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Lt. Gov. Newsom: Stop high-speed rail, redirect money
Newsom once backed California's high-speed rail project
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, once a strong supporter of California's high-speed rail project, says he has changed his mind and no longer backs it.
Newsom's comments Friday make him the most prominent Democrat in California to publicly split with Gov. Jerry Brown on the project, one of the governor's top priorities.
Newsom was asked about the $68 billion plan during an appearance on the Ben Shapiro Show on Seattle's KTTH radio.
He says he supports taking $9 billion in voter-approved bonds from the rail project and redirecting it to "other, more pressing infrastructure needs." He also says he's one of only a few Democrats willing to speak publicly against it.
Brown has continued to back the bullet train even as questions grow about how the state will pay for it.


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It's a tricky thing, choosing an online handle. You've gotta stick with it forever, so the dumb inside joke or ironically stupid insult you choose will be your name forevermore.
The Week In Games: Fishing For Mysteries And Gang Wars
As a general rule, Blizzard gives users a one-time-only chance to change their mind on their "BattleTag." But, given that a good number of people who played the beta of Diablo III may have used that chance already, they've extended the privilige to all their users a second time. So, if you're still not happy with your battletag, you can hop on into your account settings page and change it again.
Man, I wonder how many people have tried to change their Battletag to "Error" in the hopes of landing Error#3737.
Battletag: Free Name Change Update [Blizzard forums]

subset: commoncrawl


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(C2/MP) Build 650 (rev latest)
See Uruguay
Volunteer in
Top wiki pages
- Weekly zine, OLPC:Wiki News, OLPC:News, Repair_centers, Peripherals
- Hardware Specs, Keyboard shortcuts, Logs
- dev, teamwiki
Volunteers start here:
XO addons:
- Top activities: elements, xo-get, XoIRC, Speak, DrGeo, Clock, Doom, Colors!
- Top Linux commands: Firefox, Opera, rsync , mc, thunar, xeyes, xawtv
- My own projects: Activities , Linux Scripts , Templates,
Wiki clean up:
- Wiki cleanup, Wiki Page Restructuring Common Room, Table of Contents, Category:drafts
- Glossary, Site map, Content stamping, OLPC:Wiki News, Sugar_Control_Panel, User boxes
- Special:Newpages,
Top offsite
- XO Map , Roadmap, OSUOSL.org, Nepal, Learning Org, current build#, Solar drinking water, Stumbleupon
My notes
- Some wiki Templates I've added:
- G1G1: Seeding Mongolia (10K), Haiti (1K), Rwanda (1K), Ethiopia (1K), Cambodia (1K), and Afghanistan (1K).
My Background
Summary Details
- Name: ixo or iainD or iain or guy with funny hat
- Location: Bellingham, WA, USA
- (Pacific Northwest: between Vancouver, BC, Canada and Seattle, Washington State)
- Proud owner of a Nov 12th, G1G1 OLPC - XO-1 Laptop (MP) - arrived Dec 20th 2007.
- (also purchased another one for local relative, 2 laptops were donated via G1G1 program)
- Regional XO Repair center (4+ XOs in various stages of repair)
- Recycler and eWaste Manager: 30+ years
- IT Manager and Consultant: 20+ years
- Server/Services Management: 15+ years
- Volunteer with local non-profit organizations: 10+ years.
- Web 2.0 / Website development: 8+ years
- Wiki management / user: 7+ years
- Linux 'sysAdmin'/User experience: Debian, RedHat, Ubuntu/Kubuntu, OpenSuSE
Odd factoid
- Has Museum of Technology: 3 rooms filled with historical and unique technology.
- Examples: IBM PC (286/386), Tandy 1000, Apple IIe/MacPlus/MacSE/MacIIcs/IIe,
- Commodore C64/Amiga/Pet, Atari 2600/7800, iPortal, Vectrex, etc .
- Mac Plus, SE, SE/30, IIci, IIgs, Performas, iMac 350/500, etc.
- i386/i586: PI 166, PII 400, PIII 800/1G, P4 1.8/2.4/2.6, AMD, and others....
Further details
- More available: http://notes.homelinux.org/index.php/User:IainDavidson
- Full Resume: http://resume.homelinux.org
Offsite linkages
- Assoc of Bellingham Neighborhoods: http://aobn.org
- RE Sources : http://RESources.org
- Womencare Shelter : http://WomencareShelter.org
- One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) XO Laptop: http://laptop.org
- Free Geek : http://freegeek.org
- 10 Dollar e Reader : http://wikibox.googlepages.com/home
- Stumbleupon image-blog: http://Iain-Davidson.stumbleupon.com
- time zone array
XO Sightings
2008 Travels By ixo, Jan 21-27th, 2008. Costa Rica, July 29-Aug 3rd : Glacier Bay Alaska
Very open minded, and always interested in hearing ideas, suggestions, or feedback. Please leave a message on my talk page or just start up a conversation. Preferred sharing license:


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Columbus, Ohio Haunted House - Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres
By Hauntworld Magazine
TO FIND MORE HAUNTED HOUSES IN OHIO CLICK HERE ... https://www.hauntworld.com/ohio_haunted_houses
Are you ready to learn all the details about one of America's sickest, most over the top, craziest and most outragous haunted attraction then prepare yourself. Columbus, Ohio is home to Dead Acres aka Haunted Hoochie and this Halloween attraction is not only one of the scariest and best ultimate haunted houses in Ohio, and or Columbus Ohio but maybe all of America. When you visit haunted houses in Ohio you need to stop through Columbus Ohio to see one of America's most over the top haunted houses filled with hundreds of crazy actors trying to scary the life out of their customers. Ohio haunted houses are some of the best in America including real haunted houses to the scariest haunted attractions. Now prepare to enter the sickest haunted house in Ohio. To Learn more about Columbus, Ohio's Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres visit their websit below:
Roaming with heavy footfalls through the haunted industry for decades is a haunt whose mere name sends bolts of controversy down broken spines. This gallery of gore stomps in the mouth of good taste and has embraced being a disgrace. It's a haunt that learned long ago…it's just too much fun being bad. Now, let's peal back the flesh of secrecy on this rogue haunted venue, and see what spews out. It's time to slice off your eyelids and get ready to gaze into the unflinching world of the infamous Haunted Hoochie in Columbus, Ohio near Lancaster in a town called Pataskala, Ohio.
The Haunted Hoochie has been fracturing young hearts and minds for 20 years. Its origins are rooted fifty years into the past as one of the first haunted hayrides. This pioneering event in haunted history was produced by Dead Acres owner/operator, Frank Dixon, Tim May's grandfather. Taking the torch of terror into the next generation, Tim evolved the family tradition of haunting from a hayride into a haunted trail known as the Haunted Hoochie, and then eventually relocated it in 2003 into an enormous self-contained indoor haunt, simultaneously expanding the business into a complete fully functional Halloween festival scream park, aptly named Dead Acres, for its rustically aged farm location. Complete with hayrides, bonfires, Halloween themed parties and events, the face grinding Haunted Hoochie, as well as the all new mind bending 3D experience called Bad Trip 3D, Dead Acres has emerged as a perfectly realized total Halloween phenomenon. Manufacturing murder and synthesizing sickness for over 50,000 fanatically loyal Hoochie Heads each year, this intimidating October event quickly accelerated to the top of the haunting world. Recognized nationally as one of the best, Haunted Hoochie is unquestionably the most-extreme haunted house attraction in the nation.
Dealing out death in spades, Haunted Hoochie has become an old dog ever learning new tricks in a tireless journey of constant hell raising fun. Throughout the years, a code of misconduct has mutated into a sick fascination with suffering. Their shift from traditional spooky scares into a slick style of pain-induced fear shook the core of customers and painted each night red with gallons of blood. Long before Hollywood started pumping out their brand of pain in the likes of Saw or Hostel with the term "Gorno" coined, the Hoochie had been traveling down that flesh paved road for a decade. Their downpour of death rained down on the public in the form of their legendary sadistic stage skits.
A young customer base heading into the 21st century was being fed a constant stream of brutality through the internet and violent video games, and they hungered for more from their annual Halloween entertainment. Through monstrous staged acts of gore and violence, the Hoochie satisfied the public's growing lust for gore, slamming their fragile brains through the window of morality and never saying sorry.
The Haunted Hoochie and their one-of-a-kind illusions are made onsite from inception to creation, all original. The shock and awe they present blows people's minds, literally! A legendary Hoochie classic is the Shotgun Suicide. A fan favorite, it had been performed then locked in the Hoochie vault only to be brought back for a new generation to enjoy. One intense actor dashes out from the darkness armed to the teeth with a shotgun. He badgers his guests before swallowing the barrel and compressing the trigger in an explosion of brains that plaster the wall behind him. The revolting result is always splat-tacular with cheers and screams from the crowd.
Another morbid move by the Haunted Hoochie was the creation of their Demon Birth Illusion. This destruction of decency entails a pregnant woman stretched out on a gurney, hoisted in stirrups. She screams out in pain to extract the spawn of Satan growing inside her. A psychotic doctor accelerates the deliver by smashing a sledgehammer onto the woman's swollen belly. In an eruption of afterbirth, the demon fetus flies out across the room. The doctor swings it from its umbilical cord. The graphic nature of this illusion strips away any shred of ethics and dips it in acid.
An obsession with CHAINSAWS has infested this titan of terror since its creation. The sound of a sharpened chain tearing through mangled flesh is a symphony of screams to their ears. A long tradition of dissections of death with these angry machines is alive and well. Each year brings a new incarnation of carnage. Picture a victim tied to a chair while thrashing to free himself as a chainsaw wielding maniac leaps forward taunting his rope bound victim before slicing through skull and brain matter. Guests fall witness to some good old fashion skull splitting. Then without mercy, the killer reaches deep into the newly exposed gore, ripping out the still twitching spine only to lick at the slowly dripping spinal fluid. At the Hoochie, you feel the bone chilling grind of the saw at your feet and the stench of fumes burning your nostrils. These murder machines are in abundance throughout this malicious matrix, but strategically positioned as to maximize mayhem. Flying chainsaws zip through the air grazing over unsuspecting heads, dropping guest to the floor only to have even more blasting up from unmarked graves.
The circle of life comes to a crashing halt under the carbine blade of The Circular Saw. Another victim strapped to a table, inevitably his final resting place. His useless cries are overpowered by the screeching whine of the weapon that is his fate. The power tool rips through flesh and bone as it travels across his thighs, suddenly the cut through table falters to the floor taking with it two butchered legs, leaving only screams of pain and two bloody stubs.
Scenes like these have caused controversy and intense discussion in the industry, and at one time even had designers of the Haunted Hoochie questioning their corruptible conduct. But it was the fans that had and always will have the last say in what they want to see in their favorite haunted house. Not one complaint was filed. There were no pleas for more restraint. The extreme nature of this haunt is known far and wide. When people enter the Haunted Hoochie. they know what they're in for; they know what to expect. Anything less than over-the-top extreme gore would now be met with protest.
Here they do bad things to the human body in a glorified blood show, and that is what the Haunted Hoochie is known for nationwide. To lose any of that would be to lose their identity and betray the fans…no regrets, no apologies, no looking back. So many elite haunts have made their mark on this industry whether it be through characters, costumes, make-up, CGI, or dark religious undertones. The Hoochie's mark is branded into flesh and sealed with blood and gore. They choose to walk that path of pain and they do it oh so well! Extreme violence may be their trademark, but there is so much more to this haunt. The Haunted Hoochie is a well-rounded, fully functional mega haunt. With a 50,000 square foot haunt floor and over 100 trained actors, it packs the scares tight, one after the other…non-stop, and their onslaught is relentless, like a coiled snake ready to strike. With an army of animatronics from the best vendors in the industry, the actors pass the victims down the line like lambs to the slaughter.
Set design has always been essential too. Buckets of blood, black plastic and plywood simply won't cut it for Hoochie fans. Each of the over 50 scenes that reside at the Haunted Hoochie are meticulously constructed and drenched in realism. A team of 5 set designers work 10 months out of the year perfecting each individual underworld. They acquire relics from lifetimes lost to fill each scene, bringing patrons into the past, and simultaneously blasting them into the future of haunting.
Adrenaline rushing, this haunt delivers thrills, chills, and razor blade pills like no other. Dead Acres is one haunted attraction that is not afraid to cut you open just to see what makes you sick. Season after sinister season of record breaking attendance has verified the public's mania for murder, and Dead Acres has always been there to oblige. There's no substitute.
Dead Acres is the place to be for extreme haunting each Halloween season. Let gore's slimy grip possess you this year, and become one of the converted. Be a part of the legend that is the Haunted Hoochie at Dead Acres, the World's MOST EXTREME Haunted House. You may never be the same again!


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Wild Selections, a new line of Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified products has been launched by Bumble Bee Foods, and a portion of the sales will go to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in support of protecting marine life and promoting sustainable fishing practices.
The first of the new Wild Selections foods will be available at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels, and the company has agreed to 13 cents per can of food will go to the WWF. The company plans on giving a minimum of $1 million over the next five years to the fund, according to Chris Lischewski, president and CEO of Bumble Bee Foods. Albacore and lightmeat tuna will be the first available products, followed by salmon, clams, and sardines.
"The introduction of Wild Selections is a natural step in the work that Bumble Bee has been involved in to support responsible global fisheries management," Lischewski said. "As a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation working alongside WWF and other leaders in marine resource management, we saw a great opportunity to introduce a line of MSC-certified products that would help further our collective mission to promote sustainable fishing practices and to protect fisheries stocks for generations to come."
"The introduction of the MSC-certified Wild Selections product line demonstrates Bumble Bee's deep commitment to sustainable seafood," said Bill Fox, vice president and managing director of fisheries at World Wildlife Fund. "This new line provides consumers the confidence that their seafood was sustainably caught as well as the opportunity to contribute to improving the health of the world's oceans by supporting WWF's efforts to conserve marine life and secure sustainable fisheries."
This free webinar will inform attendees on the most significant updates and modifications in the new standard, known as E1527-21 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.


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Below you will discover a sellection of 3 bedroom Villas for sale in Surin Beach on Phuket island. Each Surin Beach 3 bedroom Villa is currently available for sale or re-sale. We also offer a best deal garentee on this 3 bedroom Villa, that's even if you already have a price, or found any other Villa in Surin Beach, or around Phuket, Thailand. If you want a better price simply drop us an email. Happy to help 🙂
* If there are no 3 bedroom Villas for sale in Surin Beach below please use the Phuket island in Thailand Villa search modual in the 'Search' section to find more. Thank you.
Surin Beach, Phuket island 1-3 bedroom Condo for sale with Foreign freehold / Leasehold ownership. Open plan living- & dining area and in Surin Beach on Phuket, Thailand.
3 bedroom / 2 bathroom Apartment located in Surin on Phuket island. Completion Status: Completed, and for sale price is: ฿8,900,000.
5 bedroom / 5 bathroom Villa located in Surin Beach on Phuket, Thailand. Completion Status: Completed, and av sellng price is: ฿65,000,000.
2 bedroom / 2 bathroom Apartment located in Surin on Phuket in Thailand. Completion Status: Completed, and for sale price is: ฿8,900,000.
3 bedroom / 2 bathroom Apartment located in Surin on Phuket island. Completion Status: Off-Plan, and for sale price is: ฿14,800,000.
1 bedroom / 1 bathroom Apartment located in Surin on Phuket island, Thailand. Completion Status: Off-Plan, and for sale price is: ฿2,700,000.
Surin Beach, Phuket, Thailand 1 – 3 bedroom Condo for sale with Foreign freehold ownership. Open plan living- & dining and in Surin Beach on Phuket, Thailand.
Surin Beach 4 bedroom Villa for sale with Leasehold ownership. Separate and 1Km (Surin Beach) in Surin Beach on Phuket.
Bang Tao Apartment development project offering two bedroom Apartments for sale in a secure community on Phuket for expat, families and retirees. With a starting sales price of only 5.500.000THB it's the best property for sale in the Bang Tao area of Phuket.
See all: Surin Beach properties for sale
Surin Beach property search
If you want to see simular Surin Beach 3 bedroom Villas, or Phuket in Thailand properties, but with different budget range, unit sizes or even a different property type such as: Eco friendly type property for sale in Surin Beach, a hospitality business, or any other Surin Beach Penthouse apartments for sale, or resale you can send us an email using our: Phuket island properties for sale email form.
More property sellections by 3 bed Villas and locations on Phuket in Thailand:
3 bedroom Villas for sale Ao Po
3 bedroom Villas for sale Bangtao
3 bedroom Villas for sale Patong
3 bedroom Villas for sale Cape Panwa
3 bedroom Villas for sale Cape Yamu
3 bedroom Villas for sale Chalong
3 bedroom Villas for sale Cherng Talay
3 bedroom Villas for sale Kalim
3 bedroom Villas for sale Kamala
3 bedroom Villas for sale Karon
3 bedroom Villas for sale Kata
3 bedroom Villas for sale Koh Kaew
3 bedroom Villas for sale Laguna
3 bedroom Villas for sale Layan
3 bedroom Villas for sale Mai Khao
3 bedroom Villas for sale Nai Harn
3 bedroom Villas for sale Nai Thon
3 bedroom Villas for sale Nai Yang
3 bedroom Villas for sale Patong
3 bedroom Villas for sale Phuket City
3 bedroom Villas for sale Rawai
3 bedroom Villas for sale Surin Beach
Surin Beach Villa and Phuket Property FAQ
Can a foreigner buy a 3 bedroom Villa in Surin Beach or Phuket island in Thailand?
The short answer is yes. Generally, the key requirements for buying a 3 bedroom Villa, or anywhere around Surin Beach on Phuket in Thailand are the following: A) A deposit of 10% to 20% of total price to be paid on the 'Promise of Sale' (before signing the final contract). B) A foreign buyer has two options: either a 30-year leasehold or purchasing the Villa through a limited company. Surin Beach 3 bedroom Villas can be purchased by foreigners as long as at least 51% of the building is owned by Thais. C) Stamp duty is normally 0.50% of the total price. D) Registration fee between 2% and 2.5% of total Surin Beach Villa price plus agent fee. It is also important to know that if you are a non-Thai citizen, you may be subject to specific regulations and in certain instances be required to hold a specific permit enabling you to acquire Surin Beach or Phuket Villas or property. This does not apply to Villas situated within special designated areas, such as developments on Phuket island.
Who pays for the Surin Beach Villa bedroom stamp duty on Phuket island, Thailand?
The On Phuket island in Thailand the 3 bedroom Villa in Surin Beach stamp duty is paid by the seller. The Villa stamp duty is generally paid at rate of 0.50%.
If I buy a 3 bedroom Villa in Surin Beach, or anywhere on Phuket is there any tax fees?
Yes. A withholding tax for the Villa in Surin Beach is levied at 1% of the declared amount, or the assessed value of the 3 bedroom Villa in Surin Beach in question, whichever is higher.
Is it safe drink water from the tap around Surin Beach or Phuket island, Thailand?
Personally I do NOT drink water from the tap on Phuket island, but they say you can. I buy bottled water from the local Surin Beach mini markets for drinking. I do though, as with other expats and locals around Surin Beach, brush my teeth with tap water, and use it for making tea / coffee etc, but only after boiling a few times. If you are unsure when you arrive to Surin Beach stick to the bottled water.
Where is the best places to watch the sunset on Phuket island, Thailand?
In my view the beach. Surin Beach is OK but the best places are: Promthep Cape (Laem Promthep), Big Buddha or Kata Rocks. Anywhere around the west / south side of Phuket in Thailand.
BIG question! How much is a print of beer or larger in Surin Beach or Phuket island?
The beer or larger costs around Surin Beach on Phuket island is: Domestic Beer (0.5 liter draught) is around 70 / 90.00฿ while Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle) will be around 100.00 ฿. Nightclubs, and higher end venues can be a lot more and supermarkets / mini markets will be a bit cheaper. Check out the 'Happy Hour' signs as you walk or drive by. Most bars will have them. I have known people on Phuket, Thailand island who only track these events and save a load of money. Everyone to his/her/their own right 🙂
What is the cheapest time to fly to or from Phuket island?
Book your flight to or from Phuket, Thailand at least 3 months in advance to find the cheapest flight deals. Saying this, check out our delas from Phuket island in Thailand below.
Can I pay for my flight to Phuket island in a differant currency?
When travelling and booking a flight from or to Surin Beach on Phuket our flight search module on our flights page, and all cheap flights from the module below, are in EURO (€) or $. To change the currency simply search or click either module and once you are on our flight offer pages you can change the currency by using the top-right scroll-down menu. Use the same system for changing the language.
What is the best days to fly to Phuket island, Thailand?
If you are flying to Surin Beach / Phuket island check for flights on weekdays to avoid weekend flight surcharges.
Are flight prices higher on Surin Beach / Phuket national holidays?
Bottom line is 'Yes'. This goes for national holidays in your own Country also. Try avoid flying in heavy traffic holidays by travelling from / to Surin Beach, or Phuket, Thailand before or after any major holidays.
Is there a smoking lounge at Phuket airport?
If you are flying to or from Surin Beach or anywhere on Phuket in Thailand there is a smoking room in Phuket International Airport in Thailand. In the departure lounge, and after immigration, its by a small coffee shop. Be warned. The smoking room is very small and even before you lite up it feels like you have already had 5 cigs 🙂
Is there WIFI Internet at Phuket International Airport?
Yes. You can get free Wi-Fi at Phuket island airport' by connecting to the airports access point. Simply log-in to the airport website, which pops up on your mobile/tablet browser once you arrive. As far as I know, or remember, there is also walled computers to use in the departure area also.
What else we offer
Flights to and from Phuket island in Thailand: We offer our guests to book a bargain priced flight ticket from and to Phuket island using our individual search and compare the island of Phuket bargain priced flight deals booking system.
Besides flights to Phuket island airport (HKT) in Thailand we also offer Thai residence, tourists and expats who live on Phuket to search for cut-priced flight tickets from Phuket island airport (HKT) each and every day! 🙂
Private Property Tours: If you looking to purchase a holiday home, a Surin Beach property, or you are simply searching for that cheap property bargin on the island of Phuket then we will make it all very easy for you. We also offer a quick 'Search & Find' Surin Beach property search system where you can simply send us a quick email before you arrive, and we will find the property and the best price for you.
Independent Surin Beach Vacations: We also offer you to book online Phuket, Thailand accommodations, staying at one of the many Villas, B&Bs, Apartments, self-catering homes from our Surin Beach Hotels search and compare system.


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NASA's newest Earth-watching satellite is beaming back spectacular views of our home planet – huge mosaics of many images stitched together at the highest-resolution yet obtained. But there's a bit of science mojo at work to create the stunning photos.
The new Earth photos, which NASA scientists have dubbed "Blue Marble" views, come from the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) satellite. The minivan-size spacecraft is the first of its kind: an Earth-observing satellite built to collect data for both short-term weather forecasts and long-term climate models.
The latest photo was released Thursday (Feb. 2) and shows the sharpest view yet of the Eastern Hemisphere as it appeared on Jan. 23. The continent of Africa dominates the view, with the Middle East and Asia stretching up toward the top of the frame.
In the image, the Earth is striped by four huge vertical lines created by sunlight reflecting off the ocean. It follows on the heels of NPP's portrait of the Western Hemisphere, which NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center released last week and has been viewed 3.1 million times on the center's Flickr photo-sharing website.
NASA launched the $1.5 billion Suomi NPP satellite in October 2011 on a mission to help monitor Earth's weather and natural disasters like volcanic eruptions, wildfires and floods. The breathtaking views of Earth from space are merely a byproduct of that science mission. [Amazing Earth Photos from Suomi NPP]
Here's how the satellite captures the amazing Blue Marble Earth photos:
The Suomi NPP satellite photographs the Earth from about 512 miles (824 kilometers) in a polar orbit (a path that passes over the North and South Poles). While that orbit seems high, it is still not high enough to fit the entire Earth in a single camera frame. For example, Suomi NPP's BlueMarble photos show the Earth as it would appear to an observer perched about 7,918 miles (12,743 km) away.
So to make the whole-Earth images, NASA scientist Norman Kuring combined Suomi NPP observations of the same parts of the planet taken over six different orbits, or passes, over the terrain during an eight-hour period. Kuring then stitched the data into a complete mosaic, creating one huge image of Earth.
The Suomi NPP satellite beams about 4 terabytes of data to Earth every day, mission scientists have said. That's enough photos of Earth to fill 800 DVDs.
The extreme clarity of the Blue Marble photos comes from Suomi NPP's Visible Infrared Radiometer Imaging Suite (VIIRS), which is a high-resolution sensor package designed to observe Earth in different ranges of the light spectrum. As the satellite orbits Earth, it snaps photos over a strip of the planet about 1,865 miles (3,001 km) wide.
The VIIRS instrument is the biggest and most important tool of the five instruments riding aboard the Suomi NPP satellite, mission scientists have said. It is designed to measure ocean color, surface temperature, fires on Earth, cloud distribution and the amount of particles called aerosols in the atmosphere.
The Suomi NPP satellite is named after the late meteorologist Verner E. Suomi, who has been hailed as the father figure of satellite meteorology. The spacecraft is expected to observe the Earth through at least 2016. The mission is conducted under a partnership between NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Defense.
You can follow Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.


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This waterbased liquid is specially designed for fog/smoke machines to
produce white, safe fog for entertainment use on stage, in a club or as
special effect. It has no unpleasant odour and leaves no oily residue.
Non-irritant and non-flammable. Reliable for performers and compatible
with the most fog machines.
Caution: Keep away from children! Do not consume!
Showtec Light Fog Fluid 5 Litre - Old Label
- Brand: Showtec
- Product Code: 60629
- Availability: In Stock
- £9.38
- Ex Tax: £7.00


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Microsoft has issued a quick temporary fix, described in KB Article 975497, for a recently disclosed flaw for 32-bit and 64-bit flavors of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, and Windows 7 Release Candidate (but not the RTM). The flaw, which is in Microsoft's implementation of Server Message Block 2 (SMB2, an extension of the conventional server message block protocol), can be exploited to remotely crash and restart computers running either of the operating systems. Microsoft is telling IT pros to utilize its automated "Fix It" tool for now to deal with the unpatched vulnerability; here are the "fix this problem" links: Disable SMB2 and Enable SMB2. An important thing Microsoft notes for these "Fix it" links is that although the wizard may be in English only, the automatic fix still works for other language versions of Windows.
When Microsoft issued Security Advisory 975497 in regards to the issue earlier this month, the company listed three mitigating factors and two workarounds for the flaw: disable SMB v2 and block TCP ports 139 and 445 at the firewall. The "Fix it" links make it easy to use the former workaround since using the Windows Registry Editor is no longer necessary. Disabling SMB2 may slow down SMB connections between the operating systems but it might be worth the minor hassle. Microsoft continues to emphasize that it is not aware of any in-the-wild exploits or any real-world attacks, though there is exploit code that works as described.
The software giant again voiced its concern that this report of a vulnerability was not responsibly disclosed, potentially putting computer users at risk. Redmond did not offer a date for when to expect the patch, but did say it is still working on it and currently it's in the testing phase. The product team has built packages that work correctly, but tests are still being run to ensure quality. The next Patch Tuesday is October 13, though it's still possible the company will release an out-of-cycle patch if the situation worsens (such as attacks being implemented). Once the patch is released, if you've disabled SMB2, you'll want to enable SMB2 again.


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Straight, Gay or Lindsay Lohan—we can all enjoy a good Lezebel. What is a Lezebel? She's a girl who likes girls who is liked by us girls at Jezebel, get it? Good, to the list!
8. Lindsay Lohan
Even though certain Jon Lovtiz look-alikes refuse to believe that La Lohan can willingly shack up with a lez lover, Lindsay seems happy and healthy with her DJing lesbian girlfriend/BFF, Sam Ronson. Although she won't publicly come out and announce that she is a full-blown lesbian, Lindsay proves that for some people, sexuality isn't a clearly defined "gay or straight" division.
Sustainable beauty
Caprea's Essential Organic PH Cleanser is just $10 with promo code TEN. Normally $19, this foaming face wash is crafted with organic Monoi oil. It's meant to target the production of oil secretion while protecting your skin against air pollution. Normally $19, you can save big on this richly-lathering face wash while supporting a brand that keeps the environment top of mind.
7. Sam Ronson
Okay, so she won't DJ at lesbian bars, but SamRon seduced America's Bad Girl to the Isle of Lesbos, instantly making her one of the most well-known lezzies in America. Ronson also spoke out against Proposition 8, turned Lindsay into a blogger and has such a cute "fuck it" attitude that you almost forget she is the daughter of a socialite.
6. Portia de Rossi
Portia didn't get a whole lot of press this year other than being Ellen's new wifey, but she did wear this awesome shirt recently. Now if she would just officially sign on for the Arrested Development movie she will be aces in our book.
5. Cynthia Nixon
God Bless a woman who could come out from the debacle that was Sex and the City: The Movie and not make us want to stab ourselves in the eyes. Nixon opened up about her previous battle with breast cancer in 2006 this year and even though she is "shocked" by her own lesbianism, she was totally the number 2 lez (after Ellen, naturally) for average middle-aged moms everywhere.
4. Maj. Margaret Witt
Major Witt, a former flight nurse, got national attention when she continued her fight against the U.S. military for dismissing her from her post because she is a lesbian. Standing up against the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy takes a lot of bravery, something you think the military would reward rather than meddling into the private lives of their soldiers.
3. Del Martin
The lesbian activist Del Martin passed away in August at the age of 87, but not before she got married to her longtime partner, Phyllis Lyon, in the first legal gay marriage in California on June 16 of this year.
2. Ellen Degeneres
As one of the most visible lesbians in Hollywood, a lot of people were looking to Ellen to spread a positive image of lesbians to middle America during this eventful year for gays and lesbians. And Ellen did not disappoint, when she wasn't making ol' Walnuts McCain get on the real Straight Talk Express or urging people to vote against Prop. 8 on her blog, she was marrying a bananas-hot babe and great actress and becoming a Cover Girl model. Damn, what didn't Ellen do this year?
1. Rachel Maddow
This was definitely Rachel Maddow's year: she got her own show on MSNBC and quickly became the star of the network with her sarcastic but smart insight into politics. We obviously love her and she is so awesome that even our boyfriends have developed a crush on her. She even got to pose in Vogue this month without having to wear Louboutins. Cheers, to Rachel!
Can you think of any other Lezebels who stood out this year? Name them in the comments section!


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At Rehabilitation Hospital of the Northwest, we are pleased to offer our patients the latest in rehabilitative technology through the Bioness® program. This allows us to enhance our patients' treatment options and results.
Latest Technology
LiteGait® is a gait training device that our staff uses to help patients comfortably walk in an environment free from falls. The system simultaneously provides proper posture, reduces weight bearing, eliminates concerns for balance, and helps in the training of lower body movement.
Its unique harness design creates and ideal environment for treating our patients who may have a wide range of impairments and ability levels. By allowing an increase or decrease in the weight-bearing load on the weaker side of the body, we may be able to begin gait training earlier in the rehabilitation process and at a lower weight-bearing level.
VitalStim® Therapy
The VitalStim® Therapy System is an FDA-approved, non-invasive, external electrical stimulation therapy provided to our patients who have dysphagia or trouble swallowing. The therapy is used in conjunction with swallowing exercises. By combining VitalStim and traditional therapy, we can accelerate strengthening, restore function, and help the brain remap the swallow.
Research supports the combination of these therapies to improve treatment outcomes. It has been shown to be safe and effective for patients, speed the recovery time from a restricted diet, and help patients achieve sustained improvements and long-term results.


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I want to ask a question.
You've written a book. What direction should you take? Should you concentrate all your energy into querying literary agents and wait for months with bated breath in the hope one asks for a nibble? Or should you take the plunge and go it alone down the e-book road?
I am a book lover. I love holding a book in my hands, to feel the paper rough between my fingers. I love my book case. I love dust jackets….oh God, I love books full stop. Doesn't everyone?
Up until now, I'd never considered owning a Kindle or Nook and, as an author, I couldn't imagine my books being in any other format other than paper. I never thought the Kindle would ever take off. After all, how do you ask an author to sign a computer screen?
But, am I behind the times?
A couple of days ago I read a story in the Evening Standard newspaper which kind of got me thinking. I reiterate 'kind of'. I'm not totally convinced, yet.
Most of you have probably already heard of Louise Voss. She was a struggling UK writer who couldn't find an agent, took matters into her own hands, and published her novel on Amazon's Kindle. She is now selling 50,000 books per month and has been offered a six-figure, four-book deal by publishers HarperFiction.
This also seems the case with writing duo Sarah Griffiths and Mark Williams, who write under the pen name Saffina Desforges. Their success on Kindle has led to discussions with a top New York agent.
We, as writers, already enter our stories into competitions and dedicate hours a week to social media so we can proudly boast our conquests to agents. Being able to brag at e-book sales is just another plus point, isn't it? As author Linda Regan told me last year, "Agents have to sell you as well as the book. You have to be interesting."
This all sounds super cool and easy, but is it? Going it alone sounds a mighty bit scary if you ask me. But, as I am the curious sort – and probably the only writer on planet earth that hasn't looked at e-book (or indie) publishing – I had a nose around the Amazon web site.
So, let's look at what I found.
If I was considering the e-book route, and let's just use Amazon for this example as it's the only site I looked at, I'd have to market the book myself. Okay, this I don't find scary. It's 2011 and I have Twitter and Facebook. Oh, and my good friend Kristen Lamb's social media book 'We Are Not Alone' to guide me through – it should be a doddle. Plus, I have Kristen's phone number and I know where she lives. She also taught me how to shoot a gun. There is nowhere she can hide 🙂
A big fat tick can go next to marketing.
What's next?
Huh? I saw something about an rtf file and as I save all my work that way, I think I can tick that one too. Moving on swiftly.
Books sell for as little as 96p on Amazon. How can anyone make any money from that?
Well, from what I can see, Amazon's cut is 30%. I'll round my book off at a £1 to make things easy, and because it's late and I can't be bothered to go fetch my calculator. I'll earn 70p from each sale. Hmmm, that's about the price of a chocolate Snicker bar these days, isn't it?
Right, so unless I sell a hundred thousand copies, I'll never be rich. Then again, writers don't write for money. They write for the love of it, so that doesn't matter.
(N.B. There is another plus point to this 96p Kindle e-book downloading, which is – I'd have saved a fortune on the rubbish Vampire Diary books).
Another tick.
Other bits worthy of a mention.
I retain the rights to my novel and, as the author, I'll have full control of the book cover, pricing, and well, absolutely everything.
Tick, tick, tick.
I've tried to find some horror stories on the web regarding e-publishing on Kindle, but there really aren't any out there.
So, that is why I am turning to my trusty followers. Have I missed something?
What do you think of e-publishing? Do you know anyone who has published on Kindle? Would you consider publishing your novel on Kindle? Have you already published on Kindle? What are your experiences? Do you know of any successes or, more importantly, have you heard any horror stories? Let me know.
You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Linkedin


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Ok, well perhaps not LITERALLY. But c'mon, anyone that watched really any sport (including boxing) knows that this weekend was off-the-charts-bananas! Franchise record with a no-hitter, 20 inning scoreless standoff, NHL and NBA playoffs, drunk drivers…
Here's a Hit & Run recap of the weekend's events after the jump.
First up – Ubaldo Jiminez of the Colorado Rockies. Not only did he get the first No Hitter of 2010, but he got the first for the Rockies franchise, ever. Definitely an impressive show in their 4-0 win, including a BANANAS catch by Dexter Fowler that had it not happened, Troy Glaus' hit looked to almost ruin the streak in the 7th.
In other news, there was the game that would NOT end, and I personally wasn't even able to watch it!! After listening to much of it on a car radio and regular radio, and hearing how many times the Mets blew it and then somehow got themselves out of SEVERAL jams, it's probably for the best that I couldn't see it, as I do spend a good amount of time screaming at sports on tv. Anyways, in a 2-1 victory over the Cards, everything was so ridiculous and topsy turvey – Santana pitched pretty solidly, but then in Mets vs. Cardinals part 2, somehow K-Rod blew the save and Big Pelf, that's right, Big Pelf got the save (he now leads the Mets pitchers with 2 wins and 1 save – not many pitchers ever can really say that).
We won't talk about the rest of the series because, well, the Mets are just a bit of a disappointment. There is, however, one thing of note (even though I had to suffer through the Sunday night ESPN game and Mr. Morgan) – as many of you know, your writer is from Buffalo and a big Buffalo everything fan. The Mets actually now have my own Buffalo Bisons as their farm team for AAA (!) and they've been looking to them to help out their often injured and seldom consistent defensive squad. Lucky for me, they chose to call up Tobi Stoner last fall, and ended up having to use him last night (since they more or less killed the rest of the pitching squad the previous night). Let's ogle him a bit, as I'm sure I'll be mentioning him in the future provided he proves himself as a decent option in the bullpen…
…and an action shot…
…and the booty shot!
In NHL news, obviously I have to gloat about my Sabres since they're playing game 3 tonight. Saturday's Game 2 was a disappointment with the Bruins coming out ahead 5-3, but even moreso because of the aptly named Johnny Boychuk coming after my man Vanek who is now out of tonight's game due to the "lower body injury" incurred. Here's hoping they can pull together and get this one without him!
Finally, I should probably touch on Basketball since they are in the playoffs (even though no team near me ever had a chance). While I may not necessarily enjoy actually watching basketball, I am still an equal opportunity ogler, thus was very concerned when I heard about Utah's Mehmet Okur. What ultimately ended in a 126-113 loss to the Nuggets, poor Okur tore his left Achilles tendon and now will not only miss the rest of the playoffs, but will likely be out from surgery for this summer's world championships (of course being held in his native country of Turkey). Get well soon, Memo!
That about does it for the bananas weekend edition of Hit & Run, but I did want to leave this on one final note; are there any other Bachelor AND sports nerdettes out there that happened to notice the resemblance between the Mets' John Maine and the last Bachelor Jake Pavelka?


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Even more Japonalia
Good news for those of you who couldn't get enough of my constant posts about Japan (all two of you) -- a reader named "Professor Solomon" writes to tell us he also enjoys spouting off about the country, and that he's done it in book form.
Across the sea is the land of Japan. With its ancient shrines, sumo wrestlers, Zen masters, capsule hotels, Laughing Festival, fortunetelling birds, haiku masters, phantom foxes, mania for bathing, musical crickets, tea masters, Living National Treasures, Moon Viewing Night, bowing etiquette, Festival of the Dead, dream-eating Baku, samurai films, Fuji pilgrims, and robots, it is unlike anywhere else in the world. Let me tell you about it." —Professor Solomon At last, the unknown Japan. The traditional Japan. The real Japan. In this erudite yet entertaining work, the Professor explores a Japan of which few of us are aware.
Better yet, it's a free download. If Japan isn't not your thing, the Professor apparently also has books on Coney Island, King Solomon, how to find lost objects (I need this one), and "how to make the most of a flying saucer experience" (not so much).


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Other than the exceptional view of Elliott Bay, room 272 at The Edgewater hotel seemed like most other high-class hotel suites in 1964.
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That is, until Aug. 21, 1964.
As soon as the guests departed, the carpet was pulled up to be sold in squares at a downtown Seattle department store. The bed sheets were removed and the lamps, chairs and king-size bed moved to other suites so future guests wouldn't try to steal them.
Some people believe that the one night the Fab Four stayed at the hotel actually saved the now-landmark building that many expected would be shut down in the 1960s.
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Even if there were other factors at work keeping the hotel open, many acknowledge that the Beatles' stay helped cement the Edgewater's place in Seattle history. Every week, current hotel staff say, at least one person asks about staying in that same room.
"Other than being on the water," sales and marketing director Ric Nicholson said, "now the Beatles and rock and roll history is what we hang our hat on."
Hotel takes a chance
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A few months after the Beatles set television ratings records by appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show, Feb. 9, 1964, it was announced they'd play in Seattle -- the third stop on their first U.S. tour.
The screaming that started at New York's John F. Kennedy Airport hadn't stopped in each subsequent city where the Liverpool group landed, and Seattle hotel owners were fearful of the riots and damage that could be done by crowds here.
"No one else would take them," recalled Ann Wright, whose late husband, Don Wright, was manager of what was then the Edgewater Inn. "He said, 'We'll get great publicity.'
"Nobody knew how big it really would be."
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Wright had been hired in 1962 and was expected to be the last manager of the hotel. It was created as a temporary building, meant to attract visitors for the 1962 World's Fair before codes prevented the practice of building hotels on Seattle piers.
But the hotel opened late. In 1964, Ann Wright said, there were too many staffers on high salaries and not enough visitors to support them. Her husband thought hosting the Beatles would help change course.
After he announced the group would stay there, the hotel insurance carrier dropped its coverage.
Ann Wright recalled that, in a rush, they found a local insurance carrier. The booking agency that brought the Beatles here, Northwest Releasing, tripled its liability insurance. The Edgewater paid $350 a day for three days of insurance.
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Don Wright had staff make a plywood fence festooned with barbed wire. King County Sheriff's deputies and Seattle police stood guard behind. Rowdy crowds launched rocks at Wright for prohibiting teenagers in the hotel.
Inside, three girls -- Patti Bernler, Theresa Puzzo and Jeannie McCullough -- had an unsuccessful sit-in after their reservations were cancelled. The recent Holy Names Academy graduates had made reservations at all the major Seattle hotels and showed up that Thursday night at the Edgewater. (Editor's note: McCullough is related to the reporter.)
An office manager told them they could stay if a parent stayed with them. But after Puzzo's mother offered to stay, the deal was revoked.
About 300 teens waited for the Beatles to land at Sea-Tac International Airport and when they did shortly after 4 p.m., police struggled to keep them from the Beatles' limousine.
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Neil Low, now a Seattle police captain, was 15 and visiting his dad at work. He remembers watching the limo drive down Wall Street to the Edgewater, where another group of roughly 300 girls were screaming.
"I could hear them from four blocks away," he said.
Inside Ann Wright's scrapbook is a photo of Paul McCartney escaping into the Edgewater's main entrance. At her Kent retirement home Thursday, she remembered the Seattle Police Harbor Patrol capturing girls who swam from West Seattle.
One teen paid a laundry man to try and sneak her inside. A hotel maid found two 16-year-old girls in a fourth-floor room, hiding under a bed. They were escorted out before getting close to the group, and begged a P-I reporter not to print their names.
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"Our folks think we're staying with friends," one said.
The Wrights' two daughters and their babysitter were the only young girls allowed inside -- and even they had to hide. Their father worried the crowd would turn ugly if they were seen inside.
"But they never knocked the fence down," Ann Wright said. "And we were surprised."
First rock concert at current KeyArena site
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Though accounts vary, more than 14,000 people packed into what was then the Seattle Center Coliseum.
At a press conference shortly before the 8:07 p.m. start, McCartney told about fishing from the window of their suite at the Edgewater. Drummer Ringo Starr said people kept yelling there were no fish. When the group said they didn't go up in the Space Needle, George Harrison said it looked better from the ground.
While the Beatles walked to their dressing room, a girl fell about 25 feet to the floor, sprawling next to Starr. She had crawled through an air vent, and when asked by the drummer if she was OK, silently got up and ran into the arena, according to a book about the tour.
Four opening acts filled nearly and hour and a half, and promoters kept the coliseum lights on in an attempt to subdue the crowd. It didn't work.
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When KJR disc jockey Pat O'Day introduced the group at 9:25 p.m., the crowd erupted in screams.
"We sat behind the stage and I remember screaming 'George! George!" said Denise Lynch of Olympia, then 11. "My sister liked Ringo so she was screaming for him."
On a side of the stage, which was guarded by Navy sailors and dozens of Seattle police, O'Day caught a look from George Harrison.
"George looked at me and he reached down and pulled the electrical plug out of the bottom of his guitar for a minute," he recalled in 2003. "And then he put it back in and kept playing and he shrugged like 'What difference does it make? No one can hear us anyway.'
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"But it was the phenomenon in that case of seeing the Beatles and being there and a release of all the excitement and the adoration for the group."
Fans hurled jelly beans at the group, and a radio reporter traveling with the band described it as like being in the middle of a ward for psychotics. Thirty-five people were treated by medics at the show, which O'Day said was the first rock show at that venue - now KeyArena. Two other teens were taken to a hospital with more serious injuries.
When the roughly 29-minute set finished, the group ran to an ambulance. The rest of their party traveled back to the Edgewater in Cadillacs.
Believing the Beatles were in one, crowds hurled themselves onto the roof.
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"The driver got out just in time -- just before the roof caved in from the sheer weight," former radio reporter Larry Kane recalled in his book "Ticket To Ride." "Thankfully, there were no passengers in the car yet as it was completely destroyed under the weight of frenzied fanatics."
Lasting publicity
Kane, the only American journalist in the Beatles' official press group, was told by John Lennon that he thought some hoodlums would sell their sheets and towels and carpet.
"We've got some plans, too," Lennon said.
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In his follow-up book, "Lennon Revealed," Kane claimed "(Lennon) and his Beatle buddies urinated on a carpet they were standing on to prevent people from seizing it and cutting it into pieces to sell as Beatles memorabilia."
Though that has been disputed locally, it appears Lennon may not have known the specifics of who planned to remove the carpet.
The orange-and-yellow shag carpet was pulled from room 272 and sold to MacDougall's, a now-defunct department store once on Second Avenue and Pike Street. The store president said that based on the success of the sale, a contribution would be made to what is now Children's Hospital Medical Center.
When the store had a special 9 a.m. opening, 60 teenagers were already in line.
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Ann Wright, who recalled all the proceeds going to Children's, said her husband had the sheets changed and furniture taken to other, undisclosed rooms so they wouldn't turn up missing.
One girl from Eastern Washington wrote him a letter at home asking for the toilet seat. Because it was a unique request, Don Wright tried to get it for her. But another manager had already given it to another girl who'd asked for it.
One man who claimed to be a barber -- but only got inside to have a drink at the bar -- sold hair clippings he said were from the Beatles to the girls on the fence outside.
Ann Wright, who recalls the Beatles being part of a 40-person traveling crew, said the hotel had to devote an entire room for the baked goods, fan letters, combs and other items brought for the band. The Beatles took a few things, but most the stuff went to Children's or was tossed.
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The attention continued for days, then weeks.
"That started the whole trend of bands staying there," Cathy Wright, the manager's youngest daughter recalled.
O'Day remembered the Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, Ray Charles, the Rolling Stones and several others all staying there -- many in suite 272. Led Zeppelin stayed at the hotel twice -- both infamous stays.
Room 272 is much different than it was 45 years ago. Now Beatles pictures are framed on the wall, a plaque marks the outside; and album covers are framed in the bookshelf.
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The hotel is holding a contest through Aug. 31, asking for the best Beatles memory. The grand prize includes a night in the "Beatles Suite" and dinner at the Edgewater's restaurant.
A night in the suite went for $72 in 1964. It now goes for $1,050 a night.
And every week, someone asks about it.
"Don knew we would get great publicity from having them," Ann Wright recalled. "And he was right."


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Deleting Files from the Repository
If you delete a file under version control, it still exists in the repository until deletion is committed. A deleted file is placed to the active changelist, and is displayed in grey font.
To delete a file
- Select a file in any navigation view, and press Delete, or choose Delete on the context menu.
- In the dialog that opens, you can opt to delete file without search for usages, or perform safe
delete, to make sure that you are deleting an unused file, by checking Safe delete
option. In this case, specify the refactoring options.
The encountered usages are reported in the Usages Detected dialog box. You can view and correct these usages in the Safe Delete tab of the Find tool window. The deleted files are added to a changelist.
- Commit changes to the repository.
See Also
Last modified: 20 April 2016


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Joystiq has an interview with Ken Levine, Lead Designer for Bioshock. He answers a few questions about the problems with the PC version of the game, including the SecuROM DRM controversy.
As the Lead Designer, I'm willing to bet Ken wanted nothing to do with SecuROM, and would have been happy to see his game hit the market without it. SecuROM is the doing of 2kGames, the publisher. But now that the fans are outraged, pissed off, returning the game, and flaming the company in the forums, 2kGames is sending Ken out to pacify the crowd. What a rotten and cynical move. I guess they realize that anyone from their own company is going to be given more or less the same greeting and respect as the Mouth of Sauron, and so by using Ken as their mouthpiece they hope to trade on the goodwill and trust he's earned with the fans over the years. Can you imagine how that phone conversation went?
2kGames Bastard: Hi Ken.
Ken Levine: Hello again, your evilness.
2kGB: Hey, remember that SecuROM stuff you didn't want in your game?
Ken: Yes.
2kGB: Yeah. We need you go go out and explain to people why we did that.
Ken: Uhhh.
2kGB: Your fans are really mad. If something isn't done soon it's going to really hurt the sales of your BallShock thing.
Ken: BioShock.
2kGB: Yeah. Great. I'm sure it's great. Just get out there and make them want this game.
Ken: Okay. They have some real genuine issues here. What have you done so far to appease them?
2kGB: Well, we're sending you.
Ken: Right. Besides that.
2kGB: Nothing, really.
Ken: Okay. So what should I tell them?
2kGB: I can't imagine. Anyway, good luck with that. Let us know how it goes.
Let's step through his comments a bit at a time. When asked about the copy protection used by BioShock, Ken said:
This is the best part of the interview: A useful list of other titles to avoid. It's not clear to me, but I gather that what he's saying is that all those other games have SecuROM, while BioShock has SecuROM and online activation. The fact that SecuROM is installed without the users knowledge is an important distinction which gets glossed over here. (And actually, BioShock has SecuROM and Steam DRM and a CD key and the disc is required to play and it requires online activation.)
Later Ken adds:
And this one makes me mad. "This DRM scheme is just a little worse than previous schemes" is a preposterous excuse that ignores the principles behind the matter. Don't install things onto the user's computer without asking. Don't install things that can't be uninstalled. Don't install things which circumvent security. Don't leave a process running 24/7 unless you have a really good reason. (A 24/7 process to manage access to a piece of software that will be run for about twenty hours and then ignored is not a good reason.)
So 2kGames is promising that at some undefined point in the future they will release a patch that will negate the need for online activation. Since they were devious enough to sneak SecuROM onto user's PC's in the first place, their word is a currency of rapidly declining value. Ken is talking tough, like he's going to make 2kGames do the right thing, but the truth is that if he had any power over the publisher then the DRM software wouldn't have been added to the game in the first place. He's as impotent as the users when it comes to the fate of the game.
And even if 2kGames lives up to this agreement, this is only a fraction of the problem. People will still have this Windows "service" running on their machines without their consent, they will still have malformed keys in their Windows registry, and they will still have to put up with all of the other layers of DRM in addition to SecuROM. 2kGames hasn't budged an inch. All they have done is sent a famous and well-liked game designer out to make a non-binding promise on their behalf that at some point in the future they will abuse their customers slightly less.
Mass Effect 3 Ending Deconstruction
Did you dislike the ending to the Mass Effect trilogy? Here's my list of where it failed logically, thematically, and tonally.
Top 64 Videogames
Lists of 'best games ever' are dumb and annoying. But like a self-loathing hipster I made one anyway.
PC Hardware is Toast
This is why shopping for graphics cards is so stupid and miserable.
This Game is Too Videogame-y
What's wrong with a game being "too videogameish"?
This is Why We Can't Have Short Criticism
Here's how this site grew from short essays to novel-length quasi-analytical retrospectives.


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About Crete
Crete, the largest island in Greece, is one of the most popular travel destinations in the Mediterranean. An island with a thousand faces that combines everything a traveller might ask for: a long and varied history, major attractions, a genuine culture of its own, magnificent nature, a mild climate, famous hospitality, a high level of infrastructure for tourism, cosmopolitan resorts and pristine, unexplored corners.
On Crete flourished the first prehistoric civilization of note on European soil, that of the Minoan Bronze-Age, with its majestic palaces that can be visited today (Knossos, Festos, Zakros, Malia etc.). In the long history of the island a multitude of different cultures and conquerors have passed through, leaving behind important monuments and attractions scattered throughout the island. As a result present-day Crete has a high level of historical, archaeological and cultural points of interest for the visitor.
At the same time Crete stands out as a destination for its unique natural environment. On one hand, a seemingly endless and indented coastline offers countless beaches for each and every taste: organized or otherwise, crowded or deserted. Some are even world famous: Balos, Elafonissi, Vai, Elounda, Falasarna etc.
At the other extreme, there is the spine of high mountains which are ideal for hiking and mountaineering. Gorges innumerable to wander through, caves to explore, fertile valleys to appreciate: all waiting the visitor's glance. And linking all, those scenic trails that tie natural beauty to cultural attractions to blissful repose.
The heart of Crete beats in its cities: from Chania, the Venice of the East, through Renaissance Rethymno, to cosmopolitan Heraklion, on to bijoux Aghios Nikolaos and ultimately to picturesque Sitia and Ierapetra. Each Cretan city has its own character, emerging from its rich history, a vigorous modern being and of course the contemporary tourist infrastructure.
Meet Crete too through its world-famous gastronomy: both delicious and healthy! Discover the Cretan culture through its traditional music, dances and customs that are still alive on the island! Enjoy the famous Cretan hospitality that comes open-handed from Zeus Xenios, King of gods (born here, in the mountains of Crete: a local lad made good …)!
The Old Town of Chania
The old town of Chania embodies the long history of the city; in the picturesque alleys, visitors can see the marks left by every civilization that has settled here for a period of time in the past. Venetian, Ottoman, Neoclassical monuments and architectural elements, old neighbourhoods, historical sites and a lot of local colour characterize the old town of Chania, which is justly called by some "Venice of the East". It used to be surrounded by walls, however only parts of them survive today. It extends inland from the Venetian port and it includes the districts of Topanas, Splantzia, Kasteli, Santrivani and the Jewish quarter. The old town of Chania, full of different sounds and colours, figures in every visitor's photographs. The Venetian and Turkish monuments, the neoclassical buildings, the narrow alleys with balconies full of flowers, the traditional knife shops and Cretan boot shops, the promenade along the Venetian port, the lively restaurants and cafes, all make up a vivid picture of a historical city that remembers the past and celebrates the present. In front of the city, there is the Venetian port of Chania, including the Venetian lighthouse, is one of the symbols of the city and a favourite walking area for locals and visitors alike.
The Minoan Palace of Knossos
Knossos, the largest and most brilliant centre of the Minoan civilization, is located 5 kilometres south of the historical centre of the city of Heraklion. In the labyrinthine arrangement of corridors and rooms of the palace complex, many scholars have visualised the famous Minoan "Labyrinth". Such a notion of the existence of a labyrinth may be only a mythological remembrance of a great civilization, however one could say that it really does correspond to the architectural structure which can be seen today in Knossos. Twisting corridors and stairwells which used to connect as many as five storeys, create a truly labyrinthine complex. There, visitors can admire important architectural innovations, such as water supply systems and sewer networks, shafts for the lighting and ventilation of the lower levels of the palace complex, and rooms equipped with baths and sanitary facilities that almost match modern constructions in ingenuity and function. It is believed that the first palace complex of Knossos was probably built in the 19th century BC and was destroyed in the 17th century BC. It was later rebuilt (16th century BC) in a remarkable, functional way, as one can ascertain by seeing the surviving ruins. In the mid 15th century BC, Knossos is believed to have reached its acme, which lasted until approximately 1450 BC; then, an extensive natural disaster occurred, probably due to an eruption of the volcano of Santorini(known as the "Thera eruption").
Fagotto Jazz Bar
One of the oldest and most well known jazz bars in the city located in a wonderful Venetian building of the 15th century. While you enjoying your cocktail drinks, the music plays jazz, swing and blues rhythms. Often, small scale and atmospheric live music shows take place here.


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Take a glance at the recent BMW ad (left) and you'll know that the road to car sales is still paved, just as it has been since its construction, with sexist, heteronormative, racist and outright offensive advertisements.
When AOL.com recently ran this vintage Goodyear tire ad, which it deemed one of the most sexist ads ever as part of its recent article about a new potentially sexist product, the knee-jerk reaction from the 861 people who commented, 1,012 people who 'liked' it and countless others who viewed the article, was probably, "Wow, thank Gloria Steinem things sure have changed since then!" Unfortunately, this sentiment is as inaccurate as the assumption that women are inherently bad drivers, incapable of changing a tire or driving down a straight road without hitting something.
We do have to agree that, back in the day, sexist car advertising was pretty much the only kind. Check out this 1964 Buick Riviera commercial:
Or this vintage Volkswagen Beetle ad:
And how about this misguided Subaru GL Coupe ad:
In the 1970s, however, thanks in great part to feminist magazines such as Ms., companies and advertising agencies were alerted to the large consumer base of intelligent, capable, empowered women–and that led to some feminist advancement in car advertisements. Not only were there nonsexist advertisements, but car companies actually marketed their products to women as informed, financially independent consumers. This new body style for advertisements included the ads below for Subaru and Honda Civic, which each appeared in 1974 issues of Ms.
Despite this brief-but-inspiring run of feminist-friendly car ads, sexist (and racist and heteronormative) car ads have remained an offensive, ugly, rusty thing of the present. Automotive companies are still operating under notion that women are objects to be used to hawk products that they are simultaneously considered incapable of using, as this Fisker Karma Plug-In Hybrid commercial suggests:
Car advertisers seem to assume that car buyers are either masculine, heterosexual, misogynist single men, or traditional, white man-woman-children families (who want minivans, of course). Just ask Ford Flex (below) the sort of women they're selling minivans to (hint: primarily blonde, totally white, and probably not working outside their homes).
Although our responses are getting bigger, sharper, and more innovative, as shown by the spray-painted response to a sexist Fiat billboard (above), taken in London 1979 by Jill Posener, and the video response (below) to a sexist Dodge Charger 2011 Superbowl commercial, offensive gems such as this Toyota Yaris commercial (which has subsequently been discontinued) continue to be released by car companies worldwide.
Maybe it's time the car companies come out with a new model of advertising.
Have an offensive car advertisement to share? Feel marginalized by the automotive industry? Have a problem with the under- and misrepresentation of women in car ads and marketing? Let us know!
Photo of improved-upon Fiat billboard by Jill Posener, South East London in 1979- Post updated with the help of reader Diane Rose!


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rhenium rē´nēəm [key], metallic chemical element; symbol Re; at. no. 75; at. wt. 186.207; m.p. about 3,180°C; b.p. about 5,625°C; sp. gr. 21.02 at 20°C; valence −1, +2, +3, +4, +5, +6, or +7. Rhenium is a very dense, high-melting, silver-white metal. Of the elements, only carbon and tungsten have higher melting points and only iridium, osmium, and platinum are more dense. The chemical properties of rhenium are like those of technetium, the element above it in Group 7 of the periodic table. A number of rhenium compounds are known, among them halides, oxides, and sulfides. The heptavalent oxide, Re2O7, on dissolving in water forms perrhenic acid, HReO4, from which many other compounds are prepared. Rhenium is not found uncombined in nature. It is widely distributed in the earth's crust in platinum and molybdenum ores and in many minerals, but is not abundant. In the United States rhenium is obtained commercially as a byproduct of the roasting of copper sulfide ores from Arizona and Utah. Rhenium metal is obtained as a powder by reduction of its compounds with hydrogen. The powder is compacted, sintered, annealed, and formed into wire, foil, rods, or strips. Rhenium is used in alloys with tungsten; it gives improved ductility and high-temperature strength. These alloys are used for electrical contacts, electronic filaments, and thermocouples and in photographic flash lamps. Rhenium forms a superconductive alloy with molybdenum. Rhenium is used as a catalyst for hydrogenation and petroleum cracking. Based on his periodic law, Mendeleev predicted the existence of rhenium, which he called dvi-manganese. The accuracy of prediction of the properties of the element led to its discovery in 1925 by Walter Nodack, Ida Tacke, and Otto Berg in platinum ores and the mineral columbite.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: Compounds and Elements


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When designing a solution usually we need to show some slick and simple pictures showing user interface we plan to implement. This seems to be the only language both developers and customers seem to understand. Or maybe let me rephrase it to be more specific – screenshot has the highest likelihood that its interpretation by all parties will be similar. Preparing such images takes a long time – the most popular approaches I've seen so far are:
- use your favorite graphic editor – e.q. Gimp, Paint.net, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. The result usually looks good, but is a nightmare to maintain, especially when you need big chunk of text or new large field.
- mock the UI in Word – get a ugly wire-frame of the window only to forget to group the boxes and see them flying around the document after any change
- … or Excel – Excel is good for everything, isn't it?
- create a form in html – happy styling, call me next week when you're done!
The process was usually time consuming, but not any more! This week I've seen three smart prototyping approaches:
- Balsamiq UI modeler – application to create any UI layout using drag&drop. The web-based demo (functional!) version is available
- Microsoft Visual Studio Express – free, fully drag&drop RAD environment. It seems like an overkill to use it only for this reason, but consider the price tag!
- Microsoft Visio – especially 2010 edition – nice, easy and integrated with Microsoft Office Suite
All above applications let you create both static window images and interactive UI prototypes. Next time you talk with your customer show him a "working" demo next day after you got first requirements – he will love you! And hopefully he will understand what you are actually trying to achieve.


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Nominations in the "Industry" category:
Calling Long Distance
Three researchers' discovery of Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers enabled optical signals to be transmitted hundreds of miles without the need for electronic conversion. This has made long-distance optical communications more cost-effective and manageable, a major pre-requisite for the formation of the Internet as it is today.
Three researchers, namely Joan Eleanor Tarbox; Laurance Paul Scrivener, and Giorgio Grasso transformed trans-oceanic communication with their invention of Erbium-doped fibre amplifiers, or EDFAs.
An optical amplifier is a device for boosting the strength of signals in optical fibres, which send data using pulses of light. EDFAs allow an optical pulse to travel hundreds of miles before electrical regeneration is required. Prior to this invention, amplifiers, or repeaters, for optical fibres needed to swap the data from an optical signal to an electrical signal back to an optical signal again. This incurred high maintenance costs and affected reliability, particularly as these electronic repeaters were often installed at the bottom of the ocean.
The invention, patented in 1993, adds small quantities
of the rare-earth element Erbium to a loop of specially designed optical
fibre, through which the light signals travel. This process of introducing small amounts of another element is called doping. These fibres can be used to amplify light signals in the wavelength band from 1530nm to 1625nm, when pumped by a higher-frequency external light source running parallel to the data signal within the fibre.
The three researchers' discovery has considerably reduced the cost and complexity of trans-oceanic communication and marked a major improvement over previous methods.
The addition of erbium to optical fibres was a completely novel idea, which enjoyed immediate success. Milan-based industrial company, Pirelli & C. SpA, made its first EDFA sales in 1993, combining its optical fibre technology with research conducted by the optoelectronics research centre of Southampton University in the UK. Thereafter, Pirelli installed optical amplifier and Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems in five continents.
The technology changed hands in 1999, when Cisco bought Pirelli Optical Systems for $2.5 billion and sank $100 million into the Pirelli Cables and Systems optical components business. In September 2000, Corning pledged to pay about $3.6 billion to buy 90 percent of Pirelli's optical components business from Cisco. And in October 2000, Corning bought the remaining 10 percent.
Tarbox's, Scrivener's and Grasso's work has helped extend today's high-speed optical infrastructure and make huge amounts of bandwidth available at low cost over very long distances. The rapid deployment of optical amplifiers is being driven by the tremendous growth of data being transferred over the Internet.
The growth of Wavelength Division Multiplexing systems, or DWDM, is also fuelling demand for EDFAs. DWDM is an innovative technology that uses different frequency light waves in parallel to dramatically increase the capacity of broadband networks, which today carry a combination of phone, Internet, and video traffic. EDFAs are also employed for private data communications, cable TV and for military communications.
According to ElectroniCast, an industry analyst firm, the total optical networking market was estimated to be over $34 billion in 2005 while the global consumption of optical fibre amplifiers increased from $2.65 billion in 2000 to over $3.4 billion in 2005. The worldwide use of selected specialty optical fibre in communication products, including amplifiers will grow to $4.38 billion by 2010, ElectroniCast predicts.


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Port Hatchineha Steak & Seafood Restaurant to Open in Dec.
BARTOW | The Port Steak & Seafood Restaurant should be open at Port Hatchineha Park sometime next month.
Jim Martin, operator of the restaurant and store, made the announcement following today's unanimous vote by the county commission to approve a $1,500-a-month lease with Osprey Eco Tours. The lease involves the operation of the restaurant, a store and bait shop and boat rentals.
The five-year lease specifically excludes airboats. A previous proposal involving airboat tours met with strong opposition from residents in adjacent Hatchineha Estates.
There is no other store in the area. In addition to serving Hatchineha Estates, the restaurant is also convenient to residents in the southern section of Poinciana.
"We plan to carry everything they need,'' Martin said, referring to area residents. "If they want something, we'll try to get it.''
Mark Jackson, Polk's director of tourism and sports marketing, said the restaurant will be an asset to Polk's inventory of locations to promote ecotourism.
"It will be a real asset to allow people to appreciate Polk's natural assets,'' he said.
The County Commission purchased the property for $1.3 million in 2009 to re-establish public access to Lake Hatchineha. The ramp, which had been privately owned, had been closed for some time before the purchase. The restaurant, which operated under a variety of owners for decades, had also been closed.
Commissioners had directed county staffers to see if they could find someone who would present a business plan to reopen the restaurant and store to generate some income.
The alternative would have been to demolish the building or to use it as a rental for private parties.
In addition to restricting airboats, the lease also bans operating a bar or lounge on the property, having loud music, interfering with the public's use of the park and restricts the hours of deliveries.
Proceeds from the lease payment will return to the county parks fund.
Although commissioners have received some emails opposing the lease, no one came to speak against the project at today's meeting.


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A couple of months after I earned my sport pilot certification, we posted an e-mail from John McAfee—the man behind McAfee antivirus software—introducing us to a new, relatively unknown subset of recreational flying: Aerotrekking. Needless to say, I wanted to know a lot more.
It turns out that McAfee's own aerotrekking club, the Sky Gypsies, is one of only two groups in the country that organizes expeditions of ultralight airplanes. These so-called "kite wings"—or "trikes," depending on who you ask—are basically go-karts bolted to hang gliders, with giant engines on the back driving pusher props. There's no rudder. No stick or yolk yoke, and no cables or push rods to feed inputs to the control surfaces. By holding the machine's control bar, you're holding the wing. Kite wings are to airplanes what ATVs are to cars—and as the Canyon Runners, the Yellow Birds Aerotrekking Club, and the South Park Flyers can attest, they're are capable of some ridiculous things. Airspeeds peak at nearly three digits, and stall speeds are just over 30 mph. As McAfee mentioned in his e-mail, "maneuverability is so refined that we can safely fly hundreds of miles between canyon walls that are less than 100 feet wide." So when McAfee invited me to fly with the Sky Gypsies, I started freeing up my calendar.
In the meantime, I brushed up on some basic background. Ultralights operate under complicated-sounding regs, but for my purposes, the gist is that the Federal Aviation Administration considers trikes to be "ultralight vehicles"—as in, not aircraft. After two decades, that designation reverses on Feb. 1, 2008, when the FAA will require all two-seat trikes to be registered and all operators to be sport-pilot certified. But for now, Federal Aviation Regulation 103.7 states that "ultralight vehicles... are not required to meet the airworthiness certification standards specified for aircraft or to have certificates of airworthiness." Therefore, "operators of ultralight vehicles are not required to meet any aeronautical knowledge, age, or experience requirements."
More From Popular Mechanics
Cool. Reckless, perhaps, in the wrong hands, but undeniably cool.
"Were in transition right now," Timm Bogenhagen, the Experimental Aircraft Association's ultralight programs manager, told me. "The FAA published their Sport Pilot initiative in September, 2004, which allows provisions for existing ultralight pilots to get their weight-shift rating under exemptions. The FAA put a deadline of Jan. 31, 2007 to complete the transition as a pilot; then Jan. 31, 2008, to complete registration for the vehicles. They basically accept what has developed out of the industry as safe means of aviation." Weight-shift refers to the controlling the direction of flight by shifting the vehicle's center of gravity to the right or left—something accomplished by pushing the bar in the opposite direction from where you want to turn.
It wasn't long before I'd purchased my Weight Shift Control Aviation Handbook from Kemmeries Aviation, and began studying. In early June, I escaped my cubicle and boarded a flight to Tuscon, Ariz., on the way to La Cholla, 15 miles to the north and one of the Sky Gypsies' seven bases of operations. I'll post the details of the trip as soon as I get all the dust out of my eyes. —Davin Coburn
Next: Band of Gypsies: Aerotrekking the Arizona DesertEarlier: Learning to Fly... In a Week, Air Mail, Learning to Glide.
Go Fly a Kite: An Air Creation ultralight kite wing soars over Playas Lake, NM. Photographs by Jorg Badura
Raising the Bar: Rich Michaels, a flight instructor, pushes the control bar to the right, banking his trike to the left while flying low over southeastern Arizona's San Simon Valley.
Rare Bird: This kite wing is one of the few to carry FAA registration and its own N-number. The Rotax engines that power the Sky Gypsies' kite wings generate upwards of 80 hp.
The Gypsy King: Software entrepreneur John McAfee in his Air Creation Tanarg, after an impromptu landing on the dry bed of Playas Lake, which straddles the Continental Divide.


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Farm Business
Ordained a priest on May 27, 1989 at St. Mary's Cathedral in Fargo, ND.
Associate pastor at the parishes of Nativity, Fargo and St. Joseph's, Devils Lake.
Pastor at the parishes of St. Andrew's, Zeeland; St. Mary's, Forman; St. Leo's, Casselton; St. Cecilia's, Harvey
St. John's Catholic School, Wahpeton, ND. – 1st – 7th grade
Wahpeton Public Schools, Wahpeton, ND. – 1975
NDSU, Fargo, ND. – Winter Qt. 1980
Holy Apostles College and Seminary, Cromwell, CT. – May 1989
Pontifical University of St. Thomas, Rome, Italy – June 2002
Wahpeton, ND
Brothers and Spouses – Steve (Melissa) and Dan (Lori)
Nieces, Nephews and Spouses – Amanda (Jason), Alex, Alicia (Greg), Jack (Courtney) and Hattie
Great-nieces and Great-nephews – Millie, Cullen, Beck, Caleb, McCoy, Dashel, Colt
Send Fr. Frank Miller an email here…you will have to complete the math problem so we know you are a real person.


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Remember that prayer does not consist in making pretty speeches, or high‑sounding or consoling phrases. Prayer, at times, will be a glance at a picture of Our Lord or of his Mother; sometimes a petition, expressed in words; or offering good works, and the fruits of faithfulness. We have to be like a guard on sentry duty at the gate of God Our Lord: that's what prayer is. Or like a small dog that lies down at his master's feet. Do not mind telling him: Lord, here I am, like a faithful dog; or better still like a little donkey, which will not kick the one who loves him. (The Forge, 73)
Your prayer cannot stop at mere words. It has to lead to deeds and practical consequences. (The Forge, 75)
Heroism, sanctity, daring, require a constant spiritual preparation. You can only ever give to others what you already have. And in order to give God to them you yourself need to get to know him, to live his Life, to serve him. (The Forge, 78


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At least 18 Syrian soldiers were killed Monday in an ambush by rebels on the Homs-Palmyra road in central Syria, reported the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR). "At least 18 soldiers were killed and over 30 were injured in (...) an ambush on their convoy, which included buses, trucks and vehicles traveling on the Homs-Tadmor (Palmyra)" road , said the London-based NGO.
Across Syria, 59 people, including 34 civilians and 21 soldiers were killed Monday in fighting, aerial bombardments and artillery carried by the regime troops, according to a preliminary assessment by the NGO .
Heavy fighting between troops and rebels reported Monday in the historic market of Aleppo, a site which is listed by UNESCO as an heritage site. "The biggest problem is that we know nothing about our shops, everything we know, we learn from rumors," lamented a merchant from the market.
Meanwhile, France on Monday expressed its "strong condemnation following the destruction by fire of the medieval market of Aleppo." The wooden doors of the shops, filled with fabrics and embroideries were quickly destroyed after the first battles Saturday.
In total, 56 people, including 31 civilians were killed Sunday in violence across the country.
On his part, the Syrian foreign minister, Walid Moallem, accused the United States of wishing to repeat the scenario that led to the fall of the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, using the existence of chemical weapons in the country. "This is a dream they invented to launch a campaign against Syria as they did in Iraq," he said in an interview with the Arabic channel Al-Mayadeen.
Muallem, however, remained vague about the existence of such weapons by the regime. "These chemical weapons in Syria, if they exist, and I mean if they exist, how is it possible that we use them against our own people?," he asked.
Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta had asserted that Damascus had moved chemical weapons to secure them.
Mr. Moallem also noted that countries like Qatar "spent billions of dollars to assassinate the Syrian people."


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WASHINGTON — Congress has approved legislation to restore unemployment benefits to people who have been out of work for six months or more, ending a seven-week interruption that caused 2 1/2 million people to lose unemployment benefits averaging about $300 a week.
The 272-152 House vote today will send the measure to President Obama, who has promised to quickly sign it. The House vote came less than 24 hours after a mostly party-line Senate vote Wednesday on the measure, which is just one piece of a larger Democratic jobs agenda that has otherwise mostly collapsed after months of battles with Republicans.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said today that Obama will sign the measure as soon as he gets it.
Retroactive payments could go out as early as next week in some states, while in others it could take a few weeks for beneficiaries to receive their money under the legislation, which provides much-needed help to 5 million eligible unemployed workers. About half of those eligible have had their benefits cut off since funding expired June 2.
"Americans who are working day and night to get back on their feet and support their families in these tough economic times deserve more than obstruction and partisan game-playing," Obama said in a statement Wednesday night.
The measure is what remains of a Democratic effort launched in February to renew elements of last year's stimulus bill. But GOP opposition forced Democrats to drop $24 billion in aid to state governments to help them avoid layoffs and higher taxes, as well as a popular package of expired tax cuts and a health insurance subsidy for the unemployed.
Most Republicans opposed the measure because it would add $34 billion to a national debt that has hit $13 trillion, arguing that it should have been paid for with cuts to other programs, such as unspent money from last year's economic stimulus bill, which is earning mixed grades at best from voters as the national unemployment rate is 9.5 percent.
Thirty-one Republicans, about one in six, voted for the measure, while 10 Democrats opposed it.
"The other side says that these unemployment benefits stretching to almost two years are needed and must be added to the $13 trillion debt, even as they claim their trillion-dollar stimulus plan has been a success at creating millions of jobs," said Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette. "It makes you wonder if they're looking at the same jobs data as the rest of us."
It's a change of heart for many Republicans who voted for deficit-financed unemployment benefits in the past, including twice during George W. Bush's administration. Earlier this year, Republicans allowed a temporary unemployment measure to pass without even calling for a roll call vote.
Opinion polls show that deficits and debt are of increasing concern to voters, however, especially with Republicans' core conservative supporters and the tea party activists whose support they're courting in hopes of retaking control of Congress.
Democrats countered that many economists say unemployment benefits boost the economy since most beneficiaries spend them immediately, injecting money into the economy. But any such effects are likely to be modest when measured against a $14.6 trillion economy.
"Unemployment benefits protect those who are have lost their jobs through no fault of their own but would lead to more jobs, higher wages, and a stronger economy for all Americans," said Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The money will be spent immediately on necessity, injecting demand into the economy, creating jobs."
The first 26 weeks of jobless benefits are paid for by the states. Thursday's legislation renews a federally financed program providing up to 73 additional weeks of benefits in states with high unemployment rates.
About half of those eligible have had their benefits cut off since funding expired June 2. They are eligible for lump-sum retroactive payments that are typically delivered directly to their bank accounts or credited to state-issued debit cards.
In states such as Pennsylvania and New York, the back payments should go out next week, officials said. In others, such as Nevada and North Carolina, it may take a few weeks for all of those eligible to receive benefits.•
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