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Beautiful Eye is indeed a road to photography rather than just a another photography contest. The idea is to provide a healthy platform for photography aspirants who will be well guided and guarded by legends in the field.
BE'14 is package designed by experts in the field to deliver everything an aspirant needs to kick start his/her career in photography. On the whole, Beautiful eye can be viewed as a complete photography course with real-time assignments.
Considering the magnitude of the event, BE'14 is the biggest photography event that can walk hand-in-hand with photography aspirants and help them dream big!
The contest design is simple. Every prestigious participant will contest in 10 rounds without elimination. That's the way you gets to sail through BE'14 – a lot of ground to play around with your beautiful instrument – The Camera. All rounds will be based on specific categories/ genres of photography. There will be a preceding video for every round from which the participant is expected to learn about the details/rules of the round and thereby submit his/her entry before the specified due date for the particular round.
Registering for the contest will entitle one to attend the legendary inaugural seminar graced by India's Top Photographers and Cinematographers. In addition to presentations/ discussions on the 4 broad photography titles, the seminar will also include a briefing about the contest details.
Registered Contestant have to physically be present only on July 26th. 10 Rounds of Tutorial Based Contest is conducted through Online communication (10 to 12 weeks). Contestant who gets selected to level 2 have to come for the TV Show contest (Few weeks).
1. Entry to Seminar / Webinar By simply registering into BE'14, one will get all the Level 1 benefits which starts with their entry privilage to the inaugural seminar/ webinar*. The inaugural seminar is where the biggest Indian photography & film personalities concerned about photography are about to join and share their own life experiences while chasing of their dreams. The entry for the event is to be considered a lifetime experience for anyone with the burning passion for photography. The sessions are to be designed as a package with loads of information and entertainment into it.
*People who could not attend the Seminar in Chennai, can attend the live and interactive webinar in a closest chosen venue. BE Team decides to have the venues to webinar across all major cities in India. However the venue will be disclosed as and when the registrations are blocked in a particular area. The BE Team guarantees the best hospitality is being served to every participant who attends the seminar /Webinar.
2. Welcome Kit
Welcome Kits are provided to each candidate with the Instructions manual, Helpline numbers, Identity Card, Special Coupons, BE'14 Designer T-Shirts, Website Login Kit, Free Books on Photography and other give aways.
3. Free Premium Membership in BE website
BE website will be upgraded to accommodate Login and membership facilities for creating a stronger profile for photography enthusiasts.The premium membership for the website will be given free exclusively for the participants of BE'14. However the terms and conditions, and usage policies of concerned to website may apply.
4. Hassle-free 10 Round in the Road to Photography: Each participant once after the inauguration will receive a link to a photography tutorial video; the topic for the first round will be explained and tutored by a celebrity icon photographer/ cinematographer. This goes on for all the 10 Rounds without any elimination. Each entry will be thoroughly reviewed by experts and points are given with remarks. However scores on each round will be assessed for Level 2 progression.
5. Final giveaways for Level 1:
By the end of 10 rounds, each participant will get a FREE copy of the collection of the Seminar video & the tutorials in the form of DVDs worth Rs.999/- They may also enjoy the sponsor benefits and continue following the journey of Level 2 winners.
1. Win a seat in the Grand Celebration Level 2 starts with a Grand celebration, where all participants (winners of Level 1) will be honored by the big photographic community. The excelled works will be exhibited for people and press to witness.
2. TV appearance
The best part about Level 2 of the contest is that it goes as a reality show in a popular Television Channel. The program will feature all rounds till the announcement of the Final Winner in the Grand Finale Event.
3. Celebrity Guidance
During the course of Level 2, the participants will be guided and shapedup personally by our celebrity jury members and mentors.
It's the Grand Finale, with Top 3 participants fighting for the Title of the light.
The Title winner will get Rs. 5,00,000/- Cash Award + Rs. 5 lakh worth Camera & Accessories + Certificate + BE Title Trophy for 2014 The 2 Runner-ups will get Rs. 2,00,000/- Cash Award + Rs. 1 lakh worth Camera & Accessories + Certificate + BE Title Runner up Trophies for 2014
10 Rounds?
BE'14's first level of contest features 10 rounds of learning, experimenting, competing, and contesting in a large scale without elimination of people. Each round will be guided by a mentor and then reviewed by the celebrities.
Round 01: Nature/ Landscape
Round 02: Events/ Celebrations
Round 03: Lifestyle
Round 04: Candid Photographer
Round 05: Wildlife
Round 06: Photojournalism
Round 07: Fashion
Round 08: B/W
Round 09: Architecture
Round 10: Macro
How to Register?
Registration Fee: Rs. 5,000/-
There are no set eligibility criteria for getting registered into BE'14. However, we restrict all our registrant to be 18 years or above. No professionals are allowed to take part in the event, as BE'14 is an event for the amateurs. There are different payment methods by which one can register into BE. They are listed and explained as follows;
i. Payment Online
Registrants may enjoy online payment option through our ticketing partner 'Meraevents.com'. One can download their ticket to get their place confirmed.
for other options check www.beautifuleyeindia.com


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SSRIs may reduce suicide in adults
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may reduce the risk of suicide in depressed adults, according to a study by researchers from the World Health Organization and the University of Verona, Italy published in CMAJ http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg291.pdf.
The study, a meta-analysis of 8 large-scale observational studies, was undertaken to explore whether SSRIs reduce or increase the risk of suicide in depressed people.
Previous studies, including a 2007 study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), found the risk of suicide in adults was neutral, elevated in those under 25 and reduced in people older than 65. A subsequent black box warning was added to all antidepressants regarding increased risk of suicidal symptoms in people under 25 years of age.
"While the FDA analysis found a neutral effect of SSRIs (or a promoting effect in adults aged 18-25), we found a strong protective effect associated with SSRI treatment in adults," Dr. Corrado Barbui and colleagues. SSRIs in adults significantly reduced the risk of completed or attempted suicide.
They conclude "data from observational studies should reassure doctors that prescribing serotonin reuptake inhibitors in patients with major depression is safe," although children and adolescents should be closely monitored due to the possibility of suicidal thoughts and suicide.
In a related commentary http://www.cmaj.ca/press/pg270.pdf, Dr. John Mann of Columbia University and Dr. Robert Gibbons of the University of Illinois write "alarmingly, concerns about the risk of suicide in youth have led not only to fewer SSRI prescriptions without substitution of alternative medications or psychotherapies, but also to a decrease in predicted rates of diagnosis of mood disorders." They suggest doctors may be avoiding making diagnoses and call for randomized controlled trials to determine safety and efficacy of treatments for young adults
Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal

subset: commoncrawl


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Dream It!
Welcome to Lake City and Hinsdale County, Colorado!
Jagged peaks pierce deep blue skies while wildlife teems in rocky canyons and on high valley floors. Crystalline rivers flow from altitude while unique geology promises adventure and spurs endless exploration. And continuously, within this wondrous dreamscape, whispers from the past mingle with voices of the present in the cool, rarefied air of remote Hinsdale County and its historic town of Lake City.
Encompassing more than 1,000 square miles of untamed beauty, "ah factors" are a constant in this northeastern corner of Colorado's mystical San Juan Mountains. From climbers, fishermen, hunters, 4-wheel enthusiasts, and hikers to bikers, horseback riders, birdwatchers, and Old West history buffs, magical moments are spun into heirloom memories passed on and recreated generation after generation.
A Peak Experience, your peak experience, is waiting to be realized
We are unique because...
- Lake City is the only town in Hinsdale County.
- Hinsdale County is made up of 96% public lands. That means that we have the fewest miles of roads per person, plus the most land area located far from roads, making Hinsdale County the most remote county in the lower 48.
- Hinsdale County is made up of 4 wilderness areas and 2 wilderness study areas.
- We are located at the crossroads of two major scenic byways: Silver Thread Scenic Byway (Hwy 149, 2 wheel drive) and Alpine Loop Backcountry Byway (CR 30/20, 2-wheel & 4WD).
- We are a designated National Historic District since 1978, boasting over 200 historic structures.
- We have reconstructed over 500 feet of original boardwalks in our historic downtown.
- Lake San Cristobal is the second largest natural lake in the state.
- We have hundreds of miles of hiking and off-road trails.
What we don't have...
- Commercial chains - no Walmart or food chains. You have to drive over an hour to find any kind of major retail or food chains.
- Stop lights. There is not one stop light in Hinsdale County, there are stop signs but not many of them.
- Traffic. Now July tourism can be an exception to that rule or herds of wildlife can be considered traffic, but we rarely have anything resembling city traffic.
- Light pollution. Lake City has the most beautiful night skies and nothing to keep you from being able to enjoy it with a naked eye.
- Noise. It is nice quite around here.
- Great cellular service. We do have cellular service, Verizon gets the best reception, but we do have plenty of free wi-fi hot spots around town. There is no cell service within 5-10 miles out of town in any direction and it is not likely to pick up for at least an hour until you hit Gunnison or Creede.
- Elevators. There is no building higher than two stories in Hinsdale County.


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Conic Hill on a 'cross bike. That was a new concept to me when my friend Sanny suggested it last week. Riding there and back along the Westie - yes, through the trails in Mugdock - yes, over Conic Hill - what?! It was just too tempting to say no to.
I must say that the carry up sections were much more shoulder friendly than previously with my 35lb mtb. However, the descent was just as enjoyable. But in a different way!
For a start, dropping the saddle, as I was told after asking, would've been considered 'homosexual'. So the flattish section along the top already had the feeling of a steep downhill!
The hill was pretty busy with walkers and almost all were friendly and full of encouragement for us, except for one near the top who told me to go and buy a 'proper' bike with suspension. Smiling, I shouted back, "I've got two!" Some people will just never get it.
Photo: Mark Forrest
Line choice on the descent would prove to be a crucial factor for us what with the masses of walkers heading in all directions and us having barely any stopping power. Brakes were serving less as a means of slowing us down and more in acting as a squealing warning of our impending onset!We all made it down the rocky section (walkers and bikers intact!) and whooped our way over the grassy ridge, with some of us grabbing some air time too.
And then just as we were thinking , "All this descent needs is some slippy, rooty switchbacks...." They are all rideable (for some!) on a 'cross bike, but the rocky drop hidden by a gorse bush proved a shade too hardcore and that section had to be walked.
Finishing off on the lochside trails, a road ride to a grub stop at the Pottery in Drymen and a blast back along the Westie made for a superb 'local' day out.
Highly recommended.


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IDA Conversation Series
Our signature conversation series features a stellar lineup of prominent documentary filmmakers.
Educational Seminars
We offer year-round series of classes, conversations, panels and workshops focusing on the art, craft and business of documentary filmmaking. Led by celebrated artists and renowned industry experts, IDA educational seminars provides experienced and aspiring filmmakers alike with insider insights and practical tips on essential topics ranging from cinematography and editing to fundraising and distribution.
Doc U Online
Doc U Online brings IDA's popular Doc U filmmaker development program to the web, allowing IDA members around the world to benefit from this year-round series of classes, conversations, panels and workshops led by renowned filmmakers and top industry professionals. Complete, high-quality videos of past events can be viewed online thanks to generous funding from The Harnsich Foundation and Lekha Singh.
DocuDay LA
DocuDay LA takes place annually in celebration of the feature and short documentaries nominated for an Oscar®, with back to back screenings all day.
IDA Screening Series
The IDA Documentary Screening Series brings some of the year's best documentary films to the IDA community and members of industry guilds and organizations. Films selected for the Series receive exclusive access to an audience of tastemakers and doc lovers during the important Awards campaigning season. Screenings conclude with a moderated Q&A with the filmmakers.
DocuClub is a works-in-progress screening series offering the public and members of the film community advance access to new documentaries in progress, and the opportunity to provide feedback and to participate in behind-the-scenes conversation with filmmakers and creators.
American Film Showcase
The American Film Showcase (AFS) is a major touring film program bringing American documentaries, feature films and animated shorts to audiences worldwide. AFS is a partnership between the Department of State's Bureau of Educational, Cultural Affairs and USC's School of Cinematic Arts, the International Documentary Association and Film Independent.


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A new lobbying body calling itself itself the Campaign for ICANN Transparency (CFIT) has expanded its investigation into the internet overseeing organisation with a freedom of information request served on the US Department of Commerce.
The organisation has already served ICANN with a lawsuit in its home state of California claiming anti-trust abuses, and caused the EC to open an anti-competition investigation following a formal complaint.
Now it hopes to discover examples of ICANN being less than truthful by requesting "materials related to discussions, memos and meetings and related contact that the government agency has had with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on matters relating to the .net and .com registry agreements".
The request covers 1 January 2004 to 1 December 2005 and asks for all correspondence from the DoC to Department of Justice (DoJ), ICANN and VeriSign over the two contentious extension of the registry ownership. CFIT has promised to make all the materials it receives public.
"It is clear too much has happened out of public view and contrary to the bottom-up, consensus-driven decision-making that is a founding principle of ICANN," said CFOT spokesman John Berard.
He cited an example: "The day ICANN announced the .com deal with VeriSign, news reports were already quoting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information Michael Gallagher endorsing it, yet reports from the agency since that time suggest the deal is still to be seen, let alone endorsed."
The relationship between ICANN and the US government has come under increasing scrutiny following the US government's successful retention of its oversight role of the Internet and the recent World Summit in Tunis.
Both the dotcom and dotnet contracts have been mired in controversy. The proposed new dotcom contract grants VeriSign perpetual ownership of all dotcoms, plus the right to raise prices by seven percent a year. Critics say this is grossly unfair and uncompetitive.
Meanwhile, the dotnet contract was re-awarded to VeriSign despite widespread criticism of the evaluation process and evidence that ICANN staff had swayed the process in VeriSign's favour. ®
Sponsored: Practical tips for Office 365 tenant-to-tenant migration


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- Buyer and competitor activity
- Buyer and competitor trends
- Export prices
- Domestic prices
Meat & Livestock Weekly Cattle Indicators
Categories: Sheep & lambs, Beef, Commodities
Source: Meat & Livestock Australia
Categories: Sheep & lambs, Beef, Commodities
Source: Meat & Livestock Australia
Disclaimer: Whilst all care has been taken in compiling the information, the information should not be relied upon as substitute for professional advice where necessary. Rural Bank accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the information and disclaims all liability in relation to any loss or damage suffered by the use of or reliance upon any information contained herein or in any attachment or annexure hereto by any person. Rural Bank – A Division of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited ABN 11 068 049 178 AFSL 237879


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Aspen Heights Working with Police on Shots Fired Investigation
Related Story
COLUMBIA - Aspen Heights apartment complex management is working with police in investigating a shots fired incident reported Sunday. Police got the call in response to a large disturbance with shots fired at the 3500 block of Aspen Heights early Sunday morning.
The disturbance occurred when two unknown suspects attempted to enter a party of approximately 20 to 30 people and were asked to leave. The two suspects became disruptive and fired multiple shots in the air, according to the police investigation.
There were no reported injuries and no reported property damage from the incident. No suspects have been identified and the investigation is ongoing.
Director of Public Relations for Aspen Heights, Stuart Watkins, released the following statement Monday.
"Aspen Heights is currently working closely with local law enforcement to address a situation involving property disturbance that took place in the early morning hours of Sunday, October 6th. At this time we encourage residents with information pertaining to these events to contact the City of Columbia Police Department at 573-874-7652. Aspen Heights will provide additional information as it becomes available."
On August 30, Columbia Police investigated a resident who was robbed at gunpoint at the apartment complex. At the time, security gates still were not functional.
Anyone with information regarding the incident should call the Columbia Police Department's main line at (573) 874-7448.
KOMU 8 Reporter India Everett contributed to this story.
UPDATE: Aspen Heights told KOMU 8 News Monday the gates are functioning as they should and have been throughout the weekend.


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Apollo 8 was the second
human flight in the program and the first human lunar orbit mission.
It was the first manned flight using a Saturn V launch vehicle.
Astronauts Frank Borman, James A. Lovell Jr. and William A. Anders
became the first humans to see the far side of the Moon.
The mission achieved
operational experience and tested the Apollo Command Module systems,
including communications, tracking and life-support, in cislunar
space and lunar orbit, and allowed evaluation of crew performance
on a lunar orbiting mission. The crew photographed the lunar surface,
both farside and nearside, obtaining information on topography
and landmarks as well as other scientific information necessary
for future Apollo landings.
The Apollo 8 spacecraft
consisted of a Command Module similar to Apollo 7 except that
the forward pressure and ablative hatches were replaced by a combined
forward hatch, which would be used for transfer to the Lunar Module
on later missions. The spacecraft mass of 28,817 kilograms (63,531
pounds) is the mass of the Command and Service Module, including
propellants and expendables. A Lunar Module was not used on the
Apollo 8 mission, but a Lunar Module Test Article which was equivalent
in mass -- 9,027 kilograms (19,901 pounds) -- to a Lunar Module
was mounted in the spacecraft/launch vehicle adapter as ballast
for mass loading purposes.
Curator: Kim
Dismukes | Responsible NASA Official: Amiko Kauderer | Updated: 07/02/2009Privacy Policy and Important Notices


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Planning a getaway? Whether you are planning a family vacation, romantic getaway or girls' weekend, there is going to be some kind of planning involved in your trip. While it may seem as easy as just picking a destination and booking travel and lodging, it is actually more complex and involved than that. To ensure you have the best vacation but still save money, there are some things to keep in mind and tips you can follow to plan the best vacation possible.
Destination. While you may have the destination you'd like to travel to pinpointed and are ready to go, you may be surprised to know that there is actually a better way to go about planning your trip. Instead of deciding on an exact location and booking it, it's actually more budget-friendly to have a region in mind, but be open to destination cities within that city. For instance, it is often cheaper to fly into a smaller airport neighboring your destination city; similarly it can also be less expensive to stay a little further away.
Travel sites. You probably already know about websites such as Expedia where you can find great travel deals, but did you know there are websites on which you can compare all of those travel sites individually? Websites like Kayak.com allow you to type in your destination and dates and it then returns results from various different sites. You can then compare rates and get the best rate.
"Secret" deals. If you want to take a chance, many travel sites are now offering mystery deals. The way this works is that you choose the star amount you'd like (i.e., 2 star, 3 star, etc.) and book the mystery deal for a very discounted rate; however, you have to book it blindly since it is a mystery.
Road trips. You may want to weigh the pros and cons of driving versus flying. Factor in gas costs and how long it will take to get there and compare against plane tickets. If you're willing to drive then that may be a better choice.
Clearance clothes. Vacation essentials such as swimsuits, sandals and coverups can be had at a steal if you buy them on off-season or keep on top of website's clearance sales. Get on the newsletter list to get advance news of sales.
Food. A great way to save money on eating out is to find lodging with an in-room kitchenette. Buy your own groceries, cook a nice meal and enjoy good company without paying sky-high dinner tabs.
What other travel tips do you have to save money on a vacation?next article >>


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Classes are currently being taught online. All physical facilities are closed to the public at this time, and employees are working remotely.Please visit
dcccd.edu/coronavirus for additional information and to
find contact information for various departments.If you need additional assistance, please visit
My Community Services and our
Community Employment Resources.
This article appeared in a March 2017 issue of the student newsletter.
By Alex Kypfer, sports editor, North Lake News-Register
Of the 134 teams in Division III of the NJCAA, North Lake College earned first place. It's been a nine-year wait, but the Blazers won NLC's third national trophy.
With a 66-56 win over Elgin Community College (Illinois), the men's Blazers basketball team won its third national championship.
"We're just thankful," said Head Coach Tim McGraw. "There were a lot of close games that could have gone other ways, but I'm just proud of our kids. They didn't give up."
Freshman guard Ayo Dada led the scoring charge with a team high of 16 points, while shooting 50% from the field and grabbing four rebounds. Sophomore forward Dare Brazeal notched a double-double with 11 points and a team high of 12 rebounds. Freshman forward Josh Harris had a good all-around game off the bench with 10 points, four rebounds, three assists and a team high three steals. Dada took home tournament MVP honors while averaging 14.3 points per game, five rebounds per game, four assists per game and three steals per game.
Brazeal and Harris both made the All-Tournament Team as some of the top performers. McGraw was named the "Gary S. Cole Coach of the Tournament."
"It was a super year. I'm happy for the kids," said McGraw, who has taken home the trophy three times now. "When you win, you realize how fun it is and how wonderful it is to do it."
Over the last 21 years, a team from the same conference as North Lake's has won the national tournament nine times.
"The hardest part of winning a national tournament is getting there," said McGraw. "There were plenty of years that I felt we were good enough, but we didn't get past our conference teams.
"Through that, you learn to appreciate when it does happen because you had so many other times you got close and it didn't happen."
Now that the season is over, McGraw has a little bit of time to rest before he goes into full recruiting mode.
"We will have three or four kids back that helped us," said McGraw. "Plus we will bring in some transfers and as early as it is we already have some good commitments."
Until then, McGraw has a few minor problems to worry about. "The kids ask me almost every day, 'Hey, coach, when do we get our rings?'" said McGraw.
"We just won and they really think their rings are going to be here tomorrow, those silly boys."


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Happy Friday everyone. Casey here with a special guest. One day while I was scrolling through my Facebook news feed, I encountered this awesome cover.
That's all it took for me to stop what I was doing and proceed to Amazon to check this book out. Two seconds into reading the first page, I was clicking the buy button. Shortly thereafter I read the entire book and loved it. This is a great story and a must read for paranormal fans or anyone who enjoys thrilling romances with mythical twists!
Rosanna and I connected through Goodreads where I immediately asked her to do a guest post for the Scribes. As you can tell from her words below, we have something in common – our love for mythological characters and paranormal romance.
Read on and don't miss the excerpt!
Thanks so much, Casey, for having me here today! What a thrill!
In deciding what to talk about today, I just knew it had to be mythology because Casey and I are both such mythology buffs. I have been since I've been able to read. Even as a small child, I gravitated to tales of vengeful gods, fantastic monsters and ancient curses. What's not to love? Especially since most of those gods are rather dishy, in my opinion!
Of course, any myth lover will know the stories of ancient Greece and its pantheon of sexy gods. These were the tales that first inspired me to put pen to paper. My first 2 paranormal romances For the Love of a God and Sweet Hell are reinterpretations of the gods of love and wine, respectively.
However, I don't draw the line at the Greeks. I love the mythology of ancient Britain too. My new release The Selkie draws upon one of these myths. They say in parts of Scotland that if a mortal woman is unsatisfied with her love life, she need only cry seven tears into the sea to call an immortal selkie man. He will love her as no mortal man can. Selkies are seal shape shifters who have the ability to shed their seal skins and walk as humans for great lengths of time on land. They are love genies, in a sense. If you manage to find and hide a selkie skin, that selkie is obliged to be your love slave! Not a bad deal, huh? This is the myth that forms the basis of my novel The Selkie. I hope you will get a chance to take a peek at it and explore this evocative mythology for yourself.
This was supposed to be her year. However, after losing her job and discovering her fiancé cheating, Maggie Collins has her doubts. When her grandmother dies, she hits rock bottom. Maggie travels to her grandmother's home in Orkney, Scotland to sort through her gran's things, only to discover the old woman has left her a seal pelt as her inheritance. She also learns that others are after the pelt.
To add to her frustration, Maggie's dreams are filled with luscious images of a long-haired man, images that draw her to the magical beaches in Orkney. Although she's lost her trust in men, this dream man inspires her with a lust she's never known before.
Calan Kirk has also been dreaming. Dreaming of Maggie, the mortal woman who arouses him as no other woman ever has. Meeting her in the flesh when she arrives in Orkney is nothing short of spontaneous sexual combustion. But she is a human, and not to be trusted. He needs the seal pelt, not a red-haired temptress.
As a thief ransacks Maggie's grandmother's house, Maggie and Calan are thrust together. They must search for the animal skin, a mythical relic which once found, will either bring them together or rip them apart forever.
Excerpt: The Selkie
She continued to meander down the beach, taking the odd swig from a flask of brandy she'd pilfered from Nora's stocked liquor cabinet. However, Maggie soon realized the real seal was following her. With each step she took, he glided through the water as if in step with her.
She nodded toward it. "You're sweet, but I'm probably not the best playmate for you right now."
She'd seen seals on the beach before with her gran. The locals were always pointing out spots where one could glimpse the sleek animals, or "selkies" as they called them. But this one seemed persistent. He seemed to stare back at her, with intensity. As a human would. As if he knew her.
As if he knew every inch of her skin, as well as its feel.
Maggie swallowed. Had she turned against men so definitively that she was turning to the animal kingdom?
And then she laughed at the ludicrous thought. She was grieving. For a lot of things. No wonder her brains felt just as scrambled as Liz's breakfast eggs and just as dark as the black pudding she'd plopped on the plate next to them.
"Okay." She relented, smiling at the seal. "Maybe some company might be nice."
The animal bobbed in the water, as if in agreement. Maggie stared out at the beast, and was lost for a second in his brown eyes. She felt comforted, protected, by his vigilant presence.
For some reason, she felt she knew him, and that she was meant to be in this exact spot at this precise time. For a quick moment, she had the impression she was standing on the edge of a huge cliff, destined to tumble from its heights into the welcoming waves below.
For the first time in her life, Maggie experienced a peculiar sense of destiny.
Buy Links:
About Rosanna:
Rosanna Leo is a multi-published author with Liquid Silver Books. She loves it when the geeky girl ends up with the hot guy and has made it her mission to see this happen as much as possible in her books. Her favorite things are her family, dusty libraries and Nutella. She is the author of For the Love of a God, Up In Flames, Sweet Hell, The Selkie and the upcoming Sunburn.
Thanks for being our guest today Rosanna! Scribes fans if you have questions or comments for Rosanna -Fire away!
Also, what is your favorite tale from mythology?


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A Grandfather Tale
This is what the head of a yeshiva in Jerusalem said to one of his students, recalling memories of half a century earlier.
This conversation came about as a result of a telephone call the rosh hayeshiva received from someone in the USA who asked him to pay special attention to the young grandson of an former classmate who passed away at a relatively young age.
Memories brought on memories of a family connection with the boy's grandmother and of the strange coincidence that the grandfather had succeeded the rosh hayeshiva in a teaching position way back when.
Then came the turn of the student to surprise the rosh hayeshiva whom he had met for the first time.
"Did you know," he asked, "that I am impersonating you in the Purim play of the yeshiva coming up in a couple of days?"


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Holographic denim jacket: ASOS || Metallica tee & necklace: Urban Outfitters || Destroyed jeans: H&M || Boots: Ash
"Low Lives in high definition,
I wanna smash my television,
I wanna smash my television,
somebody let me outta cage,
And I'll put the guitar outta the grave"
- "Low Lives In Hi Definition" by Biters
Woohoo it's Monday again and a new week is waiting for us. Here's probably my most Rock 'n' Roll inspired outfit I've posted for a while and that's no lie: I wore this combo 3 times last week! This pair of skinny jeans is my favorite one, the holes and rips are placed perfectly and I can't imagine any better trousers. The coolest denim jacket I have in my wardrobe is definitely this one. I haven't seen anything like this before, it got a holographic foil coating plus some destroyed details which I love. I combined it with my Metallica tee I bought on sale at Urban Outfitters half a year ago. I remember it was a real bargain, it was just around 6€!
It's one of those outfits I'd say it's so "me", I always feel comfortable in and it's probably my favorite combo this month.
Have an awesome week, friends! x


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from Life is Elsewhere, by Milan Kundera
Jesus is concrete and real. He shows us that experience, the life we live, is the instrument for a human journey, that my experience is the instrument for my journey. Life is not, as Kundera's novel shows that it is too often for too many, elsewhere. Having this revelation is what allows me to realize this. It is what allows me to engage reality according to the totality of its factors, ignoring nothing. Jesus Christ is the revelation that allows for this realization, to steal a Jesse Jackson chop. He makes and then keeps it real.
I'll be honest, I don't want to be holy. I want to be happy. Nonetheless, I realize that holiness is the means I must use to be truly happy. Because in order to be resurrected I have to die, which is what I did in baptism, after which I was buried and arose to new life, to eternal life, the life that is truly life, twenty years ago next month. A week or so ago, a friend relayed that the sermon at her church that Sunday was about how we are not called to happiness, but to holiness. What? I refute it thus: "Gloria Dei vivens homo"! I think God's only real concern is our happiness, our fulfillment.
I sincerely hope that the title of the sermon served merely as a provocation and that the message ultimately turned more around the question, what does it mean to be truly happy, before proceeding to discuss what it means to be holy, which means to live the paradox of dying to self in order to truly live, and that being holy is the path to true happiness. Being holy is nothing other than loving perfectly because God is love (love is not God, an important distinction; 1 John 4:8.16). God is our origin and our destiny, that is, the fulfillment of our desire, that longing which makes us human and is the surest proof that we are created in the imago dei.
A deep diaconal bow to Shahidul Alam for the photograph and the quote from Kundera's book, a novel, along with all of Kundera's works, that I cherish because they have formed me in many ways over the years. His books run like an underground spring through my soul, especially Immortality.


text:
From the ASPCA, we received this piece of alarming news:
Pet theft is on the rise. The American Kennel Club, which has been tracking pet thefts since 2007, reported a 32% increase in dog thefts last year.
While some animals are snatched from their yards or during home invasions, opportunistic thieves most commonly steal dogs left in cars or tied up outside stores. In the ASPCA's hometown of New York City, dognappings skyrocket every summer as pet parents take advantage of nice weather to combine dog-walking with errand-running.
I am confused and disturbed. Is this part of an alien invasion? A false statistic created by the pet chip lobby?
Either way, keep your furry pals safe! The ASPCA has some tips on how to do this.


text:
stink to high heaven
Definition: To be disgusting or very low quality.
Example: 1) That barnyard stinks to high heaven.
2) Most Sylvester Stallone movies stink to high heaven -- they're just terrible!
Etymology: If something 'stinks', it smells bad. 'High heaven' refers to the clouds up in the sky. The idea here is that something is so bad, either to the nose or to the mind, that even the angels who live way up in the clouds are offended.


text:
No one ever said immigration reform is a simple matter. As if to underline this fact, the sweeping legislation introduced this week by the bipartisan "Gang of Eight" runs to nearly 850 pages.
With barely enough time for most people to download the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act of 2013, let alone read it, the proposal already was taking shots from critics on the left and right. Many liberals dislike its 13-year path to citizenship for the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants. From the conservative side came disapproving cries of "Amnesty!"
Such opposition no doubt presents a hurdle for the legislation, but it also highlights the opportunity. This bill represents compromise on a grand scale-and that's exactly what will be needed to win passage.
To be sure, the measure unveiled this week is a starting point; some revisions are certain to come as lawmakers and others scrutinize the details. But there's no question it targets the key failings of the current immigration system.
Most people who have been living in this country illegally would be given legal status and a clear process for becoming citizens. The bill also contains a new visa program for low-skill workers and requirements for tougher border security.
Importantly, the proposal aims to reshape immigration in ways that could spur economic growth. Under the existing system, most visas go to family members of immigrants already living here; in the future, the allotment for those graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering or mathematics would increase. Today's annual limits on H-1Bs, or temporary visas for highly skilled foreigners, would jump to 110,000 from 65,000-and eventually to 180,000. Another provision calls for a new "startup visa" for foreign entrepreneurs.
With other countries already taking similar steps, this refocusing is a matter of U.S. competitiveness.
To many people, immigration reform is a moral issue. Others, including most employers, see it in economic terms. Broadly speaking, the Gang of Eight proposal gets it right on both fronts.
This chance to achieve real, historic reform should not be wasted.
4/19/13 (c) 2013 Rochester Business Journal. To obtain permission to reprint this article, call 585-546-8303 or email email@example.com.


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For the week ending 28 August 2010 / 17 Elul 5770
Turned Down a Million
"I don't deserve this – an American researcher's contribution to this breakthrough was no less than mine."
This is how Russian mathematician Gregory Perlman explained his refusal to accept a prize of a million dollars for his solution of a mathematical puzzle known as one of the seven "Mysteries of the Millennium".
In a press interview Perlman explained that his main reasons for turning down the coveted prize were his criticism of the mathematical community's judgment and the feeling that an American mathematician named Hamilton was equally deserving of the award.
The money he refused to accept will go instead to further scientific research.


text:
University Students to Enhance KDE
A group of students at the Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse will be collaborating on the KDE projects KPlato and Umbrello as part of their Institut Universitaire Professionalisé en Ingénierie des Systèmes Informatiques (Professional Institute of Computer Software Engineering) course of study.
Students undertaking the course of study engage in a group project at the end of each year, with a focus on project planning, architecture, coding and testing phases. Traditionally, the proposed projects were very focused on process and project management. Kévin Ottens, KDE developer and a PhD student at the University proposed the addition of Open Source projects to the proposal, and was instrumental in arranging the collaboration. The students were given a choice between the more traditional style java based projects usually offered by the University and a KDE project, and chose to work on a KDE project as part of their course of study. When asked what version of KDE they wished to work on, all chose KDE4 (trunk).
11 fourth year students have already started, with 4 or 5 more third year students to join each team mid project. The students are being mentored by KDE developers, Jonathan Riddell for Umbrello, and, Thomas Zander and Will Stephenson for KPlato. While the KPlato maintainer, Dag Andersen, is unable to find the time to mentor, he has been very supportive and the students report that they are pleased with his feedback.
The students currently involved are:
When asked his opinion about the projects, Henri Massié the director of the institute stated that "This collaboration with the KDE community is a good thing for us. It is refreshing to see our students so motivated by these kind of projects. I wish it will be a success and hope that we will be able to reiterate this collaboration next year".
Kévin Ottens graciously consented to interview the students about the projects.
Kévin: Why did you choose to work on these projects?
Thibault: Avoid working on yet another Java based project!
Kévin: You already contacted people involved in your respective projects. Did you feel well accepted?
Caroline and Thibault: Yes! We're very happy!
Kévin: How did you perceive the development environment setup?
Florence: Not enough documentation.
Kévin: And for the future? How do you feel what will happen in your projects next?
Alexis: I'm impatient to work more with the code itself!
The enthusiasm of the students is clear to see, and KDE can only benefit from the contribution of this talented team. KDE warmly welcomes the students of the Paul Sabatier University and thanks the University and Kévin Ottens for providing this opportunity. Special thanks also go to the mentors for their dedication to KDE.
Great idea
I really like the idea of this university. Taking trained people to improve their skills and free software products at the same time. I'm pretty sure some of them will keep working later on the project in which they started.
We, students haven't got lots of free time (generally), but I think that we sometimes have that point of i-won't-move-from-here-till-finished (and no students too, for sure :P).
I haven't read any code of KOffice or something, but on KDE there is no lack of documentation at all, and Qt has a very complete documentation in general.
To sum up, keep up the good work guys, and I'm very happy with this kind of ideas... brilliant.
Bye !!
By Rafael Fernánde... at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Re: Great idea
> I haven't read any code of KOffice or something, but on KDE
Well I have experienced the lack of it. The kde-core libs are well documented, but the other libs are not.
Try implementing a KHTMLPart for instance, and updating the HTML page with DOM manipulation methods from C++. I couldn't figure it out with the documentation, and actually had to dive into Kopetes code to find an example of how it works. Turns out you could just assign a DOM node objects to a HTMLElement class. This is not documented at all, making it almost impossible to use a KHTMLPart in your app.
By Diederik at Mon, 2006/12/04 - 6:00am
Re: Great idea
Well it's open source right. So if you found out how to do, why don't YOU add the documentation to the source code??
By cl at Mon, 2006/12/04 - 6:00am
Re: Great idea
That's a problem for us developers developing under open source. We often do not document our software when it is needed and thus, the next developer that uses our works may have to miss out on some nifty but undocumented feature.
By Jisaku Jien at Tue, 2006/12/12 - 6:00am
Very good, keep it going guys, we are with you. :)
Best Regards
By KDE fan at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Fantastic news! btw, something like a year ago our university did the same with a 4-devel team working on the Kexi-codebase and it was a full success (so, learned a lot specialy about the advantages of eXtremProgramming, new code for Kexi and a very nice grades :) May the source be with you all!
By Sebastian Sauer at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Re: Fantastic
btw, http://www.klear.org (KDE DVB TV app) was also at least partly developed within our university and from talking with friends who study at other universities, the KDE-framework is very much in use there too as fast, easy, powerful and portable rich client platform. Specialy the nice codebase, the community and the XP-way it's developed are ideal to extend the own knowledge-base.
By Sebastian Sauer at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Create KDE-marketing programme to spread this ?
This is truly excellent news!
Is there a marketing programme within the KDE marketing group to promote KDE-based projects to universities and colleges worldwide?
If there could be a central repository of information, benefits and tasks associated with having a KDE-project as part of either the curriculum during the computer programming courses, or as their final project, it would be great for both the code base and the generic know-how of KDE.
Current KDE-users could front the matter in their local alumnis and thus try to get one KDE project in every university/college?
Anyone? Where's the appropriate place to volunteer if such work is already underway? (most likely is :-))
By Halim at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Re: Create KDE-marketing programme to spread this ?
In my school, the guys interested in computers (the team managing our network) are only Gnome supporters ... but I'm trying to convert them, I'm confident ;)
By Marc at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Re: Create KDE-marketing programme to spread this
It's my understanding that Kevin will be writing up a 'how-to' for getting Universities involved in KDE once this has all finished and he's seen how it turns out :)
By canllaith at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
enough with java in the universities!
I threw the idea to my software engineering prof. and he didn't even reply me... I'm so bored of Java projects too...
By Peter at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Re: enough with java in the universities!
+1 ^^
By Thibault Normand at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
Great code base
A student I know was given the task of writing a spreadsheet application that had a special function "foo" (I can't remember what it was). I suggested instead that he implement foo on top of Kspread. He was enthusiastic when I showed him the beautiful code structure. I don't think anything came out of this one, but the sheer beauty of some of the code in KDE makes it almost as appealing to add to KDE as starting from scratch ;-). In addition, you get to solve some new problems rather than reinventing the wheel, and your code potentially gets out in the real world.
For these reasons, I think KDE should be a first choice for programming projects in universities everywhere.
By Martin at Sun, 2006/12/03 - 6:00am
It would be really great if this effort could ...
It would be really great if this effort could bring Umbrello up to the level of Dia, so that serious users could finally switch over to Umbrello. Dia has some basic functionality concerning layout and scaling that Umbrello still misses, see
"Dia has solved the scaling problem and it works great. This is a necessary functionality, which means I will use Dia because of this regardless how many other features Umbrello has. Please look how Dia does it. I will explain it short:
By Erik at Mon, 2006/12/04 - 6:00am
TaskJuggler vs kplato vs mrplanner
sad to see three projects for the same purpose, and no one of them can make a difference compared to closed source software !!
Primavera still has a bright future for their products, just imagine 4000$ for a 5 years old,16 bit software.
anyway,hope you a great success
By djouallah mimoune at Mon, 2006/12/04 - 6:00am
Re: TaskJuggler vs kplato vs mrplanner
It is actually very easy to make a major impact on this and projects such as kivio. Simply start importing and exporting the MS format for the associated programs. Interestingly, if somebody took the time to determine the format, then the code could be used by multiple projects (kde and gnome).
By a.c. at Mon, 2006/12/04 - 6:00am
In Germany all it would need is a company which advertises the offer to do your master thesis on KDE and provides some money.
By gerd at Wed, 2006/12/06 - 6:00am


text:
The tees and goals are in and the new nine-'hole' disc golf course at Rice Park in Granite Falls is ready for play according to Steve Virnig, a lead advocate for the course.
The tees and goals are in and the new nine-'hole' disc golf course at Rice Park in Granite Falls is ready for play according to Steve Virnig, a lead advocate for the course.
"Many people have been asking if this course is ready to play," said Virnig. "[It is] And I saw people playing the Wednesday before Thanksgiving."
Final signage and some minor landscaping have yet to be finished, but from tee No. 1 (starting near the walking bridge) to tee No. 9 (finishing back by the walking bridge) the course is ready for some disc flinging. And with temperatures next week expected to leap back into the sultry 50s, there may be no better time for disc golfers to get a sneak-peek of the latest attraction to come to the Granite Falls riverside.
The course lays out with the first four holes winding along Rice Park's river side, then the course doubles back to snake along the backside of the park to finish where it began.
"This disc golf course was designed with safety and the multiple-use park in mind," said Virnig. "We needed to keep discs from being thrown near the sitting benches, playground, and picnic area. You will see that holes No. 6 and No. 7 were designed to keep the playing area away from the homes that border the back of the park."
For now and for simplicity, all holes are valued as par threes, but Virnig says he's looking to adjust for par as the course is played and is looking for feedback from players. "As you get familiar with the course and have played multiple times, please provide feedback to our signage project team if you believe any of the holes should have a different par. [You can] send any of your feedback to www.kkberge.org... As you get started, don't worry about what par the holes are. Just enjoy being outdoors and look to improve as you get used to the course."
A course map is available at www.kkberge.org and during the winter months bathroom facilities and a trash can are available at the K.K. Berge building just across the footbridge from the course and Rice Park.
If you're ready to disc golf, but need to get equipped, you can find entire lines of disc golf equipment at local retailers Frogs on the Footbridge (directly across Prentice Street from the K.K. Berge Building) and Granite True Value—both in downtown Granite Falls.
Virnig says the course is still looking for people to help with the finishing touches like creating the signage that will accompany the tees and goals. If you are interested in joining the signage team, or have any other ideas please contact www.kkberge.org and provide your contact information.


text:
Insurance Cost for Roadster
Insurance Cost for Roadster
Record? Quote? Translation please, my English left me completely baffled about what you are talking about.
As for "how long it takes to pay itself back" it depends which cars are you comparing it with. For 100000 USD you can buy a lot of gas, so for purely gas vs electricity prices it would take a long long time to save itself back.
I think that if you need to think how much it would cost to get Roadster it is too expensive to you. Maybe Model S suits you better.
IMO it is better looking practical car with still very very good performance. While it doesn't have quite Roadster acceleration it might actually be better handling car because it has a lot lower center of gravity.
I'm in Ontario. Some notes:
Insurance: I was pleasantly surprised. My insurance company only added an extra $600 to my existing policy (one other car) to add the Roadster. My accountant told me that the rates are lower than you might think on expensive cars, because drivers of those cars are statistically less likely to crash them. All I can say is I can't contradict him based on my own experience.
Cost: As for having it trump other vehicles on cost, that really can't be a serious consideration for a Roadster. The Roadster was famously run off against a Porche Boxster Spyder. In Canada a base Spyder is $72,000, compared to a $125,000 base Canadian Tesla Roadster. You might save $150 or more a month on gasoline. Service might be cheaper long-term. It's clearly gonna take a while.
If you're comparing the Roadster against a Jetta forget it. They're not at all the same kind of vehicle.
Now if you get a Model S, that's a different story. The price is in the ballpark of a BMW 335i luxury sports sedan. Over the life of the vehicle you'll probably find it compares well with a Corolla.
I'd be very surprised if Tesla stopped doing test drives. The probability of purchase goes up dramatically once you put someone behind the wheel. It certainly worked on me.
Don't try to convince your family and friends... just take them for a spin!
Cost difference between Jetta and Roadster is about $70000. No matter how much you save driving Roadster, it will take a long time to even up. OTOH Jetta is a slow family car, while Roadster is a two-seater sport car. Not really comparable.
Model S is better comparison, it too is family car, it just outperforms all other family cars, and cost difference is not that big, you might actually save it in gas and maintenance costs during car lifetime.
I hope Tesla would do a smaller version of Model S, not necessarily much cheaper, just smaller in near future. I simply don't need that much space, so I would be happy with hatchback like Ford Focus or a hardtop sporty four-seater like some Porsche models. Now there is a gap between Roadster and Model S. Roadster is too small, Model S a bit too big.
I believe there's a blog with a couple in B.C. that had a Roadster delivered to them. I think the insurance cost was $7000 but I don't know if that's for one year or two.
I'm on my iPhone, so I can't link it to you myself.
I think all ICBC (government insurance) policies are 1 year terms, but as I'm in Ontario, I don't see many of them.
My cost in Southern Ontario is about $1,650 / year.
$1200/year in SoCal
I'm 30mins north or Toronto and commute into the GTA every day. It is the communting tiers (Class 1=Pleasure use only; Class 2= <24kms each way; Class 3=> 24kms and business use allowed) that kill the insurance rates in the GTA. And of course the fact that 75% of the people in this town have no clue how to drive a vehicle in any manner that is remtely related to safe. With 3 million cars on the road in he GTA, that is a lot of crazies.
I tried to get a quote for the Model S, but no company would quote me on it. The good news is that they were all aware that it is coming. I was told it is the company policy to not quote any insurance rate until the manufacturer sends the vehicle specs to the Federal & Provincial government first. That will happen most definitely by Q1 of 2012 as the Telsa Roadster is currently the only car on the Ontario Government website getting the full $8500 "Green" rebate and you know the Model S will be on the too, of course.
I was quoted $1809/CDN plus 13% HST for all standard coverages for the Roadster 2.5 for Class 3 rating usage, as I plan to use my Model S for the 66km commute each way and 80% of the time it will all be for business use. That $1809 is your "worst case" scenario folks.
The Model S should be a chunk cheaper as the car does not cost $125k-$150k and it isn't a 2-seater sports car. I'm expecting about $1250-$1500. The Ontario insurance market is a racket through (we all just got our coverages cut in 1/2 but our rate increase 8%), so it can really be anywhere from $1000-$2500 depending on who you call. Shop around and shop EARLY...ie when Elon calls you 3mths before your car rolls down the line.
Happy Hunting.
My rate went up by $830/year for my 2011 Roadster Sport & I was happy with that quote. Then my agent called back about an hour later telling me to sit down. It turns out I also qualified for a second car discount of $750, so my net increase for my Roadster was $80/year.
I still can't believe it - but I've paid the annual bill and have my new insurance card. It probably doesn't hurt that I have my house insured through the same company and have had no claims in the years I've been with them.
Still amazing.
In NE Tennessee I found it costs me $630/year to insure the Tesla. Not inexpensive but not that expensive really.
I'm in Georgia and use AllState for auto, home and umbrella insurance (I'm 35 years old, own my home, single, no kids, one car insured).
I currently drive a 2007 Range Rover Sport (annual premium, $1200). My AllState agent quoted me a figure equal to the Rover for a 2011 Tesla Roadster Sport (assuming I get rid of the Rover and lease the Tesla Roaster this summer).
They could not quote a premium for my reserved Model S.
I just brought Tesla Roadster 10days ago and live in San Diego,California. My insurance from American Family Insurance company is costing me $2400/year.
My Roadster is insured by Wawanesa (which is headquartered in San Diego) for $700/year with a projected mileage of 6K/year and two other vehicles also insured.
Wow. $700 a year? I have very high coverage limits though but mine is closer to $900 every 6 months.
Yes, I was surprised. It was half what I was quoted by others. Wawanesa does have a $100K max payout, which might or might not be acceptable.
Update from previous post from 2 April 2011:
Insurance provider: AllState
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Terms: Leasing a Roadster / 10,000 miles per year
Quote: $1,767 per year with $1,000 deductible.


text:
Unusual weather events identified during the Black Saturday bushfires
(Phys.org) -- Research has revealed that the extremely hot, dry and windy conditions on Black Saturday combined with structures in the atmosphere called 'horizontal convective rolls' -similar to streamers of wind flowing through the air - which likely affected fire behaviour.
The study is the first of its kind to produce such detailed, high-resolution simulations of weather patterns on the day and provides insights for future fire management and warning systems.
The work was led by Dr. Todd Lane and Ms. Chermelle Engel from The University of Melbourne with Prof Michael Reeder (Monash University) and Dr. Michael Rezny (ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science).
The team examined meteorological conditions across Victoria on 7 February, 2009. The analysis used a very high-resolution weather forecasting model, which represented the airflow over the entire state on 400 metre weather grids, which are about ten times smaller than the grids used in operational weather forecasting. Weather conditions observed on the day were used to validate the model.
Fire fighters reported extraordinary behaviour from the Black Saturday bushfires. We wanted to understand what weather characteristics produce these extreme conditions to aid future fire control efforts, said Dr. Lane from the School of Earth Sciences at The University of Melbourne.
We found that weather events at a horizontal scale of about 10 kilometres introduced variability in the wind, temperature and humidity conditions. These smaller events combined to produce significant variability in fire danger across much of Victoria.
Similar wind patterns have been observed previously on hot days, but the convective rolls on Black Saturday were unusual as the high temperatures meant they were stronger and spaced wider apart. The rolls create bands of fast and slow wind around 5-10 kilometres apart, causing variations in fire danger. Fire spread is related to wind speed and the rolls might have caused fires to behave differently over a relatively small distance, added Dr. Lane.
On the day a strong late-afternoon cool change and a second weaker late-evening cool change altered conditions dramatically as it moved across the state.
Professor Reeder said one of the most astonishing results from the study was that after sunset the cold front generated a wave (technically called an undular bore).
This wave propagated ahead of the front and appeared to have reinvigorated the fire around Beechworth. Although we believe that this kind of behaviour is common, this is the first time it has been documented..
With improved computing power in the future, this kind of analysis should be useful for operational forecasting on days of fire danger, providing a better guide for public warning systems and fire fighting resources, said Ms Engel.
Explore further


text:
Youtube video suggestion, here's a little how to on how to add youtube to the phpbb3. I don't know if it is possible or not or if you even want to do it...but I'll include it anyhow. I should make adding videos easier:
This link has pictures too: [url]http://www.lifehacker.com.au/tips/2007/08/22/adding_a_youtube_tag_to_phpbb3_1.html[/url]Adding a YouTube tag to phpBB3
Bayard Randal was using the open source online forum software application phpBB3, and decided to create a hack to allow users to easily embed YouTube videos in their forum posts.
Click the link to see his walkthrough.
Using phpBB3 Release Candidate 4 - released 28 July 2007.
1. Log in to the Administrative Control Panel (ACP), and click the Posting tab.
2. Click the Add a new BBCode button in the bottom right hand corner.
3. Enter the following under BBCode Usage:
4. Enter the following under HTML replacement:
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/{TEXT}" wmode="transparent" style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="">
5. (Optional) Enter the following under Help line:
Use the ID of the youtube video.
6. Ensure that Display on posting page is checked.
7. Click Submit
You should now have a YouTube button available from your posting interface.
To use it, simply enter the ID of the YouYube video between the BBCode.
If your youtube URIL is: [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=areyUfCNFxY"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=areyUfCNFxY[/url]
your BBCode in your post would appear:
Thanks for the tip, Bayard!


text:
Median age - The World Factbook - CIA
Other country level comparisons:
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Less → More
This entry is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. Currently, the median age ranges from a low of about 15 in Uganda and Gaza Strip to 40 or more in several European countries and Japan. See the entry for "Age structure" for the importance of a young versus an older age structure and, by implication, a low versus a higher median age.


text:
UH Manoa and Taiwan's National Pingtung University of Science and Technology partner to promote academic exchange
Officials from both universities sign memorandum of understandingUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
External Affairs & University Relations
Miles Hakoda, (808) 956-3093
College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
HONOLULU — The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Taiwan's National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today for the purpose of furthering cooperation in both education and academic research. Through UH Mānoa's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources (CTAHR), the two institutions will collaborate on various programs under a five-year agreement.
"Our goal at UH Mānoa is to be a real international institution and to establish these types of relationships with institutional partners all over the world," said UH Mānoa Interim Chancellor Denise Konan. "We are delighted to formalize this connection with National Pingtung University of Science and Technology and consider them old friends of Mānoa as they have cooperated with our College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources now for many years. We've enjoyed a great relationship with them."
The agreement between UH Mānoa and NPUST proposes the development of mutually beneficial academic and training programs; the exchange of faculty and staff for purposes of teaching, research and extension; reciprocal assistance for visiting faculty, staff and students; coordination of such activities as joint research and transfer of technology; and the exchange of documentation and research materials in fields of mutual interests.
"Our Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation is well-established and renowned in Taiwan," said NPUST President Chang-Hung Chou. "We have many similarities with UH Mānoa and this collaboration will enhance our academic activities. We appreciate the opportunities to promote exchange between our university and UH."
The two institutions already have a history of collaboration and scholarly exchange. CTAHR researchers have visited the NPUST campus discussing areas of interest to both institutions, including post-harvest treatments of fruits and vegetables, CTAHR's area-wide fruit fly suppression project, plant pathology, and animal waste treatment. In addition, NPUST researchers have visited UH Mānoa to share their knowledge in termite research, ornamentals and flowers, and plant pathology.
"National Pingtung University of Science and Technology has an environment and programs that are very similar to UH and we deal with many similar issues," said CTAHR Dean Andrew Hashimoto. "We've had a good relationship with them and we're particularly proud of this collaboration."
UH Mānoa's relationship with NPUST has been aided by NPUST's Vice President Po-Yung Lai, an alumnus of UH Mānoa and CTAHR's former assistant dean for cooperative extension. He is being honored by CTAHR this year with its outstanding alumnus award. Lai earned a master's degree in entomology in 1971 and a doctoral degree in entomology in 1977. At NPUST, he has brought into existence the Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, creating in less than 10 years a visionary agriculture program that reaches out to foreign students with graduates from more than 30 countries in Asia, the Pacific region, the Americas, and Africa.
Founded in 1924, Taiwan's National Pingtung University of Science and Technology aims to cultivate talents with professional, international and holistic qualities in hopes of becoming an internationally distinguished university. It currently has an undergraduate school that offers baccalaureate degrees and a graduate school that offers master's and doctoral degrees in more than 30 disciplines distributed among four colleges—Agriculture, Engineering, Management, and Humanities and Social Sciences. For more information, visit www.npust.edu.tw/english .
Established in 1907 and fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the University of Hawaiʻi is the state's sole public system of higher education. The UH System provides an array of undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees and community programs on 10 campuses and through educational, training, and research centers across the state. UH enrolls more than 50,000 students from Hawaiʻi, the U.S. mainland, and around the world. For more information, visit www.hawaii.edu .


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New Smartphone App Reports Fall Colors
JEFFERSON CITY (AP) - Missouri's Conservation Department expects trees to be especially colorful this fall, and the agency is making it easy for leaf-peepers to find good place to behold the foliage.
The department has activated its "MO Fall Color" app for smartphones and other mobile devices and will keep it active through November.
The app provides weekly fall color reports from places around Missouri, with GPS navigation information.
Users can also add their own fall color photos through the app, which is available for download on the Department of Conservation website.
The department's forestry program manager says this year's wet spring and cool summer produced healthy trees with plentiful leaves.
The final element needed for vibrant colors is a fall with sunny days and cool nights but no frost or high winds.


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Dancing With The Stars Derek Hough And Maria Menounos Attend 2012 Indianapolis 500 Events
Isn't this a gorgeous take of Derek Hough and Maria Menounos at the Snakepit Ball in Indianapolis? The fun duo have been in town enjoying all the festivities connected with the Indy 500 this weekend. Our Miss H has lots more coverage of them at a parade and more. So, be sure to see Pure Derek Hough if you haven't done so. Picture courtesy of Michael Hickey Photography.


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This is for you to say who you hope will contest the semi-finals of the trophy, not necessarily who will win it. I hope for:
New Zealand
West Indies
Sri Lanka
This is for you to say who you hope will contest the semi-finals of the trophy, not necessarily who will win it. I hope for:
New Zealand
West Indies
Sri Lanka
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email@example.com -MSN
Originally Posted by Cricinfo
Originally Posted by Neil Pickup
id have to tip kenya from there :P
Member of CW Green
Kerry O'Keefe - Worlds funniest Commentator
Obviously im hoping NZ knock out Australia.
New Zealand
Sri Lanka
South Africa
Sri Lanka
South Africa
Member of MSC - Murali Supporters Club
I'm not too dissimilar a batsman to Bradman.
Both of us have batting averages below 100.
haha *waughney picks the most obvious four*Originally Posted by Waughney
Jesus brings life eternal
my super-happy-always-accurate-prediction *all 4 semifinalists will be from 4 different continents*
email@example.com: you know when your dog ate my goldfish bart and you told me i never had a goldfish, then why did i have the bowl bart! why did i have the bowl!!!!
Member of the MSC and the AAAS
Wanna Search ?
Waughney : We are well taken care of here at the Rehab centre.
its a lottery really isnt it... ithink any combination of any of the top 8 teams could go through..although it wouldnt surprsie me if we see a shock team in the semis..like kenya did in the WC
rave down, hit the ground
MSN: email@example.com
Yes, your point being?Originally Posted by Nnanden
nah its just that all these people are picking bloody kenya and USA. so im glad someone did it smartly.Originally Posted by Waughney
West Indies
New Zeland
Sri Lanka
Semi one
West Indies vs Sri lanka
Semi two
New Zeland vs India
West Indies vs India
Pakistan, Australia, south Africa & Sri Lanka.
Go, AntarcticaOriginally Posted by Deja moo
Nigel Clough's Black and White Army, beating Forest away with 10 men
Australia; India; Sri Lanka; Sth Africa.
I'd love it if these four teams got through. When it comes to ODI's, they are the most competitive/fiesty teams in world cricket.
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This pre-emptive, deterministic, multitasking, hard real-time kernel and innovative RTOS is designed exclusively for Microchip's PIC24 and dsPIC microcontrollers. Using an assembly instruction only found in the PIC24 and dsPIC, AVA finds the highest-priority task in only one clock cycle!
Note: The price on the upper right corner of this page is for the Seat License (single) only.
A Task is an execution context. It is used to execute a sequence of instructions in a mutually exclusive context.
Event Group
An Event Group encapsulates 16 individual events. Each event is represented by a bit. An event can be used by your program to indicate when something has happened.
A task can either get or watch an event or combination of events. Both operations cause it to block if all the events are not set when invoked. Getting event(s) clears them after they are set. Watching events simply wakes up the task but does not clear the events.
Interrupt Queue
An Interrupt Queue is used to pass byte oriented data between an Interrupt Service Routine and a task, or vice versa, in a synchronized manner. It uses an event, from an Event Group, to indicate whenever a write operation is performed on the Queue. This allows a task to wait on the event and process its contents as soon as an ISR is done writing to it.
A semaphore is a general purpose synchronization primitive used in all Operating Systems. It can be used to protect a critical region or manage access to a resource.
A lock is a synchronization mechanism used to protect a resource from concurrent access. It also employs a Priority Inheritance protocol to reduce Priority Inversion. Priority Inversion is when a lower priority task is accessing a resource that a higher priority task is waiting on.
Memory Pool
A Memory Pool is a fixed memory block management mechanism. Allocating and releasing of memory blocks is performed in constant time and no extra overhead is required for each block of memory in the pool.
A Pipe is a inter-task communication mechanism. It employs a First-In First-Out data structure. Each slot in the pipe is designed to store an address to a much larger memory block allocated from a memory pool. A write operation will block if no slots are available. A read operation blocks if the pipe is empty.
Synchronization Point
A Synchronization Point is a run-time synchronization mechanism. A task or group of tasks can wait on a Synchronization Point for another task to wake them up. It is used to control task execution.
A Timer is a cyclic timer that sets an event on every period.
Seat License: A Seat License allows a single user to embed the AVA RTOS in an unlimited number of end products. A Seat License is not transferable.
Site License: A Site License allows you to the AVA RTOS into any end-products as long as the products are designed from a single site. You can manufacture an unlimited number of units of these products from any location worldwide. A site is defined as a physical location: a building or series of related buildings within a 2-mile radius. Multiple Site Licenses are required if a company has multiple design facilities. A Site License is not transferable.


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The following was published by Westwood Capital, LLC, as a research report this morning and is subject to the disclaimers set forth below. A convenient copyable data table can also be found at the end of this post.
It has been just over 36 hours since the release of the 2012 CCAR (the "stress test") of 19 banks. Market response has been decidedly positive with respect to the three of the four top banks that passed, the bloom has somewhat come off the rose with respect to some regional banks, and Citigroup has, well, wilted.
But there is much more in the stress test than is found in the headlines and in media reports, so we thought we'd hunker down with the report yesterday and, after some overall review, focus more on the top four bank holding companies, Bank of America, Citigroup, J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo – to see what further conclusions might be drawn. After all, those four banks comprise 68% of all the activity in the CCAR.
First off, let's start with what the stress test is, and what it is not.
The CCAR is a test of the banks' ability to see themselves through a 25 month devastating economic and financial crisis without experiencing a fall in Tier 1 Common Capital (and other ratios, but this is the one most people care about) to below 5% of assets.
The CCAR is NOT a solvency test of the banks, or bank assets, on a marked-to-market basis. It does not purport to claim that the carrying values of the banks' existing hold-to-maturity (HTM) assets are money good today relative to the market value thereof. Nor does it address what would happen to the operating results of the banks after the aforementioned 25 month period. It explicitly assumes a downturn followed by a period of recovery thereafter – not an unreasonable assumption – but it does not continue to "clock" (or present value) likely losses to assets that would be recognized after the projection period.
The foregoing is an important point to understand, so an example is called for. If, as the CCAR hypothesizes, housing was to fall 21% from Q3 2011 levels and stay near or close to those levels (as it has since it fell 33% from 2006 peak levels), the losses after the projection period to banks' portfolios of residential mortgage loans could be far more extensive than those set forth in the CCAR.
The CCAR, however, does open a very useful window on the degree of expected performance of the 19 banks' HTM portfolio loans, on a bank-by-bank basis, and permits conclusions to be drawn with regard to the levels appropriateness of current (Q3 2011) carrying values for those assets, net of existing provisions for losses assessed by each institution. This report, accordingly, includes a comparison of the foregoing information with respect to the top four banks (and the others, of course) and the results may surprise some folks who have only looked at the headlines.
In fact, the extent of the losses in the HTM portfolio, on a relative basis (bank to bank) is a reasonable test of the adequacy of loss provisions already taken by the banks (thus reducing additional provisions required during the projection period). For example, in real estate-related loans – some 45% of the top four banks' HTM assets – we believe the CCAR demonstrates that one bank that is generally regarded as a "safe" has perhaps been less than forthright about the quality of that category of assets from the standpoint of adequately provisioning for future losses.
With that out of the way, let's get to some specifics:
Total Losses During Projection Period
The CCAR projects a total of $534 billion of losses on some $7.4 trillion (Q3 2011) of risk-weighted assets during the projection period. About 36% of the losses come from trading and securities operations, but the remaining majority – $341 billion (64%) – are losses during the projection period on the so-called portfolio loans held to maturity by banks that are not subject to market valuation. These are the assets that would also likely continue to remain impaired (and experience additional losses) after the projection period.
Against these losses, the CCAR assumes that banks will earn, during the projection period, a total of $294 billion in pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) to partially offset the effects of the losses. It is, however, important to note that the PPNR has been reduced by $115 billion of operational risk event losses (lawsuits, systems failures), so that the total "damage" that results from the Fed's disaster scenario of actually $649 billion.
Of the PPNR and the projected losses, the following is attributable to the top four banks:
It is pretty clear why Citigroup took it on the chin in this study. But stay tuned, there is more under the hood.
"Missed it by That Much" (with apologies to Maxwell Smart)
It has been well publicized that the break-point for failure of the CCAR is any stressed minimum capital ratio that falls below 5% during the projection period (using the banks' proposed capital plans submitted as part of the study). While four institutions failed that test – including one of the top four, Citi – there are a number of others that exceeded the minimum threshold by only tenths of a point.
Those under 5.5%, but above 5.0%, on Tier 1 Common Capital (after their proposed capital plans) include some pretty hefty names:
- J.P. Morgan Chase
- Keycorp
- MetLife (which failed on other counts)
- Morgan Stanley
- U.S. Bancorp
Of course, one needs to draw the line somewhere, but there is a certain relativity to who has a "fortress balance sheet" and who does not.
Which brings us to our final, and most important, point:
The Westwood Acid Test
Ultimately, the eventual stability and strength of each bank and the banking system is derived from the quality of bank assets (chiefly, the ability to actually collect amounts lent out on the HTM side of things) and the equity capital available to plug any shortfall. A rolling "going concern" analysis, such as the CCAR (which will now be a regular element of bank regulation in the U.S., under Dodd Frank), is very important. But after a period of severe dislocation, such as the credit bubble and its aftermath, it is appropriate to take a closer look at legacy assets (those originated during the credit bubble – as most HTM assets in fact were) on a class-by-class basis.
The banks that look healthier on a headline basis often do not look quite as robust relative to the losses they would likely see on individual classes of assets. Furthermore, certain asset classes – such as real estate loans – are liable to collection problems that may remain unresolved because of a more or less permanent (or at least long-term) reset in property values.
Fortunately the CCAR does give us some guidance in the foregoing respect. What we have done in the following table is to reflect the winners and losers among the top four banks in the CCAR on an asset class basis with respect to their HTM portfolios. We picked as "losers" two of the four banks that had the most losses in each class during the CCAR projection period by either dollar amount or by percentage of total assets of that class. They are highlighted in yellow. The results, as we noted above – particularly with regard to real estate loans – may come as no surprise to some and a big surprise to many. Especially when considered in light of the future collectability of those assets after the projection period – should even far less adverse circumstances prevail.
Please draw your own conclusions from the below (and beware the ides of March):
This research report ("Report") is for discussion purposes only. This Report is based in part on current public information that Westwood considers reliable, but we do not represent it is accurate or complete, and it should not be relied on as such. Westwood's business does not include the analysis of any specific public company or the production of research reports of the same. Westwood may produce other opinions, published at irregular intervals. Westwood's employees may provide oral or written market commentary that reflect opinions contrary to those expressed in this Report. This Report is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security in any jurisdiction. It does not constitute any recommendation or advice to any person, client or otherwise to act or invest in any manner.
This Report is disseminated primarily electronically and, in some cases, in printed form. Electronic research is simultaneously available to all clients. Disclosure information is also available at http://www.westwoodcapital.com/.
If this Report is being distributed by an entity other than Westwood or its affiliates, that entity is solely responsible for distribution. This Report does not constitute investment advice by Westwood, and neither Westwood nor its affiliates, and their respective officers, directors and employees, accept any liability whatsoever for any direct or consequential loss arising from use of this Report or its content.
This post originally appeared at EconoMonitor.


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This post also appears on my En Route blog for the Los Angeles Jewish Journal
Hannah Rosenthal, the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, took time out on a trip to Poland and Germany this month to honor her ancestors at sites of her own family history.
Rosenthal's family came from what is now Bytom, Poland. All were murdered at Auschwitz in 1942 except for her father, who was the last Rabbi in Mannheim, Germany, and survived interment in Buchenwald.
In a post Tuesday on the State Department's official blog, Rosenthal recounted that she visited sites in Bytom where her family had lived and also visited the Jewish cemetery there, hoping to find the graves who her grandmother and uncle, who had died before World War II "and therefore would have graves."
Visiting Bytom, she wrote, was "both exhilarating and devastating."
When we went to see the gorgeous synagogue, where Dad had celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and loved to tell us great stories about, there was no synagogue. Just a dilapidated gray apartment building. When we went to the cemetery, we hoped to find the graves of my grandmother and uncle who died before the war—and therefore would have graves. But Polish activist Wlodzimierz Kac had something else in mind. He had researched my family and ended up showing us 18 Rosenthal graves. My grandmother Selma, my uncle Martin, great and great-great grandparents, great and great-great uncles, and aunts and cousins. Eighteen Rosenthals who we could honor. I am the last Rosenthal in my family.
Bytom now has not a single Jew and hardly any Jewish presence. Where once a bustling community thrived, there is not one single survivor. We visited two of the places Dad's family had lived. He had described his home's music room and parlors. Now the buildings are dark, dank, depressing. And mostly empty. We wondered how we could help restore a school or a prayer house, or clean up the cemetery, when there is no one to keep it up. The absence is profoundly present.
During her trip to Poland, she wrote, she met Jewish community leaders and representatives of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, the Forum for Dialogue Among Nations, and the Judaica Foundation.
I learned about the present-day Jewish community in Poland and civil society engagement on Jewish history and culture. These organizations are doing important work, fostering interaction between Jews and non-Jewish Poles through dialogue, education, and cultural exchange. Several programs focus specifically on fostering interaction among Polish non-Jewish and Jewish youth. It was moving to meet the extraordinary people working to keep the memory and spirit of Poland's absent Jews alive.
On July 9, during her visit to Germany, Rosenthal took part in a ceremony in Mannheim at which a "stumbling stone" memorial was dedicated to her father. Stumbling stones are plaques the size of cobblestones that are placed on the street in front of houses in which Holocaust victims and survivors lived.


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Hawaii Space Exploration: UH Students Reach for the Sky
Once UH students fling their Hiaka Satellite into space, this place might never again be the same.
(page 1 of 2)
Space Tourism in Hawaii? It's Probable
Early next year, a rocket called the Super-Strypi will shoot into space, the first object ever thrust there from a Hawaiian launch pad. It's significant, not just because a successful launch would advance Hawaii in the race to become the nation's most called-upon and financed aerospace industry. (Florida and Texas are hosts to NASA, and New Mexico is developing a fledgling space-tourism industry.) The launch is also important because eight UH faculty members and 20 UH students are working frantically right now to build the launch facility, the satellite payload and the technology to monitor the satellite as it circles the planet in low-Earth orbit. It will be the first time the state has sent anything into space, and Hawaii students will have played a huge part in getting it there.
The project is sponsored by the Department of Defense's Operationally Responsive Space Office, or ORS, which is the DoD's answer to ever-fluctuating national security issues. ORS is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance concept born in 2007 to adapt space capabilities in rapid fashion. Say a war fighter needs to set up a communications station in the jagged Arma Mountains of Afghanistan. ORS develops technologies that would help him communicate without the need to set up an antenna and risk giving himself away.
While foot-soldier safety is a main ambition for ORS, it's also concerned with efficiency, building equipment that's "good enough," and establishing more cost-effective and autonomous processes of getting technology into space quickly. For the upcoming Spring '14 launch, which will take place at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, ORS is working with the Hawaii Space Flight Laboratory at UH, or HSFL, to build a system with a much smaller budget than most others. Everyone here would like to get a small satellite into low-Earth orbit for about $16 million, versus the current cost of a small launch: $30 million. (Of course, maiden voyages are generally more expensive. This first launch is estimated to cost $42 million.)
What's more, ORS is similar to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in that it's interested in education and outreach. It uses American universities as breeding grounds for innovative research that's not held back by jaded career engineers or budgetary constraints. Basically, ORS appreciates ideas from students who think outside the box. But, unlike NASA, ORS works well in part because it doesn't bog itself down with bureaucracy or the need to create high-end technology and expensive satellite equipment. In fact, it's the opposite. ORS wants to build simple things fast, which makes it a good learning ground for students and teachers. Think about it this way: A NASA engineer could work on a project for 20 years and have it suddenly yanked. ORS, on the other hand, has already accomplished eight launches in the past six years.
The rocket in the upcoming Kauai launch, officially called the ORS-4 Super-Strypi Responsive Small Launch, will be propelled into space by a relatively inexpensive solid-rocket system designed by aerospace company Aerojet. Luke Flynn, a Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology specialist and the director of HSFL, says it's not a complicated rocket. "It's a simple system. It's easy in terms of guidance. It keeps costs low to develop these things and to launch them into space. And previous versions of the rocket are very reliable."
It will lift off from a launcher designed and constructed by HSFL, carrying the main payload, a hyperspectral imaging satellite named HiakaSat, also designed and built by HSFL. Hiaka, in Hawaiian, according to the Andrews/Parker dictionary, means to "recite legends or fabulous stories." It's also the acronym for Hyperspectral Imaging, Aeronautical Kinematic Analysis.
Hyperspectral imaging is a nonphotographic mode of surveillance that collects information across the electromagnetic spectrum. This means you can dial it into a specific color spectrum and look for anything with a pink roof, for example. Some hyperspectral satellites are able to detect marijuana. This tactic of surveillance detects what's otherwise invisible to photographic lenses or the human eye.
HiakaSat's shipmates, 13 ORS CubeSats, are little boxes about the size of a Rubik's Cube, costing between $1 million and $2 million, and while their specific missions haven't been finalized yet, they won't be strong enough to check for pot. Flynn says HiakaSat will observe things such as ocean temperatures and other big-scale environmental monitoring. "We can see things like all of Oahu or half the Big Island at a time, but it's not a super high-res sensor. We won't be able to see individuals."
Flynn says, "One of the interesting things we will look at is urban heat building, [or the instance of a city being significantly warmer than the area surrounding it due to human activities]. We can study where heat dissipation is a problem, or [look at] particular health issues with urban heat islands."
In all, the payload weighs a modest 110 pounds, and, if successful, the launch could mean big business in small satellites for Hawaii's aerospace industry. But why is Hawaii so marketable as an aerospace center in the first place? What's so great about the Kauai Missile Range Facility, for example, versus the locations used in previous launches, such as 2008's Kodiak, Alaska?
To answer this question, look no further than Jim Crisafulli, the director of the Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development (OAD), and the executive director of the Pacific International Space Alliance. He's a one-man office within the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, serving as the cornerstone in the state government for aerospace initiatives. The OAD exists to explore and promote new trends or opportunities in the aerospace sector, whether federal or private, and bring students, experts, other governments and the general public together to establish a booming industry for getting into and understanding space. "It's an industry that won't be exported as it matures. It will stay here, because we have the best natural and developed infrastructures for space studies," he says.
Crisafulli breaks it down in his "Aerospace Roadmap for the State of Hawaii:" "Because of 'Hawaii's strategic mid-Pacific/near-equatorial location, Moon/Mars-like terrain, resident expertise covering multiple aerospace-related technologies, and long-standing ties with space-faring nations throughout Asia and the Pacific,' we have the potential to be 'both a major contributor to and beneficiary of the global space enterprise,'" he says.


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The following crimes are from the week of Sept. 23 to Sept. 29, 2012.
Sept. 25. 7700 block St. Martin's Lane. Police responded to burglar alarm at 11:19 a.m. and found living room French door was forced open. Police did a walk-through and observed alarm key pad was on floor. Fingerprints were found.
Sept. 25. 300 block E. Gravers Lane. A homeowner returned at around 9:10 p.m. to find house was entered through rear window where a metal chair was used to pry it open. Yellow and white gold necklaces and bracelets were taken from jewelry box in master bedroom.
Sept. 26. Unit block W. Southhampton Ave. Homeowner reported that someone stole two bikes from in front of her house. Taken was an L.L. Bean hybrid bike with oversize seat and one blue Cannondale 20" hybrid bike. Reported at 8 p.m.
Sept. 28. Unit block W. Chestnut Hill Ave. A resident told police that his autographed photo of Babe Ruth is missing from his library. He last saw it a few weeks ago in his desk drawer. His secretary and housekeeper are the only other people with keys to his house.
Summary – Four crimes for week: two burglaries and two thefts.
If you have been the victim of a crime and would like information, service or support, call Northwest Victim Services, 6301 Germantown Ave., Second Floor, Suite One, 215-438-4410. The service is free.


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Going up in the world
Exif: F Number: 4.3, Exposure Bias Value: 0.00, ExposureTime: 1/40 seconds, Flash: reserved, ISO: 800, White balance: Manual white balance, FocalLength: 134.00 mm, Model: E-510
Uploaded on May 04, 2013
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