text:
Apple requests ruling in its favor over Samsung press leak, judge prohibits 2001: A Space Odyssey references
At the beginning of the week, we reported Samsung leaked slides to the press that Judge Koh excluded as evidence in the Samsung-Apple trial currently underway. Judge Koh was not impressed with the move, despite much of the information in the slides being public knowledge, and today we get an update from FossPatents on Apple's response to the situation. According to the report, Apple filed a letter with the courts today claiming fines would not be a severe enough punishment for Samsung and it requested a judgment in its favor:
"The proper remedy for Samsung's misconduct is judgment that Apple's asserted phone design patents are valid and infringed. Through its extraordinary actions yesterday, Samsung sought to sway the jury on the design patent issues, and the proper remedy is to enter judgment against Samsung on those same patents. It would be, to be sure, a significant sanction. But serious misconduct can only be cured through a serious sanction—and here, Samsung's continuing and escalating misconduct merits a severe penalty that will establish that Samsung is not above the law."
Apple also outlined an alternative set of sanctions, requesting "the Court should (i) instruct the jury that Samsung engaged in serious misconduct and that, as a result, the Court has made a finding that Samsung copied the asserted designs and features from Apple products; and (ii) preclude Samsung from further mentioning or proffering any evidence regarding the 'Sony design exercise' for any purpose." FossPatents said Apple's requests could mean big problems for Samsung moving forward: Expand


text:
0 Items (Empty)
Recently Viewed Items
Your Shopping Cart
Your shopping cart is currently empty. If you would like to make a purchase today, add items to your shopping cart.
Authorized by the makers of OneCNC, this book is an excellent alternative to OneCNC live training.
Contains hands-on exercises for all CAD (2D and 3D) and CAM features, plus start-to-finish modeling and machining exercises covering all toolpath types. Also contains expert work methods, tips and tricks. This version contains all updates and enhancements for version XR.
Fast-Bound, 380 pages
Size: 8 _ x 11
View Table of Contents plus sample pages (PDF) Note: the PDF is in color, but the book itself is printed in black and white.* * * Instructors, professors, and teachers who are interested in an evaluation copy for potential class use, contact Bonnie Roskes (202.243.1046) to find out about discounts. * * *

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Majority of Dems back gay marriage
NEW YORK (AP) — A new poll shows that the partisan gap over same-sex marriage continues to widen, with 65 percent of Democrats now supporting it compared to 24 percent of Republicans.
The Pew Research Center poll found an increase in support among Democrats after President Barack Obama's announcement in May that he favored same-sex marriage. A poll taken in April found 59 percent of Democrats in support.
The latest poll was released a day after Democratic Party leaders said they intended to add support for gay marriage to the party platform at the Democratic National Convention in early September.
At the time of the previous convention, in 2008, 50 percent of Democrats favored legalizing gay marriage, while 42 percent were opposed.
In the new poll, only 29 percent of Democrats were opposed.


text:
|The Reader by Jean-Honore Fragonard, 1771
I want to travel more than I have. I want to go back to
Paris, London and
want to see new places like Edinburgh Prague and , for example. And
I know that a bit of not spending so much of what I don't really need would go
a long way toward that. As for now, J and I have decided to let September be a
non-spending month, apart from bills and groceries. I think it will be easier
if we do it together and can cheer each other. Venice
As for blogging, well, the instant gratifications are only part of it and not even the biggest part either. Another reason is because I'm a compulsive writer. I wasn't always, but ten years ago I saw a picture online that triggered something and I started to write and since then I haven't stopped. I write stories and I blog because I love to write. It isn't always easy, but if I don't write I feel a bit odd. I certainly don't want to bash blogging, I love it, but I have, for quite some time, felt the need to write something with a little more weight, something lasting. I have wanted to write a book.
And for the same amount of time I have struggled with little demons that tells me that I don't write well enough, that it won't be interesting enough and that no one will want to print it, but in the end, what I really feel, is that it doesn't matter if I'm not good enough for other, because I need to write this for me. Even if no one else reads it, I want this for myself. I have already blown the whistle at Madame Isis Toilette, so some of you already now that I have swatted away my demons and have started writing a book on 18th century beauty and makeup. I have a lot of fun right now, researching, trying out recipes and writing. I want o write a book with accurate history, doable beauty recipes and makeup tutorials and I know that is an interesting enough subject and I will do my best to make it good enough for others to read as well.
But this also means less blogging. I'm not going it up, because I still sew and it isn't a chore at all to blog about sewing, but other kinds of posts will have to stand back for book writing. Less instant Ego stroking for me, but I think the more long term reward will make up for it.


text:
Steve Jobs Ewaste Portrait
Steve Jobs Like You've Never Seen Him Before
As Apple Inc.'s founder and longtime CEO, the late Steve Jobs made products for "the crazy ones," the "round pegs in square holes" who are "not fond of rules." When Steve launched the Think Different campaign in 1997, the person he had in mind was probably a lot like Jason Mecier, an inventive San Francisco artist who creates outrageous mosaic portraits of pop culture icons.
Jason's latest work is a mind-bogglingly magnificent portrayal of the Mac master, made of 20 pounds of electronic waste.
Most of Jason's portraits take at least 50 hours to craft, and he often uses two or three hot glue guns simultaneously! In Steve's portrait, bits and pieces of enostalgia are sprinkled throughout. We spy the fourth-generation iPod, a floppy disk for Mac Fonts, some flip phone limbs, and lots of peripherals.
One man's trash is definitely Jason's treasure — the artist has also used ewaste (among many other things) in his David Bowie and Lady Gaga pieces.
View Jason's entire body of work at his website, and let us know which 3D mosaics make your jaw drop!


text:
Film Festival Preview
Freshman Fest Flogs Nonfiction Film
As if the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival weren't enough to keep film fans busy this week, Albuquerque will also play host to Duke City DocFest. Billed as New Mexico's "first and only international documentary film festival," DCD will give audiences a chance to view 90 entertaining, educational and inspirational documentary films from around the world.
Reel World
Night of 1,000 Estrellas
The National Hispanic Cultural Center kicks off its lavish 10th anniversary this weekend by teaming up with the New Mexico Chapter of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers. Together, they're presenting a red carpet Celebration of Latinos in the Media. This celebrity-filled event will take place at the Albuquerque Convention Center's Kiva Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 8, from 7 to 10 p.m. Scheduled guest include a dizzying parade of actors (Bokeem Woodbine, Elizabeth Peña, local boy Steven Michael Quezada), MMA fighters (Damacio Page, Elias Gallegos), writers (Yolanda Acosta, Barbara Madrid-Gutierrez), boxers (Johnny Tapia, Danny Romero), models (Miss United States 2005 Nicole Falsone), recording artists (Trini D, Jesus Jr.), basketballers (NBA champ Michael Cooper), artists (Amando Peña Jr.) and radio personalities (Erica Viking from Coyote 102.5 FM). The evening's festivities will include an awards presentation and a screening of the classic Latino film La Bamba. Erik Martinez, who appeared in ABC's short-lived shot-in-Albuquerque series "Scoundrels," will host. Tickets of varying levels ($10, $25, $100) are available through ticketmaster.com. For more information, log on to redcarpetnm.com.
Film Festival Preview
The Eighth Annual Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival
Local fest applauds diversity on screen
One of the keys to producing a successful film festival is finding a unifying theme, an identity that lets viewers know what sort of experiences are awaiting them. For eight years now, the Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has had little trouble with that. Reveling in its identity as the premiere outlet for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender cinema in the Southwest, Albuquerque's own SG&LFF has been able to attract hundreds of quality features, documentaries and shorts. With festival founder and director Roberto Appicciafoco beating the bushes for content, the festival has forged a solid reputation as an annual must-attend.
Film Review
Never Let Me Go
Overly restrained sci-fi experiment fails to create life
Some people seem to think the new film based on Kazuo Ishiguro's acclaimed sci-fi(ish) novel Never Let Me Go is highly subject to spoilers and that those wishing to see the film should avoid any and all reviews revealing the slightest narrative surprise. OK. The film doesn't play coy with its narrative, tossing aside any lingering sense of mystery right off the bat. But if you're really curious to see the film and don't want to know anything about it, here's the short, entirely spoiler-free review: It's drab, slow and very talky. Now, if you wanna learn more, read on.
Idiot Box
I'm Already Lost
"The Event" on NBC
NBC has spent a lot of time likening its new conspiracy thriller "The Event" to ABC's recently wrapped sci-fi series "Lost." That is what I like to call a big mistake. Having watched the first few weeks of "The Event," I can only come to the conclusion that the show more or less sucks rocks.
Week in Sloth
The Week in Sloth
"Texas Rodeo Tykes" (Animal Planet 9 p.m.) Sounds awesome—but only if they have crazy stage parents like on "Toddlers & Tiaras."


text:
Salesforce.com has made another step toward unifying its family of application development technologies with Salesforce1 Heroku Connect, which synchronizes data between its Force.com platform and Heroku.
Heroku Connect allows data to flow in both directions between Force.com and Postgres databases used by Heroku. As a result, developers can create applications that combine the transactional business processes powered by Force.com with Heroku's mobile and Web-friendly development tools.
While Force.com uses a proprietary programming language called Apex, Heroku offers support for open-source languages and frameworks such as Node.js, Ruby on Rails and Python.
Salesforce.com wants to give companies the ability to create "game-changing" applications such as the Uber ridesharing service, said Adam Gross, vice president of product at Heroku, which Salesforce.com acquired in 2010.
More than just a flashy user interface, such applications take advantage of powerful back-end business logic to deliver services to customers, Gross said.
But for the most part, creating such applications has required either "ninja developers" or "IT armies" deployed by the largest enterprises, something Heroku Connect will change, Gross contended.
Salesforce.com first announced Heroku Connect at the Dreamforce conference in November. Since then, it has undergone beta testing and is now generally available.
It's included as part of Salesforce.com's Connected Customer App Package, with pricing dependent on volume.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris' email address is email@example.com


text:
Online booking
You can book your holiday with discount here, in just a few steps.
If you do not want to pay with your card, the booking will be confirmed, but you can not have the benefits of the card payment.
If you choose not cancelable booking, the discount goes larger. The discount may vary depending on hotel, date etc.!
After setting up your reservation details, you will see the discounted price BEFORE any payment.
Have fun!
Just move your mouse to the help field if you need an advice!
If you need more assistance do not hesitate to contact email@example.com!
All your personal data and communication in secure using Verisign certificate.


text:
America's Drug Enforcement Administration is assisting the RCMP's investigation into the homicide of Ryan Daley and Dan Archbald, according to DEA Special Agent Jodie Underwood.
In an email to the Westerly News on Monday, Underwood confirmed that the DEA is assisting the investigation, but said she could not speak to the capacity of the DEA's involvement.
Daley and Archbald's remains were discovered near Ucluelet in June. They were last seen leaving Ucluelet's inner boat basin on-foot on May 16. Police say they arrived in Ucluelet on May 13 after a roughly eight-week sailing trip from Panama.
RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Janelle Shoihet declined to comment on the DEA's involvement in the investigation, but said it is "not uncommon" for police to engage or consult with domestic and international partners in order to move an investigation forward.
"At this point, we are not prepared to provide specifics with respect the homicide investigation of Ryan Daley and Daniel Archbald, however I can assure you the investigation is a priority for the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and remains active and ongoing," she said.
DEA spokesperson Wade Sparks also declined to provide specifics, but said the DEA has offices in Canada and often works with RCMP.
"We work with RCMP everyday. That doesn't necessarily mean that we're working on this particular case," he said. "DEA working with counterparts in a foreign country, where we have an office, is very common and it's the reason we're there."
He added that the DEA would not be involved in a homicide investigation.
"Just to be clear, DEA does not investigate murders," he said. "We stay in our lane, which is drug crimes. That's where we stay. We don't investigate homicides. We're never going to be an agency that's going to solve a murder…That's not something that we would be even attempting to do. It's not our lane."
Archbald and Daley were only back in Canada for a short period of time before they went missing and their bodies were discovered a month later. Police quickly announced their deaths had been deemed suspicious.


text:
Les Squires is a multi-dimensional consultant and IT systems wizard. He has a special interest in developing web-based networking tools that have important implications for web-based exchange platforms. Here below is a recent message in which he invites anyone and everyone to use his Ning development environment to build their own communities. It would be very useful if readers of this blog would try it out and leave their evaluative comments here. – t.h.g.
If you are interested in building communities using the Ning development environment, please let me know. We have created about 40 communities, starting in India over the last 4 months and working now for the next two months from Slovenia. You've probably heard me say, reminiscent of Field of Dreams, "Build the community and they will trade!" To this end, I've set up an number of Ning executive chats — we're pooling resources to build the most effective communities we can build. If you'd like to see a sample site created just 3 days ago at the PODIM conference in Maribor, Slovena, go to http://podim2008.ning.com — would something like this facilitate your community development? Can widgets for trading be far behind??


text:
Bar Light - USA
I've got to be honest is fun and exciting to see what the FUJIFILM X-T2 can produce. This HDR shot was taken in New Orleans. I love that the X-T2 doesn't over saturate the colours.
Wat Arun, Bangkok - Thailand
The glorious Wat Arun (Temple of the Sun) lives up to it's title as it gleams in the mid-day sun.
Sunset over Kuching - Borneo
A lone fisherman drifts into Kuching's small dockside under a golden light.
Sydney Opera House - Australia
The Icon that is the Sydney Opera House, makes for a great photo op.
Belize Sunrise - Belize
Our camp spot was just behind those tree's and this little sanctuary was our bathroom, shower and cool off area for 3 days whilst we camped here.
Petronas towers - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia
You'd be surprised to find out how far you have to hang out of a window while balancing a tripod to get a shot like this! This was one of my favourite compositions of my night time shoot in the Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur or KL for short.
Sun Burst Over Outback - Australia
A stunning sunburst erupts from behind the storm clouds across Australia's outback as we set up camp
Kings Canyon Oasis - Australia
This scorching hot Oasis hides cool dark water. The tall orange cliffs of Kings canyon protect this beautiful sanctuary.
Sunset Over Kuching - Borneo
I was lucky enough to capture one of the most majestic light shows I've witnessed as the day closed at over Borneo.
Sunrise over Borobudur Temple, central Java - Indonesia.
Borobudur Temple, Indonesia. High on a mountain in Central Java, Borobudur Temple rises up towards the sky.
Storm clouds over Rainbow Valley - Australia
Outback Australia is a place like nowhere else on earth. It has colour and contrast like nowhere else on the planet.
Buttress tree - Mexico
Just loving the web of branches that become roots and spread out. The dusty light was a bonus.
Storm Clouds Over Bromo - Java
A striking storm builds over Bromo Volcano, Java.
The Shepherd - India
This was a local shepherd that walked to our camp in the dunes every night to ask for aspirin for his headache. I created three exposure from a single shot to see what I could pull out of what was originally a very dark image. Aurora 2018 does a great job.
The Golden temple - India
The Golden temple (Sri Harmandir Sahib - "the abode of God") very in early in the morning during late winter in India.
Sunrise in Belize - Belize
Our morning bathing area gets bathed in sunlight in stunning Belize.
Baja Sunset - Mexico
Just another beautiful sunset over Baja, as seen from our friend's house, south of San Felipe.
Moon gazing - Mexico
Yes, I did have to climb up onto the temple wall at Chichen itza to get the I needed to line up the iguana and the moon.
2Ride The World In Baja - Mexico
Well, we had the sunset, the beach and a tripod, so we had to!
Osprey - Mexico
This bad boy actually stayed still long enough for me to capture 3 exposure. Ideal for an HDR
Alignment - Mexico
While tourist's snapped photos of the Chichen Itza's main temples, I was climbing a tree in order to get the line of sight I knew I needed to line up this iguana and the moon. I was eventually asked to climb down by the on-site security. i think it was worth it.
The Fotress - Mexico
The Fortress at Chichen itza is probably one of the most famous Mayan temples in the world. We use a number of apps on Lisa's iPhone to calculate when and where we needed to be in order to photograph the temple and moon.
Sunset at Coco's - Mexico
We enjoy a cold beer at Coco's Corner in Northern Baja as the sun sets.


text:
The modern world of business PCs has been shaken up over the last year as Ultrabooks and convertible notebook hybrid tablets have flooded the market. But what if you're just looking for a powerful-yet-portable business laptop? The HP EliteBook 2570p might be the perfect solution for you. It's not the newest or sexiest Windows PC, but the 2570p is mighty appealing if you're an IT guy looking for a relatively rugged solution for a mobile workforce.
Build and Design
The 12.5-inch 2570p is an evolutionary update to the 2560p designed for traveling business professionals. The 2570p was the smallest full-featured notebook in the EliteBook family (only recently bested by the 11.6-inch Elitebook 2170p) and thanks to HP's DuraCase technology this notebook will survive bangs, scratches, bumps, and falls that would usually result in display cracks, broken hinges, and hard drive data loss.
The chassis has a hard magnesium alloy as a sturdy support structure and is made to protect the top and bottom of the notebook against the elements. The display is layered in magnesium and then covered in an anodized aluminum sheet. HP points out that this construction is 50 percent stronger than magnesium alone.
The palmrests are brushed with an aluminum finish that helps prevent against scratches, and the display's hinges are made of metal alloy with steel pin axels. HP has tested the hinges withstanding power, stating that the notebook can be opened and closed ten times every day for a total of six years or 25,000 cycles. It's quite impressive that the notebook still weighs in at 3.68 pounds with all of this added material and layering.
When pressing down in the middle of the keyboard, the notebook does not flex under pressure; nor do the palmrests. The display lid is similarly firm even though the outside screen surrounds are plastic. The entire bottom outside casing is also plastic but doesn't feel poorly constructed.
The design hasn't changed much from last year–it's still covered in black and silver accents and carries a very professional look without being too bland. Simply put, the silver against black color scheme creates a nice contrast without being outlandish. The surfaces are also smooth and feel great.
Overall, the build is exceptional and strong and the design is pleasing to the eyes. I have confidence that it will withstand years of bumps, bruises and the occasional mishap. Speaking of mishaps, the 2570p has a shock-mounted hard drive (to help prevent data loss in the event of a drop) and the keyboard is spill resistant. Really, there isn't much at all to complain about. Some users might see this laptop as being too bulky compared to modern ultraportables, but the thinkness of the notebook is the price you pay for greater durability as well as serviceability and upgradeability.
Ports and Features
The 2570p is one of the very few 12.5-inch notebooks in the market with an integrated optical drive. Our review model came equipped with a DVD+/-RW SuperMulti optical drive, although a simple DVD-ROM or weight-saving module are also available. The port selection the notebook is quite extensive. Since this is meant to be primarily a travel/business notebook, it doesn't have HDMI. What it does have is three USB ports (including a USB 3.0, USB 2.0 and an eSATA/USB 3.0 combo port), a Smart Card reader, ExpressCard/34, SD/MMC, DisplayPort, VGA, and a lock slot.
Front: three speaker grillesBack: VGA, USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 (one for charging mobile devices)Left: a/c power, Ethernet, Smart Card readerRight: ExpressCard/34, SD/MMC combo, headphones jack, DisplayPort, eSATA/USB 3.0 combo, dock connector, exhaust vent, lock slot
Screen and Speakers
The HP EliteBook 2560p has a 12.5-inch HD anti-glare 720p (1366×768) display with LED backlighting. There aren't any upgrade options for the display. The display is of a lower resolution, but then again not many people will be photo/video editing or extensive work where a better resolution is needed while away from the desk, so the lower resolution shouldn't be a determining factor.
Head-on at full brightness, the details of the display appear good enough for getting regular work tasks done. The horizontal viewing angles aren't that good, however, and start to distort images about 5-10 degrees off-center. The vertical viewing angles are much better; images don't begin to distort until about 25 degrees off center.
The contrast ratio is average to low–we measured it at 196:1 with a peak luminance of 149 nits in the center. This notebook displays acceptable color contrast for what it will primarily be used for.
The 2570p has three speaker grilles, located on the front of the notebook. The audio is above average for a notebook of this size with a good range of volume at the high, middle and low levels. At a high volume the 2570p should be able to project audio out adequately for a presentation or training. At high levels the audio still sounds clear without sounding muffled or distorted.
Although, we had a few problems with the the location of the speakers. When the speakers are set on the front edge of the notebook instead of near the top of the keyboard, sound doesn't reach the ears as well because the audio doesn't project outward as it should. The placement also allowed me to feel the audio being played on the palmrests at higher volume levels. It's extremely distracting to feel the vibrations of the speakers when audio is playing; even in the middle volume range the speakers create subtle but noticeable vibrations through the palmrests.
Keyboard and Touchpad
The HP EliteBook 2570p has the same Chiclet-style keyboard as the 2560p. There is extra spacing between the keys to help with key flow and travel. The keys are flat and have a textured feel to them. Key travel and throw are excellent; it's generally very easy to type with and is a quite comfortable experience. The support structure in the chassis prevents the keyboard from flexing under heavy typing pressure.
If you're interested in typing in a dark room there is a keyboard light located above the display; click the lightbulb button once to open it. It's small and not particularly bright, but it does help you see the keyboard in dark places. Other features include a pointstick in the center of the keyboard, Wi-Fi, browser launch and mute quick keys in the upper-right, and a fingerprint reader on the bottom-right.
The only complaint I have about the keyboard is that the page up, page down, end, and home keys are set on the up/down and left/right arrows. Users must press the function key to use them, which be a turn-off for frequent users of them.
The Synaptics touchpad is quite small–meaning if you want to move the cursor from one end of the screen to the other, it'll take more time than it usually does (even if the pointer speed is set to very fast). The surface of the touchpad is very smooth and creates an enjoyable experience that will still be enjoyable even when there's moisture on your fingers. The size of the touchpad is an issue, but if you turn the pointer speed up it shouldn't be a big issue. That being said, the touchpad is above average for notebooks of this size because of its texture; it improves its ease of use.


text:
ROME, March 26, 2013— -- Amanda Knox was "shocked" by Italy's Supreme Court ruling today that she must be retried for the 2007 murder of her roommate Meredith Kercher.
Knox spent four years in prison before an Italian appeals court threw out her murder conviction in 2011 and she had been hoping the court would uphold the appeals court ruling and end her six year ordeal.
Instead she was told that the marathon legal battle would continue for her and for her ex-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito, who had been convicted along with her.
The court also refused to vacate her conviction for slander over her identifying her employer, Patrick Lumumba, as the person who killed Kercher. It was a statement, she claims, she made under police duress.
"She is shocked and very sad," Knox's lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova said. "She thought this was the end of a nightmare."
In a statement Knox said the court's decision was "painful" and "completely unfounded and unfair."
"The prosecution responsible for the many discrepancies in their work must be made to answer for them, for Raffaele's sake, my sake, and most especially for the sake of Meredith's family. Our hearts go out to them," she said.
"No matter what happens, my family and I will face this continuing legal battle as we always have, confident in the truth and with our heads held high in the face of wrongful accusations and unreasonable adversity," she added.
FULL COVERAGE: The Amanda Knox Trial
"It's a shocking decision, so we go back to discuss the case and we are ready again," Dalla Vedova said.
Kercher's family, which had been clearly disappointed when Knox and Sollecito were freed, said today that she "happy" by today's ruling, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.
Her lawyer said the new trial will probably start again next year. He said Knox will not come back for new trial.
The new trial does not mean that Knox would be back in an Italian prison any time soon. She would not be required to return to Italy for the trial and if she is convicted again, that ruling would be appealed up to the Supreme Court. More legal proceedings will be necessary to extradite Knox to Italy. Experts do not believe such an effort would be successful.
The court has 90 days to write their "motivation," explaining in detail why they overturned the acquittal and upheld Knox's slander conviction.
Knox's lawyers had said she was "anxious" Monday over the court's hearing. She stayed in Seattle for the hearing.
In their final arguments before Italy's Supreme Court Monday, Dalla Vedova told the court, "'This trial started with an error and the prosecution continues to insist in the errors even in an attempt to convince the Supreme Court that the recourse should be accepted."
Complete Coverage of Amanda Knox Case
Amanda Knox Shocked By Court Ruling
Prosecutors and a lawyer for Kercher's family argued that appeals court judges "lost their way" in analyzing the evidence and that Knox and Sollecito should be retried for Kercher's murder.
"We feel that Amanda and Raffaele are guilty and were in the room with Rudy Guede," Francesco Maresca, lawyer for the Kercher family, said as he entered the Corte di Cassazione, Italy's supreme court, in Rome.
Guede, an Ivory Coast drifter, has also been convicted in the 2007 murder and is serving a 16 year prison term.
Since her 2011 release from prison, Knox has resumed her life in Seattle, taking classes and spending time with her family and boyfriend, James Terrano.
Her memoir, "Waiting to Be Heard," published by HarperCollins, will be released April 30. She reportedly received an advance of $4 million for the book.
Knox's first interview since she was freed will air during a primetime special on Tuesday, April 30 at 10 p.m., ET on the ABC Television Network.


text:
Jungle Dream
Rincón de la Vieja, Costa Rica.
Amazing sunset at Playa Venado!
Playa Venado, Costa Rica
Thunderstorm and stars
A perfect evening with lightning and a sky covered with stars in Costa Rica, Playa Junquillal.
The bubble!
This is one of those shots that just came out exactly how i wanted it. See the reflection of the house and the pool in the bubble!!
La Anita Rainforest Ranch
A gem near Rincón de la Vieja.
Yosemite Falls
Pure reflections on a morning walk. The tiny puddle seemed to hold the whole of Yosemite Falls in its reflection.
The famous "Moon Bow"
A rare phenomenom that happens anbout three or four time a year in Yosemite. The skies have to be clear, enough water needs to be flowing in the river, and the moon needs to be in the right position. We just happened to be in the right place at the right time to take a shot of this magical event!
Tunnel View, Yosemite
A classic view of the Valley. I can't imagine the feeling of the first people who saw this breathtaking view when coming out of the tunnel over a hundred year ago! What a magical place. One of the few on earth!
Early evening sun on Sky Rock, California
Early evening sun on Sky Rock, California
A view of the Sierras
Looking towards Mammuth Lake, in Sierra Neveda.
A lone ancient tree
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest, California.
Greenery at the Arboretum
The trees around the Washington Park Arboretum are absolutely stunning! So much greenery! No wonder it's called the "evergreen" state!


text:
Our 3D CAD supplier models have been moved to 3Dfindit.com, the new visual search engine for 3D CAD, CAE & BIM models.
You can log in there with your existing account of this site.
The content remains free of charge.
This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)(Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Off-roading is the activity of driving or riding a vehicle on unsurfaced roads or tracks, made of materials such as sand, gravel, riverbeds, mud, snow, rocks, and other natural terrain. Types of off-roading range in intensity, from leisure drives with unmodified vehicles to competitions with customized vehicles and professional drivers. Off-roaders have been met with criticism for the environmental damage caused by their vehicles. There have also been extensive debates over the role of government in regulating the sport, including a Supreme Court case brought against the Bureau of Land Management.
Travelling on off-road terrains require vehicles capable of accommodating off-road driving such as ATVs. These vehicles accommodate off-road conditions with extended ground clearance, off-road tires and drive-train. Some manufacturers offer vehicles specifically meant for off-road use.[citation needed]
Some examples of recreational off-roading include the following:
Dune bashing is a form of off-roading on sand dunes.
A Large sport utility vehicle such as the Toyota Land Cruiser is an example of vehicle used (however, light weight vehicles often fare better in the extremely soft sand found on sand dunes). Vehicles driven on dunes may be equipped with a roll cage in case of an overturn; Similar to auto-racing, experience and skill is required to maneuver the car and prevent accidents. Before entering the desert in an everyday-use SUV or pickup, it is essential to reduce the tire pressure. This is done to gain more traction by increasing the footprint of the tire and, therefore, reducing the ground pressure of the vehicle on the sand as there is a greater surface area (much like a person wearing snowshoes can walk on a soft surface without sinking, but a person without them cannot). For example, tires with a recommended pressure of 35 psi would be reduced to approximately 12-14 psi.
A common modification is to fit beadlock rims, which allow tire pressure to be lowered even further, without risking tire and rim separation. Upon entering the desert, it is common to meet with a pack of vehicles and a group leader before proceeding. The group leader then leads the pack through the stunts in single file. The main reason for this technique is to prevent vehicles from losing track of direction and getting lost.
High speed racing in the open desert includes chases and racing on a rough desert terrain with numerous pots and bumps at the maximum speed. Drivers mostly use RWD and 4WD trucks with long travel suspension, wide stance on the front and large tires (typically 33"- 39") which allows to maintain optimal stability at the high speed. This type of trucks is often called Prerunner.[1]
Rock Racing is very similar to rock crawling in the fact that the vehicles are driven over rocks, the difference is that there are no penalties for hitting cones, backing up or winching as is done in rock crawling. Rock racing also involves a degree of high-speed racing not seen in typical rock crawling.[citation needed]
Unlike stationary dune bashing that tends to revolve around a single star dune or one obstacle, cross-country off-roading is an activity that lasts several days on routes with desert or other terrains. Routes in Africa generally have obstacles in largely uninhabited and uncharted terrain.[citation needed] These circuit routes are over 50 km and usually around 300 km long[citation needed]
This is a type of travel undertaken with a 4x4 that mostly goes over tracks and contains some bits of off-roading. Traditionally these trips are going through relatively uninhabited areas. Popular are the deserts in Tunisia, Morocco and other North African countries, continent crossing trips through Africa, trips through Mongolia or Northern Scandinavia. Typical modifications to vehicles for this kind of travel are the addition of extra fuel tanks, roof rack tents, and elaborate storage systems in the back for food, water/drinking, spare parts, tools and other cargo. Due to the extra weight the suspension is often reinforced with stronger springs, shock absorbers etc...[citation needed]
Green laning (or two-tracking) is a leisure pursuit, generally suitable for any four-wheel-drive vehicle, even those without modifications or additional equipment. The term green lane refers to the fact that the routes are predominantly along unsurfaced tracks, forest tracks, or older roadways that may have fallen into disuse. In the UK they are usually roads which are not maintained in any way and will often include fords.
Mudding is off-roading through an area of wet mud or clay.[2] The goal is to drive through as far as possible without becoming stuck.[3] There are many types of tires that are recommended for this activity. Some tires are balloon tires, mud-terrain tires and paddle tires. This activity is very popular in the United States, although it is illegal on public land due to the environmental impact.[4]
Rock crawling is a category of off-roading. Vehicles used for rock crawling are usually modified with different tires, suspension components that allow greater axle articulation, and changes in the differential gear ratio in order to obtain characteristics suitable for low speed operation for traversing obstacles. It is common for a rock crawler to have a "spotter", who is an assistant on foot by the vehicle to provide information to the driver about the areas out of sight to the driver.[5]
All progress is made at low speed and the emphasis is on skill, rather than finishing first although trialing can be highly competitive. There are three traditional forms of off-road trailing.
RTV (Road Taxed Vehicle) trialing is the most common form of trialing. As the name suggests, it is for vehicles that are road-legal (and thus required to pay vehicle excise duty). This excludes vehicles that are highly modified or specially built. RTV-class vehicles can carry a wide range of suspension modifications, as well as off-road tires (provided they are road-legal), recovery winches, raised air intakes etc. Vehicles on RTV trials are usually best described as "modified from standard"—they use the standard chassis, drive-train and body that the vehicle was built with. Whilst modification is not necessarily required for an RTV trial, at the very least the vehicle would be expected to have some under-body protection such as a sump guard, differential guard and solid sills. RTV courses are intended to be non-damaging and driven at little more than a walking pace and a course properly laid out would be drivable without damage. However, the terrain usually includes steep slopes, water, side-slopes, deep ruts and other obstacles that could potentially damage a vehicle if mistakes are made or poor driving technique is used, and vehicle modifications increase the chance of success.[6]
RTV trials usually take place on farmland, a quarry site or at a dedicated off-road driving center, and are usually organized by a dedicated trialing body (such as the All Wheel Drive Club or The Association of Land Rover clubs in the UK), or by a vehicle owner's club.[citation needed] The course consists of 10 to 12 "gates" marked by two garden canes, vertically placed. The gates are just wide enough to get a standard vehicle through. One vehicle attempts the course at a time, and is deemed to have cleared a gate if at least one of the front wheel hub passes between the canes. The vehicle's attempt ends when it comes to a stop (depending on the exact level of skill the trial is aimed at, any stopping may end the attempt, or a few seconds may be allowed). Long-wheelbase vehicles are usually allowed to perform a three-point turn if needed, providing the driver declares where the turn is going to be made before they attempt the course (this puts a strong emphasis on ground-reading ability). This can also be called a "shunt" where the driver has to attempt a gate and then shout shunt. they are then allowed a space of 1 and a half car lengths to reverse and line the car better to enter through the gate
The course between the gates is a "section": between the start line and the first gate is "Section 1", the part between the first and second gates is "Section 2" and so on. An RTV course is often laid out so that each section is progressively more difficult, although this is not always the case. If a driver fails to complete Section 1 they are given 10 points. If the attempt ends in Section 2, 9 points are awarded etc. A clear round results in gaining only 1 point. A day's event will consist of many different courses and the driver with the lowest score is the winner.
Since the terrain covered in RTV trials should be well within the capabilities of any reasonably capable vehicle (even in standard form), these trials place the emphasis on driver skill and ground-reading abilities. A good driver in a standard specification vehicle can easily win over a modified, highly equipped vehicle driven by a less competent driver.[citation needed]
Cross Country Vehicle (CCV) trialing is the next step up from RTV trialing and is open to non-road-legal vehicles, which greatly increases the scope for modification. The terrain covered will be of greater difficulty than that found on an RTV trial, and will usually require more judicious use of speed to get the vehicle across certain obstacles, so increasing the risk of vehicle damage. Whilst no trial is intended to be vehicle-damaging mistakes and accidents are inevitable. A standard-specification vehicle would not be expected to be able to complete a CCV course.
The event is run along the same lines as RTV, with a course made up of cane-marked gates. The rules are also the same as an RTV trial.[citation needed]
CCV trialing differs greatly from RTV trials in the vehicles used.[citation needed] Since "anything goes", CCV trials rely on having the correct vehicle to a much greater extent than in an RTV trial. Competitors are able to design and build vehicles that are much more optimized for off-road use than in the lower ranks of trialing. CCV vehicles have powerful engines, high ground clearance, light, minimalist bodywork and good approach and departure angles. For many years, in the UK, the ultimate CCV vehicle could be built by taking the chassis of a Range Rover, removing the body, cutting the chassis down to an 80-inch wheelbase and mating it to the body of a Series I Land Rover, retaining the Range Rover's V8 engine and coil-spring suspension in a light, easy to maneuvre body. In recent years the value of early Land Rovers and Range Rovers has risen to the extent that this is no longer practical. CCV triallers now usually base their vehicles around Land Rover 90s or a standard 100-inch chassis from a Range Rover or Series I Discovery. The Suzuki SJ series of vehicles also make good bases for CCV-spec vehicles. Some vehicles are specially built, taking the form of light "buggies" with tractor tires and "fiddle" brakes for the best performance.[citation needed]
Vehicles are required to meet certain safety regulations. Roll-cages must be fitted and be built to a suitable standard, recovery points must be fitted front and rear and fuel tanks must meet certain standards.[citation needed] A 4-point harness for all occupants is required and a fire extinguisher is recommended.
A competitive form of trialing with a course laid out with control points or gates and vehicles must collect punches (holes on a punch-card) or traverse as many gates as possible. These challenges often include a small number of special stages.[citation needed]
At its most basic a winch challenge vehicle will be a CCV-spec machine with a front-mounted recovery winch. However, a distinct breed of vehicles adapted for Winch Challenges has evolved. The small, open-topped CCV vehicles are not well suited to carrying the often large range of equipment needed for winch recovery in difficult terrain. A larger vehicle with some form of protection from the elements is desired (the short-wheelbase Land Rover Defender, especially in "Hard Top" guise, is a typical and common basis for a Winch Challenge vehicle).
There are other forms of trialing, usually based around one of the above types but with a slight difference. These are often used as more "fun" events within a vehicle club, rather than as a part of a formal championship. Examples include:
Winch events often involve attempting to access areas that would be impossible without the use of a winch – this can include traversing deep gullies, steep slopes and so on. Most off-road vehicles that have been prepared for this type of event will typically have two winches, one at the front and one at the rear of the vehicle, each with a rated pull of over 9,000 lb (4,100 kg).[citation needed]
In some countries off-road activities are strictly regulated, while others promote cross country off-road endurance events like the Dakar Rally, Spanish Baja, Africa Eco Race, Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge, Russian Baja Northern Forest, San Felipe 250 and Baja 500 & 1000, and the which are a test of navigation skills and machine durability.[citation needed] off road parks and motocross tracks also host a number of events and may be the only legal place to off-road in the area. Events include jamborees, rock crawling competitions, Mud Bog races, Top Truck Challenges and sand racing as well as many other events, such as the Tank Trap.
It is popular Ultra4 off road racing series with races such as King of the Hammers. Those Ultra4 cars combine desert racing and rock crawling in one car.[7][8]
Russia has very busy off-roading championship 5-7 starts every year. Also every club has its own events, in Tambov off-road club Сhernozem has 4 traditional races and the most popular off-road race in Russia is Ladoga-race in Karelia.
Organizations and associations participate in political lobbying supporting favorable regulations for off roading proponents.[citation needed] Some organizations, such as the Blue Ribbon Coalition and Tread Lightly!, are solely set up for off-roading related lobbying.[citation needed]
While production vehicles with off-road capabilities can travel on unsurfaced roads, modifications are needed to travel on terrains exceeding capabilities of original configuration. The following are some of the modifications made to off-road vehicles.
A vehicle lift is when the vehicle is raised to increase the amount of clearance between the ground and the bottom of the body or frame of the vehicle. A lift will also help with tire clearance when going over large obstacles with only one or 2 wheels and allow the vehicles differential to flex without having the tires rub the fenders. There are several methods for vehicle lift. Some methods may be combined together to best fit the needs.
This is a method that is only usable on body-on-frame design found in some pickup trucks and some SUVs. A body lift is performed by placed spacers in between the normal mounting points of the vehicle's chassis and body. These typically are between 1 to 4 inches (25 to 100 mm). When a body lift is installed on a vehicle it is very common for linkages and other components on the vehicle to need drop brackets to function properly after the lift. Raising the body permits the fitting of over-sized tires.
A suspension lift is a modification to vehicle's suspension system that includes a lengthening coil springs or re-arching leaf springs to make them taller. Doing this will make the vehicle taller and make the approach, departure, and breakover angles better for off-roading. Increasing the distance between the axles and body of a vehicle drastically often requires the replacement of other parts in the suspension system to make it work correctly again.
A block lift (often referred to as a budget lift) is a modification that is similar to a body lift in the way it works, but used in a different location. Block lifts are used to provide more room between the body and axle of a vehicle for larger tires. A block lift consists of either extended spring isolators or blocks that are inserted between a vehicles axle and spring, or a spring and the vehicles body. This type of lift is often preferred due to the affordability and ease of installation.
A shackle lift is designed to lift the vehicle in order to provide more room to fit larger tires. This type of lift is accomplished by removing the stock shackles that the vehicle was equipped with and replacing them with longer ones. Lengthening the shackle moves one half of the leaf spring further away from the frame resulting in a taller suspension. Typically every two inches that a shackle is lengthened provides one inch of vehicle lift.
Increasing the tire size increases the ground clearance of all parts of vehicle including suspended components, such as the axles. It may be necessary to make modifications to vehicle's suspension or body depending on the size of the tires to be installed and the specific vehicle.
Portal axles, a type of axles with the axle line wheel centre allows increasing the ground clearance at differential cases without corresponding increase in overall vehicle height or the center of gravity.
Off-roading is always related to driving off the pavement, making it important to maintain proper traction in all road conditions such as mud, dirt, rocks, sand, ice or snow. It is recommended to use appropriate tires on each terrain type to get the most effective traction. Continuous track is often used in extreme road conditions when regular wheels can't provide enough traction for moving forward. Tracks may be used on sand, ices and snow.
Most vehicles that are used for off-roading come from the factory with open differentials.[9] This type of differential is common in many vehicles and while it is fine for paved roads, it is often removed and replaced with an alternative. If a vehicle is equipped with open differentials and one of the front tires and one of the back tires comes off the ground, they will just spin helplessly in the air, and you won't be able to move at all.[9] Locking differentials allow power to get to both the axles and will cause both tires to move. Having front and rear locking differentials allows all four axles to receive power.
Some traction control devices used are:
Tires are often improved on off-road vehicles in order to better traverse rough terrain. Regular automotive tires don't provide enough traction to help a vehicle through sand, dirt, snow and ice, so specialized tires are normally used on off-road 4x4 vehicles. Large overall wheel diameter provides a better ride comfort and road clearance. Wide tires help to distribute the weight on sand, while narrower tires help get better traction in the snow or on ice. Each tire type has its own tread type to provide a proper grip in certain road conditions. Common off-road tire types are: Sand tires, Mud-terrain tire, Snow tires and All-terrain tire.
It is very common for newer 4x4's equipped with sway bars to have them removed. Sway bars limit the up and down travel of axle which limits the amount of flex a vehicle has. Some manufacturers have recognized that this is common and on newer Jeep Wranglers drivers have the option to electronically remove the sway bar with the Rubicon package.
While lifting a vehicle to gain ground clearance is helpful to off-roaders, it can also make a vehicle dangerous as, when a vehicle has been lifted, its center of gravity rises, which causes the vehicle to be more likely to tumble in certain situations. Other dangers include loss of visibility of smaller objects and bumper height as compared to other vehicles on the road. In the United States, bumper and frame height laws are effective in most states to ensure that the vehicles on the road are not too much higher than their average car counterparts. Lifting vehicles improperly without taking driveline angles into consideration will wear out suspension components faster and make them more prone to failure.
A danger with off-roading is damage to the vehicle from hitting rocks or other hard surfaces on very uneven terrain. A typical solution would be to install skid plates (sometimes also called bash plates), which are thick metal plates protecting vulnerable parts (such as the transfer/gear box or engine oil sump). Some manufacturers install skid plates as standard equipment on some of their vehicles. For many others this additional protection is available as an after-market accessory. Skid plates may be simple flat plates, but they may also be formed (by stamping or by welding multiple pieces) to protect shaped items like differentials. Fuel tank skid plates are a common factory option. In addition to skid plates, many off-roaders install differential covers that will not bend or break if they are smashed on rocks or other large objects. Since the axles on an off-road vehicle typically are the lowest hanging part of the vehicle making them susceptible to damage.
Probably the most common improvement for off-road use is the grille or bull guard, which can be added with or without an improved bumper. These typically metal frameworks extend to protect the grille, and potentially the headlights as well. One common type used on off-road pickups and SUVs is the "prerunner" style, with an angular, protruding front designed to sweep vegetation away from the vehicle centerline, and to deflect the vehicle from less movable obstacles. The grille protection system can be assembled piecemeal, or a one-piece winch-mount bumper with a prerunner bar and grille guard can be fitted. Bumpers designed for off-road use typically have added eyes or D-rings to assist in vehicle recovery.
Another common off-roading accessory, "rock rails" or "rock sliders", are heavy metal rails or tubes which runs alongside the rocker panels and serves to protect the sides of the vehicle that are exposed on particularly rough terrain, or where there is a risk that lower edges of the vehicle between the wheels might come into contact with rocks below. This strategy can be extended to the entire vehicle, in which case it is referred to as an "external cage" or "exocage". External cages help protect the entire body of the vehicle in the case of a rollover or slide into an obstacle.
The neutrality of this section is disputed. (April 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Off-road vehicle use on public land has been criticized by some members of the U.S. government[11] and environmental organizations including the Sierra Club and The Wilderness Society.[12][13] They have noted several consequences of illegal ORV use such as pollution, trail damage, erosion, land degradation, possible species extinction,[14] and habitat destruction[15][16] which can leave hiking trails impassable.[17] ORV proponents argue that legal use taking place under planned access along with the multiple environment and trail conservation efforts by ORV groups will mitigate these issues. Groups such as the Blueribbon Coalition advocate Treadlightly, which is the responsible use of public lands used for off-road activities.
According to the U.S. Forest Service the use of old-style two-stroke engines, previously common in vehicles designed for off-road use, also causes concerns about pollution. This is because "two-stroke engines emit about 20 to 33 percent of the consumed fuel through the exhaust" (as the engine lubricant is a "total loss system" and is emitted by design) and "discharge from two-stroke snowmobile engines can lead to indirect pollutant deposition into the top layer of snow and subsequently into the associated surface and ground water".[18]
Noise pollution is also a concern[19] and several studies conducted by Montana State University, California State University, University of Florida and others have cited possible negative behavioral changes in wildlife as the result of some ORV use.[20]
Some U.S. states have laws to reduce noise generated by off-road and non-highway vehicles. Washington is one example: "State law requires off-road and other non-highway vehicles to use specified noise-muffling devices (RCW 46.09.120(1) (e) maximum limits and test procedures). State agencies and local governments may adopt regulations governing the operation of non-highway vehicles on property, streets, or highways within their jurisdiction, provided they are not less stringent than state law (RCW 46.09.180 regulation by local political subdivisions)".[21]
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) supervises several large off-road vehicle areas in California's Mojave Desert.
In 2009, U.S. District Judge Susan Illston ruled against the BLM's proposed designation of additional off road use on designated open routes on public land. According to the ruling the BLM violated its own regulations[22] when it designated approximately 5,000 miles of off-road vehicle routes in 2006.[23] According to Judge Ilston the BLM's designation was "flawed because it does not contain a reasonable range of alternatives" to limit damage to sensitive habitat, as required under the National Environmental Policy Act.[24] Illston found that the bureau had inadequately analyzed the route's impact on air quality, soils, plant communities and sensitive species such as the endangered Mojave fringe-toed lizard, pointing out that the United States Congress has declared that the California Desert and its resources are "extremely fragile, easily scarred, and slowly healed".[24]
The court also found that the BLM failed to follow route restrictions established in the agency's own conservation plan, resulting in the establishment of hundreds of illegal OHV routes during the previous three decades.[22] The plan violated the BLM's own regulations, specifically the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) and the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA).[23] The ruling was considered a success for a coalition of conservation groups including the Friends of Juniper Flats, Community Off-road Vehicle Watch, California Native Plant Society, The Center for Biological Diversity, The Sierra Club, and The Wilderness Society who initiated the legal challenge in late 2006.[24]
Many U.S. national parks have discussed or enacted roadless rules and partial or total bans on ORVs. To accommodate enthusiasts, some parks like Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, were created specifically for ORVs and related purposes. However, such designations have not prevented damage or abuse of the policy.[25]
In 2004, several environmental organizations sent a letter to Dale Bosworth, Chief of the United States Forest Service, and described the extent of damage caused by ORV use, including health threats to other people:
It is well-established that the proliferation of off-road vehicle and snowmobile use places soil, vegetation, air and water quality, and wildlife at risk through pollution, erosion, sedimentation of streams, habitat fragmentation and disturbance, and other adverse impacts to resources. These impacts cause severe and lasting damage to the natural environment on which human-powered and equestrian recreation depends and alter the remote and wild character of the backcountry. Motorized recreation monopolizes forest areas by denying other users the quiet, pristine, backcountry experience they seek. It also presents safety and health threats to other recreationists.[26]
In 2004 the Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia listed several problems that result from ORV use in natural areas. From the Environmental News Service article:
Scalia noted that off-road vehicle use on federal land has "negative environmental consequences including soil disruption and compaction, harassment of animals, and annoyance of wilderness lovers.[27]
A number of environmental organizations, including the Rangers for Responsible Recreation, are campaigning to draw attention to a growing threat posed by off-road vehicle misuse and to assist overmatched land managers in addressing ORV use impacts.[28] These campaigns in part have prompted congressional hearings about the growing impact of unmanaged off road vehicle use.
The House Natural Resources Committee Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands held an oversight hearing on "The Impacts of Unmanaged Off-Road Vehicles on Federal Land" on March 13, 2008.[29] A second hearing on off-highway vehicle (OHV) management on public lands was held by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 5, 2008.[30] The Senate committee hearing was convened for the purpose of finding out why the agencies are failing to grapple with the negative impacts of off-road vehicle use on US public lands and what the agencies might need to start doing differently. For the first time in perhaps a decade, members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee grilled leaders of the Forest Service and the BLM about why off-road vehicle use is being allowed to damage America's national treasures.
Taking center stage in the discussion was the "travel planning process", a complex analysis and decision-making procedure with the aim of designating appropriate roads and trails. Both the Forest Service and BLM have been engaged in somewhat similar travel planning processes now for years, but some of the committee members didn't seem to think those processes were going along so well. "The BLM has identified travel management on its lands as 'one of the greatest management challenges' it faces," stated committee Chairman Jeff Bingaman, D-NM. "Likewise, the Forest Service has identified unmanaged recreation — including ORV use — as one of the top four threats to the management and health of the National Forest System. Despite these statements, it seems to me that neither agency has been able to successfully manage off-road use."
"Existing rules for managing off-road vehicles are not being enforced," Bingaman added, and the agencies are ignoring unregulated use "with significant consequences for the health of our public lands and communities, and adverse effects on other authorized public land uses."
Negative environmental effects caused by a motorcycle to a portion of the Los Padres National Forest.
Damage that occurred when vehicles left the posted trail. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Off-roading", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. There is a list of all authors in Wikipedia
Car, Truck,MotorBike, Bicycle, Engine, Racer


text:
When I first encountered the stories of the early Everest expeditions, I didn't even have the facts; all I had was the myth.
I was first introduced to the story of George Mallory while working at a local outfitter, selling climbing and camping gear. There was a television set on the shop floor that played gear videos, mountain movies, and adventure documentaries. My favorite documentary was one that showed black-and-white footage of the earliest attempts to climb Mr. Everest. That was how I first saw George Mallory: in pith helmet and knee socks, crossing the Himalaya. From the very start, that image and the story of his disappearance had me hooked.
The mythology surrounding Mallory is unmistakably grand. He was one of the last of the classic English gentleman explorers — an athlete, a scholar, and a writer with ties to the Bloomsbury group.
I am using that quote to back into this review of Above All Things because it supplies some ideal context. The 2012 Everest climbing season has now come to a close and, even as a non-climber, it is fair to observe it was a disaster. By all accounts, the slopes of the world's highest peak now bear more resemblance to the midway at your local fair than they do to the lonely top-of-the-world outpost of Mallory's day — scores of ill-trained climbers, junk from previous climbs, a circus of foolish ambition. That current distasteful situation is a significant barrier to those contemplating reading a fictional account of the quest as it existed almost a century ago.
One thing hasn't changed, however: people still die there, as Mallory did. And, even before I begin discussion of the book, it is worth noting that Rideout has done the reading world a favor by writing this fictional version of the Mallory story, a reminder that Mt. Everest once was regarded as the world's third unreached "Pole", not the scene of an annual circus. And having lost the race to the other two to an American and a Norwegian, the Brits were determined to claim conquest of the third.
Rideout opens her story with a brief chapter set in 1920 as Mallory is preparing for his first Everest attempt and explaining to his wife, Ruth, the powerful hold that the mountain has on him:
He took her hands again and traced the lines of her palms, like horizons. "She was named for George Everest. He was the surveyor general of India, but he died before he ever saw her. From malaria, after blindness, paralysis, and wild bouts of insanity. He was a bully apparently, drove his men mad. He set out to force some order on the world with his maps. He started at the bottom and swept his survey up the arc of India.
So even before the first Englishman had ever stood at the base of the mountain, Everest was inspiring a fanatical attraction in some that bordered on — perhaps extended to — madness. By the time Mallory is preparing for his third attempt in 1924, when the novel proper opens, he has become one of that affected group. And while Ruth in that short opening chapter saw her husband as "the world famous explorer" by the time attempt number three is looming she has tired of paying the price for the apparently hopeless enterprise. The couple now have three children and George has a new teaching position at Cambridge — it is time to get on with proper gentlemanly life, raising a family and abandoning impossible youthful pursuits.
"You said you were done with it. You promised." Her voice sounded tight. She breathed in deeply. "I know you, George. What you want is for me to give you leave to go."
"No," he started to protest, but she was right. They both knew it.
Eventually, Ruth had agreed they should think about it, and he promised they'd make the decision together. But when Hinks's final invitation came, George had accepted without discussing it with her. He couldn't help himself. For days after, he'd waited for the right moment to tell her what he'd done.
Above All Things is very much a book about mountain climbing, but as those excerpts show Rideout makes it much more than that. Chapters that painstakingly tell the story of the expedition's progress to and up the mountain are alternated with a second narrative stream, a day in the life of Ruth Mallory, back in Cambridge, awaiting the post every day, hoping for a letter from her husband even though by then the letter would be several weeks old and George, assuming he was still alive, would be in a far different space on the climb.
While every attempt on Everest involves an extensive team (five climbers from England, two supporting Englishmen based in India and a host of native porters and bearers on this one), it is ultimately a lonely experience. The final thrust for the summit will involve teams of only two. And, as the climbers move higher on the mountain, the lack of oxygen plays tricks with the mind — despite the hostile surroundings, memories of the past move to the immediate mental present, often becoming hallucinations that are so real that the climber overlooks the actual reality and suffers fatally for the lapse.
Rideout offsets that mountain-slope loneliness with Ruth's. As the months of George's absence unfold, her own mind moves more and more to where she thinks her husband's is. On the day that the author uses to tell her story, she plans and holds a dinner party with family and climbing friends of George's (including Hinks, the chair of the committee overseeing English Everest attempts, whom she loathes for stealing George from her this third time). It is an effort to root herself in English reality; it doesn't work as her own mind is preoccupied with memories of herself and George, more recent ones of how he betrayed his promise and became part of this expedition and her growing fears about what might have happened to him since his last letter.
Rideout also employs another voice in the Everest stream of her narrative: Sandy Irvine is taking a term off from his studies at Oxford as the fifth, least-experienced member of the team. He hasn't done a lot of climbing himself but he is strong in a husky sort of way and has Mr. Fixit skills for the equipment ranging from ropes to oxygen tanks to stoves that continually breaks down as the climb progresses. George has been there before and already experienced most of the challenges and problems (except for the last few hundred feet) but for Sandy each setback is a new one — the contrast between veteran and rookie is a device well-executed by the author.
As noted earlier, I am not a climber but I do remember reading Everest books as a youth (although I can't remember the authors or titles). Certainly as the climbers reach higher heights and mental confusion and hallucinations became more frequent, I remembered those earlier volumes. But while Rideout does this well, the strength of this novel lies in the way that she successfully captures the similarities and tensions in the parallel stories of George and Ruth, even though they are worlds apart (both horizontally and vertically). In the final analysis, Above All Things is a book about characters — not just George, Ruth and Sandy, but everyone affected by the expedition, be they climbers or those left behind.
For a debut novel, Above All Things is exceptionally well-written, a feature that has been noted in most reviews of the book that I have read. Rideout thanks editor Anita Chong (a new name to me, but I probably have not been paying attention) in her acknowledgements and, perhaps more tellingly (at least for me), also acknowledges the contribution of Ellen Seligman, arguably the best book editor in Canada. In an era when so many book publishing houses are laying off editors (and even completely out-sourcing the function to authors and their agents), this novel was a reminder of just how much value a good editor can add — kudos to McClelland & Stewart for assigning such exceptional editing talent to a first novelist because the positive results are readily apparent.
I've talked to friends who were hesitant about trying this book simply because it is about mountain climbing, a pursuit in which they have no interest — and it must be admitted that some curiosity about climbing and climbers is required. Having said that, the novel is much more about a time that has passed and the characters who were part of it — on this front, Tanis Rideout can lay claim to significant success.


text:
Children feel stress as poverty rates rise
Eleven-year-old Sarai Camacho of Donna, Texas, tears up when she tells why her mother let the babysitter go for her and her younger sister this summer. It's the same reason her father brought the family to Indiana so he could work the melon fields for a season.
"Last December, my mom didn't get paid for one month, and we started having problems," said Sarai at Oaktown (Indiana) First Christian Church, which hosted free classes for children of migrant workers. "My mom said for us to come here [to the church] so she doesn't have to give money to the babysitter because we're running out of it."
For churches, it's become an all-too-familiar sight: working families that aren't able to make ends meet. As household resources are tapped out, churches are often the first to see the changing face of poverty—and it's often a young one.
"We're seeing younger families come in," said Ken Campbell, food coordinator for Lazarus House, a Christian ministry to help the needy in Lawrence, Massachusetts. "They're coming forward because one member in the household got laid off or had their hours cut, and now they're just barely making it."
Across the United States, rising numbers of children are coping with the stressors of economic hardship:
- Child poverty rates reached 22 percent in 2010, up from 20.7 percent in 2009 and 16.2 percent in 2000, according to a September report from the U.S. Census Bureau. Between 2000 and 2009, the number of children living in poverty increased from 13.1 million to 15.5 million, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
- The Casey Foundation also reported that 4 percent of American children had been affected by home foreclosures since 2007, and 11 percent had at least one unemployed parent in 2010.
- Catholic Charities USA, which serves about one in four Americans who live in poverty, served 2.7 million children in 2010, up from 2.4 million in 2006. The steepest increase came in food-related services, as Catholic Charities fed 56 percent more children (935,000) in 2010 than in 2006 (600,000).
As families cycle in and out of poverty, faith-based service programs tend to catch people who fall through the cracks of other safety nets, according to Robert L. Fischer, codirector of the Center on Urban Poverty and Community Development at Case Western Reserve University.
When emergency needs arise, people often turn to churches first. "The most disadvantaged families oftentimes don't go to formal settings to receive services, but they will go into a church," said Taniesha Woods, senior research associate at the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University. "Churches can provide information and reach families and children who wouldn't know about [public] services otherwise."
On the front lines, religious workers see signs of growing desperation. Four years ago at Torrente De Cedron Pentecostal Church in Lynn, Massachusetts, the weekly food pantry stayed open for two hours as about 75 families came through for a few days' worth of groceries.
Now the line begins forming hours before the pantry opens, according to Senior Pastor Oscar Ovalles, as more than 200 families come from city neighborhoods and affluent suburbs alike. Even with the use of smaller bags to stretch supplies, everything is gone within 30 minutes.
"Families are in crisis," Ovalles said. "What used to be saved for a rainy day is now the main course because Dad lost his job or Mom is no longer working."
Similar signs of stress are visible in nearby Lawrence. The overnight shelter at Lazarus House is always filled to capacity, Campbell said, and needs for food continue to increase. In early 2010, the weekly pantry gave a few days' worth of groceries to about 300 individuals who were, in most cases, picking up for families with children. This fall, the pantry is serving about 800 per week on average.
Many who now need help aren't used to receiving any sort of church-based assistance. Sarai's family in Indiana, for example, until recently had lived stably on income from her mother's teaching job and her father's work in agriculture and food processing. Now they depend on the church's help with child care to make ends meet.
"Because of what we're going through right now with money, I would love to help my family," Sarai said. "I would love to go to college," she said, and earn enough afterward to support her parents.
To meet growing needs, religious groups are trying to be resourceful despite the uphill challenge. In Massachusetts, Torrente De Cedron used to run its pantry on $3,000 raised from parishioners' donations, but now the congregation can't afford the $10,000 that's needed to run the program. This fall, the church began hosting regular fund-raisers to sustain the pantry.
"The food pantry is no longer just something that we want to do on a volunteer basis for the community," Ovalles said. "Now it's a mandatory thing that we have to have because of the need that we can see in these families and in these kids." —RNS


text:
I probably can't review this mouse without being bias, as the internet's most eloquent inhabitants would put it. It's the mouse I judge all other mice against, remastered for 2011. Like if George Lucas released the original trilogy, unaltered, but in retina-jarring 1080p.
I've slaughtered nations of prancing polygon people with the original MX518. Using the G400 is like picking up my favorite gun again after being separated it from it a very long time—think Nicholas Cage and his twin gold pistols in Face/Off. The G400 is a few frills affair, a tool. There are not 6,000 buttons. There are no glowing lights. Just a pair of optimally placed thumb buttons, a solid scroll wheel, and quick access dots to quickly jump from less sensitive DPI settings to more sensitive. The ergonomics are perfectly balanced—the contorted bean shape is ultra-comfortable, but not forceful in positioning your hand in a particular way, like some aggro-ergonomic mice. Logitech's macro software is quite swizzy. Cheap for a gaming mouse.
No Like
This is perhaps blasphemy, but the truth is, I don't think anybody can credibly claim anymore to perceive any kind of lag differential between modern wired and wireless gaming mice. Wireless is good now, with polling frequencies that match wired mice. So I wish the 2011 update was a wireless model. Otherwise I'd prefer a braided cable, 'cause it'd feel much sturdier than skinny string connecting the G400 to your computer. No official Mac software support is a mild but not unexpected bummer.
Last Word
Relatively simple calculus is involved here: Do you want a gaming mouse? Do you want it to be (relatively) cheap? Do you want it to be excellent? Done. Buy this. [Logitech]
Logitech G400 Specs
Price: $40
Tracking system: Optical
DPI: 400-3600dpi
Polling rate: 1000Hz
Weight: 133 grams


text:
BONILLA SUYAPA L is a Hotels and Restaurants - Permanent Food Service licensed to practice in Florida. The address on file for BONILLA SUYAPA L is 126 NE 2 ST, Boca Raton 33432. This hospitality license holder license is current. The license was granted 01/28/2010 and expired on 12/01/2012.
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
Share this license
This website is unaffiliated with the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Please verify all information directly with the relevant official government authority.
Are you familiar with BONILLA SUYAPA L's work? Add a comment below. You can write anonymously and
having to create an account.


text:
HaysMed Center for Health Improvement Celebrates 25th Anniversary of National Senior Health and Fitness
Hays, Kan. (May 22, 2018) HaysMed's Center for Health Improvement will celebrate the 25th Anniversary of National Senior Health & Fitness Day. During the week of May 28th – June 1st anyone can attend a Group Fitness or Water Class for free. On Wednesday, May 30 join us for a free class and refreshment as we celebrate the health and fitness of our seniors.
National Senior Health & Fitness Day is organized as a public/private good health partnership by the Mature Market Resource Center (MMRC). It is a program which offers fitness activities for older adults at more than 1,000 locations including hospitals, park and recreation departments, senior centers, health clubs, retirement communities, houses of worship, health departments and other community locations. This national event is held annually on the last Wednesday in May as part of Older Americans Month.
"Older adults at all levels of physical fitness are encouraged to make fitness a goal for life," said Stephanie Howie, Director at The Center for Health Improvement. "Our goal is to keep older adults moving at whatever age they may be; by showing them that it is never too late to set fitness goals and to make regular exercise a part of their life."


text:
On American Legislative Exchange Council task forces, corporate lobbyists and special interests vote as equals with elected representatives on templates to change our laws, behind closed doors with no press or public allowed to see the votes or deliberations. ALEC's education legislation diverts taxpayers' money from American public school children to for-profit education corporations, strips away the rights of teachers and their ability to negotiate strongly for small class sizes and other practices that help children learn better, and gives more tax breaks to rich corporations and individuals to pay private school tuition, among other things that undermine America's proud tradition of investing in our future through investing in excellent public education for all of America's children. ALEC's education task force has long been chaired by a private school corporation.
Funding Private Schools and Private Profits with the Public's Money
· ALEC's "Family Education Tax Credit Program" creates a tax credit for paying private primary or secondary school tuition and fees. It would also create a tax credit for corporations and individuals that give money to be used as "scholarships" to pay tuition and fees at private schools. This also reduces tax revenue for public services.
· ALEC's "Parent Choice Scholarship Program Act-Universal Eligibility" creates a voucher program to use taxpayer funds that would be spent on public schools to subsidize private for-profit, religious, or other primary and secondary schools. This program has no income limit for subsid and therefore all students would be eligible.
· ALEC's "Parental Choice Scholarship Accountability Act" helps enable taxpayer money to be used to subsidize for-profit, religious, or other private schools.
· ALEC's "Education Enterprise Zone Act" creates a voucher program to subsidize private schools with taxpayer money.
· ALEC's "Education Accountability Act" allows a state to override the elected school board, declare schools "educationally bankrupt," and divert funds to private schools.
Tipping the Scales in Favor of Charter Schools Over Public School Innovations
· ALEC's "Charter Schools Act" would allow the state to grant charters to create and operate schools outside of traditional public schools, while also exempting these charter schools from state laws that apply to public schools.
· ALEC's "Next Generation Charter Schools Act" allows state taxpayers to subsidize charter schools that compete with public schools, while exempting charter schools from complying with many legal standards and requirements that govern public schools.
· ALEC's "Resolution Supporting Private Scholarship Tax Credits" urges more tax cuts for corporations and individuals to subsidize for-profit corporate schools through funding "scholarships."
Advancing Other Controversial Proposals
· ALEC's "Virtual Public Schools Act" requires virtual or online education company courses to be recognized as public schools and require that such companies receive the same per pupil funding as traditional schools that provide classrooms, sports training facilities, lunch, and transportation, resulting in windfall profits for online "schools."
· ALEC's "Parent Trigger Act" would allow a small group of parents to close public school for current and future students, and turn the school into a charter school or require the state to use taxpayer dollars for vouchers to subsidize private tuition.
· ALEC's "Resolution Supporting the Principles of No Child Left Behind" supports the Bush Administration's controversial effort of using expanded testing of limited subjects as a way to claim public schools are failing and also to effectively limit the teaching of important life skills and other educationally enriching topics not subject to testing.
· ALEC's "Common Sense in Medicating Students Act" prohibits any school personnel from even recommending medication for any troubled child to parents, even if the school has experts on staff experienced in making such non-binding recommendations.
Attacking Teachers and Undermining the Power to Negotiate to Help Students
· ALEC's "Great Teachers and Leaders Act" changes tenure rules for teachers and allows tenure to be revoked based on limited measures of success without regard to underlying conditions in the schools or environment.
· ALEC's "Teacher Choice Compensation Act" requires teachers to opt out of union contracts in order to be eligible for performance-based salary stipends.
· ALEC's "Public School Employee Union Release Time Act" attempts to overturn negotiated agreements that allow for certain union activities to be compensated.
· ALEC's "Alternative Certification Act" attempts to allow students to be taught by people who have no training in how to teach children and the different ways kids learn at various ages and based on different learning styles. This paves the way for for-profit schools to pay "teachers" less than educators who are actually trained in teaching.


text:
This entry was posted on Friday, July 16th, 2010 at 9:07 am and is filed under .
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Littlehawke's Muse is proudly powered by
Copyright © 2008. Theme Design by The Circling Sky


text:
Southern California's Morongo Basin has long been a hotbed for UFO activity, whether real or imagined.
Ever since George Van Tassel, a former flight inspector-turned-ufologist, leased an abandoned airstrip adjacent a seven-story boulder in Landers in 1947, built an inn and began hosting interplanetary conventions, the area has since been a global draw for those who believe, or want to believe.
"As many as 15,000 people showed up for these conventions in the middle of the desert. They would come by plane, automobile, campers, and they would listen to these speakers," said Barbara Harris, a member of the Morongo Basin Historical Society and expert on the history of Giant Rock, the landmark seven-story boulder where Van Tassell set up shop in 1947.
Van Tassel's guest speakers claimed to have either been abducted by extraterrestrials or had direct contact with them. They included Daniel Fry, George Adamski, Gabriel Green and Dr. Frank Stranges, founder the of National Investigations Committee on Unidentified Flying Objects, Harris said.
"They were called the 'contactees' at the time," Harris said. "They talked about their experiences. They talked about the government cover-ups. They talked about the X-files."
Van Tassel himself claimed to have been abducted by aliens. In 1959, he completed construction of his Integratron, a resonant tabernacle he claimed was designed with blueprints personally delivered to him by four aliens who landed at his airport in Landers in 1953 in a spaceship from another planet. Howard Hughes helped fund construction of the project, now a national tourist draw.
In the spirit of the Morongo Basin's rich UFO history, the Joshua Tree Retreat Center will host the second annual Contact in the Desert, a three-day weekend convention featuring some of the world's most reputed ufologists and alleged contactees, from Aug. 8-11. Registration is underway, and bookings for this year's event have more than doubled, said Paul Andrews, an event organizer.
He believes the event's popularity can be attributed mainly to the popularity of television shows like the History Channel's "Ancient Aliens" and radio talk shows like the paranormal-theme "Coast to Coast." The hosts of both shows, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos and George Noory, respectively, are among the featured guest speakers at this year's event.
"The whole UFO question is a huge mystery to the American public . . . , and people want to solve that mystery. They need to know," Andrews said.
Unlike UFO conventions that tend to draw the proverbial fanatics in foil hats, Contact in the Desert prides itself on taking itself seriously and assembling a pool of leading experts in the field, which can also be attributed to the event's rising popularity, Andrews said.
Also on this year's roster of guest speakers include Erich von Daniken, author of the 1969 book "Chariots of the Gods"; Nick Pope, a former official with the UK Ministry of Defense UFO Project; David Wilcock, host of Gaiam TV and author of "The Source Field Investigations"; and Travis Walton, an alleged abductee whose book, "Fire in the Sky," was made into a feature film.
Andrews said the region's long history of reported UFO sightings makes it the perfect spot to host such an event.
"What better place to convene a conference exploring some of the greatest questions in human history than an ancient sacred site (Giant Rock) with a long-lived reputation for sightings and contact experiences?" Andrews asked in a news release.
Harris, a Yucca Valley resident of 10 years and former president of the Morongo Basin Historical Society, will give a lecture on the history of Giant Rock and a tour of the site.
She said the Morongo Basin is near the 33rd Parallel North, where many of the world's UFO sightings have occurred.
Since Van Tassel put down roots in Landers, his legacy has lived on, as have the reported sightings of UFOs.
"Almost all the old timers have seen some kind of mystery craft some time in their lives up there," Andrews said, adding that the 17-mile loop in Joshua Tree National Park is a popular place for people to gather, to pitch tents or sit in the back of their pickups, sipping beer and searching the sky for unidentified flying objects.
George Noory, host of the radio talk show "Coast to Coast" and who succeeded Art Bell, will be opening up this year's event via Skype on Aug. 8 and then speaking in person in panel discussions on Aug. 9. He said Joshua Tree serves as the perfect locale for the event, which coincides with the Perseid meteor showers.
For the nonbelievers and skeptics who often scoff at the idea of little green men with almond-shaped eyes traversing the solar system, visiting Earth and abducting or examining humans as some sort of intergalactic scientific research project, Noory said such skepticism is actually a good thing.
"I think skepticism is healthy. If you can go in with an open mind, not believing everything you hear, that is much better than a blind believer," Noory said.
Noory, however, is no skeptic.
"Life is just too complicated to be randomly done without some intelligent force behind it," Noory said, adding that some call that intelligent force the work of God, while some believe it is the work of alien life forms visiting Earth in vehicles that far surpass the technologies of modern man.
"There is something that put this altogether, and they did it very well," Noory said.