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Product Description
Mastering Different Zones The DJM-5000 features two flexible output modes: multi-zone and standard. In multi-zone mode, the mixer's outputs can be dedicated to multiple audio sources and distributed to two different areas or rooms. For example, this groundbreaking feature allows DJs to transmit music from a separate source such as an MP3 player to a lounge or cocktail room while simultaneously outputting high energy music from digital turntables to a main dance floor. Similarly, broadcasts from a microphone also can be selected to transmit separately to two different zones, allowing MC performances or announcements to be tailored to the appropriate areas. In standard mode, all four audio outputs are directed to one area such as a main dance floor. Mic Check One-Two The DJM-5000 incorporates another industry first, an exclusive feature called Advanced Talk Over*, which attenuates the frequencies in the mid-range / vocal area of music being played while the microphone is in use. The Advanced Talk Over feature is designed to distinguish announcements made by the DJ and/or MC without lowering the entire volume output, which can often affect the energy of the event. The output of the feature can be adjusted accordingly in two levels through a dedicated control knob on the front panel. The DJM-5000 also includes three microphone inputs, two of which are independent balanced inputs for performances from an MC and/or vocalist. Each microphone channel has a dedicated volume control as well as a 3-band equalizer for increased tonal quality and control. In addition, the microphone section of the mixer is outfitted with four different effects: reverb, echo plus verb, octaver and pitch to further enhance vocal performances. High Quality Audio Much like the DJM-1000 and the industry standard DJM-800, Pioneer also enhanced the output of the DJM-5000 by utilizing a 96kHz/24-bit analog to digital converter as well as a 32-bit digital signal processor (DSP) in the mixing process to ensure the highest audio quality output. In order to virtually eliminate interference generated by other products or power cords, the DJM-5000 employs a shorter signal path designed to reduce the effects of inherent noise, a high performance power supply to stabilize voltage, and shielded dual RCA inputs. Furthermore, for entertainers using compressed audio files, the DJM-5000 has been equipped with a built-in audio processor called Sound Maximizer to enhance low and high frequency ranges. The "Dynamics" function boosts sounds in the lower frequency range up to eight decibels for added bass response, which is particularly helpful when the music source is lacking low-end punch. The "Clarity" function adjusts the gain of the mid-high frequency range by up to an additional four decibels for a brighter and clearer overall sound. The clarity adjustment improves the sense of separation and distinction by emphasizing the mid-high range sounds, even at lower volume levels. Enhanced Control and Connectivity The DJM-5000 is equipped with a six-channel (three stereo pairs) USB Audio Interface.


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By Tim Wogan, *Science*NOW
Geological detectives are piecing together an intriguing seafloor puzzle. The Indian Ocean and some of its islands, scientists say, may lie on top of the remains of an ancient continent pulled apart by plate tectonics between 50 million and 100 million years ago. Painstaking detective work involving gravity mapping, rock analysis, and plate movement reconstruction has led researchers to conclude that several places in the Indian Ocean, now far apart, conceal the remnants of a prehistoric land mass they have named Mauritia. In fact, they say, the Indian Ocean could be "littered" with such continental fragments, now obscured by lava erupted by underwater volcanoes.
The Seychelles, an archipelago of 115 islands about 1500 kilometers east of Africa, are something of a geological curiosity. Although a few of Earth's largest islands, such as Greenland, are composed of the same continental crust as the mainland, most islands are made of a denser, chemically distinct oceanic crust, created midocean by magma welling up beneath separating tectonic plates. Geologists think they separated from the Indian subcontinent 80 million to 90 million years ago.
But those islands might not be so unique. Researchers from Norway, Germany, and Britain, writing in Nature Geoscience, now suggest that the Indian Ocean is harboring other fragments of ancient continental crust. Those fragments, the researchers say, lie buried beneath more recent oceanic crust erupted by underwater volcanoes.
Earth's gravity gave the first hints that led scientists to the hidden crust. A number of places in the Indian Ocean, such as Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles, Maldives, and Lakshadweep islands, are known to display a slightly stronger gravitational field than expected. Abnormally thick crust could explain this anomaly. If that's the reason, it could be because the crust is about 25 kilometers thick, resembling continental crust, compared with the 5 to 10 kilometers of oceanic crust elsewhere. However, thickness alone doesn't prove that crust is continental, as oceanic crust can be thickened by processes such as underwater volcanism.
To collect additional evidence for the hidden continent idea, the researchers then took another tack. They reconstructed the movements of the tectonic plates to determine whether and how these fragments of undersea crust were once connected to continents. They were able to show that, until about 90 million years ago, the places with unexpectedly high gravity would all have been attached to India.
Next, in search of chemical evidence to back up their idea, the researchers took sand samples from several beaches in Mauritius, another African island nation located about 1700 kilometers southeast of the Seychelles. The surface rock of Mauritius is made from volcanic oceanic crust, or basalt. But its beach sands contained not just fragments of eroded lava but also zircons, a mineral associated with continental crust.
The zircons from Mauritius, it turned out, were hundreds or even thousands of millions of years old, although the island's oceanic crust was less than 10 million years old.
So how did the zircons get there? The researchers, led by geophysicist Trond H. Torsvik of the University of Oslo, believe they had to have been in the lava itself. The magma, they suggest, punched its way through pieces of preexisting continental crust on the seafloor, and in the process it tore off zircons and incorporated them into the basalt lava. "Zircons don't fly," Torsvik says. "I don't believe these could have been brought by other means—they must have been eroded from the basalt itself."
Geochemist Andreas Stracke at the University of Münster in Germany is impressed, saying that while others have speculated on the possibility of buried continental crust under this part of the Indian Ocean, "this could be a smoking gun." But he would like to see tests conducted into a wider range of rocks from the region to see if other geochemical signatures of continental crust can be found.
*This story provided by ScienceNOW, the daily online news service of the journal *Science.

subset: commoncrawl


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TROY POLICE JAN. 1 ASSAULT. 12:30 a.m. A report was filed on Division Street. Officer: Michael Clough. BURGLARY. 1:33 a.m. Mitchell Stone, 37, 40-8 102nd St., was also charged with two counts of third-degree criminal mischief after an investigation. Officers: Sansone, Hughes, Agostinoni. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. 2:15 a.m. Someone reportedly broke a window on a Fifth Avenue residence. Officer: Stephen Hughes. CRIMINAL CONTEMPT. 10:12 a.m. Ricky Mosley, 49, 1216-1 Sausse Ave., was charged after a reported domestic incident on Sixth Avenue. Officers: W. Gladysz, J. Holehan. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. 10:33 a.m. A car was reportedly vandalized while parked on Fifth Avenue. Officer: Christopher Pollay. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. 11:22 a.m. A car was reportedly vandalized while parked on Fifth Avenue. Officer: Michael Colwell. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. Noon. A car was reportedly vandalized while parked on Cragin Avenue. Officer: Jamshid Holehan. LARCENY. 6:10 p.m. Someone reportedly entered a car parked on Second Street and stole a wallet. Officer: Sgt. Anthony Conyers.
Police blotter for Jan. 26, 2013
Start the conversation


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We shackled the Hell Garage inmates to a pair of 40-year-old British sports cars last time, and watching those fools groping around in the pools of molten brimstone for unobtainium parts to hammer onto their lightweight, high-revving English classics was quite entertaining for the Hell Garage Demons.
But wait just a second—we just had the Fourth of July, so we need some lightweight, high-revving Detroit classics for our projects. We tormented you with a pair of turbocharged Chrysler K-Car derivatives a couple of months back, and now we'll be dragging a pair of machines boasting General Motors' screaming dual-overhead-cam four-banger of the late 1980s: the legendary Quad 4! It's not easy to find project-grade Quad 4-equipped machines with manual transmissions these days, but we felt it was our patriotic duty to persevere.
If we are to believe Wikipedia (and why shouldn't we?), only 204 Oldsmobile Cutlass Calais Quad 442s with the W-41 option package were built for the 1991 model year. That makes it much rarer—and therefore, in the opinion of
several all the lovers of classic Oldsmobiles, better—than any of the legendary 442s of the 1960s.
The W-41 got you 190 hp, a five-speed close-ratio gearbox and some racy-looking badging. With all of that power in a package that weighed just more than 2,800 pounds, the Quad 442 could smoke the import competition. And, of course, that's what every single one has been doing, in relentless parts-bustin' fashion, for the last 20 years.
There's no telling how many of the 204 Quad 442s built in 1991 have since been crushed after being bashed into concrete abutments, wrapped around telephone poles, and/or consumed by flames, so it was quite a score for the Hell Garage Demons to find this genuine W-41 Cutlass Calais Quad 442 in Arizona (go here if the listing disappears). The seller lists the price at one dollar, which is a Craigslist convention that means "I want my listing to show up in searches that set a maximum price, even if my price is above that, because this helps searchers," but doesn't list the actual price in the body of the description.
Instead, prospective buyers get "Please make reasonable offer!!!! SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!!!!!!!! NO EMAILS!!!"
Does it run? Maybe so, maybe not. Does it have rust? It's in Arizona, so probably not. Is the interior good? The blurry cell phone photos tell us very little. In other words, a perfect Hell Project!
The Quad 4, while technically an Oldsmobile engine, was installed in cars made by most of the other GM divisions during its 15-year run. The true high-performance versions of the engines came out during the first half of the 1990s, with power output declining thereafter as GM attempted to reduce the Quad's raucous-even-by-Detroit-standards NVH.
That means that not many cars got the good 180- and 190-hp Quad 4s, so the Hell Project Demons had to take a break from closing the Hell Parts Store (30 seconds before customers showed up needing EZ-Outs at 4:59 p.m. on a Sunday) to do some heavy-duty car searching. Fortunately, they were able to find this 1990 Chevrolet Beretta GTZ in Northern California (go here if the listing disappears).
How much for this fine piece of American performance-car history? Five hundred dollars! It's
horribly a bit rough, with plenty of dents, paint irradiated away by the Sacramento sun and an interior best left undescribed, but keep in mind that this car came with a genuine 180-horse Quad 4 and Getrag five-speed.
It doesn't exactly run (the description includes the ominous text "When parked, it had either a fuel or computer problem—would cut out and not want to restart, kind of like a vapor lock in an old car"), but how hard could it be to find fuel- and ignition-system parts for a high-output engine produced in tiny quantities 20 years ago?
You might say it's a "sputtered when parked" car instead of a "ran when parked" car, but don't let that scare you. Just imagine how good it will feel to
get spanked by Toyota Camry drivers who don't even know you're racing drive your freshly restored GTZ down the boulevard!


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Standing, Originalism, and the Gay Marriage Cases
The standing issues in the gay marriage cases have received some attention from Mike Ramsey, Neil Devins and Tara Grove, and Linda Greenhouse. Mike writes mainly from an originalist perspective, whereas the other authors adopt more eclectic approaches. While I haven't studied the gay marriage cases closely, let me here give some preliminary thoughts from an originalist perspective, focusing on the DOMA case. Needless to say, the correct answers based on current law are likely to differ from the originalist answers.
1. From an originalist perspective, standing doctrine is a mess. We simply do not know whether standing is consistent with the original meaning. Bob Pushaw argues that standing is largely not constitutionally required; Caleb Nelson and Ann Woolhander suggest it might be. If it is not constitutionally required, then most of these issues go away. So let's assume it is. But even if standing is required, there are still many open issues from an originalist perspective, such as those involving executive power.
2. It is probably the case that the executive power includes the power to enforce the law and to defend the executive's actions in court.
3. In the DOMA case, the Obama Administration enforced the law, but refused to defend the law in court.
4. There are several plausible positions on executive power – I say plausible here, because determining the correct position from an originalist perspective is quite difficult and certainly not possible in a blog post.
5. The Obama Administration could have not enforced the law on the grounds it was unconstitutional. It chose, however, to enforce it (by requiring Edith Windsor to pay an estate tax on an estate she inherited from her same sex spouse that would not have been required if their marriage had been an opposite sex one).
6. The Obama Administration's enforcement of the law creates standing. There is a concrete dispute between Edith Windsor and the federal government. The Obama Administration's refusal to defend the law in court, though, creates additional issues.
7. One possibility is that the Obama Administration simply loses. If one does not defend oneself in court, the court is authorized to decide the case against you in a pretty summary way.
8. Another possibility is that the Obama Administration can choose to assign the task of defending the statute to another group, such as the House or BLAG. But that assignment would be of the power to file the brief of the United States. And the Obama Administration would ideally review and approve the brief, even though it would not have to agree with it. (This alternative would only be problematic if filing such a brief is an action of an executive official and the executive lacked constitutional or statutory power to appoint the person filing the brief – complicated issues here, which I am omitting.)
9. Devins and Grove suggest that the Court can appoint an amicus to defend the law. I do not believe that an amicus can act as the proper defender of the law. An amicus is simply a private party. The defender of the law is acting as a representative of the United States. Assuming that the Court can appoint an amicus, the amicus cannot act as the defender of the law for the United States without executive branch review. At the least, the Obama Administration must have the power to review and potentially control the amicus that is filing the brief of the United States.
10. To conclude: I think the House can defend the law, without executive approval, only if there is no significant standing doctrine. If there is such a doctrine, then the Obama Administration must have the power to control the actions of any amicus or attorney who is defending the law as a representative of the executive branch. Since the Obama Administration does not seem to have that authority, the defense of the law by the House (actually BLAG) is problematic.


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There's been a lot of talk lately in the library world about the coming age of FRBR-ized library catalogs (prompted in part by development of RDA, a cataloging standard that uses FRBR). Exactly what such catalogs will look like, and whether they will actually help readers use the library more effectively, are matters of ongoing debate. One of the key differences between FRBR and older catalog models is that books and other resources that share common properties can be grouped together at various levels of abstraction.
FRBR, highly abridged
Such grouping can be helpful, for instance, for people looking for a suitable copy of Shakespeare's play Hamlet. In a traditional library catalog, a title search for Hamlet might yield a long list of hundreds of hits, in which it is difficult to select a particular copy, or to find other appropriate search results (like William Faulkner's book The Hamlet) among all the hits for various versions of Shakespeare's creation. In a FRBR-ized catalog, though, the various editions (or "Manifestations", in FRBR-speak) of Hamlet can be grouped into various "Expressions", denoting particular texts of Hamlet, and those Expressions can be grouped into a single "Work" denoting Shakespeare's dramatic creation.
Ideally, a general search in a FRBR-ized catalog for Hamlet would yield one hit for Shakespeare's Hamlet as a Work, instead of hundreds of editions (unless the search terms implied a more specific edition or version). Users could then examine the Work hit to choose an appropriate copy; or they could more easily find other "Hamlet" hits if they really wanted something else, like the similarly-titled book by Faulkner. (The specific copy that the user finally obtains is known as an "Item", and represents a level of abstraction below Manifestation. The full resource abstraction stack is sometimes referred to as "WEMI", short for "Work, Expression, Manifestation, Item".)
In practice, there have been plenty of arguments over the details of the FRBR information model, such as where exactly the distinction is made between a Work and an Expression, or where one should model multiple Works instead of one. Ultimately, though, FRBR is intended to make it easier for users to find, identify, select, and obtain library resources. Each of these four verbs is explicitly defined as a FRBR "user task". The information model is useful only to the extent that it supports these user tasks.
FRBR-like catalogs on the Web today
Even while libraries are debating whether or not they will develop FRBR-based catalogs, several FRBR-like catalogs have appeared on the Web, and are being used by growing audiences of online users. They have some interesting things in common. They all support some degree of representation of works at a higher level than the traditional library records. And they all honor the FRBR information model more in the breach than the observance None of them use the FRBR WEMI model as-is, at least in the user interface, though many of their designers cite FRBR as an influence.
Typically, the "FRBR-like" catalogs now in common use show "works" and "editions". "Works" here refer to something like FRBR Works or Expressions; the distinction between the two is not usually made in the user-facing production catalogs I've seen. "Editions" refer to particular FRBR Manifestations. These catalogs consolidate search results that all fall under a particular "work" (thus streamlining the FRBR "Find" task), and also offer "work"-oriented displays that include details about the "editions" encompassed by the work (thus supporting the "Identify" task). They do not give much explicit assistance towards Selecting (though most traditional library catalogs do not either). And in many cases the metadata for editions is not consistent enough to support a consistent Work grouping throughout the catalog (let alone one that is consistent with other catalogs).
Example 1: OpenLibrary
As an example of how this works in practice, consider the user searching for "Hamlet" in the Open library. Once we get past an oddly malformed first hit, the second hit is for the play "Hamlet" as a work, consolidating 665 editions beneath it. (We see also Faulkner's The Hamlet right below that, instead of several screenfuls later.)
If we click on the hit for the play, we then go to a work page that shows information about the play in general, followed by the list of 665 associated editions. There's not a whole lot here to help users choose a good edition, though the display does show covers or title pages when available. Also, the online editions, which are the easiest for Web users to obtain, are shown first. (The online book metadata comes from the Internet Archive, the sponsor of Open Library.)
Example 2: WorldCat.org
OCLC uses similar technologies in its Worldcat.org and WorldCat Local products. Searching for Hamlet in WorldCat.org, for instance, we get a hit for the play followed by hits for various movies and books. If you click on the title "The tragedy of Hamlet, prince of Denmark" in the first search result, you'll just see information on the featured edition (from Yale University Press). But if you click instead of "View all editions and formats" note at the bottom of the first search result, you'll see that over 4000 editions are lumped under this work. You can cut down this list somewhat using facets that specify format (book, video, audio), language, and/or year of release.
As far as I know, OCLC does not maintain an explicit work record for Hamlet; a lot of the grouping here appears to be automatically inferred from existing 'edition' records. The list contains a wide variety of Hamlets, including translations, audio readings and performances, and videos of stage productions and film adaptations. But it's an incomplete list; the DVD of Kenneth Branagh's film of Hamlet, for instance, shows up in the initial Hamlet search results, and doesn't seem to included as one of the DVD editions under the first "Hamlet" hit.
Example 3: LibraryThing
In LibraryThing, the work is the thing, and editions are secondary. Their work page for Hamlet combines information on the play with information on various editions, without saying very much about editions.
Since most LibraryThing users are more concerned with a work in general than with a particular edition, this sort of catchall display works reasonably well in context. Amazon has done similar consolidation in its catalog for years, which has well-known pros and cons. (You'll see Amazon reviews of multiple editions of a work together, for instance, which is useful if you want a wide range of views but possibly misleading when a reviewer complains about the features of a specific edition.) Amazon still gives support to identifying and selecting particular editions, though, since they need to distinguish them for customers. Although LibraryThing, not driven by sales in the way that Amazon is, gives less edition-level support, they do point to 9 distinct Amazon records for Hamlet.
In a few cases, specially notable editions of Hamlet, such as this Norton Critical edition, get their own pages on LibraryThing. This is useful for folks who want to record information about an edition that's particularly significant to them. But at present, there's no easy way within LibraryThing to link the generic work pages with the edition-specific pages, so information gets somewhat fragmented.
Example 4: Google Books
The widely used Google Books also tries to aggregate similar books together in somewhat FRBR-like ways. Different "editions" are consolidated in search results, and related books are linked together. Unfortunately, Google's metadata is dirty enough that the "FRBR-ization" is only partial, and confusing. Different "Editions" of a book may simply be different volumes from the same multi-volume edition. And editions of the same work may sometimes be combined together, and sometimes left separate, seemingly at random.
If you do a search for Hamlet in Google Books, each of the hits aggregates lots of volumes, but this is not immediately apparent. If you click on the "Book overview" for a hit, you'll see some of these volumes listed under "Related books" and "Other editions". The metadata is not consistent enough to be properly "FRBR-like", but that seems to be what they're aiming for.
Users not familiar with the quirks of Google Books may miss some volumes that are actually in the system. For books less popular than Hamlet, users may see a much shorter list of hits that does *not* include the particular volume or edition that a searcher is looking for, and not realize they have to look through "Other editions" under the hits shown to find the volume they want. For instance, this search for Oldcourt (as I write this) makes it appear as if Google has only two of the three volumes of this novel available in full view. In fact, they have all three volumes, but the results can mislead even experienced literary researchers.
All of the catalogs above, then, are somewhat "FRBR-like", but they don't fully implement the FRBR functional or data model. I'm not sure, though, how closely they need to conform to those models. I can see room for improvement in each catalog, but they all seem to work well enough to have gained notable user communities.
How should a "FRBR"-like catalog treat Hamlet? Personally, I like the rich work-level data (both formal and infomal) that I find on pages like LibraryThing. I also like the easy access to online copies provided by Open Library, the faceting and wide-angle "work" aggregation of WorldCat.org, and the scale and full-text searchability of Google Books. On the other hand, I'd like to see more consistent grouping and descriptions in each of the catalogs, and more assistance for users in selecting an appropriate edition than I currently see in any of them.
Out of hundreds of editions of Hamlet, some are particularly useful for various audiences, such as students trying to understand Elizabethan speech, actors and directors preparing to perform it, literary researchers examining and comparing source texts, and cultural historians considering famous stagings and adaptations. Why not include more data highlighting editions that are particularly useful for these and other purposes? I don't recall such metadata being a significant part of the FRBR data model, but it seems to be in the spirit of the functional model of helping people select the right book for their needs.
On the other hand, I don't see a great need to make a lot of differentiation between works of Hamlet and expressions of Hamlet. Insisting on lots of sharp distinctions between various high-level records in the user interface could well confuse users more than it helps them, unless there are effective ways of presenting them as a unit when appropriate.
What's next?
As my library and others roll out the next generation of library management systems and discovery tools, determining the best use of FRBR-ish catalog data and applications may make a big difference in the effectiveness of our services to patrons. So I'm very interested in seeing how well catalogs and records designed along FRBR lines work in practice. I'm also piloting some prototypes of FRBR-like features on The Online Books Page, and I hope to have more to say about them shortly. (Update: Now I do; see my next post.)
In the meantime, I'd love to hear comments from readers on any of the catalogs I've mentioned, or examples of other "FRBR-like" catalogs in use that are worth looking at.


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Rosie O'Donnell returning as host on 'The View'
Will join Whoppi Goldberg this fall on ABC
Rosie O'Donnell is returning as a host for "The View," ABC confirmed Thursday.
The show tweeted out the news, saying, "ABC confirms Rosie O'Donnell returns as co-host of #TheView w/ moderator Whoopi Goldberg for Season 18."
The host is back after being on the show from 2006 to 2007. While on the show, she famously clashed with Donald Trump and even some former "View" co-hosts like Elisabeth Hasselbeck.
O'Donnell, 52, is a 5-time Emmy nominee, winning in 1999. She made two appearances on "The View" as a guest in 2014, once in February and later in the year for a reunion show to celebrate the retirement of Barbara Walters.
She will join Whoopi Goldberg as the only other host that is coming back next season.
In addition to Walters' retirement in May, Jenny McCarthy and Sherri Shepherd both announced last week that they were not coming back either.


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This 28-page black and white zine by Kelly Lasserre documents drawings and stories that she doesn't want to live without, and is drawn in the early months of 2011.
With each purchase of the zine, USD$2.00 will be donated to First Book, a charity that provides new books to children in need. One zine = one book for a child.
Zine size: A5 (5.8 x 8.3 inches), covers available in yellow or green (let us know if you have a preference!)
B&W digital print / 28 pages
{Zine is in a limited edition of 100 copies}


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Topics: Bookkeeping Services, Flint Michigan
This website is created by Supporting Strategies to provide general bookkeeping and accounting information only. Supporting Strategies does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice, and the information contained herein is not intended to do so. As such, the information provided should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional tax, legal, and accounting advisors, and you should consult with a tax, legal and accounting professional before engaging in any transaction.


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A Web analytics company that tracked the browsing behavior of millions of US consumers has agreed to settle federal charges that it collected credit card numbers, financial account information, and other sensitive data without proper notice.
Boston, Massachusetts-based Compete Inc. agreed to obtain end users' consent before collecting future data on their browsing history, according to a release published on Monday by officials with the Federal Trade Commission. The company also agreed to delete or anonymize the consumer data it has already collected and to provide directions for removing tracking software installed on the computers of many of the people whose data was collected.
The agreement settles charges filed against Compete accusing company officials of failing to adequately describe two products used to collect details about end users' browsing habits. The Compete Toolbar was billed as a way for consumers to get "instant access" to information about the websites they visited. A second software package known as the Consumer Input Panel was billed as a way for consumers to win rewards while expressing opinions about products and services.
"In fact, Compete collected more than browsing behavior or addresses of webpages," FTC lawyers wrote in a civil complaint filed in the case. "It collected extensive information about consumers' online activities and transmitted the information in clear readable text to Compete's servers. The data collected included information about all websites visited, all links followed, and the advertisements displayed with the consumer was on a given webpage."
As long ago as January 2006, the company also captured credit card numbers, social security numbers, passwords, and other sensitive data, because code designed to filter out that data often didn't work properly, FTC officials alleged. After the flaws were publicly disclosed in January 2010, the company upgraded the filters to better screen out such information. The software also began encrypting data in transit to prevent it from being intercepted by third parties.


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The Mad Catz Tournament Edition Fighting Sticks are already hard to track down, but both Capcom and Mad Catz are about to make something even harder to find, and it's even more attractive. If you're going to Comic-Con and have some extra money kicking around, we have a good idea about what you can spend it on.
The Comic-Con Edition of the stick has a new color scheme, new artwork, and the dust cover on the stick itself features arrows that describe the motion for a Hadouken. It's attractive, we know it's functional, and now it's even more collectible.
There will only be 500 of these sticks made, 250 each on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. The sticks will be sold only at Comic-Con for $179.99 each. I have a sneaking suspicion these are going to go FAST.
For those of us who would rather have a game pad, the Fight Pad will also get new artwork, and the Comic-Con edition of that product will be $49.99, and 500 each will be made for the Xbox 360 and PS3.
If you'll be at Comic-Con, and happen to have the good luck to pick one of these up, give me a buzz. I'd love some hands-on thoughts.


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Homeless Baylor Football Player Ruled Ineligible for Finding a Place to Live
The NCAA has dropped the hammer on a player for doing something that seems incredibly necessary: he found somewhere to sleep.
Baylor running back Silas Nacita announced he's been declared ineligible for accepting a friend's offer to stay set up him in an apartment last summer when Nacita was homeless.
Nacita, who rushed for three TDs last season, walked on to the Bears last summer after being homeless for a year. He explained in a Twitter post:
A few months before enrolling, a close family friend approached me and said they didn't want me sleeping on floors and wondering how I was going to eat the next meal, so they insisted on putting me in an apartment and helping out with those living expenses. Because I accepted that offer instead of choosing to be homeless, I am no longer eligible to play football and pursue my dream. I had no idea I was breaking any rules, but I respect the decision of the NCAA."
Nacita, who transferred from Cornell, received an academic scholarship from Baylor where he made the Big 12's all-academic team.
You can see Nacita's entire Twitter reaction below:


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Greg Craven is a high school science teacher and climate change activist from Oregon. His new book is What's the Worst That Could Happen? A Rational Response to the Climate Change Debate.
In this conversation with D.J. Grothe, Greg Craven discusses the youtube video on global warming he created that now has nearly 8 million views. He talks about applying game theory to the "decision paralysis" people have surrounding the global warming debate, using a "decision grid." He explores misunderstandings most people have about the nature of science, and whether or not science can provide certainty about important questions facing society. He emphasizes as a starting point the acknowledgement, whether one is a skeptic of global warming or a "panicked activist," that one could be wrong about global warming. He argues that the evidence is not what is most important in the climate change debate, because each side has "evidence" to support its conclusions. He talks about "confirmation bias," and how it makes it difficult to find out the truth about global warming. He explains why it is less important to personally live "green," and why others kinds of social environmentalist activism is more important. He details why America's mobilization in World War II and also modern social networking on the internet are the only two things that give him hope regarding responsibly responding to climate change.


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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
The Economic Development Division, in partnership with other Citrus Heights departments and the private sector, implements a broad range of strategies designed to strengthen local businesses, expand the Citrus Heights economy, and improve the overall quality of life for residents and community members. Learn more about the Citrus Heights' economic development activities:
The City's Economic Development Strategy outlines a work plan that the city can undertake to strengthen and diversify its economy. The strategy, completed in 2011, provides a multifaceted approach to business retention and attraction by:
Please visit sunrisetomorrow.net to learn more about the Sunrise Mall Specific Plan and share your ideas!


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The Rita & Wilt - Werewolf In The Black Space
This is one for the ultra-nerds like me! This is the analogue glory of the tape (without the C10) ... and there were only 15 of these released.
C20 released on The Institute For Organic Conversations in 2006.
Werewolf In The Black Space


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Of all the applications that wreak havoc on enterprise network infrastructure, video takes the cake. And now that new generations of mobile devices are priming the pump for reams of hi-def video to come coursing your way, high throughput solutions are quickly transitioning from optional status to necessary.
According to IDC, enterprise video conferencing and telepresence are expected to see nearly 19 percent growth in 2012, from $2.7 billion to $3.2 billion. In infrastructure terms, the market for MCUs, gateways, video network adapters and other components surged more than 22 percent to $716 million in 2011. Oddly, the market for high-end immersive video platforms saw a 22 percent drop over the past year, which IDC says indicates video is moving down-market where it will have greater impact on workgroup, desktop and mobile infrastructure.
Either way, video is likely to eat into a greater share of networking resources, according to Network Instruments. According to its recent global network study, nearly a quarter of enterprises expect video to consume half of available bandwidth in the coming year, with more than a third looking at a 50 percent growth in video traffic by 2013.
Enthusiasm for enterprise video services is running high in both enterprise and carrier circles alike. Avaya recently bought out Radvision Ltd. to build a soup-to-nuts video platform designed to support collaboration and other services across multiple client devices, including the iPad and Android-compatible units. The package will tie Radvision's Scopia product line to the Aura unified communications platform, where it will support business-to-business, business-to-customer and internal BYOD capabilities that the company vows will be as easy to implement as voice and text services.
Video-friendly infrastructure will not rest solely on wider data pathways, of course. Key enablers include specialized management and monitoring capabilities, preferably featuring standardized metrics for things like latency, packet loss and other qualifiers. Video will also impact traditional applications as well, possibly leading to an entirely new tier of service where video and non-video capabilities can be mixed and matched to suit user needs.
Whether it's plain old conferencing or full-blown telepresence, video services will almost certainly make their way to an enterprise near you very soon, if not already. Unlike normal data loads, however, video is not something you can simply offload to the cloud. Interruptions in video flow are much more readily noticeable than text or application data, so both internal and external infrastructure will need a makeover to keep the images and sound flowing smoothly.
Arthur Cole covers networking and the data center for IT Business Edge. He has served as editor of numerous publications covering everything from audio/video production and distribution, multimedia and the Internet to video gaming.


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Only from out of great conflict can true heroes arise. With the galaxy aflame and war on an unimaginable scale tearing the Imperium apart, champions of light and darkness venture onto countless fields of battle in service to their masters. They ask not for remembrance or reward – simply to meet their destiny head-on, and only by embracing that destiny will they come to learn what the unseen future may yet hold for them.
This anthology pulls together a number of short stories that have appeared elsewhere — either as eBook shorts, or as audiodramas, or included in previously limited edition anthologies (from the Black Library Horus Heresy Weekender, for example). I had already read (or listened to) seven of the 18 stories herein. Instead of re-reviewing these, I have included links to my earlier blog posts. For all the stories (save two), I have included synopses, and also the original covers. Overall, this is a very good anthology.
Chris Wraight, BROTHERHOOD OF THE STORM
As word of Horus's treachery spreads to fully half of the Legiones Astartes, Terra looks to the remaining loyalist Space Marines to defend the Imperium. One group, however, remains curiously silent in spite of apparent efforts from both sides to contact them – the noble Vth Legion, Jaghatai Khan's fearsome White Scars. In the ork-held territory of Chondax, a bitter war has been raging since the Triumph at Ullanor, and only now do the sons of Chogoris return their gaze to the heavens…
Originally a limited edition novella, you can read my review here.
John French, SERPENT
This was a pretty short story. One I'm not entirely sure what happened — certainly, the significance escaped me. A ritual is interrupted by someone who is far more in-the-know about, not to mention in favour with the Ruinous Powers, and things kick off. While it is well-written, there wasn't really anything about the story that said to me, "This is important to greater understanding of the Heresy period." A bit disappointed by that fact, but not in the quality of the story. It's entirely possible that I just missed something.
Originally published in the programme for the Black Library Horus Heresy Weekender 2013.
Guy Haley, HUNTER'S MOON
As sanctioned executioners, the Wolves of Fenris were tasked with rooting out treachery at the heart of the Legions… but would they be capable of carrying out a death sentence upon one of the Emperor's own sons? Now, a stolen Alpha Legion dropship crashes on the primitive oceanic world of Pelago, bringing news of a terrible war that has erupted out among the stars. Will the pursuing traitors, thirsty for vengeance, reach the lone survivor before his own battle-brothers can?
I've actually listened to the audio-drama, but for some reason I never got around to reviewing it. This is an interesting story, before the Heresy fully erupts, and when the loyalties of the Primarchs is still under question. The Space Wolves were assigned to "protecting" each of the Emperor's sons, but upon entering the presence of Alpharius, they were quickly set upon. The survivor relates this to his local, human saviours. But all does not go well. I enjoyed the different type of story, not to mention the different perspective: peripheral to the civil war, but ultimately caught up in its ripples. An interesting and well-written story.
Originally an audiodrama.
David Annandale, VERITAS FERRUM
The Iron Hands warship Veritas Ferrum arrives in the Isstvan system in the second wave of Imperial forces. Battered by the foes and forced to retreat, the crew must make a difficult choice when survivors of the massacre ask for aid.
This ties in with The Damnation of Pythos, set immediately before it — the Iron Hands ship of that name has arrived at Isstvan, and is immediately set upon by traitors. While searching for their brothers and Primarch, they come across survivors from the other loyal Legions and the captain, Atticus, must make a decision over whether to save them or continue his search. Well-paced, well-written, this was a very good, short story. I think it was kept at the right length, too. Longer might have made it feel over-done.
Originally an audiodrama.
John French, RIVEN
As one of the vaunted Crusader Host, Brother Crius stood as the representative of the X Legion upon the soil of Holy Terra, but when he learns of the death of his beloved primarch Ferrus Manus at the hands of the traitors, his stoic, mechanical grief imbues him with the strength and resolve to undertake a special mission on behalf of Rogal Dorn himself. Striking out into the stars, he searches for any signs of his lost Iron Hands brethren, hoping to bring them back to Terra to aid in the final defence of the Palace. The question remains – just who has survived the slaughter on Isstvan V, and what yet remains of them?
Originally an eBook short, you can read my review here.
Guy Haley, STRIKE AND FADE
In the aftermath of the Isstvan V massacre, a group of Salamanders survivors lay a trap for their foes, a group of unwary Night Lords on the hunt for easy prey.
This story was pretty cool. Not what I was expecting. More on the survivors after Isstvan V, it shows a small group of Salamanders getting their revenge on some Night Lords. Another quite-short story. I enjoyed it a lot. Haley hasn't written a huge amount of Horus Heresy fiction, I don't think (at least, I haven't read much of his work). I like what he's done so far, though. Maybe we'll get something a little longer by him in the near future. I did enjoy his latest, The Final Compliance of Sixty-Three Fourteen.
Originally an audiodrama.
Gav Thorpe, HONOUR THE DEAD
As Calth burns, the Battle Titans of the Fire Masters legion take to the streets of the city of Ithraca, ready to massacre the fleeing civilian population in the name of their new, dark masters. But the remaining loyalist engines of the Legio Praesagius — the True Messengers — still stand ready to defend the Imperium, even in the face of almost certain death. With the nearby Ultramarines forces scattered and lost, the people of Ithraca must fend for themselves as gigantic war machines unleash apocalyptic weaponry across the ravaged skyline…
Originally an audiodrama, then an eBook, you can read my review here.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden, BUTCHER'S NAILS
The primarch Angron: gladiator-king and Horus's lunatic attack dog. Never having hidden his resentment for his brothers, he now carves a bloody swathe through the galaxy in the Warmaster's name, with the Heresy providing a convenient excuse to indulge his love of brutal warfare. When they are tasked with a secretive mission alongside the Word Bearers Legion, the World Eaters' violent tendencies soon attract the attention of xenos raiders, troubled by the portents surrounding the primarch's berserk fury and his ultimate destiny as 'the Blood God's son'…
Originally an audiodrama, and later collected in the Angron e-anthology, you can read my review here.
John French, WARMASTER
In the strategium of the Vengeful Spirit, Warmaster Horus sets up his assault on his father's Imperium. But just who is Horus talking to as he lays out his plans for galactic domination?
This was a very good short story — set shortly after the Isstvan V betrayal, we are with Horus in his strategium, speaking about his plans. We don't know until the end who he's addressing his comments to, but they are some interesting comments and observations about the path he finds himself on, not to mention who he has accompanying him:
"Strange is it not, that so many I wish beside me stand against me, while at my back are only the flawed and damaged. I am a master of broken monsters… I cannot control them or their sons, and they know it… They all know that this war is no longer something that can be guided, only ridden out. But they never understood me, not truly, and they understand less with each passing second. They doubt. They think that I have lost my way. I can see it in their hearts — the pettiness, the pride, the seeds of ruin driving them on, feeding the tempest. With such creatures must I remake the future!"
I welcomed the glimpse into Horus's thoughts, and also his opinions of his brothers — especially the fact that he has the rebellious primarch's equivalent of buyer's remorse… French continues to impress greatly with his short fiction.
Originally an audiodrama.
Graham McNeill, KRYPTOS
Bloodied but unbowed, the Raven Guard and the Iron Hands fight on. In the wake of the Dropsite Massacre, the shattered Legions are still prepared to bring the fight to Warmaster Horus and his traitorous allies. On the doomed forge world of Cavor Sarta, two veteran warriors of the Imperium strike deep into the heart of the Dark Mechanicum's territory. With bolter and blade ready to cut down any who cross their path, they will seek out the enemy's most valued asset: the mysterious 'Kryptos'…
Originally released as an eBook short story, you can read my review here.
Chris Wraight, WOLF'S CLAW
Caught by the renegade forces of the Alpha Legion and forced to take refuge in the Alaxxes Nebula, the Space Wolves are bloodied but unbowed. The young pack leader Bjorn – now known to his warriors as 'the One-Handed' – is desperate to recover his honour in battle, but replacing lost limbs for proud legionaries is not a task worthy of the Iron Priests. If Bjorn is to fight again, then he must seek out new claws for himself and christen them in the blood of the traitors…
I always like reading about Bjorn — this is the story of how he got around the loss of his hand, with a most beneficial solution. It's a pretty good story, too — mixture of battlefield fury and sidelines bureaucracy (which he gets around, of course, by being blunt). I enjoyed this.
Originally an audiodrama.
Graham McNeill, THIEF OF REVELATIONS
The Thousand Sons – a Legion whose destiny was irrevocably altered at Prospero, and yet who now seem to dance only to fate's tune. Ahzek Ahriman and Magnus the Red cast their psychic sight over the galaxy, seeking any clue as to what the future might hold and where their true allegiance should ultimately be placed.
I recently read the first novel in John French's series about Ahriman post-Heresy, Exile. He's a fascinating character, and any new bit of fiction featuring him at the centre is very welcome, in my opinion. This story takes us to before the Rubric that damned his Legion. He meets with Magnus to discuss his plans, and to seek the Red King's aid in achieving it. A well-composed story, and one that adds yet another layer to the tragedy that befalls both the Legion and Ahriman's good intentions.
Originally an audiodrama.
Gav Thorpe, THE DIVINE WORD
Despite being prohibited by the Imperial Truth, the religious text known as the 'Lectitio Divinitatus' has gathered many believers from across the galaxy. Fighting alongside the Raven Guard Legion, Marcus Valerius of the Therion Cohort has long scorned those who seek to deify the Emperor, but a flash of inspiration leads him to question whether or not there are greater forces at work in the universe…
Originally an eBook short, you can read my review here.
Graham McNeill, LUCIUS: THE ETERNAL BLADE
Renowned as one of the finest duelists the galaxy has ever known, Lucius seeks ever greater challenges against which to test himself. After the Emperor's Children Legion scattered in the wake of their primarch's apotheosis on Iydris, he finds his way into the domain of a similarly legendary swordsman — Sanakht of the Thousand Sons. But which of these infamous warriors carries the greater favour amongst their new masters?
Lucius, the cocky blademaster of the Emperor's Children, still confused as to how he remains alive (after the events of Angel Exterminatus), but also continuing his vane quest to prove that he has no equal in hand-to-hand combat, travels to the Thousand Sons' planet to test his mettle against their best warrior. An interesting, over-too-quickly short story that adds an extra bit of background and colour to this most arrogant and interesting of characters.
Originally an audiodrama.
Anthony Reynolds, KHÂRN: THE EIGHTFOLD PATH
In the fighting pits of the Conqueror, Khârn and his fellow World Eaters compete in ever-bloodier contests of carnage and mayhem. As the Butcher's Nails dig ever deeper into their brains, the Legion have forsaken the Crimson Path. Now they walk a darker, more dangerous road: the Eightfold Path.
This could be the best story in the anthology: in terms of writing craft, Reynolds manages to pour so much into this very short story, without being explicit. When you read it, you know exactly what he's trying to tell us, and exactly the point he's making about the changing nature of the World Eaters. Very well done indeed. I wish he wrote more for the series…
Originally an audiodrama.
Gav Thorpe, CYPHER: GUARDIAN OF ORDER
For a select few amongst the First Legion, the Northwilds of Caliban hold a particularly dark secret. At the command of Luther himself, young Librarian Zahariel accompanies the Lord Cypher on one of his mysterious forays into the unknown depths. But an ancient evil is stirring once more and, with rumours of galactic civil war creeping back to their home world, it may have already sunken its claws into the Dark Angels Legion…
The Dark Angels' place in the Horus Heresy remains frustratingly dissatisfying. There's just something about the way they've been presented that has failed to live up to expectations, not to mention storytelling quality, as the other Legions and factions involved. This is a short diversion, which alludes to something I was unfamiliar with, and therefore left me feeling a bit nonplussed. It's well-written, to be sure, but didn't really add much because of my lack of investment in their part of the overall series narrative.
Originally an audiodrama.
Aaron Dembski-Bowden, HEART OF THE CONQUEROR
Another very short story, and one that offers a look into the thoughts of a loyal astropath — but one tasked with navigating the World Eaters' flagship to Terra… How should she address her dual loyalties? Should she serve the Emperor or the Legion and Warmaster? It's a very well written short story, but I do wish it had been longer. It had a lot of potential, and was over too quickly. That being said, it was a good ending.
Originally published in the programme for the Black Library Horus Heresy Weekender 2014.
Nick Kyme, CENSURE
In the depths of Calth's arcology network, the Underworld War has raged for years. Aeonid Thiel, previously an honoured sergeant of the Ultramarines, once again finds himself in trouble – pitted against the daemonic forces of the Word Bearers, he has no choice but to venture back to the ravaged surface and brave the deadly solar flares that have scoured all life from this world. With a lowly Imperial Army trooper as his only companion, it falls to him to drive the maniacal Dark Apostle Kurtha Sedd and his warband from the overrun XIIIth Legion stronghold.
Originally an audiodrama, then an eBook short, you can read my review here.
Chris Wraight, BJORN: LONE WOLF
As daemons swarm across the fields of Velbayne, bringing madness and Chaos to all that they touch, Leman Russ and the Rout stand arrayed against them. Packs fight back to back, brothers protecting one another – except for one. The Lone Wolf, the warrior without a pack, stands alone. And somewhere on the battlefield is a foe against which he will have vengeance…
A very good story to finish on — it follows on very well from Wraight's Wolf's Claw, above. Very short, but excellent.
Originally an eBook short.
I wanted to pick up on just one comment from the editor's afterword. Goulding writes that, "The Horus Heresy series is a collection too, in a way, and every story is relevant." He makes this point after explaining the reason for bringing together these stories, and how their contents could have repercussions for what is to come (only we may not know how). If this is the case, then I don't understand the high number of limited editions novellas, with the majority of the readership either cut off or priced out for years after they're released. This seems odd, to me (and many others I'm sure), to admit that it's all essential to understanding the wider Heresy, but at the same time actively excluding whole swathes of fans. It can't be the case that the number of each limited edition's print run is the same as the total series readership. An aside, and a common complaint I know, but I found it particularly strange to have this in the afterword.
If you're a fan of the series, then I strongly recommend this collection, as it fills in some gaps and offers hints for what is to come. And, of course, because it's near-universally well-written.
The Horus Heresy: Horus Rising, False Gods, Galaxy in Flames, Flight of the Eisenstein,Fulgrim, Descent of Angels, Legion, Battle for the Abyss, Mechanicum, Tales of Heresy, Fallen Angels, A Thousand Sons, Nemesis, The First Heretic, Prospero Burns, Age of Darkness, The Outcast Dead, Deliverance Lost, Know No Fear, The Primarchs, Fear to Tread, Shadows of Treachery, Angel Exterminatus, Betrayer, Mark of Calth, Promethean Sun, Scorched Earth,Vulkan Lives, Scars (I-III, IV-IX), The Unremembered Empire, Vengeful Spirit, The Damnation of Pythos, Legacies of Betrayal


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Letters to Atticus/2.17
To Atticus at Rome[edit]
Formiae, May 59 BC[edit]
I quite agree with your letter. Sampsiceramus is getting up a disturbance. We have everything to fear. He is preparing a despotism and no mistake about it: For what else is the meaning of that sudden marriage union,[1] the Campanian land affair, the lavish expenditure of money? If these measures were final, even then the mischief had been very great; but the nature of the case makes finality impossible. For how could these measures possibly give them any pleasure in themselves? They would never have gone so far as this unless they had been paving the way for other fatal steps. Immortal Gods! But, as you say, at Arpinum about the 10th of May we will not weep over these questions, lest the hard work and midnight oil I have spent over my studies shall turn out to have been wasted, but discuss them together calmly. For I am not so much consoled by a sanguine disposition as by philosophic "indifference,"[2] which I call to my aid in nothing so much as in our civil and political business. Nay, more, whatever vanity or sneaking love of reputation there is lurking in me—for it is well to know one's faults—is tickled by a certain pleasurable feeling. For it used to sting me to the heart to think that centuries hence the services of Sampsiceramus to the state would loom larger than my own. That anxiety, at least, is now put to rest. For he is so utterly fallen that, in comparison with him, Curius might seem to be standing erect after his fall.[3] But all this when we meet. Yet, as far as I can see, you will be at Rome when I come. I shall not be at all sorry for that, if you can conveniently manage it. But if you come to see me, as you say in your letter, I wish you would fish out of Theophanes how "Arabarches"[4] is disposed to me. You will, of course, inquire with your usual zeal, and bring me the result to serve as a kind of suggestion for the line of conduct I am to adopt. From his conversation we shall be able to get an inkling of the whole situation.
- ↑ The marriage of Pompey with Caesar's daughter Iulia.
- ↑ adiaphoria, a word taken from the Stoics, huic [Zenoni] summum bonum est in his rebus neutram in partem moveri, quae adiaphoria ab ipso dicitur (Acad. 2.130).
- ↑ C. Curius, one of the Catiline set, who had been ignominiously expelled from the senate.
- ↑ Another nickname of Pompey, from the title of the head of the Thebais in Egypt. Like Sampsiceramus and the others, it is meant al a scornful allusion to Pompey's achievements in the East, and perhaps his known wish to have the direction of affairs in Egypt.


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You readers have been presented with a series of challenging quizzes on topics such as Sharia law, healthcare, incest, and vigilante justice.
Let's now shift to the world of taxation.
We all know governments routinely make life hard for taxpayers. The IRS, for example, is a rather brutal bureaucracy, as explained in this video. But I'm not sure the IRS can match either of these two examples of reprehensible taxation. And I'm not sure which one is worse.
Our first story comes from Switzerland, which normally gets high marks for modest taxation and respecting individual rights. But the municipality of Reconvilier is going to extraordinary lengths to pick the pockets of local dog owners. Her's an excerpt from an AP report.
Reconvilier — population 2,245 humans, 280 dogs — plans to put Fido on notice if its owner doesn't pay the annual $50 tax. Local official Pierre-Alain Nemitz says the move is part of an effort to reclaim hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid taxes. He says a law from 1904 allows the village to kill dogs if its owner does not pay the canine charge. Nemitz told the AP on Monday that authorities have received death threats since news of the plan got out.
But if you think threatening to kill Rover and Fido is brutal, brace yourself for the next story. The government in King County, Washington, is taxing a family for an infant that passed away shortly after birth. Here's part of the report from a local TV station.
Olivia Clark lived for only one hour. Doctors didn't even expect her to survive birth. Now her family has a hard time understanding why the King County Medical Examiner has to review her death and charge $50. …Although her parents were from Yakima, they came to the University of Washington Medical Center for her delivery. As a result, Olivia died in King county. Her family soon learned the impact that would have when they received the funeral bill. "There was a little line on there near the bottom of the bill that said 'King county death tax: $50.' And we looked at that, and looked at that and looked at each other and said 'what is that?' Couldn't believe that a little girl that lived for an hour has to pay a $50 tax," said Larry. …The medical examiner instituted the $50 fee for cremations three years ago. This year, it included the fee for burials as well.
To be fair, the government didn't impose a tax on the family because their child died. It's a fee imposed on all funerals in the county. But it still is a bit macabre for the government to impose such a levy.
And we shouldn't forget that the IRS has a 35 percent death tax for people who make the mistake of saving and investing too much money before they die, so grave-robbing by governments is not an unknown phenomenon.
So which example is worse? Normally, taxing a dead baby would trump everything, but the tax – while horrible – doesn't actually target infants. The bureaucrats in Reconvilier, by contrast, are dusting off a 1904 law and threatening to kill people's pets.
How do you vote?


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Airport disease screening rarely worthwhile, study suggests
Published Wednesday, April 10, 2013 10:11AM EDT
Travelers drop off their luggage at the screening area at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Nov. 24, 2010. (AP / Jae C. Hong)
TORONTO -- A new study suggest airport screening for disease control rarely makes sense, but if it's undertaken, it should be done at the source of the outbreak.
The researchers say the screening of passengers leaving via a few key airports near the epicentre of an outbreak is a better approach than having hundreds of airports around the world screen arriving passengers.
The research is based on a study of air travellers departing from Mexico in the early days of the 2009 H1N1 flu pandemic.
And it holds particular resonance right now because the world is watching China to see if a new bird flu virus infecting people there will trigger a pandemic.The new H7N9 virus has sickened 33 people to date, killing nine of them -- but so far no cases have been found outside China.
Study author Dr. Kamran Khan says airport screening generally is a poor use of resources. Khan's research uses anonymous flight manifests to track global travel patterns as a tool to predict and interpret spread of diseases.
"In most situations, screening doesn't make sense. In a handful of situations, it may be justifiable," says Khan, an infectious diseases specialist at Toronto's St. Michael's Hospital.
"And if you are going to consider screening, doing it as people leave the source area is a much simpler and a much more efficient way of doing it than when people arrive."
But Khan says deciding to do exit screening rather than arrival screening would pose some challenges, because most quarantine systems are set up to prevent infected people from entering a country and don't have mechanisms in place to monitor outgoing passengers.
For instance, custom and passport control operations at most international airports are located in arrival areas, and have no contact with departing passengers.
As well, the benefits of exit screening wouldn't be enjoyed by the country doing the screening, but rather countries receiving travellers from the source country. That means a country already battling an outbreak would have to take on the added burden of doing screening that would only protect other countries.
Many countries used health screening of international passengers during SARS, trying to prevent new cases of the disease from entering their borders. But studies done after the fact suggested thermal screening systems and self-reported health status declarations were not really effective.
It's not really surprising. Many diseases -- influenza is a prime example -- have a period after infection and before onset of symptoms when people who are becoming sick are actually infectious. So before people develop fever, before they starts to feel ill, they can spread their sickness to others. Screening systems cannot catch those types of people.
And the early stages of infectious disease outbreaks often take place under the radar. In the spring of 2009, the world learned that a new flu virus had emerged from Mexico when cases were found in the United States. The disease had already crossed borders; the horse was out of the barn.
For this study, Khan and his colleagues looked at the flight itineraries of international travellers arriving in and leaving from Mexico in the early spring of 2009, as the H1N1 pandemic was taking off.
They saw that using exit screening at six airports in Mexico and at two international airports -- Shanghai, China and Tokyo, Japan -- would have assessed 90 per cent of the passengers who could have been carrying the new flu out of Mexico.
Shanghai and Tokyo were included because they are the destinations with the longest direct flights from Mexico, 17 and 20 hours respectively. Khan says those flights were sufficiently long that people who were incubating flu on departure might actually have started to feel sick on arrival.
The authors said screening passengers from Mexico at other international airports wouldn't have made sense, because the chances of catching infected people among the tens of thousands of other passengers were so low.
Trying to prevent the cross-border spread of infectious diseases is the aim of a global treaty called the International Health Regulations; the IHR, as it is called, is overseen by the World Health Organization.
The regulations require countries to report the spread of diseases that might threaten other countries, and to try to minimize the risks they pose while at the same time trying not to disrupt the international movement of people and goods.
Some countries may interpret their responsibilities under the IHR as requiring them to take actions like arrival screening during outbreaks.
"Whenever these occur, countries around the world start asking themselves whether or not they should implement measures to screen travellers," Khan says.
"There may be public pressure. There may be political pressure to implement screening. But those decisions are often made on perception of risk and not based on actual measures of risk."
"A lot of times countries are making these decisions and they are highly disruptive to international air travel, they have very important consequences to the world's economy and they are not generating any meaningful public health returns."
Khan and his colleagues developed a decision tool countries can use during outbreaks to decide whether they should implement screening. It involves three simple questions, he says.
Is the country where the outbreak started doing exit screening? If it is, there's almost no need for others to do entry screening, he says. Likewise, if a country does not get direct flights from the outbreak source, screening doesn't make sense.
If the outbreak country isn't doing exit screening and a country does get direct flights from it, then officials could reasonable debate whether they felt screening was a good use of their resources. In most cases, Khan says, deciding to do it or not to do it would both be justifiable choices.


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It's official: Big Ten announces East-West alignment
PARK RIDGE, Ill. — No more "Legends." And no more "Leaders."
The Big Ten is giving them the boot and following a more conventional route for its division names.
The conference is going with "East" and "West" instead and switching to a nine-game scheduling format after presidents and chancellors approved the moves on Sunday.
The new division alignments will begin in 2014 when Rutgers and Maryland join the conference, meaning "Legends" and "Leaders" will be a thing of the past. That will probably come as good news for fans who have criticized those names ever since the league unveiled them in 2010. To many, they were confusing and didn't help identify where teams play, but that won't be an issue any more.
Besides the new division alignment, teams will go from playing eight conference games to nine in 2016.
"Big Ten directors of athletics concluded four months of study and deliberation with unanimous approval of a future football structure that preserved rivalries and created divisions based on their primary principle of East/West geography," commissioner Jim Delany said in a statement. "The directors of athletics also relied on the results of a fan survey commissioned by BTN last December to arrive at their recommendation, which is consistent with the public sentiment expressed in the poll."
Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers will be in the East division. The West will consist of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Schools will play six division games plus two against teams from the other division in 2014 and 2015. In 2016, they'll play three cross-division games.
Indiana and Purdue will meet on an annual basis. But Michigan athletic director Dave Brandon said each school had to make compromises.
"Fourteen athletic directors came to the table with different objectives and our goal was to compromise to the point that we could move together with one plan," he said. "Each of us had things that were extremely important and things on our wish list. I wanted us to play Michigan State and Ohio State every year and for the Michigan-Ohio State game to be the last one ever year. I'm pleased we're going to be able to do those three things.
"But it's not a perfect setup because no school got everything they wanted."
East division teams will host five conference games during even-numbered years starting in 2016, with West teams hosting five in odd-numbered seasons. Under that format, teams will be guaranteed to play each other at least once every four years, and in a statement, Nebraska chancellor Harvey Perlman called that "an important feature."
He also praised the changes, saying they are "the best option" and "will serve us well."
Brandon said a 10-game format was "carefully considered to even out the home-and-away problem," but that would have hindered nonconference scheduling.
"If you take away another nonconference game, it would have a detrimental impact financially for everybody in the conference, and we would've taken the biggest hit because we have the largest stadium," he said.
Nebraska coach Bo Pelini praised the division alignment and the nine-game format.
"Geography seems to be a logical way to determine the divisions, and it should allow for easier travel for our fans," he said in a statement. "The nine-game conference schedule will help improve the strength of schedules across the board in the Big Ten, and I think everyone anticipates strength of schedule being a key component for choosing teams to participate in the new playoff system."
Delany said athletic directors met in person or talked on conference calls six times from December to March to discuss the changes.
"The level of cooperation and collaboration was reflective of what we've come to expect from this group of administrators who have worked extremely well together on a number of complex matters over the past several years," he said. "We are all looking forward to ushering in this new era of Big Ten football."
Michigan State
Ohio State
Penn State


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Trek 2 Texas II Presented by Mazda
The Ultimate Road Trip
The Trek 2 Texas has become an annual pilgrimage to Houston for the World Import Challenge drag race. In the first go-around, the caravan consisted of editorial staff from Turbo and Sport Compact Car as well as advertising hounds from all of Primedia's International Group. The Trek is a five-day automotive adventure that covers about 2,000 miles in five days; the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is a hotly contested drag race.
The inaugural Trek was a blast, but the payoff was ruined by hurricane Allison, an oddity of nature that drenched Houston, floated out to sea, picked up steam and looped around to hit Houston again. It was a disaster.
To add insult to injury, Allison moved up the East Coast and rained out an event in the New York/New Jersey area two weeks later.
Last year's Trek had nine cars in it; Turbo was represented by our Lexus IS300, a car in which I pulled a Joey Chitwood and became airborne in while in the Ft. Worth area.
This year I asked Alex Shen of SP Engineering to join the Trek--and bring our December 2001 cover car, SP's Supra 7, along for the odyssey. This year's adventure would include six magazines and 11 cars.
A lot of wicked stuff can happen in 2,000 miles of open road. Turbo, Import Tuner, SCC, Honda Tuning, Car Audio and Auto Sound & Security made up the mags and Team Bergenholtz tagged along too. Ron Bergenholtz joined us with the Team Bergenholtz CRX and the A'PEXi EK Civic in his hauler. Jensen Oda from A'PEXi also made the Trek. Falken Tires tagged along as well with its truck and trailer combo. We had quite an impressive fleet.
Day 1
Fleetwood RV Route
Monday, March 4
I met the crew at SP Engineering at 7 a.m. Shen, Jason Reinholdt and Rex Kieu were ready. (The tuning sessions conducted on the Supra 7 before and after the Trek will be chronicled in a "Dyno Cell" article next month). The Supra 7 fires to life and the SP dually, which is serving as a support vehicle for shakedown passes the car will make in Houston, is primed to chase it across the Southwest.
The 7 has a wicked grumble at idle and a mean growl as it pulls away from a stoplight. We hit traffic en route to Irvine Mazda and since parking is at a premium, we wait for the Trek posse at a nearby Park and Ride lot.
Reinholdt is driving the 7 and I'm riding shotgun. Thank goodness the stock seats were installed. Lunch is scheduled for Blythe, Calif., right on the border. We arrive at Steaks & Cakes right on schedule. Many noted the meals got better with each day of the Trek. I'll say this: We started from as low as you can go.
The Supra 7 is beastly loud, even at cruise. Part of "The Experiment" is the 7's use of a Supra engine and tranny with a Mazda RX-7 rear end. Problem: The Supra runs a 3.23 final drive, while the RX-7 sports a 4.11. Result: Sixth gear, 75 mph equals 4,200 rpm.
That meant little rest for the engine and a mean drone for the eardrums. The car has no air conditioning, no fan and no radio. Outside, it wasn't too hot, but I found cool air vents in through the door handle area, cooling me off nicely. I enjoyed my discovery all the way to Phoenix.
We gathered for our first PR stop, Earnhardt Mazda in Chandler, Ariz., and entered in formation. Two hours later, we hit the road again to our evening layover in Flagstaff, Ariz. As we climbed to 7,000 feet, I cursed the door handle area for letting in frosty late night air. I lost the feeling in my upper legs and my right leg was numb to the ankle.
The engine loved every minute--staying cool as the Supra 7 scales each peak like a champ. Arriving in Flagstaff, I hurriedly checked in and once in my room, I stuffed the hair dryer down my pants. My ears ring for two hours before I finally fall asleep.
Day 2
Direct Hits Route
Tuesday, March 5
Target--Gallup, N.M. for lunch. We arrived at the Cracker Barrel restaurant for lunch and the Supra 7, though covered with bugs and road grime, was running like a top. After the meal, we hung out in the parking lot with four or five locals who have gathered around the 7.
Amazingly, they knew the car as the Supra 7--in Gallup! After signing T-shirts and Turbo calendars, we're off to Albuquerque.
We stopped at the Hinkle Family Fun Center where Direct Hits reserved the go-kart track for us. After a quick detail of the cars and an impromptu car show with some of the local imports, it's off to the races. It becomes readily apparent the number 17 cart has a big power advantage and the number 10 is the runt of the litter. Alex dominates in his heat taking a first place. I get the 10 kart. 'Nuff said.
Day 3
Wednesday, March 6
Destination--Amarillo, Texas. The Supra 7, fitted with a silencer in the exhaust system, was as quiet as a normal 862-hp Supra. I took the controls of the Supra 7 and got the triple-disc clutch to engage properly on the fourth try. About 15 minutes later, the car's lack of front or rear anti-roll bars and its tendency to wander got the better of me and I handed the wheel to Jason--after a righteous full throttle (straight-line) blast, of course. The GT3037S turbos sounded like a squadron of jet fighters during a full afterburner takeoff. Absolutely surreal.
On this leg of the Trek, we got to stop at the famed Cadillac Ranch where a bunch of classic Cadillacs have been buried in the ground with their fins sticking in the air. This place is a slice of automotive Americana. They stand in all their glory about an eighth mile from the frontage road in plain sight of the highway. Our timing was ideal; the sun was setting and the light was great.
Dinner was cool too. Ever hear of the 72-ounce steak you can have for free if you can eat it in an hour? There are signs from Arizona to Alabama touting the place--The Big Texan in Amarillo. That's where we dined Wednesday evening. You have to eat the entire meal, not just the 4.5 lbs of beef. Talk about artery cloggers. It is an intimidating place to eat; the dining room walls are decorated withhides and stuffed animal heads. Made me feel guilty. A 30-ounce boot o' beer helped calm the nerves. For kicks, we watched a rattlesnake eat a mouse in the gift shop.
Day 4
Nitrous Express Route
Thursday, March 7
This was a busy day with stops at Nitrous Express in Wichita Falls and a Mazda dealership in Irving. Like a well-oiled machine, the Trek caravan pulled into Nitrous Express in unison--and on time. The Texas barbeque Nitrous Express put on was awesome and we had some good-looking cars lined up outside for dessert. We made good time to the dealership--lucky for us because the SP truck and the Supra 7 had the wrong maps and we pulled up to a dealership in Ft. Worth.
We arrived at Freeman Mazda at the right time but with 90 additional miles on the clock. At a gas stop, we took off the silencer to make a proper entrance. Again, the 7 drew a crowd big time. This was by far the best dealership stop; the place was jumping. There was a cool Protege 5 that had been turbocharged by Rotary Performance. We gave away a bunch of prizes and got some righteous radio coverage.
Day 5
Audiovox Route
Friday, March 8
My anxiety level concerning the Supra 7 had been elevated since Monday. The car had no plate. It was properly registered and insured, but Alex had not driven the Mazda in eight years, so when he got the proper stickers he couldn't find the plate to put them on. We had run the gauntlet successfully so far and we only had one leg left. I got a big scare when a state trooper passed by the convoy. I was flush in the face. Luckily, he exited and drove off into the wilderness; perhaps there was a Krispy Kreme in the sticks.
One problem. Our map directions were for Baytown, the city, not the track. When all else fails, ask the locals. A guy named Henry got us there in 10 minutes. As we approached the Houston Raceway Park gates, a tremendous weight lifted from my shoulders. The 862-hp Supra 7 proved once and for all that stratospheric power and 2,100-mile reliability can go hand-in-hand. Major props to SP Engineering for proving it in front of the editors of three of the four major import titles.
We parked the car and trailer and I cracked what had to be the best beer of the Trek. Alex, Jason and Rex planned to play with the car, making some half-track passes on Saturday and while that scared me, I knew my Trek story was complete.
The Holy Grail of our Trek was getting a cowboy hat for Rex. Once situated in our hotel we moseyed down to nearby Cavender's Boot City. The results of that fateful odyssey can be gleaned from the photos on page 52. There was a late night party at Club Hyperia in downtown Houston. It was wild, but unfortunately no cameras were present when our fearless leader, Larry Saavedra, busted some moves on the bar with the go-go dancers. Oh, the extortion money we lost that night.
Day 6
Saturday, March 9
The Supra 7 was tech'd for 12.00 seconds and I borrowed a driving suit from the guys at HP Racing. Thanks guys. The suit even matched the car. Team Bergenholtz supplied the air for the slicks and I scared up a container for the oil we changed in the 7. I was scavenging so much I felt like a hyena. But would I be able to laugh at the end of the day? The car's first half-track run ended with a big tail wiggle and I hoped the driving suit was not "soiled."
The second pass was an improvement but the wind and the car's pre-existing instability brought the show to a halt. I thought it was really cool the Supra 7 did more than commute to Houston, which is a feat in itself. It also took part in the action at the strip. SP Engineering learned a lot in the two runs, especially in the context of launching a triple-plate clutch. The team plans to add some anti-roll bars to the car, finish the tuning and apply these lessons at a Southern California. We will be there every step of the way.
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Senate questions pharmacy boards after meningitis cases
- 34 deaths reported in meningitis outbreak
- Senate report: Regulators missed opportunities to shut NECC
- At House hearings, FDA called for more authority over pharmacies
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Senate committee investigating the deadly outbreak of meningitis wants to know how regulators in all 50 states oversee specialty pharmacies like the one that triggered the illness.
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions sent letters Monday to all 50 state boards of pharmacy, seeking details about their oversight of compounding pharmacies.
Contaminated injections from the New England Compounding Center have been blamed for an outbreak of fungal meningitis that has killed 34 people and sickened 490.
Compounding pharmacies, which mix customized medications based on doctors' instructions, are traditionally overseen by state pharmacy boards. But larger compounders like the NECC have emerged in the last two decades, mass-producing thousands of vials of drugs that are often shipped nationwide. That trend has prompted calls for more federal oversight by the Food and Drug Administration.
The NECC shipped more than 17,600 doses of a pain injection to 23 states. Public health officials later identified fungal contamination in two of the lots.
An investigative report issued by the Senate last week concluded that both state and federal regulators missed multiple opportunities to shut down NECC over more than a decade of problematic operations.
"Bureaucratic inertia appears to be what allowed a bad actor to repeatedly risk public health," the report states.
The committee's letter asks state pharmacy boards key questions that might help spot companies like the NECC:
- Are pharmacies required to identify if they produce large quantities of compounded drugs?
- Are pharmacies required to have a patient-specific prescription before producing a compounded drug?
- Are pharmacies required to meet federal guidelines for sterile compounding?
The meningitis outbreak has reignited long-standing questions about who should be responsible for overseeing large compounding pharmacies.
All pharmacies, including compounding pharmacies, have long been regulated by state pharmacy boards, many of which date back to the 19th century. The 1938 law which created the FDA excluded compounding pharmacies and gave the agency power to regulate drug manufacturers.
But in the 1990s, FDA regulators began to more closely scrutinize compounding pharmacies, as some grew into large businesses that resembled manufacturers. However, efforts by FDA to regulate pharmacies have been repeatedly challenged in court.
At congressional hearings last week, the head of the FDA asked lawmakers to draft new laws that would give the agency direct authority over large compounders.


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I have been thinking a lot about what stuck in my mind from last year and, of course, there are numerous occasions that are memorable. In my own life and in politics. Not all good memories, but that was 2012 for me. Not all good. Let's stick to politics.
Here the best line in politics of 2012. Hint: A door painted on a rock…
And there was in my humble opinion the worst:
The only way is to take away the guns from the bad guys. Period!
So, what are you thinking? There are some really great quotes out there you are welcome to post the best, funniest, most thoughtful, most thought provoking and most uplifting lines that come to your mind. I think we might as well end this year on hope. Heaven knows we can all use it.
To All Critters and Regulars and the Occasional Lurker. I wish you a very Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year. Let's get 2012 behind us, we have been spared another Republican President, yes it affects us over here as well. But there is still a lot of work to do on both sides of the Atlantic. I wish us all the best for it.


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Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt told The Daily Caller that despite Mitt Romney's promise to bring back federal obscenity prosecutions, the country has changed and Romney would fail if he tried to crack down on pornography as president.
"Romney can have all the plans he wants to about prosecuting pornography, but that train has already left the station," said Flynt. "I'm not saying that he isn't serious about it, but it's doubtful that he'd follow through if he's in office because his advisers will tell him that he can't win."
Currently, authorities can prosecute pornographers for obscenity, but a jury must decide that material violates subjective "community standards" to make it unlawful.
Federal prosecutions tapered off when President Bill Clinton took office and remained rare during President George W. Bush's two terms. According to a former Justice Department official, no new obscenity cases have been initiated by the Obama Justice Department.
Patrick Trueman, a former porn prosecutor in the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, told TheDC that obscenity laws are "still good" and that Romney's campaign has assured him that Romney would renew federal prosecutions.
Flynt isn't buying it. He said Romney's public promise during the Republican primaries to ensure "strict enforcement of our nation's obscenity laws" was "an idle threat made for political reasons" and added, "I don't give it much thought at all."
"I think they would probably prosecute" if Romney appointed eager anti-porn officials to the Justice Department, said Flynt, "but they have nothing to do with the success of the prosecution."
"The advent of the Internet has made it a much smaller community that we live in," he added, suggesting that it would no longer be easy to prosecute big-city pornographers in more socially conservative parts of the country.
"Most of these prosecutors are idiots," Flynt added. "You know: 'screw the public.'" Pornography, he said, "is a buzzword to enhance their political profile."
Flynt said it was "a wise decision" for the Obama administration to initiate no new obscenity prosecutions, "because if pornography was a serious threat you would see prosecutions from the Obama administration. They're not laying off it because they're liberals," he said. "That's ridiculous."
Romney's promise to enforce obscenity laws will probably ammount to nothing if he's elected, Flynt predicted. (SEE ALSO: Romney campaign quietly promised 'vigorous' porn crackdown, Reagan prosecutor says)
"I'm not saying it's empty," Flynt said, "but it's definitely for political reasons. I'm not saying he won't try to appease the religious sects in this country, primarily the evangelical groups, that are always trying to push for these prosecutions."


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GENEVA, Switzerland, December 20, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — "South Sudan will face a large displacement and protection crisis, if the situation is not managed with restraint or if political dialogue does not take place," the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs), Chaloka Beyani, warned today.
"I am deeply concerned about this violent upsurge, and the targeting of civilians, and call on all those involved to cease hostilities immediately," Mr. Beyani said, adding his voice to those of the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.
More than 34,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) have sought shelter in UN compounds in Juba, Bor and Bentiu due to the violence that broke out in South Sudan's capital earlier this week. "The real scale of the internal displacement remains unclear at this stage as violence has started to spread across the country," the expert said.
"This is primarily a political crisis that is spreading into an increasingly ethnicized conflict across South Sudan," he said. Initial reports indicate several hundreds have died with many more injured. "Ethnically targeted violence is already reported and could escalate unrest across the rest of the world's youngest nation," Mr. Beyani noted.
Clashes in South Sudan's capital, Juba, began on Sunday, 15 December 2013, allegedly triggered by either a mutiny or an attempted coup. The President's dismissal of the former Vice President in July 2013 along with the entire Cabinet had already intensified political frictions along ethnic lines.
The war-torn capital of Jonglei, Bor, is now reported to be under the control of troops defected from South Sudan's Liberation Army (SPLA). "This is likely to exacerbate the already volatile situation and displacement in Jonglei," the expert noted.
The Special Rapporteur, who recently undertook an official mission* to look into the situation of internally displaced persons in South Sudan, welcomed the initiative of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region to begin political dialogue in South Sudan.
(*) Read the Independent Expert' statement after his visit to South Sudan (6-15 November 2013): http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=13998&LangID=E
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Edmonton Public Library Building Projects
Edmonton is growing rapidly and Edmonton Public Libraries is keeping pace. EPL has several approved library building projects at various stages of planning, design and construction. From brand new libraries in new locations to renovations and expansions in existing communities, EPL is growing to serve their customers and communities even better than ever!Read More


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Color Variations Pearl Cotton Size 5 DMC Floss #4160
Click Picture to Zoom
In Stock. Usually ships in 1-2 business days.
Item: 415-5-4160
Type: Thread and Floss
Designer: DMC
Size: 5
Glistening Pearl. 27 yards. Beautifully overdyed-type shades in DMC's lustrous Pearl Cotton size 5 thread. Completely colorfast, and consistent color blend from skein to skein. 100% cotton thread with same color range and numbering system as DMC's Color Variations floss line. A unique beauty of overdyed thread, with a premium quality guarantee behind it!


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Tag: puddleglum
[thought piece] No Man's Sky, Puddleglum, and Our Existential Need for Narrative
Vox, believe it or not, made a pretty good point about No Man's Sky in its article, No Man's Sky is an existential crisis simulator disguised as a space exploration game: Okay, so the universe in No Man's Sky is really, really big. But what, exactly, do you do in it? […] Even when the…
"One word, Ma'am," he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. "One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one more thing to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things-trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's a small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say."
-Puddleglum in The Silver Chair (Lewis), 144-145.


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Cyber Sleuth Security
Computer Security Service Newark, NJ
We are a Cyber Security Company based in Newark, New Jersey that provides services to businesses throughout the United States. We offer security solutions to small business owners looking for a way to protect their businesses.
Timezone: EDT
Monday09:00 AM - 05:00 PM
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Business Name:
Cyber Sleuth Security
611 McCarter Hwy, Suite 140Newark NJ 07102United States
(862) 261-5390
About Newark
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Neighborhoods in Newark, NJ
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