text:
|Luigifan18 (talk)
|Date Created:
|October 22, 2012
|Adorable (feats needed)
|Please feel free to edit constructively!
Mew Edit
{{#set:Name=Mew|CR=26|Size=Small|Summary=The Swiss Army Knife of the Pokémon world.|Type=Abberation}}
|Wizard 24
|CG Small Abberation (Psionic)
|+16/low-light, darkvision 200 ft., blindsight 120 ft., see invisible 200 ft., detect magic 200 ft. (extraordinary, continually active, no charge time or concentration); Listen , Spot
|Proximity to Cat, Keen Sight, Telepathy
| 44, touch 36, flat-footed 36; Armored in Life, Unearthly Grace
(+1 size, +8 Dex, +8 natural, +8 Luck, +9 deflection)
|318 (26d6+208 HD)
|40 ft., burrow 40 ft., climb 40 ft., fly 80 ft. (perfect), swim 80 ft.
|Slam +22 (1d10+8 bludgeoning) or
|Tail +17 (1d8+4 bludgeoning) or
|Bite +17 (1d4+4 bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing)
|Telekinetic thrust +22 (damage dependent on objects)
|5 ft./5 ft.
|Base Atk/Grp
|Atk Options
|Spellcasting, psi-like abilities, AncientPower, Aura Sphere, Me First, Mind Blast
|Special Actions
|Spells, psionics, Metronome, AncientPower, Aura Sphere, Me First, Baton Pass, Mind Blast
|Wizard Spells Prepared
| (CL 24th):
9th—magic missile maelstrom, programmed amnesia[1], 2 others
8th—5 others
7th—transfix[1], solipsism[1], synostodweomer[1] (×2), arcane aura
4th—Motskalla's magic trigger, flamewind spikes, spellburke (×2), 2 others
3rd—haste, silent scan, extended bamf, spell shield, refresh magic, dispel magic
2nd—what's that?, Nealan's erotic gaze, bamf, focus spell (×3)
1st—magic missile (×2), burning hands, torpor, acid bomb, shocking grasp
|Str 27, Dex 27, Con 27, Int 27, Wis 27, Cha 28
|Amazing Versatility, Transform, Proximity to Cat, Telepathy, Keen Sight, Armored In Life, Unearthly Grace, Psychic Pokémon Traits
|Improved Hit DieB, LeShay's ReflexesB, Mad SkillsB, Tarrasque's FortitudeB, Elder Brain's WillB, Combat Casting (Tome) (1 HD), SRD:Scribe Scroll (Wiz 1), Magical Aptitude (Tome) (3 HD), Extend Spell (Wiz 5), Iron Will (Tome) (6 HD), Lightning Reflexes (Tome) (9 HD), Empower Spell (Wiz 10), Great Fortitude (Tome) (12 HD), Silent Spell (15 HD), Repeat Spell (Wiz 15), Insight (18 HD), Hero (21 HD),
|Concentration +38 (27 ranks, +8 Con, +3 Combat Casting), Spellcraft +38 (27 ranks, +8 Con, +3 Magical Aptitude)
|Hit Die advancement or by character level
Mew doesn't like to fight; it'd much rather play. However, it hates seeing anyone mistreated, and is known to step in to protect the helpless. It also doesn't like being picked on itself, and if its patience is tried, it will eventually retaliate.
Spells: Mew casts spells as a 24th-level wizard. However, it can learn any spell from any class list. Trying to list its spells known would be an exercise in madness.
Psionics: ...Mew is able to manifest any power at will as a psi-like ability. Yes, any power. Its versatility is utterly peerless. Mew's manifester level is 24. Save DCs are 10 + Int modifier + Spell/Power level.
Amazing Versatility: As already mentioned, Mew's versatility is utterly awe-inspiring. It can use any spell, power, maneuver, or other special technique that it witnesses and identifies. All skills are class skills for it, and it can take any feat as if it met the class, alignment, or specialized prerequisites (it still needs to take any prerequisite feats and have the appropriate number of ranks in prerequisite skills, if applicable).
Metronome (Sp): At will, Mew can trigger the expenditure of considerable amounts of minimally controlled arcane power. When it does so, an arcane effect is generated. Mew can use this ability once per round if it feels like doing so (it usually doesn't, though, because its aforementioned versatility lets it do just about anything anyways). If Mew does use Metronome, the DM may choose what happens at this point (generally equivalent to a 9th level spell effect) or you can roll on this table:
|effulgent epuration[1]
|reaving dispel[1]
|phantasmagorical image
|magic missile maelstrom
|energy subjugation
|mass hold monster
|mind blank
|lightning ring[1]
|cursed one
|gorgon's glare
|shadows of the mage-lords
|black blade of disaster[1]
|DM's choice
Mew can target the spell after it knows what it will be, but cannot voluntarily retract a spell once Metronome has been begun. The spell goes off as if Mew had cast the spell itself, at a caster level equal to Mew's HD+10 (rounded down). If, for whatever reason, the spell has no legal target, the arcane energy explodes, as if Mew had suffered a scroll mishap with a 9th level scroll. (Note that if Mew starts spamming Metronome, it's probably running out of its own spells and spell-like abilities, and is desperate for some way to attack other than its less-than-impressive melee. This is only likely if its psi-like abilities are proving to be ineffective.)
AncientPower (Su): Once per three rounds, Mew can telekinetically launch up to 3 chunks of stone within 100 feet. These are launched as ranged attacks at separate targets, and, if at least as large as a Medium character, deal 6d6 damage each. Furthermore, upon activation, Mew gains a +1 Enhancement Bonus to Natural Armour and to all ability scores for the next five minutes. Using AncientPower while the bonus is still in effect improves the bonus by 1 (to a maximum of +6 total for natural armor and each ability score) and resets the duration - Mew knows to throw random rocks around every minute or so just to keep the bonuses at the maximum. This is a [Rock] effect.
Aura Sphere (Su): Once per minute, Mew can briefly expand its aura. All within 20' are automatically struck and take 1d6 Force damage per level; however, this is a [Fighting] effect.
Me First (Sp): This spell-like ability functions like Norton's copied casting, except that the spell Mew copies is automatically empowered. Mew can use Me First up to 3 times/day (gaining its first two uses at 17 HD, then an additional use for every 5 HD after that; so, if advanced to 27 HD, Mew would be able to use it 4 times/day, and so on and so forth).
Baton Pass (Su): As a Swift action, Mew can shift all beneficial effects on it over to an ally within 30 feet.
Proximity to Cat (Sp): Mew is utterly adorable. Its very being is treated as the center-point of a constant proximity to cat effect. (Basically, everyone wants to pet it.) Thanks to this power, Mew seldom actually needs to fight. The effect can be dispelled, but Mew instantaneously resumes it as an immediate action, if it hasn't already used up its immediate/swift action for the round. If it's still down when Mew's turn comes up, Mew refreshes it as a free action (which doesn't count against its swift/immediate action limit for the round). Mew can specifically choose to exclude any creatures it's friendly to from the aura's effects, so that they can defend themselves effectively against potential threats (or, more often, just beat the crap out of their enemies while they fawn over it). Mew's caster level for this effect is the same as its caster level for its spells and psionic abilities (24th).
Transform (Su): As awesome as Mew may be in its own form, it also has the ability to copy the form of others. Mew can duplicate polymorph self as a standard action in order to transform into a type of creature that it can see, of up to its own CR - 1 (but which is otherwise within the limits of the spell). It can choose to assume the shape of a specific individual, which is treated as if Mew had cast disguise self, using the assumed form's Disguise and Charisma. It can also become a version of that creature advanced by hit dice. This ability lasts until dismissed, or until Mew is knocked unconscious or starts laughing.
If well-trained, Mew can also turn into a limited number of forms without having to see the creature to be copied. It may remember a number of "familiar" forms it has previously assumed equal to half its hit dice or its Intelligence score, whichever is lower. Mew needs to be continually exposed to or transformed into the creature for one week, and then it can use its Transform ability to turn into a copy of that creature without it being present.
Telepathy (Su): Mew can communicate telepathically with any creature within 200 ft. of it which has a language.
Mind Blast (Sp): This attack is a cone 60 feet long. Anyone caught in this cone must make a Will save (DC 14 + charisma bonus) or be stunned for 3d4 rounds. Mew can mind blast once per round as a free action. This is a [Psychic] effect.
Keen Sight (Ex): Mew has lowlight vision and darkvision out to 200'. Mew can also see the invisible and magical auras as if it was constantly detecting magic out to 200'. Furthermore, Mew can instantly assess the strength and school of any aura it perceives without needing to concentrate.
Armored in Life (Su): Mew protects itself with forcefields from its mind. As such, Mew has a Luck bonus to AC equal to its Intelligence bonus.
Unearthly Grace (Su): Mew's so adorable that it's hard to bring yourself to harm it. It has a deflection bonus to AC equal to its Charisma bonus.
Strategies and TacticsEdit
Mew's greatest asset is its incredible versatility. It is capable of learning any spell, power, maneuver, or other special ability in existence, and frequently changes up its tactics on the fly. In addition, it has several special powers of its own, including the famous Ancientpower and Aura Sphere techniques (the latter is well-known to be learnable by very few Pokémon, the others including Lucario, Togekiss, Mewtwo, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina). Even more famously, Mew can actually transform itself into any other lifeform to take on their appearance and abilities, a talent shared only by Ditto.
Like Celebi, Jirachi, and the Lake Trio of Sinnoh, Mew virtually always floats in the air with its psychic power. However, it can move about in just about any fashion imaginable, though it can move twice as quickly by flying or swimming than it can by any other method.
Sample EncountersEdit
Your party encounters an inquisitive pink floating cat-like thing while minding their own business. Just what is it up to...? Awwww, it's so cute...
Alternatively, the party could stumble upon an argument or fight between Mewtwo and Mew. Do they try to help one of the two Pokémon, or do they just stay out of the crossfire?
Environment: Mew can be found just about anywhere; it travels wherever its whimsy takes it. Mew is a very whimsical creature.
Typical Physical Characteristics: Mew is normally described as a pink, bipedal cat-like creature, though its morphology is actually more like a jerboa. Mew's hair is so fine and thin, it can only be seen under a microscope. It has a long, skinny tail ending with a rounded tip. Mew has big hind legs, like a rabbit, and short arms with three-fingered paws. Mew's feet are very large with oval markings near its three toes. Mew has triangular ears and baby blue eyes. Mew is said to have the DNA of every single Pokémon contained within its body. It also vaguely resembles an embryo or fetus, and is often depicted in a pink orb.[2]
Alignment: Mew is Chaotic Good in nature; it would much rather play than fight. Its only reason for building itself up for combat at all is its deep sense of sorrow and shame at what Dr. Fuji did with its genes - the creation of the vicious and bloodthirsty being known as Mewtwo. Mew's current purpose in life is to find Mewtwo and convince it to stop its mad rampage against non-artificial life... or, failing in that, to destroy Mewtwo once and for all, so that the world will be safe from its violence.
After Arceus, Mew was perhaps the first Pokémon to ever exist. It contains within its genome the essential DNA of every Pokémon in existence, and this is the source of its incredible versatility.
There is an ongoing dispute regarding whether Arceus or Mew was the one who created the Pokémon universe. Mew and Arceus both refuse to divulge any information that could settle this matter. For now, the available evidence indicates that Arceus was the primary creator; what role, if any, Mew played in the making of the universe is unknown.
Nobody is sure if there's more than one Mew - in fact, until Mewtwo was created, most people believed Mew to be a mere myth. Sightings of Mew have increased after Mewtwo's creation, but never more than one at a time. And since Mewtwo's existence is known to very few people, Mew's existence is known to even fewer. That said, Mew can get along amicably with almost any Pokémon, and gets along well with humans and many other sentient races, too. At heart, it's a whimsical and playful creature that just wants to have a good time. (That said, Mew isn't terribly fond of the savage humanoids - it's had bad run-ins with almost all of them. Something about a small, physically weak-looking creature being regarded as food... Mew doesn't like to talk about it.)
Sample LairEdit
Mew doesn't really have a lair; it's always on the move! It does seem to have a penchant for playing on windmills or resting in lakes, though.
Typical TreasureEdit
Mew doesn't generally carry treasure around. Its power is all that it needs. It's certainly capable of using just about any magic item, though, if a Pokémaster wants to equip it with some.
For Player CharactersEdit
Mew may be a powerful adversary, but if the PCs are good, it usually joins forces with them. After all, it stands in opposition to Mewtwo, who has a natural tendency to wind up in a villainous role in Pokémon-based campaigns, and Mew is somewhat weaker than its clone, so it needs all the help it can get. Mew is slightly cautious, though, and may engage in a brief nonlethal scuffle with the PCs to test their worth before it consents to travel with them.
Creatures As CharactersEdit
...Are you kidding me? Mew would snap the game in half if actively controlled by a player. However, it is a Pokémon, and therefore eligible for being controlled by a Pokémaster.
Creatures With Class LevelsEdit
Mew's already essentially a wizard. However, it can still be caught just like any other Pokémon, despite typically advancing by class levels.
Advanced CreaturesEdit
Basically, Mew develops its spells and psionics, experiences new things, marvels in the wonders of life, and is generally freakin' adorable. And badass.
Mew doesn't have any maneuvers or maneuver-like abilities normally, but it's perfectly capable of learning them. In fact, it can learn how to do anything, so there's no telling how it might advance.
Mew gained +1 to all its ability scores with every Hit Die up until it reached its 20th Hit Die. From then on, it has to pick an ability score to increase by 1 at every 4th Hit Die like any other creature. (It chose to increase its Charisma with its 24th Hit Die.)
Back to Main Page → 3.5e Homebrew → Monsters


text:
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
NEW YORK — The NHL and the players' association are ready to get back to the bargaining table.
NEW YORK — The NHL and the players' association are ready to get back to the bargaining table.
There were no formal negotiations Sunday, but all signs pointed to talks on Monday in an effort to end the lockout and save the season.
"There will be no further face-to-face meetings today," the union said in a statement Sunday. "The plan is for the sides to meet tomorrow."
Those would be the first negotiations since the sides met with a federal mediator Dec. 13.
The league and the union had informational discussions — by conference call and in meetings — with staff members that lasted much of Saturday and concluded Sunday. Those talks were spurred by the nearly 300-page contract proposal the NHL presented to the union Thursday.
All games through Jan. 14 have been canceled, claiming more than 50 percent of the original schedule. The NHL wants to reach a deal by Jan. 11 and open the season Jan. 19, with a 48-game schedule.
Bargaining sessions with only the NHL and union haven't been held since Dec. 6, when talks abruptly ended after the players' association made a counterproposal to the league's previous offer. The league said that offer was contingent on the union accepting three elements unconditionally and without further bargaining.
The NHL then pulled all existing offers off the table. Two days of sessions with mediators the following week ended without progress.
A person familiar with key points of the offer told The Associated Press that the league proposed raising the limit of individual free-agent contracts to six years from five — seven years if a team re-signs its own player; raising the salary variance from one year to another to 10 percent, up from 5 percent; and one compliance buyout for the 2013-14 season that wouldn't count toward a team's salary cap but would be included in the overall players' share of income.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity.
The NHL maintained the deferred payment amount of $300 million it offered in its previous proposal, an increase from an earlier offer of $211 million. The initial $300 million offer was pulled after negotiations broke off this month.
The latest proposal is for 10 years, running through the 2021-22 season, with both sides having the right to opt out after eight years.
If this offer doesn't quickly lead to a new collective bargaining agreement, the next round of cuts could claim the entire schedule.


text:
by Tom Utescher
In the regular-season finale last Tuesday evening, there were various ups and downs for both the Chestnut Hill College men and the host Rams of Philadelphia University, but in the end it all came down to which three-point hero would have the last word.
The visiting Griffins, who trailed by as many as 17 points late in the first half, went ahead by two with 13 seconds to go in the game when sophomore guard Luke Dickson connected from beyond the arc. However, it was Philly U. senior Jim Connolly who would stick in the final long-range dagger, tossing in a trey with 3.7 seconds left to give the Rams a 74-73 victory.
Members of the Southern Division of Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference, both teams would continue on into the conference playoffs.
Seeded second in the South, Philadelphia University (12-5 in the CACC, 17-9 overall) was slated for a home court appearance against Post University, the third seed from the Northern Division.
As the South's number four seed, Chestnut Hill (8-9, 12-14) would venture just north of New York City to tackle the top team in the Northern Division, Dominican College. Last year, when CHC was ranked third and Dominican was a two seed, the Chargers ended the Griffins' season in a 79-70 contest before bowing out themselves in the next round.
Prior to last Tuesday's tilt, a Senior Night ceremony honored departing Philly U. guards Jim Connolly and Stephen Griffin. Five minutes into the game itself, CHC was hanging just one point back at 7-6, then Rams freshman forward Peter Alexis scored half the points in an 8-0 surge for the hosts. Later in the opening period, Philly U. had Chestnut Hill doubled up at 34-17 before the Griffins shaved a few points at the end for a 36-23 halftime tally.
The two clubs were fairly even in most statistical categories, but there was a glaring difference in field goal shooting accuracy; almost 52 percent for the leaders, and under 29 percent for CHC. Three different Rams had accumulated eight or more points, while senior guard Mark DiRugeris led the visitors with seven.
As the second period developed DiRugeris and sophomore center Seamus Radtke initially powered the Chestnut Hill offense, then sophomore forward Alssene Saintilus and freshman guard Christian Walck gave the Griffins a boost off the bench.
With six-and-a-half minutes gone they had the lead down to a single point, 42-41, but over the next two minutes or so Philly U. spread the score to 51-43. The Griffins made another run, inching ahead for the first time at 58-57 with 6:40 on the clock, and later, following a 59-all tie, CHC's Saintilus broke the deadlock and then scored again off of a feed from Walck.
A "three" from the right wing by DiRugeris gave the Griffins their largest lead of the night, 66-59, with under four minutes left, but then the Rams charged back in front with treys by Connolly and Derek Johnson and a subsequent lay-up by Connolly. As the clock descended from two minutes to one minute remaining, Chestnut Hill's Walck sandwiched a short jumper and a two-point trip to the foul line around another Philly U. three-pointer by Johnson, knotting the score at 70-70.
On the Rams' next possession, CHC's Radtke blocked a shot and grabbed the ball. The next time the Griffin sophomore went up for a board there was an apparent tie-up, but the refs ruled that Radtke fouled Philly U's Alexis. The freshman then nudged Philly U. ahead, 71-70, by making the first of two free throws in the double bonus with 23.8 seconds to go.
Radtke rebounded the second shot, and once the Griffins got up in the offensive end Walck sent the ball over to the right wing for Dickson, who sank a three-pointer that thrust CHC in front, 73-71, with 13.1 seconds to go. After a time-out with nine seconds left, the Rams inbounded the ball from the left offensive baseline to the same side of the floor, finding Connolly. Coolly and quickly he launched the ball, and it rippled the net with 3.7 seconds showing to win the game for the home team.
The decisive trey gave Connolly a game-high 17 points, along with four rebounds and three assists. Small, speedy freshman guard Andre Gibbs added 15 points, seven boards, and four assists for the winners, and Alexis finished with 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.
All three Rams were named to the CACC'c All-Conference team, and Gibbs, who averaged 14 points per game, was picked for Rookie-of-the-Year. Another all-star team pick was Chestnut Hill's DiRugeris, who fired a game-high 18 points last Tuesday to finish the season with an average of 18.9. He also turned in a free-throw percentage of 87.5, 11th in the nation in NCAA Division II.
Walck netted 13 points and a game-high seven assists at Philly U., while Saintilus scored 12 points and Radtke (seven rebounds) had eight.
UPDATE: In the first round of the CACC tournament on March 2, Philadelphia University received 24 points from Alexis in a 68-62 victory over Post, but a 30-point blitz by DiRugeris was not enough to save Chestnut Hill from a season-ending setback at Dominican, 91-85.


text:
After six months of classic DC gridlock, Mark W. Lippert, one of President Obama's closest confidants, has been confirmed as the Pentagon's top Asia official. The confirmation had been blocked by Texas Sen. John Cornyn for months, but last night he decided to step back and let the nomination proceed.
Cornyn had been holding up the nomination of Lippert to the key Pentagon post to protest the administration's position on not selling made-in-Texas fighter jets to Taiwan.
In February, the Texas senator placed what is known as "a hold" on Lippert's nomination to become Pentagon's top Asia official, and he refused to allow the nomination to proceed until the administration agreed to negotiate on the sensitive issue of selling F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan.
But the White House refused to negotiate or give any concessions, despite numerous requests from Cornyn. That left the decision making process paralyzed. According to a Cornyn aide, it is a significant shift in tone from the White House that made Cornyn decide to lift the hold.
"I commend the administration for recognizing that our friend and ally Taiwan's air force is woefully undersized and outgunned by Communist China, and their inability to adequately defend themselves poses a threat not just to their own security, but to that of the United States. I look forward to continuing to work hand-in-hand with the Administration and Taiwan as we move forward in this joint effort to ensure Taiwan has the new American-made fighter jets it needs to defend itself," Cornyn said in a statement Friday.
The White House welcomes Cornyn's decision to lift his hold in a letter to the senator. While there are no concessions in the letter, the administration promises that Lippert will work closely with Taiwan to "address Taiwan's fighter gap," Robert Nabors, assistant to Obama, writes in the letter.
Cornyn's hold replaced senator John McCain's, who placed a hold on the nomination back in October when the nomination was made by the White House. McCain wanted details about the quarrel between Lippert, who served as chief-of-staff of the National Security Council, and then National Security Advisor Jim Jones, who claimed that Lippert blocked his access to the president. As soon as McCain lifted his hold, Cornyn stepped in and placed another hold on the nomination. Lippert waited a total of six months to be approved by the Senate for the position.
The hold-ups of nominations have increased dramatically in recent years. American Enterprise Institute political analyst Norm Ornstein describes the process as "senators taking the nominees as hostages" and calls the resulting gridlock "terrible" for the country.
"It affects the fabric of governance and damages the political system in the United States," said Ornstein. "It creates a vacuum in key leadership posts, hurts continuity (in federal agencies), and makes it harder to attract good people to public policy — because who wants to get dragged through this. This is no way to run a country."
While "holds" are an old Senate custom, Ornstein said that they are now being used by senators from both parties for political extortion rather than questions of qualifications.
"We used to see senators place holds on nominations because they objected to the individual, but now it's more common to see them placed on nominations even with extremely qualified persons for extremely important positions, and for longer periods of time," he said. "It's become a bargaining chip."
The White House does not want to sell F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan because China would consider such a move extremely provocative. China's ruling Communist party claims that Taiwan is a part of their territory and should be re-united with the mainland for the first time since Mao Zedong took power more than six decades ago.
Jonathan Pollack, an expert in U.S.-China relations at the Brookings Institution, says selling the fighter jets to Taiwan could have dire consequences.
"China objects quite heatedly against the U.S. selling Taiwan the fighter jets, so for the White House it's a question of balancing Taiwan's needs in respects to weapon with U.S. relations with China," he says. "This is in no way unique to the Obama administration. Several administrations have faced this issue before. But there's been an increase in official relations between U.S. and China since then, and that's what makes it complicated."
To Cornyn, the issue of selling the fighter jets to Taiwan isn't only about protecting an ally and standing up against China. The fighter jets would be made in Forth Worth, and thus create jobs in the area.
"This capitulation by the Obama administration is a slap in the face to a strong ally and puts us on a very slippery slope in granting Communist China sway over American foreign policy. This sale would be a win-win, bolstering the national security of two democratic nations and supporting jobs for an American workforce that desperately needs them," Cornyn said. Cornyn's office couldn't answer how many jobs would be created if it's decided to sell the fighter jets to Taiwan.
It's the second time Cornyn has been holding up a nomination over the issue: Last summer he refused to lift his hold on the nomination of Deputy Secretary of State Bill Burns until Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted to address the issue and make a decision regarding the sale of the F-16 fighter jet to Taiwan. In October, the Obama administration instead agreed to sell upgrade packages to Taiwan's fleet of F-15 A/B model planes, and in a letter to Cornyn acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Jim Miller wrote that the upgrades "effectively meets Taiwan's current needs."
But Pollack says it makes no sense for Cornyn to involve Lippert in the negotiations, as he doesn't have the responsibility or power to address the issues yet. Lippert is one of Obama's earliest foreign policy advisers, serving as senior foreign policy aide for then senator Obama since 2005.
"There's little Mark Lippert can do to address any of this as long as he's not in the position, so this is just a bargaining chip," Pollack said.
With both the White House and Cornyn refusing to budge, it's been hard to see a way out of the gridlock other than a temporary "recess appointment" that bypasses Senate confirmation.
A Cornyn aide said that the senator wouldn't lift his hold before the Obama administration answers the two letters the senator has written the president, demanding that the administration addresses the issue.
"Sen. Cornyn believes the White House must articulate a clear near-term course of action to address Taiwan's looming fighter shortfall, something they have not yet done," the aide said.
Today these letters were answered, though the White House didn't agree to sell Taiwan the fighter jets.
The White House declined to comment.


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Theory B questions at Stack Exchange
Stack Exchange is a website for asking and answering technical questions. One part of the web site is set aside for Theoretical Computer Science. It tends to be dominated by topics in "Theory A" (algorithms and complexity), but there is a small, intrepid group attempting to establish it as a venue for topics in "Theory B" (logic, semantics, and programming languages). To encourage further participation, they've assembled a list of some of the interesting questions they've handled. Have a look, and contribute some questions or answers of your own!
<< Home
A better link to the cstheory stack exchange is http://cstheory.stackexchange.com. There's an FAQ too: http://cstheory.stackexchange.com/faqPost a Comment
<< Home


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Viewing the webcast on Apple products requires Windows Media Player for Mac.
Chairman Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
Subcommittee on Aviation
Hearing on Review of FAA's Certification Process: Ensuring an Efficient, Effective, and Safe Process
October 30, 2013
Opening Statement
(Remarks as Prepared)
Today the Subcommittee will hear from the FAA and other expert witnesses on the Agency's certification processes. It is the shared goal of everyone in this room to find the right balance between maintaining the highest level of aviation safety while achieving greater efficiencies in FAA's certification processes.
As the aviation industry develops new products and other innovations, the FAA must likewise evolve. Examples of this creative spirit can be found throughout the industry. Many companies have worked with the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center to develop and test new products that improve the safety and efficiency of the U.S. aviation system. To ensure that the hard work at the Technical Center and elsewhere in the industry is not needlessly delayed or wasted altogether, it is critical that the FAA's certification processes keep pace.
The Aviation Subcommittee often hears concerns from companies, operators and other certificate holders related to the FAA's certification processes. In particular, long wait times, inconsistent regulatory interpretations, and redundant or outdated processes have all been brought to the Subcommittee's attention.
In response, Congress included two important provisions in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 to improve the FAA's certification processes. These provisions require the agency to develop plans to streamline their certification processes, and address regional regulatory inconsistencies—all while maintaining the highest level of safety. In response, the FAA submitted reports to the Committee that outline recommendations to improve and streamline certification, and address inconsistent regulatory interpretations.
Today we look forward to hearing what progress the FAA has made carrying out these provisions, and what recommendations they will implement to further ensure certification processes are effective and efficient.
# # #
Panel I
Panel II


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|3 hari sejak pembayaran
|Jawa Barat - Bekasi
On this page, you can find all the essential technical data on the Memmert water bath. Our customer relations team will be pleased to help if you want further information. If you should require a customised special solution, please contact our technical specialists at firstname.lastname@example.com.
|1 Pt100 sensor class A in 4-wire-circuit
|integrated digital timer from 1 min. to 99,59 hours for: ON continuous operation WAIT (delayed on for continuous and limited timed operation) HOLD
|Temperature range in °C
|min. 5°C above ambient up to +95°C with additional boiling mode (+100°C)
|Temperature control
|mechanical temperature limiter TB protection class 1 switching the heating off at approx. 30°C above max. temperature of the bath
|Temperature control
|in case of overtemperature due to failure, the heating is switched off at approx. 10°C above the set temperature (fixed value)
|Autodiagnostic system
|microprocessor PID-temperature controller with integrated autodiagnostic system with fault indicator
|corrosion-proof large-area heating on three sides
|LEDs for indication of programme status
|digital display (LED) of set and actual temperature (0,1°C resolution) and of (remaining) programme time
|easy-to-clean interior, made of stainless steel, reinforced by deep drawn ribbing, material no. 1.4301 (ASTM 304), laser-welded
|material 1.4301 (ASTM 304), corrosion resistant
|Dimensions W x H x D in mm
|w(A) x h(B) x d(C): 290 x 140 x 350 mm
|Volume 14 l
|w(D) x h(E) x d(F): 436 x 238 x 578 mm
|230 V, 50/60 Hz
|Electrical load
|approx. 1800 W (during heating)
|the appliances must be transported upright
|Customs tariff number
|8419 8998
|Country of origin
|Federal Republic of Germany
|Dimensions approx incl. carton B x H x T: 670 x 530 x 400 mm
|Net weight approx. 15 kg
|Gross weight carton approx. 21 kg


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The award comes with the following requests:
1. List ten (10) that you have learned about your ancestors that surprised, humbled or enlightened you.
2. Pass the award to ten (10) other genealogy bloggers.
What things I have learned about my ancestors:
1. Some ancestors created volumes of newspaper accounts, court records and other vital records, while others seemed to disappear into thin air.
2. There is a fair amount of inter-connectedness among my family lines. It seems the farther back I trace, I see the different family lines ending up in the same locales.
3. Almost anything can be found in the paper, especially stories of divorces and other scandals. Back then, apparently libel laws weren't as stringent - but the accounts make for more colorful reading.
4. Faith in God was vital to my ancestors. I've discovered fair number of ministers, elders and Sunday School teachers from a variety of Protestant denominations in my family.
5. The economic, political and social conditions that cause people to switch careers or move across the country today are some of the same ones that caused my ancestors to do the same. Understanding what was happening in historical perspective can explain some of the decisions they made.
6. Many of my ancestors were willing to fight for what they believed in, whether it be in the military or in politics.
7. Most of my ancestors were here before the American Revolution, but documenting their journeys after they arrived has proven to be the most interesting.
8. The stories that the present generation remembers about the past generation are important and need to be preserved, even if they are biased or colored by their perspective.
9. Not all of my ancestors were saints, and the sinners weren't as bad as I'd imagined.
10. My ancestors didn't always get along with the other members of their family, but neither do I, so I needn't be so quick to judge.
I am going to pass the award on to the following bloggers :
Donna's Genealogy Blog - Donna Moughty
Renee's Genealogy Blog - Renee Zamora
Roots and Rambles - Marian Pierre-Louis
A Geek Girl Does Genealogy - The Geek Girl
John Brown Kin - Alice Mecoy
Leaf, Stem, Branch and Root - Kevin Thompson
Penny's Genes - Penny
Reflections from the Fence - Carol
She Finds Graves - Kellie Walton
The Canty Quest - Debbie Golding
These blogs are ones that I follow daily through my Google Reader. If you're not already following them, I would strongly urge you to check them out.


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This rock'n'roll boot is named after one of our favourite Fluevogers, who has embodied the true Fluevogian spirit for a full decade.* A Spring boot featuring five buckled straps garnished with ends of vintage Fluevog western boot wings, The Petrea boasts a super pointy-toe in luscious leathers of soft Spassolato, handrubbed with denatured alcohol to remove some of the coloured dye and revealing the natural tone of the leather. A rubber sole plate with a 1.25" leather wrapped heel, ensures The Petrea Boot is perfect with a glass of Malbec during those back stage magic moments. Truth and integrity since 1970.
*Big props also go to Rick, a NYC store staple.


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Geography Now! Botswana
- published: 18 Jul 2015
- views: 676051
Whoa I really don\'t like the shirt I\'m wearing in this one. I look like I live in a hole. Anyway here\'s some info on Botswana. Thanks to JASON K for doing the Motion graphics! He\'s an amazing friend of mine, check out JASON\'S Motion Graphic REEL at: http://vimeo.com/jasonking/2015reel http://facebook.com/GeographyNowFanpage http://instagram.com/Paulbarbato http://twitter.com/GeographyNow Become a patron! Donate anything and Get exclusive behind the scenes footage! All profits go towards helping me pay my rent so I can focus more of doing GN videos. Go to: http://patreon.com/GeographyNow...


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Todays cricket betting tips. Who will win the match today? We cover all major cricket tournaments and matches – ODI Cricket World Cup, T20 World Cup, IPL, Big Bash, CPL, BPL, Asia Cup, England Blast, Africa T20 and much more. Cricket Match Predictions and Cricket Betting Tips from Experts. Ball to Ball sessions ,Top run scorers, top wicket takers, man of the match, most sixes. Also we provide Football and Tennis Prediction.
Sydney Thunder Squad: Fawad Ahmed, Jos Buttler, Pat Cummins, Callum Ferguson, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Liam Hatcher, Usman Khawaja, Jay Lenton, Nathan McAndrew, Arjun Nair, Kurtis Patterson, Joe Root, Daniel Sams, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Shane Watson, Anton Devcich, Chris Jordan
Brisbane Heat Squad: Max Bryant, Joe Burns, Ben Cutting, Brendan Doggett, Sam Heazlett, Chris Lynn, Marnus Labuschagne, Brendon McCullum, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, James Pattinson, Jimmy Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Matt Renshaw, Alex Ross, Mark Steketee, Mitchell Swepson
Hobart Hurricanes Squad: Jofra Archer, George Bailey, Johan Botha, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Caleb Paul Jewell, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Tymal Mills, David Moody, Tim Paine, Thomas Rogers, Clive Rose, D Arcy Short, Aaron Summers, Matthew Wade
Melbourne Renegades Squad: Aaron Finch(c), Cameron Boyce, Daniel Christian, Tom Cooper, Zak Evans, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Tim Ludeman, Joe Mennie, Mohammad Nabi, Kane Richardson, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Samiullah Shenwari, Beau Webster, Cameron White, Jack Wildermuth
Melbourne Stars Squad: Michael Beer, Jackson Bird, Scott Boland, Liam Bowe, Dwayne Bravo, Jackson Coleman, Travis Dean, Ben Dunk, Seb Gotch, Evan Gulbis, Peter Handscomb, Sandeep Lamichhane, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jonathan Merlo, Marcus Stoinis, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa, Matthew Parkinson
Perth Scorchers Squad: Mitchell Marsh(c), Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Josh Inglis, Michael Klinger, Cameron Green, Ashton Agar, Shaun Marsh, Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, Jhye Richardson, Ashton Turner, Joel Paris, Andrew Tye, Sam Whiteman, David Willey
Sydney Sixers Squad: Joe Denly, Jack Edwards, Sean Abbott, Justin Avendano, Ben Dwarshuis, Tom Curran, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nathan Lyon, Steve OKeefe, Josh Philippe, Lloyd Pope, Jordan Silk, Henry Thornton, Peter Nevill
Adelaide Strikers Squad: Travis Head(c), Wes Agar, Alex Carey, Michael Cormack, David Grant, Colin Ingram, Ben Laughlin, Jake Lehmann, Michael Neser, Liam O Connor, Rashid Khan, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Billy Stanlake, Jake Weatherald , Jonathan Wells, Nick Winter, Cameron Valente


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Pounding, throbbing, stabbing, aching — welcome to the world of headaches, an ailment that affects more than 45 million Americans each year.
Humans have been suffering from the malady for millennia. Recorded depictions date back to at least 4000 B.C. in Mesopotamia, where it was thought that Tiu, the evil spirit of headaches, was to blame. The shenanigans of evil spirits were assumed to be the cause of headaches throughout many cultures, and gave rise to trephination — a procedure in which a small circular portion of the skull was removed, creating egress for the pain-triggering spirits.
Given how agonizing a headache can be, rowdy evil spirits wreaking havoc doesn't seem all that much of a stretch. Fortunately we know better now, and in most cultures no longer rely on holes drilled in the head for relief. But if not evil sprits, what does cause the pain?
There are many catalysts that can create the ache, and medical literature has complied a lengthy compendium of causes. Culled from several sources, below is a summary of the most common triggers for migraine, cluster, rebound and tension headaches. Some of them you may be familiar with, but there is no shortage of surprising ones.
- Overuse of common prescription or over-the-counter pain medication: Half of chronic migraines, and as many as 25 percent of all headaches, are actually "rebound" episodes triggered by the overuse of common pain medications.
- Beer
- Red wine
- Aged cheese
- Soy
- Smoked fish
- Meats containing nitrates (bacon, hot dogs, salami, cured meats)
- Processed foods
- Fermented foods
- Pickled foods
- Marinated foods
- Chocolate
- Nuts
- Dairy products
- Aspartame
- Skipping meals
- Bright lights
- Sun glare
- Loud sounds
- Pleasant scents, such as perfume
- Unpleasant odors, such as paint thinner and secondhand smoke
- Smoking
- Hormonal changes in women before or during their periods, during pregnancy, or menopause
- Oral contraceptives and hormone replacement therapy
- Jet lag
- Changes in wake-sleep pattern
- Not enough sleep
- Too much sleep
- Sleeping in a cold room
- Sleeping with the neck in an abnormal position
- Holding your head and neck in an abnormal position while working (typing, microscope viewing, etc)
- Intense physical exertion
- Sexual activity
- Change of weather or barometric pressure
- High altitudes (hiking, air travel)
- Heat (hot weather, hot baths)
- Colds, the flu or a sinus infection
- Jaw clenching or teeth grinding
- Eye strain
- Head injury
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
Serious causes of headaches are rare, but sometimes headaches warn of a more serious disorder. The National Institutes of Health recommends letting your health care provider know if you have sudden, severe headaches. Get medical help right away if you have a headache after a blow to your head, or if you have a headache along with a stiff neck, fever, confusion, loss of consciousness or pain in the eye or ear.
Have you determined something surprising that causes headache for you? Share with us in the comments.
For more information on the specific causes listed above, see The New York Times Headache Health Guide and Mayo Clinic.


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Ordinary Time: June 22nd
Optional Memorial of St. Paulinus of Nola, bishop and confessor; Optional Memorial of Sts. John Fisher, bishop and martyr and Thomas More, martyr
» Enjoy our Liturgical Seasons series of e-books!
Old Calendar: St John Fisher; St. Paulinus; St. Alban
St. Thomas More was born in London, England and was Chancellor of King Henry VIII. As a family man and a public servant, his life was a rare synthesis of human sensitivity and Christian wisdom.St. John Fisher studied Theology in Cambridge (England) and became Bishop of Rochester. His friend, Thomas More, wrote of him, 'I reckon in this realm no one man, in wisdom, learning and long approved virtue together, meet to be matched and compared with him.' He and his friend St. Thomas More gave up their lives in testimony to the unity of the Church and to the indissolubility of Marriage.St. Paulinus was born of a patrician Roman family at Bordeaux. He was successively prefect, senator and consul. His wife, wishing to consecrate herself to God, gave up rank and riches; he followed her example and went to live an austere hermit's life at Nola in Italy. There he became a priest and then bishop of the city, and gave his people not only an example of virtue but also wise guidance during the ravages and calamities of the Gothic invasion. He died in 431, aged 78, and was buried at Nola near the tomb of St. Felix.According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Alban who was venerated as the proto-martyr of Britain. He was a citizen of Verulam and was converted by a persecuted priest whom he sheltered in his house. He was executed on Holmhurst Hill. On that spot King Offa erected the Benedictine abbey of St. Alban's by which name Verulam has since been known.
St. Thomas More
His belief that no lay ruler has jurisdiction over the church of Christ cost Thomas More his life.
- A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt is a wonderful play that captures much of St. Thomas More's vitality. There is a 1966 movie by the same title that stars Paul Scofield as St. Thomas. If you haven't watched the movie or read the play yet, put it on your priority list.
- Read more on the life of St. Thomas More. For youth, Saint Thomas More of London by Elizabeth Ince, a reprint of the wonderful Vision Books series. For adults, the newer book The King's Good Servant but God's First : The Life and Writings of Saint Thomas More by James Monti which explores the life and writings of St. Thomas More. Also Scepter Publishers has a biography Thomas More: A Portrait of Courage by Gerard B. Wegemer.
- For some writings by St. Thomas More, see The Sadness of Christ (Yale University Press Translation) and Four Last Things: The Supplication of Souls: A Dialogue on Conscience.
- If you or your children are considering a career as a lawyer you might find Dr. Charles Rice's article helpful.
St. John Fisher
John Fisher is usually associated with Erasmus, Thomas More and other Renaissance humanists. His life, therefore, did not have the external simplicity found in the lives of some saints. Rather, he was a man of learning, associated with the intellectuals and political leaders of his day. He was interested in the contemporary culture and eventually became chancellor at Cambridge. He had been made a bishop at thirty-five, and one of his interests was raising the standard of preaching in England. Fisher himself was an accomplished preacher and writer. His sermons on the penitential psalms were reprinted seven times before his death. With the coming of Lutheranism, he was drawn into controversy. His eight books against heresy gave him a leading position among European theologians.
- Read more about St. John Fisher.
- Exposition of the Seven Penitential Psalms is available from Amazon.
St. Paulinus
In 353 Pontius Meropius Anicius Paulinus was born of a prominent Bordeaux family. He received his education in the school of the rhetorician Ausonius. At an early age he attained the dignity of senator and then of consul. As governor of Campania, he chose Nola as his seat. Here he was converted to the faith by St. Felix of Nola. He resigned his position and returned to Gaul, where St. Martin of Tours restored his eyesight.


text: Recent studies have identified many genes that may put people at risk for schizophrenia. But what links genetic differences to changes in altered brain activity in schizophrenia is not clear. Now, three laboratories at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have come together, using electrophysiological, anatomical, and immunohistochemical approaches - along with a unique high-speed imaging technique - to understand how schizophrenia works at the cellular level, especially in identifying how changes in the interaction between different types of nerve cells lead to symptoms of the disease. The findings were reported online on October 3, 2011 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. "Our work provides a model linking genetic risk factors for schizophrenia to a functional disruption in how the brain responds to sound, by identifying reduced activity in special nerve cells that are designed to make other cells in the brain work together at a very fast pace," explains lead author Dr. Gregory Carlson, assistant professor of Neuroscience in Psychiatry. "We know that in schizophrenia this ability is reduced, and now, knowing more about why this happens may help explain how loss of a protein called dysbindin leads to some symptoms of schizophrenia." Previous genetic studies had found that some different forms of the gene for dysbindin were found in people with schizophrenia. Most importantly, a prior finding at Penn showed that the dysbindin protein is reduced in a majority of schizophrenia patients, suggesting it is involved in a common cause of the disease. For the current PNAS study, Dr. Carlson, Dr. Steven J. Siegel, associate professor of Psychiatry, director of the Translational Neuroscience Program; and Dr. Steven E. Arnold, director of the Penn Memory Center, used a mouse with a mutated dysbindin gene to understand how reduced dysbindin protein may cause symptoms of schizophrenia. The team demonstrated a number of sound-processing deficits in the brains of mice with the mutated gene. They discovered how a specific set of nerve cells that control fast brain activity lose their effectiveness when dysbindin protein levels are reduced. These specific nerve cells inhibit activity, but do so at an extremely fast rate, essentially turning large numbers of cells on and off very quickly in a way that is necessary to normally process the large amount of information travelling into and around the brain. Other previous work at Penn, in the lab of Dr. Michael Kahana, had shown that in humans the fast brain activity that is disrupted in mice with the dysbindin mutation is also important for short-term memory. This type of brain activity is reduced in people with schizophrenia and resistant to current therapy. Taken as a whole, this work may suggest new avenues of treatment for currently untreatable symptoms of schizophrenia, says Dr. Carlson. Additional co-authors of the current study are: Drs. Konrad Talbot, Tobias B. Halene, Michael J. Gandal, Hala A. Kazi, Laura Schlosser, Quan H. Phung, and Raquel E. Gur, all from the Department of Psychiatry at Penn. [Press release] [PNAS abstract]


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One of the great joys we have through publishing this magazine is that we get to tell the stories of people who have spent decades participating in the lowrider culture we love. With older brothers being into lowriders as far back as the '50s, East L.A. product Robert Colantuono is one of those rarified individuals who have spent over five decades in the lowrider culture. In the '60s, Robert was a member of Illusion car club. "When the Vietnam War came into play; a lot of our boys were picked to go and the club slowly vanished," explains Robert. In 1971, Eddie Flores founded Groupe car club, and Robert has been a member since day one. As of this writing, he has been a loyal member for over forty years now.
The Chevy Nova featured here was bought brand-new in 1963 by one of Robert's uncles. The car had been rotting away in his aunt's yard for years until Robert decided to ask her if he could breathe new life into it. "She said if I was serious about building it that I could have it and once she gave it to me, I did it," Robert says proudly. Robert is picky in his builds in the sense that not only does he like them to sit low; he also likes them to pack a punch in the horsepower department. This build here bridges both of those schools of thought together and it is clear that Robert's aunt made a very wise decision to let him take on the project.
"I can't express how happy I am to get a feature in Lowrider magazine, other than that it's truly a blessing. People wait a lifetime for something like this to happen." After half a century of being into Lowriders, Robert knows what he's talking about; this is his first feature in the magazine. Robert would like to thank his wife, MIC, Frank's Auto Body, Groupe E.L.A., and his grandkids, for helping him keep it clean.
"Robert's Nova"
Owner: Robert Colantuono
Vehicle: 1963 Chevy Nova
City/State: Ontario, CA
Club: Groupe E.L.A.
Engine: 2000 Chevy 351 LS1, 700R, dual Flowmaster exhaust, tuned port injections, Billet
Specialties pulleys, Lokar shifter, Optima yellow top and a BeCool aluminum radiator.
Body/Paint: Frank Figueroa of Frank's Auto Body in Los Angeles, CA, painted the Nova black.
Interior: Original replacement and tilt steering column.
Sound System: MIC of Montclair, CA, installed the JVC head unit and Kicker amps and speakers.
Setup: MIC installed the Frame from TCI, TCI Mustang II front conversion, TCI rear four-link conversion clip, tubular rear control arms and A-arms, Wilwood four-disk brake and Posi Rear end. Andy Diaz of MIC in Montclair, CA, installed the airbag suspension.
Tires: Hankook 175/70R14
Wheels: 14-inch Galaxy Wire Wheels


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Where were you yesterday at 1:30 pm (Central)? Well… if you were in Chicago's Millennium Park, you may have seen an outrageously awesome social experiment organized by Tyler Walker, of Improv Everywhere in conjunction with TBS. As a publicity stunt to kick off the Just for Laughs event on TBS this week, an "MP3 Experiment" took place that lasted about 30 minutes. Participants were told to download a song via their respective mp3 players. Utilizing one DVC Pro HD and a couple of flip cams, various shooters captured this hilarious footage.
Suzie Moore edited the footage together and Megan Guerrant produced. They wrapped at about 11:30 lastnight and it's live today! Talk about a quick turn around. I think my favorite part has to be when this "mysterious voice" actually got a mob of people to use their finger's as moustaches! Brilliant!


text: Health Issues With Tattooing (Kari Barba) By Petri Aspvik Petri Aspvik: What type of physical problem have you encountered due to tattooing? Kari Barba: I have encountered back, neck and hand pain for sure. I think we all get that. Have you had to see a doctor, chiropractor, masseuse therapist, acupuncturist or anything similar because problems or because you want to avoid them? I have been to the chiropractor a lot and most of the time I get in regularly, twice a month. Haven't been in a about six months now. I do go to acupuncture regularly now, every three weeks. It makes all the difference in the world. Combined with chiropractic work and exercise, I feel better in many ways than in years. Such as my hands and wrists, back and neck... I have also been given as a gift an ergonomic chair, which is great on my back and usually don't hurt there. Lowering of the counter top is another great idea. Have you modified your work station because you have encountered physical problems or wish to avoid them? I would love to modify my station, any ideas? The only thing I do is to try to have the customer in the best position for me, knowing I will be doing this everyday, it is more important. Do you follow a workout regime to keep in shape and healthy? Yes, I workout regularly, usually five to seven days a week. It really does help a lot. Have you had to change your eating habits in any way because of tattooing? Eating habits change because we can't take breaks as we would always like to do, so yes, some. What about spiritual/psychological health? How do you maintain that? I love to hike, to go to the woods, the beach, any type of nature is the spiritual cure for me... for sure. Kari can be found at Outer Limits Tattoo in Long Beach, CA. Related TAM Blog Articles: Health Issues With Tattooing (Mike Giant) Health Issues With Tattooing (Seth Ciferri) Markus Lenhard: Workplace Ergonomics and Long Term Health Improvement Techniques for Tattoo Artists Health Issues With Tattooing (Marcus Kuhn)


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You didn't think you were only going to get one version of the new GTX 560 Ti out of us did you? Always willing to push a little further here's Zotac's take on the new card, the Zotac GTX 560 Ti Limited Edition 448 Cores.
Now, in the Asus GTX 560 Ti 448 Cores Direct CU II review we've already spoken about how it's not really a standard Nvidia GTX 560 Ti at all, bar the nomenclature.
So we wont spend any more words discussing Nvidia's new marketing strategy for its old chips.
But there is another interesting facet to this new GTX 560 Ti's make up. And that's how the individual manufacturers create their cards.
Nvidia has made no reference designs for this chip and that means there are no hard and fast rules for the clockspeed settings.
And that, in turn, means the card manufacturers can release what are effectively overclocked cards straight off the bat.


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… best moment ever is when you suddenly realise you have improved through the very life challenges you thought you were not.
Tag: dreams
… relationship is like a plant.
It needs warmth and care.
Without either or neither, one can only have fake relationships or plastic plants.
… yourself first.
Afterall, the only one you can rely on, no matter what, is always the one who looks back at you in the mirror.
… people do without saying.
Careless people say without doing.
… love is the biggest loss.
When it was just its mask the loss is on the other side.
… needed to invent time to understand the principle of change.
… life is your most important work.
Value feedback, surround yourself with supporting partners, take on challenges.


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Building the Conversation - Tuesday's Conference by Urban Green Examined Climate Communication in the Green Building Field
POSTED ON: September 19, 2012
The crowd was upbeat, considering the seriousness of the topic - an assortment of designers, architects, students, scientists, politicians and more gathered on Tuesday morning at the Bloomberg building for Urban Green's symposium "Cooling on Climate Change: Designing the Message." The crowd had braved the rain to discuss two issues: how can we more effectively communicate about climate change? And what role can the green building community have in this effort?
The event kicked off with a keynote address by Dr. James Hansen, Director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (referred to by the moderator as the "Lady Gaga of Climate Change," a playful nod to Hansen's centrality to the climate movement) and featured such distinguished guests as Bryan Walsh (TIME International), Daniel A. Lashof (Natural Resource Defense Council), Lisa Fernandez (Yale Project on Climate Change Communications), Douglass Wyatt Hocking (Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates) and many others.
The first panel gave a lucid picture of the "state of the field" of climate communications. The precipitous drop in belief in climate change seems to have abated somewhat, but is still far lower than its 2003 peak; panelists emphasized that stating the facts is necessary but not sufficient to convince your audience; and the issue of "framing"—how we should phrase the issue in order to most effectively reach people—was a constant focus of the discussion. As Lisa Fernandez mentioned, health concerns continue to be one of the most effective ways to reach members of the public who might be otherwise unmoved by images of melancholy polar bears.
As the topic shifted to green building for the second panel, the talk became more pragmatic, but stayed focused on the theme of framing. As Dan Probst of Jones Lang LaSalle put it, "climate change just isn't a key driver in green building investment." Just as health appears to be the most productive way of framing climate adaptation for a general audience, so economics appears to be the most productive way to frame it for a real estate audience. And, as Probst elaborated, nothing helps better than a great example: the LEED Gold Certified Empire State Building saves approximately $4.4 million dollars annually in its energy costs. This is the kind of statistic that speaks to the real estate community.
The takeaway was seemingly paradoxical—if you want to talk about climate change effectively, talk about something else.
For more on the event, check out Urban Green's blog post


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To everyone who has contributed towards OBsessions 1 and 2, let me just say it's nice to know I am in good company when it comes to missing OB. Thank you for sharing links and news related to our favorite couples, OB, and my personal favorite JW. It's reassuring to know I have you guys to turn to when I find myself missing what has remained my all time favorite drama. Just to start out the page, here are some of my favorite scenes that still make me feel a range of emotions even with just one glance. OB seems to be a drama where time forgot cuz no matter how many weeks and months it's been, every line of dialogue or every look TH and J gave each other takes me back to that moment when they started to fall in love. This was one of those rare dramas where you felt like you stumbled onto perfection and just want to make camp there forever.
This screencap was taken from an interview back when he was in Baker King -wonder if it means he wears glasses in real life and all this time we saw him in contacts. Since he never wore glasses on 1n2d, maybe he got lasik done. I was pretty surprised to see him wearing these glasses during an interview since most stars wouldn't do that. I don't know how he does it, but he even makes glasses look great.
*credit Chelsea and letters for sharing this with us. Thank you so much. 🙂
OMG prayers do get answered. could he possibly look any better in this CF? they both look amazing. I dont get what a courtroom and justice has to do with coffee, but this is no time to nitpick. Just the fact that this video exists is a gift to OB fans. I am going to watch every entertainment news program to see if these two were interviewed for this CF. 🙂
*Photo credits go to Baidu and bbblue73 for sharing them. Thank you for making all of us so happy. 🙂
Bridal Mask press conference
Credit to Baidu and bbblue73, SS, and umi for sharing links and other vids. 🙂


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IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF WATERFOWL PRESENCE GREATER ON CONSERVED LANDS? by Brian Vance Kearns A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE (GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Brian Vance Kearns
Object Description
|Is the likelihood of waterfowl presence greater on conserved lands?
|Kearns, Brian Vance
|Author email
|Master of Science
|Document type
|Degree program
|Geographic Information Science and Technology
|College of Letters, Arts And Sciences
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Date approved
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Longcore, Travis R.
|Advisor (committee member)
Kemp, Karen K.
Vos, Robert O.
|Waterfowl are one of our Nation's most precious and abundant natural resources, and preserving habitat well suited to their needs has long been a goal of private and public entities alike. In this study, I focused on the American Black Duck (Anas rubripes), a species seeing a large decline in numbers since the mid 20th century. Using a satellite telemetry dataset collected by Ducks Unlimited during 2008 and 2009 in the context of the Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD), I addressed the land use habits of A. rubripes to assess the efficacy of costly conservation efforts implemented through conservation easements and the maintenance of wildlife refuges and management areas. Most analyses were conducted at the stopover level, grouping telemetry points within a 0.5 decimal degree diameter. By creating distributions and studying correlations, this study finds that during wintering months A. rubripes registered more telemetry points in PAD lands where hunting is allowed in-season; during migration, lands outside of the PAD were more frequently used. This could be attributed to waterfowl specific management practices creating prime habitat during wintering and food needs being fulfilled by residual agricultural products during migration. This suggests an increased importance of management efforts in wintering habitats. Climate variables were also assessed to test reported influences of temperature and precipitation on distribution and stopover behaviors, but study data did not demonstrate a correlation between stopover length and temperature or precipitation at arrival and departure. A finer scale geospatial analysis using more detailed information about hunting status and protection level is recommended to further interpret available data.
|waterfowl; migration; GIS; conservation; land easements; land use
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
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|University of Southern California. Libraries
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|University of Southern California
|Kearns, Brian Vance
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|The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
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|University of Southern California Digital Library
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|IS THE LIKELIHOOD OF WATERFOWL PRESENCE GREATER ON CONSERVED LANDS? by Brian Vance Kearns A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE (GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Brian Vance Kearns


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Hi Team,
Lately we've been sharing with you a bunch neat strategies for using some new keyword tools and resources.
We've looked at:
I wanted to go into more detail about one tool that I mentioned briefly in my post on semantic site structuring (and by others in their recent comments here on the blog.)
The Google Wonder Wheel
This is the Google Wonder Wheel – another freakin' incredible tool that Google has released recently that shows the semantic relationships between keywords – so it's another great resource for semantic site structuring.
Essentially, if you want to know what the branches of your site structure should look like, this is a great resource to get ideas on what Google thinks your site should look like.
How To Get Access to the Google Wonder Wheel
Next time you're searching in Google, look for the "Show Options" button.
Click this, then "Wonder Wheel".
…And you'll be able to play with the Wonder Wheel for yourself.
I Still Can't Get Access
The Google Wonder Wheel hasn't been widely released yet, (unlike the Google Search-Based Keyword Tool,) but Google Blogoscoped was able to work out how to give everyone access.
If you want to try out this experiment yourself, that's possible. All you need to do is go to google.com and paste the following into the address bar, and hit return – that will set a cookie telling Google you're taking part in the prototype:
This should unlock the Google Wonder Wheel for you, which will now be accessible via the steps above.
How to Use The Wonder Wheel for Semantic Site Structuring
Because you're using the Wonder Wheel to analyze keyword relationships for site structuring, the obvious place to start is with your site keyword – or the topic for your site.
From there, the "branches" off the keyword may be logical category ideas – the branches off them may be logical subcategories – and so-on.
(Obviously, by then analyzing the traffic, value and competition around the keywords in Market Samurai – and focussing on high traffic, low competition, high value keywords – you'll be able to focus your site structure onto the most profitable keywords.)
Have a play with this – it's a fun tool to have a play with and will give you a good idea of keyword relationships. But, as you'll see, it can be slow way to do keyword analysis (because it only shows highly relevant keyword relationships – not the traffic strength of the keywords.)
So tomorrow, I'll show you an even faster way to analyze keywords, and develop semantic site structures.


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Creative Nail Design by Sue is hosting a nail stamping contest, and this is my very simple design that I came up with.
The base is three coats of OPI It's Sheer Luck, and the stamping is done with Kleancolor Metallic Green. The pattern is from Bundle Monster BM309. I mattified the whole thing with ELF Matte Finisher.
Hope you like it!


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Bluffton quarterback C.J. Frazier was harassed early by the Georgetown defense but found time to throw six touchdown passes Friday night in a 69-29 win for the Bobcats.
BHS advances to the second round of the Division 3A playoffs, hosting the Hartsville Red Foxes in Bluffton next week.
The victory improved Bluffton's record to 11-0 on the season; Georgetown ended its year with a 7-4 mark.
Frazier connected four times with Dimitri Lowry and twice with Eric Boyles for TDs against the Bulldogs.
"The pass rush was bothering me a bit. We had to figure that out -- and the line did a really good job," Frazier said. "Plus I was a little antsy, a little anxious at first."
After throwing some incomplete "wounded ducks," Frazier found senior wingback Boyles for a pair of 9-yard TDs in the first quarter. Then the QB found his rhythm for a couple of long strikes to senior wide receiver Lowry -- the second a perfect spiral for a 49-yard score.
The junior quarterback has now thrown 44 TD passes this year.
"He was under a lot of pressure but I thought he handled it pretty good," said Bluffton Head Coach Ken Cribb. "It was good practice. We haven't seen that kind of pressure so far."
Senior wingback Jerry Scott ran for four Bluffton touchdowns, all in the second half.
Georgetown employed an odd combination of a spread offensive set and a grinding ground attack, with Leonard Leak running for more than 100 yards and three TDs for the Bulldogs.
But the Bobcats' defense kept Georgetown from developing much offensive momentum. Senior linebackers Corey Stoner, Michael Grant and Hayden Gillespie -- along with junior backup Rogan Ferguson -- kept Leak from breaking long runs.
"He just kept coming," Stoner said of Leak, who ran the ball more than 30 times.
Georgetown quarterback Caleb Hughes ran for a TD in the second quarter but the Bluffton defensive line was in his face all night. Bo Strimpfel batted down three passes and senior Ladarius Hughes and sophmore K.J. Ford each recorded quarterback sacks.
Grant recovered a fumble and junior safety Khalil Mitchell intercepted a pass for the Bobcat defense.
Georgetown, coached by former Cribb assistant Bradley Adams, never gave up. The Bulldogs stubbornly moved the ball for two fourth quarter touchdowns, one after successfully recovering an onside kick.
"We had to turn it back on, let's don't let that happen again," Cribb told his team after the game.
"The Red Foxes might come in here and score 79. We've got to get to work," he said, predicting a "barn burner" next week.
Georgetown 3 12 0 14 - 29
Bluffton 14 21 21 13 - 69
7:57 BHS-Eric Boyles 9 yard TD pass from C.J. Frazier. (Mallie Sprouse kick.) GHS 0, BHS 7.
4:18 GHS-Jackson Britt 28 yard FG. GHS 3, BHS 7.
0:35 BHS-Boyles 9 yard TD pass from Frazier. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 3, BHS 14.
9:30 GHS-Caleb Hughes 1 yard TD run. (Kick failed.) GHS 9, BHS 14.
8:27 BHS-Dimitri Lowry 64 yard TD pass from Frazier. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 9, BHS 21.
5:41 BHS-Lowry 49 yard TD pass from Frazier. (Kick failed.) GHS 9, BHS 27.
2:51 GHS-Leonard Leak 2 yard TD run. (Conversion failed.) GHS 15, BHS 27.
0:43 BHS-Lowry 14 yard TD pass from Frazier. (Jerry Scott run.) GHS 15, BHS 35.
10:12 BHS-Lowry 34 yard TD pass from Frazier. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 15, BHS 42.
8:57 BHS-Jeremy Scott 53 yard TD punt return. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 15, BHS 49.
1:57 BHS-Jerry Scott 14 yard TD run. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 15, BHS 56.
10:30 GHS-Leak 1 yard TD run. (Hughes pass to A.J. Walker.) GHS 23, BHS 56.
9:06 GHS-Leak 1 yard TD run. (Pass failed.) GHS 29, BHS 56.
7:18 BHS-Jerry Scott 12 yard TD run. (Sprouse kick.) GHS 29, BHS 63.
5:32 BHS-Jerry Scott 18 yard TD run. (Kick blocked.) GHS 29, BHS 69.
Linebackers sport Mohawk look
Bluffton's linebacker corps hit the local barber shops, then hit the Georgetown Bulldogs.
Most -- but not all -- of the Bobcats' 'backers got Mohawk haircuts for inspiration and solidarity in the Division 3A playoffs.
"It's all about the LBs. It's a good idea. We're going to wear it all the way through," said senior Corey Stoner, whose bright red hair was most noticeable.
Though sidelined with a shoulder injury, junior Kyle Waddell was high and tight with his teammates.
"It's all the linebackers. Everybody had it done separately. Some of us went to barber shops and some of us did it at home," said senior Hayden Gillespie.
But senior Michael Grant, who keeps his hair close to the skull anyway, hasn't made the leap.
"They're after me to get it. I'm going to get it, 'cause I love my linebackers," Grant said.
Head Coach Ken Cribb wants no part of hair statements.
"No way," he said. "They got me to shave my head last year and it like to have never grown back."


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Coveted good driver discounts rely on good grades. So which states have the best GPAs for those savings?
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You've been taught to keep your eyes on the road, never drive drowsy, and leave your phone on silent. However, while this may come as common sense to you, some drivers in these states could apparently use a few reminders.
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Home is where the heart is, and in these cities, there are more homeowners than anywhere else in America.
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It Does a Heart Good: 10 States with the Fastest Decline in Heart Disease
Happy, healthy hearts are on the rise across the country. Which states have seen the steepest drops in fatal heart disease during the new millennium?


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Paradoxical as it seems, a team of University of Southern California researchers has built a signal detector that only works when noise is added.
The device uses a novel kind of transistor made from carbon nanotubes. The principal investigator, Professor Bart Kosko of the USC department of electrical engineering, claims that the series of experiments reported in the December issue of the American Chemical Society's Nano Letters, says the result is significant both in the development of electronic applications for nanotubes, and in the development of applications for "stochastic resonance," the counterintuitive use of noise to amplify signals.
The basic idea of stochastic resonance detection, says Kosko, is to create devices with strict threshold effects, that only respond to signals of more than a certain amplitude -- and then set this threshold around, or even below the amplitude
of the signal expected.
In the sub threshold form, "In a quiet, noise-free environment," said the scientist, "the detectors will not receive a signal." But if a moderate amount of noise is present, the signal will, as it were, float on top of the noise, triggering the detectors."
Kosko, who earlier published a theorem setting forth the mathematical basis for the phenomenon, says that the experiments made with the novel carbon nanotube detectors reported in the new paper confirm his predictions.
Carbon nanotubes are minute pipes made of graphite, the form of carbon familiar in pencil lead. Carbon atoms in graphite naturally organize themselves into two-dimensional sheets or lattices in a chicken wire or beehive like hexagonal lattice. Modern fabrication techniques can roll up such sheets into ultra thin tubes 100,000 times smaller than a human hair -- less than 2 nanometers in diameter.
Twisting such tubes can drastically change their electronic properties, from conductors, to semiconductors. A main focus of interest now is their use in flat panel displays.
The experiment used semiconductor nanotubes two nanometers in diameter and 3,000-5000 nanometers long created by Chongwu Zhou, also of the department of electrical engineering, configured to perform as a simple transistor set to detect an electronic signal.
The signal to be detected, however, was deliberately set well below this critical minimum, so that, in silent conditions, no signal at all was received.
But when the experimenters added noise -- random electrical activity -- generated by several alternate methods, the signal came through. Too much added noise wiped it out. But at moderate levels previously undetectable signals would come through.
Kosko has earlier created illustrations of the principle. " Each pixel acts as a separate threshold unit or neuron (or nanotube transistor)," he said.
"We start off by throwing away a great deal of the image's structure and then add noise from there."
The noise makes the fragmentary picture suddenly recognizable. (See illustration).
Kosko has been studying stochastic resonant effects -- how noise can in some circumstances bring out otherwise hidden patterns -- for years, building on work done for the most part in biology. Researchers have discovered that, for example, random Brownian movement stimulation of the cochlear sensors frog ears increases their sensitivity.
Kosko believes that increased awareness of the stochastic resonance phenomenon can aid designers of communications, including especially modern spread-spectrum devices, which often rely on an array of faint signals.
"Nano-device designers can individually tailors nanotubes to specific signals and then deploy them in numbers -- rather like pipe organs tuned to different notes -- to take advantage of the SR-effects, " he said.
In addition to Zhou, the paper was also co-authored by USC graduate students Ian Y. Lee and Anile Liu. The National Science Foundation provided funding for the research.


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The combination of a winter-time jet stream, warm tropical air and a full moon is turning Sandy into a huge and complicated storm that has the potential to devastate the Northeast and parts of the Mid-Atlantic. TODAY's Matt Lauer reports.
Hurricane Sandy is posing a monster challenge for weather forecasters and emergency agencies, due to an amazing combination of meteorological factors, but what's just as amazing is how well they've been able to predict what seemed to be an unpredictable disaster.
"It looks like we've been fairly consistent on this, even five days out," Chris Landsea, science and operations officer at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, told me today. "I think when all is said and done, on the track forecast, we're going to be quite accurate."
Sandy's path, which took a left turn from the Atlantic to slam head-on into the heavily populated Northeast, is just one of the unusual aspects of this storm. "The size of this system, the late-season nature, and the track — all these are fairly unique characteristics," Landsea said. To look for precedents, you have to go back to infamous hurricanes such as Agnes in 1972, Hazel in 1954, even the great storms of 1944, 1938, 1815 and 1804. But today, the region is so much more populous and developed that the impact is certain to be far greater.
Here are five factors that have turned Sandy into a superstorm:
Northerly track: Atlantic tropical storms most commonly tear through the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, and lose energy as they pass over the U.S mainland. This storm, however, crept along the Eastern Seaboard, where waters that were warmer than usual for this time of year kept the storm alive. As the storm moved northward, it morphed into a hybrid storm, drawing additional strength from the differential between the storm's warm air and cold northern air from the jet stream.
"There's a transformation that this system is undergoing," Landsea explained. "This is actually evolving into a winter storm, and later, a nor'easter." One result of this evolution is that the storm system has widened to more than 800 miles in diameter, stretching from the Carolinas to Maine and Canada.
NOAA's GOES-13 weather satellite shows the storm system associated with Hurricane Sandy covering the northeastern United States even before landfall on Monday.
The left turn: Hurricanes that get so far north could drift off into the cold Atlantic to die — but they can also be pushed into the mainland, as Hurricane Irene was last year. Irene followed a path that was roughly parallel to the coastline, but Sandy took a hard left turn that put it on a course for a direct, perpendicular strike on the coast. That's because a cold front on the mainland is drawing the storm westward, while the current state of a weather pattern known as the North Atlantic Oscillation is blocking the storm from heading eastward.
Storm surge: Sandy's top sustained winds of 85 miles per hour typically wouldn't rate as a superstorm, but its effects will be magnified, Landsea said. "Even though it's not a 'major' hurricane by any means ... there is substantial threat because of the storm surge and because of the rainfall. There's going to be flooding. Both of those factors are going to be killers," he said. The storm surge is projected to range from 6 to 11 feet. One of the big reasons for such a high surge is that the waters off the coast of New York and New Jersey are so shallow: As the surge from the deeper ocean nears the coastline, all that water piles up to create a higher wave.
Full moon: Another reason for the huge storm surge is the fact that the moon is hitting its full phase just as Sandy is making landfall. The celestial lineup of the sun, moon and Earth contributes to higher-than-normal high tides.
Winter storm: Sandy is such a late-season storm that it's running into winter weather in the northeastern United States, which is adding an extra dimension to the misery. "I have not been around long enough to see a hurricane forecast with a snow advisory in it," Craig Fugate, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told NBC's TODAY. The storm could trigger up to 3 feet of snow in the Appalachians, the National Weather Service reported. The Weather Channel's Tom Niziol said that "an amazing combination of factors" have come together to make Sandy a threat due to the snow as well as the rain.
Landsea and other forecasters may marvel at the factors behind what some have called a "perfect storm" or "Frankenstorm," and there'll surely be lots of lessons learned for future weather modeling. But that's not what's uppermost on their mind right now. "What's really important are the impacts," Landsea said.
To keep on top of the storm, and to keep safe, keep an eye on NBC News' hurricane coverage:
- Sandy swamps coastal towns, cuts power to 700,000
- Live updates on Hurricane Sandy
- Your images of Hurricane Sandy
Update for 3:10 p.m. ET Oct. 30: The storm surge was clearly one of the biggest impacts of Hurricane Sandy, and for good reason: The National Hurricane Service reported that in some cases, the surge exceeded its own maximum prediction of 11 feet. At New York's Battery Park, for example, the surge measured 13.7 feet — and it was devastating. On another note, I've corrected the spelling of Landsea's apt last name since this item was originally published.
Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the Cosmic Log page to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box. You can also check out "The Case for Pluto," my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.


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After 17 games, we are all well familiar with the biggest names on the Giants and the roles they play in helping the team win.
Time spent discussing what Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, Jason Pierre-Paul or Corey Webster have to do to help the Giants advance to the NFC Championship Game is time wasted. If any of those players fail to show up, the chances that this run dies at Lambeau Field increase exponentially.
What is worth discussing is the other Giants who need to show up and play well if the Giants are going to pull off another Green Bay surprise. The Giants will have to get big performances up and down the roster to beat the Packers and the players listed below are at the top of the list of those who need to come up huge on Sunday.
U.S. & World
Brandon Jacobs: Seeing Jacobs run against the Falcons was like stepping into Marty McFly's DeLorean and winding up at some point in the past when Jacobs was known for running hard on the field instead of running his mouth off of it. Ahmad Bradshaw might be the better overall back, but Jacobs' style is so punishing that his big runs seem to have a demoralizing effect on the defense.
David Diehl: Diehl has been bad for a couple of seasons now, but there were some signs of the old player against the Falcons last week when he actually did a good job pass blocking for the first time in ages. Manning has done a great job evading rushers and making plays this season, but life will be much easier against the Packers if Diehl is able to ensure his quarterback has time to make plays.
Perhaps a little something from Packers defensive tackle B.J. Raji will fire Diehl up before Sunday. "Not to say they're soft. But it's not the toughest group I've been against."
Linval Joseph/Rocky Bernard/Chris Canty: This trio didn't get nearly enough credit for their work against Atlanta as they totally shut down the run and created havoc in the pocket for Matt Ryan all afternoon. They need to do the exact same thing this weekend.
If the Packers spend extra attention on Pierre-Paul and Justin Tuck (not a given thanks to their preference for maximizing receiving options), the inside group will have to get a tremendous push up the middle to knock Aaron Rodgers out of rhythm. It won't be easy against a group that Pro Football Focus credits with giving up nine sacks on 2,557 passing downs.
Jacquian Williams: Williams had a mixed day against tight end Jermichael Finley earlier this season, including a crucial illegal contact penalty that helped the Packers keep a drive alive late in the game. Williams has done well for a rookie, so there's reason to hope he can negate Finley enough to leave the secondary free to concentrate on the Packers receivers.
Aaron Ross: Ross is supposedly fine after suffering a concussion last Sunday, but even a clear head might not be enough for a player who has been burnt badly many times this season. Rodgers gets rid of the ball so quickly that Ross needs to do a great job even if the Giants generate a ton of pass rush.
Steve Weatherford: The Giants can't afford any special teams mistakes this weekend and that includes shanks from a punter who was good all season before faltering in the last few weeks. Holding Rodgers on a long field is difficult, doing it on a short field is an impossibility.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.


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ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Christy, Lespron
- 1 Arizona State University
- 1 Carol, Johnston
- 1 Karen, Sweazea
- 1 Petersen, Katherine Nicole
- 1 English
- 1 Public
- Mobile Crowd Sensing in Edge Computing Environment
- The Effect of Disability on Subjective Well-Being across the Adult Lifespan: The Moderating Roles of Age at Disability Onset and Disability Type
- Mechanically Active Heterogeneous Polymer Matrix Composites
- Attribute-Based Encryption for Fine-Grained Access Control over Sensitive Data
- 并购背景下教育行业品牌价值研究
Type 2 diabetes affects approximately 7.3% of Americans, leading to debilitating and life-threatening comorbidities. Estrogen and testosterone levels have been linked to inflammatory and oxidative stress markers, as well as glucose and insulin concentrations. The present study was designed to determine the link between sex differences, glucose control, and inflammation and oxidative stress related to daily almond ingestion among subjects with type 2 diabetes. Subjects were randomized to an intervention group, which received 1.5 oz. almonds daily for 12 weeks, or to the matched control group, which maintained their current diet. No significant differences were found in changes in glucose …
- Contributors
- Petersen, Katherine Nicole, Karen, Sweazea, Carol, Johnston, et al.
- Created Date
- 2014