech, with Henry Kissinger and others floating round his head like demons to tempt him, and side panels showing American atrocities in various parts of the world.
We went to the square, and took some photos of the church, and a woman was coming to lock it just as we got there, but let us look at it. She said she locked it because she was the one who lived closest.
We drove up the Cheddar Gorge, and took some photos there as well, and then took Jane home. It was interesting to see the Cheddar Gorge, as that was where my grandfather had grown up, and we have some photos in an old family album that show it.
It was after 7:00 pm, so the traffic was not too bad, and we drove in through Bedminster where the Hayes family had lived in the second half of the 19th century. On the way Jane Conway commented about the election, and said how horrified Mummy would have been that there was a Labour
government, and at the thought of the Tories not being elected. We found that rather strange and wondered how many other people of her age (77) would take their political opinions from their parents so unquestioningly. There was still no parking outside Jane's house, however, so we said goodbye
to her at the gate, and drove back to Josephine's house via Bitton and Kelston again.
Josephine's father, Crofton Hayes, had also been in the building trade, and had had a firm of shopfitters. He had a large house near Kelston, and two of his daughters lived in the attached lodges, though the main house had been sold after he died.
We were hoping to meet Josephine's sister Lydia Curtis, whom she said had most of the historical information on the family, but by the time we got there it was too late to go to see them, so we chatted to Josephine instead, and she told stories about some members of the family. We were also sorry not to meet Josephine's husband Ezra, who had been ill. He was originally from Ethiopia.
We drove back to Beckington quite late that night, and were beginning to be quite familiar with that road.
Continued at UK Trip 4 May 2005: Somerset, Devon & Cornwall.
Index to all posts on our UK trip here UK Holiday May 2005
Filed under: family history, genealogy, Hayes family, holidays, Somerset families, travel | Tagged: Axbridge, Cheddar Gorge, Hayes family, UK trip, Winscombe | 2 Comments »

subset: commoncrawl


text:
John Kerry Begins His New Job By Doing What He Does Best- Bashing Americans
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I am an American. I am proud to be an American. That used to mean something.
I am proud to be an American not because it's the thing you say; I'm proud because we have a lo history of being, dare-I-say-it, the greatness nation on Earth.
Yet, I realize America is not perfect- otherwise, why would I be doing what I do? I am not naive; I know American history has its share of controversy and, without condoning past mistakes, I accept them as history and am still, nonetheless, damn proud to be an American.
Truth be told, I just wish this love of America and love for her people was something that came naturally to representatives who we have honored with the task of representing us on the world stage. Instead of a defense of apple pie and our generous history of saving much of the world at one time or another, we have been saddled with "leaders" who seem all-too-eager to besmirch this terrific nation. I've had it.
Secretary of State John Kerry, who rose to prominence slandering the fine men and women with whom he served in Vietnam by accusing them of heinous barbarism "reminiscent of Gengis Khan," has now thrown another log onto the fire he started in the early seventies by beginning his tenure as Secretary of State by going around the globe and slamming America.
Kerry started off his "I'm sorry I'm an American Tour" by making sure the fine folks in Britain know that he is "not just" a U.S. citizen; no, he's a "citizen of the world." In fact, Kerry felt so strongly, he volunteered us all to be citizens of the world by saying, "And in the end, we are not just — though we are proudly citizens of the United States of America, we are also citizens of the world."
I certainly wish Great Britain well and I am not opposed to understanding different models of government or different cultures. But in truth, I am not a citizen of the world. I am an American citizen. This is my home and I would appreciate the Secretary of State remembering that his duty is not to "the world;" his duty is to America.
But fine, it's certainly not the worst thing this slanderous turncoat has uttered. However, he waited until he reached Germany to begin the real disrespect to Americans.
"In America, you have a right to be stupid, if you want to be, and you have a right to be disconnected to somebody else if you want to be. And we tolerate that — we somehow make it through that."
Sure, that's us. We are just ignorant hill-folk who fear anybody who ain't our kin and fear Thomas Edison's electric fire. That's surely what we want our Secretary of State to project to the outside world.
He's been in office for only days and already he's starting with a reboot of Obama's famous apology tour?
What's truly sad is that while Kerry is pathetically ill-equipped to represent America on anything, he actually won the job by default because he never went around blaming the deaths of four American citizens in a terrorist attack on a YouTube video and free speech.
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Fall of Jerusalem
The Fall of Jerusalem (588 BC according to Ussher,[1] or 586 BC according to Thiele[2]) was the final military event in the conquest of the Southern Kingdom of Israel by Nebuchadnezzar II, King of Babylonia. It marked the end of the history of the Southern Kingdom after twenty-two years of decline and, according to Ezekiel, three hundred ninety years of "iniquity" on the part of the children of Israel.
- 1 Background
- 2 Sources
- 3 The Last Years of Jerusalem
- 4 The Last 390 Days
- 5 The Burning of Jerusalem
- 6 The First Governor of Judah
- 7 The Final Deportation
- 8 First use of the term "Jew"
- 9 Chronological Placement
- 10 Dual-user Provenance
- 11 References
- 12 See also
One hundred thirty-four years earlier[1] (or 137 years earlier according to Thiele), the Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V had wiped out the Northern Kingdom. Shalmaneser's successor Sennacherib had then tried to take over the Southern Kingdom, but had to withdraw after sustaining 185,000 casualties in a single night.
The last truly great king of Assyria was Esarhaddon. After his death, his successors Assur-bani-pal and Ashur-etil-ilani presided over a steadily weakening empire. Egypt under Pharaoh Psammtik I broke away from Assyria during Assur-bani-pal's kingship.
In 626 BC, the Babylonian leader Nabopolassar contracted a military alliance with Astyages of the Medes. Together they attacked Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, and reduced it to a ruin. Nabopolassar was now in command, and Ashur-etil-ilani was now dead. His successor (likely Ashur-uballit II) commanded a shadow of what Assyria had recently been.[3]
In 610 or 609 BC, Pharaoh Necho II now made a bid to prop up the Assyrians against the rising power of Babylonia. He marched his army through Southern Kingdom territory, killed King Josiah (and probably Josiah's first-born son) at Megiddo, and marched on to capture Carchemish.[4] Necho then returned to Jerusalem, where he removed Josiah's successor Jehoahaz II from the throne, installed Jehoahaz' elder brother Eliakim or Jehoiakim in his place, and took Jehoahaz back with him to Egypt.[5][6]
Three years later Nebuchadnezzar II, now viceroy of Babylonia, marched westward toward Carchemish, where he cut off Necho's forces, recaptured the city, and chased Necho all the way back to Egypt. Along the way, Nebuchadnezzar visited Jerusalem and demanded a promise of fealty from Jehoiakim. Thus would begin a nineteen-year period of frustration for Nebuchadnezzar, and slow death for the Southern Kingdom. At this time Nebuchadnezzar asked his overseer of eunuchs to seek out the best and brightest of the young men in the land for deportation to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar intended to train these men for positions in his administration. Among them were the young prophet Daniel and his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.[7]
Nebuchadnezzar marched on and captured all the lands from the valley of the Nile to the Euphrates over which Egypt had once held sway. Then in 605 BC, Nabopolassar died, and Nebuchadnezzar then had to return to Babylon to secure his throne. Toward the end of this year, according to Ussher, Jehoiakim rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.[8] In reply, Nebuchadnezzar assembled a coalition of Syrians ("Arameans"), Chaldeans, Moabites and Ammonites and sent them against the Southern Kingdom. They attacked Jehoiakim's forces and pillaged virtually the entire kingdom.[9] While this was happening, Nebuchadnezzar was apparently leading his main force against Necho II for the last time, in a battle that he nearly lost.[10][11] Necho lost, and died either in action or shortly afterward. His son Psammtik II reigned for six years.[12]
Nebuchadnezzar had to retire to regain his strength, but in due course he was back at the walls of Jerusalem. There and then (599 BC), Jehoiakim died, under circumstances that remain a subject of some controversy. Nebuchadnezzar accepted his son Jehoiachin as the next king, but 100 days later, he removed him as well,[13][14] and deported a total of ten thousand captives, including seven thousand soldiers, a thousand skilled craftsmen, and two thousand other prisoners also of military age. He also deported Jehoiachin himself, and Jehoiachin's mother Nehushta, and Jehoiachin's unnamed wives, and the magistrates, in addition to appropriating a large amount of treasure from the palace and from the Temple of Jerusalem.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20]
After leaving only the poorest of the poor in the land, and selecting Jehoiakim's younger brother Zedekiah to rule the land as his vassal, Nebuchadnezzar might have thought that he finally had a king that he could work with. But Zedekiah would prove as rebellious as his brother and nephew had been, though not immediately.
During Zedekiah's reign, the second Psammtik died.[21] The accession of his son Apries, or Hophra, would convince Zedekiah that he might be able to rebel successfully against Nebuchadnezzar. Zedekiah could not have been more wrong.
The putative primary sources for the full story of the Fall of Jerusalem include:
- The author of the Books of the Kings.
- The Chronicler (though the account in II Chronicles is very sparse).
- The prophet Jeremiah.
- The prophet Ezekiel.
In addition, Flavius Josephus and James Ussher are the chief secondary sources.
The Last Years of Jerusalem
The First Year of Zedekiah
Jeremiah had already received baleful prophecies about the Southern Kingdom. In the year that Jehoiachin was taken prisoner and deported to Babylon, Jeremiah received from God the word that Zedekiah would come to a sad end and that the remainder of the people, or at least those having any influence, would in turn be deported as well. This was the "vision of the two baskets of figs," one of good figs and one of bad.[22][23] Jeremiah similarly warned against Zedekiah's attempts to broker an anti-Babylonian alliance with the kings of Edom, Moab, Ammon, Tyre, and Sidon. Furthermore, Jeremiah advised all the deportees to become part of the Babylonian economy and society, if not necessarily part of the culture, and that they would eventually return, after seventy years had elapsed since the first deportation (in the fourth year of Jehoiakim).[24][25]
The high priest Seraiah and his second-in-command Zephaniah did not appreciate such advice and denounced Jeremiah in writing to Zedekiah. Jeremiah, in turn, said that those two priests would themselves come to sad ends.[25][26]
The Fourth Year of Zedekiah
In this year, Hananiah made a false prophecy that the exile would end within two years. Jeremiah disputed that account and foretold that Hananiah would die—which Hananiah did before this year of Zedekiah was out.[27][28]
The Fifth Year of Zedekiah
In this year, Ezekiel had his first vision, in which God instructed him to draw a plan of the siege of Jerusalem, and then to lie on his side for three hundred ninety days. This was the symbol, both of the duration of the siege (390 days) and the time of the iniquity of the children of Israel (390 years).[29][30]
The Sixth Year
In this year, Psammtik II died and Apries, or Hophra, succeeded him as Pharaoh of Egypt. Zedekiah rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar in this year.[21] But Ezekiel received a direct vision of the idolatries that the residents of Jerusalem were practicing, and the devastation that was to result. Ezekiel received a further prediction that Zedekiah would flee the city by night, but would be captured anyway, brought before Nebuchadnezzar, blinded, and deported.[31][32]
The Ninth Year
In this year, which was a sabbatical, the law required the residents of Jerusalem to set their slaves free. Nebuchadnezzar II came in force and captured all but three cities: Lachish, Azekah, and Jerusalem itself. Nebuchadnezzar then came to Jerusalem itself and built a ring of siege towers all around it.[33][34]
Ezekiel received a vision of the coming total destruction of Jerusalem. Ezekiel's wife died, and God instructed Ezekiel not to mourn her, as a symbol that this destruction would be too sad an event to mourn. Jeremiah, for his part, advised Zedekiah of the destruction to come, and Zedekiah imprisoned him.[35][36]
In this year, Apries attacked Nebuchadnezzar's siege ring from the outside. Nebuchadnezzar then had to break off his siege, engage Apries directly, and chase him away. In the process, Nebuchadnezzar took 832 prisoners and sent them back to Babylon.[37][38]
Zedekiah drew a false confidence from this event, as did his people, who took back the slaves they had earlier set free. Jeremiah warned that Nebuchadnezzar would be back—and that God would not be pleased with this breaking of the sabbatical law.[38]
The Last 390 Days
As Ezekiel predicted, Nebuchadnezzar dealt handily with Apries. He then returned and resumed his siege of Jerusalem. This occurred on the fifteenth day of the third month, and on this date Ezekiel's 390-day countdown began. Before it was over, the people of Jerusalem ran out of food. Jeremiah was thrown into the mud-hole during this time. Zedekiah consulted him repeatedly but never once listened to Jeremiah's simple message: that Nebuchadnezzar would win, and the people ought to submit to him.[38]
Finally, on the ninth day of the fourth month, near the end (according to the civil calendar) of Zedekiah's last year, Nebuchadnezzar's armies broke through the city walls. Zedekiah and all his soldiers fled by night.[1] The Chaldeans gave chase and captured them—though Josephus[39] says that most of Zedekiah's soldiers deserted him before this happened.
The Chaldeans brought Zedekiah to Nebuchadnezzar's camp at Riblah. There Nebuchadnezzar pronounced a short and bitter judgment: that Zedekiah was a traitor, a covenant breaker, and an ingrate.[40] Nebuchadnezzar then had Zedekiah's children executed before his eyes, and then he had Zedekiah blinded, chained, and taken to Babylon.[1] There, according to Josephus, Nebuchadnezzar kept Zedekiah in prison until he died (though how many years this lasted, Josephus does not say) and then gave him an honorable burial.[41]
The Burning of Jerusalem
On the seventh day of the fifth month (or about twenty-five days after the Babylonians breached the city), Nebuchadnezzar's general Nebuzaradan received his orders to enter Jerusalem. Three days later he entered. He burned the Temple of Jerusalem and the royal palace to the ground, together with every nobleman's house, and completely leveled the walls. He then carried away all the remaining Temple furnishings, which Nebuchadnezzar dedicated to the temple he was building to his god, Marduk.[1] Nebuzaradan also removed every person of consequence from the city, leaving only a population of vine dressers and simple farmers. He brought the two priests Seraiah and Zephaniah to Nebuchadnezzar, who had them executed as well.[42] Seraiah's son Jehozadak, who inherited the high priesthood from his father, was deported to Babylon.[42]
The First Governor of Judah
The Southern Kingdom was no more, and from that time forward it was, in essence, a province of whichever regional or intercontinental superpower was dominant in the region. Babylonia became the first in a long line of superpowers that had the old Southern Kingdom as a province.
General Nebuzaradan appointed Gedaliah, a man of that same country but probably not of the royal family, to act as the first provincial governor. Gedaliah set up his provincial capital at Mizpah, a Benjamite city.[43] There Jeremiah went to live after Nebuchadnezzar's generals granted him leave.[44]
Unhappily, Gedaliah's governorship would not last long. Ishmael, a minor prince of the House of David, took a sizeable bribe from King Baalis of Ammon to kill Gedaliah. Ishmael recruited ten associates and led them all to Mizpah, where Gedaliah received them graciously. Jeremiah warned Gedaliah that Ishmael was plotting murder, but Gedaliah did not listen. Ishmael killed Gedaliah and every Jew or Chaldean he found in Mizpah (though presumably Jeremiah escaped him).[45]
Ishmael and his associates took several female hostages and ran away to Ammon. But another Jewish general, named Johanan, accosted Ishmael and freed his prisoners. Ishmael, and the eight associates he now had left, continued their flight to Ammon.[46]
Johanan, for his part, led his company to Egypt, in fear of Babylonian retaliation. Jeremiah tried to warn him that, if they fled to Egypt, every one of them would die before his time, but Johanan and most of his company did not listen.[47]
The Final Deportation
Three years after the final taking of Jerusalem, Nebuzaradan brought another 745 Jews and Israelites to Babylon. This occurred forty years after Huldah's prophecy of the destruction of the Southern Kingdom, given to Josiah when he celebrated his solemn Passover.[48]
First use of the term "Jew"
The term Jew dates from the last years of Jerusalem, and means any person who descends from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, or Levi. No Levite had remained in the Northern Kingdom since the reign of Kings Asa in the South, and Baasha in the North.
Chronological Placement
Ezekiel's three hundred ninety years, according to Ussher, include three hundred eighty-eight full years and two partial years, beginning in 975 BC with the division of the United Kingdom of Israel into Northern and Southern halves. Thiele, of course, assumes that the division of the kingdoms was forty-five years more recent than Ussher (and Josephus) calculate, in which case Ezekiel's 390 years are now supposed to have included the last five years of the reign of King David and the entirety of the reign of King Solomon.
Dual-user Provenance
This is a dual submission of a work of sole authorship. I am the same person as User:Temlakos on CreationWiki and this article is based on this version of the CreationWiki article, which is entirely my work.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 James Ussher, The Annals of the World, Larry Pierce, ed., Green Forest, AR: Master Books, 2003 (ISBN 0890513600), pghh. 847-51
- ↑ Leon J. Wood, A Survey of Israel's History, rev. ed. David O'Brien, Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1986 (ISBN 031034770X), pp. 319-20
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 740-41
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 754-55
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 761
- ↑ II_Kings 23:31-34 (NASB), II_Chronicles 36:1-4 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 769-70, 774-7
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 782, 783, 785
- ↑ II_Kings 24:2 (NASB)
- ↑ Wood, op. cit., pp. 317
- ↑ A.K. Grayson, Assyrian and Babylonian Chronicles , vol. 5 of Texts from Cuneiform Sources, eds. A.L. Oppenheim, et al. (New York: Augustun, 1975) p. 100. Quoted by John P. Pratt in "Lehi's 600-year Prophecy of the Birth of Christ," Meridian Magazine, March 31, 2000. Retrieved April 12, 2007.
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 790
- ↑ II_Kings 24:12 (NASB)
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Anonymous, "Jehoiachin", Holy Spirit Interactive, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
- ↑ II_Kings 24:13-16 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 795-7
- ↑ Anonymous, Jehoiachin, Encyclopedia Britannica online, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
- ↑ Anonymous, King Jehoiachin: Biography and God's Judgment, retrieved April 13, 2007 from the Kings of Israel site.
- ↑ "Jehoiachin". The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. © 1994, 2000-2006, on Infoplease. © 2000–2007 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. Retrieved 13 April 2007.
- ↑ Matthew G. Easton and Paul S. Taylor, "Jehoiachin", The Web Bible Encyclopedia, 2007. Retrieved April 13, 2007.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 824
- ↑ Jeremiah 24:1-2,8-9 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 808
- ↑ Jeremiah 39:1-18 (NASB)
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 810-11
- ↑ Jeremiah 30:1-31,40 (NASB)
- ↑ Jeremiah 28:1-14 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 814-6
- ↑ Jeremiah 4:1-17 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 823
- ↑ Ezekiel 8:1 (NASB), Ezekiel 9:1-11 (NASB), Ezekiel 10:1-22 (NASB), Ezekiel 11:1-25 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 826
- ↑ II_Kings 25:1 (NASB), Jeremiah 39:1 (NASB), Jeremiah 52:4 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 832
- ↑ Ezekiel 24:1-27 (NASB)
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 833
- ↑ Jeremiah 37:3-10 (NASB)
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 836
- ↑ Flavius Josephus, The Antiquities of the Jews, 10.8.137-8, in The Works of Josephus, William Whiston, trans., Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, 1987
- ↑ Josephus, Antiquities, op. cit., 10.8.138-40
- ↑ Josephus, Antiquities, op. cit., 10.8.154
- ↑ 42.0 42.1 Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 853
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 852
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 854
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pghh. 856-7
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 858
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 859
- ↑ Ussher, op. cit., pgh. 867


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Stocks have been outpacing the lethargic economic recovery and therefore are vulnerable to a pullback, according to more than one market maven. Of course, another contingent of pontificating pundits proclaim even better days ahead.
All of this chatter got me wondering how often the market corrects and, when it does, by how much?
Historically, the market has trended upward. Occasionally, such as during the 1950s and 1990s, the gains are strong and persistent. More often the market meanders, taking one step down for every two it moves up. And sometimes the market tumbles through rapids or, rarely but memorably, over cliffs. (See 2008.)
To sort out this mixture of behavior, I traced the Dow Jones Industrial Average
By my count, there were 27 corrections and 12 bear markets during the 66+ years examined. The more than two-to-one ratio of corrections to bears seems intuitively right. Taken together, they indicate the market hits a pothole of one size or another about every 20 months on average.
These mishaps aren't spaced so evenly, of course. The 1970s — a decade in which the market went nowhere — accounted for nearly a quarter of the combined corrections and bear markets. Another 20% of them occurred in the "lost decade" of 2000-2010.
Corrections produced an average decline of 13.3% over 71.6 trading days, which is about 14 calendar weeks or a week longer than one quarter. Since this century began, the average of five corrections is a decline of 14.4%.
The shortest correction (of 12%) lasted 15 trading days, ending in mid-July 1950. The longest (of 14.9%) stretched agonizingly over 193 days (39 calendar weeks), ending in mid-October 2000. So far in this century the average length is 87.83 trading days, or 17 calendar weeks.
The dozen bear markets averaged declines of 27.9% over 154.3 trading days, which is about 31 calendar weeks. The range was from 20.1% (in 1973) to 52.3% (2008). There have been three bear markets in this century (the dot-com implosion produced two, not one, with a 30% recovery in between). Their average plunge was 37%, thanks to the most recent one; the (relatively) mildest was a 27.4% drop in 2001.
That 20.1% sinkhole in 1973 was a bear-market express, taking just 28 trading days or a little over five calendar weeks. The most elongated bear (a 26.9% retreat) dragged out over 363 trading days, or one year and four months. That ordeal, created by economic "stagflation," ended in early 1978. This century's bears have averaged 180 trading days, or about nine months.
Coming retractions
These pullback box scores give a sense of what may lie ahead in the market, but not when it could happen. For that we turn to the market rallies, which I define as sustained increases without an interrupting correction. Of course, the rallies overcame many less-than-10% slips along the way
Since 1945 there have been 58 such bull runs by my count, averaging gains of 32% and lasting 221 trading days (or roughly 10 months). So far in this century, nine rallies advanced an average 33.8% and continued an average of about one calendar year.
The Dow's most recent correction was a 15.9% slide from 12810.54, the close on April 29, 2011, to 10771.48 on September 23 of that year. (The most recent low close of 12101.46 on June 4, 2012, doesn't count as a correction because it marked an 8.9% decline from the preceding high close.)
The Dow's climb since September 2011 is much longer than average. No wonder the correction carpers are getting strident. If a correction has begun, starting with the recent high close of 14009.79 on Feb. 1, and if it progressed by exactly this century's averages, the Dow will close at 11992.38 soon after Memorial Day.
That's much too precise for a computation based on ifs, to be sure, but history is not the least-reliable guide to the market's next twists and turns.
John Prestbo is retired as editor and executive director of Dow Jones Indexes, now part of S&P Dow Jones Indices, in which Dow Jones & Co., publisher of MarketWatch, holds a small interest.


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Plea deal reveals more of New Hampshire hepatitis tech's past
David Kwiatkowski was fired from hospitals before working in New England
A traveling hospital technician accused of infecting dozens of patients with hepatitis C through needles tainted with his own blood reached an agreement with prosecutors that would give him a sentence of as little as 30 years instead of the nearly 100 he could have faced if convicted in a trial.
The agreement, filed Monday, also contained new revelations that he was fired from two Michigan hospitals and resigned from two others before beginning his traveling temp career.
David Kwiatkowski, who has been jailed since his arrest in July 2012, is accused of stealing painkiller syringes from Exeter Hospital's cardiac catheterization lab in New Hampshire and replacing them with blood-tainted saline. He told investigators he had been stealing drugs for more than a decade and was "killing a lot of people," according to the plea agreement filed Monday.
If convicted at trial, he could have been sentenced to up to 98 years behind bars. He agreed to plead guilty to 14 federal drug theft and tampering charges he faced in exchange for a lighter sentence of 30 to 40 years in prison.
Kwiatkowski's attorneys did not immediately respond to emails or a phone message left at their office Monday night. A hearing on the plea agreement is set for Wednesday.
Linda Ficken, of Andover, Kan., is among those Kwiatkowski is accused of infecting. Ficken, 71, said Monday she's glad he pleaded guilty but wishes the sentence were longer.
"It should've been life, since he gave us potentially a death sentence," she said.
More than a year after Kwiatkowski's arrest, Ficken said, she is still angry at Kwiatkowski and at the system that let him move from job to job after he was fired over allegations of drug use and theft.
Thirty-two patients in New Hampshire have been diagnosed with the strain of hepatitis C carried by Kwiatkowski, who worked at 18 hospitals in seven states before being hired in New Hampshire in 2011. There have been seven cases in Maryland, six in Kansas and one in Pennsylvania.
One of the Kansas patients has died, and hepatitis C, a blood-borne viral infection that can cause liver disease and chronic health issues, played a "contributing role," the plea agreement said.
The plea agreement includes details of an interview Kwiatkowski gave investigators in New Hampshire after his arrest in which he said he knew he'd been diagnosed in 2010 but continued to "swap out" syringes of the painkiller fentanyl.
He said he had been stealing drugs since 2002 and estimated that he had swapped syringes at least 50 times in New Hampshire, at least 30 times in Georgia and more than 20 times in Kansas. Under the plea deal, Kwiatkowski would avoid criminal charges in the latter two states.
After Kwiatkowski's arrest, two of his previous employers confirmed that he had been fired over drug allegations. But several new incidents emerged in Monday's court filing.
According to the plea agreement, Kwiatkowski was fired from a Michigan hospital in 2004 after failing a drug test and was fired from another that year for gross misconduct. He resigned from two more Michigan hospitals while under investigation for drug use.
Kwiatkowski, who grew up in Michigan, later began work as a traveler sent by staffing agencies to hospitals around the country, usually for temporary jobs. In announcing federal drug charges last year, U.S. Attorney John Kacavas called him a "serial infector."


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REMBE® Rush Order - the fastest way to get your customized rupture disc
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You want to know more about REMBE® Rush Order Service?
The following story show up how Rush Orders proceed.
REMBE® is fast but just before Christmas, however, fast wasn't good enough. Lightning speed was almost too slow. Below is the record of events.
Monday – 20.12.
Only four days until Christmas and Brilon is snowed under. At REMBE® the final few projects are being wrapped up. The atmosphere is good; everyone is looking back happily at an eventful and successful year. Then, a call from Egypt at noon: an equipment manufacturer urgently requires a holder and six KUB® bursting discs for his client.
Georg Vonnahme, rupture disc specialist and REMBE® employee since 1991, accepts after running a quick check. The order is go: the holder is already in stock and the bursting discs can be produced quickly.
3.30 p.m.
Outside, a snowstorm is on its way and it's getting turbulent at REMBE® too. The customer has turned one holder request into three and six bursting discs into ten, including ASME certification and TUV inspection for safety. And all this at lightning speed please: by Thursday 23.12. – and it' s Monday already!
3.40 p.m.
Further changes to the order: six holders, twelve KUB® bursting discs with compatible excess flow valves and pressure gauges. Luckily, because of REMBE® rupture discs' excellent reputation, TUV inspection and ASME certificate are not needed. 72 hours until shipment. Not much time at all. The holder materials are in Holland and the plant in Holland is closed for the holidays.
5.00 p.m.
The revised order has gone out. Shipment is at 9.30 the following morning. Now to clarify material and transport issues. The challenges seem overwhelming so soon before Christmas. But after twelve Rush Order requests the week before the mood is confident at REMBE®: this last pre-Christmas job can be completed in time.
Tuesday – 21.12.
The forecasted snow chaos has arrived. Major traffic disruptions in the Sauerland (where REMBE® is located). No one is going to make it safely to work on time today.
08.45 a.m.
Raw material requests are hotly debated with the relevant suppliers. Time is pressing – in the evening the material has to be on the saw in Brilon.
09.00 a.m.
The customer makes further changes to his order. They now require delivery within 24 hours.
09.10 a.m.
The first packaging requirements come in. Packaging has to be in small, manageable, inconspicuous cases. These rupture discs will be transported as hand luggage to Egypt.
09.45 a.m.
Verbal confirmation of the final order.
10.15 a.m.
… and now written confirmation!
11.00 a.m.
While a third material distributor proves cooperative and takes on the order – The REMBE® dispatch driver gets ready for collection. The first six rings should be ready by late afternoon, the rest by the next morning. But it goes better than expected for REMBE®: at 7 p.m. all the rings are delivered to the nightshift. Despite icy temperatures outside, the dispatch driver sweats behind the wheel. With twelve newly burned rings in his vehicle he certainly won't need any heating!
Wednesday – 22.12.
Production of the holder and rupture discs is in full swing. Everyone at the REMBE® plant is giving it their very best. For the packaging, eight sample cases are being converted into the requested luggage. Meanwhile, in Egypt two employees from the client's company are boarding a plane to Germany.
Thursday – 23.12.
06.00 a.m.
Done! Holders and bursting discs are finished, checked, cleaned and packed according to specification. The dispatch driver transports the goods to the Ruhr through heavy snow flurries. There they are handed over to the Egyptians – not just on time but a full twelve hours ahead of schedule.
10.40 a.m
Another customer call, this time from the highest level: a personal thank you to all involved. They are impressed and highly satisfied in Egypt.
10.45 a.m.
At REMBE® HQ there is also great satisfaction at a job well done. Bring on Christmas. And Rush Orders – they're no problem for REMBE®.


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Selig can't bow to pressure over Cano jeering
Sports are prisoners of the moment sometimes.
So it's no surprise that Bud Selig quickly responded with the most logical solution to Monday night's massive jeer-fest of the Yankees' Robinson Cano.
Logical, in this case, however, does not mean the right solution.
Cano, as captain of the American League, was in charge of selecting three other participants for the Home Run Derby. Looking at his choices, Cano did a pretty good job by adding the Angels' Mark Trumbo, the Blue Jays' Jose Bautista and eventual champion Prince Fielder, of the Detroit Tigers.
Despite Cano hitting zero home runs, poorly defending his Derby title, the American League bashed the National League in the Home Run Derby. That made Cano look pretty smart.
The Kansas City fans were hardly impressed. Cano was booed mercilessly for not selecting the hometown favorite, Billy Butler. With 16 home runs, Butler would have been a fair choice, but probably not the best choice in the spirit of competition.
On the other hand, it's understandable for the Royals fans to want to see their own guy take some hacks in their own ballpark. The jeers were so loud and so nasty, it even spilled into Tuesday night, and Cano revealed that some harassed his family, which is crossing a line.
Commissioner Selig came out the next day and said baseball may consider mandating one player from the host team to participate in the Home Run Derby because of the incident with Cano. Selig also referenced Fielder being similarly jeered in 2011 for not picking Arizona's Justin Upton for the Home Run Derby.
It makes sense on the surface, but in reality, it's another example of a sport overreacting to a bad situation. The booing of Cano was all in fun, and he took it in stride. When his family became involved, that made it ugly, and it made the Kansas City fans look bad.
Not every player is an All-Star, and more importantly, not every team has a worthy All-Star. The fact that every team must be represented is bad enough — but understandable — and now Selig wants host cities to have a representative in the Home Run Derby?
In 2013, Citi Field is the All-Star Game host. That would mean David Wright would be forced into being in the Home Run Derby or maybe Ike Davis — if he's even an All-Star — or perhaps a yet-to-be-signed free agent for the New York?Mets.
Some guys just don't like to be in the Home Run Derby for various reasons, and now you're going to force a player to do it? Wright was in a Home Run Derby before and performed quite well, but he hasn't been back since.
It just presents far too many unnecessary problems for something that is supposed to be fun. You could run into a situation where the host city has only one obligatory All-Star who happens to be a pitcher. Then what do you do??Make the pitcher be in the Derby? Or do you call on a non-All-Star from the host team to be in the Home Run Derby?
The Home Run Derby should be left alone, and sometimes the host city just won't have a guy in the event. I'm sure those fans will not lose sleep over it, and they will get over it really quickly.
This is a trend that happens quite a bit sports, though. Commissioners have a regrettable situation and overcompensate to try to make everyone happy, and they end up doing too much.
Hockey was guilty of that when it introduced the glowing puck on Fox ... Remember that?
Baseball has done it a few times, most recently with adding an extra playoff team. Selig saw how amazing that final day of the regular season was in 2011 and wanted to recapture that magic.
Again, it seems logical, but it really may do more harm than good. Baseball wants more teams in contention for a longer period of time, which is best for business.
That makes sense, but is it really in the best interest of competition? The baseball playoffs were perfect the way they were with one wild card and the three divisions. As the sport expands, they needed to add playoff teams, and they did just that, to a smashing success.
Now, with five playoff teams in each league, you get a guaranteed one-game playoff — virtually a "play-in" game — between the two wild cards to see who advances to the Division Series.
One-game playoffs in baseball are typically epic and very memorable. Chances are, these one-game playoffs will be as intense as any World Series game because so much is on the line.
However, it has now opened up baseball to one big problem. For every season in which there is a 95-win wild card playing a one-game playoff against a 93-win wild card team, you could very well end up with a 96-win wild card playing an 85-win wild card out of a weak division.
If that 85-win team wins one game, suddenly that team is moving on, and the 96-win team goes home just like that. If baseball could guarantee two 90-plus-win teams battling for that final Division Series slot, then this plan would be golden.
Alas, they cannot, and somewhere down the line — maybe this year, next year or 10 years from now — it will cause more controversy and force Selig, or whoever the commissioner is by then, to make yet another major change to prevent that situation from arising again.
Sometimes, there is too much of a good thing, and sports must be left alone. This is one of those times.
Follow Paul Jannace on Twitter @pjscribe.


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About Long Island Weekends
There may be miles of difference between Brooklyn and Montauk.
But there really aren't that many miles.
And along the way, there are literally hundreds of attractions to capture your attention. An event – or something you can make eventful – every single weekend day of the year.
Long Island Weekends is built to make finding that fun easy. We suggest a single Long Island travel idea for every weekend day (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) all year long. There's even a bonus suggestion for the weekdays each week.
Please join us.
Long Island Weekends was created by Cross Sound Ferry, which runs regular ferry service between Orient Point, at the tip of the North Fork, and New London, CT. We want to expose our ridership to all the exciting Long Island happenings they may not know.
If you're interested in all that Long Island has to offer, visit regularly. Or if you want to receive suggestions via regular emails, sign up to be a Cross Sound Ferry Rewards member – free of charge. You'll even be eligible for discounts that could save you up to 55% on select Cross Sound Ferry trips.
If you're a Long Island business or attraction, it is our sincere objective to lift all boats within the area. We welcome suggestions on unique area events; will post listings on the best places to visit, to stay and to eat, free of charge; and will share content and welcome reciprocal links with area Destination Marketing Organizations.
If you've got an attraction or business you'd like to see on liweekends.com, can be supportive of the effort functionally or financially, or have thoughts on the region you'd like to share, we'd like to open up a dialog. Contact us


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As much as I hate driving, sometimes it gives me a good idea. The other day, on the hour drive up to Dixon to buy hay and a manger, I realized that I should invite other urban farmers to my pop-up farmstand so they can sell their produce. It'll be like an urban farmers market!
This is happening Oct 27th (next Wednesday) from 4pm-7pm; and again on November 17th 4pm-7pm; at 665 28th street at MLK.
If you live in the East Bay and are an urban grower/farmer, consider this a call to contact me (novellacarpenter at gmail), to sign up to sell. In your email, tell me what you'd like to sell, where you live, and we'll figure it out. Obviously you have to have grown it yourself! Added value is neat, but let's start with veg, fruits, eggs first and go from there. I've noticed that things like eggs, honey, and potatoes are huge sellers! I'll have some tables but if you have a table, by all means, bring it. I'll be selling dino kale, figs, salad mix, and a few plant starts. You'll be selling what?
Also, note that tomorrow (Wednesday, Oct 20) I'll be selling stuff at the Pop Up General Store at Martin Luther King Jr Way and 49th Street, 5-7pm. See you there!


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Contest: "A colorful blob" is not the right answer
By BY
This week, we'll be giving out two prizes in our contest -- one to the first person to supply the correct answer, and one for the most creative (and wrong) answer. But we're getting ahead of ourselves, seeing as how we haven't told you the question yet. The question, obviously, is:
What is that thing?
The... thing at left is a small portion of a picture we like. Every day this week, we'll be posting a different piece of the image. For the correct answer, we'll need to know (a) what object the image depicts, (b) how the image was made, and (c) who made it. For the most creative answer... go wild! The prize is our new book, Scatterbrained. You've got until Friday night at 9 EDT.


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Difference between revisions of "Developing Tycho"
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Here is the step by step approach assuming you use a Windows OS:
Here is the step by step approach assuming you use a Windows OS:
# Get
# Get [http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/index-developer.php Eclipse ]

 Install the following additional software into Eclipse:

 Install the following additional software into Eclipse:
Revision as of 11:27, 27 March 2013
Importing the Tycho sources
For importing the Tycho sources into Eclipse, you need to have m2eclipse 1.0.0 or later (available from the Juno software site) installed.
Here is the step by step approach assuming you use a Windows OS:
- Get Eclipse classic
- Install the following additional software into Eclipse:
- Maven Integration for Eclipse (m2e), version 1.0.0 or later
- EGit Team Provider (optional)
- Install Maven version 3.0 or later
- Window > Preferences > Maven > Installations > Add... and add your Maven 3 installation; activate it
- On OSX, Preferences is under the "Eclipse" menu.
- Get the sources from eclipse.org; there are different ways to do this:
- In EGit, open the Git Repositories view, select Clone a Git Repository and clone from the location https://git.eclipse.org/r/p/tycho/org.eclipse.tycho.git
- In a shell (e.g. from msysgit or Cygwin), execute git clone https://git.eclipse.org/r/p/tycho/org.eclipse.tycho.git
- In Eclipse, use File > Import > Existing Maven Projects, select the root directory of the sources, and import all projects. Install the proposed project configurators and restart Eclipse.
- Configure the target platform: Open the file tycho-bundles-target/tycho.target and click on Set as Target Platform in the upper right corner of the target definition editor.
- The result should be an eclipse workspace without build errors. m2eclipse may take some time to download required libraries from Maven central.
If you get an "Error Updating Maven Configuration" for the projects org.eclipse.tycho.surefire.junit, org.eclipse.tycho.surefire.junit4, and org.eclipse.tycho.surefire.osgibooter, select just these three projects, select Maven > Update project... from the context menu and confirm the dialog.
Building Tycho
Tycho can be built from source by executing mvn clean install in the root directory.
In order to execute the Tycho integration tests, you can use the scripts in the root of the sources:
- Edit bootstrap.cmd in the root directory and adapt the variables TYCHO_TEST_TARGET_PLATFORM -> point to Eclipse SDK 3.7.0 plus delta pack, TYCHO_M2_HOME -> point to maven 3 home directory
- Execute .\bootstrap.cmd
Debugging Tycho
In order to debug Tycho plugins inside Eclipse:
- Get Tycho sources in Eclipse
- create/get a project that highlight the bug
- Run the project with mvnDebug clean install
- Go into your Eclipse, use Debug > Remote Java Application, select port 8000
Advanced Topics
Executing integration tests in Eclipse
It is possible to start most integration tests directly from Eclipse. Note however that you will still need to build Tycho through a mvn install first whenever you have made changes to the Tycho code, e.g. using the bootstrap.cmd as described above. (Background: The integration tests trigger builds of test projects -- and these builds take Tycho from it's normal location, i.e. the local Maven repository.)
- The integration test builds use the settings stored in tycho-its/settings.xml (they don't use the default Maven settings.xml). If you have special requirements, e.g. for proxy settings, you can edit this file. Alternatively, you can point to a different settings.xml with the system property tycho.testSettings.
Writing integration tests
The hardest part for writing Tycho integration tests is the naming. While names are mostly important for readability, there were also cases where the ID "feature" was used multiple times and hence a test used the build result of a different integration test.
Therefore, here are a few tips for writing good integration tests:
- Test project name: Although most existing test have a bug number in the name, this is not the recommended naming scheme. Since integration test can take some time to execute, it may be a good idea to test related things in one test.
So name the test projects in a way that they can be found, and that related tests are sorted next to each other, e.g. in the form <feature>.<aspect>.
- Package: Should be org.eclipse.tycho.test.<feature>
- Test project groupIds: Should be tycho-its-project.<project.name> (plus a segment for the reactor in case of multi-reactor tests). The groupId is particularly important if the test project is installed to the local Maven repository. (Avoid install; use verify if possible.)
- Test project artifactIds: Should be the same as the ID of the feature/bundle; need to start with something unique, e.g. the first letters of each segment of the project name.
Building Tycho against a locally built version of p2
Tycho makes heavy use of p2 functionality. Therefore it may be useful to try out patches in p2 before the next version of p2 has been released. With the following steps it is possible to build Tycho against a locally built version of p2.
- Get the p2 sources (see Equinox p2 Getting Started for Developers)
- Make changes in the p2 sources
- (Temporarily) increase the versions of the changed p2 bundles, and require these versions in the tycho-bundles-external.product
- Build the changed p2 bundles individually with mvn clean install (a full p2 build with Tycho may not work; see bug 304594)
- Build at least the Tycho module tycho-bundles-external with mvn clean install
Then the locally built Tycho SNAPSHOT includes the patched p2 version.
Note: Tycho always allows references to previously built artifacts, even if they are not part of the target platform. Therefore you may want to clear the list of locally built artifacts (in the local Maven repository in .meta/p2-local-metadata.properties) after local changes a described above.


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Empowered Patient, a regular feature from CNN Medical News correspondent Elizabeth Cohen, helps put you in the driver's seat when it comes to health care.
When you've got so much information at your fingertips, it's easy to fall into an online wild goose chase.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- First-year medical students are some of the biggest hypochondriacs around. Bombarded with information about every disease under the sun, they start to imagine they have them all. In their minds, every mole is skin cancer. A nosebleed is surely a sign of a tumor. Headache? Must be skyrocketing blood pressure.
"People get terribly anxious," says Dr. Arthur Barsky, professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. "One woman who came to see me was convinced she had melanoma. She brought in 20 pages of color photos of various skin lesions, trying to figure out which one looked most like hers."
And now, because of the Internet, we can all be first-year medical students. We can all develop what's called "medical student syndrome." We get basic information, and not necessarily a lot of context, and we're off and running toward a conclusion that may be completely wrong.
Of course, health information on the Internet can be truly useful. But how do you know when you're using it constructively, and when you've gone off on a medical wild goose chase? "I think it's fairly easy to cross that line," says Robin DiMatteo, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside.
So how do you know when you've become a "cyberchondriac"?
You may be a cyberchondriac if ...
... you feel worse after Web surfing instead of better
"If research on the Internet helps to make you feel empowered, and engaged in a dialogue with your doctor, it's helpful," DiMatteo says. "But if it makes your heart rate go up, that's potentially problematic."
Or to put it another way: "If you feel more scared and confused after being on the computer for half an hour, that's not good," says Dr. Vicki Rackner, a surgeon and patient advocate.
... your doctor's reassurances don't help
"I don't have a problem with people fishing around on the Internet to see what diseases they might have," Barsky says. "For most people, a doctor's reassurances that they're fine is adequate. I worry about the people for whom that isn't enough, and whose concerns persist and go right back on the Internet."
... you move quickly from suspicion to conviction
If you quickly become convinced your shaking hands are Parkinson's disease, or your sore throat is an immune deficiency, you need to back away, our panel of experts says. Investigate your symptoms if you like, but leave the diagnosing to the doctors.
How to avoid becoming a cyberchondriac
Barsky suggests putting limits on your surfing right from the start.
"Plan in advance what you want to find out, what the question is you're trying to answer, and how much time you're willing to spend on it," he says. "If you find yourself exceeding those limits, you should ratchet it down."
Rackner has advice based on her own experience as a medical student.
"I was studying for an exam on the pancreas, and I became convinced I had a rare type of pancreatic tumor. I thought, 'I don't need to study because I'm going to die,' " Rackner remembers.
What snapped her out of it? A good night's sleep and an honest discussion with herself.
"When you're off on a medical wild goose chase, you disconnect yourself from your intuition. Ask yourself, do you really have this disease? The answer will almost always be 'no.' " E-mail to a friend
Elizabeth Cohen is a correspondent with CNN Medical News. Senior producer Jennifer Pifer and associate producer Sabriya Rice contributed to this report.


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Today's business leaders have a clear sense of where a better future lies for Canadians, especially those in Atlantic Canada. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce initiative Ten Ways to Build a Canada That Wins has identified a list of key opportunities Canada, and the Atlantic Region, can seize right now to "regain its competitiveness, improve its productivity and grow its economy." Competitiveness, productivity and growth are the three cornerstones of that vision for Canada at 150 and this much is also clear – it cannot be done without a K-12 and Post-Secondary education system capable of nurturing and sustaining that vision.
Yet the educational world is a strange place with its own tribal conventions, familiar rituals, ingrained behaviours, and unique lexicon. Within the K-12 school system, educational reform evolves in waves where "quick fixes" and "fads" are fashionable and yesterday's failed innovations can return, often recycled in new guises.
Today's business leaders –like most citizens–also find themselves on the outside looking in and puzzled by why our provincial school systems are so top down, bureaucratic, distant and seemingly impervious to change. Since Jennifer Lewington and Graham Orpwood described the School System as a "Fortress" maintaining clear boundaries between "insiders and outsiders" back in 1993 not much has changed. Being on an "advisory committee" gives you some access, but can easily become a vehicle for including you in a consultation process with pre-determined conclusions determined by the system's insiders and serving the interests of the educational status quo.
Provincial education authorities, pressed by concerned parents, business councils and independent think tanks like the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies (AIMS) have embraced standardized testing in the drive to improve literacy and numeracy, fundamentals deemed essential for success in the so-called "21st century knowledge-based economy." Student testing and accountability may be widely accepted by the informed public, but they are far from secure. Provincial teachers' unions remain unconvinced and continue to resist standardized testing and to propose all kinds of "softer" alternatives, including "assessment for learning," "school accreditation," and broadening testing to include "social and emotional learning."
Two decades ago, the Metropolitan Toronto Learning Partnership was created and, to a large extent, that education-business alliance has tended to set the pattern for business involvement in public education. Today The Learning Partnership has expanded to become a national charitable organization dedicated to support, promote and advance publicly funded education in Canada. With the support of major corporate donors, the LP brings together business, government, school boards, teachers, parents, labour and community organizations across Canada in "a spirit of long term committed partnerships." It's time to ask whether that organization has done much to improve student achievement levels and to address concerns about the quality of high school graduates.
A change in focus and strategy is in order if the business voice for education reform is to be heard and heeded in the education sector. Our public school system is simply not good enough. Penetrating the honey-coated sheen of edu-babble and getting at the real underlying issues requires some clear-headed independent analysis. We might begin by addressing five significant issues that should be elevated to the top of the education policy agenda:
- declining enrollment and school closures – and the potential for community-hub social enterprise schools,
- the sunk cost trap — and the need to demonstrate that education dollars are being invested wisely,
- the future of elected school boards — and alternatives building upon school-based governance and management,
- the inclusive education morass — and the need to improve intensive support services;
- the widening attainment-achievement gap — improving the quality of high school graduates.
In each case, in-depth analysis brings into sharper relief the critical need for a business voice committed to major surgery –educational restructuring and curriculum reform from the schools up rather than the top down.
The education system in Atlantic Canada, for example, has come a long way since the 1990s when the whole domain was essentially an "accountability-free zone." Back in 2002, AIMS began to produce and publish a system of high school rankings that initially provoked howls of outrage among school board officials. Today in Atlantic Canada, education departments and school boards have all accepted the need for provincial testing regimes to assess Primary to Grade 12 student performance, certainly in English literacy and mathematics.
Prodded and cajoled by the annual appearance of AIMS's High School Report Cards, school boards became far more attuned to the need for improvement in student achievement results. While we have gained ground on standardized assessment of student achievement, final high school examinations have withered and, one -by-one been eliminated and graduation rates have gone through the roof, especially in the Maritime provinces. Without an active and engaged business presence, provincial tests assessing student competence in mathematics and literacy may be imperiled. Student assessment reform aimed at broadening the focus to "social and emotional learning" poses another threat. Most recently, a Nova Scotia School Transitions report issued in June 2016 proposed further "investment" in school-college-workplace bridging programs without ever assessing or addressing the decline in the preparedness of those very high school graduates.
Today, new and profoundly important questions are being raised: What has the Learning Partnership actually achieved over two decades? What have we gained through the provincial testing regimes — and what have we lost? Where is the dramatic improvement in student learning that we have been expecting? If students and schools continue to under-perform, what comes next? Should Canadian education reformers and our business allies begin looking at more radical reform measures such as "turnaround school" strategies, school-based management, or charter schools?
Where might the business voice have the biggest impact? You would be best advised to either engage in these wider public policy questions or simply lobby and advocate for a respect for the fundamentals: good curriculum, quality teaching, clear student expectations, and more public accountability. Standing on the sidelines has only served to perpetuate the status quo in a system that, first and foremost, serves the needs of educators rather than students and local school communities.
Revised and condensed from an Address the the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, June 6, 2017, in Summerside, PEI.


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(KCPW News) Salt Lake City is now home to a six-foot-tall baby girl… who happens to be a giraffe. The new giraffe was born at Hogle Zoo a week and a half ago and is now out for everyone to meet. Primary Giraffe Keeper Cindy Segneri says Kipenzi, the nine-year-old mother, was pregnant for 14 months before starting to deliver while out on exhibit.
"Her birth was pretty sudden," Segneri said. "About 11:30 we got a call over the radio that there was a little foot coming out. We pretty much don't do anything though, mama was outside on exhibit, a nice sandy surface so that was an ideal place for the baby to be born since when the baby is born it does drop out about five feet onto the ground."
The zoo hasn't picked out a name for the baby giraffe yet. In fact, they have haven't even weighed her. Keepers say they try to not interfere with the mother and baby bonding during the first several days. But, they say her personality has already started to come out.
"She is very curious, very curious about everything," Segneri said. "We have a radio playing for her. It appears that she likes country music. She focuses in on the radio when country music is playing and not when other stuff is playing."
There are now four giraffes at the zoo. Riley, the father was sent to the Oregon Zoo a few months ago due to limited space while construction begins for the African Savannah, a new expansion at Hogle Zoo. He will return once construction is complete in 2014.
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Timothy looked at the horizon. Far, far away he could see the blue sky meet the ground. That was where he was going. That's where the answers lay.
He walked. He walked and he walked and he walked and he walked. The days became weeks. The weeks became months. Then one day he was finally there. The end of the world.
He could see clouds rise from the ground, moving up on the blue velvet covering the earth in a majestic half sphere. It seemed even bigger from here, the sky. He walked closer. His heart started beating faster. All his wonders, all his beautiful dreams. They were here.
He touched the sky.
It moved strangely, like liquid, yet firm. Its surface made waves around his hand. Tears were running down his cheeks, touching the edges of a bright smile.
He needed more. He needed to know what was behind the velvet. Behind the sky. Outside the world.
He tried to cut it. The fabric covered his knife, avoided it like liquid. He tried to jump at it, to fall through. He bounced back, gently, softly.
He started walking again, this time he followed the edge. As the sky by his side darkened, beautiful stars came up from the ground, shining brighter than he'd ever imagined. He touched them. They were warm, but not too warm. If he walked too far, he would arrive at the place the sun goes up. He didn't think it would be a pleasant place.
In the early morning he found a crack in the velvet. Like two curtains hanging close to each other. An opening to the furthermore. With shaking steps he moved closer. He took hold of one of the edges, and pulled it a bit aside.
There was nothing there. Nothing at all. Not even darkness. Not even a void. Nothing he could see. Nothing he could understand. Nothing.
He hadn't expected that.
He sat down on the ground, looking into the hole in the sky, confused and disappointed. He turned around, looked at the world he knew. For a long time he sat there. The sun went down and up again.
He got up on his feet. It was time to get home. His little sister was waiting.


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Author: Tara Sim
Narrator: Gary Furlong
Length: 8h 50m
Publisher: Forever Young Audiobooks
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release date: Feb. 14, 2017
Two o'clock was missing.
In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.
It's a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.
And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny's new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower's clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield's time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he's fought to achieve.
But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he'll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.
Buy on Audible/Amazon
Tara Sim is the author of Timekeeper (Sky Pony Press) and can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she's not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, and check out her website at tarasim.com.
Gary Furlong grew up in Wexford, Ireland. Throughout his life he has worn many a hat: He has worked as a teacher in Niigata, Japan; a puppeteer in Prague; an improv artist in Memphis, Tennessee; and as a singer and actor all over Ireland. He started narrating audiobooks in late 2015 and hasn't looked back.
Gary made his acting debut in the musical Godspell as a student. Since then he has pursued acting both on the amateur and professional circuits. Notable roles include Tom Collins in Bare Cheek's production of Rent in 2010.
Over the course of his five years in Japan, he was an actor, director, and audio producer. It was during this time that he discovered his interest in audiobooks and voice-over.
He now works full-time as an audiobook narrator and voice actor from his home in Ireland.
Timekeeper Giveaway #1
Timekeeper Giveaway #2
Mar. 19: The Book Keeper's Secrets (Review, Spotlight, Audio Excerpt & Interview)
Tales of the Ravenous Reader (Spotlight, Audio Excerpt, Guest Post & Giveaway)
Mar. 20: Reading for the Stars and Moon (Spotlight, Audio Excerpt, & Giveaway)
Next Page Please (Review & Giveaway)
Mar. 21: Candid Ceillie (Review & Interview)
Gota Love Books (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)
Mar. 22: BookstacksAmber (Review)
Mar. 23: Book Crushin (Review, Spotlight, Audio Excerpt, & Giveaway)
Lilly's Book World (Review)
Mar. 24: The Desert Bibliophile (Review, Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)
BookstacksAmber (Interview)
Mar. 25: Chapter Break (Review, Spotlight, Audio Excerpt, Interview & Giveaway)
Mar. 26: Dab of Darkness (Review)
Blogger Nicole (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)
Mar. 27: The Madhouse (Review & Giveaway)
Mar. 28: Rolo Polo Book Blog (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)
Mar. 29: Mama Reads (Review & Guest Post)
Mar. 30: Novel Ink (Review)
Mar. 31: Glorious Panic (Review & Giveaway)
Apr. 1: The Broke Book Bank (Review)
A New Look On Books (Spotlight, Audio Excerpt, Guest Post & Giveaway)
Apr. 2: Jories Loves A Story (Review & Interview)
Apr. 3: The Hermit Librarian (Review)
Up Til Dawn (Spotlight & Audio Excerpt)
Apr. 4: Here's to Happy Endings (Review)
My World In Words and Pages (Review & Giveaway)
Apr. 5: Hall Ways (Review & Giveaway)
terriluvsbooks (Review & Interview)
Apr. 6: A Book and A Latte (Review)
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Apr. 8: Zach's YA Reviews (Review)
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Avery went to a school where she was one of three black girls, and the only one to wear her hair naturally curly. In a class full of girls with long, straight blonde hair and blue eyes, Avery hated her "crazy curly hair" and brown eyes. "Their kind of beauty, to me, is more beautiful than the beauty I had," she says. It wasn't until she met her best friend Emma that she changed her mind.
In a video for a campaign called "Words," created by the nonprofit organization I Am That Girl, Avery shares how Emma told her something when they first became friends that helped her to embrace her natural hair.
"The first time I saw you in a room full of people, you were the only one that stood out. The way you stood out, and you were different than everybody else, that's when I knew I wanted to be friends with you," Emma said to Avery. How sweet is that?! Now that's a true BFF!
More From Seventeen
"Words" is a campaign meant to empower young girls and build up their self-confidence through sharing their personal experiences about how they worked through their beauty and body image issues. Click here to view more inspiring videos from the "Words" campaign, and watch Avery's video below!
How has your best friend helped you to feel more confident? What helps you feel confident in your own skin? Let us know in the comments!
The 9 Stages You Go Through When Transitioning From Relaxed to Natural Hair
The Real Girl's Guide To Rocking Your Natural Hair


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Danau Segara Anak is a volcanic lake formed in the caldera of Mount Rinjani on over 2,000 meters above sea level. The lake spans across an area of 11 square kilometers, and reaches depths up to 230 meters. Danau Segara Anak is located on the west side of Mount Rinjani in the village of Lawang Sembalun in Lombok, East Indonesia. The mystifyingly blue colour of the lake gives Segara Anak its name: Small Ocean.
The trek from the Senaru Village, and through the crater to Danau Segara Anak takes two days and a night. It begins with a hike through a lush, tropical rainforest, and up the mountain to the rim of the crater. The trek to the Senaru rim is a challenging climb up steep terrain and high cliffs, but the exhaustion is well rewarded by the breathtaking panoramic view of the sun setting over Mount Rinjani, Bali and the Gili Isles on the horizon, and the dazzling blue waters of Segara Anak glistening hundreds of meters below. The top of the crater is a popular camp site for both foreign and domestic tourists on this journey to spend the night. It is advisable to set a morning alarm so as not to miss the magnificence of dawn from atop Rinjani.From the crater's rim, it is a sharp descent of about 600 meters to Danau Segara Anak.
Part of Segara Anak flows down a steep ravine forming one large waterfall and several smaller ones. There are also four natural hot springs in the lake which are said to hold magical healing powers, and many make the climb solely for medicinal purposes.
Despite its high altitudes, taking a dip in the lake is not as cold as one might imagine. 2,010 meters above sea level, the surface water of the lake is unusually warm for such heights, at about 20-22 degrees Celsius—well above the mountain's "room temperature," which is about 14-15 degrees Celsius.
Between 2008 and 2009, researchers of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation as well as UniversiteLibre de Bruxells conducted a geochemical and thermodynamic study on Segara Anak. The tests showed several leaks in the volcanic system of Gunung Baru; the cone in the center of the lake. These leaks from the magma chamber seep a large supply of hot water into Segara Anak, indicating a direct relationship between volcanic activity and the lake's high temperature. The geochemical composition of the hot water showed a number of elements such as chloride, sodium, potassium, and sulphate. Although rich in elements, rainwater that enters the lake assists in thinning its chemical content. Segara Anak also maintains excellent circulation, and is therefore not harmful to life.
Lake water circulation takes place when the density of the water is higher at the surface than at the base. Rainwater has a higher density than the hydrothermal water, and therefore moves downward, while waters from the hydrothermal vent move up. This is an on-going process providing well-mixed water and bringing the acid level of the lake to neutral—suitable for breeding fish.
In 1969, volcanologists from the Directorate of Geology, (London,) examined the lake and recommended the cultivation of fish. At that time, there were no fish in Segara Anak. In 1985, the Nusa Tenggara Barat provincial government finally began breeding fish in the lake. The fish bred rapidly and the lake is now home to millions of tilapia and carp, making Segara Anak not only a popular spot for fishing, but some locals of the area even make a living from this.
In the 1980's, the areas surrounding Segara Anak pulsated with wildlife. Grouse, hornbill, and barking deer thrived around the lake. Several species of monkey could be found in the forests, including the rare black ebony leaf monkey, and the black crested macaque, indigenous to Indonesia. But human intervention has changed the ecology of the lake. With more and more people climbing up the mountain and into the lake, more and more species have begun to disappear. Initially, people only caught fish, but then grouse, which soon led to deer hunting as well. Now few grouse remain, and the deer are no longer found along the route. It is estimated that only a hundred or so remain.
In 1998, Danau Segara Anak was immortalized in paper money on the ten thousand rupiah bill.
Like other crater lakes around the world, Danau Segara Anak was born of a violent past, celebrates a brilliant present, and has the potential to lead to a catastrophic future. Yet we remain fascinated by its origin, splendour and unique existence.


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Amy Winehouse Died of Alcohol Poisoning, New Inquest Confirms
A new inquest into the death of Amy Winehouse concluded that the singer died of alcohol poisoning, The Associated Press reports. The finding was idential to the original inquest in 2011, though the first was annulled last year after it emerged that the coroner who conducted it wasn't properly qualified.
This time, coroner Shirley Radcliffe ruled Winehouse "died as a result of alcohol toxicity." Radcliffe recorded a verdict of death by misadventure and confirmed there were no suspicious circumstances.
A postmortem indicated Winehouse had a blood alcohol level of 0.4, and a pathologist told the inquest the singer likely suffered respiratory arrest from the high levels of alcohol. Another doctor said Winehouse had successfully given up drugs but still struggled with drinking, going through periods of abstinence and binging. Winehouse had quit drinking for almost two weeks, but broke her dry spell a few days before her death.
Amy Winehouse was found dead at her London home on July 23, 2011. She was 27.


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Last Call for Distinguished Service Award Nominations
World Council to present top global credit union honors in Gdańsk, Poland
MADISON, Wis. — Time is almost up to nominate individuals and organizations for World Council of Credit Unions' Distinguished Service Award. Nominations for the global credit union movement's top individual and organizational honors are due no later than March 30, 2012. The award will be presented during World Council's World Credit Union Conference, July 15–18, in Gdańsk, Poland.
The DSA honors the exceptional achievements of individuals and organizations whose activities have furthered World Council's vision of "improving people's lives through credit unions." Individual recipients may be World Council member organization officers, directors or representatives; international credit union pioneers; field technicians with long and outstanding service records; or individuals whose actions have benefitted global credit union development. World Council presents up to three individual awards in a single year.
Institutional recipients may be organizations or agencies that have assisted with developing international credit union movements and service infrastructures over an extended period of time. World Council presents only one institutional award each year.
For more information on the DSA and to download a nomination form, visit www.woccu.org/recognition. Nominations must be made by a World Council member organization (see www.woccu.org/members) by March 30, 2012.
For more information on the 2012 World Credit Unions Conference, please visit www.LetsGdansk2012.org.
World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) is the global trade association and development agency for credit unions. WOCCU promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. WOCCU advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
WOCCU has implemented more than 275 technical assistance programs in 71 countries. Worldwide, 53,000 credit unions in 100 countries serve 188 million people. Learn more about WOCCU's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.


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Boffins in Edinburgh, Scotland have discovered that a single mutated gene in male mice can inhibit the last stages of sperm development, thus inducing infertility. As a result, we are that much closer to hormone-free, reversible, and surgery-free male contraception.
Researchers discovered the gene by inducing random mutations in the genetic code of a group of mice, then singling out those who became infertile. Their research, published in PLoS Genetics, led them to the Katnal1 gene, which controls the production of proteins necessary for maintaining the structural integrety of sperm cells (i.e. the cytoskeleton). The old adage in design states that form should follow function, but in this case, formless sperm actually have no chance of functioning.
The fact that the Katnal1 gene comes into play very late in the sperm-production process means that it can be altered without affecting the production of genetic material of the sperm. This also means that any treatment targeting this gene would have a higher chance of being reversible. After all, there are plenty of ways to irreversibly render yourself infertile already available.
To be clear, this doesn't mean that we'll soon be seeing a male birth control pill based on this discovery on pharmacy shelves anytime soon. But researchers are hopeful that this is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, you'll just have to wait it out, unless you want to perform random mutagenesis on your crotchal area with lasers or something and hope for the best. (Please don't). [PLoS Genetics via BBC]
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
Image by Mikael Colville-Andersen/Flickr


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