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I know people who want cold temperatures during the weeks leading up to Christmas. They say it gets them in the holiday spirit.
I also know people who have been shivering this month and are not happy about November's cold weather.
Here is some pleasant news for the latter group: The first part of December will be warmer, according to just about every long-range forecast.
The change to milder weather is likely to start at the end of this weekend and early next week, when the overall atmospheric pattern across the United States changes to a zonal flow. Instead of the huge kink in the jet stream that sent arctic air cruising southward into the United States in recent weeks, we'll be looking at more of a west-to-east flow of weather systems.
That means warmer temperatures.
The polar vortex will intensify at the North Pole, which will bring the frigid air back to the far north. And that will allow milder air from the Pacific Ocean to dominate weather across the United States.
The best guess from meteorologists is that temperatures will run somewhere in the ballpark of 4 to 6 degrees above average for the first two weeks of December. Normal highs and lows in Charlotte at that time of year are around 55 and 34 degrees.
This month is likely to finish among the 10 coldest Novembers on record in Charlotte. As of Sunday, the average temperature in the city was 5.3 degrees below seasonal norms. That deficit decreased with Monday's mild weather, but it will build again with chillier conditions returning for the rest of the week.
That means your heating bills will be a lot higher than usual for November.
How long will the mild trend last?
The long-range forecasts for December show question marks after the first two weeks of the month. Meteorologists who specialize in seasonal forecasts have said that December and early January are likely to be changeable, before a cold snap arrives in the latter half of January and into February.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Toasty forecast for early December
I know people who want cold temperatures during the weeks leading up to Christmas. They say it gets them in the holiday spirit.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Problems ahead for big Thanksgiving travel day?
A few days ago, we were giving Thanksgiving travelers the all-clear signal for Tuesday and Wednesday. Now that outlook isn't so rosy.
Both the Europeans and Global computer models are predicting the development of a low pressure system along the Carolinas coast Wednesday, and that spells possible trouble for travelers.
"There definitely will be a coastal low," National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Krentz said Saturday evening. "The big question is how close to the coast it will be."
The closer to the coast, the farther inland for precipitation.
Wednesday is the biggest travel day of the year, and rain will make a mess of things for those flying or driving somewhere for Thanksgiving. Right now, it appears as if the biggest problems will be for anyone headed toward eastern North Carolina, including the Raleigh area, or up into central and eastern Virginia.
I must point out that temperatures will be chilly Wednesday, and although the precipitation almost certainly will fall as rain, some of the information being churned out by the computers says "snow," especially for northeastern North Carolina and farther to the west in the N.C. mountains.
I've traveled on a rainy Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and it was miserable. A steady rain turned a trip up I-85 to Richmond into an ordeal.
We should have a better idea on the makeup of the storm, including its path, by later Sunday or early Monday.
But it's definitely a new -- and unwanted -- wrinkle in the Thanksgiving travel picture.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Good news for Thanksgiving?
It looks as if weather patterns across the eastern United States are shaping up nicely for Carolinas residents during the Thanksgiving holiday week.
Translated ... travelers apparently won't have to deal with big storms, and those who enjoy a winter-like feel to the air will get their wish on Thanksgiving Day.
If your preference is for shorts and T-shirts on Thanksgiving, sorry!
Thanksgiving week will be ushered in with a fairly significant storm system across the eastern United States. Low pressure will move up the Ohio Valley late Saturday and Sunday. A weak cold air damming event could develop in the Carolinas Piedmont and Foothills on Sunday, but it probably won't last long -- especially in the Piedmont.
That will set the stage for a rainy Sunday, with temperatures in the 60s.
By the way, the atmosphere will have one element needed for severe weather Sunday -- wind shear. But instability will be lacking, so we're probably looking at showery weather.
The showers will taper off Monday, and we'll be in a warm sector for the day before another cold front arrives. That means highs in the upper 60s and lower 70s.
The next cold front arrives Monday night, and it will be followed by another front later in the week. By Thanksgiving, we're probably looking at high temperatures in the low to mid 40s for Charlotte, with sub-freezing morning lows. But there are no signs of major storm systems, even for the weekend after Thanksgiving.
Incidentally, our warm-up Sunday and Monday will sweep into the North. Highs in the 60s are possible for New York and Philadelphia. Places along the Great Lakes that were hit with heavy snow this week will see a rapid melt-off Sunday and Monday.
For Thanksgiving holiday travelers, the advance outlook is good.
"I don't see anything that will be a problem in the Southeast for travelers on Tuesday and Wednesday," said Chris Horne, of the National Weather Service office in Greer, S.C.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Cold? Absolutely! Record-breaking? No!
A lot is being made by weather watchers -- including me -- of the cold wave arriving in the Carolinas later Wednesday.
For several nights, we've watched national newscasts showing heavy snow and bitter cold in the Rockies and Midwest. Even Texas has gotten into the act, with temperatures taking a 40-degree nose dive.
Terms like "polar vortex" and "arctic blast" are being thrown around, and you'd almost think we were in the thick of winter. That's not the case.
First, here are a couple things that the cold wave will do:
1. Last a while. This pattern change will last at least two weeks, until around Thanksgiving. A couple reinforcing surges of cold air will push into the United States and reach the Southeast next week and early the following week.
2. Drop temperatures considerably. We've been in the 70s for several days, and that will end after today. Thursday will be a cross-over day, with highs in the 50s as colder air filters in. A secondary cold front will arrive later Thursday, dropping Friday's highs to the 40s. That's a lot colder than anything we've had for a while, and it's well below the seasonal average high in Charlotte for this time of year -- 63 degrees.
3. Bring snow -- to parts of the North. The traditional "lake-effect" snow areas around the Great Lakes will get a lot of snow from these various surges of cold air. We're talking about upstate New York (from Lake Ontario); the area from Cleveland's eastern suburbs to Buffalo (Lake Erie); Michigan's Upper Peninsula (Lake Superior); and the corridor from South Bend, Ind., up along western Michigan's shore (Lake Michigan).
But here are some things the cold wave is not:
1. A record-breaker. A few records might be broken, but here's something to think about. The coldest morning low temperature in the first surge of cold air this weekend in Charlotte will be 24 or 25 degrees Saturday. The record low for Saturday is 20, set in 1969.
2. Unusual. "The upcoming pattern will feature a trough in the eastern United States, and that's typical in winter," said John Tomko, of the Weather Service's Greer, S.C., office. "It's just a few weeks earlier than usual. But it's the kind of pattern we always see."
3. Aiming at the Southeast. Tomko said the trough will be strong but broad, rather than deep. What does that mean? Instead of the coldest of the air surging all the way into the Deep South, it will run out of steam to our north -- over Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia. "Certainly, colder air will reach our area," Tomko said. "But the coldest air will be held to our north."
Monday, November 10, 2014
As advertised, the cold air is coming
The weather pattern change that we started talking about early last week is unfolding Monday across the northern part of the United States.
A very strong storm system that battered western Alaska last Friday helped create a kink in the jet stream, and that is allowing an outbreak of arctic air to blast into much of the United States.
The cold air will reach the Charlotte region Thursday, but the heart of the arctic outbreak appears to be aimed at the central third of the United States. Places like Des Moines, Iowa, are not forecast to climb above freezing for much of the week. In Dallas, where the front is expected to arrive Tuesday, post-frontal high temperatures will only reach the 40s.
The cold air will trigger an outbreak of heavy lake-effect snow squalls in the Great Lakes.
And forecasters said long-range guidance from the computer models points to a second surge of cold air about a week from now. The coldest of that air might be aimed farther eastward, toward the eastern Great Lakes, the Northeast, and the Southeast.
This change in the pattern will last a while -- probably two weeks and maybe a bit more. That will take us into the beginning of Thanksgiving week.
So far, there are no strong indications that storm systems will form in the Southeast while the heart of the cold is around. And that will prevent an early-season snow or ice event, although there is a chance that a low pressure system expected to form in the Gulf of Mexico on Friday could bring snow to the North Carolina mountains Sunday.
We said good-bye to the 80s with the arrival of a strong cold front a few days before Halloween. Now it looks as if the next outbreak of very chilly air will mark an end to the 70s, at least for a while.
Thursday, November 6, 2014
Still looking cold for later next week
Computer guidance still indicates an outbreak of unseasonably cold air will push into the Carolinas next week, although it now appears as if the really chilly conditions might not arrive until Wednesday or even Thursday.
But everything basically looks the same as it did 24 hours ago.
A huge storm system is forecast to develop in the Aleutians on Friday, bringing winds of 75 mph and 45-foot waves into the Bering Sea. That system then will contribute to a kink in the jet stream, allowing polar air to dive southward into the continental United States.
This is a big change in our pattern, and computer models tend to have problems locking onto a solution. That means you might see a lot of changes in advanced forecasts over the next few days.
But barring something unexpected, it appears likely that we'll see temperatures later next week that are more like January than November.
There also are some hints of a storm system developing along the polar front later next week, but let's not get excited about that yet.
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Alaska super storm could mean cold November for us
The remnants of a strong typhoon are expected to develop into a super storm off southwest Alaska and then could help bring the Carolinas some of its coldest November weather in years, starting next week.
That is the scenario gaining favor among meteorologists and computer models this week,
Some guidance from the trusted Global and European computer models paint a picture of daytime highs in the 30s and morning lows around 20 degrees in the Charlotte area by the middle of next week, in fact.
How will all this happen?
It starts with Typhoon Nuri, which was a Category 5 storm with 180 mph winds before weakening northeast of Japan during the past day. Nuri is forecast to swing northeast, into the north Pacific, and head toward the Bering Sea as it morphs into a very powerful non-tropical system.
In its morning summary, the National Weather Service office in Anchorage said the Aleutians storm could set a record for lowest barometric pressure Friday. Winds in the western Aleutians are forecast to be at hurricane force, with waves of 43 feet or more.
This is where the forecast moves into the "theory" category.
Meteorologists have noticed in recent years that strong storm systems near Alaska can ripple the jet stream, causing a big dip from Alaska across western Canada and into the eastern United States. That is the recipe for blasts of cold air to push into areas east of the Mississippi River.
You can find a write-up of this situation here and there's another one here.
The computer models are picking up on this situation and are predicting a surge of cold air into the United States around Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Typically, a pattern shift like this doesn't go away quickly, and this could persist through the month of November.
Last weekend's snowfall in the Carolinas, interestingly, was the work of the remnants of another former tropical system, Hurricane Ana, which had threatened Hawaii earlier.
We'll be watching this situation over the next week.


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Document / Publication
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
This global guide to advocacy for disaster risk reduction (DRR) aims to strengthen the skills, knowledge and proficiency of practitioners in advocating on DRR approaches to decision-makers, donors and policy-makers. It is designed to help IFRC National Societies meet those challenges. It provides an introduction on increased disasters and increased vulnerability; (i) aims to answer 'What is disaster risk reduction?' and 'What comes next?'. Its chapters address (i) The importance of frameworks (ii) sustaining development (iii) what is advocacy (iv) public versus private (v) the role of advocacy in DRR (vi) demonstrating the benefits of DRR (vii) advocacy in the community (viii) advocacy roles of the DRR practitioner (ix) being the change (x) how to deliver effective advocacy (xi) Advocacy and legal preparedness and (xii) advocacy and cross-cutting issues such as gender, livelihoods, food security, urbanization and climate change.
Permalink: https://www.preventionweb.net/go/26721

subset: commoncrawl


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I love skin.
I love it when it's dry.
I love it when it's wet.
I love it when it's a little bit salty.
I love to lick it. I love to bite it. I love to smack it up, flip it, rub it down...
Now I'm assuming that most of you need to get your mind out of the gutter.
But if you're at all in touch with your Asian side, you'll know that since the Chinese word for food wrapper is also the word for "skin," that I could also be talking about that. You know, like wonton wrappers, er, I mean skins. Eggroll skins. Gyoza skins. Mu Shu skins. Mandoo skins. Xiu Long Bao skins. Burrito skins (aka tortillas) And in this case, I am.
See what I mean?
From what I hear, as far as a certain type of Korean skin is concerned, Shik Do Rak in Koreatown is apparently the self-proclaimed Home-Of-It.
And so it was that Mr. DG and I met up at Shik Do Rak with our favorite foodblogging couple, Jeni of Oishii Eats and Dylan of Eat, Drink, & Be Merry to see what this skin was all about. No, I'm not talking about Korean burlesque, you naughty little minxes. No, no, I'm talking about duk bo sam, otherwise known as Korean rice wrappers.
The process at Shik Do Rak is pretty simple. Grill up your meat. Dip it into the delicious garlicky, beany, red pepper paste and/or into the salted oil. Put it onto a square of duk bo sam. Top with some of the flavorless-needed-to-be-dressed lettuce salad. Wrap it up. Eat. Repeat. Have some of the not-too-plentiful panchan and some Hite beer while you're at it. Shik Do Rak's menu isn't all too complicated either with its handful of meat choices and just a sprinkling of other non-BBQ dishes. We did this whole wrap thing with some chadol baegi which are thin, ribbon-like slices of beef (very reminiscent of the beef curls that you see at those Mongolian BBQ places), beef tongue and beef short rib. Making things even easier is the restaurant's super-attentive wait staff: just ask and you shall receive. And if for some strange reason you don't, just ask the ultra-friendly owner--a cute little older gentleman who literally goes to each table to check on them--and you definitely shall receive.
Plus this (cooked of course)...
And this...
Equals this!
I liked this place, but definitely not because of the meat. Though its overall quality was decent, its flavor left something to be desired because it wasn't pre-marinated. No, my friends, it's all about the duk bo sam here. There's something about the cool, chewy snap of the wrapper against the freshly grilled meat that has one coming back for more. After all, this is the house of skin, er, I mean duk bo sam, isn't it?
Shik Do Rak
2501 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90006
(213) 384-4148
(To get Eat, Drink, & Be Merry's take on our Shik Do Rak outing, go here!)


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Floor tiles are a form of durable floor covering that have fast become a popular alternative to other types of flooring, like wood or linoleum. Most commonly available in porcelain, natural stone, marble, and ceramic, there has been a surge in the use of more unusual floor tile materials in recent years, including slate, limestone, and terracotta. Floor tile is widely considered to be more hardwearing than carpet, more durable than laminate, and more cost effective than hardwood.
One of the most impressive characteristics of floor tile is its easy-to-clean, low maintenance nature. As a floor covering that can simply be wiped with a damp cloth, and which doesn't trap dirt, floor tiles are particularly good options for entrance ways that are prone to muddy footprints, for homes with pets to minimise a build up of animal fur, and for areas where spills are likely, such as the kitchen or dining room. Overall, they offer an excellent level of hygiene, without the need for excessive levels of care.
Some homeowners may be concerned about the use of tile in wet areas such as bathrooms, lavatories, or wet rooms, due to their slippery nature. These concerns were responsible for the disastrous trend of carpet bathrooms back in the 1970s and 1980s; a very unhygienic option! The good news is that there are many tiles that are especially designed to be non-slip, made with a gently textured surface that allows for a better grip in damp conditions. Today, floor tiles are a top choice for bathroom spaces.
However, floor tiles aren't just about safety; they're about style, too. There is a great deal of choice when it comes to floor tiles, and one of the most fascinating emerging interior decor trends today is to opt for busy, patterned floor tiles, which replicate the intricate designs of Moorish mansions, and bring a touch of Middle Eastern exoticism into the home. There's also a wide range of finishes to choose from, including high gloss, subtle matt, polished, etched, and brushed, all of which bring a different look and feel.
One of the most important questions that homeowners are asking today is 'glazed or unglazed?'. Both types of floor tile have their own unique qualities. Glazed ceramic is arguably one of the most hardwearing floor tile materials, great for areas of heavy foot traffic. Unglazed natural stone, on the other hand, may be a little softer but it has a raw, rugged nature which means that it's almost impossible to see any wear and tear on the tile. This creates a look that never falters, even with heavy usage.
Ultimately, floor tiles are designed to last, which makes them one of the best flooring choices for many people. It really doesn't matter whether you're planning to stay in your home forever, or move to new property in the near future; if your floors could do with a new lease of life, tiling is a hugely sensible option. With so much variety when it comes to colours, shapes, patterns, and sizes, it's remarkably easy to tailor your tiled look to your own specifications, creating a look that perfectly matches your needs.
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All contents are © the named (or unnamed) individual contributors. Site copyright & disclaimer. Site design courtesy of Nick Robinson.
No part of this website may be reproduced in any form (including e-books) without
specific permission. If you do, we'll track you down and you will fold with the fishes. Last updated
February 23 2018


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Pledge zero tolerance
Join the 3 million others who have pledged to protect their kindred species. Unleash your wild instinct to protect life and start a movement!
Wild for Life awarded Accolade Award, Hermes Creative Award, Webby People's Choice Award in Green Websites, and 2016 top ten most influential advocacy campaigns in China by Weibo (Chinese Twitter).


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text:
- Description
DetailsOverview An oil, fragrance and dye-free moisturizer for sensitive skin. Contains SPF 15 to help protect against UVA UVB sun damage. The formula with humectants, Aloe Vera, Vitamins A, C and E provides comfortable hydration. Will not clog pores. Lanolin-free. How to use Uses: helps prevent sunburn. Warnings: For external use only. Do not use on irritated or broken skin. Stop use and ask a physician if rash, irritation or sensitivity develops and lasts. When using this product do not get into eyes. If contact occurs, rinse eyes thoroughly with water. Keep out of reach of children. In case of accidental ingestion, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. Directions: apply evenly before sun exposure and as needed. Children under 6 months of age: consult a doctor Sun Alert: Limiting sun exposure, wearing protective clothing, and using sunscreens may reduce the risks of skin aging, skin cancer and other harmful effects of the sun. Ingredients Active ingredients: Avobenzone 3.0% (Sunscreen); Homosalate 5.0% (Sunscreen); Octisalate 5.0% (Sunscreen); Octocrylene 2.6% (Sunscreen) Inactive ingredients: Water, glycerin, polyethylene, dimethicone, hydroxyethyl acrylate/sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate copolymer, pentylene glycol, sodium PCA, benzyl alcohol, tocopheryl acetate, stearyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, cetyl alcohol, panthenol, isohexadecane, dimethiconol, allantoin, cetearyl glucoside, cetearyl alcohol, PEG-100 ste
- Additional Information
Additional Information
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- Reviews


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UPDATE: Wrekin Hill Entertainment has announced that "Flowers of War" is this year's official foreign language entry for China at the Academy Awards, and will be released in late Decmeber in NYC, LA and SF so that it qualifies.
Christian Bale as a priest trying to save a group of women from the Rape of Nanking in a Chinese-made film that's 60% Mandarin Chinese? Best of luck to the PR firm that lands this account!
"The Flowers of War" stars Bale as John Magee, an American priest in 1937 Naking, which is under the imminent threat of a Japanese invasion. They showed 20 minutes of this to buyers at the Toronto International Film Festival, and it has been submitted as China entry into the Foreign film race for this year's Oscars.
U.S. & World
Here's the official synopsis of the film from back when it was still called "13 Flowers of Nanking":
13 Flowers of Nanjing is set in 1937 in Nanjing, China during Sino-Japanese War, where a few brave refugees find sanctuary in a Church compound. The group, thrown together by the terrible chaos of war, risks their lives for the Church's school children as they struggle to survive the violence and persecution brought on by the violent invasion of the city. Through tremendous adversity, heroism presents itself among the least likely individuals as they bravely navigate their treacherous surroundings to try and save themselves and each other. 13 Flowers of Nanjing is a story of heroism and love: for those around you, for one's family, and the love between an unlikely couple which fate brings together. Christian Bale will play John, an American, trapped thousands of miles from home and seemingly, with nowhere to turn.
We've got our doubts about this one, take a look and see for yourself.


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Arkansas Razorbacks' Bowl Game hopes die in Starkville
Arkansas' chances to reach a bowl game were in their own hands. But in the end, those chances slipped away, along with another game in which they held a second quarter lead.
Tyler Russell threw for 274 yards and four touchdowns to lead Mississippi State to a 45-14 victory over Arkansas on Saturday.
The win snaps a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs (8-3, 4-3 Southeastern Conference). It also ends a three-game losing streak against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas (4-7, 2-5) turned the ball over five times, failing to capitalize such on its 359 yards of total offense.
"I felt in the second half if we keep the turnover battle equal, or maybe even if we could pick one up, we'll end up winning the game," said head coach John L. Smith. "But we ended up really losing the turnover battle in the second half and that was the story of the game."
"It's kind of how we've self-destructed all year," offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said. "We can't do those things."
Russell completed 19 of 32 passes, including a 13-yard touchdown pass to LaDarius Perkins on the game's opening drive. Perkins finished with 131 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns.
It wasn't all pretty for the Bulldogs early, though. Tyler Wilson and the Arkansas offense moved the ball with ease on their first two possessions, and after back-to-back touchdown passes to Cobi Hamilton and Dennis Johnson, the Razorbacks led 14-7.
Wilson finished the game 23 of 29 for 225 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Arkansas held the momentum until a botched punt reception with 10 minutes left in the first half led to a Mississippi State field goal. After a defensive stop, the Bulldogs drove 78 yards in five plays and Russell hit Chad Bumphis for his SEC-leading ninth touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 17-14 lead at the half.
Bumphis finished with 6 catches, two for touchdowns, setting a single-season school record.
In the third quarter, Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen gambled on a fourth-and-one inside the Arkansas 5-yard line, and backup quarterback Dak Prescott ran it in for a touchdown to put the Bulldogs up 24-14.
Arkansas's offense continued to struggle in the second half. The Hogs failed on a fourth down conversion in Bulldog territory late in the third quarter and then, after forcing a three-and-out, fumbled their first play from scrimmage. Two plays later, Russell hit Perkins again for a 24-yard score.
After another Arkansas turnover, Russell hit Bumphis for another score to start the fourth quarter. Three minutes later, after a Darius Slay interception, Nick Griffin broke a 60-yard touchdown run to give the Bulldogs its final margin of victory.
"I thought a number of those guys in the locker room thought we had a chance to win it," Wilson said. "We came out in the second half and then the turnovers really changed the game and hurt us. They took advantage of the turnovers and got a lot more points than we did."
The Bulldogs finished with 505 yards of total offense, 302 through the air. Arceto Clark and Perkins caught 3 passes each.
For Arkansas, Johnson led the team with 88 yards rushing. Hamilton finished with 7 catches, also for 88 yards. Javontee Herndon caught 6 passes for 84 yards.


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The Sun Bowl is scoreless midway through the first quarter, though if it were up to the bowl's Big Ten officiating crew, it would be a bit different. That's because they attempted to call a field goal attempt by USC's Andre Heidari good, even though it was obvious to viewers and everybody in the stadium the kick sailed wide left.
Fortunately, things would be corrected after a short delay prompted by an exasperated Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson. But, still, how is this even possible? The official is clearly looking straight up at the ball as it passes wide. [CBS]


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Amazon Echo Show
Introducing the Amazon Echo Show! Echo Show brings you everything you love about Alexa, and now she can show you things. Watch video flash briefings and YouTube, see music lyrics, security cameras, photos, weather forecasts, to-do and shopping lists, and more. All hands-free—just ask.
Get social with us – follow us on Twitter, subscribe to us on YouTube, or sign up for our newsletter to enter this contest.
*This is a multi-market contest. Contest ends June 28, 2017


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In an attempt to woo businesses into using Android platform smartphones, Motorola Mobility has launched a trade-in program offering business users $200 cash back to switch to a new Android handset.
Apple has already made inroads into the enterprise market, as well as Android, because many workers are eschewing company BlackBerrys for an iPhone or Android phone.
Motorola Mobility, which is being acquired by Google fro $12.5 billion, is aiming the program at what it calls the "professional consumer" who wants to use a smartphone for both business and personal use, the Chicago Tribune reported.
U.S. & World
Motorola is also offering an IT service to help users set up accounts, transfer contacts and coordinate with their company's IT departments.
Of course, Motorola also has several models ready to pitch these "prosumers," such as the Droid Razr Maxx and Droid 4. The reason? Both comply with corporate security policies and have business applications (Citrix GoToMeeting and QuickOffice) pre-installed.
We think $200 may be enough to persuade a penny-pinching executive and possibly create more havoc for IT managers. There's a reason why Motorola is targeting executives -- because IT managers would likely say no to the trade-in. As most IT managers tell me, they are already administering three different kinds of smartphones at most moderate to large companies, and they all really like BlackBerry's administrative tools and security. However, because BlackBerry has lost any edge it ever had, and has few if any cool apps, no self-respecting person wants one. So the IT department must cater to executives bringing in all kinds of devices
The enterprise market is wide open, but it will be won by whichever company gives IT the better tools and security it needs.


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Gallup-EdWeek Poll: What Superintendents Really Think
While many of the nation's superintendents are optimistic about the potential of the common-core standards and new technology to improve what goes on in classrooms, a healthy percentage are also skeptical about such developments, according to results from the first Gallup-Education Week Superintendents Panel survey.
The Washington-based Gallup organization teamed up with Education Week last year to develop what is envisioned as a four-times-a-year survey.
For this inaugural round, the Gallup pollsters conducted online surveys of more than 12,000 district superintendents around the country between March and April of this year. The 2,586 superintendents who responded are not a nationally representative mix; most lead districts serving between 200 and 500 students. (See Key Findings or Download Entire Survey)
The results show that more than half the respondents—58 percent—believe that the new Common Core State Standards adopted by most states will improve the quality of education in their communities; 75 percent say the shared standards will provide more consistency in educational quality from district to district and state to state.
But 30 percent predict the standards will have no effect on schooling.
And, though the standards were not developed through a federal initiative, many district leaders say more help is needed from the federal government to help with their implementation. Just 2 percent strongly agree that the federal level of support has been adequate.
In the area of technology, the superintendents are slightly more lukewarm. More than four in 10 (44 percent) say the use of technology in the classroom increases student engagement. Fewer—33 percent—strongly agree that "a good teacher who uses advanced technology to teach creates a better student learning environment than a good teacher who does not use advanced technology to teach."
The superintendents also flag principals' professional development as a problem area. Just 17 percent agree that their districts have effective, ongoing professional-development programs for principals.
In the full report, the superintendents weigh in on their districts' teacher-evaluation practices, college-admissions testing, their students' readiness for college and work, and the challenges their districts face in the coming school year.
The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.9 percentage points, according to Gallup.
Vol. 32, Issue 36, Page 9
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Press release from the issuing company
Schaumburg, IL – INX International Ink Co. announced today a distributor agreement to expand and strengthen its strategic relationship with G.E. Richards Graphic Supplies. The two companies have worked closely together for years and this new agreement reflects INX's intention to strategically grow its distribution sales with a thriving and fully supported distributor program.
G.E. Richards will be handling the entire INX International commercial ink line including offset, sheetfed, heatset and non-heatset, flexographic and some digital products. The family-owned company celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012 and has grown substantially to become the fourth largest graphic arts dealer in the U.S. Headquartered in Landisville, PA, annual sales exceed $70 million with strong representation along the eastern seaboard that extends to Texas. The distributor has 10 branches, including those in Houston, San Antonio, Louisville, Rochester, New York and Jacksonville, Florida.
"This agreement cements the relationship between our two companies, who have known each other for over 10 years. The deal also outlines the new and expanded services that we have developed for G.E. Richards and other distributors, including equipment, training, website access and technical support," said Michael Brice, Director of Business Development for INX International.
"Forming a strategic relationship with INX has been a good business decision for G.E. Richards. From an ink point of view, it allows them to offer their customers best-in-class solutions. G.E. Richard's footprint matches well with our desire to deliver products, services and support to their markets."
G.E. Richards provides quality products for pre-press, post-press and pressroom. Gary Little, President of the Ink division, says this agreement is in sync with his customer's needs and expectations.
"At the heart of our business is a genuine desire to help our customers be successful. We honestly want our customers to succeed, and have intentionally built our business by providing products, services and support to help them be more productive and profitable. They understand our commitment to them and know that we always look for the best opportunities to support them. We've had a great relationship with INX and this agreement allows us to offer U.S. manufactured products, as well as local service and support like those we provide through our own ink blending facilities. This is really a win-win situation for our customers."
INX International Ink Co. is the third largest producer of inks in North America with over 20 facilities in the U.S. and Canada, and is a global supplier as part of Sakata INX worldwide operations. For more information, visit the Web site at www.INXinternational.com.
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We were recently contacted by Mason "MdL" Levy who let us know his work with in FL Studio has recently been used on the Crysis 2 TV spot:
Crysis 2 TV spot with rapping by B.o.B.
Mason discusses how he made the track in this video blog with B.o.B.
Mason discusses how he made the track
You can find Mason over here at Facebook.
We have quite a few customers who have been using FL Studio for video game work including Mass Effect 2, Snoopy Flying Ace and some more we have yet to tell you about from Zircon, when we get time after the FL Studio 10 preparations are done.


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Mark Krangle sentenced to time served
A New York man has pleaded guilty to harassment for sending threatening emails to University of Pittsburgh professors at the height of a series of bomb scares at the university earlier this year.
Sixty-six-year-old Mark Lee Krangle, of Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., was arrested at Pittsburgh International Airport in April for the threats, which were not related to bomb threats plaguing the university about the same time which are still being investigated by federal authorities.
Krangle's attorney told a city court judge he's been jailed since spending 45 days in a state mental hospital for a delusional order which prompted him to send the threats -- one of which referred to a shooting at a psychiatric clinic on campus in March.
Krangle promised not to contact the professors and continue treatment and was immediately released on a sentence of time served.


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I am currently having a discussion with a Methodist friend of mine and I would like to give him a good solid answer as to why the Orthodox Presbyterian Church is not bound to the Revised Common Lectionary. Would you please help me?
Thank you for your question. The Revised Common Liturgy (RCL), specifically, as I am sure that you are aware, is an ecumenical product emerging only in recent decades, in the aftermath of liturgical revision at Vatican II and is used widely by a plethora of (generally liberal) Protestant churches (as well as a version that is used by the Roman Catholic Church).
Historically, a wide swath of Reformed and Presbyterian churches have had no commitment to the observance, at least in the stricter sense of that word, of a liturgical year. To be sure, more and more have begun in recent decades to observe such. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC) has no such commitment as a denomination and its Directory for Public Worship (DPW) is not set up with such specifically in view. The DPW does require painstaking preaching of God's Word and much preaching is done as some form of lectio continua.
What is lectio continua? Hughes Oliphant Old, scholar on Reformed worship, defines it in an article entitled "Preaching by the Book: Using the Lectio Continua Approach in Sermon Planning" in Issue #8 (June 1988) of the periodical Reformed Worship:
You may recall that lect comes from the Latin word that means "to read" and that it refers to the Scripture lessons (or lections) that are read on a given Sunday [by those churches which follow a lectionary].... Lectio continua refers to another scheduling structure—that of preaching through a book, verse by verse or section by section.
Here's the Reformation background (quoting again the article by Hughes Oliphant Old):
Almost five hundred years ago in the city of Zurich, Ulrich Zwingli, inspired by the preaching of early church fathers Augustine and John Chrysostom, preached through the gospel of Matthew. Reformer John Calvin enthusiastically adopted Zwingli's lectio continua approach to preaching. In fact, during his long ministry in Geneva, Calvin followed this ancient liturgical practice, preaching through most of the Bible.
So, in answer to the question "Why is the OPC not bound to the RCL?" — I would turn it back and ask, "Why would anyone think that they are bound to the RCL?" Orthodox Presbyterian churches, generally, would want the freedom to select texts with a view to what the Session thinks is most edifying and to addressing needs in the congregation. Our Scottish forbears, especially, resisting the imposition of forms for worship, insisted on simplicity and the freedom of the local session to follow the DPW and not to have human authority unduly imposed on the people to the detriment of Christian liberty (the liberty to be free from the commandments of men in worship, particularly).
I trust that this is useful and that the Lord will richly bless you.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
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Updated: Friday, 10 Jan 2014 22:26 | Comments
Pool Five leaders Ulster stretched their Heineken Cup winning run to five games after seeing off a weakened but battling Montpellier 27-16 at Ravenhill.
But Ulster failed to secure a try bonus ahead of what looks likely to be next week's showdown at Leicester to decide who finishes top of the group and secures a home quarter-final.
With the Tigers expected to come away from Treviso on Saturday with a winning bonus point, Ulster were seeking their own maximum points haul to at least secure a place in the last eight but fell short with tries from Robbie Diack, Ruan Pienaar and John Afoa.
Pienaar led the scoring for Ulster with 17 points – he also added three conversions and two penalties – while Eric Escande kicked 11 points for the visitors.
Pienaar was wide with a second minute penalty shot but Montpellier scrum half Escande got his first shot between the posts four minutes later after Nick Williams was penalised.
Surprisingly leading 3-0, the French – with nothing to play for in Pool Five – then began to deliver a much more composed performance than their opponents and Escande was unlucky to fall just short with an even longer range penalty attempt on 16 minutes.
Momtpellier out-half Enzo Selponi was then wide with a drop goal attempt as Ulster struggled to impose themselves on the game.
Then, out of a rare sortie into Montpellier territory, Paddy Jackson put in a stunning cross-kick which was taken on the left wing by Diack whose momentum took him through Lucas Dupont, with the 24th minute score being awarded by the TMO.
Pienaar then landed a marvellous conversion and Ulster had the lead 7-3 which two minutes became 14-3 after Pienaar followed up his own kick through, which had caused chaos in the Montpellier scramble defence, to touch down.
The South African then converted his own score and Ulster looked on their way but the French struck back after Charles Geli burst away from a lineout maul and second row Robins Tchale-Watchou scored in the corner on the half hour mark.
Escande then converted and Ulster's lead was cut to 14-10 but Pienaar scored again five minutes later with a penalty to stretch the lead to seven points.
But again Ulster made an error just on half-time after Alexandre Bias was taken out at a lineout and Escande landed the penalty to cut Ulster's lead to 17-13 at the break.
The home side needed a good start to the second half and got it as Pienaar landed his second penalty just after the restart and Ulster were seven points in front again.
But the French refused to lie down and after they won a scrum penalty, Escande landed his third penalty to narrow the home side's lead to 20-16.
Ulster then fumbled the ball on the Montpellier line after a rare threatening attack which saw Jackson chip through for Darren Cave with the net result that Craig Gilroy retired hurt.
But Ulster did manage to strike next and after a Pienaar kick had hit some open space, Jared Payne's flick found Afoa and he trundled in near the posts.
Pienaar added the extras and Ulster – leading 27-16 – now sensed a bonus point win.
But, such was the topsy-turvy nature of this game, that Escande had another penalty chance in the 65th minute though fortunately for Ulster it glanced off the post and stayed out.
Two minutes later and Pienaar made it over after a Benoit Paillaugue fumble but a last-ditch Pierre Berard tackle prevented him getting the bonus point touchdown.
Substitute Michael Allen then had a chance in the 72nd minute but the TMO rightly ruled that he was just put into touch in the left corner.
The remainder of the game was all about Ulster trying to get over the French line but they just could not get the fourth try.
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The NBA Closer is written by our Canadian weekend maestro J.E. Skeets. When he's not busy scouring the box scores or obeying the Giant, he can be heard on The Basketball Jones daily podcast.
• Sergeant Mythical Water Beast. Did you realize military uniforms were considered "business casual" now? Yeah, I think it's the buttons. Or maybe it's the collar. I don't know. Whatever the reason, I can't wait to wear my Mountie threads into the office on Monday. Amare Stoudemire scored 34 points and grabbed 11 boards as the Suns marched back from a 20-point first-period deficit to beat the Sonics 104-96. The win was the Suns' 23rd of the season, the most in the Western Conference. Kevin Durant led Seattle with 28.
• You Can't Stop The Blazers, You Can Only Hope To Contain Them. Well, that, and maybe just tire 'em out a little bit. It's the small victories really. Mr. Jarrett Jack, Jack, Jack ... all dressed in black, bla— shit, the Blazers were in red. Scratch that. Jarrett Jack drove for a basket and converted a three-point play with 19 seconds left in double overtime as the Trail Blazers outlasted the Bulls 115-109 for their 15th win in 16 games. Brandon Roy and his bruised tailbone led the way with 25 points.
• Yes, Yes, We're Talkin' About It. An unpracticed Allen Iverson scored 29 points to lead the Nuggets past the Manu-less San Antonio Spurs 80-77. A.I. revealed post-game that the reason he had missed the Nuggets' workouts was because his 4-year-old son, Isaiah, fell face-first from a stool and required plastic surgery. Quick, Knicks fans! Get Zeke on a stool ASAP!
• Baron Davis' 2007 Movie Reviews. Two thumbs up: American Gangster, No Country for Old Men and Knocked Up. ("Everyone said to go see it. I was glad I did. Flat out funny and very real.") Thumbs down: The Number 23, Spider-Man 3 and Who's Your Caddy? ("I know a lot of people that cross over into different groups — i.e. the street or the country club. This just didn't measure up.") So true, man. So true.


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This sensational semi detached villa is located on an exclusive Golf complex in Marbella.
The photographs, images and information supplied on the villas, penthouses, apartments, commercial units, land and general properties for sale in Marbella, Puerto Banus, Benalmadena, Benahavis, Mijas, Estepona, Duquesa, Sotogrande, Manilva, Elviria, La Cancelada, Guadalmina, Guadalmansa Playa, Los arqueros, San Pedro, Selwo, El Rosario, Rio Real, Bahia de Marbella, Los Monteros, La Cala, Las Chapas, El Faro, Calahonda, Riviera del Sol, Fuengirola, Malaga, Costa del Sol, Spain are purely offering a basic guideline of the properties for sale and are not legally binding in any way. Although as a professional real estate agent we try and get as accurate information as possible, this information however is supplied by the vendor, seller, new homes developments or banks in the case of repossession property for sale and full documentation is often slow coming from the vendors lawyers until a provisional sale has been agreed. Therefore interested purchasers should always get their own lawyer to check information supplied before entering into a sale or committing deposit. We can recommend independent English speaking professional law firms to handle all your conveyancing needs. We also have a panel of independent financial advisers to assist with both English and Spanish mortgages.


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Dr. Dennis Cremin publishes book on Chicago's Grant ParkPublished: August 5, 2013.
Chicago's Grant Park has hosted numerous significant events including, most recently the Chicago Blackhawk's Stanley Cup Championship victory celebration and the Lollapalooza Music Festival.
The park has become the public face of the city. It really has provided a place to celebrate key events, such as those related to Lincoln's Funeral train to President Obama's election victory in 2008, asserted Dr. Dennis H. Cremin in his new book that examines the park's history.
Grant Park: The Evolution of Chicago's Front Yard began distribution this summer. Cremin, professor of History and director of the Lewis University History Center, published the book through Southern Illinois University Press. Cremin made an appearance last month on WTTW's Chicago Tonight, discussing Grant Parks significance and history.
The Naperville resident will discuss the book at the Gaylord Building's Discovery Dinner series on Sept. 12. In a well-illustrated presentation, Cremin will highlight the urban and cultural history of the park. He will also be available to sign books. Visit http://www.gaylordbuilding.org for more information.
Lewis University is a Catholic university in the Lasallian tradition offering distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 6,500 traditional and adult students. Lewis offers multiple campus locations, online degree programs, and a variety of formats that provide accessibility and convenience to a growing student population. Sponsored by the De La Salle Christian Brothers, Lewis prepares intellectually engaged, ethically grounded, globally connected, and socially responsible graduates. The seventh largest private not-for-profit university in Illinois, Lewis has been nationally recognized by The Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report.
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An imperative programming language like C imposes a total order on the execution of statement instances in a program. Central to exploiting any form of implicit parallelism in a sequential program is the observation that this total order can be relaxed into the partial order that is defined by data dependences between statements without affecting the semantics of the original program. Data dependences, therefore, provide compilers with essential information on the validity of applying transformations that change the execution order in a program. In this article, I examine data dependences and briefly discusses data dependence analysis and its role on program operation.
Data Dependences
Data dependences impose essential execution order constraints on the statement instances in a program, as formalized in this section.
Data Dependence Definitions
Suppose that a programmer has written the following two statements in C:
S1: a = 100;
S2: b = 200;
The sequential semantics of the language pose the following execution order on the statements: first execute statement
S1, which assigns the value
100 to variable
a, and then execute statement
S2, which assigns the value
200 to variable
b. In this case, however, executing
S2 before
S1 or even executing the statement simultaneously has no effect on the final values of the variables. In contrast, suppose the statement sequence reads as follows.
S1: a = 100;
S2: b = a + 200;
The sequential execution order must now be respected to avoid a change in semantics. Swapping the two statements would yield the value
200 for
b assuming an initial value
0 for
a rather than the intended value
300. The difference with the first example is that, in the second case, a read-after-write data dependence exists between statements
S1 and
This concept can be generalized to statements that appear in well-behaved loops. Consider a statement
Sx in a nested loop with loop indices
i1,...,idx and statement
Sy in a nested loop with loop indices
j1,...,jdy, where both statements have
d ≤; min(dx,dy) outer loops in common:
ik Ξ jk for 1 ≤; k ≤; d. If sequential semantics define that statement instance
Sx(i1,...,idx) must be executed before statement instance
Sy(j1,...,jdy), then the following memory-based data dependences between the two statement instances prohibit changing this execution order:
- A flow dependence, denoted by
Sx(i1,...,idx) δf Sy(j1,...,jdy), occurs if the former instance writes to a memory location that is subsequently read by the latter read-after-write.
- An antidependence, denoted by
Sx(i1,...,idx) δa Sy(j1,...,jdy), occurs if the former instance reads from a memory location that is subsequently overwritten by the latter write-after-read.
- An output dependence, denoted by
Sx(i1,...,idx) δo Sy(j1,...,jdy), occurs if the former instance writes to a memory location that is subsequently overwritten by the latter write-after-write.
Any change in execution order that preserves the partial order defined by the data dependences arising in the original sequential code does not affect the final values appearing in memory and, hence, the semantics of the original program. The necessary execution order on I/O statements is easily preserved within this framework by modeling the effect of such statements with a write to the corresponding file pointer variable.
Data Dependence Terminology
For a data dependence between two statement instances
Sx(i1,...,idx) and
Sy(j1,...,jdy) that have
d outer loops in common, the data dependence distance vector (
σ1,..., σd) defines each component as
σk = jk − ik. The data dependence direction vector (
ρ1,..., ρd) defines each component as follows:
A data dependence is loop-independent if every
ρi is
=, or loop carried otherwise. Furthermore, for
x < y, x > y and
x = y, the data dependence is called lexically forward, lexically backward, and a self-data-dependence, respectively. Lexically backward and self-data-dependence are always loop-carried, although a loop-independent, self-antidependence is possible by noting that all reads in a statement instance must occur prior to writing the result.
Consider, for example, the following well-behaved loop:
The data dependences
S1(i) δf S2(i) that are caused by writing and reading the same element of array
a in each iteration
0 ≤ i < U have a data dependence distance vector (
0) and data dependence direction vector (
=). These flow dependences are loop-independent, lexically forward data dependences. The data dependences
S2(i) δa S2(i + 1) that are caused by reading an element of array
c that is overwritten in the next iteration have a data dependence distance vector (
1) and data dependence direction vector (
<). These anti-dependences are loop-carried self-data-dependences.
Data dependences that arise in sequential programs are plausible as defined in Table 1 for a data dependence direction vector that is positive first nonequal component is
<; zero all components are
=, or loop-independent; or negative first nonequal component is
>. Note that implausible data dependences are nevertheless useful for solving data dependence problems. (Textbooks often define plausibility for nonzero direction vectors. The definition used here can also classify loop-independent data dependences.)
Table 1: Plausible and implausible data dependences.
Data Dependence Graphs
Because data dependences arise between statement instances, it is generally infeasible to represent all the data dependences that arise in a program. Therefore, usually only static data dependences are recorded by dropping all instance information and instead annotating the data dependence with a data dependence direction vector. For example, the following loop has 10,000 flow dependences
S1(i) δf S2(i) for 0 ≤ i < 10,000 caused by writing and reading an element of array
a in the same iteration and 9,999 flow dependences
S2(i) δf S2(i + 1) for 0 ≤ i < 9,999 caused by writing an element of array
c that will be read in the next iteration:
This large set of data dependences is represented compactly with only two static data dependences:
Information on static data dependences can be easily represented by a data dependence graph
G = (V,E), where each vertex
v ∈ V corresponds to a statement and each edge
e ∈ E with
E ⊆ V Å~ V represents one or more static dependences between two statements. Edges can be labeled with more information on the static data dependences, such as type flow, anti-, or output and data dependence direction vector. Figure 1 shows the actual data dependences in the example given above together with the following data dependence graph representation:
Figure 1: Data dependence graph.
Although a static representation may lose information by lumping all statement instances together, data dependence graphs usually still provide sufficient information on implicit parallelism in a program.
Data Dependence Analysis
Data dependence analysis involves solving the problem of whether two statement instances can refer to the same memory location where at least one of these memory references is a write. Although this problem is undecidable in general, in most practical cases the data dependence problem can be formulated as an integer linear programming problem. However, since these problems are NP-complete, most compilers trade off some accuracy for efficiency while solving the problem. In any case, the outcome of data dependence analysis must be conservative it is safe to report a data dependence when in reality none exists but independence must never be reported incorrectly.


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Jacobus Grosman studied at the Art Academy in Arnhem during the 1920s. Around 1930, he created 'Gijsje Goochem', a comic about a little boy, his friend Wimpie, his dog Nero and a policeman named Buikie. The language he used was deliberately incorrect "child-speech". During the crisis in the 1930s, Grosman, like so many others, lost his job.
After sending a few 'Gijsje Goochem' strips to the N.D.I. publishing company in Deventer, he was immediately hired as illustrator. Besides working as an advertising artist, Grosman's comic appeared in several magazines all over Holland up until 1953, inclucing Elck Wat Wils, Ons Geïllustreerd Weekblad, Olijk en Vrolijk and De Week in Beeld. Several 'Gijsje Goochem' stories were collected in six books by De Geïllustreerde Pers under the title 'Gijsje Goochem's Guitenstreken', in 1937.
Besides 'Gijsje Goochem', Grosman created a few other strips, including 'Slimpie Branie' in Olijk en Vrolijk (1936), 'Assemee en Zilverbaard' in Utrecht in Woord en Beeld (1935), and 'De Wonderlijke Avonturen van Pietje Peggel' in a book by N.D.I. (1935). After the War, Grosman was doing illustrations for Geïllustreerde Pers magazines like Margriet, Eigen Erf and De Stuwdam.


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City of BuckeyeHome Menu
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Shin Splints
- Date: 02/26/2020 8:00 am - 8:30 am
- Location: Buckeye Community Center
201 E. Centre Avenue
Buckeye, Arizona 85326
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Shin Splints is a walking program designed for the Buckeye Senior Program. We use the walking track at Earl Edgar Recreational Facility, directly behind the Community Center. Movement and walking are key to keeping healthy habits. Join us, having company can help the laps fly by.
This FREE program is open to all registered Buckeye Senior Program participants. Walk-ins are allowed. For more information on how to become a participant, call (623) 349-6600 Monday-Friday 8a.m.-5p.m.


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Posts Tagged 'Stanley's Christmas List'
Unexpected Visitor Stays for Days in Attic!
Police: Man slept undetected in Pa. woman's attic
– The Associated Press
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — An intruder slept undetected for days in a family's attic, stealing food and clothing when they were away and keeping warm by wrapping himself with blankets and insulation, police said.
Stanley Carter, 21, of Trumann, Ark., surrendered Friday after he heard a police dog inside the home in Plains Township.
"When he came down from the attic, he was wearing my daughter's pants and my sweat shirt and sneakers," the homeowner, Stacy Ferrance, said. "From what I gather, he was helping himself to my home, eating my food and stealing my clothes."
Police said Carter had been staying with Ferrance's duplex neighbors, who were friends of his. But when they told him to leave, he apparently accessed the duplex's shared attic through a trap door in a bedroom ceiling. The neighbors said he disappeared Dec. 19, and they filed a missing person report a few days before Christmas.
Ferrance said she sometimes heard noises but dismissed them, thinking they were caused by her three children. When household items started disappearing, she said, the family suspected someone had duplicate keys to the house.
Then on Christmas, Ferrance filed a police report after cash, a laptop computer and an iPod disappeared. The next day, she discovered footprints in her bedroom closet – where the attic door is – and called police again.
Carter, who surrendered after police brought in a dog, kept a detailed list of everything he took, said Plains Township police Officer Michael Smith.
"When we were going through the inventory of what he did take, we found a note labeled 'Stanley's Christmas List' of all the items he had removed from the residence and donated to himself," Smith said.
Carter was charged with several counts of burglary, theft, receiving stolen property and criminal trespass. He remained jailed Sunday at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and it was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. A preliminary hearing is scheduled on Jan. 5.God Bless, The Truth Tracker Jason R. Bootie


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Heather Mac Donald responds to critics of her 'campus rape crisis myth' article
In a March 2 City Journal article Heather Mac Donald responds to the feminist criticisms of her prior article on the campus rape crisis myth.
Key excerpts of the current article follow.
Let me propose a thought experiment. An unapprehended rapist has assaulted two women in a particular area of State University's campus-.04 percent of the female undergraduate population. Would the State University administrators tell girls to stay away from the area until the rapist is caught? Or would they remain silent about whether girls should continue to frequent that area of the campus, because "rape is never a woman's fault"? The first, of course, because students' safety is the administrators' paramount concern, regardless of whether female students have a "right" to frequent that dangerous area at night.
Campus rape researchers and advocates, modifying Koss's statistic slightly, say that they believe that a whopping one-fifth to one-quarter of college women are raped by their fellow students. Virtually all of these alleged rapes could be avoided if the girls took certain steps: don't get into bed with a guy when you are very drunk, don't take off your clothes, don't get involved in oral sex, and so on. Such advice is fully consistent with female empowerment. It recognizes that girls have the power to stop "campus rape." It treats them as moral agents able to control their fates.
But when I suggest to campus sexual assault administrators that they could stop what Koss calls the "rape pandemic" overnight if they persuaded girls to exercise more prudence, I inevitably receive responses like the following (these are my interlocutors' actual words): "I am uncomfortable with the idea of 'recommending that female students exercise more modesty and restraint'-this indicates that if they are raped it could be their fault-it is never their fault." Or: "Yes, modesty would have a certain impact, but who's responsible?"
There are two possible reasons why the administrators refuse to take the most efficacious, practical action to end campus rape-counseling sexual prudence. Either they know in their heart of hearts that what is happening on campuses is not really rape, but something much more ambiguous and also much less traumatic than real rape. Or-and this possibility is too horrible to contemplate-these self-professed women's advocates really do believe that a drunken hookup is rape, and yet are withholding from women the simplest, surest way to prevent being raped, simply in order to preserve the principle of male fault. If the latter situation actually prevails, I conclude that the campus rape movement is purely political, interested solely in casting men as the evil perpetrators of the patriarchy rather than in most effectively protecting potential victims of a traumatic crime.
In her response, Koss says that "Men are supposed to know that [it is] wrong to have sex with a woman who is unable to consent due to intoxication." Some men may know that; others may not. By all means, try to educate as many as you can. But the point is, if you want to protect women right now, the surest way of doing so is persuading them to avoid risky sexual encounters, rather than hoping that the drunken men with whom they have gotten into bed have a solid sense of ethics. What if a man knows that it is wrong to have sex with a very drunk woman but is himself too drunk to act on that knowledge-who's going to protect the woman then? It is certainly ironic that feminists are relying on men to protect women when the women are perfectly able to determine whether a drunken night ends in intercourse. Moreover, if drunkenness cancels a woman's responsibility for her actions, why does a drunken man who has sex that he may regret the next day nevertheless remain responsible? Are women less responsible for their actions than men?
If it were the case that millions of rape victims graduated from college each year with serious emotional trauma, we'd have heard about it. Their parents would have demanded that colleges prevent this crime "pandemic." Alternative academic institutions would have sprung up, guaranteeing a safe place for women to study and learn. None of this has happened, because the millions of women whom campus rape researchers designate as victims don't suffer serious emotional trauma and don't think of themselves as victims. You would have thought that that would be celebrated as a sign of strong womanhood.
Putting the above argument in part in the dankprofessor's terms, what Mac Donald is saying is that the feminist campus anti-rape movement is cynically using female students as a means to an end, as a means to hit back at men; that this movement is fueled by sex hatred and effective rape prevention is of secondary concern. Empirically demonstrating this argument is, of course, an impossibility. What can only be addressed is whether Mac Donald's argument makes sense of the "facts".
Such does make sense for me in terms of my engagement of essentially the same campus activists in regards to the campaign to prohibit consensual sexual relationships between students and professors. In the student/professor context, the campus feminist activists present male professors who are sexually involved with students in the most dehumanizing terms. They are presented as de facto rapists since it is held that female students can never give consent because differential power precludes consent. In their terms, female students do not count; if they protest that they consented to the relationship, they are ignored. Campus activist feminists reduce dissenting female students to the status of being children, and view themselves as their Big Sister protectors and all too often this protection means getting these students to do and to believe what they want them to do and to believe. Interesting, in a sense the anti-rape movement feminists may be similar to campus rapists- wanting to control women for the sake of their own power.
What the dankprofessor believes is at play here is authoritarianism. Authoritarians attempting to exert their control over others. Too many campus feminists have created an authoritarian sisterhood, a sisterhood that is merciless on women who dissent from their orthodoxy, one such woman being Heather Mac Donald. Yes, there has been some polite critiques of Mac Donald's first article on campus rape. But to my knowledge, no feminist, no member of the campus anti-rape movement has come forward chastising their feminist confreres who name call and heap abuse on Mac Donald. The restraint Heather Mac Donald has demonstrated in response to this abuse has been admirable.
In addition, the dankprofessor wishes to recommend two books by Daphne Patai which provide tremendous insight into authoritarian campus feminism- HETEROPHOBIA; SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND THE FUTURE OF FEMINISM and PROFESSING FEMINISM: CAUTIONARY TALES FROM THE STRANGE WORLD OF WOMEN'S STUDIES.
If you wish, you can write to me directly at email@example.com
Guest commentaries should also be submitted for consideration
to the same email address.
Barry M. Dank aka the dankprofessorTM
© Copyright 2008
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text:
Another episode airs tonight of FX's The Americans. Last week, the historic drama set in 1981, portrayed a successful KGB effort to discredit a Polish priest, who is leading an anti-Soviet liberation movement, by smearing him as a rapist during his visit to New York City. ("The Reagan administration doesn't want a rapist leading the movement to push the Soviets out of Poland.")
The March 13 installment of the series also featured an actual real-life clip of President Ronald Reagan hailing the people of Poland: "We, the people of the free world, stand as one with our Polish brothers and sisters."
The Americans is centered around husband and wife KGB undercover agents (Matthew Rhys and Keri Russell as "Philip and Elizabeth Jennings") who live with their kids as ordinary Americans in suburban Washington, DC when Reagan becomes President.
(The Americans runs Wednesday nights at 10 PM EDT/PDT on FX, with an immediate re-run afterward. After a week off next week, it will resume on April 3.)
In this episode, in late December of 1981 "Philip" leaves his wife behind and travels to New York City to run the operation with "Ann," another Westernized KGB agent with whom he was in love in the Soviet Union before being assigned to the United States twenty years earlier.
Five scenes, totaling three minutes, in the accompanying video with excerpts from the March 13 episode:
First scene: While "Philip" is in a Manhattan hotel room preparing to go out to mug the Polish dissident, "Andrei," who is walking outdoors with "Ann," the KGB operative pretending to be a Canadien woman of Polish heritage, a real clip of President Ronald Reagan plays on the TV (from Reagan's Wednesday, December 23, 1981 prime time address):
When 19th-century Polish patriots rose against foreign oppressors, their rallying cry was: "For our freedom and yours." Well, that motto still rings true in our time. There is a spirit of solidarity abroad in the world tonight that no physical force can crush. It crosses national boundaries and enters into the hearts of men and women everywhere. We, the people of the free world, stand as one with our Polish brothers and sisters.
Second scene: "Philip" repeatedly smacks "Ann" in the face so they can take pictures to show injuries they will blame on the Polish priest whom she earlier drugged so he passes out in his hotel room.
Third scene: "Charles Duluth" of the "Conservative Statesman" magazine, who is really a KGB operative (or at least some sort of double-agent), bursts into the hotel room of the Polish liberation leader to confront him with photos to prove he beat up and raped the Canadien woman who, unknown to "Andrei," is a KGB agent. Duluth despairs: "You've jeopardized the entire movement for a free and independent Eastern Europe!" The show then cuts to "Ann," sitting on a park bench, regretting what she did, telling Philip: "Andrei is a good man and we destroyed him."
Fourth scene: As "Ann" is at a train station, she watches a TV and hears "Andrei" announce: "I'm stepping aside from the Polish Liberation Movement to tend to my personal and spiritual life. I will no longer attempt to form a government in exile."
Fifth scene: Back home in suburban Washington, DC, "Elizabeth" asks Philip "how'd it go?" He replies that Andrei is "finished" since "the Reagan administration doesn't want a rapist leading the movement to push the Soviets out of Poland." Elizabeth then affirms: "Right, they're afraid if the KGB found out they'd use it against them."
My previous posts on FX's The Americans:
> 'Conservative' Journalist on Reagan: 'I Hope the Bastard Bleeds to Death on the Operating Table'
> FX's 'The Americans' Imagines Moment When Soviets Learned of Reagan's Plan to Deploy SDI"
> Three Scenes in FX's 'The Americans' Which Should Hearten Conservatives


text:
New tools for voice, data and video let you take a meeting virtually anywhere
Sidebar | Drawing a crowd
Survey | Collaboration is catching on
This feature is part of a collaboration tools special report jointlycreated by Government Computer News, Federal Computer Weekand Washington Technology. In its March 3 issue, FCW finds thatmany people don't think agencies are collaborating right now, but,in fact, a number of agencies are already using Web 2.0 tools toshare information. In its March 10 issue, Washington Technologyasks: Why can't we all just collaborate? It explores how contractorsare bulking up their collaboration skills as customers look formore ways to work together and share information.Click here to open the collaboration tools special report home pageThe package also includes a video of Research Director MaxineLunn discussing the results of a recent survey on the use of collaborationtools, along with links to the full survey results, a pollquestion about collaboration and more.
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text:
Biscotti means 'twice baked' in Italian. I've tried many biscotti recipies and this is the one i have decided is the best. I bring this everywhere, much like the Oreo Crunch Brownies. Everyone loves them.
1 Cup Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 C cinnamon
3 eggs
3 C flour
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
2 Cups chopped pecans
32 oz bag of Milk Chocolate Chocolate Chips
OK, I double the above recipe to get about 50 big biscotti. I realize not everyone wants mega sized, tons of biscotti. I can't imagine why! Above is the recipe for normal people. I guess.
Heat oven to 325. Grease two baking sheets. Cream butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each egg. Mix in flour, baking powder and soda. Fold in 2 cups chocolate chips and nuts. Mix gently, only until well blended. Shape the dough into a long log or make two logs. Flour surface well. Place logs onto well greased pan. Bake 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into slices. Place them cut side own on another greased cookie sheet and bake for 50 minutes at 275. When cool dunk into melted chocolate. Yum. Warning: 357 calories per biscotti (my size biscotti-4")


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text:
So I read the post and find out that beginning March 15th, flickr users will need to either quit the service or link their flickr account to a Yahoo! ID.
Flagrantdisregard posted a copy of his email notification from Flickr: Dear Old Skool Account-Holding Flickr Member
I went looking in all my email accounts and didn't see hide-nor-hair of such a notice.
So I logged into my flickr account and, yep...I was asked to go ahead and link to my Yahoo! ID account.
So I did.
Then I deleted my flickr account.
Well, I had only posted just a handful of photo's on it. maybe four tops. Then there were a series of Vista RC screencaps I had done. So I wasn't really using the service all that much. But it was handy to have and I did value its service.
But more than that, I've looked upon my Yahoo! account as a toss-away service (sorry Yahoo!...that's just the way I feel.)
That and that (gratefully honest but gratingly honest) statement on the bottom of your page "NOTICE: We collect personal information on this site. To learn more about how we use your information, see our Privacy Policy"
I've already sold my soul to "Google" so I understand how privacy and information on the net works. I'm down with that. I don't mind services and websites collecting information on my habits...if I really value the service and trust the provider....if not, I'm going to continue to give them garbage and keep on trucking.
I had been a longtime Excite user, ever since I got my very first ISP service...Excite was our family browser's start-page for years and years and years..until they changed it around and it stopped being useful...so I switched to Yahoo!
(This was back in the days when sites were trying hard to be "portals" for new and established net users.)
I still have my Yahoo! account...but I really ONLY use it to check for its TV grid. That's it. Yes, I took the time to add modules, customizing them, adding some extra "pages" to it. But, all I really ever use this portal for now is the TV grid.
So, because I had to now link my flickr account to a Yahoo! ID account I considered a toss-away, Yahoo!, instead of increasing the value of either service to me, forced it to become associated with a less-valued service...thereby lowering the value of something I did like.
I'm still keeping my Yahoo! ID for now...until I discover a new TV grid service I like better (and I am looking again!). I have a MeeVee account and have used it from time to time.
I'm not really that picky. In my perfect TV grid service world I want just three things...1) coverage of my cable service provider, 2) a grid that covers 7pm-12pm in a single view, and 3) inclusion of the AZN channel in the grid lineup!
So, good luck flickr. I know a bunch of folks love and use your service. It is really cool. I'm sure the upgrades will pan out for everyone down the road.
Just not for me.
We're probably both better off ending our relationship anyway.


text:
Digital unlocks the profitability of product cost analytics
July 18, 2018
July 18, 2018
All companies would like to get their new products to market more quickly and below their cost goals. But how? One answer is to take advantage of emerging digital tools that can help companies gain cost transparency and foster greater internal and external collaboration across the product team. These emerging tools inform critical design, sourcing and manufacturing decisions by helping to quantify product cost goals in a new way, segmenting unnecessary product costs from those required to deliver innovative products that delight customers.
Consider product cost reviews. According to Accenture Strategy research, fewer than 20 percent of companies have instituted Zero-based Supply Chain (ZBSC) initiatives that look at cost of goods sold (COGS) to determine what products "should-cost".1 Instead, most organizations conduct static cost reviews and tend to focus attention on cost outliers. This approach is a big problem because costs regularly change and prolonged exposure to commodity and labor market fluctuations can be very costly. Just one example: In a manufacturing industry such as automotive, our experience suggests that volatile commodities can affect gross margins by as much as 40 percent.
Fewer than 20% of companies with Zero-based Supply Chain initiatives look at cost of goods sold (COGS) to determine what products "should-cost".
Furthermore, current product cost reviews in most companies only show a small slice of the full picture. They tend to be narrow in scope, lack scalability and fail to address many key cost drivers. In fact, when analyzing potential financial impacts, most organizations typically don't consider the full equation of material, labor, overhead burdens, SG&A allocations, and supplier profit expectations. Moreover, it's common in many companies for sourcing to focus on parts and commodity pricing, when what really matters is the overall product cost.
Our research has discovered there is an opportunity for organizations to gain a competitive advantage as only 13 percent of companies are currently investing in enabling technologies to further agility and efficiency.2 New analytics tools can help a company not only monitor product costs in real time, but also build predictive models that show what a product is likely to cost over a defined time horizon. This continuous stream of current and future data allows a company to be proactive—reducing the chance of unknown or unexpected cost increases undermining its competitive position and margins.
Companies that are currently investing in enabling technologies to further agility and efficiency
Additionally, digital tools that incorporate cross-product-level insights can dramatically improve visibility into product cost tradeoffs, thereby helping a company prioritize new product introduction efforts. One example: traditional Product Lifecycle Management systems can be enhanced to enable Bill of Material costing analytics and reporting that includes suppliers' detailed cost inputs and should-cost models.
Leading companies are getting the message and are evolving how they look at cost analytics more broadly. They're developing tools that incorporate cost models from hundreds or thousands of products rather than creating standalone should-cost models. With these product cost dashboards or control towers, companies can better understand cost sensitivities, more accurately predict changes in product margins, and make more informed product cost versus feature/specification decisions. For example, by enhancing its product cost capabilities, one consumer products company can now compare detailed costs and trends across more than 1,200 products, identifying potential cost opportunities from product design changes, lowering cost packaging and improving sourcing. As a result, this company enjoys incremental cost reductions of 4 to 6 percent.
Zero-based Mindsetread more
Forward-thinking companies also are embracing next-generation collaboration tools that can help create a digitally connected ecosystem to replace the traditional manual, reactive and sequential product development process—which acts in practice like a bus making stops along its route. This outdated approach stifles collaboration, undermines cost management, and hinders innovation. As a result, cost fluctuations aren't easily shared among the "bus stops"—procurement, finance, engineering, and sales—which means missed opportunities to optimally design and price products in the market. Furthermore, poor cross-functional communication can severely hamper speed to market. According to Accenture research, 79 percent of new products miss their launch date due to longer iterative cycles of new product development processes.3
Digital collaboration tools turn the bus route into a tightly integrated web, fostering robust collaboration across enterprise functions and with external suppliers. New technologies can also help standardize cost elements and make them transparent to all involved parties. Not only does this substantially cut time to market, it also can dramatically enhance SKU/parts rationalization as one consumer durables company recently found. With its teams working together more closely, the company was able to reduce its direct costs by 7 to 10 percent, component count by 35 percent, and its overall supply base by 60 percent.
With ecosystems becoming more complex and co-dependent, and traditional design/plan/source/make/distribute value chains giving way to collaborative and agile design, source, and manufacture relationships, reliable insights into product costs and value are more critical than ever. By using new cost modelling and visualization tools to gain a deeper knowledge of products' true costs, as well as to forge better internal and external collaboration, companies can bring desired products to market more quickly while maintaining a highly competitive product cost structure. That's a concept that every company can rally around.
1 Accenture Strategy Beyond the ZBB buzz research, 2017.
2 Ibid.
3 Accenture 3D printing solution overview, 2016.


text:
...but I am still here, and still reading what you lovely people write, although things have been relatively hectic of late so I haven't commented too much.
Hmmm, busy. Now some of that is probably down to working full-time again. Funny how it consumes such a lot of my time, eh? That said, a few months in, I'm still enjoying the 'new' job, although people seem to have been leaving in their droves since I started. Something I said perhaps? Nah, don't be daft.
It's good, in part, because I'm still learning - every single day. It's keeping my mind active. I'm constantly problem-solving, and I've been a bit surprised that I enjoy the interaction with people from around the world, and the feeling of being at least 'some' help to a fair number of them.
Having been a lady of (enforced) leisure for some months beforehand, it's been a bit of an adjustment. I am finding that I get fairly tired in the evenings, especially by the end of a week, so feel less inclined to write. Hey, do you think the fat lass could be getting older? You betcha!
Life has dropped a few worries my way too, but that's life for you. Nothing too horrendous, but you know what it's like at 2 a.m. when the bad thoughts won't stop and let you get a good night's sleep.
Another time-hungry thing, I'm still heading to the gym three times a week (for a fantastic 2 hour session at the weekend at my favourite bodybuilding/boxing gym, interspersed with two shorter sessions in the carpeted luxury of that workplace gym before work).
I am seeing gradual changes too as I am definitely stronger than when we first started. Now and again though (er, like yesterday) I do get a bit disheartened and feel like I'm not making sufficient progress - whatever the hell that actually means.
On these days, which usually coincide with seeing beautifully proportioned, slim, strong young women doing, apparently quite effortlessly, something I struggle with, I feel ancient and useless. That's when I become super conscious of my saggy regions of excess skin, the remaining fatty deposits (around the belly and thighs in particular), and those 'oh so attractive' flabby bits. There may now be some muscle underneath, but it's masked by stuff it would take a surgeon's skills to uncover, dammit!
But, for when this does happen, I have a cunning plan. Yep, the fat lass still puts her 'cunning plans' to good use.
What I do is this. I stop, and mentally kick my posterior (only mentally as yet - I need yoga classes to get flexible enough to do it for real), then remind myself of a few home truths.
Things like the fact that I am loved, just the way I am. Such a tiny thing to say, but so very important. I'm loved by my darling lovely hubby, by the best sister a woman could have, by other family and by friends. I am so lucky.
Things too, like 'who' and 'what' I am these days, and whatever I may 'look' like, is the result of over 57 years of living, some of which (actually way too many) were lived being morbidly obese, inactive and in a fair degree of pain. You know that old saying about reaping what one sows? Well, I guess that's me. But, that was then...
...and this is now. And I am 100% sure that 'now' is a very much better place. Yes, I remember the way things were and, although I regret a lot of it, it generates a deep sense of gratitude.
I may not have a model's body (never did and never will), but I have a body which works pretty well in the circumstances. It hasn't failed me and it keeps trying to make things better for me. It's lighter than 'before' (at around the 55kg mark still). It's stronger than before. It's healthier than before (I think - no, I'm certain of it). It gives me less pain and, when clothed, I am content that it looks quite reasonable.
You know what? I'm going to keep on treating that body kindly. I will continue with the weights work to keep the prospect of muscle-loss and osteoporosis at bay (and I may even look up a yoga class to get a bit more flexible). I will give it good, wholesome food to eat, and clean fresh water to drink (with the odd scotch, I'll admit). I will remember to appreciate it.
Hey, does that remind anyone of anything? Yes, I am becoming more and more like my darling my Mother, and counting my blessings. Now if that isn't a good thing I don't know what is!
Onwards, and holding that gratitude like a beacon, ever upwards...


text:
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