text:
EAGAN, Minn (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, confident after his Florida primary victory, ended up inviting criticism Wednesday when he said he's "not concerned about the very poor" because they have an "ample safety net."
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Republican presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, confident after his Florida primary victory, ended up inviting criticism Wednesday when he said he's "not concerned about the very poor" because they have an "ample safety net."
Democrats and Republicans alike pounced and the GOP front-runner quickly sought to explain his remarks.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," Romney told reporters on his campaign plane when asked about the comments. "No, no, no. You've got to take the whole sentence, all right, it's mostly the same." He said his remark was consistent with his theme throughout the race, adding: "My energy is going to be devoted to helping middle-income people."
Despite that explanation, Romney's comments quickly became an immediate distraction from his message that he's more conservative than chief rival Newt Gingrich and from the double-digit thumping the former House speaker sustained in Florida. His campaign worked behind the scenes to provide context for the comment.
As the day began, the former Massachusetts governor told CNN from Florida: "I'm not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I'll fix it. I'm not concerned about the very rich. They're doing just fine. I'm concerned about the very heart of America, the 90-95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling."
"You can focus on the very poor, that's not my focus," he said.
President Barack Obama's re-election campaign was quick to criticize.
"So much for 'we're all in this together,'" tweeted Obama campaign manager Jim Messina.
Some conservative pundits also labeled it a gaffe and said it was evidence Romney wasn't prepared to run against Obama.
"The issue here is not that Romney is right or wrong, but that he is handing choice sound bites to the Democrats to make him as unlikeable as he made Newt Gingrich," said Erick Erickson on the conservative RedState blog. And Jonah Goldberg at the conservative National Review Online said of Romney: "Every time he seems to get into his groove and pull away he says things that make people think he doesn't know how to play the game."
With criticism mounting, Romney flew to Minnesota and addressed a rally before heading to Nevada. He also boasted in flight about his "huge" Florida victory.
Gay rights protesters in Minnesota threw glitter at Romney before he took the stage, making him the latest candidate to be "glittered" by activists opposed to his position on gay rights. Romney, who opposes gay marriage, put a positive spin on the sparkle in his hair.
"This is confetti! We just won Florida," he said as he took the stage.
Romney, whose central challenge is winning over skeptical conservatives, told reporters on the plane that the fact that he performed strongly among conservatives in Florida made sense because he's more conservative than Gingrich.
"I'm not saying he's not conservative. I'm just saying he's not the pure conservative he would have people believe, and I think folks in Florida saw through that," Romney said. His campaign also started airing a radio ad in Colorado on Wednesday that says "conservatives across America are supporting Mitt Romney."
But Romney immediately was forced to clarify his comments about the poor.
Asked whether his words might strike some as odd, Romney said: "We will hear from the Democrat party the plight of the poor and there's no question, it's not good being poor, and we have a safety net to help those that are very poor." Romney added that he's more worried about the unemployed, people living on Social Security and those struggling to send their kids to college.
"We have a very ample safety net and we can talk about whether it needs to be strengthened or whether there are holes in it. But we have food stamps, we have Medicaid, we have housing vouchers, we have programs to help the poor," Romney said. "But the middle-income Americans, they're the folks that are really struggling right now."
Romney has broached the subject of the poor repeatedly on the campaign trail but until Wednesday had been more careful in his choice of words.
"I worry about the very poor and I want to make sure that our safety net is there," Romney said in New Hampshire in December, says the middle class are "the people I'm really concerned about right now."
Wednesday wasn't the first time that Romney, who made millions working in private equity, has been accused of insensitivity on matters of wealth. He once said "I like being able to fire people" when talking about having the ability to choose service providers. He also has declared that he knew what it was like to worry about being "pink-slipped" out of a job.
Associated Press writer Patrick Condon contributed to this report.


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Will an AWD Model S variant will be announced in 2013?
Will an AWD Model S variant will be announced in 2013?
I'm betting no. For one thing, that would diminish a unique feature of the Model X.
For another, it would push the Model S into a higher price range. I think that's not
a direction they are interested in right now.
I think it might be something like a sport suspension package.
I would think it would be a new performance version, Elon has a special setup going on in his car.
I would hope that Tesla would not include anything that sets the Model x apart, AWD, more space. Probally more options and new console. These speculations are just as tricky as Apple rumors.
They could have different body styles on the same platform like a wagon or a coupe.
The model X is a disaster. They should of just skipped to the third gen. The S is already too expensive so why add another expensive vehicle. Go to the cheaper one with a better design since the X sucks when compared to the S.
No AWD S in my opinion. Wait for the X if you want that.
I have to disagree, I like Model X and I fairly believe there is a lot of others who like it too :-) not so many as for Model S though... Their plan was to produce 20k of Model S and 10k of Model X if I am right, and so far it looks there will be enough demand for that numbers.
I bet on AWD and sport package as Elon's anounced new verisons of Model S.
-AWD because Model S uses same platform as Model X.
-Sport package because it was shown on Musk's personal car.
Making AWD an option for the model S will in no way harm the sales of model X, and even if it does, who cares, they will cost the same anyway. The new E63 AMG has 4matic AWD, all Audi S6, S8, RS6 etc have AWD, and at the same time both mercedes and auid are selling a lot of SUVs. Porsche panamera has AWD, while the cayenne is their best selling model. Panamera turbo S with AWD starts at $175k. Even BMW is offering xDrive on all its models, except the M sedans. Adding a motor at the front should be comparable to adding the performance inverter, 10k extra. A performance AWD model, an option which will be available on model X, will surely be more expensive than the performance model S. The two models are not separated by price, one is a sedan, the other a crossover, two distinct classes of cars. Fearing price overlap is unfounded, judging by the sales of every other manufacturer. Now when a Gen3 sedan laded gets as expensive as a mid range model S, then we may have a problem. The last concern tesla should have is their models getting too expensive, who cares how expensive they are if they can sell them and make a profit. There obviously seems to be a demand for AWD in the model S, especially in canada and norway it makes sense. People who want an SUV will get an SUV, people who want a sedan will get a sedan. Counting that people who want AWD in the sedan will just get model X is risky, they might as well get an audi S8 or porsche, even if they are not electric.
If they could go to Gen3 right now, why even bother with model S or the roadster for that matter? But they can't, they are yet to turn a profit, and they have decided the fastest way to make money fast is to sell relatively small amounts of high value models, which simplifies distribution and keeps capital expenditures in check. Not to mention that they are waiting for prices of batteries to go down. With current prices they will end up with something like the leaf or ford focus EV, low range, low power, and still very expensive compared to a nissan versa or a standard focus. The simple truth is that those expensive luxury models allow for the cost of batteries to be soaked up easily.
olanmills | JANUARY 14, 2013
They could have different body styles on the same platform like a wagon or a coupe.
Or a Van or a convertible...
I am confident Tesla will announce an awd option for the S this year. Hints are already out there..
It would give a huge boost to their sales to northern european countries.
They are doing X because it is easy to do from the S- a derivative.
Hi hope they do so. Model X and Model S are quite different beasts. I would trade my RWD Model S the day Model S AWD becomes available. I have 3 friends waiting for Model S AWD before ordering.
Same here. 4 I know of waiting for AWD.
@SMahindra I personally do not want a Model X but am glad they are offering it. Why, with a certain number of common components the X will add to the economy of scale for the S - which is not overpriced for what it is - a luxury sedan. That means less price increases in the future for S and less expensive replacement parts...
More options mean more happy customers with different needs and wants and more converts from BMW, Audi etc. Tesla (the american company) can eat their lunch and the buyers get a better value for their money.
A wagon, convertable and AWD make a lot of sense and would fit the S image as the best sedan ever made. I do not think an AWD variant would hurt the X, the X offers more room and serves a different purpose than the S, a lot of people are buying both to meet different needs.
A van (model V?) to compete in the Sprinter segment would be interesting maybe in 2016? I would buy one for my company...
S coupe does not make sense to me... The new roadster will fill that niche... hopefully in 2015??? And a Super roadster (Veyron killer) to follow... oooo super cool...
Yes, the 'both' buyers almost universally seem to be the X for the soccer moms, with their multi-kid-toting priorities. A H.U.G.E. market in the US. Apparently not so in Europe.(?)
Fast forward presentation to 16min 30sek..
Very similar discussion here a year ago. This is turning into a time warp.
Which is probably true for most topics.
Floods of new owners are coming; brace yourself!
What you say sounds very logical to me.
I wonder if installation of another assembly line will start this year.
Will there be Sig GenIII's? Cabriolets?
S Cabrio would be cool. I guess easier to do than a regular car as well since the "skateboard" is so strong/carries most of the weight. Would get round some of the "limitied rear visibility" qualms! And even with a roof now folded up in the trunk, you still have the frunk! What cabrio can compete with that??
Possible solution?
In wheels...

subset: commoncrawl


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The Return of Thoroughbred Mania
Blustery, fall winds blow across Belmont Park as 54,000 thoroughbred fanatics crowd the stands. Horses are scrutinized, racing forms are perused, and an edge of big-time intensity permeates the air. Up in the glass-fronted owners' box, the atmosphere is elegant and moneyed. One man parades around in a baseball cap adorned with the Hermes logo and holds a flute of Champagne in each hand. Several women are turned out in ballooning skirts. Men sport tweed jackets, neckties and expressions of deep concentration. New York Racing Association chairman Barry Schwartz strolls down to the Belmont paddock, passing serious bettors who mentally crunch nuggets of horse-related data. Betting on thoroughbreds, after all, is not a spin-of-the-wheel no brainer.
Fanciers of this particular wager insist that it's an intellectual pursuit, fueled by information and comparative analysis, pitting bettor against bettor—rather than against the track, which earns its money via commissions and adjusts odds accordingly. Indeed, horse racing ranks as the one sport bet that directly challenges gamblers to out-pick their neighboring know-it-alls.
Admittedly, today does not represent just any day at the races. It's the afternoon of the 2001 Breeders' Cup, one of racing's premier events with a purse that exceeds $14 million. Bud-slugging guys, wearing Windbreakers and placing $2 bets, are clearly in the minority (or at least laying low), and Belmont vibrates with a kind of highbrow, big-budget elegance that suits the sport of kings.
Cast members from "The Sopranos" are in attendance. So are Kiwi supermodel Kylie Bax and former New England Patriots coach Bill Parcells. The final race proves so compelling, with a 7-to-1 long shot called Tiznow unexpectedly coming from behind to win its second Breeders' Cup Classic in a row, that Parcells' replacement, Bill Belichick, will show a video of the race six weeks later to the Patriots as a motivating tool. Beyond emphasizing the resurging pervasiveness of racing, the ploy actually works: New England doesn't lose another game all season and goes on to snag the National Football League championship by upsetting the St. Louis Rams, 20-17.
But it's not just strategizing coaches who glean inspiration from fast-running horses. Shepherding in a new, young crowd to enjoy the glories of racing is 24-year-old Ogden Phipps. On Breeders' Cup day, Phipps is with friends and family in the Trustees' Room—an unpretentious enclave that features an elaborate buffet and wall-bracketed TVs on which races are closely monitored by horse owners and VIPs. Unsatisfied with a small-screen view, however, Phipps continually darts from the Trustees' Room to the stands to catch each race up close and in person.
"Racing is in my blood," says Phipps, not exaggerating at all when you consider that his family's involvement in breeding and owning horses stretches back four generations. "Gambling is fun, but to enjoy racing you really have to look at these horses as incredibly graceful athletes. They weigh 1,100 pounds and run 35 miles per hour. It's a lot of speed for something that big."
Phipps, an investment banker with Goldman Sachs, is sufficiently enamored with the sport that he builds his summers around race weekends in Saratoga and invites a dozen or so friends to hang out in his big family house up there. Visitors, going to the track for the first time, are invariably impressed by the way racing offers a kind of civilized accessibility to the athletes—equine and human.
"You go down to the paddock, have interaction with the participants, spend a pleasant afternoon at a beautiful racetrack that's probably situated in one of the nicest parts of the country," enthuses Phipps, noting that his family raced Personal Ensign (the only horse to retire undefeated in 80 years) and has six Breeders' Cup wins to its credit among the various horses it has entered over the years. "Racing is becoming a cool thing. The last Kentucky Derby was packed with young people. You had the Backstreet Boys there; Reggie Miller was there. Racing people like to have fun: we dress up, go to great parties. Sometimes it feels like a throwback to a more elegant era." Fronting the campaign to keep racing on an upswing of growth, which merges state-of-the-art computer terminals with the old- fashioned adrenaline-infused kick that once defined this sport, is Barry Schwartz, who was named chairman of the New York Racing Association in 2000. Schwartz, a lifelong fan and longtime owner of thoroughbreds, has the sensibility and business smarts to take racing where it needs to go. "My challenge is to make New York racing as good as it can possibly be," Schwartz says, sitting in his Belmont office on the afternoon before the Breeders' Cup. "We already have the best horses and the best jockeys, which add up to equal the best racing. My job is to continue that trend and make it better. For most of the year, we have one of the strongest rider colonies in America—and, not coincidentally, the largest handle in the country. People follow money. Horses follow money. And as long as our purses stay big, we will get the best people and horses to race here."
Schwartz is a slender, stylish man who looks great in his Calvin Klein suit—which comes as no surprise when you realize that he's not only chairman of the clothier but also helped boyhood friend Klein launch the company in 1968 with an initial investment of $10,000. Like Klein, Schwartz grew up in the Bronx, where gambling was a common pastime. "Everybody was in action," Schwartz remembers. "We bet ball games, went to races, shot pool. It was part of my background." So much so that when Schwartz considers the four months (yes, months) he spent at New York University, he half-brags, "I majored in billiards at the Loeb Student Center—the place where you could play three-cushion."
Well aware that all gamblers are lured by good returns on their wagers, one of the most significant things Commissioner Schwartz did was reduce the takeout—the amount of money retained on all wagers—at New York State tracks. It's currently at 14 percent for win, place and show betting (down from 15 percent), which ranks among the lowest in the country, and he hints that it might drop further. "The decrease in takeout is offset by a seven percent increase in betting," says Schwartz. "My goal is for this to be so successful that I can go back and keep lowering it. With a 10 percent takeout, the size of our handle will become enormous." Schwartz considers this, then proudly adds that his decision was totally contrarian to industry wisdom: "Business got tough, so racetrack operators all over the country raised their takeouts. You don't do that. Where I come from, you lower your price when business is bad."
Other buzz builders will include video lottery machines at a handful of New York tracks (they might not bring upscale gamblers, but they will contribute to richer purses, which will make for better racing) and enhanced advertising (a former Calvin Klein creative director is now handling the NYRA; one ad features a decked-out model in the stands and it asks, "Looking for a great filly?"). Currently, Schwartz is embroiled in a battle to take control of the local Off Track Betting, which is operated by New York City. "The OTBs in New York are horrible," Schwartz groans. "Our plans for OTB would involve closing a number of them and building some new ones on a much higher level."
Schwartz's personal and financial interest in racing increased in the late 1970s, when a Calvin Klein licensee let slip that he owned a lot of horses—including a champion filly named Chris Evert. Schwartz heard this and responded, "I'd love to own a horse." He was quickly hooked up with a good trainer and soon became the proud proprietor of a thoroughbred. "Buying one horse didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but it's come a long way," says Schwartz, who now has more than 100 in his stable. "Words can't describe what it's like to have a hot, winning horse. The highs are incredibly high and the lows are incredibly low. You go through bad periods. But if you come up with one good horse, and he wins one big race, well, it wipes out all the aggravation."
When Schwartz considers a horse that took him through a gamut of deep emotions, he immediately thinks of Three Ring, a filly of his that finished second in her first start, won a couple of major stakes races, and showed in the Breeders' Cup. "Her wins were so impressive that we ran her in the Kentucky Derby," recalls Schwartz, emphasizing that having a horse in that race is the brass ring for any thoroughbred owner. "She got knocked sideways coming out of the gate, the saddle slipped, and the jockey couldn't control her. She finished last, but came back to win the Acorn Stakes at Belmont. All of her wins were unbelievable highs." He hesitates for a reverential beat, then adds, "Prior to her next race, the Mother Goose, also at Belmont, she reared up, fell back, split her skull open, and died in front of us in the paddock. In 10 starts she won more than $750,000. Then one day she got killed, just like that. It was the worst experience I ever had in racing."
Despite the heartache, Schwartz never came close to selling his racehorses. Beyond the pageantry and attention and thrills—not to mention the elite company of fellow owners like Houston Texans founder Bob McNair, the late Gene Klein (he sold the Chargers and vowed to spend the proceeds on horses), and Executive Jet Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard Santulli—Schwartz loves the genealogy and science that goes into breeding. He loves that somebody once offered to buy an early winner of his for $900,000—"I thought that horse was heading for the Kentucky Derby, and didn't sell; in retrospect I should have." In owning and breeding horses, Schwartz finds the kind of rush that eclipses even the headiest bets he might have made back when he was a serious handicapper who picked horses the way he currently picks wines: searching out good values and undiscovered gems. "These days," he says, "the bet is in buying the horse. When I breed to a horse with a stud fee of $400,000, isn't that a big enough bet? I'm betting that the mare will produce a horse that generates over $400,000 in winnings." He shrugs and adds, "But, hey, I'm an action guy."
A sure bet, where Schwartz is concerned, seems to be the growth of racing under his stewardship. Four months after the Breeders' Cup, sitting on a sofa in his gargantuan office at Calvin Klein's midtown Manhattan headquarters, Schwartz marvels over numbers that are much bigger than any single wager or horse. He talks about how the 2001 Breeders' Cup generated $100 million in bets from across the country. And he proudly points out that New York track attendance is up: it rose 14 percent in December 2000 as compared to the same month in the previous year, and did nearly the same thing in January 2001. Then he acknowledges that part of the reason for the climb stems from his decision to offer free track admissions in the winter (normally it's only $2—and the saved money surely gets spent at concession stands or betting windows). "You've got to have people in the seats," he says, adding that he's encouraging fans to make a picnic of it when they come to the track. "Racing is an exciting sport and it's sad to see empty stands. I remember in the late 1950s and early '60s when there would be big crowds every weekend."
Then he glances at a TV monitor built into the wood-paneled wall alongside his desk. On-screen a race is about to start. Schwartz focuses on Navajo Code, one of his thoroughbreds. "That horse has been a real disappointment," Schwartz admits. "Navajo Code has got a lot of speed, but not a lot of heart." Nevertheless, the horse thunders out of the gate and looks damn good through the first turn. "The start of a race is no problem," deadpans Schwartz, not sounding confident about his horse's prospects. "Finishing the race is Navajo Code's problem."
Defying expectations, Navajo Code holds a money position into the home stretch. Ultimately, the horse finishes third. Schwartz looks perfectly pleased as he states, "That's the best race this horse has had." A few minutes later he gets a call from the horse's trainer. They have an all-good-news chat. He hangs up and our conversation turns to the topic of elite races and their importance. This is when Barry Schwartz allows that a few of his horses, besides ill-fated Three Ring, have run in the Kentucky Derby. That, he says, is the best. "Nothing is as exciting. And one day I plan on winning." He smiles at the obvious folly of crystal-balling a far-off sporting event, then adds, "Just like everybody plans on winning it."
Sure, it's a dream. But, as Schwartz says, "Dreams are what keep this sport going."
Michael Kaplan writes frequently about gambling for Cigar Aficionado.


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LARGE PASTEL EASTER EGGS Decorative Bathroom Sink Stopper Toppers
Transform your bathroom from boring to brilliant with Stopper Toppers! Our high quality decorative laminate will put a smile on your face every time you wash your hands or brush your teeth. Order today and add the finishing touch to your bathroom.
$ 2.99
Stopper Toppers are patent-pending decorative laminates that apply to an existing bathroom sink stopper. Stopper Toppers instantly transform your bathroom sink to match any mood, style or holiday.
- 1.25" Diameter fits most bathroom sinks
- Durable / Premium / Water-proof material
- Easy on - easy off
- Made in USA / Fulfillment by sheltered workshop.


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[image id="64596" loc="L" caption="This hottie started off the decade right — in 2000, 'N Sync's album No Strings Attached became the fastest selling album of all time — not to mention the fact that he was dating the biggest female superstar of the time, streaming for free on iTunes, Justin Timberlake's new album, The 20/20 Experience has officially dropped!
This is J.T.'s first new album since bringing "sexy back" in 2006, and we're totally pumped to have our fave former boy-bander back on our iPods!
With new singles like "Suit & Tie" and "Mirrors" already dominating the charts—and Billboard predicting record sales to reach over half a million in just a week—we weren't surprised when Justin revealed some amazing new album deets at his official release party.
The singer announced that his latest ten-track album is only the first part of The 20/20 Experience, saying, "This whole thing about this only being the first half of the album is true." So how long will we have to wait for more smooth vocals? Justin played coy about a release date for the follow-up, but rumor has it that volume two will be out in November.
What's your favorite track on The 20/20 Experience? Let us know in the comments below!


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CPhI 2019 Frankfurt
You will be welcome to our stand 91C68
Productos Aditivos, Kemtia and QFine Synthesis will attend CPhI Worldwide this year again, in Frankfurt.
It is the meeting place for the pharmaceutical industry, taking place this year in Germany. The CPhI is the major global event for the pharmaceutical industry, with over 45.000 attendees from 150 countries and 2.500 exhibitors from all over the world.
2020.01.03As usual this last years our functional products division Kemtia will be present at Nutraceuticals Europe (4th-5th March in Madrid), the...
Kemtia and Productos Aditivos will be exhibiting at Vitafoods Europe 2019
2019.04.12KEMTIA , our division dedicated to the development and manufacturing of functional products, will be exhibiting at the upcoming Vitafoods Europe...
2019.01.15This 2019 will be a special year for us not only because we are working on so many exciting projects but also because it is our 90th...
2019.01.10Again this year, our functional productos division Kemtia will be present at Nutraceuticals Europe (27th-28th February in Madrid), to...
2018.10.02During the last decades, our company Productos Aditivos has been changing significantly. From a chemical company, being the sole...
2018.04.10Productos Aditivos will attend CPhI Worldwide this year again, which this time takes place in Madrid. It is the meeting place...
Thanks for visiting us at Nutraceuticals Europe in Madrid
2018.02.23For the first time we were present with our own stand in Nutraceuticals Europe. It gave us the opportunity to give visibility to...
Nutraceuticals Europe 2018 Madrid
2018.01.15Our functional products division Kemtia will be present at Nutraceuticals Europe (14th-15th February in Madrid), the international exhibition...
Artificial sweeteners do not affect gut microbiota
Artificial sweeteners are useful in weight control
No correlation found between artificial sweeteners and cancer (found with sugar)
Sweeteners do not negatively impact health
Artificial Sweeteners Won't Affect Your Blood Sugar
vía: Nature
Ibero–American consensus on no-calories sweeteners benefits
vía: Nutrients Journal
Non caloric sweeteners have on influence on obesity
Saccharin could be a cancer treatment


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The Movies.com Review: 'After Earth' Is Bananas--but Not in a Fun Way
I like a bad movie. I like a bad movie with gumption and nerve. I like a bad movie with the courage of its insane convictions, one that's too much of everything. I like Battlefield Earth, for example. It's the product of a single-minded evangelist, a true believer -- John Travolta, I mean, not L. Ron Hubbard -- and, as such, it is pure. It is also bananas.
I choose Battlefield Earth as my example here because it comes from the same cul-de-sac at the end of Vanity Project Lane in the same gated community as After Earth and because it's a space movie about stuff from space and one man who must triumph over... I forget what... his own negative something or other. Also because it has J.T. as a dreadlocked monster-dude doing a Bette Davis impersonation, which is excellent, the best choice for that character and most entertaining option for us, the slack-jawed audience. It's raw, ruined pleasure watching Battlefield Earth. Then you get to make your friends watch it. Then they hate you. And that's great, too.
This movie, on the other hand, is about nobody's pleasure or deep vision. It is, instead, about positioning two actors in the power structure of the film industry. The older one, producer and shot-caller Will Smith (who effectively turns abused auteur M. Night Shyamalan into a hack-for-hire here), is the very machinery for making this a film that's allowed to open in wide release in the first place, but who on-screen plays a supporting role as a galactic ranger named... here it comes... Cypher Raige. Cypher and son Kitai (Jaden Smith, his character name a Japanese word meaning "hope," because whatever) crash-land on a future Earth, a thousand years into that future to be exact, a future missing its people, a future where hostile animals have rapidly evolved (science schmience) to destroy anything human. Cypher is injured, leaving young, scared Kitai to face his fears and trek across the dangerous wasteland to find a ship-messaging beacon, their only hope for rescue.
As this is happening on-screen and 14-year-old Jaden flies with squirrel-like flaps, battles giant Rodans (then befriends them) and stabs freaky monsters, offscreen there's a parallel story taking place, one that has no choice but to be more fascinating. It's the one about dad using his clout, his proven box office ability over the past two decades, and son reaping the benefits, learning the ropes of movie stardom and taking the lead in the action, as well as his place in the 1% of Young Hollywood. He starred in a hit remake of The Karate Kid, after all. If this one makes a lot of money then his path is set for the time being.
And it might. But it's also a very bad movie. And not the awesome kind. The sad kind.
Almost every on-screen choice, from the strange half-British dialect the Smiths are using (and then mostly discarding) to the excitement-free adventure to the barely there father-son rapport, is a confusing mistake. The regular moments of silence and restraint, which would otherwise be a shockingly welcome element in a big summer action film, and which are meant to convey a serious-minded purpose, only serve to highlight the sad fact that Jaden Smith hasn't become the actor he needs to be to carry along anyone's interest or emotions when there are no horrible special effects swirling around him (all of them, from space junk to wild animals, appear to have been crafted out of the most stressful kind of freelance digital duress).
For bad-movie lovers, bad performances are a comedy lightning rod. But not here. I take no pleasure in writing about it. Instead, I sat in the press screening feeling worry and concern for a young actor who looks and acts lost as he struggles to capture a bit of the magnetism and charisma that should have been his genetic birthright. It's enough to make you start asking questions about child labor laws, the limits of noodly science fiction, the wisdom of Hollywood nepotism and the stifling of a director with his own cracked kind of vision. Shyamalan would have, at least, given us a wacky twist ending and a film critic character for the movie to murder in the third act. Instead we get nothing at all. Don't force this one on your friends. They won't hate you, they'll just yawn. Okay, actually they'll hate you, too.
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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No, it's not a weather mirage
Off in the distance there is a weather map that promises cooler weather. No, it's not an illusion, we'll really be falling into the lower and mid 80s by the end of the weekend. For many that's beautiful music to ear.
Highs on this Thursday will be some of the hottest (if not THE hottest) temperatures we've seen all year. Many folks in the River Valley will be in the triple digits while NW Arkansas falls only slightly behind in the mid 90s.
The EXCESSIVE HEAT WARNING is still in effect for eastern Oklahoma and parts of the River Valley until Friday at 7:00pm.
Today there is a slight chance of an afternoon shower or storm to cool you down. Tomorrow we'll bump that to a 30% chance of a shower or storm - and with that, the change in the temperatures begin.
By Sunday the afternoon highs in NW Arkansas will be in the lower 80s and the highs in the River Valley will be in the mid 80s.
Too good to be true? Nope - it's real!
Just a few more days to wait.
Laura Huckabee / Meteorologist


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Openly Confidential
Posted by Jeff Id on January 13, 2012
Steve McIntyre has an interesting post on how certain members of the most controversial sections of Climate Science™ have influenced the openness and transparency of the IPCC. As usual, he has put considerable time into the effort and discovered a unique chain of events in the public documentation.
The IPCC considers its draft reports, prior to acceptance, to be pre-decisional, provided in confidence to reviewers, and not for public distribution, quotation or citation.
We wouldn't want anyone pointing out that flawed Steig work was being used as a poster boy for global warming until after it was too late right? After all, Soon and Baliunas needed to go because its method was flawed, not because it was an anti-AGW result. I'm sure that the Berkeley temperature study will also be treated similarly.
13 Responses to "Openly Confidential"
January 13, 2012 at 11:25 am
It's interesting that if, before the first of the e-mails became public, one had to guess about the likely behavior of the team behind closed doors, anyone who'd read a great deal of climate audit would have guessed that the team members behave in the unscrupulous, dishonest, unscientific ways that are revealed by the e-mails. Based on what one saw of Mann, Jones, et al and their behavior in public, anyone with a basic understanding of human nature would surmise that a look under the rock would have likely revealed lots of ugly stuff.
The only real surprise is that they turn out to be worse, by every metric, than one might have guessed.
January 13, 2012 at 11:38 am
Before Climate Gate: Accusations of fraud aimed at IPCC "scientists" were SNIPPED by level headed blog owners because of lack of evidence.
After Climate Gate: Evidence proving fraud are presented almost every day by level headed blog owner.
January 13, 2012 at 12:00 pm
"The IPCC considers its draft reports, prior to acceptance, to be pre-decisional, provided in confidence to reviewers, and not for public distribution, quotation or citation."
One the one hand, I can understand the IPCC want to control their message. After all, it IS "their" message. On the other hand, my tax dollars are helping to fund their work, and their "policy recommendations" are likely to have a negative impact on my life (e.g. global carbon taxes). So, in that light, I think letting the world see their decision making processes is in the best interests of all.
January 13, 2012 at 1:02 pm
The Berkeley temperature study hasn't been peer reviewed yet and so technically it shouldn't be included in the report.
Or did I miss it being published (as opposed to press released)?
January 13, 2012 at 1:58 pm
@1: "anyone with a basic understanding of human nature would surmise that a look under the rock would have likely revealed lots of ugly stuff . . . The only real surprise is that they turn out to be worse, by every metric, than one might have guessed."
Yes, anyone "with a basic understanding of human nature" anticipated "lots of ugly stuff." But the findings are no worse than "one might have guessed" if they grasped that the battle of life is a battle to escape the ego cage, where seven deadly sins fuel the false illusion of control:
Pride, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Anger, Greed, Sloth
a.) Pride distorts Reality
b.) Humiliation is injury to Pride
c.) Humility is the absence of Pride
d.) Leaders of nations and sciences spent vast quantities of public funds . . .
On observations and data, but are helpless trapped in their own ego cages – like rats on a sinking ship:
1. This brief (3-min) video of images from the vast regions of space conveys one Inconvenient Truth:
2. The short summary of space age data conveys another Inconvenient Truth:
Earth is a tiny piece of fly ash heated by the
Nuclear furnace that made our elements and
Spit out the ash five billion years (5 Gyr) ago
3. This 3-D plot of rest masses of every atom in the universe is the key to yet another Inconvenient Truth:
The Inconvenient Truth written in the "Cradle of the Nuclides" was first published in 2000 on the front cover of the Proceedings of the 1999 ACS Symposium organized by Glenn Seaborg and me to show how nuclear energy is stored as rest mass in mixtures [of two forms of one fundamental particle (Neutron/H-atom)] that comprise every atom:
This same Inconvenient Truth has prevented a solution to our energy needs:
Thanks to a few brave souls like Jeff Id, Steve McIntyre, and Judith Curry,
January 13, 2012 at 2:47 pm
This is a political problem. I do not find the desire on the part of IPCC honchos for secrecy at all surprising; I would in fact be shocked if they did not want secrecy. They claim to be trying to produce a "consensus" document, but I think more accurately, they are trying to produce a document which reflects the views of a relative handful of the most influential participants; all other views never see the light of day. Secrecy in the process satisfies two important goals:
1) It protects the prerogatives of a handful of influential climate scientists in controlling the content of the final report, without the need to ever defend the legitimacy of those prerogatives, and
2) gives a false impression of a high level of confidence in the content of the report, by claiming a consensus "of hundreds of climate scientists", when final content, emphasis, and tone is in fact controlled by a handful of people.
If the sausage-making process were in full view, then the disagreements/uncertainties/doubts of all those involved would be known, along with inappropriate influence by the powerful. People outside the process would be in a better position to judge for themselves if the final document were a fair representation of consensus on 'the science'.
Like all political problems, this one only has a political solution: Make US funding of all UN based climate activities contingent of everything being done 100% open to public scrutiny, and prohibit participation (by law) of climate scientists who work for the US government (NASA, NOAA, national labs, etc.) unless all UN climate activities are held in the open. Of course, that will require a change in the current administration in the USA.
January 13, 2012 at 3:23 pm
All is well today!
Sorry about the lengthy message, but a large amount of factual information accumulated behind the wall of government deceit before it finally surfaced as Climategate email and documents in late November of 2009.
Thanks to brave public servants, awareness has increased and even Wikipedia now carries the story.
January 13, 2012 at 6:55 pm
#8 Steve has his guidelines, and while I would prefer to vent more, I think in the long run his well-documented destruction of the Team will be more effective.
January 15, 2012 at 5:49 am
Thank's the news. It is good. I hope you to comment and visit in my blog, because my blog is very low visitor, now.
January 16, 2012 at 2:03 pm
OT, but did you see this op-ed that Glenn Reynolds linked? http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2012/01/14/rex-murphy-thou-must-not-question-big-environment/
"The greatest advantage the greens have had is the relative absence of scrutiny from the press. Generally speaking, it's thought to be bad manners to question self-appointed environmentalists. Their good cause, at least in the early days, was enough of a warrant in itself.
There is no such thing as investigative environmental reporting — or rather very precious little of it in the established media. Environmental reporters rarely question the big environmental outfits with anything like the fury they will bring to questioning politicians or businesspeople. Advocacy and reportage are sometimes close as twins."


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The student who is qualified for this position must have good communication, time management, word processing, and computing abilities. Basic computer skills are essential as well as some familiarity with the audio visual technology used by the music department. A general knowledge of how ODY's online catalog works, as well as an understanding of the specific nature of sound recording and music score classification is helpful. The Music Library assistant must work well with the public and be willing and able to communicate effectively with other students and staff.
The student in this position will report directly to the Music Library Supervisor.
He/she will be responsible for scheduling eight to nine student workers each semester. There are 16 shifts which cover 37 hours per week of public service when the Music Library is open. The Music Library assistant will be responsible for making arrangements for substitutes, covering the desk when scheduling problems arise, and keeping track of any public service and usage issues that occur. The student worker will also be assigned various library related tasks, which could include basic copy cataloging using the OCLC bibliographic utility, and St. Lawrence's online catalog's module, Sierra. Shelf maintenance, inventory, repair of library materials, physical processing of items, etc. will be required on a regular basis. Occasionally there will be times when the student worker will be expected to help enter and/or create basic metadata for the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery's digital collections. Also, the editing of selected digital images for our online Gallery collections will be required as needed.
Skill required 9
Level of effort 9
Responsibility 9
Stress/Working Conditions 7


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About Group | 01/01/70
Anyone with any preconceptions based on what the esteemed band members comprising About Group have achieved in the past, would be well advised to leave them at the door when approaching their new record 'Start and Complete', because in keeping with the beautifully unorthodox genesis of the band itself, it's a record that will undoubtedly surprise.
Comprising Alexis Taylor (Hot Chip), Charles Hayward (This Heat), John Coxon (Spring Heel Jack, Spiritualized) and Pat Thomas, who has played with the likes of Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley and others, the band originally formed to make a record of improvised music for the Treader label in 2009, having never played together as a whole before the day it took them to make their first album. After a clutch of live performances (supporting Gang Gang Dance, playing Ornette Coleman's Meltdown Festival and even Glastonbury, among others) they regrouped to record this album.
In order to create the record in as spontaneous a manner as possible, some, but not all of the songs Taylor had written over the past few years, were distributed in demo form on CDs to the band members just a few days before the studio date, ensuring that no one would know the songs well enough to have specific parts in mind. As a result 'Start and Complete' was recorded in one day at Abbey Road, Studio 2, and mixed over three days on Conny Plank's old desk at Mark Ralphs's London Studio.
Subsequently 'Start and Complete' is a collection of songs that blur the line between improvisation and good ol' fashioned songwriting structure, as intimate sounding as the environment in which they were created. It's in no way an 'in your face' record, but something far more thoughtful, engineered by the group's instincts to create subtle shifts in the music's direction and tone, something which becomes even more apparent when Thomas' electronic flourishes take centre stage at points throughout the album.
On 'Don't Worry' and 'Lay Me Down', Taylor's keyboard vamps, along with Coxon and Taylor's wah guitars and the shuffling beat, suggest what a vintage Muscle Shoals session might sound like in the abstract. And on their re-interpretation of Harvey Averne/Terry Riley's 'You're No Good', the band stretch out over ten minutes. Locking into a groove they cut loose into a sustained Kosmiche workout, propelled by one of Hayward's signature and unique drum parts and Coxon's almost-soloing on the guitar – showing they are as adept at a head-nodding jam as the elegant constructions of the album's shorter pieces. Taken in total, "Start and Complete" is a richly rewarding and constantly fascinating listening experience, not to mention an inspired act of musicianship which pays off with handsome dividends.
'Start and Complete is released on Domino on 18th April 2011 and is available on CD and digitally.
Pre order 'Start and Complete'
Charles (This Heat, Camberwell Now)
John (Spring Heel Jack, Spiritualized)
Pat (has played with Derek Bailey, Tony Oxley)
Alexis (Hot Chip)
The tracklisting for 'Start and Complete' is as follows:
Married To The Sea (a)
Don't Worry
With Each New Day
Repair Man
Lay Me Down
A Perspective
There's a Way To End This Run of Doubt
A Sinking Song
Nothing But Words
You're No Good
Rough and Smooth
Start and Complete
Dreamt I Saw You Late Last Night
Married To The Sea (b)
Catch a glimpse of About Group performing 'You're No Good' here:


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Ms. Snark,
I am finishing up collection of four (ostensibly "literary") novellas, all tied to a central theme. I intend to pitch them as a single ms. My friends and family tell me that, since I am unpublished, this is an unmitigated act of cojones grande. I keep running into an attitude that indicates that one has to be Stephen King or Gabriel Garcia Marquez before one can be deemed worthy to publish a collection of novellas.
The collective word count will end up in the 85K to 90K range and, as mentioned, all four novellas were written to blend together thematically.
Does the hair on the nape of your neck bristle at the thought of receiving the apocryphal query letter for such a ms? Well, no, it doesn't
Better to place my head on your chopping block of nitwittery than to bugger my chances with my short list of choice agents. I am traveling under the following assumptions:
The query letter and synopsis should include four separate bullet points describing each novella. Yes
Aforementioned synopses and descriptions of the novellas should be abbreviated to make sure it stays within the recommended page limit. Yes
If I am ever fortunate enough to be asked for a partial, I should only send my pick for the strongest of the four novellas. Yes
While I am soft on the working title for the collection at this moment in time, I should NOT say anything to the effect of " 'Love in the Time of Playground Wedgies' is my working title for my collection of novellas, but I am not married to this title should yourself or anyone in the publishing chain have a suggestion for a meatier hook." Yes
Which spawns the totally unrelated question number five:
Do editors ever request a title change between solicitation and printing? Yes
My chinstrap is secured, and I am now prepared to be Snarkrimanded. Thank you, Ms. Snark. May I please have another. OUCH! Thank you, Ms. Snark. May I please…Yes
Someone has been reading too much Betty Page. However, all calls for discipline aside, you've actually got the essence here of how to query weird ass stuff. Observe all the rules for normal stuff and hope for the best. Try not to include sentences like "I know this is weird ass stuff" in the cover letter. You don't need to state the obvious.
Novellas are making a comeback. You might actually be on to something.


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Be A Volunteer and Build Alliances / Re: Kentucky Rails to Trails Program« on: February 22, 2012, 05:52:54 pm »
I have been researching this subject and wondered if there anyone here that is interested in helping or have any ideas that have proven successful?
I would love to help. I am in Louisville. I have been laid off and have more time than sense. Let me know if there is anything I can do.


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Over the next several weeks, Del Mar officials plan to step up their push for representation on a newly shaped board that would oversee the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
The effort will focus on persuading county officials to give Del Mar a spot on the panel, City Council members decided at a meeting Monday.
"I don't think it could hurt anything to be proactive, to remind people that we'd like a seat on the board," Councilwoman Sherryl Parks said.
For months, officials with Del Mar, Solana Beach and San Diego have made it clear that they would like a say in what happens at the state-owned fairgrounds.
Representatives of the 22nd District Agricultural District board of directors — the agency that now oversees the venue — met with state and county officials in Sacramento in February to discuss a plan for more local oversight of the property.
Few details have emerged from that meeting, but Adam Day, president of the fair board, has suggested it's unlikely that cities would be part of a new governance model.
Del Mar City Manager Scott Huth said he would start setting up meetings with county officials right away to try to convince them that the city needs a voice on the panel, even if it doesn't come with full voting rights.
"This is going to be like March Madness," he said. "It's going to be April Madness. There's going to be a lot of meetings."
The Del Mar council members said they'd like to have some sort of resolution by the end of the month.
It would be important for the city to be able to pick its representation, Deputy Mayor Lee Haydu said.
It's also vital that the city continues to work with Solana Beach and San Diego in a regional effort, she said.
"If we leave them out, we're dead," she said. "We might as well never work with Solana Beach or San Diego again."
Supervisor Dave Roberts served as a Solana Beach council member for eight years and now represents the coastal region at the county level. He has said he will continue to push for local representation on the fair board.
Local control of the fairgrounds — home to the county fair, horse racing and roughly 300 other events that together attract millions of visitors — has been a contentious topic for years.
Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger approached the City of San Diego to explore the possibility of selling the land in 2009. The City of Del Mar offered to buy the venue for $120 million, but the state-appointed fair board campaigned heavily against the proposed sale, which never happened.
email@example.com (805) 512-2443


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Published March 2012,April 2012.
The focus of this month's issue of NRICH is a topic that many readers will recognise, but may not have had a name for. Essentially, it's about 'seeing' why something is true in general, but through the medium of a particular example of it.
But how can we possibly see more than the particular instance? Well, the paradox is explained by the human propensity to see individual cases as cases of categories that contain them.
Let's say that I've found a really smart way of finding the square of 'something-and-a-half'.
For example, I can tell you right away that $7\frac{1}{2}\times 7\frac{1}{2}=56\frac{1}{4}$, without having to do
How do I do it?
Well, draw a square with side $7\frac{1}{2}$ and find its area. One way to do it is to cut up the square and reassemble it like this:
The area of the square is equal to that of a $7 \times 8$ rectangle, together with the $\frac{1}{2}\times\frac{1}{2}$ square, and so it is $56\frac{1}{4}$ altogether.
[Alternatively, if you know the difference of two squares identity:
$(7\frac{1}{2})^2 - (\frac{1}{2})^2 = (7\frac{1}{2} - \frac{1}{2})\times (7\frac{1}{2} + \frac{1}{2}) = 7 \times 8$
So $(7\frac{1}{2})^2$ must be $(\frac{1}{2})^2$ more than this: $56\frac{1}{4}$]
If you were persuaded by my explanation for $7\frac{1}{2}\times 7\frac{1}{2}$ being $56\frac{1}{4}$, you can now probably state the value of, say, $5\frac{1}{2}\times 5\frac{1}{2}$, and know why it is so.
In effect, you now know that $n$-and-a-half squared is equal to $n$ times $n$+1, and a quarter, for any positive integer* $n$: and why it is so. But I didn't write out a general, formal proof of this generalisation – I only gave one example, with $n=7$ (although I did present it very carefully …).
* Actually this generalisation is not only true for integers, but my demonstration with $7\frac{1}{2}$ was easier to write because $7$ and $8$ are integers.
Proof by generic example
Hopefully this example-of-a-generic-example conveys two ideas.
First, that a single example can provoke a generalisation in a person who 'sees' it in the intended way. Of course, two or more examples might be more effective in some situations. But in mathematics we never know general truths – in the sense of being completely sure that there are no exceptions – on the basis of examples, no matter how many we try. Instead, we look for some explanatory insight, usually a mathematical proof.
The second idea is that this kind of insight, or illumination, can sometimes be achieved by 'talking through' a single example, drawing attention to the structure of that example, in the way that I did with the square of 'something-and-a-half'. If this demonstration succeeds, the audience – colleague, students, whoever – see why the same, or analogous, reasoning would work just as well in other cases. For example, why $5\frac{1}{2}\times 5\frac{1}{2}$ must be equal to $\frac{1}{4}$ added to $5 \times 6$. This kind of 'seeing' is seeing through the particular example, as if it were a window onto a world of things analogous to it.
I have written about this phenomenon, as a pedagogical device, in a number of articles. Two of them are available here:
"i"is for Induction
Generic Proofs: Setting a Good Example
This month's issue
In this month's issue, the problem Three Neighbours provokes a generalisation about the sum of three consecutive integers, and then invites the reader to reflect on just one of them with a view to seeing why it works in this case. At that point, the role of this single example is changed, from confirming the generalisation to explaining it. This generic mode of explanation, using well-chosen, carefully-structured examples, makes mathematical proof accessible in the primary years, to pupils to whom the usual kinds of algebraic-symbolic proofs would not be accessible.
The problem Slick Summing is one of my favourite generic examples, and surely gives us insight into the workings of the mind of the precocious young Gauss, while still at primary school.
Polynomial Interpolation was new to me! The single example demonstrates both how to find a polynomial through a given set of points, and why it works.
I shall finish with – appropriately - two more examples.
The stairs problem
How many ways are there of ascending a flight of stairs if you can take one or two stairs at a time?
For three stairs, for example, there are 3 ways:
1, 1, 1
1, 2
2, 1
The sequence of numbers-of-ways is 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, …
Students usually readily recognise what they call "the pattern", and some know that this is called the Fibonacci sequence. So how could we explain why each term is the sum of the previous pair?
Usually, a student offers an account of why it is that the number of ways for any number of stairs will be equal to the sum of the number of ways for the previous two numbers of stairs. A feature of these student-generated accounts is that they are invariably grounded in a particular value of n, and the argument looks something like this:
"Suppose we've done flight-lengths 1 to 5 by listing all the ways. Now consider ascending 6 stairs. The first step must be 1 or 2. If it is 1, then 5 stairs are left, and we know that there are 8 ways to ascend them. If it is 2, then 4 stairs are left, and we know that there are 5 ways to ascend them. This exhausts all the possibilities, so there are 5+8 ways of climbing the 6 stairs."
The interesting thing is that this particular example then becomes a window through which students can see what would happen in other cases (say from 8, 9 stairs to 10 stairs), and indeed beyond particular cases to the general.
In the paper: a party trick and a parting challenge
For some years now, the local daily newspaper, the Cambridge News, has published a whole-page spread of puzzles in each issue. Along with the predictable crossword and Sudoku, this page has a number of regular features such as a vocabulary test, a general knowledge section – and a Brain Twister. Beneath the light wrappings of an 'everyday' scenario of some kind, this last feature is overtly mathematical, and nearly always numerical. The problem setter frequently shows considerable ingenuity and originality, and has certainly brought some properties of, and relationships between, particular numbers to my attention for the first time.
The difficulty of the problems posed varies enormously, from highly-challenging to relatively straightforward. A recent one concerned a clue about the age of a maths teacher about to retire: her age was equal to 3 times its first digit added to 7 times the second digit. Once I'd solved it, I wondered which other two digit numbers can be expressed like this, i.e. as a multiple of the first digit added to a multiple of the second. And I'd like the multiples to be less than 10-times the digit in each case. As a result, I now have a new party trick: here it is.
Pick any positive whole number between 10 and 90. Avoid multiples of 10, please.
Write it down.
Next, write the number:
(a) whose first digit makes 10 when added to the second digit of your chosen number
(b) whose second digit is just 1 more than the first digit of your chosen number.
Now find the product of the tens digits in these two numbers, and the product of the units digits, and add these two products. Amazing!
Now, how would you explain why this 'works'? Probably some algebra comes to mind, and maybe you have already done it. But what if the person wanting help with the explanation is not familiar with algebraic notation (letters) and syntax (such as 'multiplying out brackets')?
Your challenge is to construct a narrative explanation, by means of a generic example. It may require some thought! I like to start from 83, but there are lots of options. Is 37 a good choice? Or 45?
Tim Rowland works at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Education.


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Translators required - Tamil
We are looking for talented professional translators for regular cooperation. You must hold a degree in Translation, Languages, or a specific discipline (e.g. Life sciences, Finance, etc) and have at least 3 years experience in your domain. Excellent language and translation skills, and a good writing style with accurate spelling and grammar are a must.
You must be a CAT tools user and competent in at least one as most of the projects are done through CAT tools. Trados Studio is our preferred tool but we could accept files coming from other tools provided that the files pose no issues for further processing and you can directly handle Trados Studio files, either packages or sdlxliff files.
Please do not bid if you cannot provide a rate per word for translation and proofreading, the tools you have and two samples of your past work. If you are not online here all day you need to be using an IM (most preferably *Removed by Admin as it encourages offsite communication which breaches our Terms of Service *) so that we can confirm your immediate availability for the project at hand. It is important that we are aware of your general availability at all times as delivery within the same day or during weekends is not unusual. Some projects are really urgent and we would prefer not to split too much projects for consistency reasons.
Finally, please mention the languages from which you can translate and the fields you specialize (it is very important to be more specific at this point, so either elaborate or paste the relevant part of your CV). We hire only native speakers, so we are looking for translators that translate only into their mother tongue. You need to have this in mind when mentioning language pairs and bidding.
i can do fast Relevant Skills and Experience i am a tamils Stay tuned, I'm still working on this proposal.
English/Spanish translator. I specialize in scientific and technical subjects.
I translate in Tamil language Relevant Skills and Experience Yes sure
more than 9 years experience and native tamil speaker using all type of fonts and CAT tools


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In William Gibson's Neuromancer, the mercenary Molly Millions has a lot of enhancements — including retractable razor blades beneath her fingernails. These 3D printed nails from The Laser Girls are how I imagine Molly's nails would look from the outside, when the razors are withdrawn.
Now you too can look like Molly, and have fierce, textured nails that belong on a cyborg.
Here's another model, even more razory. Just because you've weaponized your nails doesn't mean they can't be gorgeous.
Check out more nails from The Laser Girls on their Tumblr


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See that enormous blue funnel in the middle of those buildings? It's just one of the six canopies that will light up the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. As the close-ups show, the scale of these things defies belief.
They are not just light sources, however. These LED towers also collect rainwater and funnel sunlight to the multiple levels of the 1km long Expo Boulevard. [World Architecture News via Inhabitat]


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"Existing data suggest that most women who use MDMA stop taking it when they learn they are pregnant," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "But the animal studies that linked this drug to neurobiological changes and learning impairments were conducted in situations analogous to the third trimester in humans. This study sought to investigate a more true-to-life situation by looking at the consequences of Ecstasy exposure early in pregnancy."
The study, funded in part by NIDA, was published August 29 on the journal of Neurotoxicology and Teratology Web site.
Dr. Jack W. Lipton, doctoral student James Koprich, and their colleagues injected 8 pregnant rats twice daily with MDMA from day 14 through day 20 of pregnancy, a period corresponding to the first 3 months of human fetal development. The scientists injected saline twice daily during the same period to another 8 pregnant rats. The researchers examined brain tissue of the rat pups when they were 21 days old. A 21-day-old rat pup is roughly equivalent to a 2- to 6-year-old child.
"Our most striking finding was that 21-day-old MDMA-exposed pups had a 502-percent increase in the number of dopamine neuron fibers in the frontal cortex compared with control animals," notes Dr. Lipton. Abnormal or overly numerous connections in the frontal cortex may result in aberrant signaling there, possibly resulting in abnormal behavior.
Dopamine is a brain chemical that carries or transmits messages between nerve cells. It is involved in a variety of motivated behaviors, such as eating, sex, and drug-taking. The frontal cortex is important in planning, impulse control, and attention.
The scientists also saw similar but smaller increases in dopamine fibers in the striatum (a brain area involved in locomotion and reward) and the nucleus accumbens (the primary site of action of rewarding stimuli).
MDMA-exposed pups also showed modest decreases in dopamine metabolism in brain structures that play key roles in reward, addiction, learning, and movement. There also was a reduction in serotonin metabolism. Serotonin also is a brain chemical that helps to regulate mood, sleep, and appetite. Interestingly, the reductions in dopamine and serotonin metabolism that were observed in the nucleus accumbens were evident in male, but not female, pups suggesting sex differences in vulnerability to some of MDMA's prenatal effects.
The rat pups also exhibited behavioral changes. When the Ecstasy-exposed pups were placed in a new environment away from their littermates, they spent significantly more time exploring, signifying they did not adjust as easily to the new environment as the control animals.
"Our findings show that exposing rats to Ecstasy at a time of prenatal development that correlates with the first trimester in humans may result in lasting changes in brain chemistry and behavior," notes Dr. Lipton. "Our findings also suggest that MDMA exposure may result in hyperactivity or deficits in attention or learning. Further research is needed to learn more about the effects of prenatal exposure to this drug."
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.


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Greek far rightists propose harsher treatment for offenders who entered the country illegally
ATHENS, Greece – A Greek extreme right party broadly vilified for alleged Nazi sympathies and inciting violence against immigrants is seeking harsher laws for offenses committed by foreigners who entered Greece illegally.
A draft law tabled by the Golden Dawn party Tuesday also would criminalize denial of "genocides of Greeks." Many Greeks claim that Turks massacred ethnic Greeks in what used to be the Ottoman Empire.
The move comes as mainstream parties squabble over how to toughen anti-racism laws and ban denial of Nazi crimes — following pressure from the European Union and human rights groups.
Greece's economic crisis has led to a surge in anti-immigrant violence.
The once-marginal Golden Dawn won 18 of Parliament's 300 seats last year. It rejects the neo-Nazi label and has disowned alleged racist attacks by its supporters.


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Author's note: I'm sorry to say this is not the most sparkling piece of prose I have ever written. I'm rather over-tired after a packed week, and even iron tonic cannot galvanise my brain. But I wanted you to have something, so I let it stand.
A long and busy week, but one filled with sweetness. A very old friend came to stay, and I remembered the keen sweetness of those long friendships which go back all the way. We first met almost thirty years ago at university. He was in the college next to mine and also read history and we made jokes about Lord Macaulay which we still remember with gusting laughter. I love that with someone like that you can pick up exactly where you left off, and nothing needs to be explained, and all is ease and understanding and comradeship.
The World Traveller and the Landlord came for cocktails, and we wickedly drank martinis on a school night, and all was merry as a marriage bell.
I took the old friend to see the Mother and Stepfather for breakfast. 'Goodness,' my mother said this morning. 'So handsome and charming and easy.' A palpable hit.
In the midst of all this sweetness, the red mare suddenly went hopping lame. She was picking up her hock so high it looked as if she had stringhalt. I went into a tendon panic, and got on the blower, and two vets arrived, shining with seriousness and expertise.
It turned out the lovely girl had developed an abscess. A great deal of paring and digging went on. I was so riveted by the process of cutting a hole in the hoof so the infection could escape that I went to stand by Red's hindquarters to watch. The vets suddenly stopped what they were doing, astonishment spreading over their faces. 'Look,' said one to the other, pointing. 'She is standing perfectly still and nobody is holding her.' I felt as proud of the good mare as if she had won the Oaks.
Ground-tying is one of the things I had consciously taught her, but there is also a fascinating thing that she does when she is in need. She seems to know when I am trying to help her. Whether I am rushing down to fling on a rug in a sudden hailstorm, or putting wound cream on a cut, or applying fly repellent, I find her at her stillest and most accepting. I'm not sure I shall ever quite understand what horses know and what they do now, but I do believe that when something is wrong she senses I am there to make her better. It is an inexpressibly touching thing.
This morning, as I went down to put on a new poultice, she walked up almost completely sound. The abscess had drained, and the soreness had gone. You miracle girl, I thought, you heal as well as you do everything else. Is there nothing you cannot do? She even cleverly goes and puts herself in the shelter, instituting box rest of her own.
As there was no work to be done, we hung out. I always think this is one of the most important things you can do with your horse, although sometimes I get so carried away with riding and schooling that I forget it. It is part of my Zennish notion: sometimes, instead of doing, you can just be.
I took her out for a pick in the lush green grass of the set-aside. I groomed her all over and anointed her with balm to keep off the horrid flies. I chatted to her. She looked at me gravely and gave me her head so I could scratch her sweet spots. There was a spreading delight in doing absolutely nothing, under the bright Scottish sun.
How glorious she is, and how lucky I am. When I think of the whimsical sliver of chance that brought her into my life, I catch my breath. (I had not planned to buy a horse after thirty years of not having one; she was sold to go and play polo in China, only the man with the lorry never turned up.) I can't imagine my days without her glimmering, benign, beautiful presence.
Today's pictures:
Happy again, no longer in pain, having her morning pick:
The sweet Paint was also very calm and happy:
BLINKY EYES!!! They get me every time:
The beech hedge has finally gone green:
The old friend brought flowers:
And I arranged some myself:
Sage from the garden:
Stanley the Manly was sadly unavailable for his close-up. He is hunting mice.


text:
starshipfunk necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 122 diseños de 24 diseñadores freelance.
Total Nurse Health
I am a cardiac-surgical nurse who is designing a self-care package for other nurses. Many nurses are looking to learn how to take better care of themselves, yet don't know how. (nurses are some of the hardest working health care professionals there are, yet have some of the worst personal health habits) I am an athlete, a meditator, and have been involved in a lot of personal development over the last fifteen years. I am going to take all the knowledge I have gained and use in my own life, combine it with the wisdom of some other nurses and health related individuals to create a comprehensive package. This package will include mostly audio, some visual, and some written material on how a nurse can create a healthier lifestyle for her or him self, building their own self-care program.
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With my background being in a hospital, I can imagine I will design this mostly for nurses working in a hospital, which can also include students who are in school. Community and specialty nurses may also be interested, yet usually have different lifestyles than hospital nurses.
I will be putting this out to nurses in North America, thus the primary language will be English.
A logo with clear lettering of the title "Total Health Nurse".
A graphical logo would be great. Active and engaging. Colorful and inspiring - promoting a healthy, active lifestyle in mind-body-spirit.
The catch phrase I am using:
the essential kit for improving your nursing life
dedicated to the well-being of
Every Nurse – Every Where
I want it to look clean and sharp yet also a little organic.
Since there is a wide range of nurses with so many different personalities, I think a design that can speak to a wide audience is important. If it only captivated the younger nurses it'd miss a mass amount of older ones. If it was too traditional, the younger ones might think it was granny gear.
I don't mind some health care related icons in it, yet can do without, and do not want a lot of them in the design.
Please no red crosses, needles, stethascopes, medicine bottles, or nursing caps & uniforms (we don't wear those anymore), etc. This is about Total Nurse Health - practices and programs for the mind, body, spirit of somebody who works 12h shifts in intense hospital environments.
The logo must promote vitality and yet also personal enjoyment.
I don't want it to have a medical or johnson & johnson feel, but more of a happening trendy Oprah, Yoga Journal, Patagonia, Icebreaker.com feel to it.
Quite the mix of flavors. I know you already have great ideas. Thanks.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
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Admissions office is open. firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit www.gvsu.edu/coronavirus for more.
Financial Support
Options for financing your education
For information on Financial Aid, scholarship search, and filing for FAFSA, please visit the GVSU Financial Aid website.
This is for undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields.
There are a limited number of graduate assistantships in the University. They are part-time, paid work experiences for graduates in their field of study, which allows them to expand and/or apply their discipline knowledge and skills under supervision. Tuition is also paid based on requirements of number of hours worked and course credits being taken per semester.
Graduate Student Presidential Research Grants
The grants are a one-time award of up to $1,000 are available to support the research projects of graduate students. The grants are intended to support research undertaken for purposes of a thesis, dissertation, or final scholarly project.
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Department's main objectives lay strong foundations for citizens and fulfill their expectations and gain trust by finding measures through Effective and responsive Administration.
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News Archives - 2012
Augsburg student expands classroom knowledge through international travel
For Mai Sia Yang '12, learning through first-hand experience is the best way to expand her world view.
Yang enrolled in an Egypt study abroad course after serving on an Egyptian delegation that represented the Economic and Social Council at Model United Nations (Model UN). This year, Augsburg College offered a Model UN class, and its student delegates represented Egypt at the organization's conference in New York City during May. Yang's committee addressed the topic of sustainable development, and she expanded the knowledge she gained in the classroom by visiting the nation.
While on the study abroad trip, Yang and other students explored how grassroots civic engagement impacts modern Egypt following its largely youth-led 2011 revolution.
Egypt study abroad organizer Joe Underhill, associate professor and chair of political science, explained, "This was a golden opportunity to study social change. A number of students mentioned that they felt like they were watching history in the making, which was absolutely true."
"The trip gave me better insight into Egypt's politics," Yang said. "What I learned during my research for Model UN was just a fraction of what I learned in Egypt. By meeting with nongovernmental organizations, I saw that the government has blocked its own people from taking the initiative to address problems in a sustainable way. If I had gone to Egypt before Model UN, I would've represented Egypt in a much better way."
Yang would have strengthened her delegacy, she said, by highlighting the nation's prominence within its region. "If I had represented Egypt at Model UN after the trip, I would have shown it as more of a leader of the Arab and African nations," she said. "Although my partner and I knew that we were a leader in the region, I don't think that we—as the Egyptian delegation—expressed that enough."
Yang's newly garnered savvy will not, however, go to waste. She discussed the issues Egypt faces in its conservation of natural resources in a trip follow-up presentation, and she plans to continue sharing the knowledge she gained during her college years and from the Egypt trip, specifically, for the rest of her life.
"Throughout my education at Augsburg I saw that what I learned in class related to real life," Yang said. "By ending my Augsburg education with the trip, I broadened my view of the world in a way that makes me want to be involved in the future."
Yang developed a love of traveling and passion for volunteering through her experiences at Augsburg. The Egypt trip sparked a desire to "see the world for what it is and not what I am told," she said. "I want to travel to different countries to work and volunteer my time to help those in need. I want to have fun but also see that where I go and what I do changes someone's life for the better."
After witnessing the fluid nature of contemporary Egyptian society, Yang said she will implement changes in her daily life in the U.S. so that she can become a more engaged citizen and ensure that vital issues are brought to the surface in her own country, as well."During the trip I met many Egyptians who were not afraid to voice their opinion about the government and how they felt about changes," she said. "The people found solutions to problems that the government could not solve. I was inspired by the energy of the Egyptian people. I don't think I can continue through life without being inspired by the Augsburg mission because Augsburg gave me a better experience than I could have ever imagined."
Photo caption: Augsburg students and professors helped conserve the Egyptian marine ecology by collecting trash in the Red Sea. Their actions inspired locals to join in the effort. Photo courtesy of Joe Underhill.


text:
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text:
Origin of the sight rod
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Community Member
Joined: 18 Mar 2007
Posts: 234
Location: Sacramento CA
Posted: Tue May 17, 2011 9:22 pm
Post subject:
Yep thats what Ive thought for a few years. Whats interesting though after doing 50+ of them is the choice of the 4 indents. While its not difficult to do it does take a bit of time and its a bit of an odd feature on a otherwise completely lathed part, save for the screw holes. Ive always liked the design, and its so much better as a machined part vs a casting but if I was in a rush to build the prop Its a detail that might not be warranted by the screen time it was going to receive.
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Community Member
Joined: 19 Feb 2011
Posts: 264
Location: Sweden
Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:09 am
Post subject:
DonParker wrote:
If I were to make one out of the existing screwdrivers in the above link, I would just chuck it in the lathe and turn the knurl off. If you used the bigger drivers and did that, you could then re-knurl it to the diamond pattern and mill the indents with a ball endmill.
My thinking to a T.
While it is true that the part receives very little screen time for the effort (or not - IIRC it is quite visible in the shot where Deckard sneaks along the wall) ... if the story that they just smacked it on the cylinder cover to hide the gap is correct, it would make sense that it just came out of the prop builder's greeblies box.
It is quite easily conceivable that he might have had this modified screwdiver lying there, left over or recovered from an earlier project, picked it up and thought that "okay this would actually fit here", and then screwed it in place.
It seems actually a bit less likely that they would have made a bespoke part for such a relatively trivial task. But if this was something they already
on hand, already modified for a role where the effort
thought to be justified...
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Community Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2450
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 7:30 am
Post subject:
Considering the amount of effort already put into the prop, I find doing the sight rod a drop in the bucket...
Consider the amount of work in machining the Steyr Receiver, and it fits so very well, and seemly this was only done once, no re-takes...
Consider the front cap and the working bolt with all its detailing
Consider the grips, grip frame and butt plate and the metal handmade trigger guard.
Consider both side covers, and the use of the binding post on the right side cover.
I still think a screw driver was considered and used as a mockup, but as it needed to be hollow a new one was made.
My 2 cents worth.
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!
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Community Guide
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 6224
Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: Wed May 18, 2011 1:13 pm
Post subject:
I don't find any of these possibilities implausible at all. I think it may just be exactly that. I guess my issue may be that it looks like an added on piece, and looks like a found part, rather than something that was designed to fit into style of the rest of the gun. The idea that it was used to hide the gap from the left side cylinder cover and Steyr receiver, does make total sense to me. I guess if they started out with the screwdriver, and then when everybody said "That looks like a screw driver", then they began to modify it to hide it's origins instead of looking for a new part. That could make some sense, but there is still something about that part that looks "found as-is" to me. I get a similar feeling that I had seen it before like I did with the weaver knob.
We may never know unless we can get in touch with the prop master, and/or the gun's maker. I have tried in the past, and I know a few others have talked to them, and maybe they are holding back the information. That is something that happens a lot in this hobby. Many of these guys are in the business, and have much better connections to the industry and agencies than the rest of us do.
I still think there are a lot of unsolved mysteries left with this prop. That is why I think I am still so intrigued by it after all these years. Someday I am hoping to see some other mock ups, and drawing showing concepts for the gun using the Steyr and Bulldog as we saw with Stephen Dane's sketches of the 358 COP. Some of those photos of the hero from production finally showed up when the gun went for auction. Photos that I know some people on the RPF had already seen, but were not willing to share. I have a feeling there is a lot more, we just have to talk to the right person to find it.
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Community Member
Joined: 23 Mar 2008
Posts: 126
Location: Spokane, WA
Posted: Thu May 19, 2011 1:07 am
Post subject:
What about some sort of hollow punch? I have a set and the shape and knurling is pretty close and there's already a slot cut into it on one side where the punched material is ejected. The ones I have wouldn't make for an exact match, but I know there's been more than one design over the years...
Fiery the angles fell, deep thunder rolled around their shores, burning with the fires of Orc.
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Community Member
Joined: 09 Jan 2009
Posts: 250
Posted: Sat May 21, 2011 3:51 pm
Post subject:
I just was searching through my toolbox and low and
behold I have those screw drivers. I'd just forgot about
them. Seeing them in person I'd say that they are a good
match for a sight rod. I still stand by the turning off of the
knurl, but I think the diamond knurl may have been a
seperate peice and just pressed on.
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Community Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
Posts: 272
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:14 am
Post subject:
I'm not one to let an idea go.
I think it's what draws me and people like me to our little community.
As a Prop Master and sci-fi fan I, like you, pay attention to details.
Recently I did a shoot that brought this thread back to mind.
Something clicked. I re-read this thread that I started and another from a few years ago from Noeland:
In that thread amish mentioned dental tools as being the base for the sight rod. This idea was glossed over in favor of the idea that the rod was a jewelers screwdriver or that it was custom made. I myself was convinced that a small driver was the ticket.
In that thread, there was discussion about being able to read "Made in USA" on the rod in one of the indents. This kept me wondering. So much of this blaster was found objects. The sight rod was probably an after thought to cover seems or wires. A found object would do the job here.
My recent shoot involved dentists. I pulled some dentistry tools from my kit and looked at others that our buyer had brought forth. I was startled to see the variety of knurlings and grips that these tools were given.
I was also pleasantly surprised to see that many of them have hollow handles to allow for different tips. I now believe that some searching for vintage tools will find us the true origin of the sight rod.
These I had on hand:
Some that I found online right away:
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Community Member
Joined: 24 Nov 2010
Posts: 115
Location: Royal Oak MI
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 2:41 pm
Post subject: And now for something COMPLETELY different.
MIGHT just be the an extractor rod from a revolver.
My dad used to have a late 70's, early 80's crappy Taurus 38 that had an extractor rod that looked REALLY close. Even had the indents. It was a light weight Taurus Titanium 38.
turn it around ie the part with the knurl grips are were you pull or push.
Just a thought.
"No choice pal,..."
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Community Member
Joined: 11 Apr 2010
Posts: 272
Location: Vancouver, B.C.
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 3:27 pm
Post subject:
A new twist. Extractor rod eh? Worth looking into.
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Community Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 9205
Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2013 5:05 pm
Post subject:
Interesting path Robotprops...
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Community Member
Joined: 26 Feb 2016
Posts: 237
Location: Los Angeles
Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2017 9:41 pm
Post subject:
Not a revelation or anything here, but I came across these punches.
Now imagine you're an armorer, and you're hot-rodding a revolver for Ridley Scott's new movie. It looks great, but you need something to cover up the gap on top of the left side cylinder cover. You look down at your workbench where you just happened to set one of the punches you were using to tear down / assemble the revolver...
Anybody know where to find vintage gunsmithing tools?
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Community Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2008
Posts: 9205
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:23 am
Post subject:
Could be veektohr, could be. Looking at the previous posts, it could be fairly easy to machine the hollow spacers in those rods.
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Community Member
Joined: 30 Oct 2006
Posts: 2450
Location: Phoenix AZ
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2017 11:59 am
Post subject:
Personally I think the side rod was INSPIRED by some old jewelers/watch repairmans screw drivers, BUT as the prop maker wanted a hollow rod he just machined it up.
Using the screwdriver body as a guild.
You just find some hollow rod and start machining.
After I have made a few myself and it is not all that hard to do.
I never have enough time to do all I want to do!
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Joined: 25 Oct 2017
Posts: 5
Posted: Thu Oct 26, 2017 8:39 pm
Post subject:
Hi all. New guy here. I am building a 3D printed BR Blaster from a Builder over at the RPF. Anyways, I looked around for something to use on the laser sight and found an " M3 25mm Knurled Standoff Aluminum Alloy Anodized Spacer" on ebay. It looks very similar to me for what was used on the actual prop laser sight.. I ordered the 10 pack in black color.
The above is a link to the sale. I don`t know how to post pics here yet. Thoughts?
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Community Guide
Joined: 01 Nov 2006
Posts: 6224
Location: Rochester, NY
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 3:48 pm
Post subject:
Shai`tan wrote:
Hi all. New guy here. I am building a 3D printed BR Blaster from a Builder over at the RPF. Anyways, I looked around for something to use on the laser sight and found an " M3 25mm Knurled Standoff Aluminum Alloy Anodized Spacer" on ebay. It looks very similar to me for what was used on the actual prop laser sight.. I ordered the 10 pack in black color.
The above is a link to the sale. I don`t know how to post pics here yet. Thoughts?
That type of cross cut spiral machining is a pretty common thing on a ton of different tools. It is the rest of the details that are eluding us. As far uploading photos, I know there was a tutorial on here somewhere. I may have to post a new one soon. You can use the upload manager here to load pics, but you need to copy and paste the links into your messages. The tags can help them be visible without clicking, but depending on image size, it isn't always advisable to do so. I can help with that later. You can also post links to photos hosted elsewhere as well just by posting the images url address. hope that helps get you started.
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Joined: 25 Oct 2017
Posts: 5
Posted: Sat Oct 28, 2017 5:49 pm
Post subject:
Thx for the info.
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