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In the Times business section in the UK today, Andrew Haldane, the Financial Stability Director for the Bank of England was quoted as suggesting that we are entering a phase where the banking sector is being reshaped as a result of technology. Haldane pointed
to innovations like Kiva, P2P and social collaboration as some of the forces effecting the sector. However, his most telling quote was one that will sound familiar if you've read my blogs before...
"The banking middle men may in time become the surplus links in the chain. Where music and publishing have led, finance could follow"
Andrew Haldane, Bank of England
I wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. In fact, I would argue the action in the payments space and around the wallet is exactly the type of activity that will further commoditize banking utility.
Liz Lumley argued passionately this morning within the Finextra community that the 'rails' or incumbent networks and infrastructure is exactly the layer of capability or functionality
that enables these new disruptive payment technologies, or these new non-bank FIs to succeed. And she is absolutely right.
While the likes of Square, PayPal, Mobile Network Operators and others might think they can circumvent the current bank and payments infrastructure with the 'cloud' or IP networks, the reality is that the need for auditability, security and cross-border
interoperability means that complete circumvention of the banking system isn't going to happen in the next few years.
However, that's not the point.
The New Value Layer
Movenbank, Simple, PayPal, Square, Dwolla, BitCoin and others are working at disrupting not the networks or infrastructure, but the friction in the system. As a group we're attacking the shortcomings in the system from a consumer experience perspective.
Despite incremental improvements in technology interfacing through internet banking and the like, parallel changes in KYC, risk, regulation and other broad industry moves have had a net negative effect on banking for the consumer.
In years gone by, the local branch experience was superior to the impersonal, by the numbers, decentralized processing experience we have today in the retail FI space; this is down to the fact that risk mitigation and profits became the driver in recent
decades - not customers (blame regulators if you like). While we can say we measure customer satisfaction and so forth, on a net basis, customer experience is far less personalized than it was in the past.
Technology is circumventing the friction, the fuss, the workload, the processes and the rules that frustrate the consumer experience. Thus a new layer of value is being created on top of the existing infrastructure. Consumers are flocking to these new value
creators not because of the underlying infrastructure that banks and networks provide, but because of the value and experience itself.
Thus, in the end when it all washes out - there's value and there's infrastructure.
We don't need every bank and network - just a few
The problem for the banking industry is that for the new value creators, we only need a few players to provide infrastructure. The rest become obsolete because they no longer provide value.
While many argue correctly that the new players sit on top of existing infrastructure to build their businesses, what they neglect to address is that we probably only need 30-50% of the players in the system right now to provide that vital infrastructure.
The rest are superfluous.
If you're an incumbent - you better start figuring out how you provide value to new players on top of the infrastructure. Otherwise you might find out soon that you're more like a Borders or Blockbuster than you think.
CEO & Founder
Member since
14 Apr 2010
New York
Blog posts
This post is from a series of posts in the group:
A discussion of trends in innovation management within financial institutions, and the key processes, technology and cultural shifts driving innovation.
Christian Ball
3 h
Ron Delnevo
14 h
15 h
Andrew Beatty
04 Jun


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With the increasing home prices across Canada, consumers have been getting creative with ways to cut costs and live more affordably. One of the ways Canadians have been looking to achieve this is by purchasing or even building their own "Tiny Home".
Over the 10 years since the start of the last recession, the tiny home market has seen a boost in popularity. There are now many television shows that popularize the trend such as "Tiny House, Big Living", "Tiny House Builders", and "Tiny House Hunters". Even though these shows are increasing awareness about how to live with less, consume less power and be more environmentally friendly – could these homes actually be effective for most people?
To be technically classified as a tiny home, the structure must be 500 sq ft or less. That can be hard for most to adjust to. The benefits most people enjoy about a tiny home is a reduced environmental footprint, cheaper bills, mortgage free status, less time spent cleaning the house and the cozy off-grid feeling. Although tiny homes sound ideal for some people, they do represent a challenge for storage space, having guests over or general alone time if you live with someone.
The greatest downfall to having a tiny home, however, can be the matter of placement. Currently there are many municipalities without updated building codes to allow tiny homes, as well as cities, provinces and states each having their own regulations on the homes. Cities are having difficulty with zoning and some are requiring the tiny home be placed on a foundation and connected to utilities. Yet, tiny homes are often placed on wheels for ease, as most tiny home owners do not own land where they can secure the tiny home to a foundation.
To top off the hardships of tiny homes, they are also typically not mortgageable due to the square footage, lower cost and inability to have security for a lender. The closest options for financing available would be RV financing.
It's true that joining the craze of tiny homes will save you money and will reduce your environmental impact, but first be sure you take a detailed look at your finances, the logistics of placement and your municipality's regulations. Doing your due diligence first could mean enjoying the comforts of the tiny home lifestyle without trouble.
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happiness is...Labels: Current Affairs
Happiness is knowing that you're improving yourself day in, day out. Happiness is knowing people who you love are safe and sound. Happiness is donating to the need of others. Stuff that are serious like that. But, hey, a trivial thing like browsing an online shop and seeing a shirt that's similar to the one you bought for less than a quarter of the price is also happiness.
n___________n Can't stop smiling!
at 7:29 AM
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Now that it's January, here are a few things to ask yourself to make sure you're ready for 2012.
1. Do you have the right insurance card to use when you go to the doctor?
If you changed your health or drug plan during Medicare's Open Enrollment period and haven't gotten your new card or welcome packet, contact your plan for help.
If you changed from a Medicare Advantage Plan (like an HMO or PPO) back to Original Medicare, use your red, white, and blue Medicare card when you go to the doctor. Get a new card if you lost or damaged yours, or need to update your information.
2. Did you budget for this year's Medicare Part B deductible?
Don't forget, if you have Medicare Part B and are in Original Medicare, now that it's a new year you'll have to meet your deductible before your Medicare coverage pays for services and supplies.
This year, the Medicare Part B deductible is $140 – lower than last year! Make sure to plan your health care budget to account for the increased cost of doctor visits for the time that it will take to cover your deductible.
3. Have you made appointments to get any preventive tests or screenings?
Medicare covers many preventive services to keep you healthy and screenings to check for health problems. Many of these services are covered each year. Ask your doctor when during the year you should schedule your wellness visit and other screenings. You can also use mymedicare.gov to track your visits and make a calendar of preventive services.
Medicare also covers 2 new preventive services:
1. Alcohol Misuse Screenings
2. Depression Counseling
Talk to your doctor about these covered preventive services to find out what's right for your health needs.
4. Does your drug or health plan meet your needs?
If not, Medicare has a new way for you to get the coverage you want instead of having to wait for this year's Open Enrollment. At any time during the year, you can switch to a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan that has a 5-star rating.
Plan ratings are based on member surveys, information from doctors and health care providers, and other sources. The plan ratings are scores that show the quality and performance of the plan, on a scale of 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being the highest rated plans.
You can make this change once per calendar year. Find 5-star health and drug plans in your area.
5. Is your doctor using Electronic Health Records and Electronic Prescribing to provide better care?
Using Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and electronic prescribing can help reduce paperwork, medical errors, and health care costs. These methods can also help doctors communicate better with each other about your care. For example, when you visit a specialist, your primary care doctor can send them your screening information and results. That way, you won't have to have duplicate screenings and tests. Ask your doctor about what they're doing to use EHRs and electronic prescribing to better coordinate your health care.
Remember to check Medicare.gov for the latest Medicare news and information, and have a healthy 2012.


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Having just past the month of March in which so much of our interest and attention was rightfully turned toward the ways, wonder and well-being of women, it is important, even imperative, that a serious conversation be continued about the quality of male/female relations, especially concerning strengthening and building righteous relationships and ending unrighteous dealings among us. And this is so not because we are confronted constantly with stereotypical new and old media images and indictments of relational violence with all its personal and racial implications. Nor is it to respond to the feigned and hypocritical concern of the dominant society whose record of violence is as early as its apocalyptic founding in Native America and as recent as its rampage in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya; its criminal negligence and continuing injustice in New Orleans and Haiti; and the daily and devastating racism it imposes routinely in various visible and camouflaged forms.
Rather, we concern ourselves with these vital issues because of the standards we set for ourselves, because of our ongoing need to build and strengthen righteous relationships, and because violence and unrighteous dealings can play no part in them. Indeed, whatever else is argued and asserted elsewhere, the abundant data of our history and culture and the overwhelming evidence of our daily lives suggests that the quality of Black male/female relations determines the health and wholeness of our families and community and defines the course and content of our future.
This was one of the central contentions and concerns of the Million Man March/Day of Absence as outlined in its Mission Statement. Indeed, we called on Black men to stand up and take the initiative and responsibility for repairing, rebuilding and strengthening our relationships, families and community. And we asserted that "In doing this, we self-consciously emphasize the priority need of Black men to stand up and assume this new and expanded responsibility without denying or minimizing the equal rights, role and responsibility of Black women in the life and struggle of our people". On the contrary, the initiative was and remains directed toward reaffirming the equal dignity and rights of the Black woman and the indispensability of her presence and full-participation in all things of importance in life, love and struggle.
We asserted that "Our priority call to Black men to stand up…is based on the realization that the strength and resourcefulness of the family and the liberation of the people require it", and that many of the problems for our families and our people as a whole are tied to the Black man's stumbling, falling and staying down. This is the meaning of the statement "that some of the most acute problems facing the Black community within are those posed by Black males who have not stood up" for whatever reason.
For whether we talk about domestic violence, the lumpen life of gang and street subcultures, absent and uncaring fathers, the decline of two-parent families, and bleak education and employment futures, the Black men who have not stood up in righteous and responsible ways are deeply implicated. Likewise, on the positive side, "the caring and responsible father in the home; the responsible and future-focused male youth; security in and of the community; the quality of male/female relations; and the family's capacity to avoid poverty and push the lives of its members forward, all depend on Black men's standing up". Clearly, many of us have done just that, but there remains so many still to be reached and raised up.
A primary responsibility for raising up the irresponsible, weak or wayward brother, we rightfully place on the shoulders of the conscious and committed Black man. As we said, "in the context of a real and principled brotherhood, those of us who have stood up, must challenge others to stand also and that unless and until Black men stand up, Black men and women cannot stand together and accomplish the tasks before us". None of this is to suggest that Black women have no major role or responsibility in building the righteous relationships and strong families we all want and deserve. On the contrary, the project is an ujima one, one of collective work and responsibility, and one that will confront and change the social as well as personal conditions that foster and feed on the negative factors that infect and undermine the health and wholeness of our relationships.
And both men and women must not only struggle to refrain from all negative behavior, but also share responsibility and work to conceive and create day-by-day the shared goodness that enriches our relationships and expands our lives. For, the indispensable partnership we seek to establish and sustain must be a righteous relationship in which respect is mutual and mandatory; truthfulness and trust are deeply rooted' and the understanding and treatment of each other as sacred is evident and demonstrated daily in countless ways. Moreover, we as men, women and moral agents must always start with critical self-assessment, otherwise we end up caught in the counterproductive practice of mutual indictment and recrimination. Indeed, we must make sure we ourselves are walking in the righteous and upward ways of our ancestors and culture, constantly bringing forth the best of what it means to be African man and woman in the world.
The word "righteous" is used here not in a narrow religious sense, but in an expansive moral sense, meaning genuinely good, exhibiting obvious excellence in character and conduct, as for example when we say "a person is a righteous sister or a righteous brother". Thus, a righteous relationship is a genuinely good relationship, defined by several ethical aspects which appear as both necessary and normal. These include mutual respect, quality communication, trust, faithfulness, and shared responsibility in love, life and struggle, and always the Nguzo Saba (The Seven Principles): Umoja (Unity), Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility), Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics), Nia (Purpose), Kuumba (Creativity), and Imani (Faith).
But the hub and hinge on which everything turns is the uncompromisable principle of mutual respect. For any real and righteous relationship calls for a principled togetherness, a sense of oneness rooted in a profound respect for each other as bearers of dignity and divinity, i.e., as sacred and thus secure against devaluation, violation and degradation. Anything less will not create that sought-after context in which we speak truth, do justice, conscientiously avoid evil and injury to each other, and righteously practice care and loving kindness as not only necessary, but also normal in the way we live our lives and look forward to our future.
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Professor and Chair of Africana Studies, California State University-Long Beach; Executive Director, African American Cultural Center (Us); Creator of Kwanzaa; and author of Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture and Introduction to Black Studies, 4th Edition, www.OfficialKwanzaaWebsite.org; www.MaulanaKarenga.org.


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LAByrinth Theater Closes INTRINGULIS 12/8
LAByrinth Theater Company ventures west for their first production in Los Angeles, Carlo Albán's Intringulis. The play, created through LAB's unique development process, begins performances on November 9 at the Lillian Theatre and will run a strictly limited engagement of eleven performances only through December 8.
Child actor Carlo Albán was a normal American kid and a regular on Sesame Street, but in private he and his family struggled with their immigration status. The solo show weaves together music, language and culture, as Carlo tells the story of his family's move from Ecuador to the United States.
LAByrinth will be presenting Intringulis in repertory with the Elephant Theatre Company's west coast premiere production of The Little Flower of East Orange at the Lillian Theatre. Both shows are part of the recently announced partnership between the two ensemble-based theatre companies.
The Intringulis running schedule is as follows: Tuesday 11/9 (opening night), Weds 11/10, Thurs 11/11, Weds 11/17, Thurs 11/18, Tues 11/23, Weds 11/24, Weds 12/1, Thurs 12/2, Tues 12/7 and Weds 12/8. All performances begin at 8pm. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by visiting www.labtheater.org. THE MEDIA IS INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE OPENING NIGHT PERFORMANCE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9.
The Lillian Theatre is located at 1076 N. Lillian Way (one block west of Vine, just off Santa Monica Boulevard), in Hollywood. Street parking is available.
Carlo Albán
Member of LAByrinth Theater Company. New York: Alice in Slasherland (Vampire Cowboys), References to Salvador Dalí Make Me Hot (NYSF), A Small Melodramatic Story (LAByrinth Theater Company/NYSF), Intringulis (writer/performer - NYSF, Lehman College, Redhouse Arts Center & Pleasantville JCC). Regional: Lydia (Denver Center, Yale Rep, Mark Taper Forum), All About Us (Westport Country Playhouse), Dreamlandia (Dallas Theater Center), Night of the Iguana (Guthrie Theater). TV: House of Buggin, Law & Order, Touched by an Angel, Oz, Thicker than Blood (TNT Original/ALMA Award nomination), Prison Break (recurring), Sesame Street (series regular, 1992-97). Film: Hurricane Streets, Hi Life, The Tavern, Strangers With Candy, Life Support, 21 Grams, Whip It, and the upcoming Margaret.
LAByrinth Theater Company
(Artistic Directors Stephen Adly Guirgis, Mimi O'Donnell, Yul Vázquez; Managing Director Danny Feldman) was founded in 1992 by a group of actors who wanted to push their artistic limits, hone their craft, and create new plays that truly reflected their experience. Today, LAByrinth is comprised of more than 120 established and emerging theatre artists from a wide array of cultural perspectives. The inclusive, multicultural ensemble encourages all members to write, act, direct, and design, and supports multidisciplinary growth and exploration in the creation of daring new work that celebrates the diversity of its New York City home. Now in its nineteenth season, LAByrinth has developed over 300 new plays and staged 51 productions, including The Little Flower of East Orange, UNCONDITIONAL (2008), A View from 151st Street and Jack Goes Boating (2007), A Small, Melodramatic Story and School of The Americas (2006), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (2005), Sailor's Song and Guinea Pig Solo (2004), Dutch Heart of Man and Dirty Story (2003), Our Lady of 121st Street (2002), Where's My Money? (2001), Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train (2000), and In Arabia, We'd All Be Kings (1999). LAByrinth will produce Stephen Adly Guirgis' The Motherf**ker With The Hat on Broadway in spring 2011. Learn more about LAByrinth at www.labtheater.org.


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Please review the following for information about our company.
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EggBoxes.com can be contacted via telephone, fax or email using the following information:
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Saddle Demo Program
Wish you could ride in the saddle first?
Try our customer-friendly demo offer!
- Talk to one of our Saddle Specialists or click here for saddle fitting information.
- Try the saddle for 10 days
- $50 demo fee and the shipping charge both ways* will be credited toward purchase of a new saddle
- Return instructions and pre-paid label will be enclosed with demo.
* first demo only; if additional demo saddles are required, shipping will be charged
Select a Western Demo Saddle
"Try before you Buy" Details
Cost of shipping and new price of saddle will be charged to your credit card at the time demo is shipped. Upon return of the demo, your card will either: 1) be refunded, less shipping costs and demo fee, or 2) the entire amount including shipping will be credited toward purchase of new* saddle.
For example, if you order a demo saddle costing $1,300.00, your card will be charged for $1,300.00 plus shipping ($16.35 to zone B). When you return the demo, if you decide to order a new saddle, you will be credited back the full amount of $1,316.35 to apply toward new saddle. If you decide not to purchase, your card will be credited back $1,250.00 less the return shipping cost of $16.35 = $1,233.65 credit.
If you wish to keep the saddle a few extra days, a fee of $5.00 per day will apply.
Some demo saddles may be new when shipped, and if satisfactory, can be purchased.
*New saddle must be purchased at the time demo is returned to receive credit for the demo and shipping costs. Save all packing materials and original box. To return saddle to Valley Vet, carefully repack saddle into original box. Include tie strap, girth, etc. if received with saddle. Seal box with tape and apply the prepaid UPS label. Take to a UPS pick-up point, or call 800-PICK UPS (800-742-5877) to schedule a pick up.
Select a Western Demo Saddle


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Xi5-P allows you to put XFINITY TV anywhere in your home via WiFi, without a a cable connection. Powered by USB-C and connects to TV via HDMI. Supports High Dynamic Range (HDR), but not 4K/UltraHD, that will come in a future device.
Requirements: "To have a Wireless TV box in your home, you'll need XFINITY TV service, at least one additional X1 TV box to act as the primary X1 device on your account and XFINITY Internet with a Wireless Gateway 3 (with RDK-B firmware) to stream video over the Xi5's WiFi connection."
Update: This mini box currently has a $9.95 monthly charge.
Xi5 TV Box FAQ


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Sarah Belle McGowin, 84, of Xenia, Ohio, passed away Monday, June 4, 2012 at Hospice of Dayton, Ohio. She was born in August 1927 in Xenia, the daughter of Clyde and Mildred (Willett) LaFollette.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, John McGowin; brother, Vernon Gail LaFollette; and sister, Juanita Bowermeister.
Sarah Belle McGowin
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Lou Dobbs' Hypocrisy
I am writing you in regard to your recent article "Lou Dobbs: 'Illegal Alien'"-- published on Black Star News Website.
I just want to say – thank you for standing up and stating the obvious that Dobbs is an "anti-immigrant crusader". Dobbs seems to be selling his rage to American people for short term rating gains. He fails to present a practical approach to solve the real world issues and not just critical but condescending to all who disagree with his viewpoint.
As a journalistic student myself, I am very concerned about the falling standing of American Media. First the lead up to the war and now to Immigration. It seems like reporters are no longer reporting but actually advocating a specific point of view.
Here are some specific examples:
1. Dobbs fail to acknowledge that his rhetoric against illegal immigrants "can" or "is" stirring hate among people. The irony is CNN reported on its Paula Zahn show that -- there has been increase in membership of KKK and other hate group organizations who are using "illegal immigration" as a way to recruit new people.
2. Dobbs claims that in "poll after poll" the American people support his point of view. That maybe true but he fails to report CNN's own exit polls from 2006 elections in the states of CA and AZ which are contrary to his assertions.
3. Dobbs publicly endorsed the Minuteman Project on his show and in fact devoted lot of air time during last summer. He invited the founder Jim Gilchrist on his show several times but ever since Gilchrist has been under a cloud of controversial financial dealing, Dobbs has failed to inform their viewers that their donations just "maybe" being used for personal benefits.
4. I have watched Bill Q'Reilly, Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh. They are not partial but at least Bill at the end of the show reads some letters which are critical to his point of view. Dobbs never seems to take any letter which is critical of him.
I sent him a letter a couple of time and it read something like this:
Mr. Lou Dobbs:
I agree with you the corporations have, as you said and I quote "Declare a war against the middle class" but I never seem to hear any discussion about the corporate dominance of American media on your show.
"The idea", that we the middle class can trust your reporting which you claim are "just facts" when you yourself work for one of the biggest media corporations – CNN, is an obvious conflict of interest.
Also, in the interest of full disclosure to support your assertion that you are a "true friend" of the middle class would you like to disclose on your show or on your website the details of your contract with CNN? The middle class would like to know what share their "best friend" takes from the big pie, the big corporations makes at the expense of middle class.
If you do fulfill these basic requests, I once and for all, believe that you are our true friend.
I sent this letter quite a few times, but I never got any reply from him. To me it is not about immigration—to me it's about journalistic fraud some people are advocating. Dobbs talk about corporate media; well he works for the biggest corporate media giant in the world.
The point is we as Americans should not be endorsing News media reinventing itself into Entertainment Media for financial gains.
To subscribe to or advertise in New York's leading Pan African weekly investigative newspaper, please call (212) 481-7745 or send a note to firstname.lastname@example.com
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Shadertoy demopack for GeeXLab
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NVIDIA Endless City Demo------------------------Let the machines take over!Our Endless City demo starts with a few dozen building blocks and uses an L-System to assemble these into complex structures, buildings, whole city blocks, and finally asprawling and boundless megalopolis.At any given time, there are hundreds of thousands of on-screen objects. The super-efficient NVIDIA® Tessellation engine scales the number of polygons for each objectaccording to its surface detail and proximity to the camera . . . real-time,high-resolution displacement.So while you enjoy a leisurely glide through the city, the NVIDIA® GeForce® powering your flight will be churning through over 600 million polygons per second. Better yet, therewill still be enough power to keep the lights running . . . hundreds of thousands ofthem, all lighting the scene dynamically.All you need to do is sit back and enjoy the view.Highlights of the demo include:-------------------------------• Tessellation enables a continuous ramp on the level of detail, more than doubling the total triangle count and providing up to a 500x increase in detail on the nearest objects.• Three dimensional displacement maps allow greater detail than simple height maps.• The demo positions and renders over 600 million triangles per second with a single GPU.• The city is procedurally generated. The buildings are constructed from a small set of objects into a city of complex structures using a set of rules called an L-system.• In the area surrounding the viewer, over a million meshes are arranged by the L-system, including roughly 500,000 light sources.• As the viewer moves, the demo endlessly (hence the name) generates more of the city to keep the viewer surrounded by buildings.• The L-system randomly selects elements to assemble so each block looks different from the last but if you return to a place you saw before, it'll regenerate the same buildings you saw previously.• Split screen rendering modes operate in eye space so they look correct in 3D Vision.• Screen-space ambient occlusion enables high quality shading on randomly generated and dynamic geometry which cannot be accomplished with precomputed texture maps.• Dynamic lighting on everything; can shift from day to night.Recommended System:-------------------NVIDIA GeForce GTX 500 series GPU2.6 GHz Quad core CPU4 GB System memory300 MB Hard drive spaceMicrosoft Windows Vista or Windows 7----FMOD Sound System, copyright © Firelight Technologies Pty, Ltd., 1994-2010.


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Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms Recipe
I'm liking my crock pot more and more lately because I am understanding how to make it work and what not to do from some crock pot disasters in my past. Food cooked in the crock pot is blander than dishes made on the stove. To compensate, I learned to boost the seasoning and I usually have to add more at the very end to taste. Fresh herbs should always be added at the end of cooking. Searing the pork before adding it to the crock pot is a must, so don't skip this step. If you want to do this the night before, you can set it all up and leave it refrigerated, then turn it on in the morning.
Because this makes a lot, I enjoyed this two nights with leftovers to spare. The first night we enjoyed it over rice noodles, soba or buckwheat noodles would also be great.
The second night, I reheated some of the pork and broth on the stove and though in some handfuls of baby spinach to it and let it wilt. We had this over rice and my husband couldn't stop raving. Next time I make this I will try adding chopped carrots, baby corn, or bok choy in the end for extra vegetables.
A few notes about the ingredients: I always buy sesame oil with cayenne at the asian grocery, it's infused with cayenne and very spicy. If this is something not available to you, use regular sesame oil and add a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes instead.
Chinese five spice is available your spice aisle, it's an exotic combination of anise, star anise, cinnamon, cloves and ginger, great for marinades in Asian dishes. I love the rich warm flavor it adds to this dish.
Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms
Servings: 7 • Size: about 3 oz pork + mushrooms • Points +: 6 pts • Smart Points: 5
Calories: 224.1 • Fat: 8.5 g • Protein: 25 g • Carb: 11 g • Fiber: 0.4 g • Sugar: 7.3
Sodium: less than 854 mg, since you don't use all the liquid
2 lb lean boneless pork sirloin roast (aka pork center rib roast, pork center loin roast)
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
Non-stick oil spray (I used Smart Balance spray)
1 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken broth
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce (for gf use gf tamari)
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp agave (or sugar)
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice (I used McCormick)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 tbsp fresh grated ginger root
8 oz sliced mushrooms (I used baby bella)
For topping:
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Season pork on all side with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Heat a skillet on medium-high heat, spray with a little oil and brown the pork on all sides for about 7 – 8 minutes.
In the crock pot, combine the broth, soy sauce (or Tamari), balsamic, agave, sesame oil, Chinese five spice, garlic and ginger; add the pork and set the slow cooker to 8 hours on low.
Thirty minutes before the timer goes off, remove the pork and set aside to rest a few minutes; add the mushrooms to the crock pot, cover and cook on low for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, shred the pork using two forks.
When the mushrooms are tender, remove about 1 cup of the broth and reserve if needed. Add the shredded pork to the crock pot and mix well. If adding baby spinach, add at the end and cover a few minutes until it wilts.
Keywords: Crock Pot Asian Pork with Mushrooms


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Superstar 80s
City Pack Blue Paris
Style number 2106033673
Superstar 80s Trainers "City Pack" by adidas
Celebrating the world's most iconic cities, the City pack from adidas features a collection of 6 vibrant Superstar 80s trainers, each made with premium suede in mono colourways and featuring a gold foiled landmark of each city etched in gold on the heel.
- - 'Paris' edition
- - Blue mono colourway
- - Premium suede and leather upper
- - Classic shell toe
- - Gold landmark on heel
- - This style is limited to one purchase (pair) per customer
- - Range: Superstar
- UK Standard Delivery: £3.50 or FREE on full price items. Delivery within 3-5 working days.
- Next Day UK Delivery: £5.00. Order up to 9pm* Mon - Thurs
- Same Day: £7.00. Order by 1pm Mon - Fri*
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- Click & Collect: FREE and available within 3 working days to any of our UK and Irish OFFICE / OFFSPRING stores
- CollectPlus£3.50 or FREE on full price items delivery in 2-3 working days to any CollectPlus location
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* Click here for full delivery details
Not happy with a purchase? No problem. You can return to our warehouse, via Collect+ or to one of our UK stores within 28 days of purchase.
Footwear should be unworn and in its original packaging. Your refund will then be processed back to your original method of payment.Click here for more information on returns.
Click here for full delivery times and cost
|Delivery Options
|Cut off time
|Delivery Times
|Delivery Options, Cost, Cut Off Time & Delivery Times
|Standard Delivery UK & NI YODEL
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Read the pros and cons sections up above. I have detailed all the things that I like and dislike about this vehicle. Incidentally, I purchased the Frontier Pro-4x King Cab design, in order to get the most loaded up version of the King Cab design. But now, I am adding sound-proofing to the inside of the cabin in order to quiet it down, and I am changing exterior parts on the truck to get rid of the off-road look, and make it look more like an SV trim level (street version of the truck). This includes changing the wheels and tires, the front grille, the rear bumper, and having the Pro-4x/tire tread stickers on the sides of the bed removed. If an SL trim level had been available in the King Cab design, I would have totally order that, cause that's what I really wanted.
Nissan Frontier Ratings, Reviews and Analysis
Ratings & Reviews
Bought a one-owner Frontier SE in 2014 with 52,000 miles on the odometer. Now I have 70,000 miles. No issues to-date. Great horsepower, smooth shifting, plenty of tow power. I live near Lake Placid, NY and the temperatures have gotten down to -30F. Windchill down to -89! Never an issue starting - the factory battery was replaced at 55,000. The on-demand 4WD works perfectly as does the Low-4WD. Transmission shifts smoothly.Great value when compared to similar trucks. Plenty of power. Reliable, good gas mileage, stable driving on highway
We use this truck to tow campers, boats, haul home furnishings, haul disabled persons with wheelchairs, and more. I use it to commute to work, church, shop for groceries, as well as work on farm with it. Off road, and on, extreme hot, to extreme cold. To me this truck is very reliable & utility. The smaller width makes it easy to park and drive on our ever narrowing roads and parking lots.
I like that it gets good gas milage.A manuel transmissions five speed. The glove compartment is out because the lock broke(piece of plastic).the color is the worst thing for me, it s that teal/aqua green. Hope to have it another five years
It came down to a choice between the Honda Ridgback, Toyota Tacoma, or Nissan Frontier. Could not get myself to like the look of the Honda and the Toyota was just too expensive and smaller especially the driver's seat. Nissan was perfect for me.


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Concept of flat IFAK by SO Tech is great, but I want to add one more cherry on the cake.
Work is not finished, no snapbutton, no tray, but the main point is obvious.
Concept of flat IFAK by SO Tech is great, but I want to add one more cherry on the cake.
Work is not finished, no snapbutton, no tray, but the main point is obvious.
Little and humble concept (with prototype in the same entry) – implementing pocket (sheath) for trauma shears into the magazine pouch. Pictures worth a hundred words, pouch assembled:
Overthinking rucks, packs and other carry gear
Documenting The Death Of America
custom SKS tactical gear and custom pouches
My Projects
Radio craft, homebrew, QRP/SOTA, AM
Real and truthful reviews.
Where i get to write the things I like for folk who might be interested
Just another WordPress.com site
Survivalist Communications for the SHTF Prepper
Always assume you are being watched
"The infinite is in the finite of every instant"
Defense and Wilderness Survival Training, Equipment, and Consultation
Patriots thinking toward Freedom
A blog about tactical training, general preparedness, and enhancing the lives of free citizens everywhere.
A Blog Dedicated to Survival and Preparedness Communications
Communications for People who know what being "Prepared" Really Means.
Information to Hone Your Edge Against Bad Things
"once more unto the breach, dear friends..."
Amateur radio from a Midwest nerd.
Electronics from Conception to Completion
Adventures in field radio.
Succinct articles that help us understand the time in which we find ourselves. This is an Adult site and this is a good read. Like a giant scroll across the sky.
Do you smell something burning?
- LastBox, of LookingGlass fame.
Providing combat uniform, soft gear & outdoor clothing modifications for the tactical operator and well-informed citizen
by Steve K9ZW
amateur radio journey
Zendamateurperikelen en antenne experimenten
military gear and more
Short essays of deep wisdom, humor, grumpy forecasts. Scroll for Prepper Info and Custom Consultations Service
Gear Reviews, Tricks, and Hacks.
Providing Minimalist and Practical Solutions to Everyday Problems.
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EDC for those in the UK, with a bit of survival and prepping too,
Details matter here.
Just another WordPress.com weblog
Action Gear Supply reporting about threats around the globe
Preparing to survive the end of the world as we know it


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Through our services, you can sell books, CDs, and DVDs for a fraction of the cost of traditional manufacturing, while maintaining more control over your materials. We make it simple to distribute your books, music, and video through Internet ,outlets, your own website, and other bookstores, retailers, libraries, and academic institutions. Get startedtoday!
CreateSpace is a DBA of On-Demand Publishing LLC, part of the Amazon group of companies.
We were originally founded as CustomFlix Labs, Inc. and BookSurge Inc.
CustomFlix launched in 2002 when four colleagues decided to make widespread distribution easier for independent filmmakers—they started CustomFlix, a DVD on-Demand company.
BookSurge was launched in 2000 by a small group of writers who wanted to create opportunities for authors to not only publish their work, but to also retain their content rights and sales profits. BookSurge grew to support leading publishers and independent authors, offering complete self-publishing, on-demand printing, and online distribution services.
In 2005, BookSurge and CustomFlix were both acquired by Amazon.com. CustomFlix's name was changed to CreateSpace in 2007. In October of 2009, due to the harmonies that would be created in the businesses, the CreateSpace and BookSurge brands merged under the CreateSpace name to become the publishing and manufacturing on-demand leader for independent content creators, publishers, film studios, and music labels.


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by pbbr
Can't sleep lately. Everything's too bright. I'm not used to serenity; I am comfortable in the moss, under a rock, in the onyx flames of ill repute. Where light burns black with a perfect pitch, a neglected bastardized stinging glitch, oily but warm. Someone came along and snuffed the blackness. It's too bright in this room. I want to go back to sleep, but not for as long as I will if I do.
Can't breathe lately. The air's too clean. Septic breath of a lurid death is what I crave. Putrid stench, nostalgic days. Comfort food like mom used to make, wasp nest chili and seaweed pizza. The old familiar sting of glass in broken nostrils, coppery fragrant like dead wood. Stink of shit and honeysuckle. But someone came along and brought fresh flowers with them. Not the offensive ones; the gorgeous odor of peace. And they make me uneasy.
Can't talk lately. Not much to berate. I was a stuttering forlorn chicken in a filthy cage, squawking frothing castrated rage. But someone came along with lozenges. Nothing left to scratch and bark. I'm afraid of silence. I'm afraid of mellow golden diatribes, the lack of violence. What happened to screaming at a wall? You're safe inside, and you know it. And I can't get to you, and you know I regret it.
Can't love lately. It's a stagnant slab of cheery smiles, a vagrant loft of airy lies, laid out before me. Everyone is happy. Let's all be sociable. Let's dance with other people's wives to bubblegum pop, not too close. Leave a void between, the façade of trust and happiness. The empty spaces where attraction used to fit. Deceit, defeat, unseat, complete. Treat me to a stabbing orgasm of penile snap. What the fuck is this trust shit.
Can't die lately. And it's making me uncomfortable.


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The Broward County Canvassing Board will reconvene Tuesday morning to resume recounting ballots in a pair of races that remain too close to call.
An automatic machine recount is required in the city commission races for Hallandale Beach and Dania Beach, Supervisor of Elections Dr. Brenda C. Snipes said Monday.
The recount was required after the canvassing board determined the votes have 1/2 of 1 percent difference between the candidates, Snipes said.
Complete Decision 2012 Coverage
In Hallandale Beach, Anthony A. Sanders holds a razor-thin, five-vote lead over Michele Lazarow in a six-way race to fill two commission seats. The two are separated by .04 percent.
William "Bill" Julian has already claimed victory for the first seat with 25 percent of the vote.
In Dania Beach, Chickie Brandimarte holds a 16-vote lead over C.K. "Mac" McElyea, a 0.1 percent difference, for the third city commission seat. Walter B. "Duke" Duke III and Albert C. Jones have already won the other two seats.
Obama Wins Florida: NBC News
The recount will resume at the Voting Equipment Center at 1501 NW 40th Ave. in Lauderhill.
Ballots will be counted with voting machines and the canvassing board will authorize a manual recount if necessary, Snipes said.


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Rachel McAdams is classy chic while attending the screening of her latest film About Time at the Kino am Olympiasee on Saturday (August 10) in Munich, Germany.
The 34-year-old Canadian actress was joined at the screening by director Richard Curtis.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Rachel McAdams
Earlier in the week, Rachel promoted the flick with co-stars Domhnall Gleeson and Bill Nighy at the London premiere.
About Time centers on a man who has the ability to travel back in time and meet the girl of his dreams.
FYI: Rachel is wearing a dress and shoes by Saint Laurent with Hermes cuff.
30+ pictures inside of Rachel McAdams attending the About Time screening in Munich…More Here! »


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Got a boring old photo of a cat and want to jazz up? Put a meme on it! Stuck with a silly picture of your brother making a dumb face? Put a meme on it!
Now you can do just that, thanks to Google Plus's latest addition to the service.
No longer do you have to go through the trouble if firing up Photoshop and trying to figure out what font those Cheezburger Cats are using. Now you can just drop a photo into your status window on G+ and click the "Add Text" button. Wallah! Instant meme.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
In addition to G+'s 'add a mustache' and more recently 'add a reindeer' functions in Hangouts, the meme generator is bound to bring even more silliness to the internet. Because, you know, the Internet needed more of that.


text: Prodotti Energy Management Facility Management HVAC Controllo degli Accessi Controllo dell'Illuminazione Integrazione Prodotti > Controllo dell'Illuminazione > Controllo Centralizzato dell'Illuminazione > DLS-E72 DLS-E72 DLS-E72 DLS - E72 Lighting Cabinet The Delta Controls DLS-E72 Lighting Cabinets are designed for use with the DLC-P series controllers and with the Panasonic WR series relays. Delta Controls offers three cabinet size options; each comprised of an enclosure, interior and cover. Cover options include a lockable hinged door with voltage barrier or a screwed cover, both available in either flush or surface mount styles. Overview Specification Application The DLS Lighting Cabinets are factory pre-wired and tested to reduce field installation costs. The flexible cabinet sizes can be used in installations ranging from smaller distributed lighting control solutions to large central installations. The flexible design of these lighting cabinets allows the field installation to determine how the interior and doors are mounted to the enclosure. Low voltage wires can be accessed from either the top or bottom, and the doors can be installed for left or right opening. Features 72 relay cabinet sizes Configurable barriers to allow from 1 to maximum cabinet relay capacity Enclosure separate from interior allows wires to be pulled before the relays and controller are installed Doors provide access to the low voltage area while providing a barrier to the high voltage area Large wire way allow for the running of high voltage wires from one side to the other on the 72 relay size cabinets Controller mounted on raised rails to conceal low voltage switch wiring Optional high voltage area barriers allow for multiple line voltages in each cabinet Dimensions DLS-E72 22 x 50 x 4 in. (55.9 x 127 x 10.1 cm) 79 lb. (35.7 kg) without relays 107.7 lb. (48.8 kg) full capacity Color ANSI/ASA 61 Grey Enclosure 16 gauge steel Power Transformer Primary: 120, 277, 347 VAC Secondary: 24 VAC, 50VA Wiring High Voltage: 14 gauge minimum Low Voltage: 18 gauge Ambient 32º to 131ºF (0º to 55ºC) 10 to 90% RH (non-condensing) Listings UL Listed C-UL Listed Tags: {{Title}} [x] Add or, Select from existing Opening existing... Close existing Click to select: Show allTags Show only most popular Opening all... {{Title}} ({{ItemsCount}}) Categories: DLS Relay Panels {{Title}} Remove Change Vertical Markets Leisure Polish Commercial Usługi Россия Sustainability Polish Healthcare Polish Hospitality Polish Education Education Manufacturing & Industrial Polish Products Access Control User Interfaces Small Sites Large Scale Applications Lighting Centralized Lighting Control DLS Relay Panels Distributed Lighting Control GE Lightsweep Network Switches Energy Management Energy Management Software Energy Awareness Facilities Management Supervisory Software Mobile User Interface Infrastructure Local User Interfaces Integration Gateways HVAC General Purpose Programmable I/O Controllers System Controllers (DSC) - Gen. Purpose Ethernet Application Controllers (DAC-E) - Gen. Purpose MS/TP Application Controllers (DAC) Central Plant Controllers enteliBUS Expanders & IO Modules System Controllers (DSC) - Cntrl. Plant Network Sensors & IO Expansion Modules Delta Network Sensors (DNS) Wireless Sensors enOcean Temperature Sensors IO Expansion Modules (DFMs) Individual Zone Controllers Configurable VAV/VVT Network Thermostats (DZNT) Network Thermostats (DNT) Programmable Fan Coil Controllers (DFC) VAV Controllers (DVC) Wall Thermostats Ethernet & PoE Ethernet System Controllers (DSC-E) Ethernet Application Controllers (DAC-E) Power over Ethernet Controllers (DxC-PoE) Ethernet VAV Controllers (DVC-E) Delta Difference Done Prodotti Correlati DDM-880 DLC-G1212 DLC-Pxxxx DLS-E12 DLS-E36 Controllo dell'Illuminazione Controllo Centralizzato dell'Illuminazione DDM-880 DLC-G1212 DLC-P DLS-E12 DLS-E36 DLS-E72 Controllo Distribuito dell'Illiminazione CLC-BNET CLC-DLS CLC SWT CLC DIM4 CLC GSM8 CLC RMX6 Switch di rete CLC-SWT


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Deadspin and Gelf Magazine bring you the best (or at least the most interesting) foreign-produced journalism about the London Olympics.
1. A Kiwi Kayaker Gets Dinged By His Mom | New Zealand
You've spent your whole life in practicing and preparing, traveled from your home country with bags and bags of equipment, and put countless hours of grueling work into this: a chance at gold and glory. And then your mom gives you a two-second penalty for touching a gate.
New Zealand's Stuff (unrelated to the US Stuff) has the story of slalom kayaker Mike Dawson, who is, along with every other slalom kayaker in Lodon, attempting to qualify for Wednesday's finals. Yesterday, Dawson made it through to the semifinals as one of 15. 10 rowers will ultimately compete for medals, and Dawson had the eighth fastest time through two rounds.
Dawson made it through despite hitting a gate during his run—a no-no for slalom kayakers. The official to mark Dawson down for that offense was none other than his mother, Kay Dawson, who is an experienced judge for the event both domestically and internationally. The elder Dawson told Stuff that there's no issue—she knows a lot of the competitors, and has practice putting her emotions on hold.
The IOC isn't concerned about a potential conflict conflict of interest either (frankly, they wouldn't have a leg to stand on if they were) saying, "If it were an issue, then the ICF technical committee would never have proposed Kay Dawson as a judge for the Olympic Games in the first place."
For his part, Dawson said of the infraction, "I hit it [gate 5] and she gave me my touch. I wasn't sure it was a touch, so we'll sort that one out later." Sounds like the family dinner will be a bit more animated than usual.
— Isaac Rauch
2. Germany Could Use A Few Medals | Germany
Imagine the employment listings surely being shorn apart this very moment at the University of Leipzig, whose researchers issued a tightly-braided medal prediction of 15 golds,19 silvers and 20 bronzes, with zero margin for error, as reported in The Local.
This week, however, Germany's major news outlets are indulging in a bit of self-flagellation on its front pages, bemoaning its to-date flat medal count as a national failure. "Medals, where are you?" asks Spiegel Online, in childlike yearning, of no one in particular. And both the Bild and Frankfurter Rundschau ran with "False Start" on its front page, chiding their Olympians for the paltry showing. "Man (and woman), are we bad," rues Bild, via translation in The Local.
"Even the Kazakhs are laughing at us," a cold knock which any proud Teutonic citizen will recognize as a supreme marker of embarrassment.
— Max Lakin
3. African Boxers Have A Gripe With The Olympics Judging | Kenya
Two of Africa's top Olympic Boxers, Botswana's Oteng Oteng and his main rival Benson Gicharu Njangiru of Kenya, were supposed to be on a collision course at this year's Olympics. Yet both were eliminated yesterday, and Kenya's Standard Digital claims nefarious judging played a role in the boxers' losses.
Oteng Oteng was the first to lose in a shocking fashion, as the judges scored his match 14-12 in favor of his opponent, Puerto Rico's Javier Ocasio. Oteng was so confident that he had dominated the match that he was celebrating in the ring before the decision was even announced. The crowd loudly voiced its disapproval of the judge's decision.
Njangiru lost to Egyptian Hesham Abdelaal by a score of 19-16. The crowd once again showered the arena with boos of disapproval, but Njangiru was gracious in defeat, refusing to allege any foul play. His coaches were a little less hesitant, though, as they said, "We cannot understand this decision because Benson was clearly on the lead."
One anonymous official from the Kenyan side went even further, telling Standard Media, "Both Botswana and Kenya have been robbed. This is serious and we must protest."
Oh Olympic boxing, will you ever change?
— Tom Ley
4. Olympics Fever Is An Actual Sickness In Asia | China
"Midnight soup" for the late-night Olympic viewer's soul. That concoction of herbal ingredients is what some private hospitals in China are recommending for crazed fans that fight the six-to-seven-hour time difference to watch the games live.
ChannelNewsAsia.com reports that many Chinese fans are using face masks at work to avoid looking like they have been up all night. Others simply roll into work bleary-eyed.
The article also reports that convenience stores and fast food restaurants in Australia are experiencing a spike in sales due to late night snacking, which has some worried about obesity. The president of the Australian Medical Association warned late night sports fans that eating too much junk food late at night is not good for their health. Dr. Obvious also cautioned fans that if they don't get enough sleep, they will be in serious danger of going "berserk."
"We don't want people to have car accidents because they're fatigued and fall asleep on the way home from work," he also said.
Obviously not everyone is sacrificing sleep for the Games. "I can watch it when I want and where I want. Hail to the Olympics on Youtube," Hafiz Noor Shams from Kuala Lampur said.
And there you have it, the first time YouTube ever helped someone be healthier and more productive at work.
— Kate Bennert
5. There's Got To Be A Gold Medalist In Here Somewhere | India
The country of India is historically terrible at sports. Despite the second-largest pool of potential athletes in the world, they've won exactly one gold medal in the last 32 years (Millionaire playboy Abhinav Bindra won the10m Air Rifle event in Beijing.)
That dearth of hardware prompted a famous ESPN article, None in a Billion" about Indian athletic futility" and the Indian government-sponsored Olympic Gold Quest program, which works with various sports programs in the country to identify and nurture 21 athletes that have potential medal-winning talent.
That investment, it seems, is already paying off: Hyderabadi sharpshooter Gagan Narang claimed a bronze in London in the same event that Bindra won last Olympiad.
It's not quite gold, but India will take it. In fact, the whole country seems to be going a bit overboard: DNA India reports that famous cricketers and Bollywood stars have tripped over themselves to declare Gagan the Pride of India and the Deccan Chronicle notes that a leading electronics manufacturer is creating a special edition of its tablet PCs called the "Narang" in honor of the now-most-famous athlete in India.
— David Goldenberg
Gelf Magazine, the purveyor of fine NYC-based events including the Varsity Letters speaking series, has been looking over the overlooked since 2005.
For a handy master schedule of every Olympic event, click here.


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After taking him through some basic training - he commented to me that he didn't expect making coffee to be such an "intellectual pursuit." I asked him what he meant and he replied (and I'm paraphrasing from flawed memory) something like:
I thought that making espresso would be more like an art - with a lot of self-expression going on. But it's not really like that. It's also not like science - because it's really about producing something that tastes good (an inherently subjective goal). It requires right brain and left brain thinking.
He's an engineer by training - who ended up working in marketing for Apple. It should have been no shock that he was producing decent espresso quite quickly given this and his comment above.
So... the Art v Science argument (schism?) has been a long-standing situation in coffee (pro and amateur). But after talking to my friend, I realized that both are false choices. The reality is that it's neither.
Making great coffee is a craft in the truest sense of the word. Keeping this in mind is likely to be a simple trick for determining what really is important and what is not.


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Sri Lanka WC hot favourite: Hayden
Sandip G
Former Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden checks handmade items made by Mithra Foundation inmates in Chennai on Tuesday
Express News ServiceFirst Published : 02 Feb 2011 02:54:52 AM ISTLast Updated : 02 Feb 2011 11:47:02 AM IST
CHENNAI: Despite the Ashes low, former Australian batsman Matthew Hayden pins Australia as contenders for their fourth successive World Cup triumph. They have a strong case as contenders. Th*ey have been doing alright in ODIs and are No 1 ranked side in the tournament, he said.
That the Aussies have convin*c*ingly trumped England to claim the limited-over rubber (Au*stralia leads 4-1) is a fair en*ough indicator. The series win will ensure that they go into the World Cup brimming with conf*idence. They have a settled team and some good match-winners in Ricky Ponting, Shane Watson and Michael Clarke up the ord*er. And remember they have be*a*ten hosts India, and few sid*es in recent times have achie*v*ed that, fair and square in the last bilateral series, he said.
Speedster Brett Lees return to the fold has bolstered their bowling, which has been a tad one-dimensional. Lee coming back and getting wickets is the best thing to have happened to Australia before the World Cup. His experience in these conditio*ns would come in handy, and as always he would provide them with early breakthroughs. Also, he has enough variations to tro*u*ble the batsmen at the death. He has made a huge difference to the side, he maintained, on the sidelines of a charity auction organised by Mithra Foundation.
All the same, the lack of a quality spinner would hamper Australias bid for title retention. Losing Nathan Hauritz to injury has been bit of a blow. But Im happy with the way Stephen Smith has shaped up. His leg spinners are quite handy in the conditions, and mind you he is a good batsman as well. He can grip the surface and manage fair bit of turn, and would be quite hard to get away with, he opined.
The 39-year-old tipped Sri Lanka as the favourites for the World Cup. The top four teams are Sri Lanka, Australia, India and South Africa. But Lankans are the red-hot favourites. They ha*ve enough players to succeed in these conditions, besides some extremely experienced and dangerous players. And they are going to push hard for the World Cup, he said.
A vital cog in Australia trium*phs in 2003 and 2007, he cherish*es his fellow-opener Adam Gilchrist hundred in the previous Cup final (149 against Sri Lanka) the most.
He was just murdering the bowling. Some of the shots he played were most remarkable in power and execution. We made 170-odd (172) for the first wicket out of which I ma*de only 38, he signed off.


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Woody Paige, Around The Horn's resident jester, likes to have a little fun on the show with his trusty chalkboard. Today's message: "Advertise Here: 1-800-555-HORN." What do you get when you call? A message from Paige? A phone-sex line? Could be anything.
It's the phone-sex line. It seems that Woody thought that all phone numbers with "555" were fakes. Unfortunately, that doesn't extend to 800-numbers. But you do get a message:
Welcome to eight hundred, six, six, six, one, two, three, four.
Then there's this canned moaning, followed by:
We are spread, wet and ready for you right now. Come on, baby, let's play.
Then a second voice comes on and says that if you're an experienced caller, you can enter your credit card number any time you like. Then there's something about the pound key where the "pound" is shamelessly emphasized.
Prediction: Tomorrow's episode will chalkboard-free; frivolous.
Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin. Dash will be watching the ol' mill tonight, so give him some company.


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SEMI Membership Benefits
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Whether your focus is on semiconductors, flexible hybrid electronics, MEMS or display, or whether your company is a Fortune 500™ multinational corporation or a start-up, the benefits of SEMI® membership can help you grow your business. SEMI connects members to opportunities and information that advance sales, speed collaboration, and enable electronics innovation. Through activities, communities, programs, and events, SEMI helps members achieve together what each cannot do alone:
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Comcast's Top Lobbyist Pens Editorial To Remind Americans That US Broadband Service Is Awesome
from the statistics-currently-enjoying-a-deep-tissue-massage dept
We live in a nation of wondrous technological advancement, where our average broadband speed and super low prices are the envy of the world, And if Google shows up to throw fiber around, the local citizenry simply shrugs its shoulders in indifference. Life is good... especially if you're paid to believe it is.
Karl Bode at Broadband Reports points us in the direction of a ridiculous "op-ed" piece written for the Philadelphia Inquirer by David Cohen, lobbyist and policy man for Comcast. It's filled with relentless, self-serving optimism and features Cohen's miraculous ability to take mediocre broadband statistics and transform them into "proof" of American superiority.
After cherry picking and massaging statistics to an almost painful degree, Cohen takes a little shot at Google Fiber, insisting that users don't really need 1 Gbps.Consumers are demanding faster speeds, though. This is why services like Google Fiber
"For some, the discussion about the broadband Internet seems to begin and end on the issue of "gigabit" access. To be sure, a one-gig connection has value, especially for those who have invested in "inside" networks and equipment to handle that 1-gigabit firehose of data.
The issue with such speed is really more about demand than supply. Our business customers can already order 10-gig connections. Most websites can't deliver content as fast as current networks move, and most U.S. homes have routers that can't support the speed already available to the home. As consumer demand grows for faster speeds, a competitive marketplace of wired and wireless broadband providers will be ready to serve it."
Cohen claims that 82% of Americans have access to wired high-speed Internet access of speeds exceeding 100 Mbps. But these services, provided in 85% of the country by only the local cable incumbent (the large cable companies never enter each others' territories, and Verizon FiOS is available to just 15% of the country) are extraordinarily expensive: Comcast charges $114.95 per month for 105 Mbps download services. In Seoul, you can get symmetrical 100 Mbps (equal upload and download) access for $30/month, and there are three or four competitive choices.So, it's not really a question of need. Most consumers won't fully utilize a gigabit connection. But, they will have faster service at a lower price, and that's what really matters. What Google's entrance into the market does is add some real competition, rather than the cooperation and collusion that has masqueraded for years as "competition."
By focusing on whether you need 1 Gbps, companies like Time Warner Cable and Comcast hope to steer the conversation away from how a lack of competition allows them to offer slow speeds and ever-higher prices (or the fact they're being outclassed in their own industry by a search engine)...Cohen's article paints a broadband picture so rosy one almost expects a "sponsored content" banner to be flying above it. He even takes a moment towards the end to bash the broadband industry's (many) critics.
If the United States leads in anything in the broadband sector -- it's the use of denial and distortion by those with a vested interest in protecting the status quo. If you can convince people that everything is fine, nobody tries to fix things and your profit margins as a predatory, lumbering duopoly benefiting from regulatory capture remain high. You can legitimately argue that things are improving in many regions -- but to insist the United States is the global broadband leader is an obnoxious level of hubris, even for Comcast.
Today there is a cottage industry of critics who always want to tell us that our broadband Internet is not fast enough or satisfactory for one reason or another. The reality is that the United States is leading the way in speed, reach, and access - and doing so in a vast, rural nation that poses logistical connectivity challenges unlike any other country.As Bode pointed out, a strain of hubris runs through Cohen's piece, but here it comes to a head. Comcast itself has MANY critics but Cohen acts as though the negative attention is undeserved. This "cottage industry" exists in part to battle the kind of misinformation Cohen and his cohorts portray as "facts." His attempt to belittle broadband critics as some sort of self-interested fringe "industry" is where his hubris comes to a head. It's obviously more than that if Cohen feels the need to tout his industry's "stellar" service via a major newspaper.


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Forensic-Psych necesitaba un nuevo diseño de papelería y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 24 diseños de 7 diseñadores freelance.
Forensic Psychology Associates, P.C.
FPA is a group of psychologist who specialize in psychological evaluations and treatment for the courts. We evaluate and then testify at trials for murderers, sex offenders, mentally ill criminal defendants, custody litigants, and fitness for duty assessments of employees. We are a professional organization that maintains a neutral stance -- we do not advocate for or against the people we evaluate.
At any time, we have at least the two core psychologists (Drs. Evan and Michele Nelson) but often students and part-time associates, therapists, etc. We have three support staff as well.
Judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, lawyers of all kinds, administrative agencies such as Child Protective Services and Empoyee Assistance Programs. We are mental health professionals who deal with a conservative audience that wants us to be both professional and compassionate.
PRINT GUIDELINE ** THE LETTERHEAD NEEDS TO BE DESIGNED AS A Microsoft Word TEMPLATE!
The whole point of this project is that we are, reluctantly, abandoning our 20 year commitment to Word Perfect, and converting to Microsoft Word. We produce about 30 standard types of reports and letters, all of which start with a word processor template and then we merge in key data. Frequently we PDF our final reports and submit them electronically without ever printing them to paper. We do NOT plan on having preprinted paper letterhead, this project needs to be done either with the native tools of MS-Word or with graphics that are displayable in Word and can withstand migration to future versions of the software.
The design of the letterhead needs to have flexibility in the area where the staff are listed. the space needs to be big enough to add/remove professional staff when we hire/fire/associate.
We need: company name, address, ph#s, and web address (http://www.psylaw.com).
For each psychologist, need: name and credentials, the words "Licensed Clinical Psychologist," and our emails.
As for the footer tagline, we are not committed to it. Keep or discard as needed.
See logo below. We've used it on business cards but never found a way to use it in our letterhead. Not committed to it, just showing it here for an idea of something we liked in the past.


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Hey, remember before Rizzoli & Isles returned for its winter mini-season and I said this? "I swear to God, if that 'shocking news' is that Jane is pregnant I am out. O-U-freaking-T." Yeahhhhh. About that. Let's put a pin in that for further discussion later. And by "further discussion" I mean I'm going to drink and curse a lot. Cool? Cool.
So, see–this is why I don't take a private car service. Also, there's the little issue of me not being able to afford one. But mostly there's the fear of being driven out to a dark road and shot in the back of the head.
In a well-lit bar without any execution-style killings (yet), the Rizzolis and their loved ones are celebrating. Tommy and his new fiancée Lydia are there. Mama Rizzoli and her boyfriend Lt. Cavanaugh are there. Jane and her girlfriend Maura are there. Poor, poor lonely Frankie. If only we could find him a nice gal. But, alas, I guess all the good ones are taken. Hear that, Frankie? Taken.
The brood is feting Tommy and Lydia's engagement. Everyone is proud of the youngest Rizzoli for getting his life together and taking the pressure off of them to pop out grandkids. Though, something tells me TJ is the smartest Rizzoli by far. I mean, look at that kid's face. He's like, "Stupid grown-ups, can't they see those two are gay?"
Jane goes up to the bar for another bottle of sparkling cider. Maura follows for some alone time. You have to take it where you can when you have as big and as always around family as the Rizzolis. Jane pulls that damn ring out of her pocket. You know this is unbelievably cruel to Maura, to taunt her with your over-the-top beard engagement scenario. Maura tells her if she keeps doing that she'll lose it. Read: I will make sure it gets lost.
Then Jane laughs, tosses the ring into an empty cup and tells Maura, "Of course I'm not marrying that bag of bricks in army fatigues. I love you, silly."
Oh, sorry. That's what Jane should have said. Instead she babbles on about them going through with it and Col. Beard Force leaving the military for her. She moons on about buying a triple-decker near the water and fixing it up. Someone has been watching too much Rehab Addict with Nicole Curtis. Just kidding, there's no such thing as watching too much Rehab Addict, said the Rehab Addict addict.
Then Jane talks about couples who choose to remain childless, which as we all know is totally code for gay couples. (Well, those among us who choose to remain childless. Big love to all you mombians out there.) Maura insists on organizing the engagement party, because if you're going to throw a big elaborate charade, let it be a big elaborate tasteful charade with nary a plastic champagne cup in sight. They seal their agreement with a little public eye sex and some huggy Totally Gratuitous Totally Gay Touching.
Cavanaugh interrupts to pull Jane away because he hates love and possibly rainbows and puppies, too. A VIP has been murdered so it is all hands on deck. All hands except Frost, because he is on vacation. If only. Rest in peace, Lee Thompson Young.
The team arrives on the darkened scene and, yep, the lady is still dead. But it turns out the lady is the daughter of a senator, so it's Important with a capital "I." The team goes to the senator's house and are greeted by the deputy from the Department of Homeland Security. Is there a letter bigger than a capital? Because that's what this case is, in case you haven't noticed. I am expecting drones to start flying overheard any second.
Jane, of course, gets into a territorial pissing match with the Homeland Security deputy. I'd tell them to just get out a tape measure and be done with it, but we all know Jane's is bigger.


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Sunday, 12 May 2013
Mallorca ½ Ironman
Then on Friday, we had to spend hours doing various check in activities, and this involved lots of running back and forth from our hotel with the baby jogger. And I realized- hm. My legs aren't even sore. It is interesting how running a really hard marathon can kill your legs for weeks, but an even-paced 100 mile maybe isn't as taxing. I would say, though, that my tendons - in many places- just feel worn down. (mostly my achilles and hamstrings).
This was a sold out race with over 3000 atheletes. Sounds exciting, but basically this meant lots of waiting in lines - for the registration, bike check in, chip pick-up, toilet, etc.
The Swim
Beautiful lagoon-type setting in Alcúdia. Sunny, no waves. Just perfect. The only problem was, there were well over 300 women in my wave start. Imagine jumping into a pool with over 300 women and everyone trying to swim at once. Total chaos. If I were a front-of-the-pack swimmer, I would have just swum ahead of the fray, but I am in the back half of the swim and I was caught behind women who I couldn't pass for the first half of the swim. It was so hard to get into a rhythm. I wish I knew what to do to avoid this - then I would tell you, but it was kind of rough. The second half went better.as things opened up.
Slow time of just over 42 minutes. But, really, what can I expect for not having been swimming more than once a month the last 6 months??
The Bike
THIS was the highlight of the race. I felt great and the course is nothing short of fantastic. There are around 2,800 feet of elevation change and these are pretty much all in one enormous climb up into the Tramantura Mountain Range and down again. Both climbing and descending are my forte in cycling, but on the long, flat stretch back to the finish, I had to settle for half of the people I passed repassing me on my rented road bike.
Bike time: 3:16
The run
Huge triathlons have really fun runs because there are so many cheering fans lining the route. Mallorca is no exception to this. What a fun atmosphere! I just ran an evenly-paced race, nothing to write home about. I felt fine, but no reason to push it, as this was just training.
Run time: 1:40:25
Lots of time was eaten up in the very, very long transition zone: transitions were around 7 and 5 minutes.
Total time: 5:53:25. (164th female/356)
It was a really good experience. The beauty of the course, the camaraderie of our tri club and the exciting atmosphere more than made up for the waiting around the day before. Plus, because our race numbers were made according to where we live, I ended up with a Danish flag on mine - and the support from the Danes from the sidelines was absolutely incredible. Wow! It almost felt like I was cheating using all of the good energy I was getting because of that flag. Thank you so much to all of the supporters on the course!
SR raced, too and had an incredible run in 1:22:58. He had a good bike, but difficulty in the wind with no tri-bar. (his total time was 5:32:26 One of the irritating things about triathlon is you have to buy a really high end tri bike in order to compete with the top athletes. (oh and you need to learn how to swim well. too ;o)). In my mind, the sport of triathlon would be a lot more fun if everyone were given the same type of bike to ride on at the start. I imagine Ironman would have more than enough money to provide these...
Now onto a day at the Alcúdia waterpark with the kids. And then back to run training the next few weeks with Ole. (we don't have the money or time to get serious about triathlon, but it's a fun sport).
5 comments:
- cherelli said...
Niiiiice! What a beautiful location for a HIM! Unfortunately there is little you can do to escape the swim start chaos - even as a stronger swimmer (although I guess you can get out of the fray faster) but I've found starting a little wider (rather than in the middle) helps, even if it increases the distance by a few metres. Your ability to backup "big events" is awesome, enjoy your family holiday!
- 12 May 2013 at 15:36
- mmmonyka said...
HIM one week after a very hard 100 mile race?!? Are you crazy?:)
Sounds like a good race that is becoming popular. Now I am really looking forward to it next year (ok, i have not even done a half ironman so maybe i will hate it this year and then of course i will not fly to mallorca). I too will borrow a bike on site, but i will try to get a high end tri bike:)
What did you do in transitions???
- 12 May 2013 at 17:28
- sea legs girl said...
Mmmonyka, I am confident you will both love and do well at ½ IM Mallorca if you come.
The swim to bike transition involved covering about 1 km first in the wetsuit, the change, then running out with the bike. It took FOREVER! I feel like I have gotten really good at transitions and really don't do anything but what is necessary in them. But I looked at the first place guy's transitions now and they were 3 and 2 minutes so I'm obviously not using my time as well as I could!
- 12 May 2013 at 18:34
- sea legs girl said...
I am convinced now that the pros have a different setup in their transition zone because the head of our tri club is a transition pro and he took 6 and 4 minutes respectively.
- 12 May 2013 at 18:45
- PiccolaPineCone said...
Holy crap. I kept meaning to congratulate you on your 100 miler but kept not finding the time/right words (both to congratulate you and to get past the dreaded "prove you're not a robot" test)... I never thought I would get two congratulations behind! You are a machine. I truly don't understand how you do it. Maybe it really is a question of the old adage - the more you do, the more you CAN do. Anyway whatever it is, congratulations. That sounds like a damn fine HIM even without having run one of the toughest 100 milers in the world the week before.
- 13 May 2013 at 03:45


text:
Wildfires Spread Into The City – Wichita Falls Area In Disaster Mode
Residents in the Iowa Park and Kamay areas are being asked to prepare to evacuate.
Archer County: 400 acre fire burning off FM 2178 has destroyed 2 tank batteries and a trailer home, still burning strong according to Emergency officials. There's a fire off FM 368 near Dad's Corner. There's also a fire off FM 1954 a mile east of 281.
Clay County: Fire crews are currently battling 3 major fires according to Sheriff Kenny Lemons. There are 2 south of Petrolia; one at 148 and FM 2332, the other at Lonestar Rd and FM 2332. There is still a large fire south of Jolly off FM 2393. Lemons says all 3 fires are out of control.
Wichita County Officials say there are fires east of FM 171 on both sides of the road. They say theere is another fire off 367 and 368 toward Kamay.
Wichita County Judge Woody Gossum says a fire burning between Iowa Park and Electra could jump the Wichita River. Officials are building fire breaks to prevent that. The fire is in the area between Harmony Rd. and FM 368.
Code Red notifications have been sent to residents in the area asking them to be alert and vigilant.
There is also a fire north east of Wichita Falls that is dangerous. Officials are building fire breaks around the Conoco gasoline tank farm.
Residents on Pecanway off 171 are being asked to leave the area. Hirschi High School has been set up as a Red Cross Shelter.
Fire burning west of Bass Hallow at Possum Kingdom. Officials say it could burn down to the water line. Several home have caught fire.
An outbreak of wildfires that began earlier today have begun spreading into city neighborhoods threatening homes.
Neighborhoods around the Missile Road Exit off I-44, near Shepard Air Force base, are in the most danger and have been evacuated. Residents should head south to avoid smoke and other wildfires.
Officials are asking motorists to stay clear of this area as well.
Residents are advised to avoid roads obscured by smoke. Watch for detours and please avoid any outdoor burning. If you find yourself in an area where fires are burning drive slowly, stay aware, watch for other vehicles stopped on the roadway and for fire vehicles as well.
UPDATE (4/15/11 4:45 pm): Wichita Falls Spokesman, Barry Levy, says the fire near Missile Road is Contained.
FM 171 is CLOSED at Sinclair Blvd. near old Conoco Plant East to the Clay Co. line. FOLLOW THE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIRECTED DETOUR (Delay / Detour)
Clay Co: SH 148 N at FM 2332 in Byers is CLOSED due to fires.
Jolly: FM 2393 is CLOSED South of Jolly to Lake Arrowhead due to fires. TXDOT is assisting with traffic control and dozing fire breaks.
Young Co.: FM1287 is CLOSED from SH16 to Stephens Co line. This is the road to Possum Kingdom. Wildfires are blazing at this time where Young and Stephens Counties meet. Several structures have been lost. Fire is not contained and rapidly moving. Smoke from wildfire has reduced visibility.Closed until further notice.
Lake Arrowhead: FM 2393 CLOSED from Rock Springs Rd. to FM 1954 due to wildfire. DETOUR: State Hwy 25 to State Hwy 240. Low visibilty from Smoke.
SB US 287 closed 2 ALL TRAFFIC in Electra area because of a wildfire in the center median.LIMITS:US 287 SB from Bus.287 to Burnett Ranch Rd.
FM 367 Eastbound and Westbound is CLOSED - low visibility from smoke - No detour traffic is being turned around.
FM 1206 CLOSED Eastbound and Westbound - low visibility from smoke -Road Closed between FM 2226 and FM 368, fire and smoke on roadway. No Detour.
Archer Co: FM 2178 Northbound and Southbound - Low visibility due to smoke.
Use alternate route - Grassfires have caused road closures due to smoke over the road and no visibility. Detour around this area. (Delay / Detour)


text:
So said Jon Meachum, the former Newsweek editor and present Random House editor on MSNBC the other day. Rush Limbaugh was delighted:
That's how you do it! That's how you get rid of him. That's how you convince him to move on. You tell him that he's so, so above this chump country. That's how you do it, folks. They listen to me. They did listen to me.A few weeks early, Limbaugh had criticized Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen for telling Obama he should — for the good of the country — step aside and let Hillary be the 2012 Democratic Party nominee.
Now, the Schoen-Caddell plan comes down to putting the country above personal ambition.... Obama is a narcissist. If you want Obama to step aside, you have to flatter him. You have to tell him the office is beneath him. If you tell Obama -- well, it's too late now. ...ADDED: By the way, my reaction to the Schoen-Caddell column was similar to Rush's — and I was first:
Messrs. Caddell and Schoen, this, I'm afraid, will guarantee that he will stay. But if you had flattered him, if you had told him that there are greater things, that the reason things are going the way they are is because he's just not challenged, this is just too small, that you can tell he's bored, you can tell he's not interested. We all can see that he and Michelle don't like the White House. They don't like living there. They would rather be anywhere else. Running this country is so uninteresting to him, so beneath his stature, so beneath his skill set, so beneath his intellect. The world is crying for a leader now, not just America, the world is crying for a leader, a leader that the United States will listen to. Then maybe you guys coulda gotten him to quit. I wish you'd-a called me. I wish you'da sent me a note.
... I can see Obama choosing to withdraw, with some magnificent long-term life plan. But pressure him out? Ridiculous!


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STRANGE BUT TRUE- Enlightened: Did lamps spark a revolution?
Q. As you read this, you can appreciate the inventions of the printing press (15th century) and eyeglasses (13th or 14th century) as bulwarks of scholarship. How did the (18th century) invention of a lamp help spread the written word to the masses, and just maybe spark a class revolution? –K. Marx
A. The bright Argand oil lamp, invented by Swiss chemist Francois Ami Argand in 1783, had a hollow adjustable wick for better air flow and an enclosing glass "chimney," and made night reading and lifelong learning accessible to the common folk, says Sidney Perkowitz in Empire of Light: A History of Discovery in Science and Art. Culturally, the new lamp's brilliant flame was perhaps as stunning then as lasers are now, and lit up the night, including in Paris where the great glitter of the Palais Royale epitomized the new nightlife, and where cheek-by-jowl contact between the social castes exacerbated tensions in the days before the French Revolution.
Q. When it comes to friendship, do "birds of a feather flock together" or does complementarity rule, with the depressed drawn to happy-go-luckies, etc.? –J.J. Audubon
A. Forget fraternal opposites. Depressed people feel annoyed by those exuding bubbly cheerfulness; optimists are more likely to attract each other. In general, we like others who not only think the way we do, with similar attitudes and beliefs, but who act as we do as well, says David Myers in Social Psychology.
Subtle mimicry fosters fondness: when others nod their head along with us and echo our thoughts, we feel a rapport; when we're with a friend, we're more apt to shake a foot or touch our face when he or she does. Surprisingly, restaurant servers who mimic their customers by even just repeating their order receive higher tips.
In a revealing study of college-age daters, the desire to find a similar mate far outweighed the desire to find a beautiful one: Attractives sought out attractives, of course, but the rich were most interested in those with money, family-oriented types looked for the family-oriented. Surely, we've all noticed this upon discovering a soul mate who likes the same music, the same activities, even the same foods.
Indeed, as we spend time with someone, an "attitude-alignment" tends to occur. And if this sort of bonding fails us, as a last resort there's the "false-consensus effect," or a tendency to automatically assume that those we like share our views.
Q. Is romance pretty much the same the world over, or is this "crazy thing called love" a work of time and place, culturally concocted? –F. Mercury
A. Something like romantic love seems to exist in all cultures, says Creighton University philosopher Richard J. White. The ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, and Persians all had their own love poetry, and in ancient Athens, love between an older (male) lover and younger (male) beloved was described in rapturous tones.
But not every society seems to approve. The early Christians, like St. Augustine, worried that deep involvement with another person would take away from the love of God. And likewise in the society portrayed in Romeo and Juliet, romantic love is viewed as dangerous and a threat to the established order.
About 200 or so years ago, however, in the days of Keats, Byron, Shelley, et al., romantic love started to become the massively popular phenomenon it is today. "Now, there's the common idea that a life without amour is a life that's wasted. It wasn't always that way, and maybe in years to come romantic love will become less important."
Q. Home from school, your kid takes a bread stick and bites off bits of it until its length just reaches from linoleum line to linoleum line running parallel across the kitchen floor. Then she starts dropping the stick randomly, again and again. Sometimes it lands across a line and sometimes it doesn't. She keeps a tally of the two. What's the little "smart aleck" up to? –M. Pythagoras
A. Same thing as 18th-century French scientist Georges Louis Leclerc Comte de Buffon, also done with a bread stick, say Edward Burger and Michael Starbird in The Heart of Mathematics. She takes the total number of drops, divides this by the number of line "hits," then multiplies by 2.
After dropping the stick 1100 times, she's quite proud of the answer she comes up with: 3.14. She explains to you that this is a good way to approximate the mathematical value of pi.
You can visit websites and watch computers simulate this with thousands of virtual drops, yielding pi to several decimal places. When the English scientist Fox did 1100 actual drops in 1864, he got a value of 3.1419– not bad since 3.14159... is the correct figure.
Q. Ants with a built-in "pedometer"? Can you guess the clever way scientists figured this one out? –C. Bicolor
A. Knowing that Saharan desert ants can't follow an odor trail because the chemicals quickly fade in the heat, Harold Wolf of the University of Ulm, Germany, wondered how the insects found their way back to the nest from a food source, says New Scientist Magazine. Could they somehow estimate distance by keeping track of their number of steps?
So Wolf's team removed about one mm from the tips of some ants' legs while adding one mm stilts (made of lightweight bristles) to the legs of others. These were all ants that had just visited a familiar food site. Upshot: The ants on stilts typically went about 50 percent farther than the normal distance, then began pacing back and forth looking for home; the ants with shortened legs paced back and forth, apparently lost, after traveling only 50 percent of the way back.
Wolf concluded that "the ants indeed have some sort of internal system that keeps track of the steps taken and gets reset on returning to the nest." Next up: Any ant speedometers out there?
Send Strange questions to brothers Bill and Rich at firstname.lastname@example.com.