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The Event
Series premiere Monday, Sept. 20 at 9 pm on NBC
Try to get producers of The Event, debuting on NBC this September, to tell you what the event actually is, and they go mum. "All we can tell you," said executive producer Evan Katz at the Comic Con panel for the show, "is that this [panel] is not the event." We've seen the pilot and what we can tell you is this: If you liked Lost, you'll probably like The Event. Not only does the show boast a strong ensemble cast, but its format will be similar, complete with flashbacks. And the pilot ends with a shocking sci-fi twist. "To NBC's credit, they're the ones who inspired us to come up with a twist at the end that was perhaps outside of the realm of human understanding," says executive producer Steve Stark. "We went back and totally reconfigured the whole mythology of this little mini event in the pilot."
Producer James Wong (who used to work on beloved sci-fi show The X-Files) wouldn't comment on when audiences would actually get to see the event. "We really have to see how it's playing with people," he says. "There's not any set plan. We have an idea when we want to do it right now, but things could change." One thing he would say: The event, whatever it is, has global implications. But just when we asked if the show was more scientific or more supernatural, Wong and Stark were pulled away. Looks like we'll have to wait until this fall to find out.
No Ordinary Family
Series premiere Tuesday, Sept. 28 at 8 pm on ABC
The Powells are your typical family. Dad Jim (Michael Chiklis) works as a police sketch artist, Mom Stephanie (Julie Benz) has a demanding career as a scientist, and their two kids, Daphne (Kay Panabaker) and JJ (Jimmy Bennett) are struggling with regular teenage problems. It's all business as usual—until their plane crashes in a Brazilian river and suddenly, they've all got superpowers. This is the plot of No Ordinary Family, which will explore how the Powells are affected and changed by their new abilities.
"I thought [a TV show like this] was long overdue, frankly," Chiklis says. "I can only think of one [superhero show on TV in] the last 20 years, and that's Heroes, which is a decidedly different show. You know, I guess the most similar thing we see to this show was probably The Incredibles—but not really. That's a Pixar film. It's a straight comedy. That we're a family of supers is pretty much where that ends."
Creator Greg Berlanti says the first season of the show will be all about the Powells exploring their powers. "My favorite part of comic book movies is the first 45 minutes when they get their powers, and their life is just starting to change," he says. "For me, that is this whole first season. It's all a training period for them, and there is so much they don't know, and I really do not want to miss a beat with any of that."
But Berlanti wants to assure the audiences that No Ordinary Family won't be just a straight comedy. "We have some more dark moments still," he says. "In the pilot, when [Jim] gets shot in the head, [it's that] kind of darkness. In the world of superhero films, there is The Dark Knight and there is Spider-man. They're very different. We are probably closer to Spider-man than we are to The Dark Knight, in that way."
Season premiere Thursday, Sept. 23 at 9 pm on Fox
Things weren't looking so good for our favorite FBI agent, Olivia Dunham, at the end of Fringe's second season. A botched operation in the alternate universe allowed Walter Bishop's alt-universe doppelgänger (or Walternate) to capture Olivia and hold her in a sensory-deprivation cell, while Dunham's double (nicknamed "Bolivia" by fans) traveled with Peter to the regular universe. According to Jaskia Nicole, who plays Astrid, the action picks up right at the beginning of season three. "We're diving right in, and it's really good," she says. "From the very first episode of season three, they take off with it. They really start going immediately and it's really, really cool to see it."
So what can we expect from the third season? Plenty of Astrid and Walter interaction, for one. And you get to see the two Fringe teams—one in the regular universe, one in the alternate—at work. "Each season takes a bit of a different format," she says. "And this season is no different. What I really like about it is that there are still really bizarre things that are happening that the Fringe team is investigating, but now you've got two completely separate Fringe teams doing the investigating. So you get to see how they work differently." Nicole says that there will also be the standalone, monster-of-the-week episodes Fringe fans love so much. "There are definitely episodes where there's a start and an end to what's happening that's still related to the Pattern on its own."
The Walking Dead
Series premiere in October on AMC
If the line at Comic Con was any indication, one of the year's most anticipated television shows is The Walking Dead, based on Robert Kirkman's graphic novel about the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. The first season—which will have six episodes—follows former police officer Rick Grimes (played by Andrew Lincoln) and a small group of survivors as they try to find a place safe from the zombies. It also explores just what they'll do to stay alive. The pilot episode is helmed by Frank Darabont, who directed The Shawshank Redemption.
The TV series will be loyal to the comics, at least to an extent. "The series is going to have its own blueprint," says KNB makeup designer Greg Nicotero, who not only does the show's zombie makeup, but also helps cast the actors who will play the walking dead. "Obviously Frank is tremendously loyal to the material, but it will stand on its own, which is what I love about it."
Nicotero has used the graphic novel as a reference to help create the look of the show's zombies. The actors must also attend zombie school; there they learn to shamble and otherwise move like the undead. But he's also a fan, which can be fun for him when they're filming. "We were shooting a scene where they come across a zombie eating a deer," he says. "And it's like, 'Oh, I remember that! That's a good one!'"
Season premiere in November on ABC
V fans who were afraid that ABC would split up the show's second season the way they split up the first have nothing to fear. "We're going to play [the second season's episodes] all in a row," says Morena Baccarin, who plays evil V Anna. "We laid the groundwork in the first season, and we're coming back strong."
At the end of last season, it was revealed that a massive fleet of alien ships was waiting in space, and Earth's sky turned red, signaling that something very bad was about to happen. Baccarin doesn't know much about season two, but she did say that she thinks the world will be even more dangerous than it was in the first season—and that audiences will get to see more of the Vs' true nature. But how her character will rebound from losing her ship (and her alien offspring) is still a mystery to Baccarin. "From what I've been hearing, it sounds like there's going to be a lot of surprises and alliances shifting," she says. "It'll be interesting to see how Anna gets it all back together."


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The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) is the most comprehensive global spatial dataset on marine and terrestrial protected areas available.
Protected areas are internationally recognised as major tools in conserving species and ecosystems. Up to date information on protected areas is essential to enable a wide range of conservation and development activities.
Since 1981 UNEP-WCMC, through its Protected Areas Programme, has been compiling this information and making it available to the global community. The WDPA is a joint project of UNEP and IUCN, produced by UNEP-WCMC and the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas working with governments and collaborating NGOs.

subset: commoncrawl


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The secret of their success
Top-flight Canadian content is crucial to winning in the CFL
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/10/2012 (3797 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Talk to GMs in the CFL and they'll tell you having good Canadians, excellent quarterbacks and superb head coaches are how you win.
Winnipeggers know how elusive excellence can be in all three of these areas.
American talent comes to the CFL almost in a plug-and-play form. There may be a short adjustment period for imports getting used to the three-down game but most are ready to be immediate starters. Canadians can take a little longer.
There are simply far more U.S-born players with the benefit of superior training available to play in the CFL. This makes good non-imports a sought-after commodity. They need to be drafted, developed and then treasured.
Each team must start seven Canadians and if the level of play drops off markedly at these positions, it can be a weakness for the opposition to exploit.
Conversely, an outstanding Canadian, such as Doug Brown was for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers for most of a decade, are known as ratio-breakers and they can help to raise the level of entire team.
There's been all kinds of talk in Winnipeg about the Canadian content currently with the Blue Bombers and the Free Press asked a number of CFL scouts to help with a study.
The accompanying lists were put together based on the work of CFL scouts, who took part on the condition of anonymity, and are not Free Press opinions.
Winnipeg's overall Canadian content came in as middle of the pack. The Bombers also rank middle of the pack in the league in terms of the age of Canadians.
The Bombers have a pack of average ranked Canadians on their roster but a shortage of impact players.
For example, B.C. has Andrew Harris and Calgary has Jon Cornish at the top of the impact scale.
Winnipeg's most dominant Canadian is middle linebacker Henoc Muamba and, while he has potential, he's not yet at the same performance level as the best Canadians in the league like Brendon LaBatte, Andy Fantuz and Shea Emry.
The Bombers have a number of young Canadians that have yet to reach their potential. Where they go in terms of development in the next couple of years and Winnipeg's ability to hold on to those that become more than just projects will either see the club's grade rise or fall off.
Winnipeg has either chosen not to sign Canadian free agents or failed in its bids to do so and that has altered the team's non-import picture. The Saskatchewan Roughriders greatly enhanced their Canadian content this off-season by signing non-import offensive linemen LaBatte and Dominic Picard.
Our scouts graded the B.C. Lions as sixth best in the league in Canadian content and they are the best team in the CFL. But the Lions have Harris and Hall of Fame kicker Paul McCallum on their non-import list and they're two of the most impactful Canadians in the league. Maybe B.C. is short on depth and futures but they have ratio-breakers the rest of the league envies.
Have a look at our lists and as always we invite your comments. Send us your Hot List or tell us what you like or dislike about ours.
email@example.com Twitter: @garylawless


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S. China Sea Dispute Blamed Partly on Depleted Fish Stocks
May 16, 2012
by Daniel Schearf
BANGKOK - China and the Philippines have announced temporary bans on fishing in areas of the South China Sea they both claim as sovereign territory. The bans may help cool tempers after ships from the two sides faced off in April. But, political analysts say a more permanent solution is needed to address a cycle of conflict partly caused by depleting fish stocks.
China every year imposes a ban on fishing for several weeks in a northern part of the South China Sea.
Beijing says the restriction, used for more than a decade, allows fish stocks to replenish.
While the Philippines and Vietnam complain it is just another way for China to assert its claims on maritime territories that they also dispute.
Ian Storey is with the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. He says while Beijing's annual ban on fishing may seem like a good idea for fish stocks he agrees it may have an ulterior motive.
"Well, I think the primary reason for this fishing ban is for China to be able to demonstrate its claimed sovereign rights in the South China Sea," said Storey.
Storey says if the dispute was taken to the international court of justice Beijing could cite the ban as an example of exercising effective and continuing jurisdiction in support of its territorial claim.
Kim Bergmann is editor of the Asia-Pacific Defense Reporter and Defense Review Asia. He says the unilateral ban had put China and the Philippines on a path of confrontation.
"But, now that Manila has also come up with its own ban I think that that's a way of making sure, or at least, assisting a process of negotiation, and it's likely, in my opinion, to reduce tensions at least in the short term rather than heighten them," Bergmann noted.
Filipino and Chinese ships faced off last month over Chinese fishing in the disputed Scarborough Shoal, known as Huangyan Island in China.
The tensions led to protests from both sides to respect their sovereign territory.
China claims most of the South China Sea, putting it in conflict with competing claims by Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
One of the central drivers of the South China Sea dispute is competition over mineral and fishing-rich areas.
Bergmann says geologists believe the South China Sea contains enormous reserves of oil and natural gas, much of it in disputed areas.
"Cumulatively, the South China Sea probably has about 80 percent of the oil reserves of Saudi Arabia," Bergmann added. "So, we're talking many billions of barrels of oil and many trillions of cubic feet of natural gas."
The ongoing tensions have prevented comprehensive surveys of oil and gas deposits.
But when it comes to fishing the South China Sea is known to be rich. The region provides about ten percent of the world's catch, but growing demand means fish stocks are more quickly depleted.
Storey says competition for fish has led to conflict at sea.
"Certainly, fishing vessels are operating further out and for longer periods because fish stocks are being depleted," Storey explained. "What needs to happen is there needs to be an agreement among various countries in Southeast Asia and China to try and preserve these fish stocks. But, because of the territorial dispute that hasn't happened."
China's halt to fishing will go through August 1 while the Philippines did not indicate a time period for its ban.
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Mercurial > moin > 1.9
view README @ 6103:500f68d3e2fd
remove our own usage of python_compatibility module
|Thomas Waldmann <tw AT waldmann-edv DOT de>
|Tue, 06 Sep 2016 01:00:25 +0200
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line source
MoinMoin - a wiki engine in Python ================================== Copyright (c) 2000-2006 by Juergen Hermann <email@example.com> Copyright (c) 2006-2014 The MoinMoin development team, see http://moinmo.in/MoinCoreTeamGroup All rights reserved, see docs/licenses/COPYING for details. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version. This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details. You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA Documentation ============= On the Web: http://purl.net/wiki/moin/ MoinMoin homepage, last seen at: http://moinmo.in/ This page also points to support resources and informations about MoinMoin development status and plans. For support, please try the documentation, the homepage, the irc channel and the mailing list before contacting the MoinMoin authors directly. Local: See docs/CHANGES for a version history. READ THIS! See docs/REQUIREMENTS for a list of requirements. See docs/INSTALL.html for installation instructions. See docs/README.migration for data conversion instructions. Note that the code base contains some experimental or unfinished features. Use them at your own risk. Official features are described on the set of help pages contained in the distribution wiki. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ================ We have to thank a lots of people for their valuable ideas, time and contributions - please see the MoinMoinAcknowledgements page there: http://moinmo.in/MoinMoinAcknowledgements LICENSE NOTES ============= Martin Pool <firstname.lastname@example.com> provided the base of what now is MoinMoin, see also docs/licenses/pikipiki.txt. Peter Thoeny and all other people involved in creating it provided TWikiDrawPlugin (see docs/licenses/twikidraw.txt). For more information and a download link to get the source refer to: http://twiki.org/cgi-bin/view/TWiki/TWikiDrawPlugin


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Since premièring out of competition at Cannes 2010, Quentin Dupieux's Rubber has been referred to more generally as "the killer-tire movie," one of those concepts, like Snakes On A Plane or The Human Centipede, that inevitably takes on more life as a meme than as a work of art. Yet from the start, it sets about dismantling expectations: The phrase "killer-tire movie" suggests a schlocky, lowbrow horror-comedy, like something Robert Rodriguez or early-period Sam Raimi might have set about making. It certainly doesn't suggest the arch, Dadaist twaddle Rubber turns out to be.
A feature-length demonstration of the concept of "no reason," Rubber opens in the California desert with a cop (Stephen Spinella) stepping out of his police cruiser and addressing the camera directly. Ticking off examples from popular films, he talks about the pointless, arbitrary events and details that animate them, like the fact that the alien in E.T. is brown. He then orders his lackey (Jack Plotnick) to hand out binoculars to a crowd of people who will use them to watch what we in the audience understand to be the movie. So down goes the Fourth Wall immediately, and whenever Rubber threatens to become absorbing as a horror-parody, down goes the Fourth Wall again. As for the sentient tire, it comes to life in the desert, discovers it has the power to kill scorpions and bunnies through telekinesis, and then proceeds to stalk human prey. Its primary obsession: a French tourist (Fat Girl's Roxane Mesquida) lodging at a seedy motel.
Fans of avant-garde music know Dupieux as Mr. Oizo, an icon of the French electro/house scene, and it's perhaps no surprise that the mesmerizing, multi-layered soundtrack is Rubber's best feature, enforcing a tone far cooler and more removed than other genre fare. Dupieux also understands horror well enough to frustrate his audience thoroughly, and occasionally with a prankish wit. But the "no reason" conceit barely has enough juice for a short; even at a trim 82 minutes, the film's arbitrariness—and self-conscious reflections on same—makes it as tedious as it is irritatingly mannered. And while it's admirably perverse for a "killer-tire movie" to be this snooty, it's about half as clever as it thinks it is.


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Dr. Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies has made it his mission to suss out the best smartphone, tablet, HDTV, and multimedia displays from the worst with his Display Technology Shoot-Out series. Here, the best of the tablet readers fight.
A new wave of Tablets has arrived just in time for Christmas… But as we have seen many times before, most new Tablets are poorly thought out contenders that just wash away with the next wave. To survive (let alone succeed) in this incredibly competitive marketplace you had better have a really good "reason de existence." The Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook series of Tablets clearly fall into this category because they both started by providing a great reading experience with excellent E-Ink displays that behave like electronic paper. But these are pretty much restricted to displaying printed text because of their very limited imaging and graphics capabilities (black and white, 16 intensity levels, and very slow speed screen updates).
In order to stay competitive with the incredibly successful Apple iPad the next logical step was to offer a color LCD display. Tablets are essentially large portable displays – so if you are going to offer a product in this area you had better do the display right! Apple did that from day 1 with the iPad. For Tablets the display is the single most expensive and important hardware component because it determines the quality of the visual experience for every application on the Tablet. In this very hot ultra-competitive category an outstanding display is the single best way for manufacturers to make their Tablets stand out from the competition because the display enhances or degrades the appearance of everything that runs on the Tablet. Cutting corners, costs and quality for the display is a serious mistake because it results in sub-standard image and picture quality for everything that runs on the Tablet. Two examples of what not to do are the Motorola Xoom and Acer Iconia, which had low-end LCD displays and tested poorly in our 10 Inch Tablet Display Technology Shoot-Out.
Manufacturers now seem to have gotten this message because many of the latest Tablets are offering improved IPS LCD displays, the same screen technology that Apple uses in the iPad and iPhone. It offers wider viewing angles, better image contrast, and faster response times than the cheaper LCDs used in many products. IPS stands for In Plane Switching, which has two transistors for every sub-pixel. It was developed by Hitachi, but LG is now the world's leading manufacturer of IPS LCDs, and the principal supplier of displays for the iPhone as well as the Tablets in this Shoot-Out (but most Tablets have more than one supplier). Other manufacturers offer similar technologies that are often called IPS displays, such as Fringe Field Switching by Hydis and Plane Line Switching by Samsung.
The two new Tablet stand-outs for this Display Shoot-Out are the Amazon Kindle Fire and the Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet. It was nice to hear that they both feature IPS LCD displays like the iPad. But IPS displays are not all the same and do not perform equally because, like cars, they are actually complex assemblies that include lots of options and variables. So we decided to see how these newbies compare with the grand-daddy of them all – the Apple iPad…
The IPS Display Shoot-Out
To compare the performance of these IPS displays we ran our in-depth series of Display Technology Shoot-Out tests on them. We take display quality very seriously and provide in-depth objective side-by-side comparisons of the displays based on detailed laboratory measurements and extensive viewing tests with both test patterns and test images.
The Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are competing head-to-head with similar price points, feature sets, and 7 inch screens. The iPad 2 has a much higher price point, much greater feature set, and much larger 9.7 inch screen – non-the-less these Tablets are competing in functionality and particularly for finite consumer dollars. It remains to be seen whether the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet grow at the expense of the iPad, or whether they just expand the market for Tablets. I predict the latter… Tablets are so useful that there is plenty of room for 7 inch, 10 inch, and even 12 inch screens – the first for extra portability and the latter for professional and office applications… and there are lots of people that would own more than one size based on their varying needs. One of the more credible rumors flying around is that Apple will introduce a 7-8 inch iPad in 2012. I hope so…
Results Highlights
In this Results section we provide short comparative Highlights for each Tablet display based on the comprehensive lab measurements and extensive side-by-side visual comparisons using test photos, test images and test patterns that are presented in later sections. The Comparison Table in the following section summarizes the lab measurements in the following categories: Screen Reflections, Brightness and Contrast, Colors and Intensities, Viewing Angles, Display Backlight Power Consumption, and Running Time on Battery.
Ship Just in Time for Christmas…
One major issue for most Tablets has been that the manufacturers are all scrambling to get their products to market so there isn't enough time to properly engineer everything. It's clear that this was the case for both the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet – ship by Thanksgiving and provide patches, tweaks and enhancements later. That's understandable, while both the Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are quite functional, they are both going to need lots of fixes and tweaks. It's possible that the serious display issues we found for the Kindle Fire will be improved in future software updates.
Apple iPad 2 Highlights
We'll begin with the iPad because it's the standard that all other Tablets are compared to… The iPad 2 has an excellent display, virtually identical in performance to the impressive iPhone 4 Retina Display, with a somewhat higher pixel resolution but a much lower pixel density of 132 ppi due to its much larger screen size. The iPad 2 IPS LCD display is fairly well calibrated and delivers bright images with excellent contrast, reasonably accurate colors and very good Viewing Angle performance with small color shifts but a large decrease in Brightness, which is the case even for the best LCDs. A major shortcoming is a reduced Color Gamut, but the iPad 2 improves on-screen image color saturation by steepening its intensity scale. For more details see the dedicated iPad 2 LCD Display Shoot-Out.
Amazon Kindle Fire Highlights
In principle, the LCD on the Kindle Fire is a fairly good display, comparable in most respects to the Nook Tablet and iPad 2 – but it has two major flaws, and only one of them is fixable with a software update.
Amazon advertises that the Kindle Fire has an "anti-reflective treatment" but our lab tests found it to have among the highest reflectance levels we have ever measured – it's 70 percent higher than the iPad 2, and more than double the reflectance of the Nook Tablet. That may not matter much if you are reading in bed but it's likely to be a significant factor indoors and especially outdoors. It's also a surprising piece of puffery for Amazon – who's generally a very straight shooter…
Another big disappointment for the Kindle Fire is the Gallery, the native application that is used for viewing photos and images. First, the gray-scale is way off, and overdriven so hard that significant picture detail will be lost with bright images. It's very similar to what happens with an over-exposed photograph – all of the bright content appears washed out or even lost all together – see the screen shots in Figure 4 below. Like the Nook Tablet, the Kindle Fire uses a version of Android for its OS, but the User Interface on the Kindle Fire is much closer to vanilla Android – and most of the time it's much nicer than the Nook's own UI. But the Kindle Fire still carries a major flaw in Android that I pointed out almost 2 years ago with the Nexus One, and which Google acknowledged. The Gallery provides only 16-bit color – that's 65 thousand colors not the "16 million colors" that Amazon advertises. It also produces noticeable steps (called false contours) in some images. While the display hardware can do 24-bit color it doesn't show up on-screen in the Gallery viewer due to the software design. It's about time that Amazon and Google fix this… Fortunately, the Web browser on the Kindle Fire does support full 24-bit color for web images.
Another display related issue is that the chunky menus in the Kindle Fire Gallery eat up 100 pixels of the screen, so photos only get 500 of the screen's 600 vertical pixels. If you display a standard 4:3 digital camera photo it only fills 54 percent of the screen and a 16:9 photograph only fills 72 percent of the screen. To fix this the UI needs to be updated so that the menus disappear after a few seconds the way they do in other parts of the Kindle Fire UI.
Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet Highlights
The LCD on the Nook Tablet is also a fairly good display comparable in most respects to the Kindle Fire – but Barnes & Noble has done a much better job in pulling everything together into a nice all around display.
Barnes & Noble advertises that the Nook Tablet has "reduced reflection and glare" and they have clearly done their homework on this one because it has the lowest reflectance of any Tablet we have ever tested – the iPad 2 has 28 percent higher reflectance and the Kindle Fire has more than double that of the Nook Tablet (lower is better).
The Nook Tablet also has a very good factory display calibration. Its gray-scale is actually more accurate than most living room HDTVs. The White Point at 6,016K degrees is somewhat more yellowish than the 6,500K standard – that was most likely done in order to increase the screen's maximum brightness, power efficiency, and battery run-time.
Like the Kindle Fire, the Nook Tablet also uses a version of Android for its OS. But unlike the Kindle Fire the Nook Tablet delivers very smooth and accurate 24-bit color on-screen, including for its Gallery. Photos and even test patterns are free of the ugly image artifacts seen on the Kindle Fire. The reason is that the Nook Tablet doesn't use the Android Gallery but rather developed its own. Unfortunately, that has a down side…
Barnes & Noble has developed its own distinct user interface for the Nook Tablet – the Kindle Fire is much closer to vanilla Android. Unfortunately, it doesn't work anywhere near as well and still needs lots of work. In particular, the User Interface for the Gallery is primitive and combines all of the photos and videos into one gigantic grid. The only way to organize photos and videos with Folders is through a cumbersome "My Stuff" User Interface that is buggy as well. We use hundreds of test patterns, test images, test photos and videos for the Shoot-Out, so dealing with this problem UI was a major ordeal. User Interfaces are hard to get right… Hopefully Barnes & Noble will keep working to improve it over time.
And the Winner Is…
While these Tablets have very different price points, features, and screen sizes, it is still useful to compare the quality and performance of their displays because the display enhances or degrades the appearance of everything that runs on the Tablet.
There is no absolute winner for this Display Shoot-Out because all 3 Tablets were both winners and losers in some categories, which is interesting in and of itself. In most categories the 3 displays were reasonably close in their lab test performance, which again is interesting, but perhaps not that surprising since they are all IPS LCDs. But the Nook Tablet was the leader in more categories – both in the lab tests and the viewing tests – so it is the declared winner in overall display performance and picture quality, at least for this round…
The iPad 2 also has an excellent display and is very close in performance to the winner. What is impressive is that the iPad 2 is still delivering top display performance close to what many predict is the end of its product cycle, with lots of interesting predictions for its next generation.
The Amazon Kindle Fire came in with a decidedly last place finish behind the Nook Tablet and iPad 2. In most categories it was just somewhat behind the Nook Tablet and iPad 2, but as the Highlights section above explained the Kindle Fire has 2 major flaws. These two significant points aside, it's otherwise a good Tablet display. The Gallery viewer delivers only 16-bit color and has a significantly distorted gray-scale, which could be fixed with a future software update if Amazon chooses to do so. However, its high screen reflectance cannot be fixed. Note that some after-market screen protectors that claim to reduce glare actually increase the overall reflectance but fuzz it out with a matte finish – so they are not recommended as a fix. The best solution is just to carefully orient yourself so that there aren't any bright sources of light behind you that can reflect off the screen and degrade or obscure the image. In fact, a lot more can be done to reduce screen reflections, so I consider all of the Tablets unsatisfactory in this regard, although the Nook Tablet has the lowest reflectance for now.
For a full comparison of each tablet's screen, expand the chart below
This article has been republished with permission from DisplayMate.com, where it can be read in its entirety.
About the Author
Dr. Raymond Soneira is President of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation of Amherst, New Hampshire, which produces video calibration, evaluation, and diagnostic products for consumers, technicians, and manufacturers. See www.displaymate.com. He is a research scientist with a career that spans physics, computer science, and television system design. Dr. Soneira obtained his Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Princeton University, spent 5 years as a Long-Term Member of the world famous Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, another 5 years as a Principal Investigator in the Computer Systems Research Laboratory at AT&T Bell Laboratories, and has also designed, tested, and installed color television broadcast equipment for the CBS Television Network Engineering and Development Department. He has authored over 35 research articles in scientific journals in physics and computer science, including Scientific American. If you have any comments or questions about the article, you can contact him at firstname.lastname@example.com.
About DisplayMate Technologies
DisplayMate Technologies specializes in advanced mathematical display technology optimizations and precision analytical scientific display diagnostics and calibrations to deliver outstanding image and picture quality and accuracy – while increasing the effective visual Contrast Ratio of the display and producing a higher calibrated brightness than is achievable with traditional calibration methods. This also decreases display power requirements and increases the battery run time in mobile displays. This article is a lite version of our intensive scientific analysis of smartphone and mobile displays – before the benefits of our advanced mathematical DisplayMate Display Optimization Technology, which can correct or improve many of the deficiencies – including higher calibrated brightness, power efficiency, effective screen contrast, picture quality and color and gray scale accuracy under both bright and dim ambient light, and much more. Our advanced scientific optimizations can make lower cost panels look as good or better than more expensive higher performance displays. For more information on our technology see the Summary description of our Adaptive Variable Metric Display Optimizer AVDO. If you are a display or product manufacturer and want our expertise and technology to turn your display into a spectacular one to surpass your competition then Contact DisplayMate Technologies to learn more.


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P.F. Chang's China Bistro confirmed on Thursday credit and debit card data was stolen from its restaurants, saying it is switching in the meantime to a manual imprinting system to process cards safety.
The restaurant chain said in a statement it was alerted on Tuesday by the U.S. Secret Service, which is investigating the cause along with a team of third-party forensic experts.
P.F. Chang's said it did not know what cards were affected but that it is working with credit card companies to identify those at risk. It advised customers to monitor their statements for fraudulent activity.
Card details believed to have come from P.F. Chang's have appeared on so-called "carding" forums, which are password-protected websites where cybercriminals sell data. The details are being offered for as little as US$18 up to $139 per set, according to Hold Security, a company that specializes in tracking where stolen data is sold.
In the meantime, manual payment card imprinting devices have been provided to its restaurants so it can continue to safely process card transactions, P.F. Chang's said. Manual card processing, largely a thing of the past, involves making a copy of the card on carbon paper.
P.F. Chang's is the latest retailer to be stung by cybercriminals, who have had startling success capturing payment card details from point-of-sale terminals, the computerized cash registers that process card payments.
Target, Neiman Marcus, Sally Beauty and Michaels have disclosed data breaches over the last eight months, drawing close scrutiny from regulators and U.S. lawmakers regarding the safety of consumer data.
P.F. Chang's has 204 Bistros in 39 states and 170 Pei Wei Asian Diner restaurants, a casual brand, in 23 states.


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I don't have time for much today, as I'm about to head to New Orleans, but I couldn't help but put this little bit from Calvin out there. A smidge of context is needed first.
Many of the proponents of the "two kingdoms" theology in the Reformed world read Calvin as teaching that the "spiritual kingdom" is the church, and the "temporal kingdom" is the rest of the outside world. This is incorrect and actually approximates the old Roman Catholic position. For Calvin, the spiritual kingdom is the invisible church, and the temporal kingdom is the entire external realm- visible church, state, and family. Here's a short quote that gets right to the point. From Calvin's commentary on 1 Cor. 11:1-16:
There is somewhat more of difficulty in what follows. Here the man is placed in an intermediate position between Christ and the woman, so that Christ is not the head of the woman. Yet the same Apostle teaches us elsewhere, (Galatians 3:28,) that in Christ there is neither male nor female. Why then does he make a distinction here, which in that passage he does away with? I answer, that the solution of this depends on the connection in which the passages occur. When he says that there is no difference between the man and the woman, he is treating of Christ's spiritual kingdom, in which individual distinctions ["External qualities" -ed.] are not regarded, or made any account of; for it has nothing to do with the body, and has nothing to do with the outward relationships of mankind, but has to do solely with the mind — on which account he declares that there is no difference, even between bond and free. In the meantime, however, he does not disturb civil order or honorary distinctions, which cannot be dispensed with in ordinary life. Here, on the other hand, he reasons respecting outward propriety and decorum — which is a part of ecclesiastical polity. Hence, as regards spiritual connection in the sight of God, and inwardly in the conscience, Christ is the head of the man and of the woman without any distinction, because, as to that, there is no regard paid to male or female; but as regards external arrangement and political decorum, the man follows Christ and the woman the man, so that they are not upon the same footing, but, on the contrary, this inequality exists.
Notice here that Calvin says Christ's kingdom does not concern the body or any external relations. It is wholly inward and has to do with conscience. Thus there is total equality and immediate relationship between Christ and all believers in the spiritual kingdom.
The temporal kingdom is different. It has to do with the body and all external conditions. It still has mediation and hierarchy. This is how Calvin defends against forms of egalitarianism which would stem from certain Pauline texts. All of the "spiritual kingdom" truths have to do with the life of the soul. Notice also that Calvin says "ecclesiastical polity" is a part of the external realm, civil order, and ordinary life.
Much follows from this, but I'll have to leave that for another time.


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Nitrogen Applications For 2012 Corn Crop
While soil temperatures were warmer than normal last winter, the dry soil conditions have resulted in very little nitrogen loss this spring.
According to University of Illinois assistant professor of crop sciences Fabian Fernandez, soils in the state were dry at the beginning of autumn 2011, with above-average precipitation levels only during November and December.
"In March, I predicted that the risk of nitrogen loss would increase only if the spring became too wet," said Fernandez. Precipitation thus far this year is, overall, below average in the state. Thus, so far, the likelihood of nitrogen loss this year is very low.
Taking a look at soil nitrogen also provides evidence that applied nitrogen remains in the soil.
"Nitrification has proceeded quickly this spring," Fernandez said. In central Illinois, a field with anhydrous ammonia plus NServe applied in November 2011 contained 80 ppm ammonium in the top 12 inches of soil at the end of February. Now, in mid-May, the concentration is 27 ppm. During the same time interval, nitrate concentrations have increased from 10 to 31 ppm. Although ammonium has transformed to nitrate, there is still a considerable amount of ammonium in the soil, probably because not all of it has been nitrified and also because organic nitrogen in the soil is being mineralized to ammonium.
Last week, samples were also collected for the 12- to 24-inch depth. As expected, there has not been sufficient water to move nitrate down the profile and nitrogen concentrations were low: soil nitrate was only 9 ppm and soil ammonium was 3 ppm.
At this time, most corn is growing rapidly and starting to take up nitrogen. "If all the nitrogen has already been applied, I do not anticipate a need to apply additional nitrogen for this crop," Fernandez said. "If no nitrogen or only a portion of the nitrogen was applied, now is the time to start applying the balance of the application."
The nitrogen needs of the corn plant are low from the early vegetative development stages until about V5 (fifth-leaf stage). Most nitrogen is taken up during the V8 to VT (tassel) stages. Soon after pollination, nitrogen uptake is essentially completed.
Because the potential for nitrogen loss by leaching or denitrification at this time of the growing season is very low and corn plants will soon enter a rapid nitrogen uptake phase, Fernandez recommends not delaying the application. However, if farmers are not quite ready, research has shown that the chance for yield loss due to nitrogen stress is very low, even when applications are done as late as the V6 development stage, because in most soils in Illinois, mineralization of soil organic nitrogen provides ample nitrogen for early crop demands. Moreover, if part of the total nitrogen was already applied, a delay in applying the remaining nitrogen is not likely to cause plant nitrogen stress.
In fields with low nitrogen-supplying power (soils with low organic matter) or where no nitrogen has been applied, early application (before the V6 development stage) is recommended to avoid loss of yield potential. Another reason not to delay application, especially because of the dry conditions this year, is that the sooner nitrogen is applied, the greater chance it will have to be moved into the root zone by rain.
"In my opinion, the best options to sidedress nitrogen are to inject it into the soil or dribble it between rows," Fernandez said. If anhydrous ammonia is used, make sure the knife track gets properly sealed to avoid crop injury from free ammonia escaping to the atmosphere.
While most fields look very dry on the surface, adequate moisture is still present below the surface to retain the ammonia. According to Fernandez, "If the application is done at least 6 inches below the surface in fine-textured soils or at least 8 inches below the surface in coarse-textured soils, there should not be problems with ammonia volatilization."
The advantage of dribbling nitrogen between crop rows over broadcast applications is that dribbling reduces the potential for volatilization of urea-containing fertilizers (urea and UAN) and reduces fertilizer contact with the foliage, thus reducing foliar damage.
If injection or dribbling options are not available, Fernandez recommends broadcast urea. This product has the least impact on leaf burn when compared to UAN, ammonium nitrate, or ammonium sulfate. If the canopy is wet, it is best to wait until it dries to minimize dry fertilizer adhesion to the leaves.
If there is not a high likelihood of rain, Fernandez suggests applying urea with a urease inhibitor (such as Agrotain) to minimize nitrogen volatilization. When urea is broadcast on the soil surface without a urease inhibitor, nitrogen losses start to increase 3 to 4 days after the application if there is no rain to incorporate it. After 10 days without rain, as much as 30 percent of the application can be lost. By contrast, ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate are not subject to volatilization losses if left on the soil surface.
The least desirable option is to broadcast a UAN solution because this application is most likely to injure the crop. If no other options are available, the application should be done as soon as possible because the smaller the plant, the less chance for fertilizer to make contact with it.
Some studies have shown that there is little damage if a UAN solution is broadcast when plants are about 6 inches tall. Similarly, for bigger plants (V4 stage), an application of up to 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre is unlikely to cause substantially reduced yield. This kind of application is best done a few hours before rain so the fertilizer can be washed off the leaves, although this is not advisable if a herbicide is combined with the UAN application (read the label to ensure this is allowable). Also, be aware that including a herbicide with UAN can intensify leaf burn damage.


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When Facebook dropped $1 billion on Instagram we knew the company was very serious about photos on your mobile phone. We've already seen some Instagram-like photo filters, and starting today, Facebook's news feed is getting a nice cosmetic overhaul.
Nothing radically different, here, but photos are much larger as you scroll through the updates of your friends, which is nice; less tapping, more scrolling. From the Facebook Mobile page:
Starting today, we're rolling out an improved design for posts in news feed on your mobile phone. Now photos are up to 3x larger, and all posts will fill your mobile screen from edge to edge. The new design will be available on iOS, Android and m.facebook.com.
Until now, browsing Facebook photos on your phone has been a pain: They show up too small in your News Feed, and enlarging them requires going to another page (Layout on the left, above). The overhauled look (on the right) makes the photos larger and easier to view when you're just casually checking our your feed. No surprise, the new layout looks a lot like Instagram's. This feature is starting to roll out today but so far we've only seen it on m.facebook.com. [Facebook via Techcrunch]


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Sarah Mendelson is USAID's deputy assistant administrator of the Bureau of Democracy, Conflict & Humanitarian Assistance. This item was originally posted at FTS Blog.
Last week, the White House hosted the annual Presidential Inter-Agency Task Force (PITF) on counter-trafficking in persons (C-TIP). This high-level meeting, chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, is an opportunity for leadership throughout the Administration to reaffirm our commitment to combatting trafficking in persons, outline steps taken, and those to come.
This was my second time attending the PITF, and this year I was especially proud when USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced the Agency's new policy on Counter-Trafficking in Persons (C-TIP) (pdf), delivering on a promise he made to Secretary Clinton a year ago.
This policy draws on the best practices from the last decade and input from experts around the world. It places a premium on learning and evaluation so we can make sure we're pursuing the most effective approaches; focuses on innovation and technology, using the same tools traffickers use to, in this case, raise awareness of the dangers of TIP, provide trainings, and support victims; and champions the need to create exciting and effective partnerships because no one person, organization, or agency can tackle this issue alone.
Perhaps most critical, it elevates the Agency's focus on C-TIP in conflict and post-conflict contexts. As someone who has worked in this arena for over a decade, research shows that TIP is significantly higher in and around conflict and crisis-affected regions—whether during war, peacekeeping operations, stabilization efforts, or following a natural disaster.
Widespread sex trafficking of women and girls in conflict and post-conflict settings is an unfortunate and prevalent reality. There is also an increased danger for children, separated from parents and caretakers during conflict or crisis, to be forced into child labor. The good news is that countries recovering from crisis or conflict often have greater political space for tackling challenges and instituting change. USAID will target this particularly acute period of need and moment of opportunity with specialized and enhanced interventions.
USAID is serious about these issues. Last December, the Agency worked with the White House, Department of State, Department of Defense, and civil society groups at home and abroad to launch the first U.S. National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security. The United States now joins 34 countries around the world with plans in place. This is only the beginning. USAID is hard at work on an implementation plan, and we look forward to collaborating and elevating our efforts to combat TIP.
In addition to our external efforts, USAID is also walking the walk internally. This C-TIP policy builds on our 2011 Counter-Trafficking Code of Conduct that advances the highest ethical standards of our personnel, contractors, and grantees. USAID will provide staff trainings on C-TIP and actively recruit more champions, building an Agency-wide network of C-TIP experts. We will also educate contractors and grantees on how to recognize and respond to TIP, prohibitions on trafficking and the procurement of commercial sex, and the available disciplinary measures for documented violations. The Agency reserves the right to terminate grants and contracts if contractors, grantees, or sub-recipients engage in prohibited conduct.
Finally, during last week's PITF, Administrator Shah also announced the launch of a campus challenge to combat trafficking in persons, an exciting partnership to engage new, innovative ideas on prevention and protection. Stay tuned for more details on this collaborative effort, which we hope will be a real opportunity to not only raise awareness about trafficking in persons on U.S. college and university campuses, but work with them to combat it.
USAID has made tremendous progress in the past year on C-TIP and I'm already looking forward to next year's PITF, where we can share how we've turned our policy into action, announce concrete deliverables, and make new commitments to combating this horrific crime. We hope all our partners inside and outside the government will hold us accountable.


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KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — A car came crashing into a Kansas City day care center Tuesday when a sport utility vehicle rear-ended a parked Cadillac, injuring the SUV's driver and three children, police said.
The Cadillac was parked and had no driver when the Range Rover rear-ended it, pushing it into the day care and trapping two children under the Cadillac. The three children were being treated for mild to moderate injuries, said Children's Mercy spokeswoman Jessica Salazar. The SUV's driver, meanwhile, was in stable condition at a hospital, Kansas City police Capt. Tye Grant said.
The injured children were among about 40 inside the Christian Academy Child Care east of downtown around 1 p.m. when the accident happened. Police said the SUV's driver was "approximately 80" years old. A utility pole also was struck, Grant said.
The cause of the crash was under investigation. As neighbors milled around watching, crews pulled the smashed SUV from the building several hours after the crash, making visible a pile of rubble inside the day care center. Several child-sized chairs were strewn on the sidewalk outside.
"We are holding all comments until we get some clear facts," said day care director Dena Washington as she waited behind a nearby house for parents — several of them crying — to pick up their children.
Curtis Sawyer, whose 1- and 2-year-old children attend the day care, said he rushed to the area after receiving a phone call about the accident.
"It was shocking to me," said Sawyer, 33, as he held the older child in his arms. "I'm just glad my kids are safe, and I'm sorry for the kids that got hurt. My heart and prayers go out to their families."
Sharon Washington said she was feeling "very relieved" as she walked up to the center to visit with staff. Three of her grandchildren — ages 5, 8 and 1 — attend the center but were staying with her when the accident happened.
"We were lucky we weren't in the day care," said her 8-year-old grandchild, Timmisha Washington. "They ran over me and my brother's classroom. We lucky. We lucky."


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Morgan State University Library [more]
Schuster Concrete Construction
Commercial Concrete Contractors in Maryland
Morgan State University Library [more]
Our History Schuster Concrete Construction, also known as DGS Construction, Inc., was founded in 1974 by Daniel G. Schuster with little more than a pick-up truck, a shed-full of tools, and the determination to succeed in business. Originally a small concrete contracting company — forming, placing, and finishing concrete — Dan and his crew all too often found themselves completing their prep work on time yet having to wait for concrete to be delivered by … more »
With seven locations in Maryland, our sister company – Schuster Concrete – has been serving the greater Baltimore and western Maryland area, as well as, parts of northern West Virginia and southern Pennsylvania, for more than 40 years.
Learn more at SchusterConcrete.com


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This is the top of the line Red Hill Tactical Competition Holster as used by many shooters around the country. This features two layers of Kydex to add a great deal of rigidity to your holster. In addition to the rigidity it gives you the ability to further add to the custom look of your rig. We do recommend that any gun over 35 oz be a double layer holster.
These holsters are our 3 gun holster without the low cut scoop on them. All competition holsters come with adjustable retention either via screws or optional knobs. In the package the upgrades will only come on the holster, not other included pouches.
This holster comes with a Springer Precision drop offset hanger. ALL PACKAGES ARE NOW BLACK DROPS ONLY.
BELT - Black only
The latest innovative competitive shooting belt from DAA is the DAA Premium belt. This belt offers the best of two worlds! The extreme rigidity of the DAA Competition belt and the high quality finish and outlook of the DAA PRO model.
Both the Competition and PRO belts have been widely received in recent years, and each has their loyal followers. Some choosing the Competition belt if they view rigidity as the most critical feature while others choose the improved appearance and quality feel of the PRO belt. DAA decided – why force our customers to compromise? Why not offer the best of both belts – in one? Result – The DAA Premium Belt
Available in sizes from 28"–50".
How to select the correct belt size: (do not select based on your pant size!)
If you measure around your waist 86cm/33.85", you should choose a belt which is about 104-110cm/41"-43.3" Overall length, which would mean a DAA belt size 34". If you measure around your waist 98cm, you should choose a belt which is about 115-123cm/45.25"-48.5" Overall length, which would mean a DAA belt size 36 or 38" (38" would be the safer bet, a little long is always better than a little short).
1. Measure you actual waist circumference at the height where you plan to wear your belt.2. Convert your measurements into Inches (1inch = 2.54cm)3. Order the belt size which matches your measurement. Round upwards: if you measured 39", order a belt size 40".
Size chart:
Magazine Pouches
This is a single layer magazine pouch designed for bullets forward carry. It comes standard with adjustable tension and no attachment. The magazine pouch comes with a Tek Lok to attach to the belt. These only come with a closed front on the packages. The package comes with 2 pistol magazine pouches at the request of many customers. The pouch will match the same color as the kydex.
This package will also include either a PCC or AR magazine pouch with it, for stability the rifle pouch will be a double layer matching the pistol holster. They will be mounted similar to our pistol pouches with bullets facing rearward.


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Kevin Millwood shows up for Mariners, hands Red Sox another loss
SEATTLE -- The Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox look like two teams headed in opposite directions.
Kevin Millwood pitched six stingy innings to win for the first time in 5 1/2 weeks and Seattle beat the staggering Red Sox 2-1 Wednesday night, handing Boston its eighth defeat in nine games.
The last-place Mariners (67-71) won for the 11th time in 14 home games and matched their win total from last year with 24 games remaining. That is progress for a team that's had two consecutive losing seasons and hasn't been to the playoffs since 2001.
"It should mean something to them," second-year Seattle manager Eric Wedge said. "These guys have worked hard to get better and they are better. And they're going to keep getting better."
Dustin Ackley hit a two-run single in the fourth to back Millwood (5-12), who allowed four hits and one run in his first victory since July 28. The right-hander had gone 1-8 since May 21.
Millwood walked three and struck out three. Tom Wilhelmsen worked the ninth for his 24th save in 27 opportunities.
Boston, one of baseball's top teams for a decade, went 1-8 on a miserable road trip for the club's worst West Coast swing since a 1-8 debacle in September 1989.
"This was not a good road trip, obviously," said embattled manager Bobby Valentine, whose fourth-place team is 10-24 since Aug. 1. "One of the worst I've even experienced."
Eric Thames opened the fourth with a bloop single to left. Mike Carp walked and Casper Wells singled through the left side, loading the bases with nobody out.
"The walk hurt a little," Valentine said. "The base hit by Casper could have been at somebody, but it was right in the hole."
After Brendan Ryan popped out, Ackley ripped Aaron Cook's fastball up the middle.
"That one just kind of stayed up a little bit," Ackley said.
Cook (3-9) gave up seven hits in six innings. He walked three and struck out five.
The last time Cook faced the Mariners on June 29 he threw 88 pitches in a two-hit shutout for his first complete game in more than three years. Since then, he is 1-8. His last victory was Aug. 6.
The Red Sox threatened in the fourth with two outs. Cody Ross, who had three hits, and James Loney reached on singles and Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked. Ryan Lavarnway bounced out to third to end the inning.
Boston finally pushed a run across in the sixth. Jacoby Ellsbury reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored on Loney's double into the right-field corner.
Seattle's opponents have scored one run or fewer in 33 games this season, trailing only the New York Mets (34) for the major league lead. The franchise record is 37 set in 2001.
"It's nice where we're at right now after having a tough first half, coming back strong in the second half and putting it together a little bit," Ackley said. "It's exciting for the rest of the year and exciting going into next year.
"We've made improvements over earlier this year. We're turned the page as far as our hitting standpoint, getting some big hits in big situations."
That's certainly true of Ackley, who is 6-for-6 with the bases loaded and less than two outs. Overall this year he is 7-of-11 and has 12 RBIs with the bags full.
"I'm surprised," Ackley said. "The way my year's been going, I didn't expect to have those kind of numbers. I wish I had more than six at-bats in that situation."
Game notes
Valentine said when Triple-A Pawtucket finishes its season, the Red Sox might call up "maybe one or two" more players. "I know [GM Ben Cherington] is looking around as to who we might add to the roster," the manager said. Valentine would like to have at least one more outfielder. OF Ryan Kalish intends to resolve his lingering shoulder issues during the offseason. "He's really concerned with something being done properly," Valentine said. "I don't think it's surgery." Dustin Pedroia was hitless in three at-bats, ending his season-high 15-game hitting streak. Mariners OF Michael Saunders (hamstring), who has missed 10 of the past 11 games, and OF Franklin Gutierrez (groin) should both be available to play Friday, according to Wedge. The Mariners have only three games remaining against a team with a losing record (Toronto).
SEA Wins 2-1
Game Information
- Umpires:
- Home Plate Umpire - Vic Carapazza
- First Base Umpire - Eric Cooper
- Second Base Umpire - Jeff Kellogg
- Third Base Umpire - Tim Timmons


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A 5K race, a Bikram yoga class or a workout at the gym may not seem like a romantic outing, but a growing group of experts agree that couples who exercise together can not only stave off the extra pounds that are often linked to marriage, but they can strengthen their relationship and their sex life, and possibly live happily ever after.
"When a couple works out together, the actual exercise itself can physically and emotionally have a positive impact," explained Dr. Jane Greer, a marriage and relationship psychotherapist in New York City and author of What About Me? Stop Selfishness From Ruining Your Relationship. "Both partners come away with feelings of synchronicity, cooperative spirit and shared passion. Then you throw in some spicy endorphins and it can be a real power trip for the relationship."
Greer says sweating it out together is a good way to reduce stress in a relationship while also building better communication and common goals. It's also a great way to enhance what goes on in the bedroom.
READ MORE: Sex Does a Body Good
"This will definitely impact your sex life because exercising helps people feel better," she said. "It alleviates stress and gives you more energy; you feel better about yourself and your self-esteem increases. If you're feeling all of that when you're with your partner, the logical thing is to share that desirability and sexual companionship."
And research backs that up.One study by the University of Arkansas found that exercise improves sex. Exercise frequency was attributed to enhanced feelings of attractiveness and increased energy levels—both of which can increase sexual desirability and performance.Another study reported that women were more sexually responsive following 20 minutes of vigorous exercise (think: hot, sweaty yoga class with hip-opening poses). Men also reap similar sexual rewards. Short intense exercise is linked with increased testosterone levels, which help stimulate sexual desire and behavior.
And this increased friskiness doesn't just apply to young couples either. In a Harvard University study of 160 male and female swimmers in their 40s and 60s, regular physical activity was associated with more frequency and enjoyment of sex. Interestingly enough, swimmers in their 60s actually reported sex lives comparable to those in their 40s.As if a better sex life isn't enough of a reason to hit the gym together, couples who do so are more motivated and more committed to staying fit and healthy.
READ MORE: The Link Between Marriage and Weight
A study in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness found that couples who exercise together are more likely to stick with an exercise program. After 12 months, only 6.3 percent of married couples dropped out of their workout routine, while a whopping 43 percent of married singles did. Who says marriage means you're doomed to become a couch potato?
The other bonus for couples who exercise together? It can be a good way to work through any conflicts, says Greer. "When you come away from a class with a renewed sense of strength and control, and you see your partner doing the same thing, it's easier to look at a problem and say, let's work this through."Ready to get your sweat on with your sweetie? Here are five tips for doing so:
- Pick a race. Whether it's a 5K or a marathon, training towards something together can be especially bonding. Even if you aren't the same speed and running side-by-side the whole time, encouraging each other and sharing workouts can be a great way to stay close. For even more perks, pick a race in a fun destination that you can travel to together. Explore a new city, push your bodies for a healthy accomplishment and make a vacation out of it!
- Don't compete. Not many couples can—or should—compare and compete. "There are times when people exercise together and one person in the relationship exercises more frequently," warns Greer. "This can create friction if he thinks his partner doesn't exercise enough or she thinks he exercises too much. But as long as the emphasis is on health and not competition, it's OK." Just pick something where you don't need to compete, like spin class, yoga or hiking.
- Think outside the box. Working out together doesn't always have to entail a formal exercise class. "Rather than getting caught up in a gym class or yoga class, think in terms of what else you like to do," advises Greer. "Dance, ride bikes together and move your body in ways that you can do it together."
- Respect likes and dislikes. You and your partner can go to the gym together, and each do your own workout. For example, one of you might like the treadmill while the other wants to lift weights. It's all about honoring each other's personal likes and dislikes, instead of trying to force yourselves to do everything together.
- Go for a walk together. Exercising as a couple doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes it's as simple as going for a walk. "Use this as your private time with each other," says Greer. "Afterward, sit down and have cup of coffee together." That's a wonderful way to bond.
The bottom line? Exercise together for healthier bodies and a healthier relationship!
READ MORE: Exercise Your Way to Freedom After a Breakup


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Recently, New Yorkers bid farewell to our Mayor of twelve years, Mike Bloomberg. Under Bloomberg's prevue, EDF helped catalyze the NYC Clean Heat program – which led to the cleanest air the City has seen in the last fifty years. Through NYC Clean Heat's efforts over the past few years to phase out the use of highly-polluting No. 6 heating oil in more than 3,000 buildings across NYC, sulfur pollution fell by more than two-thirds while soot pollution dropped by a quarter.
NYC Clean Heat has made great strides in helping buildings become cleaner and more efficient, but there is still much work to be done. EDF is wasting no time in capitalizing on the effective public-private partnership we helped assemble of community and union leaders, policymakers and leaders in the utility, real estate and finance sectors to bring more environmental and public health gains to the City. Our next target: All that energy wasted by old and inefficient buildings.
Nearly 40% of U.S. energy is consumed by residential and commercial buildings, which are responsible for more than a third of our country's greenhouse gases. The building sector presents one of the greatest untapped opportunities for major gains in energy savings and pollution reductions over the next several years.
While former Mayor Bloomberg proved a strong ally in meeting our environmental goals, we look forward to the next era of leadership under Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is committed to improving air quality. We are already looking ahead to ensure that the connections and resources we built through NYC Clean Heat do not die out. The program's model of deploying extensive data and technical expertise as well as facilitating access to financing would be particularly effective in building-wide energy efficiency efforts.
And don't worry: NYC Clean Heat, too, will continue through mid-2014.


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Caesarean section delivery may double risk of childhood obesity
Caesarean section delivery may double the risk of subsequent childhood obesity, finds research published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Caesarean section delivery has already been linked to an increased risk of subsequent childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis, and around one in three babies born in the US is delivered this way.
The authors base their findings on 1255 mother and child pairs, who attended eight outpatient maternity services in eastern Massachusetts, USA between 1999 and 2002.
The mums joined the study before 22 weeks of pregnancy, and their babies were measured and weighed at birth, at six months, and then at the age of three, when the child's skinfold thickness, a measure of body fat, was also assessed.
Out of the 1255 deliveries, around one in four (22.6%; 284) were by caesarean section, and the remainder (77.4%; 971) were vaginal deliveries.
Mums who delivered by c-section tended to weigh more than those delivering vaginally, and the birthweight for gestational age of their babies also tended to be higher. These mums also breastfed their babies for a shorter period.
But irrespective of birth weight, and after taking account of maternal weight (BMI) and several other influential factors, a caesarean section delivery was associated with a doubling in the odds of obesity by the time the child was 3 years old.
Just under 16% of children delivered via c-section were obese by the age of 3 compared with 7.5% of those born vaginally.
Children delivered by c-section also had higher BMI and skinfold thickness measurements by the age of 3.
The researchers speculate that one possible explanation for their findings is the difference in the composition of gut bacteria acquired at birth between the two delivery methods.
They highlight previous research showing that children born by c-section have higher numbers of Firmicutes bacteria and lower numbers of Bacteroides bacteria in their guts. These two groups make up the bulk of gut flora.
Other research has also suggested that obese people have higher levels of Firmicutes bacteria.
It may be that gut bacteria influence the development of obesity by increasing energy extracted from the diet, and by stimulating cells to boost insulin resistance, inflammation, and fat deposits, say the authors.
"An association between caesarean birth and increased risk of childhood obesity would provide an important rationale to avoid non-medically indicated caesarean section," write the authors.
Mums who choose this delivery option should be made aware of the potential health risks to her baby, including the possibility of obesity, they say.


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Maybe the command line isn't your favorite place to hang out, but to be an effective Linux admin, you need to be able to wield a few essential commands. These 10 are guaranteed to simplify your Linux admin life — and he explains why.
I understand that many of you don't want to use the command line in Linux (or in any operating system, for that matter). But the truth is, to be a good administrator, you have to know the command line. Why? Well, with Windows there are times when the command line is the only thing that can save your skin. With Linux, the command line is vast, reliable, flexible, fast… I could go on and on.
And of the 2,119 possible commands from the /usr/bin directory (in Mandriva Spring 2008) and the 388 possible commands from /usr/sbin/, a few are indispensable. Here are 10 of them that might make your Linux admin life — or your introduction to Linux — a whole lot simpler.
I could make this easy and go with the most used commands (cd, ls, rm, etc — okay, etc isn't a command, but you get the point). But instead, I am going to go with the most useful commands, and I'll keep it as distribution-neutral as I can.
#1: top
I figured it was fitting to put the top command at the top. Although top is actually responsible for listing currently running tasks, it is also the first command Linux users turn to when they need to know what is using their memory (or even how much memory a system has). I often leave the top tool running on my desktop so I can keep track of what is going on at all times. Sometimes, I will even open up a terminal (usually aterm), place the window where I want it, and then hide the border of the window. Without a border, the terminal can't be moved, so I always have quick access to the information I need.
Top is a real-time reporting system, so as a process changes, it will immediately be reflected in the terminal window. Top does have some helpful arguments (such as the -p argument, which will have top monitor only user-specified PIDs), but running default, top will give you all the information you need on running tasks.
#2: ln
To many administrators, links are an invaluable tool that not only make users lives simpler but also drastically reduce disk space usage. If you are unaware of how links can help you, let me pose this simple scenario: You have a number of users who have to access a large directory (filled with large files) on a drive throughout the day. The users are all on the same system, and you don't want to have to copy the entire directory to each user's ~/ directory. Instead, just create a link in each user's ~/ directory to the target. You won't consume space, and the users will have quick access. Of course when spanning drives, you will have to use symlinks. Another outstanding use for links is linking various directories to the Apache doc root directory. Not only can this save space, it's often advantageous from a security standpoint.
#3: tar/zip/gzip
Tar, zip, and gzip are archival/compression tools that make your administrator life far easier. I bundle these together because the tools can handle similar tasks yet do so with distinct differences (just not different enough to warrant their own entry in this article). Without these tools, installing from source would be less than easy. Without tar/zip/gzip, creating backups would require more space than you might often have.
One of the least used (but often most handy) features of these tools is the ability to extract single files from an archive. Now zip and gzip handle this more easily than tar. With tar, to extract a single file, you have to know the exact size of the file to be extracted. One area where tar/zip/gzip make administration simple is in creating shells scripts that automate a backup process. All three tools can be used with shell scripts and are, hands down, the best, most reliable backup tools you will find.
#4: nano, vi, emacs
I wasn't about to place just one text editor here, for fear of stoking the fires of the "vi vs. emacs" war. To top that off, I figured it was best to throw my favorite editor — nano — into the mix. Many people would argue that these aren't so much commands as they are full-blown applications. But all these tools are used within the command line, so I call them "commands." Without a good text editor, administering a Linux machine can become problematic.
Imagine having to attempt to edit /etc/fstab or /etc/samba/smb.conf with OpenOffice. Some might say this shouldn't be a problem, but OpenOffice tends to add hidden end-of-line characters to text files, which can really fubar a configuration file. For the editing of configuration or bash files, the only way to go is with an editor such as nano, vi, or emacs.
#5: grep
Many people overlook this amazingly useful tool. Grep prints lines that match a user-specified pattern. Say, for instance, that you are looking at an httpd.conf file that's more than 1,000 lines long, and you are searching for the "AccessFileName .htaccess" entry. You could comb through that file only to come across the entry at line 429, or you can issue the command grep -n "AccessFileName .htaccess" /etc/httpd/conf/http.conf. Upon issuing this command you will be returned "439:AccessFileName .htaccess" which tells you the entry you are looking for is on, surprise of all surprises, line 439.
The grep command is also useful for piping other commands to. An example of this is using grep with the ps command (which takes a snapshot of current running processes.) Suppose you want to know the PID of the currently crashed Firefox browser. You could issue ps aux and search through the entire output for the Firefox entry. Or you could issue the command ps aux|grep firefox, at which point you might see something like this:
jlwallen 17475 0.0 0.1 3604 1180 ? Ss 10:54 0:00 /bin/sh /home/jwallen/firefox/firefoxjlwallen 17478 0.0 0.1 3660 1276 ? S 10:54 0:00 /bin/sh /home/jlwallen/firefox/run-mozilla.sh /home/jlwallen/firefox/firefox-bin jlwallen 17484 11.0 10.7 227504 97104 ? Sl 10:54 11:50 /home/jlwallenfirefox/firefox-bin jlwallen 17987 0.0 0.0 3112 736 pts/0 R+ 12:42 0:00 grep --color firefox
Now you know the PIDs of every Firefox command running.
#6: chmod
Permissions anyone? Linux administration and security would be a tough job without the help of chmod. Imagine not being able to make a shell script executable with chmod u+x filename. Of course it's not just about making a file executable. Many Web tools require certain permissions before they will even install. To this end, the command chmod -R 666 DIRECTORY/ is one very misused command. Many new users, when faced with permissions issues trying to install an application, will jump immediately to 666 instead of figuring out exactly what permissions a directory or folder should have.
Even though this tool is critical for administration, it should be studied before jumping in blindly. Make sure you understand the ins and outs of chmod before using it at will. Remember w=write, r=read, and x=execute. Also remember UGO or User, Group, and Other. UGO is a simple way to remember which permissions belong to whom. So permission rw- rw- rw- means User, Group, and Other all have read and write permissions. It is always best to keep Other highly restricted in their permissions.
#7: dmesg
Call me old-school if you want, but any time I plug a device into a Linux machine, the first thing I do is run the dmesg command. This command displays the messages from the kernel buffer. So, yeah, this is an important one. There is a lot of information to be garnered from the dmesg command. You can find out system architecture, gpu, network device, kernel boot options used, RAM totals, etc.
A nice trick is to pipe dmesg to tail to watch any message that comes to dmesg. To do this, issue the command dmesg | tail -f and the last few lines of dmesg will remain in your terminal. Every time a new entry arrives it will be at the bottom of the "tail." Keep this window open when doing heavy duty system administration or debugging a system.
#8: kill/killall
One of the greatest benefits of Linux is its stability. But that stability doesn't always apply to applications outside the kernel. Some applications can actually lock up. And when they do, you want to be able to get rid of them. The quickest way to get rid of locked up applications is with the kill/killall command. The difference between the two commands is that kill requires the PID (process ID number) and killall requires only the executable name.
Let's say Firefox has locked up. To kill it with the kill command you would first need to locate the PID using the command ps aux|grep firefox command. Once you got the PID, you would issue kill PID (Where PID is the actual PID number). If you didn't want to go through finding out the PID, you could issue the command killall firefox (although in some instances it will require killall firefox-bin).Of course, kill/killall do not apply (nor should apply) to daemons like Apache, Samba, etc.
#9: man
How many times have you seen "RTFM"? Many would say that acronym stands for "Read the Fine* Manual" (*This word is open for variation not suitable for publication.) In my opinion, it stands for "Read the Fine Manpage." Manpages are there for a reason — to help you understand how to use a command. Manpages are generally written with the same format, so once you gain an understanding of the format, you will be able to read (and understand) them all. And don't underestimate the value of the manpage. Even if you can't completely grasp the information given, you can always scroll down to find out what each command argument does. And the best part of using manpages is that when someone says "RTFM" you can say I have "RTFMd."
#10: mount/umount
Without these two commands, using removable media or adding external drives wouldn't happen. The mount/umount command is used to mount a drive (often labeled like /dev/sda) to a directory in the Linux file structure. Both mount and umount take advantage of the /etc/fstab file, which makes using mount/umount much easier. For instance, if there is an entry in the /etc/fstab file for/dev/sda1 that maps it to /data, that drive can be mounted with the command mount /data. Typically mount/umount must have root privileges (unless fstab has an entry allowing standard users to mount and unmount the device). You can also issue the mount command without arguments and you will see all drives that are currently mounted and where they're mapped to (as well as the type of file system and the permissions).
Can't live without 'em
These 10 Linux commands make Linux administration possible. There are other helpful commands, as well as commands that are used a lot more often than these. But the commands outlined here fall into the necessity category. I don't know about you, but I don't go a day without using at least half of them. Do you have a Linux command or two that you can't live without? If so, let us know.
Originally posted 2016-03-14 04:25:12.


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For years, social scientists have pondered the question: Can Americans and Australians ever have brunch together? The answer is yes. Yes, we can.
Today Jonathan and I met up with a load of people, most of whom we'd never met. At least not in the flesh. With the exception of our friend (and my fellow podcast host) Joe of RunWestchester. But I've been following the exploits of Ewen (of About a Ewen) and Flo (of Girl in Motion) for several years. Ewen is here with his friends Joy and Mal on an epic tour of the U.S. (can't imagine why they'd want to come to this 2,600 mile wide dump) and, fortunately for us, it includes an extended swing through New York City. Flo drove her ass all the way up from Philadelphia just to have lunch with us! But it gets better: also there was Flo's friend, Heather, a newly minted masters runner who lives in New York and who had not seen Flo in sixteen years!! But, wait. There's more: Heather had a stress fracture in her pelvis earlier this year in almost the exact same place I did!!!
It doesn't get any weirder than that. Especially when this crew is involved.
In a symbol of the historically peaceful relations between our two nations, we exchanged cultural gifts. Ewen gave us Australia-themed drink coolers and fragrant soaps. We gave Ewen race t-shirts (he made out like a "bandit," scoring shirts for the New York Marathon, Healthy Kidney, Scotland Run and yesterday's Run for Central Park). Mimosas were consumed. Checks were split. Hugs were freely given.
Mal and Joy, who are non-runners, were extremely tolerant of all the running talk. Which is good, since we're meeting up again on Friday evening for drinks and there will be even more runners there!!!! Joe and I will also see Ewen in Van Cortlandt for a 5K on Thursday evening, his first international race (not counting Tasmania)!!!!!
Filed under: clothes and gear, drinking, eating, everyday life, racing | 5 Comments »


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Coral Palermo Tuxedo Vest
Regular price
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Suitable for both formal and casual occasions, and stylistic qualities that appeal to men of all ages. With a modern, yet classic vibe, The Palermo Collection offers a unique diamond grid pattern that you won't be able to ignore!
- Color: Coral
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NOTE: Neckwear in photo not included with vest. If you would like coordinating neckwear, please add neckwear to your order (see "Frequently Bought Together" below).
STYLING TIP: Coordinating Palermo bow ties and pocket squares (Palermo and Solid Twill) are also available.


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America the Beautiful by Teleflora
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Empowering Rural Women - Ending Poverty and Hunger
08 March 2012
08 March 2012
Today, on International Women's Day, UNFPA renews its commitment to gender equality and human rights and dignity.
Many rural women have limited autonomy and low status, which puts them at increased risk of hunger, gender-based violence and other human rights violations. Advancing rural women's political, social and economic status are vital ends in themselves as well as critical strategies to eradicate poverty, promote women's rights and pave the way for sustainable development.
Improving access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights is essential for rural women's empowerment and ability to earn an income and feed themselves and their family. When women can make free and informed choices in all spheres of life, including marriage and number and spacing of their children, they can reach their full potential and further contribute to the development of their communities and nations.
UNFPA works with governments and other development partners to empower rural women and ensure that they can claim their right to sexual and reproductive health. With our partners, we strive to strengthen healthcare systems and develop new ways to inform women and girls about their rights, especially about access to family planning. These efforts save lives and advance human development.
On the International Women's Day, I call on all stakeholders to join our efforts in promoting women's health, education and rights. Together, we can improve gender equality and build a world of opportunity where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person can fulfill their potential.