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Batman: Arkham Asylum (PlayStation 3) review
"t's safe to say that Arkham Asylum is carried by the Joker. He isn't just your main adversary his presence is EVERYWHERE. Due to all the monitors and stuff that's part of Arkham's security system, you'll see his face and listen to his taunts everywhere you visit. If he's not verbally ripping common thugs a new one for their inability to take you out, he'll be cackling over the next deathtrap that's been placed between you and him."
Staff review by Rob Hamilton (February 17, 2010)
Rob Hamilton is the official drunken master of review writing for Honestgamers.
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Last week's debate in the Lords on the proposal to stop opt-out pornography filters was a perfect parable about the dangers of putting technically unsophisticated legislators in charge of technology regulation.
The Lords are contemplating legislation to require internet service providers and phone companies to censor their internet connections by default, blocking "adult content," unless an over-18 subscriber opts out of the scheme.
On its face, this seems like a reasonable plan. When I wrote to my MP, Meg Hillier, to let her know I objected to the scheme, she wrote back to say that despite the imperfections in a porn filter, it was better than nothing because kids would always be more sophisticated than their parents when it came to internet technology. The last part is mostly true, but the first part is a nonsense.
In order to filter out adult content on the internet, a company has to either look at all the pages on the internet and find the bad ones, or write a piece of software that can examine a page on the wire and decide, algorithmically, whether it is inappropriate for children.
Neither of these strategies are even remotely feasible. To filter content automatically and accurately would require software capable of making human judgments – working artificial intelligence, the province of science fiction.
As for human filtering: there simply aren't enough people of sound judgment in all the world to examine all the web pages that have been created and continue to be created around the clock, and determine whether they are good pages or bad pages. Even if you could marshal such a vast army of censors, they would have to attain an inhuman degree of precision and accuracy, or would be responsible for a system of censorship on a scale never before seen in the world, because they would be sitting in judgment on a medium whose scale was beyond any in human history.
Think, for a moment, of what it means to have a 99% accuracy rate when it comes to judging a medium that carries billions of publications.
Consider a hypothetical internet of a mere 20bn documents that is comprised one half "adult" content, and one half "child-safe" content. A 1% misclassification rate applied to 20bn documents means 200m documents will be misclassified. That's 100m legitimate documents that would be blocked by the government because of human error, and 100m adult documents that the filter does not touch and that any schoolkid can find.
In practice, the misclassification rate is much, much worse. It's hard to get a sense of the total scale of misclassification by censorware because these companies treat their blacklists as trade secrets, so it's impossible to scrutinise their work and discover whether they're exercising due care.
What's more, many of the people whose content is misclassified are not in a position to discover this (because they are operating a website from outside the country and can't tell if they're being blocked unless a reader in the UK tells them so), and the readers whose requested documents are blocked are often children, or technical naifs, neither of whom are likely to know how to effectively complain about their blocks.
But it's instructive to look at the literature on overblocking. In 2003, the Electronic Frontier Foundation tested the censorware used by US schools to see how many of the most highly-ranked documents on concepts from the national school curriculum were blocked by the school's own censorware. They discovered that 75-85% of these sites were incorrectly classified. That percentage went way, way up when it came to sensitive subjects such as sexuality, reproductive health, and breast cancer.
That study is a decade old, and dates from a time when the web was comparatively minuscule. Today's web is thousands of times larger than the web of 2003. But labour isn't thousands of times cheaper, and good content has not gotten thousands of times easier to distinguish from bad content in the interim.
So when Lady Benjamin spoke of wanting to protect "students doing research for a project", she should have also been thinking of protecting students' access to the documents necessary to do their homework. I just returned from a tour with my new young adult novel, Pirate Cinema, that had me visiting schools in 18 cities in the US and Canada.
Over and over again, teachers and students described the problems they had with school censorware. Not only did their networks block the wrong thing, but what was blocked changed from minute to minute, making it nearly impossible to integrate the internet into curriculum and presentations.
Teachers told me that they'd queue up a video to show to their afternoon class, only to have it incorrectly blocked over the lunchbreak, leaving their lesson plan in tatters, with only minutes to come up with an alternative. Students who had come to rely on a site for information related to a project returned to those sites to confirm something, only to discover that it had been put out of reach by a distant, unaccountable contractor working for the school board.
But it's not just "good" material that gets misclassified. There is unquestionably a lot of material on the internet kids shouldn't be seeing, and it multiplies at a staggering rate. Here, you have the inverse of the overblocking problem. Miss 1% – or 10%, or a quarter – of the adult stuff, and you allow a titanic amount of racy material through. Students who are actively seeking this material – the modern equivalent of looking up curse words in the school dictionary – will surely find it. Students who are innocently clicking from one place to another will, if they click long enough, land on one of these sites. The only way to prevent this is to block the internet.
So when Lady Massey complains that Starbucks has failed its civic duty by allowing unfiltered internet connections in its cafes, she's rather missing the point. Even a filtered connection would pose little challenge to someone who wanted to look at pornography in a public place. Meanwhile, any filter deployed by Starbucks will block all manner of legitimate material that its customers have every right to look at.
The only way to stop people from looking at porn – in print or online – in Starbucks is to ask them to leave if you see them doing it.
So far, I've been writing as though "adult" content can be trivially distinguished from "family friendly" content. The reality is a lot muddier. There's plenty of material in a day's newspaper that I wouldn't want my four-year-old daughter to hear about, from massacres and rapes in Mali to the tawdry personal stories on the agony aunt page. Sorting the "adult" internet from the "child" internet is a complex problem with no right answer.
But you'd never know it, to listen to the censorware vendors. When Boing Boing, the website I co-own, was blocked by one censorware site, it was on the grounds that we were a "nudity" site. That was because, among the tens of thousands of posts we'd made, a few were accompanied by (non-prurient, strictly anatomical) small images showing some nudity.
When we argued our case to the vendor's representative, he was categorical: any nudity, anywhere on the site, makes it into a "nudity site" for the purposes of blocking. The vendor went so far as to state that a single image of Michelangelo's David, on one page among hundreds of thousands on a site, would be sufficient grounds for a nudity classification.
I suspect that none of the censorship advocates in the Lords understand that the offshore commercial operators they're proposing to put in charge of the nation's information access apply this kind of homeopathic standard to objectionable material.
When Lady Howe compares mandatory, opt-out censorware to a rule that requires newsagents to rack their pornographic magazines on the top shelf, I doubt she would stretch her analogy to saying, "If a magazine comprising a hundred thousand pages has a single picture of Michelangelo's David anywhere in its pages, it must have a brown paper cover and be put out of reach of children."
Such an analogy is a nonsense. We don't have magazines with a hundred thousand pages. We don't have town halls or round-tables with millions of participants, all speaking at once. We don't have cable or satellite packages with a billion video channels. Though it is sometimes useful to draw analogies between the internet and all the media of yesteryear, it's important not to lose sight of the fact that these are only analogies, and that the only thing that the internet can properly be compared to is the internet.
But back to censorware, and the vendor who censored my site. That company and its competitors are pretty unsavoury. The company does most of its business with Middle Eastern dictatorships, who rely on its software to stop its citizenry from reading the world's free press. The whole censorware industry's bread and butter is selling software that despots use to commit, and cover up, human rights abuse.
These are the firms that we're proposing to put in charge of the nation's information. What's more, as I've written in the past, internet censorship cannot be separated from internet surveillance. If these companies are to stop us from seeing the pages they've blocked (according to their own secret, arbitrary criteria), they have to be able to look at all the pages we request, in order to decide which page requests may be passed through and which ones may be blocked.
What's more, as Hillier was quick to remind me, kids are pretty technologically sophisticated. Kids whose parents rely on this filter will discover quickly that their kids have no trouble evading it. As I discovered on my tour, kids know how to search for open proxies on the internet and to use them to beat the filters. Unfortunately, by driving kids to these filters, we put them at risk of surveillance from another group of unaccountable strangers, as the proxy-operators have the ability to see (and even to interfere with) the kids' traffic.
Filtering isn't better than nothing. It blocks unimaginable mountains of legitimate content. It allows enormous quantities of the most ghastly pornography through. It gives unaccountable, sleazy censorware companies the ability to spy on all of our online activity. It doesn't help parents control their kids' online activities.
Lord Swinfen says this is a plan to "ensure children do not accidentally stumble on pornography". He says that its opponents oppose all internet regulation. But really, this proposal isn't about preventing kids from seeing porn, it's about slightly reducing the likelihood that they will. Opposing this law isn't about opposing all internet regulations, just bad ones that do almost no good and enormous harm.
I don't have a good plan for stopping kids — even my kid — from seeking out bad stuff on the internet. I sit with her when she uses the net (something I can do while she's small and doesn't have her own phone) and help her understand how to navigate the net, and what I expect from her. I can only hope that this will be sufficient, because there is no filter, no app, no parental control, that will stop her from getting access to bad stuff if she really wants to. That's the reality of things. If the Chinese government – with its titanic resources and armies of network engineers – can't stop its citizens from seeing the things it wants to block, what hope do I have?
I know that my position would be stronger if I could offer an alternative to censorware. But such an alternative would be wishful thinking. When the government decides that it is its job to stop kids from accidentally or deliberately seeing adult material on the internet, it is tantamount to putting out a call for magic beans, and announcing that the budget for these magic beans is essentially unlimited. As we've seen before – with NHS IT integration, the national database, and other expensive and wasteful IT boondoggles – there is no shortage of unscrupulous sorts in nice suits who'll offer to sell you as many magic beans as you're buying. That doesn't make magic beans any better at solving the nation's problems. The fact that someone will sell you a solution to the great, intractable problems of the modern age doesn't mean that it will work.

subset: commoncrawl


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Class Schedule:
Monday through Friday from 5pm - 8pm
*you must attend all days*
Class Overview:
This class is for individuals who have been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony drug offense. This class will satisfy the requirement for education because of a suspended driver's license. The standardized program is 15 hours in length taught in five days, three hours a day. It is designed to educate participants on drug abuse. Upon successful completion of the program, the individual will receive a certificate to present to the department of public safety to obtain their driver's license.
Class Location:
On The Road Again DOEP & DWI - Arlington
2373 S. Collins, Arlington TX, 76014


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I was invited to do a painting for, Art of the Restoration, a show now hanging at the Museum of Church History and Art in Salt Lake City.
I wrote the following about the painting:
I have envisioned the scene and wondered about Mary Magdalene at the tomb, following her conversation with the resurrected Savior. I picture Mary in thoughtful relief.
The different elements represented in this painting all have symbolic meaning.
From the dogwood tree, the cross was constructed. The white dogwood blossoms fall around the figure to symbolize the suffering that is past. Ivy symbolizes where Christ walked. Primula is a flower of compassion and a symbol of resurrection. The crocus represents of the resurrection and heavenly bliss. A chrysanthemum present when Christ was laid in the tomb. Easter Lilies a symbolize of the pure soul's resurrection and the oriental poppy symbolise Christ's blood. The passionflower that Mary holds represents Christ's wounds or the suffering of Christ and the begonia symbolizes the heart of Jesus.
The Egg that hangs in the tree denotes a story about Mary and Emperor Tiberius.
One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain an invitation to a banquet given by Emperor Tiberius. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed "Christ is risen!" Caesar laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg in her hand turning red while she held it. Before he finished speaking, the egg in her hand turned a bright red, and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house.[35] (Wikipedia)


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Crawford leads Giants to a win over Padres
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Brandon Crawford hopes to change the perception that he's a liability at the plate.
The slick-fielding shortstop helped his cause Wednesday, getting three hits and an RBI in a Giants split squad's 6-4 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Crawford hopes to improve last year, his first full season, when he hit .248 with .304 on-base percentage. This spring Crawford is batting .273, and he's hitting .321 with a .403 OBP in March. He thinks the improvement is a sign of good things to come.
"I'd like to think it is," said Crawford, who went 3 for 4 with a double and an RBI. "I've hit wherever I've gone in the minors, and I had a good second half last year I'd like to build on. I've really been feeling good and I've been gaining confidence this spring. I've been in the league a little while, and I think I'm ready to take that next step as a hitter."
Crawford's first step forward came in August 2012. He hit .285 over the final two-plus months of the season, and considers this spring a launching pad for further growth.
"My timing has been good, especially over the last few weeks," Crawford said. "We have another week or so to get right before the regular season, and I'll continue to work and fine tune and prepare for what I believe will be a productive season."
Left fielder Carlos Quentin played the outfield for the first time this spring. He's been sidelined with knee discomfort, but came out of the game physically fine. Quentin played three innings in left field. He went 0 for 3 with a walk.
Padres starter Andrew Cashner wasn't as efficient has he had been in two previous spring appearances.
The Padres hoped Cashner would get into the fourth inning with less that 40 pitches, but he didn't make it through the third -- he threw 31 pitches in the first.
Cashner gave up one run on three hits in 2 2-3 innings, but he struck out four in his second start.
After starting late due to offseason thumb surgery, Cashner is trying to elevate his pitch count to be considered for the starting rotation come opening day.
"We're still not sure on that. It's going to be close," Padres manager Bud Black said. "Today, I thought he was much better after the first inning. He was a little erratic, but I thought he recovered well and spotted his fastball and change up much better in the second. He's making progress, and he'll continue to grow as he gets more opportunities to pitch."
Giants starter Chad Gaudin pitched three innings and gave up two runs on seven hits. He had two strike outs. Giants left fielder Gregor Blanco had two hits, including a perfectly placed bunt single. Padres catcher John Baker also had two hits.
NOTES: RHP Jason Marquis started a Class-A game in Peoria and threw 90 pitches. C Yasmani Grandal also played, and went 1 for 3. C Nick Hundley and OF Chris Denorfia were sent home with flu-like symptoms. RHP Edinson Volquez traveled back to camp after representing the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. He's expected to make a start for the Padres on Friday or Saturday. INF Logan Forsythe (plantar fasciitis) is expected to play in a game this weekend. Forsythe has been out since March 7. Giants 2B Brock Bond left the game with an abdominal strain. He was removed after being walked in the fourth inning.


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Office, Other Commercial Property Rents to Rise in 2013
Like the economy as a whole, the commercial real estate market will strengthen over the coming year.
You're going to need some faith this winter. Odds are the economy will be pretty grim in early 2013, though it will pick up substantially later in the year. With job growth only mediocre and incomes lagging, consumer spending won't grow fast, and it will take some time for business spending to gear up, once worries about the fiscal cliff dissipate.
We expect Congress and the White House to reach agreement during Congress' lame-duck session on at least a framework for tax hikes and spending cuts. That would pave the way for a short-term extension of current tax rates and the deferral of pending federal spending cuts, while assuring investors and businesses that a comprehensive deal will be concluded in 2013. Regardless of the outcome of negotiations on avoiding the cliff, cuts in government spending are sure to sap some strength from growth.
Still, by year-end, GDP should be gaining at an annualized pace of about 3%, and for 2013 as a whole, a gain of a bit more than 2% is a fair bet. Jon Southard, managing director for CBRE Econometric Advisers, says, "Commercial real estate next year? Grinding higher, marginal improvement rather than wholesale gains."
One sector where the slow upward grind will be apparent: commercial property. Robert Bach, national director of market analytics for Newmark Grubb Knight Frank, says, "If we avoid the fiscal cliff, 2013 for offices will look a lot like 2012. That's not all bad. There will be steady gains in leasing and fairly strong investor demand."
Office rents will inch higher across much of the country as gradually rising demand soaks up surplus space and new office construction remains very low. One potentially big exception is the Washington, D.C., metro area, where the threat of deep cuts in federal spending casts a long shadow.
Bargains on office space will be harder to come by. Concessions that landlords made a year ago have already vanished, and rents are headed up an additional 3% in 2013. With the pace of hikes likely to accelerate in 2014, consider acting sooner in the year rather than later to ink long-term leases on space that you will need. The strongest markets: cities with big footprints in energy or technology -- Boston; Minneapolis; Dallas; Oklahoma City; Denver; San Francisco and San Jose, Calif.; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle, among them. Nationwide, vacancy rates will slide from 15.5% now to about 14.5% in 2013 -- still well over the prerecession rate of 12.6%.
Available warehouse space is also being whittled, though more slowly. Figure on a national vacancy rate near 12% by year-end 2013, down from 13% now, with rents rising a bit over 2% next year after climbing a tad less than 2% in 2012. Among the warmer markets: Seattle, Denver and San Diego. Port cities, too, including L.A., Houston and Philadelphia. But for most metro areas, including Dallas, Chicago and Atlanta, newer buildings will simply cannibalize demand for older space.
Even the much-battered market for retail space is brightening, with rents headed a whisker higher on average in 2013 after finally bottoming out this year.
From an investor perspective, apartment buildings retain the most appeal., Vacancy rates continue to slide, and rents…up 4% this year…will climb 4.5% in 2013 as the economy adds 2 million net new jobs, spawning more household formation. Some standouts: Orlando, Fla.; Houston; Phoenix; Denver; Salt Lake City; and the San Francisco Bay area. Neighborhoods near commuter rail lines are hot.
There is some concern about too many units under construction, but In most areas, excess capacity is still another year or two away. Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wells Fargo Securities, says, "There's some concern about a concentration of apartment construction, but I don't have a sense of dread about the sector. That said, rents won't continue strong for much longer, and risks are rising. By 2014, look for young folks who have steered clear of home buying in recent years to enter that market, sapping demand for apartments and moderating rents.


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People began gathering in mid-morning after the men and women had finished their early morning chores. The entire village of Kalan Guzar turned out for the meeting, which was held in a big compound next to the school and the clinic. The men and boys, wearing woollen hats and turbans, sat cross-legged on carpets spread on the ground. The women and girls sat on a raised area just behind them – little girls, mothers and grandmothers, some completely veiled, others wearing simple headscarfs. Beyond the compound walls, the morning sun illuminated the barren purple crags of the mountains, which hem in this narrow valley of the central Hindu Kush. In the other direction, a dusty path led down to the "Big Ford" across the Shikari River, after which Kalan Guzar is named.
This public meeting had been called to assess the success of two development projects carried out by the local community development council, in a process called a "social audit". The social audit has been used successfully in India to allow communities to monitor the implementation of development projects and it has now been introduced in Afghanistan by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) to increase transparency and accountability among community development councils.
Community development councils, or CDC's, have been established throughout Afghanistan under the government's National Solidarity Programme. The chief task of these democratically elected councils is to carry out small development projects approved by the community, with funding provided by a one-off government grant. The community is required to contribute at least 10 per cent of the cost of projects, in cash, materials or labour. AKDN's Aga Khan Foundation supports 1,254 councils across five provinces of central and northeastern Afghanistan. For AKF, these councils represent an institutional basis for more effective governance, extending democratic control and accountability at the local level across rural Afghanistan, in line with government policies.
In Kalan Guzar, the council had been in charge of building a micro-hydroelectric unit, which now provides electric lighting for the 311 families of Kalan Guzar. It had also arranged a tailoring course for local women and girls. The new micro-hydroelectric generator produces a constant 21 kilowatts of electricity, enough to light three light bulbs per house round the clock for all the community's families. A stretch of new canal brings water from a mountain stream to power the turbine generator, housed in a small brick building built into the steep bank where the canal discharges into the Shikari River. A local man trained to maintain the generator has been employed as a caretaker. His monthly wage of 3,000 afghanis (US$60) and other maintenance costs will be met from a user fee charged on the basis of electricity consumed.
The meeting gets underway, led by the social audit committee -- local representatives trained by AKF's social organisers, who have spent the past several days checking the council's receipts and financial accounts for both projects. They have prepared posters listing all the expenses and other relevant information, which are now hung on a wall where anyone can consult them.
First, there is a public reading of the accounts, with the council treasurer going through each list and calling out each of the expenses, from 54,000 afghanis (US$1080) for the generator motor and 3600 afghanis ($72) for gas, to 452 afghanis ($9) for photocopies and glue. Members of the social audit committee stood up to say that they had checked the accounts and receipts and verified that all was in order.
Then it was the turn of the beneficiaries to put their questions to the council and the social audit committee. One man in the front row stood up and asked, "You're collecting 130 afghanis [US$2.75] every month for maintenance of the generator. That's expensive. Why is it so much?"
The council chairman explained that the charge covered the costs of light bulbs distributed to each family as well as the costs of the engineer to repair the machinery.
"Where is the maintenance money kept?" asked another man. "Who is in charge of it?"
The money was kept by the council treasurer with oversight by the council members, he was told.
A young women stood up diffidently to ask about the tailoring training. "There's cloth left over from the tailoring project. What will you do with this material?"
There was a murmur from the women's section: "Yes, good question."
"The material will be used in the next tailoring project," said the chairman.
Another woman then stood up. "When you bought the material for the tailoring project, did you consult the women's committee of the council?" she asked. "And tailoring is one thing, but what about other projects? The council should think about other projects for women."
The treasurer replied that the council was trying to find more funds for further women's projects.
The willingness of the women and even young girls to stand up and request answers from the grandees of the village is noteworthy in a country where women's role in public life is normally very restricted. But for those who do not want to ask questions openly, anonymous written questions can be placed in a box carried around through the crowd. These questions were then read out and put to the council and the committee.
When the questioning was finished, there was a show of hands to see if all were satisfied with the answers they had received. Everyone was then asked to come to the stage to indicate on a map of the village whether their house was receiving a satisfactory supply of electricity.
With that the meeting was concluded and the crowd dispersed. In the space of two hours the entire community had been given a chance to give their views on important public projects which affected them all. In a final assessment, the social audit committee would then discuss the process and gave the council a rating on its performance. This rating is used to assess where the council needs to make improvements in its work.
As Afghanistan struggles to rebuild a society which can supply its people's needs after years of conflict, one of the most widespread and persistent complaints is of corruption and the lack of accountability among the country's leaders, at all levels. In the Afghan context, public accountability such as that required by these social audits is remarkable – and encouraging. Social audits are carried out only with the agreement of the council and the community, but the desire for fair play is so strong that only a handful of councils have refused to hold them. In some cases low-level corruption has been uncovered, and action has then been taken to remedy it.
AKF social organisers have now helped to carry out more than 300 social audits. A senior organiser in Doshi who has overseen some 140 audits says they are changing public attitudes. Community members are much more willing to contribute money and time to development projects when they can see that their money is being used properly and not going into someone else's pocket. The councils meanwhile have become more efficient in their business dealings. Council members are more careful about their expenses and keeping receipts in order because they know they will be questioned.
These are valuable lessons, bringing tangible improvements to local governance. Furthermore, it is hoped that social audits will eventually begin to change attitudes higher up the government ladder as lessons learnt at the community level encourage people to expect the same accountability at regional and national levels.


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F. David Radler is publisher of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Jerusalem Post. These remarks are excerpted from an Oct. 6 speech he gave when accepting a tribute from the Weizmann Institute of Science.
From the Chicago SunTimes
It is not easy to be an Israeli today. They are faced with threats of terror, taunted by unyielding and unjust condemnation from the international community, yet the country continues to grow. So do its institutions.
The Weizmann Institute has grown into a great center of research, learning and advancement for all mankind. It was founded in 1934 on the unshakable belief by Haim Weizmann that a free and democratic state would need a research center as good as and as path-breaking as any in the world.
My partners and I have been in the newspaper business for 35 years. What began with a small newspaper in Sherbrooke, Quebec, has led to the ownership of such titles as the Daily Telegraph in London, the Ottawa Citizen and the Vancouver Sun and Province. We are also the owners of the Jerusalem Post and the bi-weekly magazine, the Jerusalem Report. While the Post is not our largest newspaper, I suspect I would not be standing before you today had it not been for the purchase of that newspaper in 1988.
At the time of the purchase, I made the statement that this was a purely economic decision and that we would be no more emotionally attached to the Jerusalem Post than we would be had we purchased the South China Morning Post newspaper in Hong Kong. Of course, this proved not to be true.
We support President Bush's war on terror. We, therefore, support Israel's war on terror.
Conditions in the Middle East have deteriorated since 1988, and we, along with other publishers, have been forced to make choices.
We support President Bush's war on terror. We, therefore, support Israel's war on terror.
In Europe, the Middle East conflict is framed as a colonial affair, which depicts Israel as a heartless bully and the Palestinians as innocent victims. This view is widely embraced by the European left, which has romanticized Yasser Arafat as a Third World freedom fighter. In the United States, this depiction is not nearly as prejudiced.
Among American media, the Mideast is often portrayed as a contest between two sides whose passions are excessively inflamed but ultimately whose behavior is morally equivalent. Columnist George Jonas wrote in the Ottawa Citizen, "To be impartial between tyranny and democracy the better to protect human rights is like being impartial between wood and copper the better to conduct electricity. In plain words, it's nonsense."
This position can be clearly depicted in the news and opinion pages of another Chicago daily newspaper. In an effort to create a balance in covering the Middle East, the public editor of this other Chicago newspaper has, among other things, described Ariel Sharon as responsible for the Sabra and Shatila massacres. He also stated that President Bush was overly concerned about the multimillion-dollar, 50-ton arms shipment from Iran that the Israelis intercepted at sea.
Our Chicago newspaper, the Sun-Times, has been clear and unambiguous. We recognize that Israel has made numerous offers of territorial and economic concessions to achieve peace. Not only have those offers been rejected, but the concessions have likely succeeded in enhancing terror.
Israel and the United States are on the front lines of the war on terror for the same reasons. Both are free and both are democratic. Professor Bernard Lewis wrote in his most recent book, Islam: What Went Wrong:
"It is precisely the lack of freedom -- freedom of the mind from constraint and indoctrination, to question and inquire and speak; freedom of the economy from corrupt and pervasive mismanagement; freedom of women from male oppression; freedom of citizens from tyranny. . . ."
While the military leadership of these countries robbed the people, they generated among the population a sense of humiliation. They also required an enemy. You need an enemy to justify a large military presence as well as to deflect the criticism of your own hijacking of the economy.
The best example of the requirement for military expenditures is the continuation, in Syria, of the Assad regimes, both father and son. They could settle with Israel tomorrow but recognize that there would be a downside to settlement as a result of the inevitable reduction of the military requirements. These rulers are propped up by their military. The Palestinian Authority is a brutal dictatorship and perhaps one of the most financially corrupt regimes in the world. It has not lived up to any of its obligations under the Oslo agreement, including removing the anti-Israel clauses in the Palestine National Charter. They have persuaded young people that a glorious eternity awaits them if they manage to murder Israelis while blowing themselves up.
Marwan Barghouti, head of Fatah-Tanzim, about to go to trial in Israel and who, according to Israelis, led, ran and set in operation terrorist actions against the State of Israel along with his field commanders, was questioned in the New Yorker magazine on July 9, 2001, and was asked: "And if you get 100 percent? Will that end the conflict?"
Barghouti smiled, and then said something impolitic for a Fatah man:
"Then we could talk about bigger things."
Such as?
"I've always thought that a good idea would be one state for all the peoples."
A secular democratic Palestine?
"We can call it something else."
The late Faisal Husseini, as reported June 24, 2001, by Al-Arabi in Egypt, said: "Had the U.S. and Israel realized, before Oslo, that all that was left of the Palestinian National movement and the Pan-Arab movement was a wooden horse called Arafat or the PLO, they would never have opened their fortified gates and let it inside their walls." He also stated: "The Oslo agreement, or any other agreement, is just a temporary procedure, or just a step towards something bigger. ... We distinguish the strategic, long-term goals from the political phased goals, which we are compelled to temporarily accept due to international pressure. ... [Palestine] according to the higher strategy [is]: 'from the river to the sea.' "
The leaders of the so-called friendly nations, Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, refer to the difficulties of controlling "the Arab street." Are we to believe that the dictators in these countries, who have successfully repressed even the most mild opposition to their continued existence, have suddenly become so fearful of the "street"?
Are we to believe that spontaneous demonstrations by the "street" are possible in repressed Arab countries? For these countries, the "street" is nothing but a useful tool -- a tool to influence the West but mainly a tool to distract their own citizens from their own failure in statecraft.
One of the so-called moderate states is Egypt. The country receives $2 billion per year in American aid. When Secretary of State Colin Powell visited the Middle East in April, Hosni Mubarak snubbed the secretary, refusing to meet with him when Powell could not bring an early end to Operation Defensive Shield.
Mubarak has also expressed dissatisfaction against the United States' plan to move against Sadam Hussein. While claiming to be a country that accepts Israel, the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv has been leaderless since November 2000. Mubarak has made the cold peace even colder.
In April of this year, Egypt said it was downgrading cultural and commercial contacts with Israel, and Mubarak continues to allow the state-run Egyptian media to incite against Israel.
Egyptian doctors have refused to treat Israeli embassy personnel, thus necessitating the government of Israel to fly doctors to Cairo. This is not a moderate position. Notwithstanding his anti-Israel posturing, Islamic fundamentalists have not warmed up to Mubarak.
In a press release on the Islamic Web site, Al-Muhajiroun, dated June 4, 2002, the U.K. branch called for "the immediate removal of Hosni Mubarak and his execution for his crimes against Muslims in particular and the civilian population in Egypt generally." Moderation may have its price in that part of the world.
Syria has never made claims to moderation. In July, among the visitors to Damascus was Kim Yong-nam, president of North Korea's Supreme Peoples Assembly Presidium. Just before Kim arrived in Damascus, Assad was hosting Ayatollah Mahmoud, Hashemi Shahroudi, head of the judiciary in Iran, and a prominent anti-Khatami hard-liner. These visits coincide with other exchange visits with Cuba, Iraq and Sudan. One suspects that the common chord between these countries is simply where there is a problem, blame America.
On Aug. 1, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan released a report on Israel's military operation in Jenin and other West Bank cities and found no evidence to support Palestinian allegations of a massacre. At a General Assembly Emergency Special Session on Aug. 5, delegates debated Annan's report and Israel's alleged war crimes against the Palestinians. The report itself, which wasn't favorable to the big lie, was described by various diplomats as follows:
*Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Nasser al-Kidwa: "The notion that the report confirmed that no massacre had been committed was simply not correct."
*Kuwaiti Ambassador Mohammed Abulhasan described Jenin as "the atrocious events in Jenin against an unarmed, innocent people using their legitimate right to resist occupation." And called Israel's actions "the massacre which has caused the whole world to tremble."
The Sun-Times finds no moral equivalence between soldiers who protect the innocent and suicide bombers who murder them.
Needless to say, a resolution that questions the validity of favorable treatment to Israel in Annan's report managed to pass 114-4, including all members of the European Union. The anti-Israeli tally of 114 might have been higher if at least 25 countries had paid their dues.
The Chicago Sun-Times clearly and proudly affirms its unambiguous faith in freedom and democracy. The Sun-Times finds no moral equivalence between soldiers who protect the innocent and suicide bombers who murder them.
We are also clear that Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah-Tanzim are terrorists, not militants. Militants don't bomb campuses -- terrorists bomb campuses. Militants don't explode buses -- terrorists explode buses. Militants don't open fire at weddings, bar mitzvahs and Seder celebrations -- terrorists do. When terrorists kill civilians in Israel, we have no problem labeling them the same as we label the al-Qaida terrorists of Sept. 11.
Through different owners and different leaders, the Chicago Sun-Times has stood tall with the State of Israel and the Weizmann Institute. This is a legacy that will never, never change.


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LOS ANGELES -- Dodgers left-hander Ted Lilly, second baseman Mark Ellis and utility man Jerry Hairston Jr. all could begin rehab assignments in the next week.
Lilly threw a bullpen session Saturday for the first time since he received an injection in his right rib cage on April 30 and could start a Minor League game this week.
"I think Teddy's feeling pretty good," manager Don Mattingly said before Monday's game against the Nationals. "He's not feeling anything with his neck or his side right now. So we're moving where we want to go with him."
Ellis continues to progress from a strained right quad, but is still not running at full speed. The veteran will travel with the team to Atlanta for a three-game series that begins Friday and could appear in a rehab game during that series, possibly with nearby Double-A Chattanooga.
Hairston, on the disabled list with a left groin strain, is working out in Arizona at the Dodgers' Spring Training facility at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. He will join the club in Atlanta and could begin a rehab assignment with Ellis in Chattanooga.


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Beat the Streak Report: Thursday, September 2
Does anyone actually want to win this thing?
One day after flirting with him and putting on the Feldman full-court
press, "jpells10" rewards me by selecting Albert Pujols who proceeds to
0-fer and zaps a 31-game streak.
The conch now belongs to "bretzky26". Do with it as you may.
Time for Thursday's picks
Oh, hello there …
? Brian Roberts: .467 AVG (7-for-15)lifetime vs. Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka
? Matt Diaz: .533 AVG (16-for-30) lifetime vs. Mets starter Johan Santana
? Joe Mauer: .357 AVG (15-for-42) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Justin Verlander
Feeling kinda spicy?
? Jason Kubel: .387 AVG (12-for-31) lifetime vs. Tigers starter Justin Verlander
You'll thank me later …
? Nick Markakis: .133 AVG (2-for-15) lifetime vs. Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka
? Martin Prado: .167 AVG (3-for-18) lifetime vs. Mets starter Johan Santana
? David Wright: .204 AVG (10-for-49) lifetime vs. Braves starter Tim Hudson
Leaderboard time!
I don't even know what to do here anymore.
Top MLB streakers
? Paul Konerko: 13 games
? Michael Bourn: 11 games
? Nick Markakis: 10 games
? A.J. Pierzynski: 10 games
Six players tied with nine-game streaks.
33 Comments
Hey all.
Looking at jeter this morning and hoping he hits Braden before a right handed reliever comes in. Nice numbers vs Lhp but cr@p vs Rhp. GL all. Top2500 post will be up about 2est when I take lunch.
Braden has been pitching brillantly this month while Jeter has been the complete opposite. It could be the reversal of the fortune today though. You can't expect both trend to continue.
Jeter singled in first atbat so I'm happy. Still alive and Onto tommorow.
Well anyone who took Swisher that is at 12+ just got ripped. Swisher is out of the game after grounding out. Highest no selection is a streak of 22 on the bottom of page 1.
Of the 7 who are at 25+, 2 took Joe Mauer and 1 have each of the following; Jhonny Peralta (leader at 31) ,Ichiro Suzuki, Marco Scutaro, Omar Infante and Miguel Cabrera.
4 others are at 24 and need a game on Oct 4th (2 more with Mauer another with Cabrera and 1 has Carlos Gonzalez.
LaV's List
Thursday's Top Picks of the current Top2500, 93 Batters picked overall. Only 6 games today.
Batter, Times Picked, Percentage
Carlos Gonzalez 380 15.2
Miguel Cabrera 277 11.08(4TH)
Adrian Beltre 262 10.48
Ichiro Suzuki 241 9.64(4TH)
Joe Mauer 226 9.04(2ND & 3RD)
Robinson Cano 103 4.12
No Selection 99 3.96
Derek Jeter 99 3.96
Marco Scutaro 77 3.08(4TH)
J.D. Drew 66 2.64
Denard Span 54 2.16
Mark Teixeira 53 2.12
Omar Infante 47 1.88(4TH)
Victor Martinez 45 1.8
Jhonny Peralta 6 0.24(1RST)
Highest "No Selection":Pg# 1 with a streak of 22 back to zero. Again WTF??
Yesterday's Top2500 Reset was 40.5% with Joey votto killing the most hopes and dreams. And 20.7% paused with J Hamilton not playing last night.
Bloggers Group Top2500
UserName, Streak, Page#, Rank, Pick
00LIber, 12, pg 13, 301, D. Jeter(GOOD)
bravesfanforlife88, 11, pg 23, 462, A. Beltre
kevmaan, 9, pg 31, 746, M. Cabrera
backrubs, 6, pg 78, 1494, J. Mauer
tomfootball17, 5, pg 93, 2201, M. Scutaro
whbirdman9, 14, RESET BY M. Cabrera
GL to all
@00Liber. Good job. Glad you didn't go with Cano/Swisher/Gardner, huh?
Well, the leader is going outside the box a bit. Peralta hasn't seen S.Baker this year & last year w/CLE, Peralta was hitting 267 vs Baker. Baker is hitting around 260 in all significant stats this year & past 30 days. His last two games, however, were very good. Scott Baker on the other hand has given up 5-8 hits in each of his last 4 games, about 1 per innning pitched overall. I think this is more of a gut pick than anything else. The leader is too far back for any of us to sweat about it, at the moment.
Meant: Peralta is hitting around 260 in all significant stats this year & past 30 days. Leader only needs 1-4 though.
LaV, Thank You. I briefly thought about Cano, but the 1-8 (career numbers vs Braden) immediately made me look past him. The only other Yank that I thought about was Tex, and he was good today too. So now im onto tommorrow.
@ALL, After tommorrow's post, I will NOT be posting top2500 untill Monday the 13th, as I am going to be on holidays. (lookout Orlando, here I come) I will still be playing and reading posts.
If LaV wants he could take the posting back over for the next week.??
@00Liber. Don't count on me to post the Top2500 for 2 reasons: 1) not into that much now that my season is over & 2) the only people I care about are on the 1st page. When the last $3M runner trips, I'm done blogging too. Sorry.
Oh, your other pick consideration got a hit too: Tulo. You're on a roll, keep it going and try to avoid those last AB chances.
Another awful loss on survivor. This time I thought I had picked the Yankees and instead I had the Braves who lost to the Mets with Hudson on the mound. I've had it with SURVIVOR! I'm never going to win 2 in a row anymore let alone 10 or 20. That game is CURSED!
To make thing even worse Miguel Cabrera is 0 fer for the 2nd straight day. Survivor is plagued by upsets and beat the streak is getting many unpredictable 0 fers.
"Anxious time for the leader…"
You should know 🙂
Anxious time for the leader…
Peralta currently 0-2
What the heck? Miguel Cabrera gone from the game? as an O fer. This is twice in 3 days I've been somewhat screwed with my player getting taken out early. I could not predict he'd be 0 for 3 two straight days and this time he doesn't stay in the whole time. Well 3 chances beat 1 but it's still my first 0 fer Miguel Cabrera pick of the season and it comes 5 days after my first 0 fer Ichiro Suzuki pick. The longest streak I can reach is nowow 31.
If I was upset imaging what zero4three (@25) and patq77(@24, needed Oct 4 game) are, now that they're eliminated with this stunt.
@yanks: Cabrerra injured. Was he playing thru the injury? How many front-runners will pick him tomorrow, unaware?
I was being sarcastic lol. I've had a good run, I can't complain. The only part that I'm kicking myself about is the fact that I was going back and forth between Scutaro and Peralta all of last night. O well…
It is what it is….
@bretzky26. I know. You still have 1 more AB. I'm sure you had a few of those that came thru during this streak
@@bretzky26: I just texted Peralta. He said he will get a hit just for you. He didn't know your streak was riding on him. He feels honored but he said don't bother picking him next time. So here is 32 for you tomorrow.
@bretzky26: You owe me a drink. I had to pull strings for you.
O my lol…talk about fortune
$3M runners for today are done. One more dropped from the race
@bretzky26: Last AB homer, off the reliever, no less. Luck carries you one more day.
"@ALL, After tommorrow's post, I will NOT be posting top2500 untill Monday the 13th, as I am going to be on holidays. (lookout Orlando, here I come) I will still be playing and reading posts.
If LaV wants he could take the posting back over for the next week.??"
Most hotels have a high-speed wireless connection nowadays.
Couldn't you post it from the room when you get back from the afternoon's activities to get ready for dinner?
If not, wasn't there supposed to be 2 people taking over for Lav?
The other could take over for the next 10 days?
"@00Liber. Don't count on me to post the Top2500 for 2 reasons: 1) not into that much now that my season is over & 2) the only people I care about are on the 1st page. When the last $3M runner trips, I'm done blogging too. Sorry.
Oh, your other pick consideration got a hit too: Tulo. You're on a roll, keep it going and try to avoid those last AB chances."
I thought you would care about the $10 K prize, since everyone seemed to hate when george took the lead earlier in the year and we still do not know which of the 2 leaders is actually winning right now???
"$3M runners for today are done. One more dropped from the race
@bretzky26: Last AB homer, off the reliever, no less. Luck carries you one more day."
Not entirely lucky.
He just got another hit in the 11th inning, so 2 for 5 is not really a fluke.
damn, the people who had Miguel Cabrera must be fuming now, as the game has gone into the 12th inning now!
Also, as an off-topic question for Dave, why did MLB get rid of the "stadium feature" from 2008-2009???
I LOVED the ability to "sit" in a simulated ballpark and chat in real-time with other fans watching the game!
That is how I watched that 22-inning game between the Rockies and Padres!
@champ88. Replies to some of your posts
1) "I thought you would care about the $10 K prize, since everyone seemed to hate when george took the lead earlier in the year"
^^ 10K is nearly guaranteed; will be won every year. I'd like it to be me, but otherwise I don't care who wins it. The $3M is another story; it is not guaranteed & if I don't win it I'd like to see no one win it — contrary to others that blog
2) Regarding Peralta's hits… "Not entirely lucky."
Yes, lucky. Picked Peralta against Baker not the pen. Baker removed after 2 or 3 innings. Peralta didn't get a hit until 8th off of 3rd reliever. If relying on a hit in extras, then that is luck. But I've stated from day one, this game is one of luck and not skill and still stand by that statement.
3) 00Liber could run the Top2500 program if he brought a laptop with him. Probably not on his list of priorities; not would it be on mine while on vacation.
2) Well there are other reasons to pick hitters than just the starting pitcher.
Especially since Baker had been pitching well of late before that start.
3) If it really does only take 15 minutes to do, I cannot see why he could not do it while the others are getting dressed for dinner.
You always have that 30 minute dead time around 600 PM.
We might not get the day games, but at least it would be most of them.
Also, to add to my above statement about it not being a game of luck, notice how you put together a nice long streak, once you began researching your picks more thoroughly.
Yes. It improved my chances, but it was all luck anyway. I had about 50/50 1-hit/multi-hit games, a couple last ABs, and 2 games that pitchers were switched on me. If a streak relies on one lucky day to continue, then the entire streak is based on luck. Again, my opinion.
If it improves your chances, then that proves that skill is one component of the game.
You don't need 2 hits for the pick to be a good one.
So if a 57-game streak had 56 skill picks and 1 luck pick, then that proves that the streak was 100% luck???
"So if a 57-game streak had 56 skill picks and 1 luck pick, then that proves that the streak was 100% luck???"
Of course, without that lucky day/pick, what would your streak be at? Not 57. BTW, I consider a skill pick where a hit came off starter, anything else is luck, period. Picking hitters against batters they've never seen is faith not skill. Picking a 250ish batter that gets hit of relief pitcher, luck not skill. Picking a hitter just because he is hot, faith not skill.
Note, I did not say pickers couldn't be skillful. I am saying luck rules this game, not skill. Skill may get you $10K but luck will get you $3M.
Let's rephrase that last statement. Re-read my definition of a skill pick above if needed…
Luck will get you $10k. Luck will get you $3M.
Skill will help improve your chances.
Without luck, you won't win any money.
Without skill? I'd say one can still win $10K. If I were to take the time and go back to all of Dave's top picks, I'd probably find less than 10 days where all the picks on a given day went 0-fer. Someone using just that info and get's lucky enough to avoid 0-fers between those 10 days, could get a very large streak and maybe enough to win $10K? So, I think I made my point. Whether you and anyone else buys it or not, is up to you.


text:
Italy votes: Europe frets over uncertain outcome
Issued on: Modified:
Will Italy have to return to the polls or will Beppe Grillo's party tip the balance? François Picard's panel breaks down early results from an election that saw the rejection of Brussels-backed technocrat Mario Monti and his austerity policies.
- Francesco SARACENO. Senior Economist, Centre de recherche en Économie (OFCE);
- Carlo INVERNIZZI. Professor of Political Science, Sciences Po Paris;
- Augusta CONCHIGLIA. Italian Freelance Journalist;
- Alberto CELANI. France 24 Observer - from Lega Nord (Northern League) Headquarters, Milan;
- Emanuele FIANO. MP for the Partito Democratico (PD) - from Bersani Headquarters in Rome;
- Paolo GRIMOLDI. MP and President of the Youth Movement, Lega Nord (Northern League);
- Seema GUPTA. France 24 Correspondent - from Berlusconi Headquarters in Rome;
- Armen GEORGIAN. France 24 International Affairs Editor - from Bersani Headquarters in Rome.
Produced by François Picard, Anelise Borges, Mary Colombel, Christopher Davis.
Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morningSubscribe


text: silverfish Posted February 5, 2011 I came across an April 20, 2010 interview with JVW and a search didn't show it listed so I thought I'd share. The video is listed as 52 minutes long.This link goes to the video interview with a transcript if you'd prefer to read it. The video on this page is listed as 1 hour 11 minutes (which coincides with the time notations along the transcript.)I found the more interesting topics (history aside) came later in the interview:55:00 Julian "...tried a thirty-year-old before, and it's--I don't care who made it--it's not going to make it. It's not going to make the trip very, very gracefully."63:00 His "desert island" whiskey - "Probably some very extra old fifteen-year-old 90 proof Old Fitzgerald. Best stuff on the planet."67:00 Re: BT - "We are basically still using the Weller recipe." and elaborates on warehouse placement of barrels & picking the good ones69:00 (regarding sales figures) - "We're probably, uh, you know, we're at about five or six thousand cases which doesn't go very far at all." and then goes on to explain the allocation.Enjoy! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites


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Explore Mars: Spirit's Journey
Explore Mars: Spirit's Journey
Aug 30 2011, 10:53 PM
Post #1
Junior Member
Group: Members
Posts: 41
Joined: 18-September 09
Member No.: 4946
This is a wonderful tribute to Spirit!
Aug 30 2011, 11:16 PM
Post #2
Senior Member
Group: Admin
Posts: 4750
Joined: 15-March 05
From: Sloughhouse, CA
Member No.: 197
I suppose the thought is nice, and no offense to the people at JPL who have been so friendly and welcoming to me, but compared to other space-related interactive simulations out there, this is kind of lame. I showed it to my ten-year-old son who has been following the rovers with me over the years. After 10 minutes he said, "Thanks Dad, but this is really boring."
If Occam had heard my theory, things would be very different now.
Aug 31 2011, 02:24 AM
Post #3
Group: Members
Posts: 209
Joined: 30-December 05
Member No.: 628
The rover looks somewhat like it is flying over a sea of pinkish-orange clouds. I think if some more detail from the navcam photography could be incorporated into the background environment, it would make for a much more convincing simulation. That would increase the required bandwidth, probably quite a lot, but would make the product much more challenging for both children and adults. If some areas lack coverage, or if the user is allowed to instigate small deviations from the actually-traveled course, the present level of detail could fill in where the navcam data is unavailable. In the limit it could become a really major project - a user-accessible archive rather than a toy.
Aug 31 2011, 02:54 AM
Post #4
Group: Members
Posts: 654
Joined: 21-December 07
From: Clatskanie, Oregon
Member No.: 3988
I actually found that pretty interesting. It look's like doug left his mark in there with his rover model . The data at the top with the battery percentage, the tau, and temperature was cool to. I'm wondering though what the last known physical state of IDD is and other hardware such as the PMA position and HGA position. I know that is all located in the PDS, but just checking if anyone knows before digging? Was the IDD stowed or extended? A suggestion, and not necessarily a sugestion for that tool, would be to show with a picture or video the rovers physical state with the JPL high quality rover photorelistic model overlayed on the terrain to show what the rover would look like as a future explorer walking up to it would see.
Aug 31 2011, 03:36 AM
Post #5
Group: Chairman
Posts: 14227
Joined: 8-February 04
Member No.: 1
I actually found that pretty interesting. It look's like doug left his mark in there with his rover model .
That's the only contribution I made. It's quite misleading in places ( always driving forwards, citing a 'battery percentage' graph rather than actual Whrs, some location labels being dozens if not hundreds of yards away from where they should be etc etc )
It's a nice toy, but I don't think it goes beyond that. The best words I can say are that it's clearly not aimed at an audience like this...I'm not sure what audience it IS aimed at though.
Aug 31 2011, 06:13 AM
Post #6
Senior Member
Group: Members
Posts: 1449
Joined: 14-October 05
From: Vermont
Member No.: 530
If they inset the view from the various cameras, it would be pretty neat. Has potential. But yeah, a bit on the tedious side now.
Aug 31 2011, 10:31 AM
Post #7
Senior Member
Group: Admin
Posts: 3108
Joined: 21-December 05
From: Canberra, Australia
Member No.: 615
If they are going to do stuff like this then I just wish that they went to the effort of making it accurate and immersive.
It does nothing to tell you of her struggle, gives little detail of the discoveries made and uses images that to the uninformed are at best misleading. Importantly, it tells you nothing of the team who made her journey possible. You get a link to the regular website and that's it. I'm not really sure what this is supposed to be.
For a start the video that shows while the program loads contains some footage from JPL taken during Opportunity's landing. During the drives, especially the going back and forth around Homeplate and the turn-in-place 'spins', to the uninformed viewer these make it looks as if either the Rover is lost and confused or the drivers are drunk (it needs an explanation). The final set of spins near Troy make it look as if Spirit corkscrewed itself into the sandtrap at Scamander. Having levers for speed and direction can mislead viewers into thinking that the Rover was driven by a joystick like a remote control toy. There should be a series of options to allow for varying surface detail level depending on bandwidth. The 'battery charge' thing is just wrong. There's a lot wrong and not much right here.
Frankly, this is done a lot better in Google Mars (minus the Rover model but MMB fills that gap).
I hope that they redo this to a museum quality. It should show all parts of the journey accurately (backwards driving would be nice for one), more milestones on the driving path (5 or 6 spots on a 7+km drive is insulting), what about a record of all the brush and rathole targets (a unique first of this mission), key panoramas and mosaics (what about the spots where the classic 'blue sunset' or 'Earth - you are here' shots were taken), relevant dates (press conferences, discovery releases), major moments (Sol18 flash glitch, Tyrone sulfates, the great 2007 dust storm), linked videos (rover updates in sol sequence, actual drive and idd videos), the list goes on.
I sincerely hope that if they do this for Opportunity that they don't give it the same lip service, and oh please don't ruin Curiosity's journey.
Sorry, for me, I can't see this as a tribute to Spirit.
That's my personal two cents worth.
Aug 31 2011, 05:29 PM
Post #8
Group: Chairman
Posts: 14227
Joined: 8-February 04
Member No.: 1
The same email that members of the Be a Martian website got that linked them to the preview of this experience also included a link for feedback.
Aug 31 2011, 07:34 PM
Post #9
Group: Members
Posts: 193
Joined: 3-January 10
Member No.: 5156
I think this is a really good way to show this mission to people who didn't follow it since landing, like we.And the 3d view is really nice.
Of course all the driving is boring, but it didn't much happen on the way to the hills. But with the additional information at soem points it gets really interesing.
Need more input ...
Apr 24 2012, 09:21 AM
Post #10
Group: Members
Posts: 237
Joined: 22-December 07
From: Alice Springs, N.T. Australia
Member No.: 3989
Life is full and I've been busy with so many things that I haven't posted for ages. So hope that all is good with everyone.
I thought that I would start with a revisit. A revisit to Spirit and a revisit to a sunset on Mars from August 2009. It's a good challenge working with such small sized pancam jpegs. I posted the movie to YouTube yesterday. It's called Mars Sunset: The Sun Sinks Low In A Dusty Martian Sky Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf3p61l4gnE
If you possibly can, then view the movie full screen HD and use headphones (You can see the hills much more clearly and in better colour and you can enjoy the sound track)
The movie co-stars the one and only Paolo at the start for a cameo part with the main player - Spirit. Then follow maps of Mars to give the general viewer an idea of where Gusev Crater is. Then comes the sunset.... with the sky starting as a butterscotch/ochre and fading to a blue colour around the sun as it sets. I've enjoyed using a bit of artistic licence with the pics and the sound effects........ since it was dusty, I imagined what it would REALLY be like, standing there with the sound of the wind blowing and all that dust in the sky. The fun of making such movies is that it is the next best thing to REALLY REALLY being there!!!
On the left below is the first pic in the sequence and on the right the last pic - after the sun has gone down. Hope you enjoy the movie!
Apr 26 2012, 11:49 PM
Post #11
Thanks, very atmospheric!
Apr 27 2012, 03:52 AM
Post #12
Group: Members
Posts: 237
Joined: 22-December 07
From: Alice Springs, N.T. Australia
Member No.: 3989
Nice of you to say so!
Wind track in my YouTube Vid: For those interested - you can check out the atmospherics of what wind would sound like on Mars at
Southampton Uni, UK work. V interesting..... especially Mary Had A Little Lamb on Venus, Mars and Titan!!
Plus - you, yourself, are v good at artistic licence! If others want to check this out click on O's Astronomy Pic Of The Day link. It's ★★★★★ Hᴜɢʜ ..ツ
Apr 27 2012, 05:11 AM
Post #13
Senior Member
Group: Members
Posts: 2228
Joined: 1-December 04
From: Marble Falls, Texas, USA
Member No.: 116
Getting back to the topic at hand, I agree with Robert S in post #1. It's a nice tribute to Spirit's mission. This was really a quite nice first attempt at using science and engineering data from an actual planetary exploration mission to provide a virtual exploration experience for web users. I commend NASA/JPL for doing this, and I look forward to improved versions for Opportunity's mission and others in the future.
Of course, nothing they could have done on a realistic budget would satisfy those of us who have followed these rovers every single day since January 2004. We need to be realistic; this is a start; a first attempt at creating a re-playable mission using actual mission data.
I think the space exploration enthusiast community should enthusiastically embrace and support an effort like this with the hope that eventually it will evolve into a truly immersive, virtual planetary exploration experience. As a next step I would like to see some of MMB incorporated. As a retired scientist, I followed these rovers because they were designed to be extraplanetary robotic explorers, controlled by scientists and engineers from earth. These rovers have been one of the most amazing space exploration missions I have ever imagined.
If I must find fault with something, it would be the lack of significant science content in the program. This was a science mission after all. I don't think the science should be left out on the assumption that most people might not understand it. This shouldn't become a video game.
Finally, I have to recommend that all enthusiasts who have opinions go to the survey link that Doug provided a few posts earlier and take a few minutes to share your thoughts with the developers.
I'm not a Space Fan, I'm a Space Exploration Enthusiast.
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This iconic statue of Christ stands atop Mount Corcovado, gazing out over the city of Rio de Janeiro and the blue waters of Guanabara Bay. Nearly 800,000 people a year make the trek up the mountain for a closer look.
To reach the monument, visitors once had to climb a series of steep stairs after taking a train up the mountainside. Today they can simply ride Otis? elevators from the train depot up to the visitorsˇŻ area, then take Otis escalators the rest of the way.
As part of a major preservation project in the early 2000s, the Roberto Marinho Foundation sought ways to improve access to the summit while meeting strict environmental objectives.
The foundation, a member of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network, studied nearly two dozen proposals before selecting Otis. We installed three energy-efficient Gen2? elevatorss and four advanced outdoor escalators.
With its coated flat-steel belts and ReGen? drive, the Gen2 elevator uses 75 percent less energy than a conventional geared elevator without regen technology. And the Gen2 systemˇŻs quiet operation doesnˇŻt disturb the tranquility of the mountaintop.
Our outdoor escalators are designed to withstand severe weather conditions. And to save electricity and reduce wear and tear, sensors suspend operation when the escalators arenˇŻt in use.
The elevator hoistways are concealed among the parkˇŻs trees, and the escalators follow the contours of the mountain.
Visitors per year
Years construction time
Passengers per hour
The statue was designed by French sculptor Paul Landowski and built by the Brazilian engineer Heitor da Silva Costa, in collaboration with the French engineer Albert Caquot. The Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida gained worldwide fame for sculpting the face of Christ.
Over the decades, the monument has suffered damage from the elements, including a lighting strike in 2008 that caused some damage to the fingers, head and eyebrows. Lightning struck again in 2010, dislodging a finger on the right hand.
In 2010, massive restoration began. Work included cleaning, replacing the mortar and soapstone on the exterior, restoring iron in the internal structure and waterproofing the monument.
Dedicated in 1931, Christ the Redeemer is described as the largest art deco statue in the world, standing 125 ft tall, including its 26.25 ft pedestal. It is made of reinforced concrete covered by soapstone, chosen for its enduring qualities and ease of use. Its name in Portuguese, the national language of Brazil, is Cristo Redentor.
Otis? outdoor escalators
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Gov't extends mortgage refinance program 2 years
The U.S. government is extending a program that allows borrowers with mortgages backed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac to refinance at lower rates.
The Home Affordable Refinance Program, known as HARP, was to expire Dec. 31. The Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie and Freddie, said Thursday it is extending the program through 2015 to enable more borrowers to use it. About 2.2 million people have refinanced their mortgages through the program since April 2009. Officials had hoped that at least 4 million borrowers would participate.
For borrowers to qualify, the amount owed on their mortgage must be more than 80 percent of the home's appraised value. Borrowers must be current on their mortgage, which must have been sold to Fannie or Freddie before June 2009.


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European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi is set to unveil his bond purchase plan on Thursday, and canceled a planned appearance at the Jackson Hole symposium to flesh out the details. However, it is likely that even when he reveals more of the actions he has in mind, the picture will continue to be fuzzy around the edges—continuing German opposition to the plan, along with a pending decision by the German Constitutional Court that is not due till later in the month, mean that he may try to reserve flexibility by not nailing down every detail.
Bloomberg reported Monday that Draghi may even be looking for a bit of disappointment on the part of markets when he makes his plan public, in the hope that rising interest rates will drive Spain and Italy closer to accepting the conditions that will almost certainly be attached to any new bond-buying program.
Both countries have resisted formally applying for aid from Europe's bailout fund, which they see as accepting help with too many strings attached, but one part of German opposition is focused on not having enough conditions attached to any such program. If Italy and Spain are unwilling to turn over more financial autonomy to bailout authorities, stiff opposition to any additional assistance is likely to continue. Bundesbank President Jens Weidmann has already threatened to quit over the issue, to which he is firmly opposed.
Some of the options central bank officials have said are being considered are purchases not just confined to government bonds but across a range of asset classes; targets on spreads over German Bunds; and caps on sovereign bond yields.
Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble of Germany repeated his warning to markets not to place too much faith in any such plan, because Germany would not agree to anything that falls outside what it says is the ECB's mandate and will not accept ECB financing of government budgets.
"We have to be very careful that we don't raise false expectations," he was quoted saying. "It has to remain very clear, state debt can't be financed through monetary policy. Therefore we can't have a decision—we would think it very wrong—that's not covered by the ECB mandate."


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Welcome from our President
We are an association of municipal harbors throughout Alaska and the Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle. We are a 501(c)(6) organization committed to our memberships' total needs in managing and improving our public harbor facilities. In addition, we are fortunate to have strong sustaining member support comprising a suite of harbor related professions including consultants, engineers, contractors, maritime attorneys and suppliers. Alaska has over 33,000 miles of coastline, more than the entire contiguous United States combined. The ports and harbors are the economic lifelines for the 49th State, in fact, 90% of all goods enter via a form of maritime transportation.
Carl Uchytil, P.E.
Learn more
Learn more about Alaska's harbors and the AAHPA.
Upcoming events


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Andrew Forrest accused of lack of transparency over ad for cashless welfare card
The mining magnate Andrew Forrest has been accused of lacking transparency after his philanthropic organisation, the Minderoo Foundation, launched an ad promoting the cashless welfare card that didn't disclose his role as its chairman.
Forrest is the architect of the card, and made it a key recommendation in a review he led for the federal government on Indigenous employment. Since the card was adopted by the government and rolled out in trial communities in Western Australia and South Australia, Forrest has been advocating its wider implementation.
'Ration days again': cashless welfare card ignites shame
Read more
The video advertisement is voiced by Aboriginal elder Ian Trust, who founded Aboriginal development organisation the Wunan Foundation in the East Kimberley. It uses animation to highlight the card's success, and promotes data from the one-year evaluation of the card's trial published in October.
The Minderoo Foundation's ad for the cashless welfare card.
The ad says the card has led to a reduction in alcohol-related violence, but does not mention other findings from the report, including that 49% of those on the card said it had made their life worse. The ad states that children are "going to school more", but does not provide the source of this data.
It calls on people to share their support for bringing the card to their own communities by sending a message to the government by filling in a form on the website.
"Let's stop the welfare poverty cycle with a hand-up, not a hand-out," a woman who narrates the ad with Trust says.
"It's working in the East Kimberley – perhaps this card can help in your community too."
A disclaimer on the website hosting the ad, cashlessdebitcard.org.au, says the animation "is based on observations of the positive impacts the CDC has had within the community". It discloses that Minderoo produced the ad but does not mention Forrest.
Welfare recipients in the trial towns receive 80% of their welfare payments into the Indue card, which cannot be used to withdraw cash or buy alcohol or gambling products. The remaining 20% can be withdrawn as cash.
The trial, which was extended in March, has been plagued by criticism, including concern about the government's reliance on anecdotal data in naming the card a success. Malcolm Turnbull and the social services minister, Alan Tudge, have indicated the card will be introduced in more communities.
The advertisement has been emailed by the Minderoo Foundation to a number of councils, including the shire of Halls Creek in Western Australia, which in 2015 rejected a proposal that the town should take part in the card trial.
Cashless welfare card treats Aboriginal people 'as third-class citizens'
Read more
David Pav, a resident of Ceduna in South Australia, is one of the few people who has managed to get himself taken off the cashless welfare card, after making numerous complaints to Centrelink that it was complicating mortgage repayments. He believes the card should be voluntary, or targeted to those with drinking and gambling issues.
He said he was angered when a link to the ad landed in his inbox.
"I have issues with a billionaire miner pushing his views and using his money, influence and power through a foundation he uses to drive social policy of a nation," he said.
"Especially when they are promoting results that are not conclusive, from a trial that is not finalised."
Minderoo Foundation said Forrest was overseas and unavailable to comment. The foundation did not respond to questions about how widely the ad was disseminated via email, or why Forrest's involvement wi
See More: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-n ... lfare-card


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Welcome to the William L. Callahan School website. We will be updating our site frequently, so please visit often! You can also receive the latest information by email by subscribing on the Principal's Blog. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, please let us know using the Contact Us page.
Mission Statement
The mission of The Callahan Elementary School is to create a stimulating, secure learning environment where all students are empowered to take responsibility for learning while actively engaged in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to become lifelong learners and contributing members of society.
Please see Burrillville School Department's policy on bullying and how to report it.


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Clinical Instructor of the Year
Jul. 16, 2013
ST. LOUIS, July 16, 2013 – Michael Burns works full-time as chief certified registered
nurse anesthetist (CRNA) at Phelps County Regional Medical Center in Rolla, Mo. In
this position, he oversees all nurse anesthetists at the hospital, who provide anesthesia
to patients undergoing a variety of medical procedures.
Yet, even with that demanding job, he drives close to 100 miles a few times per week to teach classes in the Nurse Anesthesia department in Webster University's College of Arts & Sciences . His students say he has been instrumental in getting them placed into clinical rotations at the Phelps County medical center.
This dedication is one of the many reasons that he is being presented the Clinical Instructor of the Year award from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists. The organization represents more than 45,000 professionals.
"He goes out of his way to help us learn," said Vanessa Voudrie, a CRNA in Springfield, Illinois. Voudrie graduated from Webster University in March 2013 and was one of the students who nominated Burns for the award. "He was instrumental in getting us down to Rolla for the rotation. That was the most beneficial part of my education. I learned so much from him."
Jill Stulce, director and assistant professor of nurse anesthesia at Webster, agreed that Burns has been an important part in the development of the program.
"Michael is one of those individuals who leads by example," said Stulce. "There is not one student in the program who doesn't wish to emulate his abilities, knowledge and confidence. He motivates and inspires all who work with him. They all have such a reverence for him, which serves the program in such a way that all the students are striving to be their best."
The Clinical Instructor of the Year Award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the teaching of nurse anesthesia students in the clinical area.
In a statement given to the AANA, Burns was modest about his impact on students.
"The students have provided many learning opportunities for me over the years and I am grateful for their rotation at Phelps County Regional Medical Center," he said. "This award truly should be awarded to the entire medical center, but especially the Anesthesia Department. All members of our department–both anesthesia providers and non-anesthesia providers–promote a positive, one-of-a-kind learning environment for our students."
The award will be presented in August 2013 during the opening ceremonies of the national meeting of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists.


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Funnily enough, my matrilineal line is the one I've been focused on of late for exactly this reason. I have not done any DNA tests myself, nor asked relatives to be tested. But since the mitochondrial DNA test is the one I'd do myself, I decided I should get to tracing that line - something I hadn't done until recently.
Starting with my grandmother:
a) Mae Gouverneur Cadwalader (1923, Pennsylvania - 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) married J. Harrison Worrall
b) Mae Drexel Fell (1884, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1948, Dark Harbor, Maine) married Gouverneur Cadwalader
c) Sarah Rozet Drexel (1860, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 1929, Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania) married John Ruckman Fell
d) Ellen Bicking Rozet (1832, Pennsylvania - 1891, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) married Anthony Joseph Drexel
e) Mary Ann Laning (1807, Owego, New York - 1880) married John Roset
f) Mary Ann Hollenback (1783, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania - 1854, Owego, New York) married John Laning
g) Sarah Burritt (1750, Stratford, Connecticut - 1833, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania) married Matthias Hollenback
h) Deborah Beardslee (d. 1802, Hanover Green, Pennsylvania) married Peleg Burrit, Jr.
I'm confident in this line through Ellen Bicking Rozet. Persons (e) through (h) are the result of my recent research. I need more documentation for all of them, but am fairly certain this is how things will shake out. I confess I've been working with local histories and Find A Grave to get an overall sense of my matrilineal line past Ellen Rozet. I now need to back this up with various records, of which I presently have few.
Deborah Beardslee is proving to be somewhat of a mystery. So much so that she is deserving of her own post, so watch for that down the line. And is why she's currently last on the above list.
The name Rozet/Roset is indeed spelled differently above for Ellen Bicking Rozet and her father, John Roset. I consistently see each of their surnames names spelled in this fashion - Ellen's with a "z" and John's with an "s". In general, this line will be the one that tests my skill with spelling variants. (More fodder for a later post.)
As stated above, I have yet to do a matrilineal DNA test. But once I get more proof of this line, I expect it's something I'll pursue. I suppose there's no reason not to do this now, but I just feel like I need to know more about the women who carry this DNA before proceeding.
What I do need to get on with is finding family volunteers for DNA tests for other of my lines.


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A discussion between students who dared to strive for better and hacked their education to get there. They talk about their motivations, experiences, the reaction of those around them and the difference it has (or perhaps hasn't) made to their lives.


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Hopes dimmed over the weekend for passing a measure to double Alameda County's transportation sales tax to a full one cent, but the counting continues.
The Measure B1 sales tax increase was trailing Monday with 65.79 percent of the vote in support — short of the 66.666 percent required for approval. That includes some 93,779 more votes counted over the weekend, county election officials reported Monday.
There are still tens of thousands of provisional ballots to be counted on the measure to boost spending for roads, freeways and public transit, election officials added.
While the percentage favoring the measure climbed slightly in the latest tally, transit officials acknowledge they face an uphill struggle to reach the two-thirds total to pass.
"You can imagine this dampened spirits," said Tess Lengyel, deputy director for the Alameda County Transportation Commission, the agency that proposed the tax increase. "It's still not over, though. We are going to continue to watch the results until the counting is finished."
As of early Monday afternoon, the measure was supported by 318,089 voters — more than 4,200 votes short of two-thirds.
The measure would boost spending for roads, freeways and public transit, including providing $400 million toward a proposed BART rail extension to Livermore.
The measure was supported by city and county leaders, and many business and environmental groups as providing relief for congestion.
Opponents said the tax was too high and they also objected that the ballot measure would lock in the tax as permanent, unlike previous sales tax measures that expired after a set period unless renewed by voters.
Contact Denis Cuff at 925-943-8267. Follow him at Twitter.com/deniscuff


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Student or Learner
I am applying for a scholarship. The essay needs to be under 500 words and this is the question:
If you could take one entire year off from your responsibilities of school and/or work, how would you spend that year? Explain why you would make these choices.
I am looking for any grammar corrections and other editing ideas such as awkward sentences. Also help with the title if you have any other suggestions.
Thank you for looking :)
Many people dream of taking time off from their studies and responsibilities. Opportunities such as traveling around the world or gaining valuable family time could arise. However, if I were confronted with this type of situation, I know the time and funds would be spent to continue improving a skill that is very important to me: flying. My ultimate career goal is to become a professional airline pilot. Any amount of spare time and funding would be used to further continue my flight training. Many may choose to take a year off to embark on extravagant European vacations or Caribbean yacht charters but personally, a time period as generous as a year would definitely be used to refine my piloting skills so as to allow me to expedite the completion of my training and sooner begin my dream career.A Year off to Study
For several years, I have been fascinated by aviation. From the latest technological advances in aircraft to corporate changes and premiering aircraft entering a fleet, if it has anything to do about commercial aviation, I am completely interested. I discovered my dream to fly for an airline after many years of looking at pictures and videos of commercial airliners online; I realized I want to be a part of this industry and focus a large amount of my career being around commercial jets.
I know my dream is obtainable through my dedication and good work ethic. Taking a year off of school would equate to more available flying hours. I would effectively use my time to learn as much about flying as I can. As the aviation flight program at Bridgewater State College is heavily demanding, the release of colleges academic pressure would allow me to be able to focus all of my studying power on flight concepts, and FAA required ground school courses.
My idea of how to spend a year off may seem out of the ordinary to many, but I see it as a reflection of my determination to achieve my goals. My willingness to work shares a direct correlation with my love for commercial aviation. Although others may choose to take a leisurely break from their responsibilities, I would continue to do what is responsible for my success and best for my life in the long run. For these reasons, I would spend a year off from schooling concentrating on my flight training and studies which go along with it.
never mind, deadline is today


text: For more than thirty years, Angela Gillespie has sent friends and family around the world an end-of-the-year letter titled 'Hello from the Gillespies'. It's always been cheery and full of good news. This year, Angela surprises herself - she tells the truth ...The Gillespies are far from the perfect family that Angela has made them out to be. Her husband is coping poorly with retirement. Her 32-year-old twins are having career meltdowns. Her third daughter, badly in debt, can't stop crying. And her ten-year-old son spends more time talking to his imaginary friend than to real ones. Without Angela, the family would fall apart. But when Angela is taken from them in a most unexpected manner, the Gillespies pull together - and pull themselves together - in wonderfully surprising ways ..