text:
Dear Leader by Jang Jin Sung and Shirley Lee, Sydney Herald Tribune
Writer Jang Jin-sung joined the ranks of North Korea's elite propaganda machine in the late 1990s, even scoring an invitation to a formal lunch with the eccentric Dear Leader himself, Kim Jong-il. Among Jang Jin-sung's duties was posing as a South Korean intellectual to create propaganda and write gushing poems for the dictator. But Jang Jin-sung found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the excesses of the regime with the starving hordes on the streets, and after he was caught smuggling a South Korean book out of the fortified offices of the United Front Department in 2004, he fled across the border into China with a close friend. This is his story …
A little after midnight, just as i'm settling into bed, the phone begins to ring. I decide not to answer before the fifth ring, and hope it will stop before then. "Hello?" In the silent house, my voice sounds more intrusive than the ringing phone. "This is the First Party Secretary." At these words, I involuntarily jerk upright and jar my skull against the headboard. "I am issuing an Extraordinary Summons. Report to work by 1am. Wear a suit. You are not to notify anyone else."
Although in this country we are accustomed to obeying even the strangest command as a matter of course, it's disconcerting that the First Party Secretary himself has just given me an order. He is the Central Party liaison for our department. Under normal circumstances, I would expect to receive orders from the Party Secretary of Division 19 or Section 5, in keeping with my position in the organisational hierarchy of the ruling Workers' Party. On top of that, he has used the term "Extraordinary Summons".
We cadres who belong to the Central Party, unlike ordinary North Koreans attached to regional or departmental Party branches, know that an "Extraordinary Summons" can lead to an encounter with Kim Jong-il, our Dear Leader. When someone is summoned to meet him, there is no advance notification. Not even the highest-ranking generals are made aware of the operational details of these meetings. An invitation to meet Kim is relayed through a First Party Secretary, who is summoned to a Party Committee room that has been placed under lockdown by Dear Leader's personal bodyguards.
Under their close surveillance, the First Party Secretary receives a list of names and issues the individual summons for each cadre, with the logistics of the encounter carried out in strict secrecy. In this situation, the term "Extraordinary Summons" is the code phrase that sets this clandestine process in motion.
Dear Leader's personal guards lead us to a large hut, where we take our seats in a room that is about 1000 square metres. We are told to remain silent. Everything is white: the chairs, the floor, the walls. There are no windows. Instead, there are squares of green-tinged light shining from built-in wall panels.
At half-past noon, more than four hours after we arrived on the secret island where our Dear Leader is located on this day, there is a sudden burst of activity around us. Guards wearing white gloves spray something onto the chair where Dear Leader will sit. Comrade Deputy Director makes us stand in line again. We are ordered to take off our watches and hand them in, as part of the security procedure. Each of us is then handed a small envelope. The outer packaging has Japanese characters printed on it. Inside, there is a small cotton wipe that smells of alcohol. Comrade Deputy Director instructs us: "You must clean your hands before shaking hands with the General." He then comes forward, singling me out for a stern instruction: "You must not look into the General's eyes." He gestures to the second button of his uniform jacket and says, "You must look here. Understand?"
I wonder whether this is intended to impress on me my inferiority to Dear Leader, but the thought quickly passes. We continue to wait as Comrade Deputy Director finalises seating arrangements. Again, I'm at the back of the line. There are seven civilians in the room, and more than 20 guards around us. We stand rigidly, staring in silence at a pair of closed gates for perhaps 10 more minutes. They are large and white, and decorated with gilded flowers. When the gates finally open, a guard with the rank of colonel marches through and stands to attention. "The General will now enter the room," he announces.
Everyone and everything turns to stone. Keeping my head still, I focus my gaze on a point halfway up the arch where Kim Jong-il's face will soon appear. Another minute seems to pass. Unexpectedly, a small white puppy tumbles into the room. It is a Maltese with a curly coat. An old man follows, chasing after the puppy that belongs to him. We raise our voices in unison to salute Dear Leader. "Long live the General! Long live the General!" Our combined cheer hurts my eardrums, but the puppy is unperturbed by the noise, probably used to such fanfare. However, Dear Leader must be pleased that his puppy has shown such courage, because he bends down to stroke it. He then mutters something into its ear.
I feel let down when I see Dear Leader up close, because I am confronted by an old man who looks nothing like the familiar image of the People's Leader. Even though we are clapping fervently and cheering for him, he doesn't respond or even seem to notice. He continues to play with his puppy, as if resentful of being surrounded by men who are younger than him. Seeming to read my mind, he looks up and my heart skips a beat. As if we had all been waiting for this moment, we cheer even more loudly. "Long live the General! Long live the General!"
He glances around the room, then strides in my direction. I prepare myself for the glorious encounter, but he walks straight past me, halting before a slogan displayed on the wall behind us. In yellow letters on a red background, it reads: "Let's serve Great Leader Comrade Kim Jong-il by offering up our lives!"
He steps back a few paces, inspects the slogan for a few more seconds, and gives an order with a quick wave of his hand: "Replace existing versions of this slogan throughout the country with hand-painted ones."
Then the General wheels around, catching me off guard, and thunders, "You, boy! Are you the one who wrote that poem about the gun barrel?" I bark my carefully worded response: "Yes, General! I am honoured to be in your presence!" He smirks as he approaches me. "Someone wrote it for you, isn't that right? Don't even think about lying to me. I'll have you killed." As I begin to panic, Dear Leader bursts into hearty laughter and punches me on the shoulder. "It's a compliment, you silly bugger. You've set the standard for the whole Songun [military first] era."
I find myself unable to respond, and it doesn't help that Party Secretary Kim Yong-sun is glaring at me. Before the General takes his seat, Kim Yong-sun finds an opportunity to scold me. "You stupid bastard. You should have thanked him. You should have responded by offering to write poems of loyalty even from your grave," he hisses into my ear.
I was loyal and fearless. I didn't have to live in terror of the consequences of being late for work. Nor did I need to keep my head down like other cadres in an attempt to be invisible at Party meetings, for fear of becoming the next target of criticism. I had immunity, thanks to Dear Leader, who had sanctified me after being moved by a poem I wrote in his honour. The world might damn North Korea as a ruthless regime that kills its own people, claiming that the system is oppressive and run by physical force. But this is only a partial view of how the country is governed.
Throughout his life, Kim Jong-il stressed, "I rule through music and literature." Despite being the Commander-in-Chief of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and Chair of the National Defence Commission, he had no military experience. In fact, he began his career as a creative professional, and his preparation for his succession to power began with his work for the Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department.
To express this in the language of "dictatorship" understood by the outside world, Kim Jong-il wielded a double-edged sword: yes, he was a dictator by means of physical control, but he was also a dictator in a more subtle and pervasive sense: through his absolute power over the cultural identity of his people. In a mode characteristic of socialism, where ideology is more important than material goods, he monopolised the media and the arts as a crucial part of his ambit of absolute power. This is why every single writer in North Korea produces works according to a chain of command that begins with the Writers' Union Central Committee of the Party's Propaganda and Agitation Department.
Our main task, from the moment we arrived at work to the moment we left, was to transform ourselves into South Korean poets and write South Korean poetry. To be more precise, we were to be South Korean poets who were supporters of Kim Jong-il. My South Korean pseudonym was Kim Kyong-min. Our names and surnames had to be different from our real names, and when asked to choose a pseudonym I had used the name of the first relative who came to mind. Supervisor Park Chul deliberated for more than three hours on whether the name sounded plausible as that of a South Korean poet before he granted permission for me to assume it.
In return for our specialist work, and on top of our standard rations, we received additional rations of imported food every Saturday. Because of our identity as inhabitants of the outside world, the resources we received – different each time – came from the outside world. They were taken from humanitarian materials donated by the United Nations and the rest of the international community, as well as from South Korean non-government organisations and religious organisations. In the five-kilogram packages that we received, there would be rice from the US, cheese, butter, olive oil, mayonnaise and even underwear and socks.
It was 1999, on a day that had started out just like any other. I was walking past Dongdaewon Area on my way somewhere. Even though it was situated in the capital, Pyongyang, Dongdaewon was an impoverished district where the city's poorest people were concentrated. The market was shabbier than most, and vendors who couldn't afford the rent grasped in desperation at passers-by. One of them approached me and held out some bread. "Please buy a packet of bread for 100 won. Please, help me!" Her wrinkled hand was swollen and split in many places as she held out a packet containing five little buns each the size of a baby's fist. I just wanted to give her 100 won (about 12 cents) and not take the packet, but I realised that I had left my wallet in my other coat at home.
"I'm sorry, I left my wallet at home. Really." She might have pleaded with me one more time, but instead she shook her head from side to side with disdain as she looked me up and down, taking in my well-dressed appearance. It didn't help that I was wearing a formal suit and tie. I wanted to get away from the embarrassing situation as quickly as I could. But just then, several people ran past, one of them bumping into me. A throng of people was gathering up ahead, to my annoyance. I had wanted to pass through quickly, because the distinctive smell of the marketplace revolted me. Meat and fish that had gone off in the scorching heat were still on display, with vendors trying to keep the flies away with their fly swats. The ground was unpaved, and food waste and sewage pooled on the muddy earth. The stench of body odour and human excrement added to the other smells, and I had to try hard to keep myself from throwing up.
"Can I get through, please? I have to be on my way." In the square where all the buyers and sellers usually gathered, there stood a woman and a young girl, like prisoners about to be shot at a public execution. I stiffened with disgust when I saw what was written on the piece of paper hanging from the girl's neck. She looked to be about seven years old. The note read, "I sell my daughter for 100 won."
The woman standing next to her, who seemed to be her mother, had her head hung low. I'd often heard of cases where a mother would abandon her child or give it away, but never had I come across someone who was selling her own child for as little as 100 won.
An old man asked the girl in a loud voice, "Child, is that woman really your mother? You can tell the truth; we're here to help. Is she really your mother?" I watched the girl's lips. As she hesitated, shouts rang out from here and there in the crowd. When someone shouted, "Everyone, be quiet! Let's hear what the girl has to say!" even the middle-aged man standing next to me, who kept scratching at different parts of his body, stopped what he was doing.
The girl mumbled an answer while clutching at the woman's clothes. "She is my mother." Her mother? And that mother was selling her daughter for 100 won?
The circle of onlookers grew more agitated. Another voice rang out from the mob, asking the girl whether she had a father, as if resigned to the fact that it was no use cursing at a deaf and dumb woman. "No, I don't have a father any more. He didn't have enough food …"
The girl mumbled her answer again, then suddenly looked up and screamed, "Stop saying bad things about my mother! They say she's only got a few more days to live! She's going to die!"
The child's shriek pierced the air. Some began to tut, as if to acknowledge that waiting for a certain death was worse than death itself. Looking at the mother and daughter in that place, I felt sure that we were living in the end days of the world. An old woman near me began to cry.
"Don't look back. keep your eyes ahead," I panted again and again as we sprinted across the ice. The river's frozen surface beneath our feet turned at last into land. We [Jang Jin-sung and his close friend Young-min] had stepped into China, and had committed an unredeemable act of treason. On the North Korean side, a soldier yelled, "Shoot! Shoot!" The shout sounded as if it was coming from very near. I heard no shots, but imagined a bullet grazing past me, lodging itself in a tree up ahead. I couldn't look back, because there was no way back.
Gritting our teeth, we kept going, heading for the nameless mountain ahead of us. Although my legs were moving, the mountain seemed to be getting further away. With almost every step I fell to the ground like jelly. The snow was ankle-deep, and my limbs were too weak to support my body. When one of us fell, the other pulled him back up. Fear pushed us on and kept us moving; fear prevented us from looking back to see who or what was behind us.
"Just a little further. We're almost there," I gasped. Strangely, I found a rage surging from within, drowning out the terror that had been gripping me. Had this narrow stretch of frozen river been all that had condemned us? Still, we were not yet free. Terror lay not only in the guns behind us. Soldiers might appear somewhere ahead, too. I said to Young-min, "Check around for patrols; you look right, I'll look left."
Snow, fields, mountains. There were no soldiers in this landscape. We were relieved to hear each other's voice say the same words: "No one on this side." Even the urgent shouts of the North Korean soldiers had faded into silence. But this exposed us to the terrifying vacuum of China's vast emptiness, waiting to swallow us whole. China's soldiers might be waiting for their approaching prey, hiding in a future we could not see. The countryside was covered with trees, so unlike the barren hills of North Korea. These trees would welcome and hide us.
Only a few minutes before, we had looked on this place as if it were a distant planet, but now we were standing within that other world. Only now did we catch our breath, turning to look back towards North Korea. There were no soldiers on our trail. We were seized by ecstasy. As we stood there, gawking at each other like fools, tears ran down Young-min's cheeks. When he wiped my face with the back of his hand, I realised that I was crying, too. But it didn't matter, because crying at times like these was the mark of a true man. Instead of saying this out loud, I made a fist and punched Young-min's chest. He did the same to me. After two or three more punches, the punches became tickles, and we fell about laughing. We had experienced a miracle, and we were proud of our courage.
Jang Jin-sung finally made it to the South Korean embassy in Beijing. Sadly, his friend Young-min was caught by Chinese authorities, and upon the threat of being returned to North Korea, killed himself. Jang Jin-sung now lives in Seoul.
Edited extract from Dear Leader by Jang Jin-sung (translated by Shirley Lee), published this week by Random House. Jang Jin-sung will appear at the Sydney Writers' Festival, May 19-25.


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ACE Barbecues exclusively introduces the Hog'roast. Designed for continuous operation at Bavarian beer festivals, this well proven showpiece product will turn heads - and turn a very good profit!
Exceeding 500% added value to unprocessed meat products, the Hog'roast is also a spectacular attraction throughout the roasting process. Contrast this with low level 'coffin type' rotisseries, which hum away in a corner with zero interim benefit to any other business activity.
Combine German engineering with theatrical effect, and the result has to be extraordinary. Nothing else comes even close to this presentation value.
Try boned and rolled joints on the triple spits provided, for easy carving.Try roast lamb studded with cloves and garlic slivers. Impress everyone with rows of golden roasted quail, duck, chicken or guinea fowl drawn off the spits at table!
Carve out a speciality business niche, and profit from a quality investment!
Number of burners: 3
Number of spit drives: 3
Spit in length (cm): 136.8
Stainless steel lamb/pig spit c/w tines & clamps: 1
Stainless steel chicken spits c/w tines: 3
Connection Data:
Propane 37mbar: 1.4kg/h
Natural Gas 20 mbar: 2.0 m3/h
Electricity 230/380 Volts: three phase
Both gas models also require access to a 13amp 600watt socket for motor and
quartz lamp.
Energy Consumption in kW
Propane 37 mbar: 13.5
Natural gas 20 mbar: 13.5
Electricity 230/380 Volt: 15.00
Cooking time (approx) and possible quantity of food:
Pig/Wild hog (maximum 50 Kg): 6 hours
Chickens (18 x 1Kg): 60 minutes
Suckling Pig (approx 20 Kg): 180 minutes
Hams: 120 minutes
Lamb (approx 20Kg): 140 minutes
Dimensions:Standing Statistics:
Outside Measurements: Width 168cm, Depth 85cm, Height 191cm
Weight: 150Kg
Roasting Volume: Width 129cm, Depth 46cm, Height 46cm
12 Months Parts Warranty.
DELIVERY SCHEDULE:- 12 weeks. Each Unit is made to order.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Originally Posted by jje1000If this succeeds, then we will have driven a stake through the metaphorical heart of pudding.
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Peruvian Quinoa Drink
Recipe type: Drink
Cuisine: Peruvian, South American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4
We tasted this drink for the first time in the Andes Mountains in Peru. Served at breakfast it is a warm hearty drink loaded with protein that will give you energy throughout the day. This recipe varies quite a bit from others that I have found.
- 1 liter of water
- ½ cup quinoa
- 2 apples, peeled and grated (or chopped very fine)
- ¼ of a pineapple peeled and grated (or chopped very fine)
- 1 tablespoon of sugar, or to taste
- 1 cinnamon stick and 2 cloves
- 1 tablespoon corn starch (or similar thickening agent)
- Soak the Quinoa overnight in water (~12 hours) or boil for 20 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly after soaking or boiling.
- Put ready quinoa in water, add finely chopped or grated apples and pineapple along with cinnamon stick and cloves and simmer for 20 minutes
- While heating up other ingredients, add corn starch to small amount of cold water to form a paste.
- Slowly add paste to other ingredients while stirring until desired thickness.


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Hikers With Connections to UC Berkeley Charged with Espionage in Iran
The three American hikers, all graduates of UC Berkeley, who were detained by Iranian authorities were charged with espionage Monday, according to reports by national and international media.
UC Berkeley alumni Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal have been held by Iranian authorities since July 31 for illegally crossing into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan.
Family and friends have said that the three were on a hike when they crossed the Iran-Iraq border by mistake.
The families of Bauer, Shourd and Fattal issued a statement Monday to the Planet in response to the latest reports from Tehran:
"The allegation that our loved ones may have been engaged in espionage is untrue," the statement said. "It is entirely at odds with the people Shane, Sarah and Josh are and with anything that Iran can have learned about them since they were detained on July 31. Shane, Sarah and Josh have now been held for more than 100 days simply because they apparently strayed into Iran by accident while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan. We again call on Iran to show compassion to our loved ones and release them without delay. This has already gone on for too long."
Efforts by U.S. government officials—including Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—to free the three have been unsuccessful. Clinton met with the families of all three hikers recently, according to UC Berkeley officials.
According to CNN, Tehran's prosecutor general, Abbas Ja'afari Dolatabadi, made an announcement about the charges during an interview with the official Iranian news agency IRNA.
"The charge against the three U.S. citizens who were arrested on the Iran-Iraq border is espionage. Investigation of their cases is in progress," he told IRNA, adding: "There will be more to say [about them] soon."
CNN reported that Clinton urged the Iranian government Monday to "exercise compassion," saying "We believe strongly that there is no evidence to support any charge whatsoever."
Dolatabadi also told IRNA during the interview that Iranian authorities had also arrested a Danish journalism student and were investigating him, CNN said.
"A journalist must have an official permit from authorized officials," he told IRNA. "Therefore, the investigation will continue. We have also requested information from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance and after they respond to our inquiry we will make our decision."
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is in charge of issuing permits to journalists."
UC Berkeley officials said they would not comment on the latest charges, but expressed concern about the ongoing detention. The university's Associate Vice Chancellor of Public Affairs Claire Holmes described the news as a "most unfortunate turn of events."
"Our hearts go out to the hikers and their families," she told the Planet. "We certainly hope this gets resolved quickly and they return home to be with their families and loved ones. They are in our thoughts and prayers. We certainly hope that the State Department will do all it takes to bring them back."
Holmes said UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau had sent Clinton a letter urging consular access which was granted.
"We don't want to do anything to jeopardize their release, but the letter basically said that all three hikers graduated from UC Berkeley, and while we do not know the particulars of the situation, we urged for consular access."
Because the United States has no diplomatic relations with Iran, the U.S. government appealed for the hikers' release through Swiss diplomats, who met with them twice at the Evin Prison in Tehran, most recently Oct. 29, according to CNN.
Bauer, 27, and Shourd, 31, are freelance journalists, and Fattal, 27, is involved with a sustainable living project at the Aprovecho Research Center in Cottage Grove, Ore., the families have said.
UC Berkeley held a vigil in August marking the 30-day anniversary of the detention.
"We wanted to keep this topic in the forefront and get the attention of the media," Holmes said. "It's terrible."
Holmes said that it was very uncommon for college students to get detained and charged for espionage by international authorities while traveling.
Worldwide vigils for the hikers were held on the 100-day anniversary of their arrest.
The university is in touch with the hikers' families through sporadic emails, Holmes said.
A website created in support of the three hikers, www.freethehikers.org, was jammed because of a spike in web traffic Monday morning.


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Home > News & Events > Wayland Press Release Archives > 2001 Press Releases > December 2001 > Wayland students receive sizable scholarships
Wayland students receive sizable scholarships
Several students at Wayland Baptist University in Plainview have received sizable scholarships through the Texas Independent College Fund.
The TICF serves as a clearinghouse for many scholarships, explained Perri McDonald, scholarship coordinator for Wayland's financial aid office, and often send out publicity, screen applicants and help choose awardees for the sponsoring organizations.
Sara Humberstone, a junior at Wayland, received the 2001 UPS Scholar award from the UPS/Foundation for Independent Higher Education Fund. The award is $3,500 and is based on academic scores or financial need. Humberstone is an elementary education major from Edgewood, NM.
A $2,500 award from the George and Fay Young Foundation has been awarded to Samantha Jones, a graduating senior at Wayland. The award is for a resident of Dallas County who is at least a sophomore and has a grade point average of at least 3.0.
Two other students received word of renewal of four-year scholarship awards. Joell Beagle of Alamogordo, NM, will receive another installment of the RSMIS scholarship, given to students working toward service in Christian missions. Beagle is a junior religious education/early childhood education major.
Cynthia Rogers of Azle received another installment of her Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship, a four-year award totaling $17,500. Rogers is a junior early childhood education major.


text: Who would have known that a lazy Saturday morning bike tour in the former east side of Berlin would lead us to the heart of all evils in the former DDR (former East Germany)? The head of the former Ministry for State Security (MfS)— or Stasi, as it was more commonly known as, is located at Haus 22 Ruschestraße 103 in Friedrichsein. Now the old building has been turned into a museum showcasing the techniques this former secret service agency used to keep a close eye on DDR citizens. Some think that the Stasi was even worse than the Gestapo in terms of oppression of its own people.


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Our Super Deluxe Bus from Srinagar to Leh - India
A not-so-super deluxe bus stops for repairs within the first 40 minutes of our journey from Srinagar, Kashmir to Leh, Ladakh.
Kashmir Mountains, Srinagar to Leh Bus Trip - India
View from the bus of the Kashmir mountains. On the way from Srinagar to Leh, Ladakh. India.
Ladakh Mountain Roads, Truck and Motorcycle - Ladakh, India
Ladakh mountain roads with truck and motorcycle. India
Indus River Near Alchi Monastery - Ladakh, India
Blue waters of the Indus River near Alchi Monastery in Ladakh, India.
Ladakh Mountain Roads - Ladakh, India
Winding Ladakh mountain roads. India
Mountains, Valleys and Villages - Bus ride to Ladakh, India
Passing by mountains,valleys and villages on the way to Leh, Ladakh.
Mountain Traffic Jam, Srinagar to Leh - India
This is what a traffic jam looks like on the mountain roads of Kashmir between Srinagar and Leh in India.
Mountain Landscapes Between Kashmir and Ladakh, India
Mountain landscapes from the bus journey between Kashmir and Ladakh in India.
Lamayuru Monastery in Ladakh, India
Lamayuru monastery through the prayer flags. Ladakh, India.
Mountain Roads in Kashmir, No Guard Rails - Srinagar to Leh, India
A view of the mountain roads outside of Sonamarg on the way from Srinagar to Leh, India.
Journey to Ladakh, Traffic Jam Overlooking Sonamarg and Amarnath - Kashmir, India
Traffic jam overlooking the campsites for the holy site at Amarnath just outside of Sonamarg, Kashmir. A beautiful road trip to Ladakh.
Truck Stop, Kashmir Mountains - Srinagar to Leh, India
A truck stop in the middle of the Kashmir Mountains, bus ride from Srinagar to Leh.
A slice of light in a storm over the Lamayuru "moonscape" en route Kashmir to Ladakh
A slice of light in a storm over the Lamayuru "moonscape" en route Kashmir to Ladakh
Why subject yourself to a 2-day ride through Kashmir on a crumbling bus? Simple: views like this one.
Why subject yourself to a 2-day ride through Kashmir on a crumbling bus? Simple: views like this one.
Mountain Roads and Views, Kashmir to Ladakh - India
Mountain roads and peaks from the Kashmir to Ladakh bus journey.
Kashmir Mountains and River - Srinagar to Leh Bus Journey
Mountain and river views from the Kashmir to Ladakh bus journey in India.
Wee house amidst the fog-shrouded mountains of #Kashmir
Wee house amidst the fog-shrouded mountains of Kashmir
Roadside Stop, Kargil to Leh - Ladakh, India
Roadside stop between Kargil and Leh, day two of our bus journey from Kashmir to Ladakh, India.
Ladakh Mountain Roads - India
Winding Ladakh mountain roads between Likir and Alci. India.
Ladakh Mountain View Between Kargil and Leh - Ladakh, India
Mountain views out the window of our bus between Kargil and Leh in Ladakh, India.
AmarnathIndiaKashmirSonamargSrinagarjeepladakhlandscapemountain roadsmountainsroadstraffictraffic jamtruck


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Over the holidays, Google rolled out a pretty major update to Webmaster Tools. This latest update provides much more detail in terms of data and reporting. So much in fact, that some folks seem confused now about the difference between Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics. The big difference for SEO is that Google Webmaster Tools shows Google's own data for URLs in Google SERPs and doesn't track web pages like Google Analytics. In addition to the key difference in reporting, Google Webmaster Tools requires no installation. While it's difficult to say for sure, this update should force folks to abandon the ignorance is bliss mentality when it comes to analytics reporting once and for all.
BUT before diving in, here is a little background...
In 2005, with a little help from a Googler named Vanessa Fox, Google launched Google Sitemaps. This program has since, evolved into what we know as Google Webmaster Central. About the same time, Google bought Urchin and shortly after made Google Analytics free to everyone. Back then small to medium sized sites that couldn't afford enterprise analytics relied primarily on ranking reports to measure search visibility.
Ranking reports are created with software that emulates users and sends automated queries to search engines. The software then records data about positioning within organic search results by specific keywords and URLs. Ranking reports don't provide bounce rates but, they do provide an important metrics for measuring SEO ROI directly from Google SERPs. That being said, automated queries from ranking software are expensive for search engines to process and as a result they are a direct violation of search engine guidelines.
In 2010 Google introduced personalization features in organic search engine results. These personalized results are based on the user's history, previous query, IP address and other factors determined by Google. Over the past two years, Google's personalized search results have rendered ranking reporting software nearly useless.
Enter Analytics… Without accurate ranking reports, analytics may seem like a decent alternative tool for measuring SEO ROI by URL but, is that really the case? If analytics were enough why did Google recently update Google Webmaster Tools? These are a couple of the questions that I hope to answer.
To start off, let's establish a few laws of the land...
Google Webmaster Tools Update Case Study: Redirects
Experiment: To compare 301 and 302 reporting accuracy between Google Analytics and Google Webmaster Tools
Hypothesis: Google Analytics incorrectly attribute traffic when 301 and/or 302 redirects are present.
Background: Google ranks pages by URL, for that reason accurate reporting by specific URL is critical. In order for Google Analytics to record activity a page must load and Google Analytics JavaScript must execute. Google Analytics reports based on a page and not URL. While most "pages" have URLs not all URLs result in page views. This is the case when 301 and/or 302 server side redirected URLs appear in search results.
Procedure: For this comparison, I created apples.html and allowed it to be indexed by Google. I then created oranges.html and included noindex meta to prevent indexing until the appropriate time. After ranking in Google's SERPs, apples.html was 301 redirected to oranges.html and results recorded.
According to Google Analytics, oranges.html is driving traffic from Google SERPs via "apples" related keywords. Google Webmaster Tools on the other hand, reports each URL individually by keyword and remarks the 301 redirect.
Conclusion: Google Analytics reports oranges.html is indexed by Google and ranks in Google SERPs for apples.html related keywords. However reporting that data to clients would be a lie. Oranges.html hasn't been crawled by Google and isn't actually indexed in Google SERPs. Secondly, until Google crawls and indexes the URL oranges.html it is impossible to determine how or if it will rank in Google search results pages. In addition, this data becomes part of the historical record for both URLs and is calculated into bounce rates for URLs not shown in SERPs.
(Google's Caffeine has improve the situation for 301 redirects as time between discovery and indexing are reduced.)
Google Webmaster Tools Update Case Study: Complex redirects
Experiment: To compare differences in tracking via multiple redirects from SERPs ending on off-site pages.
Hypothesis: Multiple redirects ending off-site are invisible to Google Analytics because there is no page load.
Background: Google ranks pages by URL, for that reason accurate reporting by URL is critical. In order for Google Analytics to record activity a page must load and Google Analytics JavaScript must execute. While most "pages" have URLs not all URLs render pages. In most cases 301 issues are resolved by engines over time, however 302 issues will remain. The same is the case for multiple redirects ending off-site.
(For those who aren't aware, this is one way spammers try and trick Google into "crediting" their site with hundreds or thousands and sometimes even hundreds of thousands of content pages that actually belong to someone else.)
Procedure: To test how Google Analytics handles multiple redirects, I created page1.html which 302 redirects to page2.html which 301 redirects to another-domain.com. Google indexes the content from another-domain.com but SERPs show it as residing at the URL page2.html.
Result: Despite being ranked in SERPs, Google Analytics has no data for these URLs. Google Webmaster Tools reports the first two URLs and remarks redirects.
Conclusion: Google Webmaster Tools recognizes the existence of the URLs in question while Google Analytics doesn't at all and that is a major problem. For SEO reporting these URLs are critical, the content is real and it's impacting users as well as Google.
Google Webmaster Tools Update Case Study: Installation
Experiment: To compare tracking without Google Analytics tracking code installed.
Hypothesis: Google Analytics won't track if tracking code is not installed properly on each page within site architectures supporting analytics.
Background: In order for Google Analytics to record data it must be implemented correctly in each page and be able to communicate with Google. Legacy pages without the Google Analytics tracking code often rank in SERPs but, go unnoticed because they're invisible to analytics. In addition to this issue there are various other situations where untracked content appears in Google's index. Even when implemented properly, analytics tools are often prevented from reporting due to architectural problems.
Procedure: To test how Google Analytics works without proper installation, I setup an account but DID NOT implement the Google Analytics tracking code snippet into pages.
Result: Google Analytics reports that their has been no traffic and that the site had no pages but, Google Webmaster Tools reports as usual impressions by keyword, by URL, CTR and other.
Conclusion: In order to function properly Google Analytics must be implemented in each and every page and function properly in addition to being supported by the site architecture. Google Analytics requires extensive implementation in many cases which is an extra obstacle for SEO. Google Webmaster Tools data is direct from Google, requires no implementation and verification is easy.
Google Webmaster Tools Update Case Study: Site Reliability
Experiment: To see how Google Analytics tracks pages when a website goes offline.
Hypothesis: Google Analytics will not track site outages.
Background: In order for Google Analytics to record data it must be properly implemented, supported by the site's architecute and be able to communicate back and forth with Google.
Procedure: To test how Google Analytics reports when a site goes offline, I turned off a website with Google Analytics installed.
Result: Google Analytics reports no visitors and/or other metrics but suggests nothing about the real cause. Google Webmaster Tools - reports errors suggesting the site was down.
Conclusion: Google Analytics does not report site outages or outage error URLs whereas Google Webmaster Tools does. For SEO, site uptime is critical.
Final thoughts...
As illustrated above, analytics will report keywords for URLs that aren't indexed and won't report keywords for URLs that are indexed in SERPs. Analytics is unaware of redirected URLs even those indexed by Google and seen by users worldwide. Analytics can't tell the difference between a brief lack of visitors and periods of site downtime, it's possible for analytics tracking code to fire without pages loading and pages loading without firing tracking code. Analytics doesn't know framed content is indexed, or about legacy pages without tracking, alternative text versions of Flash pages, how long pages take to load, and on, and on, and on....
In fairness, the tool is doing what it is designed to do, folks using it just don't understand the limitations. Often times, they aren't aware data is fragmented and/or missing or that site architecture impact reporting ability. Checking Google to see if SERPs jive with reports never occurs for some reason.
I've been kvetching about these issues for years, to anyone and everyone who would listen. If you can't tell, few things F R U S T R A T E me more.
The case studies above represent just a few ways in which analytics data is skewed due to bad and/or missing data. Believe it or not, a substantial amount of analytics data is bogus. According to one Google Analytics Enterprise partner, 44% of pages with analtyics have analytics errors. On average analytics only tracks about 75% of traffic. Analytics is a weird beast, when something goes wrong nothing happens in analytics and sometimes it happens on invisible pages.
Bad data attacks like a virus from various sources polluting reporting exponentially, silently, undetected and over time. Sadly, very few folks including most "analytics experts" have the experience or expertise to track down issues like these by hand. Until now there has been no tool to report analytics not reporting. The recent Google Webmaster Tools update empowers webmasters by providing them with the best data available. This update exposes analytics issues. It also places the burden of proving data measurement accuracy back on the folks responsible for it.
Oh yeah, HAPPY NEW YEAR!


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Postmortem: Castle Boss Breaks Down That Not-So-Merry Christmas Cliff-Hanger
Dec 9, 2014 2:00 AM EST
[WARNING: The following story contains spoilers from Monday's Castle. Read at your own risk.]Castle's midseason finale may have been a Christmas episode, but there wasn't a lot of holiday cheer.After an ER doctor is shot on the street by a… Read more


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Police Seeking Man Who Robbed Sioux Falls Casino
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - Police are looking for a man who robbed a Sioux Falls casino early Saturday.
The suspect was described as a man dressed entirely in black. He was carrying a pistol.
Police say he took money from the casino and ran away.
No injuries were reported.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. Material may not be redistributed.


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When the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival launched 15 years ago, creature comforts included any small slice of shade cast by the odd light pole, the occasional working toilet and maybe somewhere to sit other than the dusty desert floor.
Today, there are $799 VIP passes that give you cocktail bar privileges, even though you'd have to pay extra for privileged parking. Well-heeled foodies can splurge on a $1,024 gourmet dining package. Shell out more, and you can skip the traffic — round-trip transportation is available via private jet.
These pricey add-ons are emblematic of larger shifts for the event, which runs the next two weekends on the manicured grounds of Indio's Empire Polo Club.
Acclaimed in the early 2000s for its free-spirited vibe, Coachella is now more akin to a spring break weekend at a walled-off resort than to an edgy music festival. High-end car companies and fashion brands stage elaborate pool parties throughout the area, including nearby Palm Springs. Some say the music has become the soundtrack to a vacation — rather than the draw.
The blowout, expected to attract approximately 90,000 fans per three-day weekend, typically sells most of its tickets before the lineup of bands is even announced.
"It doesn't matter who the artist is onstage," said Gary Bongiovanni, editor of the concert-industry trade magazine Pollstar. In the increasingly crowded festival scene, he added, Coachella is distinguished by its "special accouterments" and "Hollywood presence."
A steerage-level ticket for one weekend costs $375 — about $100 more than similar passes for Chicago's Lollapalooza, San Francisco's Outside Lands or Tennessee's Bonnaroo. The prices for various deluxe packages go up thousands from there. Factor in travel, lodging and food, and the expense is on par with that of a stay at an upscale spa.
The festival is about "attainable aspiration," according to Ellie Meyer of Marketing Werks, a Chicago firm that consults with music events. "It's a lifestyle that people want to have. It's saying, 'Hey, you can pay for that lifestyle for a weekend.'"
Festival-goers can enjoy concierge service in an air-conditioned "safari tent" for two (for a price: $6,500). And if the combination of sunscreen and 90-degree-plus heat wreaks havoc on attendees' appearance, they can pop into the Sephora Collection Beauty Studio for a cosmetic touch-up.
Such posh festival accessories are surprising even some artists slated to perform this year.
Dee Dee Penny of Dum Dum Girls had this reaction when asked what she thought of Coachella's $225 four-course meals prepared by celebrity chefs.
"No," she said. "Really? Now I'm intrigued."
The all-inclusive Coachella experience — with a designer boutique, craft beer gardens and art installations — enables pleasure seekers to buy into resort vacationing without admitting they've become their cruise-taking parents. (Coachella, by the way, launched a cruise in 2012.)
Marlo Nielsen, 42, and two friends stayed in a safari tent at Coachella last year.
"They create a really nice atmosphere for you," said the human resources worker from Calgary, Canada. She especially appreciated the swimming pool and private restrooms and showers; there's also dedicated parking and on-site security.
Tie-ins with upscale brands add another elite tier to the proceedings.
Lexus, Sonos and Marc Jacobs have sent out VIP invitations to parties. And although tickets to the festival sold out months ago, members of Neiman Marcus' preferred shopper program could still buy them in early April — for $1,500.
Once there, they'll find sushi and small-plate tapas from swanky restaurants such as Sugarfish, Night + Market and Crossroads. Night-life maven Cedd Moses is setting up smaller versions of several of his popular Los Angeles establishments, including Honeycut and Caña Rum Bar.
Some things have not changed. The festival is still presented by its original promoter, Goldenvoice. However, the L.A. company is now a unit of Anschutz Entertainment Group, the sports and concert giant whose other holdings include Staples Center and the Los Angeles Kings NHL hockey team.
In the decade-plus since Goldenvoice was bought by AEG, its footprint has expanded to booking such venues as the Roxy and the Shrine Auditorium and building Stagecoach, the Coachella festival's country music cousin.
The growth of the company's flagship festival almost mirrors that of Goldenvoice itself: from a small promoter of punk rock shows to one of the most powerful forces in live music on the West Coast.
Some say the glamour and ambience come at a cost for a festival once known for its spirit of artistic adventure.
"There certainly is a loss of edge or whatever you want to call it," said Jon Wurster of the long-running indie rock band Superchunk, which played Coachella in 2009 and is set to appear again Sunday. "It's just a totally different thing."
Another of this year's performers, Blair Greene of Washed Out, worries that the "next level" amenities at Coachella could reset priorities among concert-goers — and lock out many others. If she weren't on the bill, Greene said, the festival wouldn't be in her budget.
"The experience is important, but I'd rather have more and better music," she said.
Yet the resort-like transformation of Coachella probably will only escalate, according to some experts.
"There's no stopping it," said Marketing Werks' Jay Lenstrom, who compared the festival to Formula 1 racing in Europe. "There's a race, but there's all the other things. It's very expensive. The more expensive it is, the better it is."
What's in store for next year? No word yet, although Goldenvoice President Paul Tollett said he's "always trying to enhance Coachella on all fronts."
With an agreement in place that allows Goldenvoice to put on Coachella in Indio through at least 2030, it's a safe bet that the lush life at this desert festival will only get lusher.


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Citizen Advisory Councils
CACs serve as a link between residents of Raleigh and City government.
If you live in Raleigh, you automatically are a member of a Citizens Advisory Council. The City of Raleigh has 19 CACs, each representing a different geographic region of the city.
Each CAC elects its own officers and decides its own activities and priorities. All CAC meetings are open to everyone; however, you can vote only at meetings of the CAC where you reside. You can attend as an individual or you can represent your neighborhood-based organization at your CAC meetings.
CACs are nonpartisan. CACs are the only advisory boards to the City Council that are not appointed by the Council.
Find Your CAC
Please enter your address to find your CAC District.
CACs in Raleigh
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- Northeast
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Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council (Made up of leaders of individual CACs)Download CAC Map
CACs and City Government
Raleigh's CACs are a connecting point between municipal government and residents. They provide a way for the City to share information about government activities and to receive feedback from the community. Through CACs, residents and neighborhood groups participate in decisions directly affecting them.
For instance, CACs have a voice in planning and development issues. Most proposals for rezoning property go before a local CAC for review. Often, a person seeking rezoning will appear before the CAC to discuss the proposal. The CAC votes on the proposed rezoning, and the Raleigh Planning Commission and City Council take the CAC's vote into consideration when they are weighing whether to approve the rezoning request.
CACs have a say in other matters, too, such as parks, recreation and cultural resources facilities, streets and sidewalks. CACs also stay in contact with the Police Department about activities in their communities.
CAC Meetings
Each CAC holds regular meetings, and everyone is welcome to attend. The meetings provide a forum to share information about neighborhood improvement plans and other neighborhood affairs. At the meetings, CAC members discuss community issues and take votes. The opinions of CAC members and results of votes are presented to the City Council and other City officials
City Council members sometimes attend CAC meetings to talk about issues before the Council. City staffers often appear at CAC meetings to discuss how the City can assist with services such as sidewalk repairs or new signs. Police representatives usually attend to discuss crime trends and offer crime-prevention tips.
All neighborhood-based organizations, such as neighborhood and homeowners' associations, are encouraged to send representatives to CAC meetings and share information about the CAC proceedings with their members. It is important that every neighborhood have representation at CAC meetings, because broader input leads to better decision-making.


text: Well I've been to a few Reseda shows at this point. And it's pretty safe to say I'm not the only one there that enjoys a beer or ten. So I"m wondering if anybody knows of a cool, kick-back dive bar type of place near the Legion Hall that would be good for pre/post event consumption? It would be cool to hang out and meet some other PWG fans over a few cold ones. So any help would be appreciated. Thanks


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Stan Lee Gives ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN His Seal of Approval
Stan Lee is well known for his cameos in the films starring his Marvel co-creations, and in the '80s he narrated episodes of several cartoons including Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends and Pryde of the X-Men.
Those two worlds meet starting this Sunday, April 1, with the series premiere of Ultimate Spider-Man on Disney XD, part of the debuting "Marvel Universe" programming block along with the second season of Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes. In Ultimate Spider-Man, Lee voices "Stan the Janitor," a custodian at Midtown High that doles out life lessons to Peter Parker at opportune moments.
Ultimate Spider-Man takes its name from the Brian Michael Bendis-written comic book series, and uses it as a starting point along with several other twists on familiar concepts. A lot of Spider-Man animated series have hit the airwaves over the years — from the original 1967 show to 2008's Spectacular Spider-Man — and Lee says that what makes Ultimate Spider-Man special is that it's uniquely contemporary.
"I think it's so hip," Lee told Newsarama at a press junket in Burbank earlier this month. "He has his little wisecracks to the audience. It's today. Everything about it is today. It's well written, it's beautifully drawn, and it's cool."
While praising the show, Lee stopped to deliver some of his signature self-deprecating humor, commenting on his character's low-profile occupation."It's so well done," Lee said. "If you can live with the fact that I play the janitor in it — I think they could have given me something more glamorous, but hey, beggars can't be choosy."
Ultimate Spider-Man is the ninth animated series to star the character, who is also featured in a fourth live-action film this summer, July's Amazing Spider-Man. Spidey's widespread popularity over the past five decades isn't lost on Lee, who said that while it surprised him at first, he's "gotten quite used to it now."
"He has become one of if not the most popular characters in the world," Lee said to a small group of reporters. "They know him in the Orient. They know him in Africa. They know him in the Mideast. They know him all over. And more than know him, they seem to love him. And that doesn't displease me."
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Spider-Man's introduction in Amazing Fantasy #15, and though a lot has changed for both the world and the comic book industry, Lee says there's a consistent element in what made Marvel successful in the early '60s and what makes shows like Ultimate Spider-Man work.
"I always wanted the people who read Marvel comics to feel that they weren't just readers, but they were sharing a little secret with the people at Marvel," Lee said. "We were all enjoying something that the outside world wasn't privy to, and was unaware of. We were part of a special little group having fun with these stories. We didn't consider them just our readers, we considered them our friends."Without mentioning any other publishers by name, Lee suggested that this outlook is one of the factors that has distinguished Marvel from DC Comics over the years.
"Our biggest competitor used to have letters pages, and we did too," he said. "Their letters would always begin with 'Dear Editor,' signed, 'James Jones.' And they would print the letter that way in the book. When we got a letter, it would always say, 'Dear Stan,' and if they signed it 'James Jones,' when I printed it, I'd write 'Jim Jones,' and I'd say, 'Hi, Jim, glad to hear from you!' Our letters page had a friendly feeling.
"I always tried for that, and I like to feel that in our cartoons, like Ultimate Spider-Man, there's a feeling that we're relating to the viewer. We're all sharing a little inside joke together that the outside world isn't aware of. And I think it's important for Marvel to keep that spirit alive."
When discussing his considerable legacy , the 89-year-old writer — very visible over the past dozen years as a result of his fleeting appearances in several big-budget Marvel films including this May's The Avengers — expressed gratitude for the "touching" interactions he has with fans.


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ROME (Reuters) - An Italian woman has demanded an apology from former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi after he crudely joked with her on stage about sex, days before a national election.
Angela Bruno, a 30-year-old employee of renewable energy firm Gruppo Green Power, said in an interview on the La7 Channel that her 13-year-old daughter had cried for days after seeing a video of the encounter at a business event, and the response it provoked.
"I want an apology for all Italian women because they should not have to suffer insults like this, at work or outside work," she said. "This is the Italy I don't want anymore and I hope no one wants."
The 76-year-old media tycoon, who is on trial for sex with an underage prostitute, stepped down as prime minister in November 2011 at the height of the euro zone debt crisis, but is now seeking a fifth term in government in the February 24-25 vote.
Bruno was presenting a contract to Berlusconi at a recent ceremony when the former prime minister asked her suggestive questions in front of senior colleagues, staff and members of the public.
"Do you come?...only once?...how many times do you come?...with what sort of time intervals?," he asked her with a smirk on his face. At the time she went along with the banter giggling nervously as the audience roared with laughter.
"It sounds altogether like a good proposal," he continued. He then asked her to turn around, took a look at her bottom and said, "Yes, it is a convincing offer", prompting a round of applause and more laughter from men and women in the audience.
A video of the exchange has been viewed more than 950,000 times on YouTube and has sparked outrage on social networks, reviving memories of the ire Berlusconi's chauvinistic behavior provoked during his last term in government. (here
Roughly two years ago, more than a million Italians joined street rallies in protest against his treatment of women while serving as prime minister, after details of the "Bunga Bunga" sex parties at his Milan villa began to emerge.
Bruno told Italian television on Monday evening that she had tried to keep the conversation on a professional level but had been too intimidated to reprimand Berlusconi in public due to his position of power and the presence of senior staff.
In the interview, the married mother-of-one said she had been offended and embarrassed and demanded the apology.
"He may think he is joking but he has to be a serious person if he wants to represent Italy. He can't get away with presenting an image like this," Bruno said.
Berlusconi did apologize in an interview on Radio 105 on Tuesday, but also said that Bruno had seemed to enjoy herself at the time. He urged her to stop reading leftwing newspapers, which he said had exaggerated the seriousness of the exchange.
Italy's female employment rate, at 46.5 percent, is the lowest in the European Union after Malta and Greece, according to EU data. Italy ranks 80th in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index, mainly due to women's limited economic participation.
Reporting By Catherine Hornby; Editing by Michael Roddy


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These last few days I've been in the UK for an EBI workshop on cheminformatics in R. It was a two day workshop, the first day focusing on general cheminormatics in R using the rcdk and rpubchem packages, and the second day focusing on doing mass spectrometry in R using XCMS and Rdisop, run by Steffen Neumann and Paul Benton. It was an excellent workshop with participation from industry and academia and skill levels ranging from new R users to experts and people with minimal cheminformatics backgrounds to full time cheminformaticians. While I think my exercises might have been a little too difficult, I think we were able to cover a variety of topics ranging from details on how to do specific cheminformatics operations in R to more application oriented tasks such as fingerprint based analysis and benchmarking virtual screening methods. The slides from the workshop are available here – it's a pretty big slide deck and covers some introductory R (there are some mistakes in that section which I will update in the coming days), and overview of the CDK and then sections on usage and applications of the rcdk and rpubchem packages. It certainly helped that I had a very friendly audience! During the course of the workshop I also learned a few things about R (thanks to Tobias Verbeke and Steffen). Given that about 40 people or so were exposed to the rcdk package, my (known) user base should hopefully increase It was nice to get a patch from Tobias during the workshop, which will be incorporated once I'm back home. It was also great to meet a number of people with whom I'd only had email or FriendFeed exchanges with in the past – including Chris Swain, Mark Rijnbeek, Duncan Hull, Nico Adams (though I didn't realize it was him when I was speaking to him – sorry Nico!), Duan Lian and Syed Asad Rahman. I also got to briefly meet some of the ChEMBL folks (John and Patricia). Monday night we had a lovely workshop dinner at The Cricketer (Clavering). Many thanks to Gabriella Rustici and Dominic Clark for organizing this and inviting me to run the first day. The only downside of this trip? It was too short It would've been great to be able to stay a day or two more to have longer discussions with various groups.
In addition to the workshop, I visited Asad and his family in Cambridge for a fantastic dinner and much useful discussion. He's done some excellent work on SMSD and showed me some of his recent work on enzyme classification and reaction mappings. I won't say much more as he's writing this up, except to say that it was quite impressive and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing the writeups. Hopefully we'll be able to do some joint work in the near future. Given the speed up that SMSD provides for graph isomorphism, I'm in the process of updating the CDK SMARTS parser to make use of it rather than the older UIT, which should improve SMARTS matching considerably. Down the road, the pharmacophore matching code will get a similar upgrade.
I was also able to squeeze in a day trip up to Harrogate, where I grew up. It was fun to see familiar streets and places after 23 years or so. It certainly didn't hurt to also have some pretty amazing traditional English fare (Yorkshire curd tart at Bettys and the fish 'n chips at Graveleys was fantastic).


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Visit One of the Top Adventure Hotels in
St. George Utah
A World-Class Adventure Retreat
Blended naturally into a landscape of vivid red rock cliffs and canyons of southern Utah, Red Mountain Resort has everything you need to relax, renew and rediscover your passion for adventure. Eighty-two beautifully designed rooms and twenty-four villa suites are carefully sited on fifty-five acres of black lava gardens and fragrant mesquite with stunning vistas of the surrounding mountains. All amenities, from nutrition seminars to massages, are a short scenic walk away.
Red Mountain is consistently voted one of the top hotels in the country, with indoor pool and other exquisite features, in an ideal location. It allows for convenient planning of a customized adventure to Zion or Bryce Canyon National Parks, while Snow Canyon State Park is only about a quarter of a mile down the road. Our dedicated staff is here to encourage and support you in being as active or relaxed, social or private, as you wish – whether meeting new friends during an exhilarating rock climb or savoring a solitary walk on our private trails.
Awards & Acknowledgements
Top 10 Travels Best: All-Inclusive Resorts for 2015
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5 Hotels That Help You Give Back – With Puppies
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America's Best Desert Spa Retreats
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Voted #1 Destination Spa
-Travel & Leisure World's Best Awards 2012 Reader's Survey
Top 270 Spas — U.S. Mainland
-Condé Nast Traveler 2013 (Readers' Choice Awards)
Readers' Choice Award Winner: Best Spa for Affordability, Going Solo, Outdoor Adventure and Men
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Top 150 Mainland U.S. Resorts
-Condé Nast Traveler 2011 (Readers' Choice Awards)
Named "Fodor's Choice Establishment"
Platinum Choice Award
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Our Services and Amenities
In addition to everything you would expect from a world-class destination, Red Mountain Resort offers a unique diversity of health, fitness, nutrition, cooking, stress management, anti-aging, and wellness classes and programs designed for life-enhancing changes that last much longer than your stay. Amenities and services include:
- 82 Deluxe Rooms and 24 Villa Suites
- Complimentary Wi-Fi in rooms and throughout resort
- 42" flat-screen, high-definition televisions
- Three healthy meals each day
- Adventure Concierge
- More than 50 different fitness classes weekly
- Guided hiking and biking
- Healthy life classes and events
- Full-menu spa & salon
- Indoor and seasonal outdoor swimming pools
- Three whirlpools
- Meeting rooms
- State-of-the-art Cybex Equipment and cardiovascular center
- Spa boutique and Red Mountain Outfitters clothing and gift store
- Pet-friendly policy
- Wellness testing and nutritional guidance
- Outdoor adventures
- Cooking demonstrations
- Spiral labyrinth and walking trails


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Being slightly wider at the mouth than at the foot, this Spiegelau Beer Glass properly presents the flavours and aromatics of typical beers. Throughout the world, there is a fast growing range of different beers just waiting to be discovered. In order to get most out of the characteristics of beer, the appearance, aroma, taste and finish, it is essential to choose the right glass. To cover all these aspects, Spiegelau has used their expertise and 500 years experience in making crystal to develop three elegant, especially thin blown beer glasses.
Dimensions of the Spiegelau Lager Glasses (Set of 2):
Height: 7" Capacity: 17-1/2 oz
Collections: Spiegelau Classics Beer Glasses


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Monday, 14 May 2012 15:41
The parallel hunger strikes in Israeli prisons, over which a deal has reportedly been agreed, have captured the imagination of Palestinians around the world, giving the word "solidarity" a new urgency. The crisis produced by these strikes makes this year's observance of Nabka Day a moral imperative for all those concerned with attaining justice and peace for the long oppressed Palestinian people - whether living under occupation or in exile.
The Palestinian mood on this May 14, is one inflamed by abuse and frustration, but also inspired by and justly proud of exemplary expressions of courage, discipline and nonviolent resistance on the part of those imprisoned Palestinians who have been mounting the greatest internal challenge that Israel has faced since the Second Intifada. Even as the strikes seem on the verge of ending, due to a series of Israeli concessions in response to the grievances of the prisoners, the impact and significance of the strike remains a shining light in an otherwise dark sky.
It all started when a lone prisoner, Khader Adnan initiated a hunger strike to protest his abusive arrest and administrative detention on December 17, which happened to be the exact anniversary of Tunisian vendor Mohammed Bouazizi's self-immolation - his death leading directly to the birth of the Arab Spring. Adnan ended his strike after 66 days, when Israel relented somewhat on his terms of detention. More than 30 years previously, Bobby Sands died after 66 days of his own hunger strike, maintained so as to dramatise IRA prison grievances in Northern Ireland. It is not surprising that the survivors of the 1981 Irish protest should now be sending messages of empathy and solidarity to their Palestinian brothers locked up in Israeli jails.
What Adnan did prompted other Palestinians to take a similar stand. Hana Shalabi, like Adnan a few weeks later, experienced a horrible arrest experience and was returned to prison without charges or trial. She too seemed ready to die rather than endure further humiliation, and was also eventually released, but punitively, being "deported" to Gaza, away from her West Bank village and family for a period of three years. Others hunger strikes followed, with two types emerging, each influenced by the other.
Parallel strikes and global solidarity
The longer of the two strikes involved six Palestinians who remain in critical condition - their lives at risk for at least the past week. Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh have now refused food for an incredible 76 days, a sacrificial form of nonviolent resistance that can only be properly appreciated as a scream of anguish and despair on behalf of those who have been suffering so unjustly and mutely for far too long. It is a sign of Western indifference that even these screams seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
The second, closely related, hunger strike that has lasted almost a month is an equally an extraordinary display of disciplined nonviolence, initiated on April 17, Palestinian Prisoners Day. By today, Monday, May 14, there are reported to be as many as 2,000 prisoners who have been refusing all food, until a set of grievances associated with deplorable prison conditions are satisfactorily resolved. The two strikes are linked because the longer hunger strike inspired the mass strike - and the remaining several thousand non-striking Palestinian prisoners in Israel jails have already pledged to join in the refusal of food if there are any deaths among the strikers. This heightened prisoner consciousness has already been effective in mobilising the wider community of Palestinians living under occupation, and beyond.
This heroic activism gives an edge to the 2012 Nakba observance, and contrasts with the apparent futility of traditional diplomacy. The Quartet tasked with providing a roadmap to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Israel/Palestine conflict seems completely at a loss, and has long been irrelevant to the quest for a sustainable peace, let alone the realisation of Palestinian rights. The much publicised efforts of a year ago to put forward a statehood bid at the United Nations seems stalled indefinitely, due to the crafty backroom manoeuvres of the United States.
Even the widely supported and reasonable recommendations of the Goldstone Report to seek accountability for Israeli leaders who seemed guilty of war crimes associated with the three weeks of attacks on Gaza at the end of 2008 have been permanently consigned to limbo.
And the situation is actually even worse for the Palestinians than this summary depiction suggests. While nothing happens on the diplomatic level, other clocks are ticking at a fast pace. Several developments adverse to Palestinian interests and aspirations are taking place at an accelerating pace: 40,000 additional settlers are living in the West Bank since the temporary freeze on settlement expansion ended in September 2010, bringing the overall West Bank settler population to about 365,000, and well over 500,000 if East Jerusalem settlers are added on.
Every day is a 'Nakba'
Is it any wonder then that Palestinians increasingly view the Nabka not as an event frozen in time back in 1947 when as many as 700,000 fled from their homeland, but as descriptive of an historical process that has been going on ever since Palestinians began being displaced by Israeli immigration and victimised by the ambitions and tactics of the Zionist project? It is this understanding of the Nakba as a living reality with deep historical roots that gives the hunger strikes such value. Nothing may be happening when it comes to the peace process, but at least, with heightened irony, it is possible to say that a lot is happening in Israeli jails.
And the resolve of these hunger strikers has been so great as to convey to anyone that is attentive that the Palestinians will not be disappeared from history. And merely by saying this there is a renewed sense of engagement on the part of Palestinians the world over - and of their growing number of friends and comrades - that this Palestinian courage and sacrifice and fearlessness will bring eventual success. In contrast, it is the governmental search for deals and bargains built to reflect power relations, not claims of rights, that seems so irrelevant that its disappearance would hardly be noticed.
By and large, the Western media, especially in the United States, has taken virtually no notice of these hunger strikes, as if there was no news angle until the possibility of martyrdom for the strikers began at last to stir fears in Israeli hearts of a potential Palestinian backlash and a public relations setback on the international level. Then, and only then, has there been speculation that, maybe, Israel could and should make some concessions - promising to improve prison conditions and limit reliance on administrative detention to situations where a credible security threat existed.
Self-reliance and nonviolence
Beyond this frantic quest by Israel to find a last minute pragmatic escape from this volatile situation posed both by hunger strikers on the brink of death and a massive show of solidarity by the larger prison population, is this sense that the real message of the Nakba is to underscore the imperative of self-reliance and nonviolence and ongoing struggle. The Palestinian future will be shaped by the people of Palestine. And it is up to us in the outside world, whether Palestinian or not, to join in their struggle to achieve justice from below, sufficiently shaking the foundations of oppressive structures of occupation and the exclusions of exile to create tremors of doubt in the Israeli colonial mindset. And as doubts grow, new possibilities suddenly emerge.
For this reason, the Nakba should become important for all persons of good will, whether Palestinian or not, whether in Israel or outside, as an occasion for displays of solidarity. This might mean a global sympathy hunger strike as is being urged for May 17, or an added commitment to the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) Campaign, or signing up to join the next voyage of the Freedom Flotilla. Certainly the Nakba is a time of remembrance for the historic tragedy of expulsion, but it is equally a time of reflection on what might be done to stop the bleeding and to acknowledge and celebrate those who are brave enough to say "this far, and no further".
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[[ split from Why would Flash work in IE 9 but not in IE 11? ]]
Downloaded swiffy html and ran some tests by just loading the swf file in a browser
It worked in IE 11 and find that the problem was with the html file. Thereby, I made the html file from scratch using dreamweaver and adjust proper settings in the html file while using dreamweaver when I added the flash swf file.
It took long time to solve problem in IE 11.
Hence, i find that HTML file loads in IE, and also in Chrome but it does not work/run in firefox. Any idea why?


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Internet and Communication
System ROM Toolbox« Communication « Downloads
|September 22, 2013
|29 times
Most features require you have a ROOTED PHONE!
Warning!! Please use at your own risk! I am not responsible if anything happens to your phone. By installing you agree to not hold me responsible by messing with these features! Do research first if you are not sure about any codes!!
System ROM Toolbox is the perfect tool for your rooted and non-rooted android phones. MOST features require ROOT access and some other settings don't.
Make a small donation of $2.00 in the app to help continue development for this free app.
Hidden Codes: *Works best on Samsung Galaxy S Phones!* Shows a list of hidden codes for use to see more files and folders on your android device. USE WITH CAUTION! Codes are confirmed working on Galaxy S, LG Apex, Moto Droid (Some codes) and Moto Cliq xt (Some codes) I am not sure if these codes will work on other devices. Please don't rate 1 star if these codes do not work on your device!
Remove System Apps: (Root Users Only!) Remove ANY system app from your android phone. Make sure you BACKUP any app you plan on removing in case you need to reinstall it at a later time. USE WITH CAUTION!! (Experienced Users Only!)
Toggle Flight Mode: Use this to enable flight mode before you go to bed. Stop annoying calls and messages and save on battery life.
Reboot Options: Quickly reboot phone, reboot recovery mode, Hot reboot(Faster reboot) or Reboot download mode. (Requires Rooted Phone) Donate version only!
Process Manager: Don't mistake this for a task killer! This lets you see running processes on your phone and available memory. By tapping anyone it lets you either launch it, see details, or go into settings to force stop it if you need to.
Calibrate Battery: Delete your batterystats.bin file after flashing new roms. Does the same as going into recovery mode and wiping battery stats. Donate version only!
Battery Stats: See information about your battery history. Get details on app usage and battery usage. Look at what is using the most battery life.
CPU Settings: Control the voltage on your phone by changing your CPU frequency. This requires full root access
Download Zip Files: Download certain files from the internet to flash through your custom recovery.
App Uninstaller: Full app uninstaller for all your third party applications. This does not require root.
Better GPS: change your GPS settings if your GPS is failing on your. Currently supports 2 modes.
System Tweaks: Check battery stats, enable/disable media scanner for faster performance. Change haptic feedback, Clear your dalvik cache and market search history
Plus many more tweaks!!
Tags: system toolbox rom toolbox jrummy app backup root tools all in one toolbox superuser rom manager mybackup pro cpu governor cpu turner set cpu
Visit our blog for more apps! http://potentemobile.blogspot.com
Recent changes:
– Small bug fix
– Removed Leadbolt Ads!
– Fixed force close issue
Content rating: Low Maturity
- Gmail
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text:
Regular Hours
Monday to Wednesday
We need to see some picture identification and something showing an applicant's current mailing address.
Any applicant under age 16 needs a parent or guardian to come in with him to grant parental permission at the time he gets the card.
Renewal is possible for everything except videotapes and books on reserve for another patron. You may call the library to renew your items.
Fines begin on the 10th day after a three-week item is due; the fine is $1.00 and goes up $.10 each day afterwards. The fine for a three-day item is $.50 per day and begins the day after the item is due. The fine for one-week items is $.10 and begins the day after an item is due.
Notification that you have overdue items will be made by phone or letter a few days after the item is due, then again about a week later. A third notice is an invoice for items borrowed, and a letter from the County Attorney. Your borrowing privileges will be suspended after the third notice until you record has been cleared. Then, for a year, you will be a probationary patron, with limited borrowing privileges.


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$ 49.50 was $ 66.00
This product is currently sold out.
Sunless Airbrush Tanning Spray Kit
Important Facts About Product
An instant dose of color helps prevent streaks and patches
Rich dark color sets within three hours
Organic sugar based formula
Can be used on all skin types
Works Fast
Hydrating, protecting formula
Get the best dark tan for face and body
Before And After Sunless Tanning Photo
How To Apply Sunless Tanning Video
Here are Some Product Reviews
5 out of 5
Very good, realistic color from a self-tanner from Ipswich, MA Verified Purchaser
The best quality of this self-tanner is that it contains a color guide that actually stains your skin (some of it washes off, but part of the color guide remains and is long lasting) and so the color guard tint adds to the DHA self-tanner color...this makes the resulting 'tan' more realistic than a DHA self-tan alone would be. Normally I avoid self-tanners with color guides as they tend to be messy, to stain clothing and look dirty, but this product's color guide actually has a purpose in that it improves the final tan color. That usually isn't the case, especially with most drugstore self-tanners. Also, this product has very little of that unattractive self-tanner scent. Lastly, because the concentration of DHA is quite high, you use less (one or two coats) to get a dark color, but you avoid being orange because of the residual stain of the color guide. The end result is a reddish brown tan color. This is pricey, but will last a long time and a worthwhile investment if you tend to turn orange with self-tanners. Good product! Review posted 11/7/2007.
5 out of 5
great self tanner! from Shenandoah junction, WV Verified Purchaser
love the almond scent, non streaking and the color is a beautiful brown, not orange like some other self tanners I have tried in the past. Review posted 7/10/2011.
5 out of 5
Very natural looking tan. from Toronto, ON Verified Purchaser
The tan I got was very close to my natural color of a tan. Doesn't have the usual self-tanner scent - smells like almonds. I apply it every other day to maintain the color. Stains hands a lot even if you wash them immediately after and will stain your bedding as well (but washes away without a trace on white sheets). Palms of your hands return to normal color by the afternoon the next day. One bottle lasts for approximately 2-3 weeks with every other day application on a petite body. Review posted 6/16/2012.
5 out of 5
great tan with self tanning micro mist, easy to do at home NS from coral gables, FL Verified PurchaserI will be placing another order, I like the color that it gives my skin and it lasts over a week, comes off very naturally. Review posted 6/6/2012.
5 out of 5
Awesome self-tanner!! from San Francisco, CA Verified Purchaser
I just got this yesterday and used it for the first time last night all over my body. It was relatively easy to apply (although I washed my hands throughout the application process to avoid staining them). I was so happy with the results that I used it on my face when I woke up this morn. I just went into the bathroom at work and was like, 'I look tan!!' I've been avoiding the sun for the past three years, so it's the first time I've seen myself tan in a long time, and I love it!! It is a nice, golden color, too--exactly the way my skin looks when it's really tan. The smell is nice when you put it on, but it does fade into that self-tanner smell after awhile. That and the price are the only drawbacks--well worth it in my opinion. Review posted 3/12/2012.
5 out of 5
A good Tanner with a nice bronze color from Thomasville, NC Verified Purchaser
Its a good tanner with a nice bronze color. I wish it lasted longer but will buy again. Review posted 6/2/2012.
Ingredient List: Sun Laboratories Self Tanning Spray
Purified Water, Ethoxydiglycol, Dihydroxyacetone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbedensis Gel, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, Fragrance, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tetrasodium EDTA.
Ingredient List: Sun Laboratories Tan Mainteiner
Water, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Dihydroxyacetone, Isopropyl Myristate, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Salvia Officinalis (Sage) Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioca (Nettle) Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, DEA-Cetyl Phosphate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl, Ethylhexananoate, Carbomer, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, BHT, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Benzophenone-3, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, DMDM Hydantoin, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Fragrance, Blue 1, Yellow
Ingredient List: Sun Laboratorie Exfoliate Body Gel
Water, Tea-Lauryl Sulfate, Alumina, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexyl-Glycerin, Fragrance, Mint Green, Blue 1
Directions: Sun Laboratories Self-Tanning Spray
Hold handy tan 6' away and spray evenly over face and body. Color is instant. To avoid discoloring palms wash hands with soap and water immediately after use.
Directions: Sun Laboratories Tan Mainteiner
Use in conjunction with a self tanning lotion or spray for sunless tan maintenance. Alternate using self-tanners in the morning and the Sun Labs Tan Maintainer in the evening.
Directions: Sun Laboratories Exfoliate Body Gel
Massage over body in shower or bath, concentrating on problem areas. Rinse well.


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text:
Darcy Regier admits the Sabres have made mistakes. Buffalo's prior blueprints for Stanley Cup glory featured inaccurate outlines.
"We have tried some things," Regier said Monday. "Some things have worked better than others. Some things have not worked very well."
This time, the Sabres insist they have a winning plan. Once again, they will have Regier implement it.
Sabres President Ted Black confirmed Monday that Regier will remain as general manager next season, his 17th in Buffalo.
Regier is confident he's the right man for the job despite a record that includes playoff absences for two straight years, four of six and seven of 11.
"I recognize that you can look at the performance of the team, and it doesn't reflect it," Regier said in First Niagara Center. "The reality of it is if I didn't have the confidence that I in the general manager's position, along with the people I work with, could accomplish building a Stanley Cup winner, I wouldn't be here.
"I don't take any of this for granted in any way. I'm extremely grateful."
As Regier sat next to Black during a season-ending news conference that was high on drama but low on information, the GM said no decision has been made regarding a permanent coach. Ron Rolston has held the interim title since replacing Lindy Ruff in February.
"He and I will sit down over the next week, maybe couple of weeks, re-evaluate the season and have discussions about our relationship going forward," Regier said. "I would add that I think he did a very good job under trying circumstances. But again, we'll address that down the road."
Regier also had no insight regarding the futures of Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek. The franchise cornerstones have strongly hinted they are ready to move on.
"It may involve both of them being here, it may involve one of them being here, it may involve none of them being here," Regier said. "I can only tell you that obviously they are upper-echelon, top-level players and can certainly be a part of a Stanley Cup team. We don't know what the marketplace is going to make available."
A trade to watch for involves amnesty buyout candidates. Each team can get salary cap relief by buying out two players over the next two summers, and the Sabres may use owner Terry Pegula's wealth on other teams' unwanted players for a draft pick or prospect.
"You can acquire a player and buy him out if somebody wants to pay you enough to do that, some other currency other than the dollars," Regier said. "Whether it happens or not, it's one of the options."
Regier's definitive plan involves rebuilding through the draft, which mirrors Black's recent comments. To get top draft picks the team will have to finish near the bottom of the NHL.
"If there was another alternative and if there is another alternative, we will do everything we can to find it," Regier said. "Short of that alternative, then it may well require some patience, but the payout is what it's about.
"We have gone with more determination in a very distinct direction, which is about the Stanley Cup. So I feel good about it. I love the opportunity. I understand what we're talking about here. I understand our fan base, and I would like to think that people will give up some suffering in order to win a Stanley Cup. I'm willing to do it. I believe our fan base is willing to do it. We certainly don't want to extend it for a long period of time. We want to make it as short as possible, and that's the goal."
The Sabres' new vision for winning their first Cup came about as a collective effort, Regier said. Pegula helped form and endorse it.
"It may require some suffering," Regier said. "… It's a shift because generally in the National Hockey League, how you keep your job, how you keep fans happy is by getting in the playoffs, by playing a round. It's not the happiest, it's not the saddest, but it's a level. It's an acceptable level. It's an acceptable standard around the league. It's just not the standard here – and I recognize I'm saying that in light of two missed playoffs."
Regier's emphasis on the draft comes after failed attempts to contend through free agency and trades. The Sabres will select eighth after not winning the draft lottery Monday night — Colorado won it, bumping Florida to second. His draft history has been spotty – only 10 of the 22 first- and second-round picks between 2000 and 2009 have made NHL contributions – but Black feels the GM has the tools to finish the job.
"Our scouting staff has doubled or more than doubled since Terry took over the team," Black said. "Now we have to be right."
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