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I am in the STUDY of my new home, people!!! Looking out at a gorgeous crabapple tree with gobs of birds in it and a lovely greenspace!! Oh. My. God!!! Has my life improved!! It is sooooo goooood to be gone from the shithole apartment!!! I didn't realize how oppressive it was. Well, on some days I did, but I suppressed my feelings about it because I knew I had to live there. But now, living somewhere beautiful, and quiet, is just so nurturing and happiness-producing!
I did have a setback last weekend. I found mouse droppings in my living room and I pretty much lost my shit. I'm pretty sure it came in through the gas fireplace. I took my ass over to Target so fast to buy mouse poison, your head would've spinned!! I was pretty thrown off for quite a few days, but now I'm pretty sure the mouse is gone. I haven't seen any droppings in many days, or any signs that the poison has been eaten any further. And believe me, I watch it with an eagle eye! For a couple of days I thought my new apartment was ruined, but alas, it is not. Hallelujah.
I do have to say, I'm just on this side of functioning in life. My job is exhausting me! I just plain wasn't made to work full-time. Or maybe it's my age. Or my illness. Whatever the case may be, I pretty much get up, go to work, come home, and go to bed. I lay in bed on an ice pack and eat something like carrots & celery and drink my "cocktail" (Sparkling Ice) and I fall asleep ridiculously early listening to Oprah Super Soul Sessions podcasts. Once in awhile my little sister and my niece will come over to swim after work and then we'll have dinner, but that's the exception, not the rule. And after those times I'm super-duper exhausted, but I need the social contact. I've been pretty lonely because my lack of functioning leaves me with very little social contact, besides work.
I'm getting between 5,000-10,000 steps in at work and I'm still tracking what I eat, so my weight is still very slowly going down. That makes me very, very happy and grateful. We had a family reunion two weekends ago which was a marathon of socializing and a marathon of overeating. It was hard to get back on track after that. I haven't been walking in the mornings like I was at the old shithole. I keep meaning to, but somehow I don't. Again, it comes down to my level of functioning. I'm doing what I can, people. And I'm just keeping the work train humming along right now.
Aside from the mouse crisis and some loneliness, my mood is still pretty stable, thank God!! Summer makes everything easier. I do have a bit of a feeling of dread as I notice that it's getting light later and later in the morning, and getting dark earlier and earlier at night. That, I hate. For the most part though, I am still a very grateful person for everything that's going on in my life. Things have improved so damn much, from living in the shithole and being jobless, to the job with the horrible commute, to now, where I live in super-deluxe digs, and my job is two miles down the road and I can come home for lunch. Yeah! I'm grateful.
I'm curious how other people handle their level of functioning, working full time, having a life, etc. I'd love to hear from you in the Comments regarding this, or anything else you'd wish to share. BIG HUGS to all of you!! BPOF.

subset: commoncrawl


text: After I restarted my computer, I loaded up Paper Mario and found that my save file with 5 hours of progress reverted to my 10 minute save. I decided to load one of my savestates that I had made before restarting but all it does is freeze the screen and play the audio from that save. Is there any way to fix this?


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Royal Canadian Mint Presents: 25-Cent Coloured Coin - Sasquatch (2011)
Get yours today! While Supplies Last.
Shipping Begins May 2
First issue in the 3-coin series. A terrific collectible for kids of all ages!
Children of all ages will be captivated by this large coloured coin and its mysterious theme. It's presented in a full-colour folder that tells the fascinating story of Sasquatch and includes a pull-out map showing where it was last seen—let the intrigue begin!
Coin design:
A surprising aerial perspective of Sasquatch walking among snow covered trees, leaving behind a trail of large footprints in the snow.
Tracking a mysterious creature from Canada's North.
Is Sasquatch myth or missing link? First Nations legends abound with haunting tales of a giant, human-like creature lurking in the mountain forests of Canada's Yukon, British Columbia and northern Ontario.
They are not alone. In Asia, people claim to have seen Yeti, and in the western United States, witnesses describe a very similar Bigfoot—a very fast, very hairy and strong "ape-man" walking on two feet, "As big as a bear standing on its hind legs," they say. Sasquatch is reputed to stand about 3 m (10 ft) tall and weigh 227 kg (500 lb)—and looking at the huge footprints it leaves behind, believers say the truth can't be far o£ . What do you think?
Source: http://www.mint.ca/store/coin/25cent-coloured-coin-sasquatch-2011-prod1100018


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Yesterday the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued two recalls on children's products.
Along with Dollar Tree Stores, the CPSC has issued a voluntary recall onWolverine, Spider-Man, and Iron Man character flashlights.
The products were sold nationwide starting in August of 2010. As batteries and/or bulb in these flashlights can overheat, they pose fire and burn hazards to consumers. What should you do? Take them away from children immediately, remove and properly discard the batteries, and return the flashlights to the store where you purchased them for a full refund.
The CPSC, in cooperation with Lollytogs, Inc has issued a voluntary recall on infant-sized Carhart overallswith style numbers GG8500 and GG8501. Snaps on the overalls could come loose and pose a choking hazard to young children. These overalls were sold at major retailers nationwide from February of 2010 through July of 2010. Consumers should immediately take the overalls away from children and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund or store credit.


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I hope you all know how much you've come to mean to me this year. I've made some wonderful new friends via this blog and yours. I'll never be able to convey how much you all mean to me and how you've helped me through a couple of tough times this year that for various reasons I haven't been able to publicly share. Thank you, all of you.
I'd like to leave you with one of my favourite Christmas songs - it may not be one you would expect from me but I love it. THIS is Christmas!


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ARLINGTON, VA --- In recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, the 2008 Smart Fortwo, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, earned the top rating of "good" for front and side crash protection. Its seat/head restraints earned the second highest rating of "acceptable" for protection against whiplash in rear impacts.
Smart Fortwo is classified a microcar, meaning it's smaller even than minicars. Weighing about 1,800 pounds, the Smart is more than three feet shorter and almost 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper. It weighs about a third as much as one of the heaviest vehicles the institute has tested, the BMW X5, a midsize SUV. As the price of fuel climbs and tougher federal fuel economy requirements kick in, auto companies are expected to introduce more small vehicles to the market. The Smart is the smallest car the institute ever has tested.
"The big question from consumers is, 'How safe is it?'" noted Institute President Adrian Lund. "All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package."
The institute's test results generally demonstrate how well vehicles stack up against others of similar size and weight. Frontal ratings can't be compared across weight classes. In other words, a small car that earns a "good" rating isn't necessarily safer than a large car that's rated less than "good."
"People base their buying decisions on a lot of factors," Lund said. "If you drive only in congested urban areas where speeds are low, a small car may be more practical than a big one. We conduct crash tests so people who want small cars can choose the ones that afford the best protection."
The Smart has a crashworthy design for its size and is equipped with the latest safety gear, which is especially important in a small car. This vehicle's standard equipment includes seat-mounted combination side airbags designed to protect both the heads and chests of the driver and passenger. Also standard is electronic stability control (ESC), called electronic stability program in the Smart. ESC helps drivers maintain control during emergency maneuvers or on slippery roads. It engages automatically when it senses vehicle instability, and institute research has found that ESC lowers the risk of fatal single-vehicle crashes by about half.
The Smart mostly lacks a front-end crush zone, which is a key component in reducing injury risk in serious frontal crashes, the institute said. Typically, front-end structures are designed to crush and absorb crash energy, allowing occupant compartments to slow more gradually, ideally with little or no intrusion into drivers' survival space. Then a vehicle's safety belts and airbags slow occupants further and are designed to spread crash forces more evenly across people's bodies. The longer the front-end crush structure of a vehicle, the more gently occupants are slowed and thus protected from injury.
To compensate for the lack of front-end crush space, the Smart's restraint system does more of the work of absorbing energy as occupants "ride down" a crash. "We recorded a high head acceleration when the driver dummy's head hit the steering wheel through the frontal airbag," Lund explained. This indicates the test dummy used up all of the available ride down room in the Smart's interior.
A stiff side structure and standard side airbags contributed to the Smart's good rating in the side test, which replicates a crash with a pickup truck or SUV. Injury forces recorded on the driver dummy's head, neck, torso, pelvis, and left leg all were low. However, the driver door unlatched during the crash, the institute said. This confirms a finding of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's side test of a Smart released last month. The institute downgraded the Smart's structural rating from "good" to "acceptable," but the opening didn't appear to affect dummy movement during the test, and injury measures on the driver dummy were low. Still, doors shouldn't unlatch because in some crashes it could allow partial or complete occupant ejection, especially if an occupant is unbelted, the institute reported.
While small cars are safer now than before, so are large cars. In every category of passenger vehicle (car, SUV, or pickup truck), the risk of death is higher in crashes of smaller, lighter models. For vehicles one to three years old during 2006, minicars experienced 106 driver deaths per million registered vehicles compared with 69 driver deaths in large cars.
People often choose very light cars for fuel economy, but "you don't have to buy the smallest, lightest car to get one that's easy on fuel consumption," Lund pointed out. "The Toyota Prius, for example, earns good front and side crash test ratings. It gets better fuel economy than a microcar, but it's bigger and weighs more so we would expect it would be more protective in serious crashes."
The institute's frontal crashworthiness evaluation is based on results of a 40 mph frontal offset crash test. A vehicle's overall evaluation is based on measurements of intrusion into the occupant compartment, injury measures recorded on a Hybrid III dummy in the driver seat, and analysis of slow-motion film to assess how well the restraint system controlled dummy movement during the test.
The side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of a vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Ratings reflect injury measures recorded on an instrumented SID-IIs dummy in the driver seat, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the impact.
Rear crash protection is rated according to a two-step procedure. Starting points are measurements of head restraint geometry --- the height of a restraint and its horizontal distance behind the back of the head of an average-size man. Seats with "good" or "acceptable" restraint geometry are tested dynamically using a dummy that measures forces on the neck. This test simulates a collision in which a stationary vehicle is struck in the rear at 20 mph. Seats without "good" or "acceptable" geometry are rated "poor" overall because they can't be positioned to protect many people.
Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
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Iran Says It Has Produced Its First Yellowcake Uranium
Edward Yeranian | Cairo 05 December 2010
Iran's nuclear energy chief Ali Akbar Salehi says his country has produced its first batch of yellowcake uranium, the material used for enrichment. Salehi said the development "strengthens" Tehran's position in the next round of nuclear talks, set to start Monday in Geneva.
The announcement by Salehi on Iranian TV had a dramatic pitch and a gave what appeared to be a solid plug for the well-being of Iran's nuclear program. Iranian TV commentators also took pains to deny rumors of a set-back to the program due to damage from the Stuxnet computer virus.
Salehi described Iran's production of yellowcake uranium as a major achievement, stressing that Tehran would inform the International Atomic Energy Agency of the development.
He says that today, Iran has witnessed a new achievement with the first shipment of yellowcake uranium produced domestically in Iran. He says the yellowcake was shipped from the Gachin mine in Bandar Abbas to the Isfahan production facility, and the IAEA would be informed, because Iran, in his words, respects its international obligations.
But Iran's nuclear energy chief did not indicate the quantity of yellowcake produced by the Isfahan plant.
Salehi completed his melodramatic announcement by insisting that Iran has become self-sufficient in the nuclear fuel cycle, going from exploration to mining, to production of yellowcake, to the conversion into uranium hexofloride, and finally into fuel plates or pellets.
The Iranian announcement was made one day before a new round of talks is due to be held in Geneva with world powers over Tehran's nuclear program. Iran insists its program is intended solely for civilian purposes, but the West suspects it is trying to build nuclear weapons.
A senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, Mark Fitzpatrick, points out the announcement appears unusual because experts believe Iran already was able to produce yellowcake.
"The announcement is surprising because many outside analysts thought Iran had been producing its own yellowcake for at least two years, according to a December 2008 article by a well-respected expert," he said. "It seems we were wrong about that."
Fitzpatrick says Iran's production of yellowcake would be unlikely to meet the needs of its one nuclear plant.
"The announcement does not mean that Iran's nuclear program can be self-sufficient. The Gachin mine and mill are small-scale, designed to produce less yellowcake annually than is needed by one Bushehr-sized reactor. No other uranium mines are operating in Iran, although one with low-grade uranium has been under development for 15 years," he said. "To be self-sufficient in full fuel cycle, Iran will have to find a lot more good quality uranium ore. Otherwise they will have to continue to rely on imported uranium."
Iranian-born analyst Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute in Washington argues Salehi's announcement appears to have little solid substance, adding that he believes it was intended for political purposes.
"The way he sort of formulated [the announcement] suggested to me that it is aimed as a political message, because he very swiftly turns around and makes the connection to the upcoming talks, which start [Monday] and he says 'We are not going to go to the table of negotiations from a position of weakness," said Vatanka.
Vatanka says Iran may be trying to play tough for its domestic audience, but be more willing to negotiate in private once in Geneva.
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Today's News: Our Take - Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke to Play Sarah Connor in New Terminator Film
The Terminator reboot has found its Sarah Connor. Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke has landed the plum role, Deadline.com reports.
Sarah Connor, portrayed by Linda Hamilton in the original franchise, is the mother of John Connor, who will eventually lead The Resistance to take down Skynet. Zero Dark Thirty's Jason Clarke (no relation) is in negotiations to portray John, while Arnold Schwarzenegger will return as the titular Terminator.
The film, which will be helmed by frequent Game of Thrones director Alan Taylor, is tentatively scheduled for release in July 2015.
Fun fact: Clarke may be able to get some tips from her Game of Thrones co-star Lena Headey, who portrayed Sarah Connor on Fox's Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. In addition to a new Terminator film, X-Men: First Class writers Zack Stentz and Ashley Miller are also working on a possible new Terminator TV series.
Do you think Clarke will make a good Sarah Connor?
View original Game of Thrones' Emilia Clarke to Play Sarah Connor in New Terminator Film at TVGuide.com
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By STEVE KRAH
Indiana University Southeast's baseball team will play in the NAIA Opening Round for the second straight season and the fourth time since 2010.
The 21st-ranked Grenadiers are in Kingsport, Tenn., for a five-team double-elimination event Monday through Thursday, May 15-18.
The winner out of No. 1 seed Keiser (Fla.) (39-18), No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan (39-18), No. 3 Indiana University Southeast (45-13), No. 4 Talladega (Ala.) (36-22) and No. 5 Marian (Ind.) (29-21) advances to the 10-team NAIA World Series May 26-June 2 in Lewiston, Idaho.
The Grenadiers are slated to play Tennessee Wesleyan in Game 2 Monday afternoon. Kingsport is where IUS used to go for their conference tournament. Upon arriving Saturday night, they learned that former Grenadier Shane Weedman had pitched a no-hitter for the Evansville Otters of the independent professional Frontier League.
Other Indiana schools in the Opening Round are Huntington and Indiana Tech.
After losing seven starters from 2016, IU Southeast reloaded in 2017.
"It's definitely been a year to remember," says IUS head coach Ben Reel. "This team has been very competitive. When they show up everyday, they work."
With Opening Round appearances in 2010 and 2011 as Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference conference champions and at-large berths in the KIAC and new River States Conference the past two springs, the Grenadiers have established a respected program.
It's been a progression that's taken time to achieve.
When Reel took over as head coach for the 2009 season at age 24 (he followed Joe Decker, who decided to go back to Silver Creek High School), the coaching staff was paid with stipends.
"We were like starving artists," says Reel. "And nobody knew where we were."
For the record, the school is in New Albany, just across the Ohio River from downtown Louisville.
"We had to crawl before we could walk and walk before we could jog," says Reel, now 33 and still one of the younger head coaches in college baseball. "We're starting to run a little bit. We're starting to get some momentum and it's taken a decade."
Reel, who played at South Dearborn High School in Aurora and Cleveland (Tenn.) State Community College before transferring to IU Southeast, led his first team to a 32-24 mark and saw the Grenadiers turn the corner in 2010.
That's the year IUS went 39-20 (setting a school record for wins), NAIA second team All-American Kyle Lenn smacked 24 home runs and the program produced its first Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft selection — Cameron Conner to the Kansas City Royals in the 20th round.
"Once that happened, everything started rolling," says Reel. "That's what put us on the map in our region."
With IU Southeast, the University of Louisville (NCAA Division I), Bellarmine University (D-II) and Spalding University (D-III) all within 10 miles of each other, teams are competing for talent.
"You have to be very competitive," says Reel, who looks at a roster with 15 players with Indiana hometowns and five from Kentucky. "But once prove you can mentor and develop players, you'll start getting some better athletes."
That's not easy when you only have one scholarship to offer (11 below the NAIA limit).
"That puts us in bottom 10 percent out of the 198 (NAIA) teams in the country," says Reel. "We take a lot of kids who are raw and help them find a niche.
"We get a lot of guys here who want to be coached. Myself and my staff do a lot of player development. We coach the heck out of them."
Andrew Stanley, a high school teammate of Reel's, has been with him since the beginning. The young coaching staff also features Jarret Young (second season), Brian Coffman (first season) and student assistants Justin Franz (fourth season) and Logan Coughlin (first season).
"We roll up our sleeves and get in (the batting cage) with them," says Reel, who considers his communication skills (he's talk to just about anyone for hours) and practicality as strengths. "That's how I was raised. I'm not going to tell you what to do. I'm going to show you what to do. That's what we believe as a staff.
"We go the extra mile. Our biggest selling point is these kids will be coached."
Reel grew up on a farm near Prairie Creek in Vigo County, spent his middle school years in West Virginia then came back to Indiana and landed at South Dearborn.
With the Knights, he was a catcher for head coach Jay Malott.
"He was a fierce competitor," says Reel of the former Indiana Purdue-Indianapolis coach. "He was a perfectionist. Nothing was ever good enough. We were never done practicing. We were just relentless. I learned that sense of dedication in high school."
At Cleveland State, Reel played for Mike Policastro.
"Coach Poli taught me a sense of professional," says Reel. "He was very calm and very businesslike. He was organized and concise. He would be very honest and open with you about what you needed to do to get to the next level and be a man."
Reel saw coaching in his future and behind the plate — where he did not make a an error as a sophomore (matching the feat of his senior high school season) — helped prepare him for the profession.
"As a catcher, you've got to get to know all these pitchers," says Reel. "You get to know a bunch of strangers at the collegiate level."
Relationships have always been important to Reel. One of his best friends — who he met through coaching — is Tennessee Wesleyan assistant Brad Neffendorf (they were in each other's weddings).
"This game has some of the best people that Planet Earth has to offer," says Reel. "They just truly love the sport and the people in it.
"That's the most memorable part of doing this, it's the people that you meet."
Reel notes three major things IUS has going for its in community support, education and location.
"We fundraise $50,000 a year," says Reel. "I takes $70,000 year to run a college baseball program. Our budget is $33,000. You have to have synergy to do that.
"We're offering an IU degree. We have a tutor on the bus. It's a big time education."
Being so close to Louisville is very helpful. There's so much to do there and there is easy access to an international airport.
At 33, Ben Reel is in his ninth season as head baseball coach at Indiana University Southeast. He has the Grenadiers in the NAIA Opening Round for the fourth time in 2017. (IU Southeast Photo)


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Smoky Quartz Geode Vessel | Dark
Our geode planters can be used to hold air plants, succulents, candles or anything else. We use a hollow breakage in the design to create a geode from raw natural stones that we have self mined. Each geode shape and size will slightly vary from planter to planter. We edge the geode area in liquid gold to create a stunning look.
Outside- 2.05" (w) x 1.75" (h)
Inside- 1.6" (w) x 1.4" (h)
• raw smoky quartz from Brazil
• dark grey concrete color (has a distressed look)
• there is NO drainage hole at bottom of planter
* when checking out you have the option to upgrade to have your order include a white scent less tealight candle or a live air plant (plant chosen at random to best for your planter).
Our concrete embodies the rawness of the minerals it's paired with. We embrace the imperfections like pores and shading. Each planter will have its own unique marks & imperfections while maintaining a smooth finish. Our work embodies the Japanese theory of wabi-sabi , finding beauty in the imperfections. Please understand each design will come with its own unique design of imperfections while maintaining a sturdy and solid structure
*you will receive a planter similar to that in the photos. Size of geode and shading of stones may vary slightly


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The value of some performances transcends the goals, the points or the league table. Spurs victory at Old Trafford yesterday evening was infused with meaning that runs deep and will resonate long after the celebrations die down, although I suspect those who were fortunate enough to be there floated home rather than requiring any form of transport.
Not just the years since we last won there. I can't remember how long it is even though the commentator appeared to be contractually obliged to repeat it every 5 minutes. Perhaps the fear and nausea in the pit of my stomach as the ball pinged around our box in the second half dulled my other senses.
Not even the manner of the win, magnificent though that was. Delightful flowing football in the first half as we took the game to United and were by far the better side, followed by desperate dogged defence in the second as we were remorselessly pushed deeper and deeper by United at their best.
Not even showing a skeptical footballing public and a rabid media that we can play. This was the moment when the new Tottenham Hotspur believed it could play. As the self-confidence spreads, the fall-out from this game could be picked up in years to come, like faint radio static from the far reaches of the cosmos.
This is that rare sort of win, one that creates an unshakable resilience that Spurs are doing the right thing, and if the players keep on doing it, they will succeed in the end, whatever the odds. Faith in your own ability, that of your team-mates and your manager, to overcome and prevail. Something we've seen in others but has always been beyond our grasp in modern times, almost real but eluding our grasp like a vivid dream fading as we wake and open our eyes.
More about yesterday in a moment, but if we are looking for the signs in the runes, the portents have been excellent all week. It's not all about 3-2 in Manchester. A goal down and stinking the place out like a parcel of rotting fish nailed under the floorboards, at half-time just 7 days ago the world was a different, bleaker place. Then AVB looked his players in the eye and said, "I've made a mistake but together we will put it right." Superman goes left, Bale pushed forward, 2 goals and 3 points.
A tricky midweek tie in the far flooded north, Carlisle were summarily dispatched. The young men came in without, as I understand it, there being much of a problem, because they play the Tottenham way. In the past, this game could have posed a threat to the well-being of the team. These are ties that expose weakness, as in the hapless away game at Stevenage as recently as last season. Yet this was a comfortable win.
Back to yesterday, and we took the game to United in the first half, boosted by Jan the Man's second goal in a week, a great run into the heart of the defence and huge deflection. Bale set up this one then scored our second himself with the type of run that makes him unique in the Premier League. Over 6 foot and filled out from boy to man over the summer, there is simply nothing like this fearsome combination of power and pace, physical presence and touch on the ball.
We fully deserved the 2 goal lead at half-time. Sandro was a powerhouse throughout, Dembele dominant in front of him. How I've quickly grown to relish his arthritic shuffle on the ball, stiff, head bowed and so effective. A real gem.
One of the issues I've identified this season is that Spurs must find the right set-up to get the best from Dempsey, a goalscorer who is not a classic striker. Last week he was wasted stuck out on the left. Now AVB moved him to a more central starting position. He should be able to get on the ball more here. All this stems from the influence exerted by the mighty Sandro, who is playing so well that we can manage with only one defensive midfielder not two, thus freeing options further forward.
He popped up with the third, pouncing on a loose ball to restore our two goal advantage That was swiftly reduced to one, then it was backs to wall for a sickeningly tense last 30 minutes.
We dropped ever more deep as wave after wave of United attacks swept down on our goal. Partly this was due to an inability to hold onto the ball on the precious few occasions we got hold of it, partly due to the debilitating effects of illness – a couple had suffered a bug during the week. Mainly it was down to the excellence of our opponents, who played the ball into the channels between our back four on endless occasions. It's hard to believe England never built their team around Paul Scholes.
We defended well but like any team that beats them, we relied on United missing their chances, which obligingly they did. Ultimately those same cosmic forces tend to balance themselves out. The ball banged against post and bar, skimmed just wide or sunk into Friedel's all-enveloping grasp. And Chris Foy, always said he knew what he was about when it comes to penalty decisions. After yesterday I like to think that the universe is a more stable place as equilibrium is restored.
Walker's poor positioning led to problems and sometimes both full-backs were exposed by a lack of cover. However, the grim determination of Vertonghen, Caulker and the steely eyed Gallas epitomised the spirit in the squad. You have to hand to Willy – after a long career and dodgy ankles, he is a winner and you can see why AVB has persisted with him. Caulker will learn so much from him, but did his bit by winning a series of headers.
A word of praise for Defoe, who has not always shown the selfless running and intelligence that helped make a couple of goals yesterday. This is the best form of his career. I'm not this biggest fan but all credit to him.
The unity between team and manager has paid rich dividends on the field this week. The Mirror and Sun are hell-bent on ruining him and our achievements, but the lies of their weaselly snout in the camp were disproved for all to see.
A single win does not mean everything is done and dusted. There will be good times and bad, struggles and wasted energy, but AVB's Spurs is a team with a future and whatever happens I'm glad I'm coming along for the ride.


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Cinematic Transitions
The announcement from John Fithian, the president of the National Organization of Theater Owners, at this year's CinemaCon confirmed what was pretty much already universally acknowledged in the
film movie industry: 35mm film distribution will cease in just a few months, to be replaced by digital distribution in theaters. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 85 percent of North American screens and 67 percent of European screen have already converted to digital, making film stock an "endangered species." But this is just one of many transitions that are taking place in reshaping how we access and watch movies.
These shifts can be measured by two stories about Fayetteville, North Carolina, the city where I work and where I lived for several years. First, Fayetteville's Cameo Art House Theater is bidding good-bye to the film projectors they've used  since the theater opened in 1998 by hosting a special screening of Cinema Paradiso, Giuseppe Tornatore's 1988 love letter to film projection. To me, this good-bye is bittersweet. Although I appreciate the aesthetics of film projection, I'm happy that the Cameo will be able to remain open using digital projectors and that the city will continue to have at least one option for seeing art house movies on the big screen.
The second story makes me feel more nostalgic than I would have expected. According to the Fayetteville Observer, the last two Blockbuster Video stores in Fayetteville will soon be closing, their last DVDs to be sold in a liquidation sale. Unless I'm missing something, that means the last remaining (non-adult) bricks-and-mortar video stores in Fayetteville will soon be closed. Although I can barely remember the last time I rented a movie in a video store, this seems like a significant shift, one that is consistent with all of the contradictions associated with an emergent on-demand culture. Movies are available at the click of a mouse or remote. But we may find ourselves having less access to some titles than we might expect.
I'd imagine that most cities are undergoing similar transitions. Some independent video stores may be better prepared to weather the competition with streaming video. Other art houses may be unable to navigate the shift to digital projection. But these changes are happening fast, and it's well worth asking what they mean for all aspects of movie culture.


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I was pushing hard, trying to keep up with two teenagers on a cross-country trail one sweaty evening last August, when one of them abruptly cut away, fell to the ground, and moaned in distress. "Are you okay?" I stopped to ask, gasping only a little. She mumbled something about "pizza, an hour ago," and waved me on. The brief reprieve was mercy for my wobbly legs before I continued on what was the fourth repeat loop of more than a mile.
At 61, running practically all my life, I knew enough to skip the prerun pizza. But I rarely trained fast, and my 5-K time was stuck in the high 21s, around seven-minute-per-mile pace. I wanted to break 20 minutes. As a former high school coach, I'd seen youngsters excel in the 5-K and had been impressed with their hunger for hard work. I longed for a piece of that.
Seeking to recapture the speed of my youth, I asked several local, prominent coaches I knew if I could train with their track and cross-country teams. Jim Schlentz of Colts Neck High, in New Jersey, which has produced a number of national champions like Craig Forys (now at the University of Michigan) and Ashley Higginson (now at Princeton), let me join his cross-country team in the summer for challenging loops on the state meet course. G.P. Pearlberg, who coaches runners of all ages, invited me to join his Saturday morning group track workouts in Point Pleasant on the Jersey shore. And Brian Zatorski, who has led the Southern Regional girls of Manahawkin, New Jersey, to prominence—paced by national champions Danielle Tauro (now at the University of Michigan) and Jillian Smith (also going to Michigan)—allowed me to join his team for track practice at the Bennett Center indoor 200-meter oval in Toms River.
My main partners were two seniors, Rachel Morris, who ran for Colts Neck, and Victoria Pontecorvo, who ran for Tottenville High on Staten Island and came to work with Schlentz last summer. We were an evenly matched trio, though the girls could surely outrun me if they chose to. Last fall, they were both around 20 minutes for hilly cross-country 5-Ks.
At any age, racing your best 5-K requires some faster running on a weekly basis to prime your muscles and cardiovascular system for a stepped-up effort. When I started these high school workouts, I knew I was in for a heart-pounding experience. I guarded against injury with patient progress, a lot of stretching, and by doing easy runs or cross-training for recovery between hard workouts. Taking my lead from the teens, I did a long, patient warmup: 25 minutes jogging, 10 minutes stretching, then 5 x 100 striders. The sessions took almost two hours, the length of a typical high school practice.
The hard work paid off. In April, I ran a 5-K in 19:56—happy to crack 20 minutes. Luckily, you don't have to join your local high school's team to reap the benefits of my late-in-life schooling. The workouts here are adapted from my education in speed. Pay attention, and you too can learn to run a fast 5-K.
Lesson 1: Develop Speed
The Key: Change up your track work
In track sessions with Pearlberg's group, we ran everything from 100s to 1200s, never doing the same workout twice. This teaches you how to feel "fast" at different distances; plus, it keeps your body and mind from getting stale.
Pearlberg, who's adapted some ideas from two-time Olympic 1500 champ Sebastian Coe, emphasized short rest, working on goal pace with decreasing rest as the weeks went on. "Faster running forces the body to run as efficiently as possible," Pearlberg says. "That's how you become comfortable running the 5-K."
One Saturday morning Pearlberg gathered us on the track together for a set of "progression" intervals. We ran for 10 minutes, covering each lap at a time called out by Pearlberg as we passed the starting point. Then we jogged two laps and repeated for five minutes. Then we jogged two more laps and repeated for three minutes. Tired teens do not give up, and I tried to match their relentless style. I learned to pace myself and conserve energy, and I always surprised myself by doing my fastest intervals at the end.
YOUR HOMEWORK: Mix up the speed and distances you do in track sessions from week to week. One week I did 4 x 400 with a 60-second rest, jogged five minutes, then did 4 x 200 with a 60-second rest. The 200s, Pearlberg says, should have felt "relaxed" after the 400s (and they did). Another week I did 5 x 800, alternating fast 200s with 200s about 10 seconds slower (more challenging than you might think). This teaches you how to surge and run faster when fatigued, perfect for the 5-K.
To do a progression run by yourself, and to build strength as well as speed, try continuous laps for sets of 10 minutes, five minutes, and three minutes, with five to six minutes rest in between. Run two medium-fast laps and one very fast lap, repeating, until the time frame is up.
Lesson 2: Run Smart Intervals
The Key: Sustain your pace without much rest
Schlentz's cross-country circuits—loops of 1.4 or 1.9 miles—on the hilly state high school course added endurance-oriented repeat work to my interval training. Schlentz prescribed four loops of the 1.4 or three tours of the 1.9, progressing from a steady state pace to about 10-K to 15-K race pace with each run, with three minutes rest in between each loop. Negative splits! I fretted over the short rest as I tried to stick with Rachel and Victoria.
The rest, explains Schlentz, was long enough to enable us to complete the workout, while short enough to ensure that we would be running through fatigue. Sustaining long periods of hard running without much of a break trains the body to race a 5-K well. The progressive pace also teaches you not to go out too fast (a typical racing mistake) and requires running faster as you get more tired (necessary in a race). You develop the habit of sustained hard running at the end of a workout and carry that memory (in your mind and muscles) into a race. Each three-minute rest, I jogged, walked, sipped water, and hoped the girls would forget when the three minutes were up. They didn't.
YOUR HOMEWORK: Map out a loop (in a park or on the road) that will take you between six and 10 minutes to run at a brisk pace. Do two or three repeats, with a few minutes' rest in between, at a progressively faster pace.
Lesson 3: Run Uphill
The Key: Build strength and run with ease
One day, as I followed Victoria and Rachel up some serious hills, I was struck by how loose they looked. They didn't pump their arms. They didn't attack the hill as though trying to conquer it. They scooted up as I worked like a beaver from behind. "Use your arms for balance and posture," Rachel told me. This helps you conserve energy for when you need to use your arms as you tire at the top—Schlentz calls it your "emergency tank."
"Many races have hills," says Schlentz, "and even for the flatter events, hill work strengthens the quadriceps muscles so they will fatigue less toward the end of a race." The rigors of hill work also help increase aerobic capacity and will make a 5-K seem easier. Most high school cross-country teams run hills once or twice a week in summer and fall and continue hills periodically during winter and spring track when building strength for peak racing in late-season.
YOUR HOMEWORK: Find a hilly route of between a half-mile and a mile with moderate steepness, and run three or four repeats at about 10-K to 15-K pace with three to four minutes rest in between. Practice good form—hips up and back straight. In time, the hills should feel easier and you should feel stronger.
When you race, don't try to catch runners on the early hills. "You use up too much energy and don't gain that much," Schlentz says. "By attacking a hill late in a race when everyone is fatigued, you'll have a competitive advantage."
Lesson 4: Run Downhill
The Key: Glide with ease
In 5-Ks, I make gains going up hills but get passed by crowds on the descent. Sure enough, on the 1.4-mile cross-country loop, I would muscle myself close to the teens on the opening hill, only to see my hard work undercut when they tore down the steepest, climactic hills like snowboarders. "People take downhill running for granted," says Schlentz. "But lots of runners don't do it well." Many mistakenly think their stride has to lengthen to run faster down a hill, but then your feet will land in front of you, absorbing tremendous shock and forcing you into a braking motion that trashes your quads.
"I love downhills," said Victoria, who led our trio by running virtually perpendicular to the hill. She offered this good advice: "Land on the balls of your feet and use your arms for balance. Move your legs fast. Keep your cool."
YOUR HOMEWORK: You can make the downhill work part of a run of four to six miles in a park or on the road. The key is a gentle grade that facilitates practice. Try to follow Schlentz's downhill script: Lean forward with hips and chest up, and shorten your arm swing, which will quicken your stride, enabling your feet to land directly beneath you.
Lesson 5: Learn to Push
The Key: Get comfortable finishing at a fast pace
The great runner learns to relax with speed" is a favorite Pearlberg quote, borrowed from Seb Coe. The ability to push hard when tired is based on holding back at the start of a run, progressing patiently, and finishing fast, which builds confidence. Rachel told me that the hardest in a set of progressively fast repeats is not the last one but the next-to-last. It's easier to push the last rep, she said, because there's no reason to save. So I started working the penultimate loop because I knew that, no matter how tired I was, I'd push the last one.
YOUR HOMEWORK: An approach that worked for me was 3 x 1200 with two laps at about 10-K race pace and one lap faster than 5-K race pace, with a 400 jog in between. Each 1200, the fast lap changed from first lap to second lap to last lap. You develop leg turnover and stride economy from the fast 400s, and strength from the 1200s overall. Focus on running as smoothly as possible.
Or try Zatorski's three "split miles." Run the first 1200 at 10-K pace, then accelerate through the next 100, and finish with a hard 300 at mile race pace. Take a three-minute jog and do one or two more.
Lesson 6: Run With a Group
The Key: Gain energy from training with partners
When I followed Rachel and Victoria, my self-assessments shrank to a simple maxim: Try to keep up. When I followed the blazing Southern team, my focus was: Keep them in sight. When I ran with Pearlberg's group, I thought: Don't baby yourself because these kids don't. "They don't get bummed out by the conditions." Pearlberg says.
Running with others forms a little community with rules and mores that alleviate stress. You're less likely to try too hard or be fixated on the stopwatch. You won't start out too fast and spoil the pace. You serve others by sharing the lead. You feed off the presence of partners, lessening fatigue. You conserve energy by drafting. You run faster than you would by yourself. After the summer, when I ran the 1.9 park loop on my own, fighting the wind, my times were about 40 seconds slower. It was not only drafting that I lacked but also company.
YOUR HOMEWORK: Take advantage of a group as you would an adult ed class. Ask questions ("You blew me away on that downhill—what's your secret?"). With partners, your spectrum of success broadens to group effort, camaraderie, and feelings of general wellness. You'll make fewer excuses, too. Practice proper drafting. "Don't run up on people," says Schlentz, "because you end up leaning backward, then waste energy slowing down." The key, he says, is to keep your knee lift as low as possible while otherwise maintaining normal running posture. "That translates to more energy later in the workout," he says.
Lesson 7: Fix Your Form
The Key: Improve posture to enhance breathing
One trick to having good form during faster training is to do a more complete warmup, priming the body so the first repetition, says Zatorski, is not "wasted" with cold muscles and a ragged start. After jogging, strides, drills, and stretching, the Southern girls ran a brisk 10 minutes with the last few minutes at a stepped-up pace prior to their first repeat. As an extension of my warmup, I would run a swift 3 x 150, with jogging between.
At a faster training pace, form flaws, like poor posture or improper use of arms, become magnified. You end up fighting your body. "I live and die with form," Schlentz told me. Pearlberg wrote the book on form, literally, with his Run Tall, Run Easy: The Ultimate Guide to Better Running Mechanics. All the coaches referred to athletes "breaking down" under stress. Rachel said that when she gets tired, she tends to lean back. "I need to get my hips forward," she said. "My arm swing gets too long. It has to be shorter, choppier, so my legs go faster."
YOUR HOMEWORK: By keeping arms low and close to the body, says Schlentz, you avoid upper-body tension, keeping the shoulders relaxed and allowing for better breathing. You run taller, becoming less of a slow-footed heel-striker and more of a faster midfoot runner. To accelerate, as when kicking in a 5-K, throw your hands down as you would hammer a nail to generate force, says Zatorski.
FINAL EXAM: Run a Fast 5-K
A five-week plan to ace your test
Each of the workouts below has a place in your training, according to coach and biomechanics expert G. P. Pearlberg of Brielle, New Jersey, author of Run Tall, Run Easy. The track workouts train you to change gears and recover at an aggressive pace. The long repeats on trails prepare you to run for extended periods when fatigued, while also developing overall balance, ankle flexibility, and running mechanics. Hill work builds muscle strength, increases cardiac power, and prepares you for particular course conditions. First-time and novice 5-K runners should choose one of the suggested workouts per week. Experienced runners can choose two or three workouts per week but no more than two in week 5, with the last workout at least four days before race day. On other days, you should run for 30 to 60 minutes at a conversational pace, or take a rest day.
Week 1
Track: 3 x 1200, two laps at 10-K race pace, one lap at faster than 5-K race pace. Do the first 1200 with the fast lap first, the second 1200 with the fast lap in the middle, and the third 1200 with the fast lap at the end. Take one lap jog (about three minutes) between 1200s.
Park: Four repeats of about a six-minute loop at 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for novice runners, or two repeats of an eight-minute loop at about 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for advanced runners
Hills: Distance run of three to five miles, including several hills
Week 2
Track: 4 x 300 at 5-K race pace or faster with 60-second jog; for the advanced runner, take five minutes jog after the last 400 and then run 2000 meters with four laps at half-marathon race pace and the last 400 at mile race pace.
Park: Four repeats of about a six-minute loop at 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for novice runners, or two repeats of an eight-minute loop at about 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for advanced runners
Hills: Distance run of three to five miles, including several hills
Week 3
Track: 4 x 400 at 5-K race pace or slightly faster, jog/walk five minutes, then 4 x 200 at mile race pace. Novice runners take three-minute jog between 400s and 90-second jog between 200s; advanced runners take 60-second jog between 400s and 200s.
Park: Four repeats of about a six-minute loop at 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for novice runners, or two repeats of an eight-minute loop at about 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for advanced runners
Hills: Distance run of three to five miles, including several hills
Week 4
Track: 2-3 x 800 alternating fast 200s (3-K pace) and slow 200s (half-marathon pace), with three-minute jog between for newbies; or 5 x 800 of fast 200s (3-K pace) and slow 200s (10-K pace) with three-minute jog for advanced runners
Park: Four repeats of about a six-minute loop at 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for novice runners, or two repeats of an eight-minute loop at about 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for advanced runners
Hills: Distance run of three to five miles, including several hills
Week 5
Track: 6-8 x 200 at 5-K race pace with 60 seconds rest after each of the first two, 50 seconds for the next two, 40 seconds for the next two, and 30 seconds before the last two.
Park: Four repeats of about a six-minute loop at 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for novice runners, or two repeats of an eight-minute loop at about 10-K to 15-K race pace with a four-minute jog/rest for advanced runners
Hills: Distance run of three to five miles, including several hills
Is this your first time?
Training and racing tips for newbies
1. Fast training is important for racing. But don't make a race out of your workouts or you'll leave your best running on the track.
2. To be fresh for fast workouts, run easy or cross-train the day before.
3. Warm up for every workout by jogging at least a mile and continuing with stretching and stride-outs.
4. Each workout is one step in a process, so don't fret if a session falls short of expectations.
5. Hold back in the first mile of a 5-K so you don't risk a late-race burnout and squander your hard-earned fitness.
Marc Bloom's high school cross-country rankings have played an influential role in the sport for more than 20 years and led to the creation of many major events, including Nike Cross Nationals and the Great American Cross Country Festival. He published his cross-country journal, Harrier, for more than two decades.


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Questions About Estate Planning
Taking hold of the future
Through an effective estate plan, you can provide future economic security for yourself, your family and others you wish to benefit.
Read on for more about steps to ensure you have an effective estate plan.
Answers to frequently asked questions
Q. What is estate planning?
A. In its broadest sense, estate planning involves making provisions for the present and future management of the property you accumulate during your lifetime and deciding how you want it distributed when you no longer need it.
Q. What if I do not make an estate plan?
A. The state laws where you live will provide one. Your state's plan cannot:
- Provide for your heirs according to their needs.
- Take into account who you would have wanted to be the legal guardian of your minor children.
- Provide for special friends or charitable interests.
Q. How do I begin the estate planning process?
A. A good place to start is with the "Four Ps".
- List the people you would like to provide for in your plans. You may wish to include charitable interests.
- List the property you own and any income it produces. Include investments, real estate, retirement plan funds, and life insurance assets, as well as personal property.
- Your plans will begin to take shape as you consider how you wish to use your property to provide for the people on your list. Study your property list carefully, looking for opportunities to match the needs of each person.
- List the planners you will need to help you—your attorney, accountant, financial planner, banker and/or others. Consider asking your most trusted advisor to help coordinate the process.
Q. Is a will the only document needed to complete my estate plan?
A. Not necessarily. There are other ways to distribute property that can act in concert with the terms of your will.
Q. Why might I need a plan other than a will?
A. A trust can distribute assets and manage them for elderly people or for younger heirs until they reach a certain age.
Joint ownership arrangements allow you to own property with others. At the end of one owner's lifetime, the property passes outside of probate to the survivor.
A power of attorney lets you appoint someone to handle your financial affairs if you should be unable to do so. Many people also create a living will, which outlines their health care wishes.
Also review the beneficiary designations of your life insurance policies, IRAs, and other retirement plans, because your will and other plans may not affect their distribution.
Q. How can I make charitable gifts in my estate plans?
A. You can make gifts from funds that remain after you have first assured your family's financial well-being. You can accomplish this through a bequest in your will, a gift included in a trust, naming a charity to receive life insurance or retirement plan proceeds, or other charitable designations.
Q. Is there a way I can enjoy tax savings and other benefits from charitable gifts now?
A. Yes! There are ways to give that can provide you with income for life or another specified period of time you choose. You can then make a charitable gift of assets that remain when you no longer need the payments. Income tax deductions are allowed for such gifts when completed during your lifetime.
If you fund income gifts with securities that have increased in value over the years, you may reduce and/or delay capital gains tax that would be due had you sold the assets. It can also be possible to receive payments that are free of tax or taxed at lower rates than other income. You also enjoy the satisfaction of making a thoughtful charitable gift in a way that preserves, or perhaps enhances, your financial well-being or that of your loved ones.
There is no time like the present when it comes to creating or updating your estate plans. Experience the peace of mind that can come from taking control of the future in ways that will benefit you, your loved ones, and your charitable interests. We will be pleased to work with you and your advisors as you consider the charitable dimension of your plans.


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GNU CSSC - News
posted by jay, Tue 07 May 2019 08:27:17 PM UTC - 0 replies
I'm pleased to announce the release of GNU CSSC, version
1.4.1. This is a stable release. The previous stable
release was 1.4.0.
Stable releases of CSSC are available from
https://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/cssc/. Development releases and
[Read more]
posted by jay, Sun 16 May 2010 07:02:31 PM UTC - 0 replies
I'm pleased to announce the release of GNU CSSC, version
This is a release candidate for a stable release and follows the previous stable release 1.2.0. The "rc1" suffix indicates this is a release candidate; if no bugs are ...
[Read more]
posted by jay, Sun 18 Apr 2010 04:17:00 PM UTC - 0 replies
The source code repository for GNU CSSC has been converted from CVS to git. You can read about how to use git to access the source code at https://savannah.gnu.org/git/?group=cssc
posted by jay, Mon 17 Dec 2007 01:00:43 AM UTC - 0 replies
The CVS repository for GNU CSSC is now hosted on Savannah; see http://savannah.gnu.org/cvs/?group=cssc for details. I have also moved the CSSC web page to http://www.gnu.org/software/cssc/ and updated the old page to serve a refresh URL (unfortunately not an HTTP redirect, though).
posted by jay, Fri 22 Jun 2007 11:11:33 PM UTC - 0 replies
I'm migrating CSSC from SourceForge to Savannah. This will take a while.


text:
Creation 17(1):50–51, December 1994
Browse our latest digital issue Subscribe
Genesis and the lost tablets
One of my former students wrote to ask me for a comment and an assurance as to the literal nature of the early chapters of Genesis.
Other peoples had records touching the activities of Genesis 1 to 11. The Babylonian epic known as Enuma Elish told of creation, with the god Marduk cutting the monster crocodile god Tiamat in two, then making the heavens from one half and Earth from the other. The river Euphrates flowed from one eye, and the Tigris through the other.
When a copy of this tablet was found in the palace of the Assyrian King Ashur-bani-pal (he died in 625 BC) it was claimed that this was the original creation tablet, and so the creation could only have come into the Bible after that date. Ezra was given the credit for the Genesis account, instead of Moses, who lived about 1,000 years earlier. Now other copies of the Babylonian epic, dating from hundreds of years earlier, have been found.
Biblical record superior
The Epic of Gilgamesh was also found in the same Assyrian palace, and the eleventh of the 12 fragmentary tablets had a distorted version of the Flood. But again it was dramatically inferior to the Biblical record, with the gods terrified as the flood waters rose higher and higher. They believed they might be washed out of Heaven itself.
Then when the flood was over, the gods came 'like a swarm of flies' to the sacrifice that the Babylonian Noah, Utnapishtim, offered. Poor gods, they were hungry—men had not been around to feed them!
In the Babylonian story, man was created to undertake menial work which was beneath the dignity of the gods. In Genesis, man is created as the friend of God.
In more recent years the fragmentary Epic of Atrahasis has been translated, and now it is seen that creation, the role of man, and the Flood are brought together as one continuous record. Suddenly the world of Biblical archaeology has had to recognize that the comparable (but dramatically superior) records in Genesis must be accepted as an actual historical presentation. The famed Professor W.F. Albright (now deceased) wrote that the Genesis details of the Flood contain elements which predate any other description.
The Tower of Babel has a parallel Babylonian record, elaborated by another famous archaeologist, Professor Samuel N. Kramer. He likens the Babylonian record to that of the Bible.
Endorses Bible' account
The fact of long-living men is endorsed from the Sumerian king list found at Kish, south of modern Baghdad. It has recently been shown that scholars had mistranslated its figures of tens of thousands of years. These Sumerians used a system based on decimals and not on sixties as previously thought. Now it is seen that the total given in the Sumerian list is remarkably close to the total figures in Genesis chapter 11. (It seems that conditions were different before the Flood—and incidentally, this throws great doubt on the long ages of millions of years that are so glibly stated by many scholars.)
The Table of Nations in Genesis chapter 10 used to be regarded as mere legend. Again quoting Professor W.F. Albright, he wrote that it has been found to be 'astonishingly accurate'.
Even in so-called secular archaeology, 'legends' are taken much more seriously these days. One example is the Assyrian king list which goes back to the days when those kings 'lived in tents'. The first of them was named Tudiya, and his actual existence was not taken very seriously. Then his name turned up as an actual king who had entered into a contract with the King of Ebla (in modern Syria) about 2200 BC. Another Ebla contract was with the Egyptian Pharaoh Pepi I, already known in Egyptian records.
It's a wonderful fact that the Bible records have been preserved intact, without needing to be dug up. These are not camp-fire stories which grew in the telling, not just poetry that is merely symbolic, but factual records of the highest order.
© New Life. Used with permission.
Clifford A. Wilson, Ph.D.
Dr Wilson is known for his archaeological work and his book refuting Erich von Däniken's 'gods from outer space' theory. He has been in charge of Psycholinguistics at Australia's Monash University and was Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina.


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When attempting to browse an Analysis Services cube you may be presented with the following error message:
DefaultMember(Measures,Measures) (1, 1) The '[xxx]' member was not found in the cube when the string, [Measures].[xxx], was parsed.
The error message is self-explanatory. There is a Default Member being referenced and was not found. But, pinpointing where this "DefaultMember" is being referenced may me a bit challenging.
The Root Cause
The root cause of this issue is quite simple: a deleted or renamed measure is still being referenced by its original name. Some of the areas where this deleted or renamed default measure could still be referenced by its original name include:
- Cube DefaultMeasure property
- Perspective DefaultMeasure property
- Calculations
The fix
The fix may involve adding the measure back or renaming the measure to its original name or digging through several areas of the cube where the deleted or renamed measure is still being referenced by its original name. Here are your options:
1. Add or rename the measure back to its original name.
This may not be the desired option, but it could be the easiest and quickest way to fix the issue.
2. Modify each Perspective's DefaultMeausure property
Unfortunately, deleting or renaming a measure does not "trickle-down" where it is being referenced in a perspective. The original measure's name will remain.
3. Change the cube DefaulMeasure property to the new measure name.
Similar to Perspectives, deleting or renaming a measure does not "trickle-down" its new name to the cube's DefaultMeasure property. You will need to select a new measure in the DefaultMeasure property.
4. Modify the cube XML code
This option may be a little daunting to some, but in the end it is the quickest way to make sure the original measure's name is replaced by the new measure's name. To do this, in Solution Explorer right click on the Cube's name and select View Code. The XMLA definition will open. At this point, press CTRL+H or click on Edit->Find and Replace->Quick Replace.The Quick Replace window will open. Type the original measure's name in the "Find what" textbox and type the new measure's name in the "Replace with:" textbox.
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My Latest Whisperings
- Milton's Gluten-Free Crackers and Giveaway!!
- Happy Celiac Awareness Month!!
- Foster Farms Gluten-Free Corn Dogs and Giveaway
- Crispy Green Photo Contest
- Skinny Noodles
- Veggie Lites Muffins
- Tea Thyme Cafe – Marble Falls, TX
- Surf Sweets
- Pillsbury Bake-Off Now Includes Gluten-Free
- Smartfood Delight Popcorn
A Word of CautionAlways remember to check each ingredient to make sure that it is gluten-free. Reading labels is so important. Happy gluten-free eating!
Psst…Archives are here
Daily Archives: May 17, 2011
Kellogg's Rice Krispies Gluten Free
Snap. Crackle. Pop. I'd forgotten how noisy Kellogg's Rice Krispies are, until I poured the milk into my bowl of the new Rice Krispies Gluten Free this morning. They look like Rice Krispies. They sound like Rice Krispies. It's been … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews Tagged Kellogg's, mainstream Leave a comment


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The Wire Troll: The Rosters Expand
Ah, there's nothing like the September roster increases to start a steady stream of player influx into the majors and onto our Fantasy rosters. Yes, these callups can and will be of importance to many Fantasy teams but don't forget about the veteran players. Playing time is always the issue and make sure before you commit to players in redraft leagues that those opportunities will be there.
Without further ado, let's get to this week's recommendations.
Chris Davis, 1B, Texas Rangers: In 165 at-bats down on the farm, Davis managed an outstanding .327 BA, six homers and 30 RBI. He also accumulated 25 walks, and while the strikeouts were still a bit on the high side (39), he's definitely trending in the right direction. The stint at Triple-A Oklahoma City seems to have righted the ship for Davis somewhat, but it is important to remember that he is only 23 and has tremendous potential heading into the future. With the struggling Hank Blalock currently banished to the bench, Davis is going to get the lion's share of opportunities in September and should be rostered in all formats.
Chris Young, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks: There is nothing like a stint down on the farm to get one's head back into the game. Young was recalled Saturday by the Diamondbacks after posting great numbers in the minors. In 54 at-bats at Triple-A Reno, he managed three homers, nine RBI, and scored 17 runs. He was tearing the cover off the ball to the tune of a .370 BA and what is even more impressive is that he managed nine walks. Young should get regular playing time down the stretch. Next year, could he be the 2009 version of Mark Reynolds?
Andy Marte, 1B/3B, Cleveland Indians: Anyone who managed to see this one coming has to be in the fortune telling racket. At Triple-A Columbus in 300 at-bats, the 25-year-old former top prospect hit 18 homers and drove in 66 runs with a .327 BA. When the Indians traded Ryan Garko to the Giants at the end of July, Marte moved into the first base gig and hasn't looked back. In his past 10 games, he is hitting .417 with three homers and 12 RBI. Get him rostered in all formats while he's currently on a tear.
Brian Duensing, SP, Minnesota Twins: The Twin starting rotation is in disarray and if they have any hope of winning their division, the 26-year-old southpaw is going to have to play a major role. Since being inserted into the rotation August 22 against the Royals, Duensing has responded in fine form winning both of his starts. He was particularly brilliant on Friday, shutting down the Rangers with a nifty three-hitter while fanning eight. Heading into September, Duensing is a decent option for both the Twins and your Fantasy squad.
Eric Young, Jr., OF, Colorado Rockies: The 24-year-old converted second baseman got the call to replace the injured Dexter Fowler and Carlos Gonzalez. Young put together a solid season for Triple-A Colorado Springs with seven long balls, 43 RBI and 58 stolen bases. In five games since being called up, he's managed five hits while being caught stealing twice. The name of the game for Young is speed so he has to step it up quickly or he could very well find himself riding the pine as the Rockies are in the thick of a playoff race and patience will not be one of their strong suits. He should be added in all keeper formats and is at least worthy of a look-see in deeper leagues if you need speed down the stretch.
Milton Bradley, OF, Chicago Cubs: He's currently on fire and earning that big payday he received this past offseason. In the past six games, Bradley is killing the ball to the tune of a .583 BA, with two homers, six RBI, and 10 runs scored. Nice of you to finally show up, Milton, being that the Cubbies are only nine games back of the front running Cardinals heading into September. Better late than never I suppose. And given that he is out there in many 10- and 12-team leagues, grab him while he's both hot and not on the DL or in Lou Pinella's doghouse.
Alex Gonzalez, SS, Boston Red Sox: Theo Epstein made another in a series of shrewd moves in acquiring Gonzalez for Kristopher Negron back on August 14. Gonzalez has been hitting for both average and power since being acquired by Boston and is very quickly making the Red Sox faithful forget about both Nick Green and Jed Lowrie. In his past 10 games, Gonzo has hit three homers, driven in six runs and scored another six, very solid production out of a bottom-of-the-order type bat and something that definitely warrants attention in AL-only and deeper formats.
Intriguing Options
Sergio Mitre, SP, New York Yankees: 6 1/3 IP of one-hit ball Saturday against the White Sox should guarantee his roster spot for at least another week.
Michael Aubrey, 1B, Baltimore Orioles: One last chance for the former top prospect to show he belongs.
Brendan Ryan, SS, St. Louis Cardinals: Underrated, under appreciated but not under producing.
Wade Davis, SP, Tampa Bay Rays: Someone at Durham gets the call to replace the recently traded Scott Kazmir and Davis has 135 reasons over 154 2/3 IP why he's the right man for the job.
Steven Pearce, 1B, Pittsburgh Pirates: He's worth a look in NL-only leagues.
Felix Pie, OF, Baltimore Orioles: Pie filled in nicely while Adam Jones was out with back issues and the potential is there to for him to steal at-bats down the stretch if Jones continues to struggle.
Jack Cust, OF, Oakland Athletics: Does a .406 BA over the past 10 games suggest that Jack is on the Cust of greatness? (Sorry….couldn't resist cramming one silly pun in there.)
John Smoltz, SP, St. Louis Cardinals: Smoltz has racked up two quality starts with 15 strikeouts and only one earned run and with the Pirates next on his dance card, opportunity is knocking.
Tim Hudson, SP, Atlanta Braves: Hudson returns from the DL in a two-start week, but proceed with caution.
Trevor Cahill, SP, Oakland Athletics: Make that four consecutive quality starts for the 21-year-old and he's facing the Royals next. Five is a distinct possibility.
Jason Heyward, OF, Atlanta Braves: Maybe this is a bit of a reach for this year, but get him rostered in all keeper formats.
Willie Harris, OF, Washington Nationals: Subbing for the injured Nyjer Morgan, Harris will get playing time opportunities in September.
David DeJesus, OF, Kansas City Royals: DeJesus is on a tear with a .366 BA, three homers, eight RBI and 10 runs scored over his past 10 games. Grab him while he's hot.


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Microsoft has lost the latest round in a patent-infringement case that could lead to an import ban on its phones.
Administrative Law Judge Theodore Essex of the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled on Monday that Nokia and Microsoft Mobile products infringed two patents held by R&D company InterDigital. Essex's decision is preliminary and will be reviewed by the full commission, which is expected to announce its final ruling on Aug. 28. The final ruling could lead to a ban on importing the phones into the U.S.
The ruling covers most of Microsoft's mobile phones, according to InterDigital spokesman Patrick Van de Wille. Microsoft acquired Nokia's devices business last year. The patents in the case cover technologies involved in powering up a phone and having it connect to 3G wireless networks. Even though most current cellphones use 4G LTE, they still have 3G capability for use where 4G isn't available.
Companies with patented technology that's included in standards typically have to license it on terms that are considered fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. Judge Essex found no sign that InterDigital tried to license its technology on unfair terms, and he did find evidence that Nokia and Microsoft weren't willing to pay for a license that was offered on reasonable terms, InterDigital said.
Microsoft downplayed the significance of the preliminary decision.
"This is one step in the process and we look forward to the full Commission's thorough review," the company said in a statement. "We have a successful track record challenging patent assertion entities that misuse industry standards."
InterDigital filed the case in 2007 and lost at the ITC the first time the case was heard there, but it won an appeal in federal court. That appeals court then sent the dispute back to the ITC, where it's being heard now.
InterDigital develops technologies that are incorporated into standards and employs about 200 engineers, Van de Wille said. It has been involved in patent disputes with several large mobile vendors, including Samsung Electronics, Huawei Technologies and ZTE in addition to Nokia and Microsoft.


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You're a young company. You've designed a pair of bicycle lights. They're great little units – bright, light, sturdy, and fastened by closing a neat metal clasp around a rubber strap. They're also affordable. Best of all, you can recharge them by sticking them in a USB port. No more batteries!
So you get the first batch back from the factory, plug them into the back of your computer and… oh dear.
You suddenly discover you can't recharge them both simultaneously. The connectors are stubby and the lights are too big to fit closely together. Why didn't you notice this sooner?
Obviously I'm speculating on the design process. Maybe the chaps at Knog knew from the moment they put pencil to paper that the Blinder 4s wouldn't plug in straight out of the box. Perhaps they reckoned I would figure out I needed a couple of USB extension cables for recharging. But it's reasonable for customers to assume they could just plug them both in, so it's irksome that you can't.
The reviews I've subsequently come across on blogs (Urban Velo, Pedal Consumption, Bike Soup and FLO Cycling) haven't mentioned this obvious consequence of the lights' design. This is because Knog appear to have sent reviewers only one light instead of two. A crafty move?


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In observance of the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Department of Commerce hosted an event today at the Herbert C. Hoover Building in partnership with the White House and the Federal Communications Commission. At the event, the Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and Information Administration announced a $15 million American Recovery and Reinvestment grant to Communication Service for the Deaf, Inc. for a project that will expand broadband adoption among people who are deaf and hard of hearing.
The event also included a technology showcase highlighting technologies developed to empower the daily lives of Americans with disabilities, the launch of the FCC's new Accessibility and Innovation Forum, a video presentation chronicling personal histories of those with disabilities who have been impacted by technology and a performance by Gallaudet University students. Both the showcase and program were free and open to the public. Read more | Related NTIA release
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