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Diehard CrossFit
CrossFit and group training that works, all during the best hour of your day
CrossFit Diehard is a community-driven gym serving the hardest working people in Daytona Beach & Port Orange with next-level group fitness & nutrition training.
Business Name:
Diehard CrossFit
810 Fentress Ct STE 120Daytona Beach Florida 32117United States
(386) 223-0772
About Daytona Beach
Daytona Beach, or simply Daytona, is a city of about 73,000 residents in Central Florida on its Atlantic coast. In Volusia County, it is approximately 54 miles (86.9 km) northeast of Orlando, 93 miles (149.7 km) southeast of Jacksonville, and 272 miles (437.7 km) northwest of Miami. It is part of the Deltona–Daytona Beach–Ormond Beach metropolitan area which has a population of about 600,000 and is also a principal city of the Fun Coast region of Florida. Daytona Beach is historically known for its beach, where the hard-packed sand allows motorized vehicles on the beach in restricted areas. This hard-packed sand made Daytona Beach a mecca for motorsports, and the old Daytona Beach and Road Course hosted races for over 50 years.
Neighborhoods in Daytona Beach, Florida
Barefoot Park, Bethune Grant, Big Tree Shores, Breakaway Trails, Capri Manor, Cardinal Estates, Clifton Heights, Coquina Point, Coventry Forest, Creekside, Daytona Gardens, Daytona Highlands, Deerwood, Derbyshire, Dunlawton Hills
Things to do in Daytona Beach, Florida
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Hey, hey, hey everybody!
I am so excited because I finished my finals yesterday, and I am now at home. I have already noticed the differences in me due to college now that I am back... for instance, apparently my fire alarm went off this morning - and I slept right through it! College has conditioned me to sleep with pillows covering my ears/face and to ignore any noise, and, apparently, that is even true when I am not in my dorm.
Here's some exciting news: I am heading back to Davis today for a job interview, and again tomorrow for a different job interview! The one today is at a cute little fair-trade coffee/tea shop that I have mentioned in my blogs before, Mishka's Café. The one tomorrow is at my school's library! I am really hoping that one of these works out for me, because right now I am not making any money and it is hard to have fun/do holiday shopping without that! I also recently landed an internship for the spring with CollegeFashionista.com, so keep an eye out on the site for my work starting in January.
That brings me to my point - how to dress nicely for a job interview on a limited (college) wardrobe. For the interview at the coffee shop, since it's a more laid-back vibe, I decided on dark-washed skinny jeans, black flats, a blue tee, and a gray secondhand blazer. This shows that I am still taking it seriously, but I am not too high strung. For the interview at the library, I am going to wear a gray pencil skirt, the same flats, a tucked-in white tee, and a black cardigan, because the job is more professional and I want to emanate that. I am wearing minimal makeup to each one, because I rarely wear makeup in the first place, and just leaving my hair natural.
I am trying not to be too nervous about this, but I can't help it! You guys can all make my life a little easier by leaving your suggestions, comments, and questions about interviews, internships, and jobs under this story. Also, feel free to ask me any questions about college life (or just life in general) that I can answer for you on my
Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, email, or in these comments! I love to hear from all of you. J
More From Seventeen
Wish me luck, and hopefully by my next post I will be a working girl again!
What's your go-to outfit for job interviews? Leave any questions or comments below!

subset: commoncrawl


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Why should your blog be a focused, narrow niched blog?
- It establishes you as an expert.
- It creates a consistent flow of information and content.
- The blog and you become a source for information, not just a link.
- Increased incoming referrer links and increased likelihood of being blogged about, not just linked to.
- Like attracts like.
While it is wonderful to be the "source" and "expert" on your subject, the best part of keeping your blog focus on track is that you attract like minds to your blog, those seeking what you offer and eager for your next blog post. It's like feeding the hungry. As long as they continue to have a need for your words and expertise, they will keep coming to the table.
As part of this ongoing series on Blog Struggles, discussing the hard work and challenges of blogging, we covered the first part of blog focus by defining what blog focus means. Today, I'm going to talk about why you should have a narrow blog focus. Next week, I'll cover how to find your blog's focus.
Benefits of a Narrow Blog Focus
I've found amazing benefits from keeping my blog focus narrow.
- No more hunting for something to write about. I know what I'm hunting for.
- I have self-imposed constraints that keep me on track on my blog's subject matter and topics.
- I know what I do.
- I am confident about my blog's content and subject.
- An expectation as an expert is created and evident by the blog name, post titles, and post categories.
- I'm considered an expert in my field.
- I'm considered a "source" and resource in my field.
- Others recommend me and my blog to their readers.
- Links to my blog come with descriptions of "spend some time there – she has written plenty you need to read and learn on the subject."
- I'm invited to guest blog, speak, publish, talk, and write for others as an expert.
- I blog better.
The best part of blogging with a narrow blog focus is that I have less self doubt about my abilities and my ability to blog. I know my subject matter. I know it from a variety of perspectives. I'm constantly challenging my information, resources, sources, and expertise as I write on the subject from different angles and points of view.
Because I have that familiarity, I feel more confident to take risks like blogging about controversial subjects within my niche, or tackling subjects that people need to be talking about but aren't. I get to ask the hard questions.
When I'm self confident about my blog and blog content, the readers know. They can feel it. And they like what they see and feel and come back for more.
The Challenges of a Focused Blog
In Star Trek: Next Generation's episode, Tapestry, Picard gets a chance provided by Q to change a regrettable event in his youth. When Picard changes the past, it changes the future by turning him into a "dreary man in a tedious job", not captain of the Enterprise. Q responds:
The Jean-Luc Picard you wanted to be, the one who did not fight the Nausicaan, had quite a different career from the one you remember.
That Picard never had a brush with death… never came face to face with his own mortality… never realized how fragile life is… how important each moment can be… so his life never came into focus. He drifted through much of his career, with no plan or agenda… going from one assignment to the next, never seizing the opportunities that presented themselves…He didn't lead the Away Team on Milika Three to save that ambassador… he didn't take charge of the Stargazer's Bridge when its Captain was killed… and no one ever offered him a command. He learned to play it safe. And he never, ever got noticed by anyone.
You can play it safe by blogging about everything and anything you want, hoping to expand your readership by building a giant basket to catch all the balls that come your way, turning your blog into a thrift store. People stop and visit, drawn by the sheer volume of information and keywords, but then have to dig hard to find any really good treasures.
Or you can narrow your blog's content down, taking charge of it and taking the risks that make you an expert on the subject. The treasures are out on display, eagerly grasped by readers. They know without a doubt that you know what you are blogging about.
Which makes you the captain of your blog's content or the ensign?
Playing It Safe With Your Blog's Content
In the early days of Lorelle on WordPress, I had several people ask me how I could continue to produce content limited only to the subject of WordPress and blogging. "I'd run out of things to say." "I'd get so bored." "Aren't you going to bore your readers unless you stir things up once in a while?"
Let's see, it's been almost four years of writing about and for WordPress and I haven't run out of things to write about or say. I did explore more into the subject of blogging because WordPress is about blogging and blogging is WordPress, so the two go hand in hand. I've not run out of things to write. I've not been bored – not a day or minute. And my readership keeps growing, so I must be doing something write.
I honestly believe that writing in a catch-all way, jotting down anything and everything that pops into your head at any moment, is playing it safe with your blog. Anyone can do that.
It's hard work setting up parameters for your blog. I'd love to rant about stupid things happening in our governments around the world right now. I'd love to rally behind freedom fighters who fight with words. I'd love to blather on about how frustrated I am about chasing down leaks in my trailer now that winter is here. I'd love to share with you the pleasure I've found in shoveling horse crap every morning when I'm on the farm, a task I hated as a child. I know I would feel better if I could bitch and whine about…okay, a lot of things. But on this blog, it's WordPress or blogging, or silence.
How narrow should your blog focus be? That's up to you. Mine is considered very narrow, but when I look at it, I'm overwhelmed with the number of topics I could cover on WordPress techniques and tips, WordPress Themes, WordPress Plugins, WordPress blogs, the WordPress Community, customizing WordPress, and so much more. With the added topic of blogging, I have no end of subjects to cover on how to blog, why blog, and what to blog about.
A narrow blog focus is a matter of perspective. I consider my niche fairly wide. I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? offers nothing but pictures of cats doing dumb things that readers submit to the site. You can't get much narrower than that, but the site continues to be one of the most popular on the web. There seems to be no end to the silly subjects they can create with pictures of cats, and the amount of traffic and attention they inspire.
Focusing Your Blog
Tomorrow, I'll cover more on finding your blog focus, but I want to return to the Star Trek: Next Generation episode. In the end, Picard realizes his mistake in wanting to fix his past regrets, and admits later to Ricker:
There were many things in my youth that I'm not proud of…they were loose threads…untidy parts of myself that I wanted to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads… I unraveled the tapestry of my life.
As you consider your blog's focus, I want you to look at your entire life, all the threads that make up the tapestry of your life. They all make you, the resulting "fabric" of your life as it is right now. On that fabric you will find colors and patterns repeating themselves. Loudly. Vibrantly. Or possibly they are subtle and almost invisible, but when you look with fresh eyes, they start to stand out from the rest of the threads.
It is these specific colors and patterns that repeat themselves throughout the fabric of your life that could define your blog's focus and content. The thing that makes you a learned expert. The knowledge that comes from repeating the same behaviors or experiences over and over again until you get them right. The skill that defines you and your abilities. You can call it what you will. I call it your passion.
I know above all else, when you are blogging your passion, the world is a better place for you and your readers.
The Blog Focus Series
- Blog Struggles: The Blog Focus
- Blog Struggles: Why Should Your Blog Have a Focus
- Blog Struggles: Finding Your Blog Focus
- Blog Struggles: Changing Your Blog's Focus
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Copyright Lorelle VanFossen, member of the 9Rules Network, and author of Blogging Tips, What Bloggers Won't Tell You About Blogging.


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The Oxford University Alumni Society of Greece is the official branch of the OU Society in Greece. All who have engaged in academic work in the University or in any college are eligible members.
The Oxford University Alumni Society of Greece is a non-profit organisation and its events are made possible through the generous donations of Oxford alumni in Greece. If you would like to make a donation, please contact one of the committee members or send an email to
We also encourage our members to provide us with pictures taken during the Society's events in order to post them online!
Members are kindly requested to register by completing their current contact details. Please use latin alphabet.
Read more about our debates...


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Wire-EDM machined for perfect fit, and unmatched precision. Great for magnum calibers and AR-15 Flattop rifles that need more clearance. (Smooth Type - X-High Profile)USTS Steel Single Width Scope Rings. (X-High Profile) These 4140 steel rings were specifically designed for the heavy-hitting recoil of the .50 caliber BMG round in our double width configuration. Since our .50 caliber rings were a great success in taming the recoil, and securing zero under extreme conditions, we know there is also a need for quality rings that will work with the Magnum and other calibers as well. Some rings tend to lose the zero with the heavy hitting rounds On our single width rings, we found that the use of single nuts, together with four HOLOKROME cap screws on each ring is more than enough to affix the optic properly with ANY caliber including the Magnum loads. Designed with all the same features are our .50 caliber BMG rings, but lighter weight. These rings were tested with all calibers, including .50 and hold perfect zero every time. US Tactical Systems Single Ring Set Features This particular set of rings are 1.500" from the base to the centerline of your scope ring, and compatible with some of the largest objective sizes. (X-High Profile) Like our other rings, they fit the standard MID STD 1913 (Picatinny) rail and include a parkerized matte finish. The US Tactical Systems steel rings feature single 100% perfectly square cross-cut bolts, precision machined to snuggly fit the Picatinny rail cross-cut slots. This allows maximum contact with the MID STD 1913 cross-cut slot for a solid mount that will not move under extreme pressure or large caliber recoil. Each Scope Ring Cap also features genuine HOLOKROME Hex Screws because only the best will do. Inferior fasteners are what most scope ring manufactures try to pass, even in high quality rings! Not familiar with HOLOKROME? Learn more about them here. For more versatility with several scope and optic configurations, we have also included perfectly matched pair of 1-inch inserts with every set of rings. The inserts are so you can mount your scope if it is either a 30mm scope tube, or the more available 1-inch scope tube configuration. The 1-inch inserts are "lipped" on both sides to eliminate movement. This is the last set of rings you will ever buy, and once you get your hands on them...the only brand you will ever consider! Backed By Our Lifetime Guarantee! An ideal mounting system secures your optical device to your firearm as low as comfortably possible, with the fewest parts necessary. More parts equal more chances for something to go wrong. Our designs have minimal parts while still preserving the features expected from a high-end scope ring set. The weakest link in a shooting system is your scope mount. The finest rifle and scope combination is rendered useless without rugged and reliable rings and bases. Some well known manufactures will not tell you what materials their rings are even made of, or don't even know. Call them up and ask! The USTS rings are the only Wire-EDM rings machined from one solid billet of 4140 chrome-molybdenum steel. The result is a highly accurate, super-strong steel ring set made to last a lifetime!
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An ever-changing game plan has been saved
An ever-changing game plan
ME PoV Spring 2012 issue
Iraq's business climate and the opportunities ahead
Nine years after the U.S.-led invasion, security remains the number one concern to the general public, local businesses and foreign investors. Iraq's infrastructure is still dilapidated and the economy is firmly controlled, for the most part, by the central government. Electricity shortages and an antiquated banking system continue to hinder progress in an economy that was ravaged by wars and sanctions.
Download and read this article


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12:59 PMGiant Matrix Memory Washer 126.96.36.199
Giant Matrix Memory Washer 18.104.22.168 | 6.26 MB
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Memory Washer is a smart memory and process manager tool that scans your system increasing your amount of available memory by up to 95%. Memory Washer prevents Windows crashes by freeing up unused memory, making your computer faster and more dependable. With Memory Washer's Processes Manager you can pinpoint unstable programs that waste your memory and manage those programs by terminating them or changing their current priority.
Memory Washer's AutoFree RAM function automatically frees up RAM on your computer. You can choose to set up predefined levels based on time intervals or have Memory Washer automatically attempt to free RAM whenever your memory reaches a crucial level. Memory Washer will automatically speed up games and programs when more RAM is needed than you currently have available
Why waste money on more RAM? Utilize the memory you have and get more for your money with Memory Washer.
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Homepage - http://www.rightutilities.com
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Jothi Ramaswamy was having dinner on a school night, halfway through the 2015 school year when a conversation with her brother left her even hungrier.
Her brother, Akshay, happened to mention that out of the 33 students in his C++ class—a computer science language—none were girls.
Ramaswamy, a Yorktown resident, had been interested in computer science since sixth grade, but hearing something like that flustered her. She decided to research why but discovered the void wasn't just present in his class, it was the entire Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) field.
After doing research, she found that only 18 percent of science majors in U.S. colleges are female despite 66 percent of fourth-grade girls being interested in STEM. Furthermore, only 24 percent of women make up the STEM fields.
Something needed to be done.
Soon after that dinner conversation, the then 13-year-old decided creating some kind of engaging, educational group geared solely towards girls was the answer. Or at least a step in closing the gap.
ThinkSTEAM, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Ramaswamy founded -- with a little encouragement by her mother and brother -- in 2015, is designed to fill the gap in STEM fields by encouraging young girls to study and pursue the sciences.
In the two and a half years its been operational, Ramaswamy has hosted technology and STEM workshops allowing girls the opportunity to work with professionals from IBM, Google, PepsiCo. and other tech companies.
The workshops—which are monthly and held at libraries, colleges and sometimes the actual headquarters of companies—have reached approximately 350 to 400 girls in eight states, according to Ramaswamy.
Now a junior at Lakeland High School, the 16-year-old said "[ThinkSTEAM tries to] apply these science and technology concepts to the arts and really brings in that creativity to show girls that science and technology can be applied to everything.
"It exposes them more to its applications to encourage them to pursue STEM in the future."
The organization, in fact, received the HerLEAD grant in October 2017 from ANN INC and Vital Voices—two prominent women activist groups—and was used for Hudson Valley's first all-day STEAM-A-THON event on Jan. 6. Seventy-five girls from the tri-state area attended and were given the opportunity work with PepsiCo. and IBM professionals as well as computer science students from Stanford and UC San Diego.
Ramaswamy also devised the annual ThinkBIG campaign, which showcases girls who encourage others to pursue STEM. ThinkSTEAM now has chapters in Washington and Arizona and the Westchester native hopes to reach more states and go international.
"I really, really like [what I'm doing at this age], it's just a great experience to teach and expose girls to science and technology even more," said Ramaswamy, who was just honored as a 2018 Global Teen Leader by Three Dot Dash and will attend the Just Peace Summit in March.
"It's satisfying seeing the pictures I take at some of the workshops where the girls are really enjoying themselves.
"Looking at the pictures and videos motivates me to continue to help these girls out."
Know a Westchester up-and-comer 30 or under? Email firstname.lastname@example.com for a profile.
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Jonny V3 Champagne Flights
L3c – Standard / Shape
Always open at 90 degrees for perfect flight.
They can be used with Champagne Rings (sold separately) to improve shaft-flight coupling, increase shaft life, prevent deflections and prevent "Robin Hoods".
Everyone throws differently. Finess Players with more of an arc in their throw will find their dart can stabilize and fly smoother with a larger flight size, while power players that throw real hard in a straight line will enjoy a smallor or slimmer flight that allows the dart to travel with less resistance. With this in mind, L-Style offers a flight size that will suit any throw. Look at the chart to find out what flight size works for you.
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To be used with any L-Style shaft or nylon shafts ONLY.
Sold in sets of 3
L-Style products are used by the best darters in the world.


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Somebody recently asked if I was going to repeat the series of Letters from America as they had missed many of the earlier ones. I then realised that it was two years since the first post went out and there are some newer readers to the blog who might be interested in reading.
In 1984, having moved to Tring in Hertfordshire only six months earlier, David was made redundant. He had moved to a new division of his company and it simply did not take off. However, his former boss rang a couple of days later and suggested a change of role. David was an engineer and had never really considered sales as an option. But his boss offered him the position of VP of sales for the company in the USA, initially based in Houston. This was December and Christmas around the corner. It also meant putting the house on the market and moving to the US in early February.
Of course we jumped at the opportunity.
Over the next two years we travelled thousands of miles across America to cram in as much adventure as possible. In those days there were no emails and phone calls were expensive, so I wrote to my parents every week.
After my father died in 1996 we found a folder with my name on it. He had kept every letter I wrote to them and he thought that one day I might like to publish a book. I probably won't do that but I thought that I would share those letters with you on the blog.
I will also be sharing some of the articles that I wrote about specific events or trips that stood out for us both.
I hope you enjoy the trip back in time as much as I am typing them up from my handwritten scrawl.
My parents at the time.. top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris on a weekend trip
Hi M & D
Safely arrived and just about over our jet lag. The flight was very cramped, apparently due to SNOW in Houston, Friday's flight had been cancelled, so it was booked solid. It was a DC10 and really too small for an 11 hour flight. However, we landed at about 6 p.m. local time and thankfully allowed through immigration. (I couldn't have faced deportation and the return flight!)
We picked up our hire car and proceeded to get lost. I was driving, my first time on the wrong side of the road, in an automatic, in the dark! Nobody told us that Green's Road where the Marriott is situated is 26 miles long…. or felt like it. An hour later and with short fuses we arrived here at the hotel. By now it was 2 a.m. our time so we were pretty shattered. We broke open the duty free and dressed for dinner. They certainly believe in big portions. David ended up with half a barbecued cow on his plate!!. We got to bed about 11p.m (5a.m. body time) and slept through until 8 a.m.
Sunday someone from the Houston office rang and asked us to dinner which was very pleasant. They eat early here, around 6pm. so it was still light out thankfully and we found the place without too much trouble. What was quite interesting was seeing some of the pick-up trucks on the road with rifles on racks at the back of the cab. Obviously not a good idea to carve anyone up in Texas!
David had to go into the office Monday and as we only have two weeks at the Marriott I had to find us a temporary apartment. This meant driving on my own for the first time and you need eyes in the back of your head….. There are some pretty fancy moves going on and some of those trucks are big and intimidating. The office had given me a short list of apartment/hotels to rent on a monthly basis, which suits us whilst we look for a more permanent place. The one I decided on has everything included in the rent (it would need to be at 800 dollars a month!). There is one bedroom, dining area, large living room and a bathroom. Maid service is included twice a week (this is the life) and a large swimming pool (ice covered at the moment).
The price is a little over what the company have allowed for but when they do their sums, they will see that keeping us in the hotel would cost 4,500 dollars a month!!.
We move in on Saturday and at least we will have our privacy again. It is surrounded by a security fence and you have to use a credit card to in and out.
We had our first dinner out on our own on Monday night. We went to a place called TGI Fridays.. (Thank God It's Friday) I think. We met Jesus… really… our waiter was called Jesus but you pronounce it Heysus. Having already experienced a cow on a plate, we opted for their appetizers (starters) and shared them. Delicious and the service was a lot more attentive than you would get at home! I also had my first margarita … tequila and lime and absolutely amazing.
David is already booked on business trips which means I now know the route back and forth to the airport. He is away today until Friday in Kansas and Virginia and then next week in Los Angeles Monday and Tuesday. We are both going to Dallas as we can drive up and then to New Orleans for my birthday.
My first impressions of Houston are very favourable. It is very flat and spread out and because no-one walks anywhere, there are hardly any sidewalks. There is little public transport at all and as we are 30 miles from the actual centre of Houston is can be a bit restricting. They have great big shopping malls every mile or so and thankfully there is one around the corner from the hotel that I can walk to. Everything seems very expensive, especially to eat out and we will both be glad to get back to home cooking again next week.
Things here are very different and we have had some surprises. On our first morning we went to the supermarket to buy some essentials and there were horses tied up outside and cowboys in the full gear including holsters inside, stocking up on beer and chips (crisps) We thought we had walked into the set of a Western… we asked one of the staff if this was normal and he told us it was Rodeo Week… some things to get used to.
However, I am sure that once we get over the strangeness of everything we will be more relaxed. Always difficult to know how to act in a new environment but at least I have had lots of practice with all the travelling we did when I was growing up.
We know that our time here is limited and we want to experience as much as possible in the next two years. The people that we had dinner with the second day are British and we got the impression that in the six years that they have been here they have not seemed to integrate very much. The recommendation was to find a complex where there are other English families but to be honest, we both feel if we are to enjoy the real flavour of Texas and the USA, we should find somewhere we can join in more.
The weather is very cold and unseasonal, to us it's just like home and probably easier than arriving into the very high temperatures they have from April onwards. Thank goodness I bought my thick winter coat at the last minute.
Well I think that covers most things. I have saved my letter writing until David was away so that I had plenty to do. Hotels however luxurious are pretty boring when you are on your own and I only go out in daylight. There are some quite good films on the television so I will be square-eyed when David gets back. I think he is pleased that at least I don't moan about being left on my own. He has so much to do initially, that he has enough on his plate.
Hopefully before you come out for your visit next year we will be settled, although there is a possibility that we might be moved to Washington. At least that will mean a shorter flight for you and more moderate weather in the summer.
Stay well and will write again next week and all our love.
I hope you will tune in again next week for our trip to Dallas and more adventures. Thanks Sally


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Adapted from Great Food Great Beer
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
7 T unsalted butter, room temperature
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)
3 large apples, chopped into small pieces
1 T lime juice (you can use lemon if you prefer), plus 1 tsp zest
1/2 - 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 T milk
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and butter a 13x9" baking dish. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In another large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg and egg whites, one at a time, beating after each addition. Add applesauce and vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring just until combined. Chop apples, you don't need to peel them but you can if you prefer. Toss with lime juice and zest and add to batter along with the cranberries. Stir gently to incorporate and transfer batter to prepared baking dish.
Bake about one hour until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The bars will puff up in the oven but settle a bit as they cool, becoming more dense. Cool completely.
Whisk together powdered sugar and milk to make a glaze. Drizzle over the pan and cut into pieces. If you can't wait until they are cool, don't worry they are perfect warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.


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It's been a good cherry season here in northern California with plenty of nice looking fruit still for sale. Commensurately, I've been busy. Here's an update on my projects.
Candied Sweet Cherries—Two ways
Back in May I made two separate batches of candied cherries using Bing and some Van, both of which are bigarreau-type cultivars of Prunus avium, the sweet cherry species. These are really fleshy fruit and I wanted to see if I could approximate the texture and taste of candied Italian amarenata cherries (often incorrectly referred to as amarena). Those cherries are very dark and dense inside, almost like a fruit paste. Some folks don't like 'em, but I myself am quite fond of them, especially when they've had the chance to 'make friends' with some rye in a mason jar and loose all of that heavy syrup in which they come packed.
For the first batch I started out by partially cooking 2 lb. of fruit that had been stoned and then macerated for one hour with 1 lb. of organic cane sugar. I added a vanilla bean (split lengthwise), the peel of two Seville oranges, their juice and about half a cup of water. I stirred everything until all the sugar was dissolved and simmered the mixture for about 15 – 20 minutes, as if I was going to make preserves. I then switched over to a 'classic' candying protocol, leaving the cherries to sit in the syrup over night, draining them in the morning, re-heating the syrup to which more sugar is then added, and then pouring the enriched syrup over the cherries again. I did this for about five days; fully candied fruit may be processed for two weeks in this manner. I then gave them a final draining (reserving the vanilla-rich syrup, which is totally killer over ice cream) and put the cherries on a baking sheet to allow them to dry. After a few days I deemed them done.
For the second batch I decided to follow the candying protocol more closely, which meant the stoned fruit was barely cooked on the first day and with much less sugar. Once again I added a vanilla bean, orange peel (Sevilles were now gone however) and the juice of a lemon. I enriched the syrup with daily additions of sugar for another full seven days after which I decided they were candied enough. One thing I didn't want was to wind up with an entirely glaced cherry. As it turned out, this second batch was far closer to that point that I realized. After being stored in a sealed container for 10 days they were in fact showing signs of becoming crystalized.
Of the two batches, the first is clearly the more successful. The flesh of the fruit is very moist and a lot of fresh cherry flavor remains. There's also no sign of crystallizing, even after a month in the container. The second batch, while tasty, is definitely more sugary and the fruit has begun to show signs of crystallization. I've put a bunch of them into my 'washing jar' with some rye where I think they will fare better.
I should say that neither batch approximates the jamminess of the Italian amarenata cherries. I am not sure that I will ever be able to do that.
Brandied Balatons
I have waxed poetic before on the Balaton, a cultivar of sour cherries (Prunus cerasus) originally developed in Hungary, established in states like Michigan, Idaho and Utah, and now showing up in commercial quantities here in California. These seem to be easier far to find than the tart standard bearer, the Montmorency. In fact, I've never seen these for sale anywhere around here.
I lucked upon Balatons last year as they were more or less fading and just barely managed to get some home before the market scuttled the box as unsalable. (I'd have taken 'em!) This year I kept my eyes open for them every time I visited Berkeley Bowl. Two days ago they made their appearance, this time pre-packaged in 2 lb. clamshells. This was actually an improvement over the loose boxes in which I found them last year. All the fruit was firm, bright and in good condition. (Note: two days later all the Balatons were gone—sold out. Guess I wasn't the only one waiting for these.)
Last year I put my Balatons up two ways: one rye (with orange peel and vanilla bean) and one in mixture of cognac and kirsch. I eventually added some sugar to both batches. Of the two, I liked the cognac and kirsch best, so this year that's all I did. I also bumped the sugar a bit and allowed the fruit to macerate for a couple of hours before adding the spirits. In about a week I will sample and and adjust the sweetness if necessary.
Cherry Noyaux Experiments
My noyaux investigations continue. An abundance of cherries have been stoned in my kitchen over the past two months and I have not been letting the kernels go to waste. Unlike peach bunkers, cherry stones are easily cracked, though you get much less out of each one. For example, two pounds of Balaton cherries yielded just 19 grams of kernels. That's "kernels," the bit inside of each stone, not the shells which account for most of the mass.
I have made two distinct experiments using cherry stones at this point.
Experiment #1: Boosting the Peach Noyaux
The first thing I wanted to try was to add cherry kernels to the peach kernel noyaux I made last year. That first product has always felt a bit delicate and subtle to me. My thought was to boost the flavor by macerating some cherry kernels in it. One batch, using Bing/Van kernels, has been macerating for two months and has now been coarsely filtered. The aroma of this noyaux is definitely more intense but it's the flavor which has really changed: much more marzipan and bitter almond. My current thoughts are to mix in more of the peach kernel noyaux to reduce the bitterness and/or add more sugar.
I also have a second similar batch based on the Balaton kernels in process. It will be interesting to see if it tastes any different than the batch based on Bing/Van kernels.
Experiment #2: Straight Cherry Noyaux
Another idea was to make a new batch of noyaux based entirely on cherries. Since cherry stones contain such small kernels I decided to just crush the stones and add everything—kernels, shells, and any flesh still attached—to a bottle of VS cognac. That batch is about one month old right now and has turned a coppery-red. You can smell the cherry in it and when tasted, it exhibits a light cherry flavor. It will be interesting to see how much more flavor develops in a month and how it tastes after it's been sweetened. I may also augment this with some of the cherry-boosted peach noyaux.


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Virgin Atlantic: Is Delta an interested buyer?
Virgin Atlantic Airways may soon have a new shareholder. Singapore Airlines is in talks to sell its 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic to Delta Air Lines. A deal would help Delta lay claim to highly competitive US to London airline routes.
— Singapore Airlines said Monday it's in talks to sell its 49 percent stake in billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic.
The airline said in a statement it's in discussions with "interested parties" about a sale.
A person with knowledge of the possible deal told The Associated Press that Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines Inc. is in talks with Singapore Airlines about buying the Virgin Atlantic stake. The person requested anonymity because the talks are ongoing.
Virgin Atlantic is the second-biggest airline at London's Heathrow airport, behind British Airways and BA is a partner with Delta competitor American Airlines. Takeoff and landing rights there are limited, a barrier for airlines that want to add flights.
A Delta partnership with Virgin Atlantic on U.S.-London routes would allow it to benefit from Virgin's established position at Heathrow.
Some 51 percent of Virgin Atlantic, which was founded in 1984, is owned by Branson's Virgin Group. Singapore Airlines bought its stake from Branson in early 2000 for 600.3 million British pounds.
Singapore Airlines said in its statement that the talks may or may not result in a deal.
The London-New York route is one of the world's major air corridors, and Delta has been undertaking a major expansion of its hubs at New York's LaGuardia and John F. Kennedy airports.
AP Airlines Writer Joshua Freed in Minneapolis contributed.


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When you work with RED Digital Cinema's cameras, part of the post production workflow is a "processing" step, not unlike the lab and transfer phase of film post. The RED One, EPIC and SCARLET cameras record raw images using Bayer-pattern light filtering to the sensor. The resulting sensor data is compressed with the proprietary REDCODE codec and stored to CF cards or hard drives. In post, these files have to be decompressed and converted into RGB picture information, much the same as if you had shot camera raw still photography with a Nikon or Canon DSLR.
RED has been pushing the concept of working natively with the .r3d media (skipping any interim conversion steps) and has made an SDK (software development kit) available to NLE manufacturers. This permits REDCODE raw images to be converted and adjusted right inside the editing interface. Although each vendor's implementation varies, the raw module enables control over the metadata for color temperature, tint, color space, gamma space, ISO and other settings. You also have access to the various quality increments available to "de-Bayer" the image (data-to-RGB interpolation). The downside to working natively, is that even with a fast machine, performance can be sluggish. This is magnified when dealing with a large quantity of footage, such as a feature film or other long-form projects. The native clips in your editing project are encumbered by the overhead of 4K compressed camera files.
For these and other reasons, I still advocate an offline-online procedure, rather than native editing, when working on complex RED projects. You could convert to a high-quality format like ProRes 4444 or 10-bit uncompressed at the beginning and never touch the RED files again, but the following workflow is one designed to give you the best of all worlds – easy editing, plus grading to get the best out of the raw files. There are many possible RED workflows, but I've used a variation of these steps quite successfully on a recent indie feature film – cut on Final Cut Pro 7 and graded in Apple Color. My intent here is to describe an easy workflow for projects mastering at 2K and HD sizes, which are destined for film festivals, TV and Blu-ray.
Conversion for offline editing
When you receive media from the studio or location, start by backing up and verifying all files. Make sure your camera-original media is safe. Then move on to RED's REDCINE-X PRO. There is no need yet to change color metadata. Simply accept what was shot and set up a batch to convert the .r3d files into editing media, such as Avid DNxHD36 or Apple ProRes LT or ProRes Proxy. 1920×1080 or 1280×720 are the preferred sizes for lightweight editing media.
With a RED ROCKET accelerator card installed, conversion time will be about real-time. Without it, adjust the de-Bayer resolution settings to 1/2, 1/4 or 1/8 for faster rendering. The quality of these dailies only needs to be sufficient for making effective editing decisions. The advantage to using REDCINE-X PRO and not the internal conversion tools of the NLE (like FCP 7's Log and Transfer) is faster conversion, which can be done on any machine and isn't dependent on the specific requirements of a given editing application.
Creative (offline) editing
Import the media into your NLE. In the case of Final Cut Pro 7, simply drag the converted QuickTime files into a bin. Import any double-system audio and merge the clips. Edit until the picture cut is locked. Break the final sequence into reels of approximately ten minutes in length each. Export audio as OMF files for your sound designer/mixer. Duplicate the reels as video-only timelines, remove any effects, extend the length of shots with dissolves and restore all shots with speed changes to full length. Export an XML file for each of these reels.
REDCINE-X PRO primary grading pass
This is a two-step color grading process: Step 1 in REDCINE-X PRO and Step 2 in Apple Color. The advantage of REDCINE-X PRO is direct access to the raw files without the abstraction layer of an SDK. By adjusting the source settings panel within Color, Resolve, Media Composer, Premiere Pro and others, you are adjusting the raw controls; but, any further color adjustments (like curves and lift/gamma/gain "color wheels") are made downstream of the internally-converted RGB image. This is functionally no different than rendering a high-quality, raw-adjusted RGB file from one application and then doing further corrections to it in another. That's the philosophy here.
Import the XML file for each reel as a timeline into REDCINE-X PRO. This conforms the .r3d files into an edited sequence corresponding to your cut in FCP. Adjust the raw settings for all shots in the timeline. First, set color space to RedColor2. (You may temporarily set gamma space to RedGamma2 and increase saturation to better see the affect of your adjustments.) Remember, this is a primary grading pass, so match all shots and get the most consistent look to the entire timeline.
You can definitely do very extensive color correction in REDCINE-X PRO and never need another grading tool. That's not the process here, though, so a neutral, plain look tends to be better for the next stage. The point is to create an evenly matched timeline that is within boundaries for more subjective and aggressive grading once you move to Color. When you are ready to export, return saturation to normal, set color/gamma space to RedColor2/RedLogFilm and the de-Bayer quality to full resolution. Export (render) the timeline using Apple ProRes 4444 at either a 2K or 1920×1080 size. Make sure the export preset is configured to create unique file names and an accompanying FCP XML. Repeat this process for each reel.
Sending to Color and FCP completion
Import the REDCINE-X PRO-generated XML for each reel into Final Cut. Reconnect media if needed. Remove any filters that REDCINE-X PRO may have inadvertently added. Double-check the sequence against your rough cut to verify accuracy and then send the new timeline to Color. Each reel becomes a separate Color project file. Grade for your desired look and render the final result as ProRes HQ or ProRes 4444. Lastly, send the project back to Final Cut Pro to complete the roundtrip.
Once the graded timelines are back in FCP, rebuild any visual effects, speed effects and transitions, including dissolves. Combine the video-only sequences with the mixed audio and add any finishing touches necessary to complete your master file and deliverables.
Written for DV Magazine (NewBay Media LLC)
©2012 Oliver Peters


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(PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images/File)
Washington (CNN) - Two-thirds of Americans don't want to make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, even though a slight majority is sympathetic towards their plight, according to a new poll.
A CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey released Sunday indicates that 66 percent of Americans say the U.S. should not make it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, with 33 percent disagreeing.
Forty-two percent of Democrats questioned say the path to citizenship for illegal immigrants should be made easier. That number drops to 33 percent for independents and 16 percent for Republican respondents.
"Virtually all major subgroups oppose making it easier for illegal immigrants to become citizens, at least in the abstract," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Specific legislation that puts limits on the ability to gain citizenship has sometimes met with favor in the past if it restricts the number who can apply and penalizes them for staying in the country illegally. But the overall principle remains unpopular."
According to the poll, 52 percent are sympathetic to illegal immigrants and their families, down five points from 2006, with 47 percent unsympathetic, up eight points from four years ago.
"There are minor demographic differences on the sympathy question," says Holland. "For example, women appear slightly more sympathetic than men. But the biggest difference is the partisan breakdown. Two-thirds of Democrats say they sympathize with illegal immigrants, compared to roughly half of Independents and only one in four Republicans."
On Saturday, thousands of people attended rallies in several cities across the country to urge Congress to act quickly on immigration reform. Tens of thousands of people turned out last month for an immigration rally held at the National Mall in Washington. In a video message to that crowd, President Obama vowed he would do "everything in my power" to get a bipartisan deal to overhaul U.S. immigration laws.
Then-President George W. Bush supported a bipartisan effort to overhaul U.S. immigration laws four years ago, proposing to set up a path to legal status for the estimated 11 million people currently in the United States without authorization.
But those measures were criticized as establishing "amnesty" for illegal immigrants, and legislation Bush supported died with a Senate filibuster – one led by members of his own party but joined by more than a dozen Democrats.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll was conducted March 19-21, with 1,030 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 4.5 percentage points.
Follow Paul Steinhauser on Twitter: @psteinhausercnn
The path to citizenship should not be made easier, in fact, we should require that children born here be required to have at least one parent who is already a citizen in order for the infant to be considered a citizen. In the early years of our nation, we needed people, that is no longer the case and I wonder if those who would like to simply throw open our doors to everyone have ever considered what the population of the U.S. is going to look like in another century. What are we shooting for, one billion ? Three ? Do we want to have people practically stepping on each other like Japan or India ?
We need to do something about the law. It is obviously not working. The illegal migration problem is just getting worse and worse in this country. I don't see how can we deport the 10 million people who are already in this country, so it is better to legalize them so they can start paying taxes (if they don't already) and assimilate them into our society. I have few friends that came from Europe on H1B visas and their wives got H4, on which they can not work. Do you people really believe that a young person will stay at home for 6 years and not do anything. This is just a stupid visa requirements that basically forces people into the illegal activities. Also, people overstay their visas because there is no other way for them to keep legal status in this country. This must be somehow fixed. I have a friend whose wives does not have papers and he is a US born citizen. I thing that there must be a law (maybe something like Clinton did with 245i) that would allow those people to stay together . If we have a US citizen or permanent resident they should be able to keep their love once here with them. Our ancestors were immigrants too and I feel sick to my stomach when I hear people being so hateful towards immigrants. We all are immigrants in this country.
No. Do not make it easier.
At this point with America having more debt and running a deficit anyone that is allowed to come to this country should have to be deemed a net positive to the country, not be someone that will be "less than the average" citizen.
I know it's harsh but we should only let in those people that bring a net positive to the country.
No more anchor babies, change that law. Arrest and deport the illegals, if they want to become American citizens get in line with the rest of the world.
Stop giving the illegals food stamps, hud housing, welfare checks and free medical care and they will deport themselves.
I think if they have been paying taxes with their own SS# yes!!
I'm all for people finding a better life here in the U.S. but our laws should be upheld! If the laws pertaining to immigration are wrong, then they should be changed. Until then, they should be enforced and our citizens should support that enforcement.
How sympathetic are they to other types of law breakers. What do they not understand about ILLEGAL? Maybe we should focus on giving away civil rights to legal U.S. gay citizens who want to get married and U.S. legal gay citizens who are fighting on the front lines of our wars before we put a years worth of focus on the citizens of Mexico who broke laws to move into our dwindling job market. The pro-illegal immigration lobby has a lot of gumption to step over pressing civil rights of legal American gay groups who have been fighting for generations in order to justify their illegal constituents. I wonder how many of these respondents were from states that do not touch Mexico? I'm sure the results would be a lot different if they only questioned Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California. They do not understand – Go to the end of the line. They will gladly step over gay groups because their ability to breed like rabbits put them at a higher platform in the eyes of heterosexual politicians.
How can we make it any easier. THEY HAVE OBAMA ON THEIR SIDE.
How are you going to get 11 Million people out of America?
Amnesty might not be a bad idea. Get them paying taxes, and get them paying Social Security. There is already a huge Population Gap between the Boomers and Gen X that we can only fill with Imigration. The sooner we realize that the better.
Only if their country will help pay their way. They need to stay and fight to make their country better and stop running. The US can only hold so many people. It's time to cut off immigrants period.....
Which means those bananas in congress will once again go against the public and make it easier. Does Health Care ring a bell?
Since the majority oppose guess they'll ram this one down our throats, too.
No, No, No, & I say it again No. Will these country make it easier for american to migrate to their country. What makes these people think that the deserve to be citizen of this country. Most if not all Immgrant that come to this country elected official in that I mean ( they voted for the people that run their country) then if your elected official are not doing right by your country vote them out and vote someone in who really care about his people and his country. Stop running to America destroying this country. I am not an immigrant not was my ancestors, we came from this country and were not slaves. America has way to much Illegal immgrant in this country we can not even deal with what we have now. We have to asimulate these people into our society and that has not happen. We lost so much in this country, what we need is to stop Immigration for aleast five years or until our economy is stable.
No it should not be made easier. why does our Govt not understand about the word "Illegal". If you really want to be a citizen of the US then my suggestion is that they must enroll in the U.S. Military and serve for a minimum of 4 years, they must pass test to speak English as the main language. Then they must be given a test on citizenship. For those that do not want to comply then buses will line up to take them back to their homelands or planes if homeland is across ocean. Think of all the money that businesses, schools and local govts will save that they do not have to advertise everything in Spanish.
I feel the Obama administration is going to try to give amensty for the vote since they are losing a majority of independents with their policies.
So when the hot air from the extremes pass what are the real choices to this issue? It is unlikely that these illegals will just get up & leave if asked. A forced removal will be violent beyond belief. So what is left. These people do cost some jobs & do tax some services. They also contribute by spending the money they earn. So when will we hear what the numbers really are. Not the ones spewed by either extreme but the real numbers. In the end maybe fast tracking citizenship will be the only choice left. THe war on drugs was & is a dismal failure & it seems the war on illegals is fairing no better. Maybe it is time to legalize both.
No, No, No, & I say it again No. Will these country make it easier for American to migrate to their country. What makes these people think that the deserve to be citizen of this country. Most if not all Immgrant that come to this country have elected official that run their country in that I mean ( they voted for the people that run their country) then if your elected official are not doing right by your country vote them out and vote someone in who really care about his people and his country. Stop running to America destroying this country. I am not an immigrant not was my ancestors, me and myu ancestors are from this country and were not slaves. America has way to much Illegal immgrant in this country we can not even deal with what we have now. We have to asimulate these people into our society and that has not happen. We lost so much in this country, what we need is to stop Immigration for aleast five years or until our economy is stable.
ILLEGAL......... These people started their relationship with the US by breaking the law. And now they want to reward that conduct with expediated citizenship? Send them back and have them try to become American Citizens legally. What message are we sending the world?
There must be some way to make the millions of illegal Hispanic immigrants American citizens and members of the Democratic party. I hope the current Democratic led Congress, Senate and Administration of President Obama is able to pass a comprehensive Immigration plan to deal with this long lasting problem.
The Republican lawmakers solution of simply rounding these millions of illegal immigrants up and tossing them into jail places a great debt on American taxpayers that are struggling to keep their city's and community out of bankruptcy.
We do not need to make the path to citizenship any easier for any group. All follow the same path if they desire citizenship once they have achieved LEGAL RESIDENCY. Residency is the opening, the path to citizenship is there and has been for a long time. Lets find a just and equitable way to facilitate the path to Legal Residency and then when they are ready begin the path to citizenship.
Three essential elements of the path to legal residency:
1. NO history of legal crimes or conduct in the past.
2. fully cooperated and filed Income Tax forms yearly under the special category the IRS provides for those without SSN
3. Within 5 (6 or 7) demonstrate functional conversational ability in English, failure to do so will result in denial of permanent residency.
Just a start and it is fair.
No the path should not be made any easier than it already is. They have broken our laws and should be deported and required to do it right and this should apply to all those anchor babies born of illegal mothers. We need to stop being sympathetic and do right by our laws.
When the 10 million illegal aliens become legal and bring their wives and 2-4 kids here they will legally be able to apply for food stamps, WIC, free school lunches, medicaid, subsidized housing, free cell phones, TANF (for spending money), free education, etc. etc... They may even qualify for SSI payments. They will not have to pay income taxes because they will qualify for EIC and child tax credits. In fact they will get more back than they pay in so their social security payments are refunded too but they will still be able to collect SS when they retire or become disabled. And it will all be legal and can last as long as China is willing to pay for it. After that we are all poor.


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It's been around for a while, however, there are still many companies out there – most especially those being "started-up" as more entrepreneurs decide to take on new challenges – that still don't quite understand the ins-and-outs of search engine optimization
One Keyword Entrepreneurs Need to Know: "SEO"
Home Mortgage Rates & Purchasing Update
When it comes to the facts and figures of the real estate market for 2018, most experts have been making sure to tell buyers that if they're looking to purchase a home they should do it ASAP.
An Investment Still Worth Its' Weight in Gold
When it comes to gold, there are questions investors still want answered in 2018; investors who have not yet taken the "leap" and have chosen to stay with the "norm" when it comes to saving money. You may be surprised by what some investors think.
How & When to Establish a Savings Account for Your Child
Many people still wonder when they should open a savings account for their child. The real answer has not changed: For nearly all accounts, they should be established as soon as the child is born. There are some accounts that will come with time, such as the retirement account, but the sooner you
Airborne Wireless Network "Answers the Call" for Broadband Expansion
Trending in the news today is President Trump's order to expand broadband access. On the heels of this announcement, Congress is following a said order by coming up with a bill that, in essence, will be an aggressive push to make high-speed internet service more readily available in rural America.
Airborne Wireless Network: New IPO Uplisting to NASDAQ
For those who wish to learn more about Airborne Wireless Network, files have just been posted in regards to this particular company's goal to raise $21.55 million in an IPO uplisting to the NASDAQ. (OTCQB: ABWN)
ABWN Looks to Change the Future of Wireless Communications
Soon, people could be able to video conference from the tops of mountains or from oilrigs in the Gulf of Mexico and first-responders won't miss a beat after natural disasters thanks to Airborne Wireless Networks new Infinitus Super Highway.
MIT Lists the Technological Advances of 2018…So Far
As we say goodbye to one of the (if not the) brightest humans to ever grace the planet, Stephen William Hawking, MIT unveils its "breakthrough technology list" for 2018.
The Future of the Internet: Connectivity for All!
Companies have taglines, brands, mottos; there are those with products and services that cause headlines to appear and consumers to become elated with what one company can accomplish. And in the case of Airborne Wireless Network, what one company can change, improve and create by utilizing hard work, skill and
ABWN Flies Towards Second Test
Airborne Wireless Network continues to move forward with its plan to offer the first non-military meshed airborne wireless system, the Infinitus Super Highway network, with a second test flight scheduled for May.


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Insider Attack: Afghan Policewoman Kills US Advisor
An Afghan policewoman is in custody, after officials say she shot and killed an American adviser outside the police headquarters in Afghanistan's capital.
Kabul's governor says the woman had entered a strategic compound in the heart of the capital, and shot the adviser with a pistol as he came out of a shop with articles he had just bought.
According to the governor, the woman had earlier asked bystanders where the governor's office was located.
The adviser who was killed was a contractor whose identity hasn't yet been released.
The attack occurred outside police headquarters in a highly secure compound that also houses the governor's office, courts and a prison. A police official says the woman was able to enter the compound armed because as a police officer she was licensed to carry a pistol.


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When Antibiotics Don't Work
Ear infections are one of the most challenging events in a child's life.I've tried all of the options the doctors offer. You can wait it out, see if…Continue
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At last, I find myself agreeing with something written by PZ Myers – well, sort of. I agree with the main message in his article about the current US political mess – It is disturbing that the news is all Russia all the time – but it really does not go far enough. It doesn't identify what actions should be pursued – nor does it identify the problems that have resulted in his main complaint.
Let's get the fallacy in his first sentence out of the way. A fallacy which undermines the rest of his argument. Talking about the current political turmoil in the US he says: "I agree that the administration's Russian connection ought to be pursued." But he doesn't say why.
The Russophobic diversion
The fact is Russia is a normal and natural country in the modern world. Its economy has strong international links and it is only natural that business and political personalities in the US will have, or will have had, links to Russian business, diplomats, and political personalities. Just as they have, and will have had, links to such entities from other countries, the UK, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, Poland – and even little old New Zealand.
And that goes for US business and political personalities of all different political persuasions. Are US officials really going to get distracted by pursuing all these links, or even all the links with Russian entities? What about the international business links, including with Russia, of Democrat politicians – including the Clintons? What about the contact between Democrat politicians and Russian diplomats? Hell, should officials really investigate, and cast aspersions, on the many meetings ex-President Obama's White House administration had with the Russian ambassador?
These links and contacts are perfectly natural in our modern global society – and they are only a current issue in the US because of the wave of neo-McCarthyism stalking that country. Neo-McCarthyism, we should remember, launched by Hillary Clinton to divert attention away from the political corruption in the Democratic Party revealed by Wikileaks. Neo-McCarthyism now maintained by Democrat politicians and anti-Trump elements of the intelligence community and mainstream media as a tool to control or limit the powers of the new administration.
Neo-McCarthyism is terribly dishonest and pernicious. It relies on Russophobia (which I often see as a form of racism – the last respectable form see Western racism and the stereotyping of Russians) and, in the end, the fear of being outed as a traitor, to bring people's thinking "into line."
And PZ Myers has fallen completely into that trap with this acceptance of neo-McCarthyism in his first sentence.
The real problems – and they aren't new
But Myers goes on:
"but I am not happy that that is being treated as the primary reason to delegitimize Donald Trump. The man is a destructive incompetent with a fist full of bad policies, and the most effective way to bring him down is to expose the fact that his campaign staff talked to the Russian ambassador? What? Have you looked at what he is doing to the country right now? Because there is a whole lot of crap going down while we're busy looking for Russians under the bed."
Myers should be unhappy that such neo-McCarthyist reasons are used at all – from the point of view of democratic and human rights. But, yes, he makes a valid point – the neo-McCarthysim is a diversion. People should be paying attention to the real problems the US election result has left them with – a President and, probably more importantly, a Congress where anti-science and anti-human rights elements have been strengthened.
PZ illustrates this by listing some of the proposed cuts to the EPA budget. Others will find similar regressive proposed action in other areas. But PZ Myers is all at sea when it comes to fighting these problems:
"There is no single reason to rise up and throw these assholes out — they've provided an embarrassment of causes that make them terrible leaders, which is part of the problem, that the reasons for taking action have been diffused so widely. It seems to me that our targeting is off when conversations with Russian diplomats become the strongest reason for investigating the president, rather than his habit of appointing incompetents and looters like DeVos and Pruitt to run major government agencies."
It is politically immature to see the solution as "to rise up and throw these assholes out." Come off it. The president was legally elected. It is childish for the defeated parties to see "rising up and throwing out" elected leaders as a solution. Such advice, while it may appeal to the more emotional and immature, is a recipe for continued defeat, not a solution.
The fight-back is not new either
These problems upsetting people did not suddenly appear with the election of a new president. They have been there for a long time – as has the struggle against them. The election results did not create the problems – it simply made them worse.
Democratic and humanitarian-minded people (and science-minded people) have been fighting these problems for years. The fight against racism, environmental pollution, climate change denial and limitations on the reproductive and other rights of women is not new.
The fight-back uses many methods – lobbying and representation to Congressional committees, publicity in the mass media and alternative media,. petitions, citizen's meetings. participation in political parties, rallies, and demonstrations.
No, the current rallies and demonstrations are not new. But, I am amazed that some people who have joined these, donned knitted pink hats and vented their feelings at anti-Trump rallies think they have invented something new. Perhaps the only new thing in their political activity has been the lack of clearly defined purpose. (And perhaps it is this focus on Trump himself which has made them susceptible to the ne0-McCarthist argument – to the extent they will often use it in their slogans).
Where have these people been? And that is a valid question as there is a school of thought that some of the current protesters had, in the past, been lulled into inactivity, a false sense of contentment because they believed "their" democratic president was handling the situation. Solving all the problems. Stopping US interventions and war mongering overseas.
While it is true that Trump's election may have encouraged some people to become active and to join the fight back, let's not pretend the fight-back is at all new or that these newcomers have invented it. If anything, their lack of specific targets and resort to personal expression of their own anger is a bad sign, not a good one.
Because the fight back on all these important issues is not new and has developed its own maturity it will not disappear when the current highly motivated and emotional responses subside. Hopefully, many of the people who have joined the fight back because of their response to the presidential election result will stay and participate in the long-term struggles.
It would be nice to think that PZ Myers would get past his current emotional concept of the fight-back – "rising up and throwing out the assholes." That he might actually participate in the day to day struggle of people fighting against the anti-democratic, anti-women, racist and anti-science policies.
Unfortunately, if his current habit of attacking people involved in these struggles because they do not measure up to his standards continue, this will not be the case.
See also: The Democratic Party seems to have no earthly idea why it is so damn unpopular.


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OK, so this is the deal. I've had a lot of emails recently either demanding a return of Carter/Kade from the original Spiral books, or screeching for the return of Keenan, Franco and Pippa for another Combat K mission.
Well here's the thing. After finishing THE IRON WOLVES for Angry Robot and my comedy side-project THE BOBBIT, I've a bit of free time over the summer — and YOU THE READERS get to choose what I write next!! Because, y'know, Rem LOVES YOU ALL. xxx.
So, here's the competition bit. Either email me, Andy Remic – jappoc [at] hotmail.co.uk – or give me a tweet @andyremic with the subject line I WANT SPIRAL NEXT or I WANT COMBAT K NEXT, and a single sentence explaining WHY.
THE PRIZE: Well, not only do you choose in which universe I next write, but you'll also get 1) a free copy of the finished book, both digital and paperback; 2) a marked-up original one-off paper manuscript of the work, with all corrections and everything; 3) the chance to hang out with Rem for the day; probably in a pub.
So what are you waiting for? Get tweeting, facebooking or emailing!!


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It's simple for consumers to get apps whenever the mood strikes them, but in enterprises it's typically a different story. Borrowing a page from successful consumer app stores, SAP has launched SAP Store, hoping to make software purchases just as easy on the business side.
Unveiled Tuesday at Sapphire Now in Orlando, the SAP Store is a key part of the digital-business push SAP has made at the conference. Its goal is to allow enterprise users to buy software from SAP without the need for a purchase order, invoice or lengthy request-for-proposal process.
Built on SAP's own Hybris Commerce Suite and available across devices, the store offers a one-click online agreement and transparent pricing. Individuals can configure their new applications—usually in a few hours or less, SAP says—without needing help from their IT department or outside consultants.
SAP's Lumira analytics software, for example, is available in a free version and a paid version with extra functionality. By the middle of this year, SAP plans to make it possible for a user of the free version to see additional features available in the paid version—such as new data sources—and get access to them by purchasing the paid version online from within Lumira itself.
SAP plans to expand in-application purchasing capabilities to other products too, including relevant add-ons and extensions and third-party content.
Hand-in-hand with the SAP Store launch, the company on Tuesday also unveiled what it calls its first digitally native app: SAP Digital for Customer Engagement, a simplified cloud customer relationship management tool aimed at individuals and small teams.
"You can go from 'I want to buy it' to 'I'm live on it' in 15 minutes," said Jonathan Becker, SAP's chief digital officer.
SAP Digital for Customer Engagement costs $29 per user per month. Also available on the SAP Store are the SAP Hana cloud platform, SuccessFactors Perform & Reward for talent management and the SAP Learning Hub educational offering.


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Commerce secretary resigns following seizure
WASHINGTON – Commerce Secretary John Bryson resigned Thursday less than two weeks after suffering a seizure and multiple car accidents in the Los Angeles area, saying he didn't want his health to be a distraction from his job.
Bryson, a 68-year-old former California utility executive, served as a member of President Barack Obama's economic team and advised the president on energy issues. He made his resignation official in a letter to Obama dated Wednesday, saying it was a "consequence of a recent seizure and a medical leave of absence."
"I have concluded that the seizure I suffered on June 9 could be a distraction from my performance as secretary, and that our country would be better served by a change in leadership," Bryson wrote.
Obama met with Bryson in the Oval Office on Thursday to thank him for his service. The president said in a statement he had accepted the resignation and that Bryson had provided "invaluable experience and expertise" to his administration.
Bryson's resignation followed a series of traffic incidents in Southern California on June 9. Authorities said Bryson was driving alone in a Lexus near Los Angeles when he struck a vehicle that had stopped for a passing train. He spoke briefly with the three occupants, and then hit their car again as he departed.
The secretary then struck a second car in a nearby city, where he was later found unconscious in his car. Commerce officials said Bryson had not suffered a seizure previously and had "limited recall of the event" involved in the crashes.
In a message to Commerce Department employees, Bryson said their efforts to help American businesses "build our economy and create jobs is more important now than ever." Obama is in the midst of an intense re-election race that will largely be determined by the fate of the economy. Bryson said he would keep supporting Obama in a "personal capacity."
Earlier this month, Bryson transferred his functions and duties as secretary to Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank, who is now acting commerce secretary. White House press secretary Jay Carney said Obama had "a great deal of confidence" in Blank but declined to elaborate on any plans to find a permanent successor.
Bryson was cited for felony hit-and-run, although he has not been charged. Los Angeles County district attorney's spokeswoman Jane Robison said the district attorney's office has not been presented any case for review. She said the incident remained under investigation by the original law enforcement agency, the San Gabriel Police Department.
Bryson took a Breathalyzer test that didn't detect any alcohol, authorities said. Investigators were awaiting the results from a blood test to determine whether there were alcohol or drugs in Bryson's system at the time of the collisions. The results likely will come back next week, Lt. Margarito Robles of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.
The commerce secretary post, typically a low-profile Cabinet position, has been problematic for Obama since his first weeks in office. Obama's first pick to run the department, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, withdrew from consideration because of a federal investigation into how his political donors won contracts in the state. Obama then nominated New Hampshire Republican Sen. Judd Gregg, but he also withdrew, saying he realized he had "irresolvable conflicts" with the president's economic policies.
The president finally found success with Gary Locke, the former Washington state governor. Locke served as secretary until 2011, when Obama asked him to move to China to become U.S. ambassador there. Obama then tapped Bryson to fill the post.
Bryson is the former head of Edison International, the holding company that owns Southern California Edison, and has served on boards of major corporations, including the Boeing Co. and the Walt Disney Co.
Associated Press writers John Antczak and Greg Risling in Los Angeles contributed to this report.


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Time continues to pass, the brewery doors open and close, open and close.
I've brought a few things through them recently that are noteworthy: local wild black currants, picked by moi, another open fermenter (La Tache's sister, La Gordita), a hose trolley. The most interesting comings and goings are all of the people who have made a point to come up and visit the brewery in person. Early in the concept-phase of designing how this brewery would function, I was a little concerned that having people up at the brewery would get a little tiresome, seeing as how we live here. I didn't know if we'd get people just showing up or hanging out; I knew many things I could apply to this general group of beer consumer, but I really had know way of knowing about them as individuals. I've been incredibly impressed with the knowledge and interest that people bring with them, the discussions that we can get into, and the rather noble way that we're undertaking this business. It's been energizing to be a part of something that others want to be a part of as well, and for so many positive reasons. At the bottom of the glass it's still beer, but I'd rather find my truth through whimsical pursuits than rules that focus on right and wrong. It's been great to engage with so many others that are in pursuit of similar types of fun and interest.
Our very first beer release months ago was that of Spencer; a blend of numerous Sahalie test brews that we're aged on wild black currants in our first oak barrel. It was our 'Hello, World!' moment, and the beer held up very well. So well that it's many of our Ale Club members absolutely favorite thing we've done to date (which numbers at a whopping 3 right now). Recently, I ventured out along the banks of Tumalo Creek and harvested this years' crop of currants for next year's Spencer. It took me 3 days of picking to get enough. It was wonderful work; threading myself along the bank of this wild creek and finding these tiny little berries in clusters…they only grow at the creeks' edge on the north-facing side at a very specific altitude. During these hours spent scratching my arms and legs up, falling in the creek a few times, and cursing how small and spread out the bushes were, I also patted myself on the back a bit for a number of reasons…employing myself to spend a few afternoons by the river wasn't the only one…
Breweries by and large are selling a commodity; a product that can be made in the amount to suit the customer's demands. While many breweries these days are growing to meet that demand (and unable to provide for all interested parties), the issue is that they can't produce enough, not that the beer cannot be produced in the quantities desired. I realized while gathering these berries that a large difference between The Ale Apothecary and other contemporary breweries is that our size allows us to undertake seemingly ridiculous tasks in order to create a specialty product, a limited product…something that we cannot produce more than what is produced even if we wanted to. At the end of my 3rd day, there we're simply no more berries. I will never be able to produce 2 oak barrels in a single year of Spencer unless I order farmed currants. This may happen someday, but imagine the difference between a farmed berry and a wild one: chemical fertilizers and pests vs. 100% spontaneously natural environment. It's the line that The Ale Apothecary toes as we develop this brewery from the 'Art over Industry' angle. It's not about making a successful business in terms of dollars, but making a successful business in terms of life and how it's lived.
Who knows, maybe in ten years we'll build a huge factory filled with giant oak vats and a fleet of kuurnas. We'd make enough beer to send all over the world! If I still own the company at that point, the only way we could maintain it would be to DROP prices because at that point, we'd be producing a commodity (as opposed to a specialty) product.
That would make people happy. Then, I'd let our front desk girl know that I'm taking the family to Mexico where we could reminisce about all those crazy shenanigans we undertook before common sense set in.


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FOSS (Free and Open Source Software) activists are getting together to promote the awareness, influence Govt policy, defend the software freedom, bring in changes in IT education curriculum, work towards free information infrastructure. Read the principles that brought together several groups into action.
The network is taking shape at http://fosscomm.in. One of the first tasks the network will be working is to get the open standards policy document for eGovernance in India approved without yielding to those groups who promote the interests of proprietary software groups (like NASSCOM, MAIT, who are influencing the Indian Govt to make room for RAND and multiple standards). Currently, the apex committee does not contain members who represent the FOSS community. Therefore one of the immediate objectives of the new network of FOSS advocates is to request the Govt to include FOSS representatives in the apex body.


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Today I was in the Tshwane archives, looking up Devantiers.
I ordered file WLD 1184/74, the divorce of Carol Lynne Devantier and Peter Dudley Devantier, and the Box was marked Illiquid Cases 1974 1183/1194, so the second file in the box should have been the one I was looking for.
But instead it turned out to be the divorce of Roland Eric de la Harpe and Wendy Lynne de la Harpe.
Its number was 1284/74, and it had obviously been misfiled in the wrong box.
Well, that happens. People do sometimes put thing is the wrong boxes, and of course if anyone had looked for that file, they would never have found it.
The serendipity is that Roland Eric de la Harpe and Wendy Lynn Boyle happen to be related to us, so we might well have been the ones looking for that file.
So I made notes from it — details of the marriage and divorce dates etc., (some of the information we had was wrong).
Then I wondered what to do with the file. I shouldn't put it back in the wrong box. If I took it to someone at the counter it would probably require long explanations. Eventually I thought the simplest thing to do would be simply to order the file. When the box came, I just put it back in its right place and handed it back again.
Filed under: genealogical research | Tagged: archives, genealogical research, serendipite | Leave a comment »


text: Consumers in the market for a new or used car should seriously consider making the move this month. Historically, prices are at an annual low, loan incentives are outstanding, and leasing options are perhaps the best of all. Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Kia and even BMW are offering a number of January leasing deals for less Read on! →


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A Dubbel is a dark, rich, malty beer developed at Belgian abbey breweries in the nineteenth century.
History of Dubbel
One of the traditional beer styles brewed in the abbeys of Belgium and central Europe, the dubbel was first brewed in or around 1856 in the brewery of Westmalle abbey in Belgium. The name referred to the fact that the beer was twice as strong as the abbey's other standard offerings at the time. Both the rich, malty, low-hopped strong beer and the name caught on at other abbey breweries.
Brewing Dubbel
This section is a stub.
Dubbel wort is generally of a medium-high gravity which can present problems to many varieties of yeast.Using a starter to reconstitute yeast from a preferred commercial dubbel works well in most cases. Risks involve the possible presence of wild and/or conditioning yeast. Adding one tablespoon of yeast energizer to the starter just prior to pitching will help ensure a quick start if sufficient yeast cells have been acquired.
Competition Styles
Both the BJCP and the GABF recognize this style.
BJCP Style Guidelines
Belgian Dubbel
GABF Style Listings
Belgian Style Dubbel
|This medium- to full-bodied, dark amber to brown-colored ale has a malty sweetness and nutty, chocolate-like, and mild roast malt aroma. Flavor and aroma may also have a raisin-like cocoa character. A faint hop aroma is acceptable. Dubbels are also characterized by low bitterness and no hop flavor. Very small quantities of diacetyl are acceptable. Yeast-generated fruity esters (especially banana) are appropriate at low levels. Head retention is dense and mousse like. Chill haze is acceptable at low serving temperatures. Often bottle conditioned a slight yeast haze may be evident.


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[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/38517547 w=560&h=315]
Titanoboa from Ben Z Cooper on Vimeo.
Charlie Brinson of eatART talks about what it was like to build a 50′ electromechanical snake. If you made it out to Vancouver Mini Maker Faire last year, you would have seen the in-progress pieces. Man, has it come a long way! A lot of hard work has gone into this project; it's great to see it slithering! Learn more about Titanoboa on the Titanoboa website.


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Message Board
George Parker Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Parker has written!
Author Parker's Book Reviews
The Atomic Kid
John Smith is transformed into the antimatter world by an accident in Doctor Leitz's laboratory. He finds himself on a quest to right the wrong made that threaten John's world as much as the antimatter's world. A voice, called Master of the Perfect Word, becomes his mentor and guides him through this process. He gets hooked up with three other adolescents, Kate, Tex and Cal, to find loyalty and friendships where there were none. They find themsel...
The Atomic Kid - Adventures in the Antiworld
John Smith is an ordinary high school kid who gets caught in a scientific experiment devised by the evil Dr. Angstrom and performed by his half brother Dr. Leitz. The atomic ray designed to give Dr. Angstrom immortality, blows John into the Antiworld where a mysterious character called The Master of the Perfect Word teaches him about thought, and how important it is to his new ability to change both his shape and the course of history. Using his su...


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Breakup turns ugly, cops say
A Christmas Eve break-up was going well until a Framingham woman refused to give her newly ex-boyfriend a promised Christmas gift, police said.
Jonathan Garcia, 19, beat up his ex-girlfriend, then broke the new cell phone that was supposed to be his Christmas gift, police spokesman Lt. Paul Shastany said.
The victim, whom police did not identify, and Garcia lived together at 40B Beaver Park Road. On Monday, the couple decided to break up and Garcia was going to leave.
The victim's family members convinced the woman to allow Garcia to stay at the apartment long enough that night to let him see the couple's young daughter open up some Christmas gifts, Shastany said.
At the same time, Garcia made arrangements for a place to stay, but when he was getting ready to leave a little before midnight, things took a bad turn.
"She was using a cell phone and he said, 'Give it to me,' and she refused," said Shastany. "This phone was intended to be his gift from her."
Garcia punched the woman in the face and repeatedly hit her in the stomach, the lieutenant said. The attack happened in front of the couple's daughter. Police did not give the girl's age.
"He took the phone from her and threw it with such force it shattered into several pieces when it hit the wall," Shastany said.
By the time police arrived at the apartment at 12:06 a.m. Tuesday, they found a crying victim, but Garcia had left. He later turned himself in at the Framingham Police Station at 2:20 a.m.
Garcia was arrested and charged with assault and battery.
Garcia pleaded not guilty at his Framingham District Court arraignment yesterday. He was released without bail and is due back in court Jan. 30 for a pretrial conference.
(Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or at email@example.com.)


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What's New
Added more locale
App Description
Help Victoria patch things up with her estranged father by launching a chain of exotic restaurants. Find the ingredients for spicy fajitas at Tres Amigos, or prepare a mouthwatering Greek Salad at Aesop's Tables! From pouring hot java at Bean Me Up to serving ice-cold treats at Beaches and Cream, there's never a dull moment as you work quickly to please your customers and increase your profits! Between levels, build a zoo featuring the five animals on Victoria's family crest.
• More than 80 levels
• Over 15 restaurants
• More than 500 recipes
• Casual and Expert modes
• Five mini-quests
More fun games from Alawar:
★ FARM FRENZY 3 – Running a farm has never been more fun!
★ SHAKE SPEARS! – Take out opponents with well-aimed strikes in a knightly competition of strategy and precision!
★ THE TREASURES OF MONTEZUMA 3 – The most spectacular match-3 game in the award-winning Montezuma series!
For more games, visit us at iphone.alawar.com!
FIND US in FACEBOOK: AlawarEntertainment
FOLLOW US in TWITTER: @AlawarMobile
Be the first to hear about our new games and awesome contests!
App Changes
- June 16, 2014 Initial release


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Canandaigua police investigation concludes death was drowning
Julie Sherwood
Canandaigua city police have concluded their investigation into the death of Mr. James Wesley, 63, whose body was discovered in Canandaigua Lake on Sept. 14.
Police Sgt. Scott Kadien said Tuesday the investigation, now closed, established that Mr. Wesley's death was caused by drowning. He declined to comment on whether or not the autopsy found alcohol in Mr. Wesley's system.
A resident of Parrish Street, Mr. Wesley disappeared on Thursday, Sept. 12, leaving a few items of clothing on City Pier. A search in Canandaigua Lake by divers and other emergency responders ended Saturday morning when a person reported seeing a body in the lake in Gorham.