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https://yafb.hamishreid.com/2005/02/those-rainy-days.html	What does an instructor do on those proverbial rainy days? I don't actually know. But I do know that over the past few rainy weeks John managed to dream up and chart a new approach into Oakland: the Oaktown VOR/DME RWY 15 approach. Oakland's not exactly hurting for approaches -- I count at least fifteen separate approach plates for KOAK, along with a dozen DPs and eight STARs all specific to Oakland -- but it's still a useful addition, actually filling a real need. When the weather's bad and the big boys are landing on Oakland's runway 11 rather than 29, the approaches to Oakland's runways 9 intersect the ILS for 11, meaning long delays for the GA fliers. Runway 15's big enough for an approach, and with a bit of care on the missed, it'd give us all a nice alternative way back into Oaktown during bad weather. We've tried it on the sims and did the early parts once on an actual flight (in late-evening VFR) with NorCal and Tower's unwitting approval (well, they didn't tell us to stop). It's quite a flyable approach, in fact. The sources of the intersection names are left as an exercise for the reader (local knowledge helps). I shouldn't have to say it, but: absolutely not to be used for navigation. Void where prohibited. Some assembly required. Your mileage may vary. Don't try this at home. Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Etc.	1800452ddae38c8af5ca599c8c9470cb
https://earthfamilyalpha.blogspot.com/2005/01/power-paint.html	With todays increasing knowledge in materials and semiconductors, and our growing expertise in nanotechnology, it should be no surprise that there are various labs and working groups across the planet that are working on new, exciting photovoltaic devices and processes that can drasticly reduce the cost of solar power and virtually change everything else too. Part of my daily routine envolves scanning worldwide for new announcements which support my belief that we truly are on the cusp of such devices and that there is every reason to be hopeful for their introduction and acceptance into the public and private energy infrastructure. Imagine a power paint that can be applied to almost any man made surface that will turn that wall, that roof, that south facing shed roof into a solar generator. Even better, imagine that surface being in the fibers in your T Shirt. Imagine these surfaces taking the energy in the deaccelerated photon and converting that energy into electrical energy. Imagine this material to be ubiquitous and more or less non toxic. Here is a nice piece from last weekend: TORONTO - Researchers at the University of Toronto have invented an infrared-sensitive material that's five times more efficient at turning the sun's power into electrical energy than current methods. The discovery could lead to shirts and sweaters capable of recharging our cellphones and other wireless devices, said Ted Sargent, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the university. Sargent and other researchers combined specially-designed minute particles called quantum dots, three to four nanometres across, with a polymer to make a plastic that can detect energy in the infrared. Infrared light is not visible to the naked eye but it is what most remote controls emit, in small amounts, to control devices such as TVs and DVD players. It also contains a huge untapped resource -- despite the surge in popularity of solar cells in the 1990s, we still miss half of the sun's power, Sargent said. "In fact, there's enough power from the sun hitting the Earth every day to supply all the world's needs for energy 10,000 times over,'' Sargent said in a phone interview Sunday from Boston. He is currently a visiting professor of nanotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Sargent said the new plastic composite is, in layman's terms, a layer of film that "catches'' solar energy. He said the film can be applied to any device, much like paint is coated on a wall. "We've done the same thing, but not with something that just sit there on the wall the way paint does,'' said the Ottawa native. "We've done it to make a device which actually harnesses the power in the room in the infrared.'' The film can convert up to 30 per cent of the sun's power into usable, electrical energy. Today's best plastic solar cells capture only about six per cent. What is really fun about this heat based or infrared technology, is that it not only completely destroys any reason to produce electricity with coal, nuclear, or for that matter even wind, it also completely changes our air-conditioning industry too. That in turn, completely changes the loads that utilities must meet in warm climates. Why spend energy to remove heat from a room when you can paint the walls and ceilings to suck the heat off of the body creating comfort at the skin level? Even better, that so called waste heat would then produce usable power to power the new solid state lights painted on the ceiling or on other walls that are simply the same product working in reverse! These devices could create usable light or heat or both. They are a creme rinse, a floor wax, and a dessert topping. These ideas were in my future log writings just three years ago. Instead of being a "futurist", I am beginning to feel like a "nowist". It certainly fires up the Hope. For the earthfamily.	d31dc006266c7d418e293dc90798ca1c
https://flickerbulb.com/2005/07/26/turns-out-i-either-am-or-am-not-interesting/	lately, i have been exploring “community” type websites, for a couple reasons. one of those reasons is that i plan to make one, and i’m doing research on what works and what does not. (another reason is that i like “meeting” online people. one of the things i miss most about not being a telnet phreak anymore.) in any case, at one of these sites, i took an “are you interesting?” test turns out, i am “63” interesting. notes on my score form the author of the test: “Intriguing… this is probably what I would score. You probably like to do some weird random wild things, but tempered with a little bit of practicality. Kudos to you! Theres a good chance we might get along! ” My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 0% on Interestingness Technorati Tags: test	20fa80af2b294f888a77360a6080b048
https://notabob.blogspot.com/2005/08/photographers-eye.html	The Photographer's Eye Go visit flickr. Pick out a photo with some people in it (pick one where they're looking at the camera). Now let me describe what you're looking at. There are two to five people in the photo. Some probably have their arms around each others' shoulders or waists. They're looking straight into the camera. Probably there's a beach, or a picnic table, in the picture. Or maybe they're inside, possibly at a restaurant table, with their faces brightly lit because of the flash and the background hidden in shadow. Wherever they are, they're smiling broadly. There's other stuff in the picture too. maybe half-finished plates of food, or a 4-wheel drive vehicle, or toys and a plastic wading pool. Maybe there's even a power line entering the right side of the back of someone's head and exiting the neck on the left side, like the Warren Commission's magic bullet. What exactly is going on here? I asked my friend Pam about this yesterday, and she gave me a great answer, which started me thinking... My questions to Pam were: - Who are these pictures for? - What are these pictures for? In other words, there are really two pictures: the picture you and almost everyone else on the Internet sees on the screen, and the picture the very small group of people who were actually there at the time the picture was taken see in their minds. Now the interesting thing is that while you and I see the assassin's power line, the Nissan Pathfinder, and the half-eaten Pad Thai, the people in the intended audience do not see these things. The first picture - the thing on your screen - is just a mnemonic to them; it's the Platonic shadow of the second picture (the "real" picture in their minds). When the people in the intended audience look at the first picture, they see the second picture. I couldn't understand why people were putting these pictures on flickr, because I have a particular type of brain damage which caused me to forget that the second picture exists. The type of brain damage I'm referring to is "the photographer's eye". I've been photographing things for a long time. When I started photographing things, my photographs were mnemonics, like the ones on flickr. If you photograph long enough, however, you'll eventually have the experience I had: you'll take a "real" photograph. What I mean by a "real" photograph is one which does not require the viewer already to have the real photograph in her mind in order to see the real photograph. This experience of duplicating the real photograph you have in your mind with the one you put on film changes the way you see forever. Like certain psychotropic drugs, it actually re-wires your brain. This brain damage makes you look at pictures differently. Because you know it's possible to make the mnemonic (the picture on screen, or on paper) look like the "real" photograph in your mind, you start to think about the picture in your mind and make sure there's nothing that doesn't look like it in the viewfinder before you press the shutter button. So when you see a Nissan Pathfinder, you walk around until it isn't in the picture. As the condition progresses, you spend more and more time moving around and fiddling with the camera to make sure that what the film sees is what's in your mind. I take pictures of my friends like everyone else does, but they don't look like the ones on flickr. When I take a picture of Pam at a conference we're both attending, for example, it looks like this: I didn't use a flash, or studio lights, or a fancy background, for this photo. I just asked Pam to sit next to a window, fiddled with my (manual) camera settings a bit, and took the picture. What you're seeing here is what I saw. But unlike most of the pictures you'll see on flickr, you're not also looking at whatever else happened to be in the area when I saw what I saw. (Full disclosure: I did a little dust removal in Photoshop, took out a stray hair or two, maybe touched up the odd mole, and cropped the picture from 24x36 proportions to 8x10 so that it would print on standard photographic paper - but otherwise you're looking at what came straight out of the camera.) My picture is better for me than the ones on flickr, because the brain damage has rewired the part of my brain where the mnemonics live. I still take mnemonic pictures, by accident, because it's hard to take a "real" picture. But I don't post them on flickr - I just file them away in their little boxes in the closet. They annoy me, because instead of making me recall the scene, they make me think "the scene didn't look like that!", which makes me feel like I've failed as a photographer. My picture is better for you too, especially if you don't know Pam. It's better for you because you don't have to read my mind ("Was the photographer looking at the girl, or at the Nissan Pathfinder?"), and you don't already have to have a picture of Pam in your mind, to figure out what I saw. I removed everything that wasn't what I saw from the picture before I took it. All that's left is what I saw, so that's what you see - even if you weren't there at the time and even if you've never met Pam.	1f4b0367bc04ac24c15224bf3d323e33
https://www.danielpipes.org/blog/2005/08/an-islamic-school-for-lodi-california	Lodi, an agricultural town of 65,000 in northern California, found itself in the spotlight in early June 2005 due to the arrest of four Muslims, plus accusations that they were connected to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda, and many unanswered questions. Then, on July 22, remote from the national spotlight, the San Joaquin County Planning Commission voted 3-1 to grant permission for the Farooqia Islamic Center, a private Islamic school, to be built off Lower Sacramento Road. Some Lodi residents have appealed that decision and, the Lodi newspaper reports today, the County Board of Supervisors will meet on Sept. 27 to consider their request. It's strictly a land-use decision, so the issue is framed in terms of noise and traffic. One family that is building a house next to the Farooqia property, for example, argues that the school would encroach on its privacy. The Muslim response brushes aside these concerns and asserts that townspeople just don't want a parochial Muslim school. The debate replicates many others throughout the West, except for the added twist of the terrorism charges and the fact that some of those involved with this Farooqia Islamic Center were also connected to an identically named madrassah in Pakistan, one known to have graduated terrorists. But there is another angle to be taken into account, apart from land use and the Pakistan connection: the unpleasant fact that Islamic schools in Western countries often offer an Islamist curriculum that prepares students for alienation from their society, if not terrorism. I point out this pattern in "Troubles at Islamic Schools in the West." Likewise, when mosque construction is under consideration, the pattern of their being used for unsavory activities should be highlighted. When assessing the request to build any Islamic institution – school, mosque, or otherwise – the authorities need to pay close attention to the outlook of the founders. That is not a guarantee that things will go right ever after, but at least it improves the odds. (August 11, 2005) Sep. 27, 2005 update: The Board of Supervisors met and rejected the Farooqia Islamic Center request in a 5-0 vote.	7e39ca54595a74bfd1fdd9e0bc63674c
https://drsanity.blogspot.com/2005/02/breaking-news-zoloft-is-innocent_15.html	Shining a psychological spotlight on a few of the insanities of life Tuesday, February 15, 2005 Breaking News - Zoloft is Innocent Chris Pittman, the teen who murdered his grandparents, burned down their house, and freely admitted to his crime but blamed the fact that he was taking the antidepressant Zoloft for his actions--has been found Guilty by the jury. I'm just glad that the antidepressant isn't once again taking the rap for someone's behavior.	ddb180c5a0a108473baa850924fd9806
https://www.theregister.com/2005/02/25/orange_spv_c550/	This article is more than 1 year old Orange next-gen smart phone details leak SPV C550 to target music fans? Mobile phone network Orange's next smart phone has made its web debut in the form of an allegedly leaked pic of the handset. The SPV C550, as it's being dubbed, appears to be the successor to the current SPV C500, made by Taiwan's HTC, which calls it the Typhoon. The C550 also appears to be an HTC product, an updated version of the manufacturer's Amadeus music-oriented handset, better known as the T-Mobile SDA Music. Certainly, the leaked picture - assuming it's genuine, of course - shows a keypad and control layout that matches that of Amadeus. However, CoolSmartPhone's published specification, suggests that the C550 is a kind of Amadeus 2. According to the site, the new smart phone will sport a 240 x 320 LCD capable of displaying 262,000 colours. There's a 1.3 megapixel camera on board too, along with 64MB of RAM and a Mini SD slot for extra storage. The handset offers the usual USB, infra-red and Bluetooth connectivity. Apparently, the hints are that Orange is preparing a May 2005 release date for the new handset. The network is already known to be preparing a version of HTC's Universal 3G palmtop handset, along with versions of the Taiwanese ODM's Alpine and Magician PocketPC phones. Clearly, Orange intends to beef up its line of own-brand handsets, as O2 and T-Mobile have done. ® Orange to offer 3G, Wi-Fi palmtop smart phone Orange preps latest own-brand smart phones Group Sense preps Euro smart phone T-Mobile unveils Sidekick-styled 3G device HTC revenues break record - again	5a4aaf451bf9a6326335a025970c2760
http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2005/10/daycare-report.html	Juniper's daycare provider left me these notes yesterday:Juniper very cuddling when I hold her. Juniper was sitting on the floor & she grab the ball w/ both hands & she raise the ball up high while sitting, she raise up so high that her body was curving. Another child was babling & Juniper look at him & he looked at Juniper & Juniper make a funny face. When I clap my hands give my hands out to her & she would raise her two hands up & let me hold her. Please clip her nails for me.	37b8f91cd7e4cfae29c110da1417e7cb
https://adaptistration.com/2005/03/10/getting-up-to-speed-in-utah/	Over the past week, there’s been a flurry of media attention in the Salt Lake are about the Utah Symphony & Opera (US&O) organization. Salt Lake Tribune music critic, Celia Baker, has written a few articles about the issues. They’re both excellent examples of reporting the facts; you can read them here, and here. Much of the attention is the result of consultant’s report which examines the internal organization and the financial condition of the institution written by retired orchestra executive, Tom Morris. You can obtain a copy of the Morris report (.pdf format) from the US&O musicians’ official website. Once there, you’ll also find a great deal of additional information about related issues and copies of recent press coverage. To learn more about the organization as a whole, you can visit the official US&O website. And if you prefer to actively participate in discussing their situation there is a dedicated US&O discussion forum at MyAuditions.com (free registration required in order to post comments). As the situation develops, you can count of the fact that the issues will be examined here as well, so stay tuned.	d044648e966fddaefa014fd320d4028b
https://dcbb.blogspot.com/2005/01/was-bowden-lying.html	Was Bowden Lying? Although it appears we’ve dodged the bullet, the AZ Republic notes that the Nats offered a contract to Shawn Estes. Yeah, that Shawn Estes. Bowden supposedly said that he wouldn’t be spending the $5 or $6 million they’ve got left on pitching. Hopefully, he said that after he made an offer to the guy. Unless… he’s going to trade one of the arbitration-eligible pitchers.	ff26e3cc61d1cf7387f6581e512658e7
https://howappealing.abovethelaw.com/2005/04/19/	“When You Can’t Beat ‘Em: Since everyone wants to kill Moussaoui, he’d be nuts not to agree.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online today at Slate. Posted at 11:58 PM by Howard Bashman Tuesday, April 19, 2005 “When You Can’t Beat ‘Em: Since everyone wants to kill Moussaoui, he’d be nuts not to agree.” Dahlia Lithwick has this jurisprudence essay online today at Slate. Posted at 11:58 PM by Howard BashmanIn Wednesday’s edition of The Washington Post: An article will report that “Reporters Lose In Appeals Court; Leak Case May Lead to Jail.” Posted at 11:54 PM by Howard BashmanIn news from Colorado: The Denver Post reports today that “Justices say shop owner not liable for sex assault.” And The Rocky Mountain News reports today that “Colorado high court tosses award in sex-assault suit; 6-1 ruling says business not liable in 1997 attack.” You can access yesterday’s ruling of the Supreme Court of Colorado at this link. In other news, The Denver Post reports today that “2 killers spared in high court’s ruling on ’02 sentencing law.” You can access yesterday’s rulings of the Supreme Court of Colorado here and here. In news pertaining to the denial of reconsideration, The Denver Post reports today that “High court won’t reconsider Auman decision.” And The Rocky Mountain News reports that “Court upholds Auman decision; DA must decide on retrial, plea bargain or further appeal.” Finally, Colorado’s Supreme Court has also refused to reconsider its recent decision setting aside a death sentence due to jurors’ use of a Bible during sentencing deliberations. The Rocky Mountain News reports today that “Justices stand by Harlan ruling.” Posted at 11:45 PM by Howard Bashman“Supreme Court back on gender equity case”: This article about alleged gender discrimination in high school sports appears today in The Grand Rapids Press. Posted at 11:28 PM by Howard BashmanYes, no, maybe so? Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court granted review in a search warrant case from Georgia. The question presented involves whether police can enter a home to conduct a warrantless search if one spouse consents but the other does not. I first reported on the Supreme Court of Georgia‘s ruling in the case last November in a post that you can access here. In local coverage of that ruling, The Americus Times-Recorder reported last November that “State Supreme Court rules drug search illegal.” Posted at 11:22 PM by Howard BashmanAlso in Wednesday’s edition of The New York Times: Tomorrow’s newspaper will also contain articles headlined “As Vote on Filibuster Nears, G.O.P. Senators Face Mounting Pressure” and “DeLay Outlines Strategy Against Federal Judges.” Posted at 11:15 PM by Howard Bashman“High Court Limits Stock Fraud Lawsuits; A plunge in a stock’s price does not demonstrate fraud, justices say, even if investors were lured by inflated claims”: David G. Savage has this news update online at The Los Angeles Times. Posted at 10:22 PM by Howard BashmanIn Wednesday’s edition of The New York Times: Adam Liptak will report that “2 Reporters Suffer Another Court Setback.” John Kifner will have an article headlined “10 Years After Bombing, Oklahoma City Remembers.” And in other news, “Sept. 11 Suspect May Be Set to Admit Guilt.” Posted at 10:20 PM by Howard BashmanAvailable online from law.com: Tony Mauro reports that “Supreme Court Rejects Looser Standard for Stock Fraud Suits.” And in news from New York City, “Threats Against Federal Judge, Courthouse Lead to Arrest.” Posted at 10:08 PM by Howard Bashman“Weighing property rights”: This past Sunday, Nancie G. Marzulla, president of the Defenders of Property Rights, had this op-ed in The Washington Times. In the op-ed, Marzulla writes, “Now the U.S. District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals is considering a full court, or en banc, review of a case (Stearns v. the United States) that could prove as pivotal as any before the highest court.” If true, the quoted sentence contains remarkable news, because Stearns Co. v. United States was recently decided by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Thanks much to a reader for the pointer. Posted at 9:10 PM by Howard BashmanTenth Circuit Judge Michael W. McConnell issues decision rejecting Commerce Clause challenge to homemade child pornography conviction: You can access today’s ruling, on behalf of a unanimous three-judge panel, at this link. The discussion of this issue, as to which other circuits have divided, begins on page 22 of the decision. Posted at 8:55 PM by Howard BashmanAvailable online from The Associated Press: Jesse J. Holland of The Associated Press has a report headlined “DeLay Slams Supreme Court Justice” that begins, “House Majority Leader Tom DeLay intensified his criticism of the federal courts on Tuesday, singling out Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s work from the bench as ‘incredibly outrageous’ because he has relied on international law and done research on the Internet.” And in other news, “Judge Weighs Moussaoui’s 9/11 Guilty Plea.” Posted at 8:54 PM by Howard Bashman“Court Declines Case of Reporters in Leak Case”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times provides this news update. Posted at 7:40 PM by Howard Bashman“Who Are the Top 20 Legal Thinkers in America?” legalaffairs.org posts the results of its online poll. Posted at 7:30 PM by Howard Bashman“Let the Filibuster Die: Why Bill Frist’s ‘nuclear option’ doesn’t go far enough.” Timothy Noah has this chatterbox essay online at Slate. Posted at 7:20 PM by Howard Bashman“Court Reviews Rights in Death Penalty Case”: The Associated Press provides this report. Posted at 6:00 PM by Howard Bashman“Lawsuit targets Williams for ouster; It is unconstitutional to serve both as Rhode Island chief justice and as a member of a military review panel, a lawyer asserts”: Two Saturdays ago, The Providence Journal published an article that begins, “A lawsuit filed Thursday claims that Frank J. Williams is no longer chief justice of the Rhode Island Supreme Court because he is on the military review panel that will hear appeals from suspected terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The suit cites a section of the Rhode Island Constitution that says that ‘if any general officer, senator, representative or judge shall, after election and engagement, accept any appointment under any other government, the office under this shall be immediately vacated.'” Posted at 5:08 PM by Howard BashmanU.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit denies rehearing en banc on Booker plain error standard: So why, then, is the document containing the order ninety-two pages long? Because Circuit Judges Gerald Bard Tjoflat and Rosemary Barkett have appended dissents from the denial of rehearing en banc, and Circuit Judge Ed Carnes has appended a concurrence in which he responds to those dissents. Posted at 5:00 PM by Howard Bashman“Case embroiled in controversy after Wilson judge had ordered her to learn English”: The Tennessean contains this article today. Posted at 4:42 PM by Howard Bashman“Three judges are flash points in Senate clash; A vote on their nominations Thursday could lead to long-awaited showdown over the federal courts”: This article will appear Wednesday in The Christian Science Monitor. People For the American Way today issued a press release titled “With Frist’s Finger on the ‘Nuclear’ Button, PFAWF Launches New Ad; Republican Firefighter Returns to Washington to Save the Filibuster.” You can access the new ad via this link. Focus on the Family today issued a press release titled “Focus on the Family Action Launches Judical Filibuster Ad Campaign.” The press release provides links to the ads. The Committee for Justice yesterday issued a press release titled “Gonzales Never Accused Priscilla Owen of Judicial Activism.” The Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary today issued a press release titled “Law Students, Law Professors, Legal Luminaries Rally Nationwide to Protect the Filibuster; Legal Professionals Will Present Thousands of Letters to Senate Leadership.” And Project 21 today issued a press release titled “Black Activists Criticize NAACP for Filibuster Flip-Flop; Group Now Supports Senate Tactic That Hobbled Civil Rights Legislation.” Posted at 4:25 PM by Howard Bashman“Insurers Want to Change Asbestos Bill”: Reuters provides this report. Posted at 4:12 PM by Howard Bashman“Garrow on Blackmun and law clerks”: Mark Tushnet has this post at “Balkinization.” At “The Volokh Conspiracy,” Jim Lindgren has a post titled “Blackmun a Clerk to His Clerks.” At Reason’s “Hit and Run” blog, Jesse Walker has a post titled “Pay No Attention to Those Clerks Behind the Curtain.” The article to which they are responding is available here. Posted at 4:00 PM by Howard Bashman“Police arrest porn star who ran for governor”: This article appears today in The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington. Posted at 3:54 PM by Howard Bashman“Bills target abortion clinics”: The St. Petersburg Times contains this editorial today. Posted at 3:50 PM by Howard Bashman“Five years later, Elian, now 11, is living a ‘normal’ life”: This article appeared Sunday in The South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Posted at 3:48 PM by Howard Bashman“Center Court: There really are vast differences among the Supreme Court’s ﬁve conservatives; And that’s exactly what Bush hopes he can eliminate.” Simon Lazarus has this essay in the May 2005 issue of The American Prospect. Posted at 2:28 PM by Howard BashmanThe Solititor General’s Office files its reply brief in support of its petition for writ of certiorari seeking review of the Third Circuit‘s ruling in the Solomon Amendment case: Once I receive a copy of (or a link to) the reply brief in PDF format, I will post it online. For now, you can access online the cert. petition, the appendix thereto, an amicus brief filed by the Mountain States Legal Foundation, the brief in opposition, and the Third Circuit’s ruling. Posted at 2:25 PM by Howard Bashman“New York Man Arrested for Threatening U.S. Judge”: Reuters provides a report that begins, “A New York man was arrested on Tuesday for threatening to kill a Brooklyn federal judge and bomb his courthouse amid growing concern about the safety of the nation’s judiciary and their courtrooms.” The April 18, 2005 issue of New York Magazine contained an item headlined “Furor in the Court: ‘It’s like we’re in Fallujah’; Brooklyn judges say they’re not as safe as their Manhattan counterparts.” Posted at 2:08 PM by Howard Bashman“Once Bitten, Twice Shy”: CBS News legal analyst Andrew Cohen has this essay about Zacarias Moussaoui’s decision, once again, to plead guilty. Posted at 2:05 PM by Howard BashmanU.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit holds that $5 million punitive damage award was unconstitutionally excessive in racial discrimination case where the actual harm to plaintiff was valued at $50,000: You can access today’s ruling at this link. The Ninth Circuit has ruled that the maximum lawful punitive damages award would be in the range of $300,000 to $450,000. The opinion’s conclusion leaves me unsure concerning whether the plaintiff, on remand, will have the option to reject the reduction and instead opt for a new trial. Posted at 12:44 PM by Howard Bashman“The Brains Behind Blackmun: Harry Blackmun’s papers reveal that, more than any justice in memory, he gave his law clerks control over his thinking and writing when he was on the Supreme Court.” David J. Garrow has this article in the May \| June 2005 issue of Legal Affairs magazine. Seth P. Waxman, who now serves as chairman of Legal Affairs, offers this response to Garrow’s article. And at “The Volokh Conspiracy,” David Bernstein reacts here to Tony Mauro’s coverage of Garrow’s article. I’ll be happy to consider for posting any comments about Garrow’s article that readers forward to me via email. Please let me know whether you are commenting anonymously or for attribution. And I’ll also be pleased to receive via email links to posts from others who are blogging about this article. Posted at 12:15 PM by Howard Bashman“Bill Would End Gag Clauses That Stifle Victims Who Sue”: This article appears today in The Los Angeles Times. Posted at 12:11 PM by Howard Bashman“Witch Trial: Some Faiths Aren’t Good Enough for Chesterfield Supervisors.” Columnist A. Barton Hinkle has this essay today in The Richmond Times-Dispatch. Hinkle’s essay begins, “Any lawyer who represents himself in court has a fool for a client. Anyone without a law degree who takes issue with J. Harvie Wilkinson is an idiot. To the latter charge, your servant enters a plea of no contest, and plows ahead anyway.” Posted at 11:33 AM by Howard Bashman“Murkowski’s position vague in Senate strife; Judicial nominees: Republicans would be able to block filibusters.” This article appears today in The Anchorage Daily News. The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette today contains an editorial entitled “Uphold the filibuster.” The Kansas City Star contains an editorial entitled “Keep religion out of judge nominations.” The Oregon Daily Emerald contains an editorial entitled “Jeopardizing the filibuster could muffle minorities.” The UCLA Daily Bruin yesterday contained an editorial entitled “GOP efforts to gain power threaten courts, system.” And in The San Francisco Chronicle, columnist Debra J. Saunders today has an essay entitled “Going nuclear.” Posted at 11:15 AM by Howard Bashman \|	ccc93b5e8c5f4f9f3197ad974d0e22e1
https://blogography.com/archives/2005/05/testify.html	And here you thought I was kidding. Read this unsolicited testimonial from yet another satisfied Artificial Duck T-Shirt customer... "I'm so grateful that I picked the regular "Dave Blog Logo" T-Shirt over the "Bad Monkey" version because my 64 yr. old heart couldn't have taken anymore excitment during the Apple Blossom Festival weekend being held in Wenatchee, Washington." "I wore the "Blog" T-Shirt Saturday nite while cruising the Ave. in my hot 2003 (Silver Bullet) Honda Civic and the action was unreal!" "I'm not sure if the fact that I left my wife at home this year, or that the new T-Shirt was a total chick-magnet, but I'll have a lot of stories to tell my buddies at the Nursing Home in a few years. Hope alzheimer's doesn't erase the fond memories of my best weekend ever. Thanks! --Harold" And you are welcome! I really do need to do some research here. I think that there is scientific evidence to support my claim that Blogography T-shirts make life better. Keep sending in those photos and testimonials... I'll be working up a page for them this weekend.	12fbc1f78f6d4236875d49cc61d4a69c
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051018075220.htm	Mountain Winds May Create Atmospheric Hotspots - October 18, 2005 - American Geophysical Union - Rapidly fluctuating wind gusts blowing over mountains and hills can create "hotspots" high in the atmosphere and significantly affect regional air temperatures. Such winds can create high-frequency acoustic waves and could stimulate a 1000-Kelvin spike in a short period of time. Rapidly fluctuating wind gusts blowing over mountains and hills can create "hotspots" high in the atmosphere and significantly affect regional air temperatures. A research paper to be published this month in the Journal of Geophysical Research-Space Physics reports that the actions of such winds can create high-frequency acoustic waves and could stimulate a 1000-Kelvin spike in a short period of time in the thermosphere, at an altitude of 200-300 kilometers. Such exceptional temperature increases would require continuous waves, and the heating rate would likely be diminished with intermittent winds. Richard Walterscheid and Michael Hickey used a theoretical model of the interaction between rough terrain and wind eddies to suggest that high winds may represent a previously unknown source of acoustic waves in the environment. Ocean waves and earthquakes are known to produce similar waves, which strengthen as they propagate higher in the atmosphere. The authors speculate that the waves can heat the atmosphere at prodigious rates and could account for a large part of the unusual and unexplained high-altitude background heating seen above the mountainous landscape in parts of South America. "We show that that the acoustic waves generated by gusty flow over rough terrain might be a significant source of heating in the upper atmosphere," Hickey says. "These mysterious so-called 'hotspots' observed above the Andes Mountains could be explained by such acoustic wave heating." Previous observations near the Andes Mountains in Peru had found that the atmosphere directly above some peaks was approximately 100 Kelvin hotter than in nearby regions and that the difference occasionally reached as much as 400 Kelvin. Other research had recorded similar effects near the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. After comparing simulations of atmospheric gravity waves and acoustic waves, the researchers found that the acoustic waves reached higher altitudes than the gravity waves, leading them to speculate that the acoustic waves constituted a far more plausible source of the observed hot spots. They then identified wind fluctuations as the most likely source of the heating, noting that the upwind waves could only be generated by unsteady wind flow. They cite further evidence indicating that the high- frequency acoustic waves in the thermosphere originated from the ground, including proof that nighttime atmospheric motion (convection) is not a plausible source of the persistent heating. In addition, they note that only high-frequency acoustic waves could cause the thermospheric heating, as the slower-speed gravity waves are not fast enough to reach the higher altitudes and therefore could not produce the substantial effects at that height in the atmosphere. The paper indicates that moderately strong winds, reaching speeds of approximately 10 meters per second, can generate wave amplitudes of nearly four meters per second above rough terrain. In addition, the authors found that steeply sloping terrain further enhanced the waves, which are generated by rapid variations in the up-and-down turbulence in the air. Wider hills and those spaced further apart can also have a similar wave- generating effect, but the authors found that the wind effects typically do not propagate vertically near isolated hills as they do around rougher terrain. The researchers note that there are very few detailed field studies of the wind field over hills at present. They report, however, that models and previous research indicates that even weak interactions from acoustic waves can produce significant effects in the thermosphere. The research was funded by the Aerospace Corporation and through NASA and NSF grants. Materials provided by American Geophysical Union. Note: Content may be edited for style and length. Cite This Page:	480aeb40b761f01c49e270688401fc6e
http://www.horniculture.com/2005/07/this-means-war.html	“ … The movie's not-so-hidden subtext involves the way Ray blossoms into a real father in the face of incredible danger and a balky teenage son. I leave it to you to decide whether destruction of much of the Eastern Seaboard might be too high a price for civilization to pay for one man’s maturity.” That read, I caught ‘War of the Worlds’ with a buddy tonight. Steven Spielberg throws a lot of punches, but doesn’t deliver a knockout. … The plot thickens (and takes your breath at times) as Tom Cruise’s character runs through a mess of people being sizzled to ashes and then leads his two children through mobs in a race to escape the alien creatures. That’s pretty much where the movie ends. What follows is an odd farmhouse scene with Tim Robbins that falls flat and only stalls the climax, which is jammed together in an ending that never really explains itself. It also leaves us all asking where the heck did Robbie come from? The only true positives out of this movie are, of course, the special effects and gut-wrenching 9/11-like destruction and Dakota (Can you believe she’s only a kid!) Fanning’s mostly believable performance. But this movie, while worth seeing for the decent summer blockbuster it will be, is no ‘Independence Day.’ Instead, Speilberg reuses too many of his old tricks from ‘Jurassic Park’ and runs this one into the ground faster than ‘AI.’ 2 ½ out of 5 stars. Here’s some reviews that wrote it better than I could have … From the Rocky Mountain News, By Robert Denerttein From the Associated Press, By David Germain There's a whole page of reviews here!	b0e4748716531ab7dfb3c90b0b625eef
https://clevelandtribeblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/taking-wood-to-em.html	The Tribe got some revenge for last week's sweep last night in Boston, with Millwood dominating the potent BoSox lineup in the 7-0 win. Some quick hits: - Has Millwood priced himself out of the Tribe's 2006 plans? I don't think that it's happened yet. But if he continues his current pace, it's very possible. His ERA is hovering around 3.00, which brings the closest thing the Tribe has to an ace every time he takes the ball. If he continues his torrid pitching, you've got to think that he'll be in the $8-$10 million range with 3-5 years on his next contract. If that's the case, I don't think that fits into the Tribe's plans for 2006 (and rightfully so). When you look at the players the Tribe need to lock up (Super Sizemore & Lee), you can't overpay for one player, especially if there's a risk of a Jack McDowellesque flame-out. As Cy e-mailed me, it's time to lock up Grady until 2015. - Just when I was going to say that Broussard's beard made him look old enough to buy beer, he shaves it into a goatee. Someone needs to tell him that he's not Eddie Vedder and should stick with the tight beard. - Interesting to see Shapiro in the stands last night with his good friend (and Patriots player personnel guru) Scott Pioli. With the hiring of Danny Ferry (another Shapiro buddy) by the Cavs; had the Browns pursued Pioli further, there was a possibility of these 3 buddies running the 3 major teams in a town. To put that in perspective, think about yourself and two of your friends running the major sports teams in a city. Unreal. - I've looked through the RH sticks that might be available in a trade and the pickings are slim. - The first option is Moises Alou, who is 38 and is paid $7 million a year. Alou's numbers so far are .315/12/33/.931 OPS. The Giants, though, would probably want Tallet/Traber, Cruceta, Hernandez, and probably another minor-leaguer to make it happen. - Another option is Kevin Mench, who had been rumored to be coming in a trade a few years ago. Mench is 27 with a $345K salary. He's hitting .290/12/37/.903 OPS in the young season. With the Rangers (still!) deep in position players and weak in pitchers, this could be a Hafneresqe trade, giving up Tallet/Traber (probably Traber) and Hernandez. - The final RH option out there is Juan Encarnacion, who's 29 and pulls down $4.4 million a year. He's recently shown some signs of displeasure in Florida, where he's hitting .269/9/40/.795. The Marlins would like Howry (and maybe Hernandez) to stabilize a battered pen. - As you can see, the pickings are slim. There are other RF's out there, but most are overpriced LH (Berkman, Jenkins, Ibanez). So, if the Indians are buyers, I'm interested to see which direction they'll go to add the "middle of the lineup" hitter that Shapiro has referenced. Mench might fit the bill (and the budget) the best, but I can't see my Uncle Joe tearing his way down to the Jake to see Kevin Mench. - One of the WKNR Update guys refers to Cliff Lee as "The General". I'm not sure if I'm on board with that one yet. He also called the Indians "Team Windex" last year. Get it, they're streaky? Last night's lineup looked like it should for the rest of the season (barring a trade). To recap, check out the boxscore online. Any thoughts on the lineup? With an dime from TB, I was able to get the Organizational Depth Chart, which will remain on the sidebar and be updated as is necessary. All right, the Red Sox just cut the lead to 4-3 on the "General" (Nope, sorry. I don't like it). I've got to focus.	98629d9effa02f70d72cb5a02c44a601
https://sparc.org/2005/continuous-computing-announces-agreement-to-acquire-key-assets-from-uptech/	Acquisition Will Enhance Company’s Position in China and Strengthen Global Product Development and Regional Customer Support Capabilities Continuous Computing® Corporation, global provider of high availability platform solutions that enable telecom equipment manufacturers to rapidly deploy converged communications, today announced the signing of an agreement to acquire key people, products and technology from the product division of China-based UPTech (United Platform Technologies). When closed, this acquisition will enhance Continuous Computing’s market position in China and add global product development and regional customer support resources. The addition will increase Continuous Computing’s total staffing by approximately 80 people, primarily in Shenzhen, China. According to PJ Go, president, CEO and co-founder of Continuous Computing, “The acquisition will help Continuous Computing achieve its 2005 corporate goals for extending global reach and augmenting sales, development and manufacturing capabilities. We also expect the acquisition to significantly accelerate our ability to deliver Network Service-Ready Platforms™ to telecom equipment manufacturers. Continuous Computing is excited about its new position in the worldwide marketplace and optimistic about additional growth prospects in the future.” UPTech is a leading software and product provider in the rapidly-growing Chinese VoIP market. The entrepreneurial spirit of the acquired team is expected to streamline the division’s integration with Continuous Computing and to help accelerate the company’s development of additional VoIP products. “This is a win/win situation for both UPTech and Continuous Computing,” said Chareleson Zheng, CEO of UPTech. “Continuous Computing will benefit from the success of the products and the market in China while UPTech will be able to focus its energy on the rapid growth of software and services.” King Chen, CTO of UPTech and general manager of the product division, will lead the new business unit at Continuous Computing, to be called IP.Enterprise. Chen, who was formerly vice president of fixed networks for Huawei Technologies before joining UPTech, brings well-established relationships with Chinese telecom equipment manufacturers to his new role. “The combination of key UPTech assets with Continuous Computing yields a comprehensive offering not currently available today,” said Chen. “We are delighted to be part of Continuous Computing and look forward to expanding our strong team in China.” The acquisition is expected to close in approximately 30 days. More information is available on Continuous Computing’s web sites at www.ccpu.com and www.ccpu.com/cn and at the company’s SUPERCOMM trade show booth (#32076) at Chicago’s McCormick Place from June 7 to 9. About Continuous Computing Continuous Computing® Corporation provides high availability platform solutions that enable telecom equipment manufacturers to rapidly deploy converged communications. The company supplies integrated solutions in the wireless and Voice over IP markets to over 125 customers worldwide who rely on Continuous Computing to accelerate time to market, reduce total life cycle costs and increase return on investment. The company offers a comprehensive set of Trillium® protocol software; AdvancedTCA and CompactPCI systems; upSuite® platform management; Trillium+plus Network Service-Ready Platforms™; and customization and product life cycle management services. Founded in 1998, Continuous Computing is based in San Diego with offices globally. The company is ISO-9001 certified and a member of the Intel® Communications Alliance. Additional information is available at www.ccpu.com Continuous Computing, the Continuous Computing logo, Create \| Deploy \| Converge, Flex21, FlexChassis, FlexCompute, FlexCore, FlexDSP, FlexPacket, FlexStore, FlexSwitch, Network Service-Ready Platform, Quick!Start, TAPA, Trillium, Trillium+plus, the Trillium logo, upBeat, upDisk and upSuite are trademarks or registered trademarks of Continuous Computing Corporation. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. Continuous Computing is an Associate member of the Intel Communications Alliance. The Intel Communications Alliance is a member-based program comprised of communications and embedded developers and solution providers. Members are committed to providing a strategic supply of standards-based solutions to the communications and embedded market segments. For more information, please visit: www.intel.com/go/ica	e59d1c218c79d143eb2ce5ab2f19eabf
https://thirdworldcentre.org/2005/07/the-future-of-global-water/	Asit K. Biswas and Cecilia Tortajada \| Voices, 2005 For most of the 1990s, in spite of the rhetoric to the contrary, water basically disappeared from the international political agenda. For example, during the UN Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, not even a single head of state referred to the problem of looming water crisis that the world was facing. Suddenly, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, water became a popular subject. The United Nations Committee on Sustainable Development decided water was a priority issue. The U.N. General Assembly declared 2003 the International Year of Freshwater and the period 2005-15 the International Decade for Action: Water for Life. SPF supported projects on water during the 1990s, with the focus on water as a catalytic force to reduce regional tensions and to promote peace. Among these initiatives was the establishment of the Middle East Water Commission, chaired by Professor Asit K Biswas, over the period 1993-96. The report of this commission (Core and Periphery: A Comprehensive Approach to Middle Eastern Water, by Asit K. Biswas et al., Oxford University Press, 1997) played an important role in facilitating the eventual peace treaties between Israel and Jordan and between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Workshop in Alexandria At the beginning of the new millennium, SPF sponsored two major pro jects of the Third World Centre for Water Management, an independent think tank based in Atizapan, Mexico, that specializes in the generation, synthesis, application, and dissemination of knowledge. The first project was an objective and comprehensive reassessment of the applicability of the sustainable development paradigm to the water sector. Leading international experts were invited to a workshop at the Bibliotheca Alexandria, Egypt, in 2002. The workshop attempted to answer two challenging issues: the implementation potential of the concept of sustainable development in the real world, and its possible application to make water management more efficient and equitable than at present. It analyzed complex questions such as what exactly is meant by sustainable development, and whether a single paradigm of sustainable water resources management can encompass all countries of a very heterogeneous world, with very different cultures, social norms, physical attributes, climatic conditions, institutional and legal framework and systems of governance. A definitive book based on the results of this project has just been published: Appraising Sustainable Development: Water Management and Environmental Challenges, edited by Asit K Biswas and Cecilia Tortajada (Oxford University Press, 2005). A summary of the Alexandria workshop was published in SPF Voices No. 35, in January 2003. Global survey and workshop on megaconferences The second Centre project that SPF supported was an assessment of the impacts of megaconferences (defined as conferences attended by more than 2,000 people) on the water sector. These megaconferences are now being organized more and more frequently, and their cost is increasing significantly. In spite of the increasing frequency and the rapid acceleration in their organizational costs, the actual impacts of even one of these events had never been objectively assessed. In order to obtain a clearer picture of their impacts and cost effectiveness, the Centre carried out a global study with SPF-USA support. The impacts evaluated were for the Mar del Plata, Dublin, Rio de Janeiro, and Johannesburg conferences (all organized by the U.N.), the Freshwater Consultation in Bonn, and the three World Water Forums organized by the World Water Council, held in Marrakech, The Hague, and Japan. A questionnaire was sent to 2,698 people from 121 countries, among whom were the members of the World Water Council and the Inter national Water Resources Association, as well as the participants in recent major water conferences. Overall Views on the Megaconferences Views \| Percent \| The concept of such global conferences is good, but the organizational framework needs to be changed radically. Events should be more focused and output oriented. The main criterion for success should be not the number of people who attend but the quality of outputs and impacts. \| 48.37 \| Instead of global megaconferences, organize retonal meetings dealing with regional problems and issues, which should be ocused and impact oriented. \| 30.70 \| Conferences have now become big “water fairs,” with many activities but not much thou ght for their relevance, appropri ateness, ou tputs, or impacts. There is no coordination between events and no clear focus, and their cost effectiveness leaves much to be desired. \| 11.48 \| Global megaconferences are useful and cost effective, and thus should be continued with only marginal changes \| 2.27 \| No view \| 7.18 \| Nearly 28% of the people who received the questionnaire responded. Considering the global, multi-institutional, and multi-sectoral nature of the survey, the response rate can be considered quite good. Specific countries or regions were also selected for in-depth studies. These were for Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Japan, Scandinavia, and Southern Africa. In addition, think pieces were commissioned from distinguished water experts from different parts of the world, including a deputy secretary general of a major U.N. megaconference. All these papers and the main findings of the global survey were discussed at a workshop in Bangkok, January 29-30, 2005, where leading water experts from different countries were invited to review the findings and the commissioned papers. Overall, the survey respondents were very positive about the cost effectiveness of the U.N. Water Conference in Mar del Plata. The consensus was that no other megaconference equaled, let alone exceeded, the impacts of Mar del Plata. In contrast, the respondents felt that the World Water Forums, specifically the Japan forum, were not cost effective. The Japan forum came under serious criticism for the following reasons: - They were badly organized, with the strategic error of having been organized in three cities, which made it impossible for the participants to attend the sessions in which they were interested. - The criterion for success appeared to be the number of people pre sent and number of countries rep resented, not the quality of presentations, discussions, or outputs and impacts; the organizational costs were very high because of numerous nonessential activities and the absence of a clear focus on the objectives of the event. - The cost effectiveness was poor for a variety of reasons, including inadequate emphasis on information dissemination. Nearly 90% of the respondents felt that in the light of the experience of the Japan forum, an attempt should be made to redesign/restructure/rethink the way megaconferences are organized in order to increase their impacts and cost effectiveness substantially. Nearly 44% of the respondents felt that megaconferences had no perceptible impacts, or at best marginal impacts, on the individuals concerned and on their institutions. Another 11.5% were even more negative in their assessments. In contrast, 7% felt that the events were “excellent,” and 26% felt that the conferences had perceptible impacts on their institutions. Another 11.5% of the respondents did not express any view. Respondents from the United States, Canada, and Western Europe were notably more skeptical of the benefits and impacts of these events than participants from developing countries. The overall views on the megaconferences are summed up in the table above. The workshop made the following recommendations: - Significantly reduce the frequency and expense of megaconferences. If a conference is considered necessary, analyze its purpose rigorously with a view to achieving it through a smaller regional and/or sectoral meeting, not necessarily through a global megaconference. - Improve the planning, clarity of purpose, structure, attendance, and follow-up of each megaconference and of each smaller meeting. - Link each megaconference firmly into the regular ongoing processes of water development and management. - Evaluate each megaconference using independent evaluators. Asit K. Biswas is president of the Third World Centre for Water Management. One of the world’s best-known water experts, he has been an advisor to six heads of U.N. agencies and 17 governments at the ministerial/secretarial level. He is one of the two original founders of the World Water Council, which organizes the World Water Forums. Cecilia Tortajada is vice-president of the Third World Centre for Water Management and is also vice-president of the International Water Resources Association. A biologist by training, she is considered one of Latin America’s leading water authorities.	d3c3aacf6244779d5068fc7d6a0b092e
https://blog.rakeshpai.me/2005/07/	Mumbai is recovering fast from the downpour two days ago. You may want to see pics of it at flickr. It took me two days to come back home, but I'm fine. Thanks everyone for those mails. Everyone I know is fine too. I hope everyone you know is fine. Thursday, July 28, 2005 Thursday, July 14, 2005 I just picked up my offer letter from HSBC Asset Management yesterday, for the position of Executive - Web Design I still get to continue doing my freelance projects as I was, though an immediate slow-down is inevitable. I've been doing it for more than two years now, and simply quitting would be impossible. I am still to settle down at the new job with the new work timings (I'll actually have to get up in the morning), new bunch of work-related problems (for starters, I'll have to make an hour long train commute to work everyday) and new dress code (I understand I can't code in my underwear anymore). I start the routine on Monday. I hope this means that I'll get a lot more time at hand to do more reading (my feed reader indicates that I have more than 4000 unread items in my box), and writing (and you thought I had plans to wrap up this blog soon). I will also hopefully get more material on and exposure to real-world web-based issues. Anyway, for now, it's time for celebrations. Time for hitting that bottle of beer. Again. After all, it's a new excuse. Posted by Rakesh Pai at 1:21 PM	449976679336340e2b5ccb2b85fd5a81
https://www.atmoreadvance.com/2005/01/13/texas-style-restaurant-has-a-style-of-its-own/	Texas style restaurant has a style of its own Published 2:15 am Thursday, January 13, 2005 By By Lee Weyhrich Tentatively opening Jan. 25, B&T Texas-Style Bar-B-Que could be called a restaurant courtesy of Hurricane Ivan. "Except for the treated lumber just about everything you see is courtesy of Ivan," said Byron Vaughan, the restaurant's owner. The building's supports are made out of logs from trees that fell over during the storm. The walls are covered with cedar paneling that was milled from cedar trees felled by Ivan and leftover pieces of cedar have been used to make trim work for the interior. Even some of the oak to be used in the barbecue pit is compliments of this county's largest storm. "I go hunting on my property nearly every day, and every time I see something else I can use in the future," Byron said. "Byron doesn't throw anything away if he thinks he can use it," said Byron's wife Tricia as she explained that in a former life the office paneling was a picket fence. Though Byron and Tricia were born and raised in this area they spent the last 20 years in Texas. "This is really kind of a homecoming. We left Texas to get away from the rat race," Tricia said. "My husband likes to cook so we decided to start a restaurant," she added. This is the Vaughan's first experience with restaurant work. "Byron worked in the high-tech industry making sure systems were working in big factories," Tricia said. "I was the art director for the Texas association of realtors," she added. Tricia quit that job for five or six years to raise her family and rejoined the workforce as a physical education teacher. "This restaurant is just something we really wanted to do; we're just glad to be back home," said Tricia.	1d7b5a3162d8fe7dbb2fb0036e4358af
https://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2005/09/29/bertie-aids-katrina-victims/	Bertie aids Katrina victims Published 12:00 am Thursday, September 29, 2005 WINDSOR – Bertie County is reaching out to a family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. During last week's Bertie Board of Commissioners meeting, the county's elected leaders listened to a presentation made by Lillian Harden of Windsor in regards to the family – Stuart Breland, 24, and Amy Longfoot, 25, along with the couple's 7-month-old son, Alexander Breland. The family recently relocated to northeastern North Carolina after losing everything to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. They formally resided in Biloxi, Mississippi, living approximately one-half mile from the Gulf of Mexico. They were informed by authorities there that their two-story townhouse is now just a shell. "At some point in the future, they wish to go back to Biloxi to see if anything from their home can be saved," Harden told the Commissioners. "However, they have been told that their home will probably be bulldozed and hauled away due to 26 feet of water damage. Meanwhile, the couple has been staying at a Williamston motel with the aid of FEMA rental assistance. "I have been working with them in seeking adequate and affordable housing with no success," Harden said. Harden told the Commissioners that Stuart Breland's father works at the Bertie County Landfill and has gotten his son a job there. Amy Longfoot will be staying at home with the baby. "This is an excellent opportunity for the Bertie County communities to help this family out," Zee Lamb, County Manager, said. Following a brief discussion, the Commissioners voted unanimously to allow the family to reside, rent free, in the Phelps house, property owned by the county. The terms of the agreement are for six months, effective Sept. 20. "It's a dreadful sight there along the Gulf Coast," Rick Harrell, Chairman of the Commissioners, noted. "With this family now here in our area, it makes what happened in Mississippi and Louisiana personal to us. We're just glad we could do something to help out." In a related matter, Harden pointed out another local effort to help the family. "I have also contacted area churches and individual citizens, requesting assistance with furnishings and household needs for this family," Harden said. Members of the Green's Cross Baptist Church Women's Missionary Union responded, urging community members to help in assisting the couple through this terrible time. The couple needs all of the essential items. Churches across the county are working to get the couple several larger items that they may need. Green's Cross Baptist Church Women's Missionary Union is asking for the following items for this family: Clothing for Stuart (pants: size 40w, 32 length; shirts: XXL); Amy (pants: size 20; shirts: size XL) baby Alexander: (age – 7 months; weight – 19 lbs.). The couple also needs Enfamil Lactose Free, a crib with sheets and bedding, a walker, paper products for kitchen and bathroom, refrigerator, box springs for double bed, car seat large enough for a 19 lb, 7-month-old, diapers and baby wipes. Stuart has transportation to and from work, but will eventually need a vehicle for the family. Cash donations will also be accepted. Items can be donated by contacting Harden at Lawrence Memorial Library in Windsor after 1 p.m. at 794-2244 or at home at 794-3717.	6b93a083cba00d29ac8b0d2b47a3e323
http://blog.animalswithinanimals.com/2005/10/here-come-indictments.html	some bloggers are so anxious for these indictments to be announced that they've turned indictment day into its own holiday, called fitzmas. and it's starting to look like fitzmas falls pretty close to halloween this year. from rawstory: Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has decided to seek indictments in the outing of Valerie Plame Wilson and has submitted at least one to the grand jury, those close to the investigation tell RAW STORY. Fitzgerald will seek at least two indictments, the sources say. They note that it remains to be seen whether the grand jury will approve the charges. Those familiar with the case state that Fitzgerald likely will not seek indictments that assert officials leaked Plame's name illegally. Rather, they say that he will focus charges in the arena of lying to investigators. Any possible indictments are now in the hands of the grand jury. They are expected to be made public later this week. RAW STORY has not learned who Fitzgerald is seeking to charge. Reports indicate that of those fingered in the case, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, is in the most jeopardy. President Bush's Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, also appears to have given conflicting testimony to the grand jury. Fitzgerald may also charge those who leaked Plame Wilson's name to reporters. Rove and Libby have not been identified as the sources in Robert Novak's July 14, 2003 column which first identified Plame as a covert agent and the husband of Joseph Wilson, a critic of the Administration's Iraq intelligence. Novak cited "senior administration officials" as his sources for the report.¶	59ae9829d77fb3c3c1130e7bce8b50ba
https://danq.me/2005/02/26/photopia-2/	I wrote the other day about Photopia, one of the most brilliant and unusual pieces of interactive fiction I’ve ever experienced. Finally, JTA gave it a go, and loved it too – and he and I have been spending the last few days discussing some of the really, really clever bits and putting our own explanations to them. There are so many questions left unanswered, even after having completed the story, and I’m sure we’ll both be going back and playing it again. Why hasn’t anybody else played yet? Well; it’s possible I just didn’t make it quite accessible enough. So I’ve packaged Photopia into a single-file executable. Just download and run it, and you’ll have it installed on your system. It takes up less than a megabyte of space and it’s brilliant not only as entertainment but also as a work of fiction.	d318499e9ebeee879ca7c4c3b50f0eb2
https://fundraising.co.uk/2005/10/16/opportunity-charities-recoup-millions-pounds-vat/	A recent case involving the Children’s Society means VAT-registered charities have an opportunity to scoop millions of pounds from backdated VAT payments, according to VAT specialist Simon Newark of top twenty accountancy group UHY Hacker Young. The extent to which a charity might benefit depends on which of its ‘activities’ are classed as ‘business’ activities and which as ‘non-business’ activities. Most charitable organisations have a mix of ‘business’ activities, some of which are taxable and others of which are exempt for VAT purposes. This means that the organisation can only reclaim part of the VAT it incurs on expenditure. The exact amount depends on the types of activities. A charity could recover anything from a single figure percentage to 100% (fully taxable). However, before making this ‘partially exempt’ calculation, the charity must strip-out any VAT on spending associated with ‘non-business’ activities. VAT spending on ‘non-business’ activities is not recoverable at all and can represent a big cost to the organisation concerned. This would include the administration costs of: 1. Recruiting donors 2. Receiving legacies or making donations and grants 3. Owning shares 4. Receiving dividends and interest payments However, in a recent High Court case, it was decided that: 1. The receipt of donations and 2. The receipt of other unrestricted funds is NOT an ‘activity’ in itself, just a mechanism which supports the charity’s wider objectives. As a consequence of this decision, the ‘non-business’ element of a charitable organisation’s activities is now likely to be much smaller as will the associated VAT costs. Charities should re-examine their past VAT returns and submit claims for previously blocked VAT. All charities should take immediate action to recover sums due to them. It is estimated that tens, even hundreds of millions of pounds could be reimbursed. Charities must determine whether or not they have an opportunity to make a back-claim for past VAT. Those with significant ‘non-business’ activities are likely to gain from this decision, to a greater or lesser extent depending on their ‘partial exemption’ recovery rate. The only way to quantify the size of the back-claims will be through detailed examination of past calculations. Some smaller charities may not have registered for VAT voluntarily because the cost of administration would have outweighed the benefits of VAT reclaims. That equation has now changed and they should re-assess their position. It may even be possible to secure a back-dated VAT registration to maximise the benefit from this High Court decision. For many charities, this development could be a much needed lifeline. Simon Newark can be contacted at UHY Hacker Young on 0207 216 4600.	411894978c7745a38a408a27d580a839
https://lobservateur.com/2005/06/22/arrest-made-in-st-rose-on-dogfighting-charges/	Arrest made in St. Rose on dogfighting charges Published 12:00 am Wednesday, June 22, 2005 By JESSICA DAIGLE HAHNVILLE — Another St. Charles man has been arrested in connection with dog fighting after a tip called in to the St. Charles animal Shelter reported a sick dog. The St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office reported James M. Moliere III, 25, of 281 2nd St., St. Rose was arrested and booked with possession of dogs for fighting, and four counts of failing to register pit bull terriers. A spokesperson for the St. Charles Animal Control said the shelter received a call regarding the location of an injured dog in the backyard. When Animal Control arrived at the residence, there was one dog with wounds and an infection, as well as several other showing signs of neglect. The pit bull with the infection appeared to be suffering from wounds related to dog fighting. Judge Kirk Granier set Moliere’s bond at $3000. Moliere was released later that same day after posting a $300 cash bond.	55f3ee601fd8aac3080e910ed99bfc96
https://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blog/2005/10/thoughts-about-skype-and-wiretapping-skypertapping/	We here at the cyberlaw clinic are now complete fanboys/girls of Skype. (Yes, I know, about 180 million downloads later.) We used it on a conference call and were all amazed. One of the things that appeals to me about it--besides the savings on telephone calls--is that its encryption makes it pretty secure. My question is, what happens now that eBay has acquired Skype? Is Skype going to be forced to give law enforcement a back door to monitor conversations, like (other) VOIP providers, or is it different enough from them that converstaions will remain fairly secure, even from law enforcement? Before the acquisition, it was difficult to tell how the US would get jurisdiction over the company and/or individual users. (In fact, the founders of Skype have been unable to visit the US due to suits against their former start-up, KaZaa.) I can be a US citizen making calls from Skype in a cybercafe in the Netherlands to someone in Japan, who might or might not be a Japanese citizen. (At no point in the user registration process was I asked for my citizenship or even my real name.) The call might be routed via computers in different countries along the way. This makes figuring out jurisdiction a nightmare. The acquisition by eBay certainly raises questions about whether the US might more easily assert jurisdiction(see, for example, the discussion here.) While it's unclear from the terms of the deal whether Skype is actually a part of eBay or whether it remains a standalone business, it's not clear that the latter would prevent the application of US law (although it might make it a bit harder). Thus, the terms of corporate formation might be important--as might export licenses. (For an example, see the story of Phil Zimmermann, the founder of PGP, an email encryption protocol, who was investigated by the DOJ for violating a ban on exporting cryptography for making his software available on the internet. Zimmermann, by the way, is releasing his own VOIP encryption protocol.) It's clear, though, that the FCC intends to assert its ability to require backdoors in VOIP, and that it might extend this to Skype. In the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA), Congress included language that applied not only to existing telecommunications carriers but also, in the Substantial Replacement Provision, to ""a person or entity engaged in providing wire or electronic communication switching or transmission service to the extent that the Commission finds that such service is a replacement for a substantial protion of the local telephone exchange service..." The FCC, in a proposed rulemaking First Order released September 23rd, interpreted "electronic communication switching" to include softswitching (ie, software-only VOIP). This is bad news not only for VOIP companies like Vonage, who are more clearly marketing themselves as telephone replacements, but also to Skype--which, for the record, says it is by no means seeking to be a replacement to traditional landline telephony. Still, as Skypejournal points out, the analogy here might be PGP, not telephone wires, since "Skype is a peer to peer system where I, the user, exchange encryption keys with the person I want to communicate with. No corporate body supplies the keys." Also, given that much of the traffic will be over last-mile wireless networks, how can we resolve the tension between the government's desire to decrypt (or at least backdoor) internet telephony and, say, the arrest of people who "steal" unencrypted wireless signals? One result might be that internet telephony migrates to more encryption-friendly legal regimes. That would be a lose-lose for the US: not only would conversations still be encrypted, but any profits would accrue to companies outside our jurisdiction. Oh, well--at least we know China won't be competing with us in this department, anyway.	ae733577e264c0e1230cd33b4898a9ce
https://zvbxrpl.blogspot.com/2005/12/clo.html	The voice is extremely attractive and quite individual in timbre, having considerable liquidity but a good ring, too. It has some of the nasality so often found in Spanish tenors -- a product, one assumes, of linguistic influences, though perhaps of pedagogic tradition, as well. The bottom sometimes has a trace of huskiness, which he often turns to coloristic effect. His singing is always smooth and tasteful, and from time to time strikingly beautiful. There are limitations on it: the very top seems inconsistent, with B flat the highest absolutely secure note; and it does not seem fully open-throated, with the result that the volume, though certainly satisfactory, remains on the moderate side; and there is always a certain amount of driving as the voice moves through the break. Pavarotti shows a meaty, wide-ranged lyric tenor, and a technique that is sufficiently complete to make him the most accomplished tenor to come out of Italy in a number of years... intonation is excellent, the top is secure at least through the C, and the tone even takes on, from time to time, the kind of spin and movement that bespeaks real freedom -- the true vocal vibrato... further, Pavarotti sings with a clean, well-knit line and with a relish for the words -- not so much as dramatic meaning but as pure sound; the beauty of the Italian language is restored. Apart from a very occasional bleatiness when he drives the voice at the top, he shows a limitation only when it comes to grading down the dynamics; in this respect, he merely joins the group... to be sure, Pavarotti can execute decrescendos and observe markings of p or pp. But the results are apt to be strained or downright ugly. In addition to its individual and beautiful quality, the voice clearly has size, flexibility and a wide range, with authentic chest strength -- sparingly used, I am happy to say -- at the bottom and clear, focused, steady Bs and Cs at the top (though it does not seem to be the sort of voice that opens out effulgently at the top; rather, it points, on peaks, to a very compact tone). The temperament seems genuine and large-scale; one might be reminded of the young Victoria De Los Angeles had the latter had about her something more of the diva.... Complaints? Yes, of a provisional nature, since one never knows what will turn out to be an unforgettable part of a major artist's make-up and what will harden into mannerism. Since I do not enjoy any distortion, however small, that smacks of vocal compromise, I would just as soon not hear consonants transformed for the sake of comfort -- this is not a "Casta diva," for example, but a "Gasta" diva. I aslo do not care for low phrases in which every other note is attacked with a sort of yodel, or gulp, or flip. It is certainly unnecessary and certainly disturbing to the continuity of the line; and if it has any emotional or interpretative significance (what would it be?), it is banished through indiscriminate and repeated use. The great thing about Osborne's criticism is that you can listen to any singer after reading his reviews and hear exactly what he describes -- the good and the bad, the trade-mark devices and the mannerisms. Writing about music is difficult because you're trying the almost counter-intuitive task of describing sounds using words. I can't think of anyone who has done it better than C.L.O.	56a085b5150b812a8b61ae2032396610
https://clips.jeffinglis.com/2005/10/editorial-opening-their-eyes.html	CAPE ELIZABETH (Oct 20, 2005): The Cape Elizabeth Land Trust is to be commended for developing ways to get young students outdoors and exploring the environment all around them. And the fourth-grade teachers at Pond Cove School should be applauded for taking advantage of such an interesting and fun program. We all remember what it was like to learn about biology by looking at pictures in books and having speakers come into the classroom. And we all remember, too, how that world came alive when we first ventured outdoors with a knowledgeable person and began to really look at all that is there. A group of Cape students – many of whom, no doubt, had already begun to explore the outdoors – are getting a very special treat, exploring land trust property in their hometown through the seasons, as we learn on Page 1. In a time when schools and teachers are constantly pressured by governments and parents to cram more information into students’ minds, in preparation for regurgitation on multiple-choice exams taken in uncomfortable chairs in rooms blanketed in fluorescent light, an outdoor excursion to look, touch, smell, hear – and maybe even taste – Mother Nature is an increasingly rare opportunity. As a society – not just during school hours – we need to do more to get students out of houses and classrooms and engaged in the world around all of us, whether in the context of nature, civic action or other endeavors. We hear constantly – and we report on here in the pages of the Current from time to time – that Americans in general and children in particular are less fit and more overweight than ever before. Getting kids outdoors, moving around, is one way many experts see to combat this dangerous and unhealthy trend. It’s not just the distance from the television, which benefits the body, but also the involvement with other people in experiences beyond the self, which expand the mind. The land trust lesson, that if kids spend time outside, physically exploring nature, they can learn amazing things and have a lot of fun, will pay off for years – far beyond the last game of kickball or floor hockey. Keep yours open, too No doubt you’ve seen the posters and heard the pleas on TV and in print, but keep your eyes open for any sign of Lynn Moran, the 24-year-old Windham native who disappeared 10 days ago now after spending the day and evening in Portland. One person said Moran was on Anthoine Street in South Portland at around 11 p.m. Oct. 10 – near the police station, of all places. Police and Moran’s family need the help of all of us. South Portland police have said they turned up no leads in a city-wide search Tuesday, but residents should still be on the lookout. Many of us remember the all-too-similar disappearance of Amy St. Laurent in 2001, and the tragic end to the search for her. But we also remember that the man who killed St. Laurent was brought to justice and is now behind bars. We hope and pray Moran is safe and well, and we hope that her family will not have to wait weeks, as St. Laurent’s did, worrying, hoping and, worst of all, not knowing. Information from anyone who was out and about in Portland and South Portland late on Oct. 10 will be useful in the search for Moran. If you even think you might have seen her, please call Portland police at 874-8575. Jeff Inglis, editor	91cf130e2d115db845ca49ca331f0b10
https://www.atmoreadvance.com/2005/02/16/championship-caliber/	Published 4:12 am Wednesday, February 16, 2005 A warning to all pregnant fans of the Escambia Academy Lady Cougars, their games may be too exciting. Lady Cougar head coach Heath Gibson's wife, Leah, began having contractions during the fourth quarter of the Lady Cougars' 64-54 win over Kingwood Academy Lady Lions in their matchup in the Final Four of the AISA's Division II. Due to his wife's condition, coach Gibson was unavailable for comment following the game. Lori Bonds lead the scoring for the Lady Cougars with 26 points. Meagan Jackson added 15 in the win. The Lady Cougars will face the Lady Pirates of Pickens Academy today at noon for the state championship of AISA's Division II. South Choctaw 42 The Escambia Academy Lady Cougars travelled to Huntingdon College in Montgomery Friday afternoon full of confidence. Through 16 minutes, that confidence was a bit shaken. The Lady Cougars lead the slightly undermanned South Choctaw Academy Lady Rebels 40-31 after a first half that featured 31 foul calls. "You play all season a certain way and then you get new officials that call the game differently when you get to this point," Lady Cougar coach Heath Gibson said. "But I was actually very proud of them, they adapted and were able to play a much more aggressive style in the second half." The Lady Cougars outscored South Choctaw 32-11 in the second half en route to a 72-42 win to advance to the Final Four to face Kingwood Academy. Lori Bonds of Escambia Academy lead all scorers with 23 points. Meagan Jackson added 19 and Kaylie Castleberry pitched in 12 points to lead the Lady Cougars. Kate Dahlberg lead scoring for South Choctaw with 13 points. "They played with us for a while there," Gibson said. "It was a lot closer than I thought it'd be. Once the calls loosened up we were able to play our Gibson said he felt confident about EA's chances in the Final Four and "I feel pretty good about our girls," Gibson said. "As long as we worry about Escambia Academy and play our game we'll be all right." In Boys' Action Jefferson Christian Academy 57, Escambia Academy 43 The state champions have been dethroned. The defending state champion Escambia Academy Cougars lost a tough game to the Eagles of Jefferson Christian Academy Tuesday afternoon by a score of "I just felt like they were better," said Cougar coach Jason Allen. "They were just more athletic and more physical." Zack Thomas lead the scoring as usual for the Cougars with 18 points. Josh Montel pitched in 10 in the losing effort. "We had decided we were going to take away their inside game and make them beat us on the perimeter," Allen said. "But they were able to hit their shots and we really had no answer for it. It was kind of like picking your Despite the loss, coach Allen was proud of his team's efforts. The greaseboard on the locker room said one simple statement, "You didn't quit". "I thought we rebounded well," Allen said. "We played pretty good defense. But they fought hard, we just didn't match up physically." Allen also noted he would miss his seniors. "I'm very proud of these five seniors (Thomas, Montel, Buckie Dawson, Bruce Smith, and Matt Amerson)," Allen said. "We're going to miss them, but I know they'll be successful in life. We've got a lot of good young players, but they're going to have to step it up next season." The Cougars finished the season with a 15-9 record. Escambia Academy 51, Patrician Academy 48 After an off first half from Escambia Academy star Zack Thomas, the Cougars found themselves in a dilemma. Thomas got hot in the second half, and the Cougars turned up the defense to a level previously not seen this season to escape with a 51-48 win over the Patrician Academy Saints Friday afternoon at Huntingdon College in "We played fair," Cougar coach Jason Allen said. "Zack didn't have a good night, but the others did a good job again. It makes you feel good when they can step up, but I'd rather have him hot." Zack Thomas lead the scoring for the Cougars with 17 points. Cody Norton added 12 in the win. Brent Bonner of Patrician lead all scorers with 25 points, while Travis Abate added 13. Allen felt that the pieces were coming together for the Cougars. "We're playing very well on defense right now," Allen said. "When you get to this point, you've got to play championship-caliber defense. We've still got some work to do, though." The Cougars advanced to face Jefferson Christian Academy in the Final Four	0d6fc49e896c7089612bdc160d151423
https://www.kpbs.org/news/international/2005/02/24/pope-resting-after-tracheotomy	Pope Resting after Tracheotomy Pope John Paul II is resting following a tracheotomy and is eating normally, according to the Vatican. The pope was rushed to the hospital Thursday morning with flu symptoms and breathing difficulties. According to a spokesman, the pope has been advised not to speak. He is expected to require a longer hospitalization than his 10-day stay for similar symptoms earlier this month. Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.	fdca1c0af1738b85ef8532d3f3e8994e
https://meridian.allenpress.com/iosc/article/2005/1/183/138444/MEASURING-ENERGY-DISSIPATION-RATES-IN-A-WAVE-TANK	The effectiveness of dispersants is typically evaluated at various scales ranging from the smallest (10 cm, typical of flask tests in the laboratory) to the largest (10's to 100's of meters, typical of field scale open water dispersion tests). This study aims at evaluating dispersant effectiveness at intermediate or pilot scale. The hypothesis is that the energy dissipation rate per unit mass, ɛ, plays a major role in the effectiveness of a dispersant. Therefore, it is stipulated that in fairly general conditions, conservation of ɛ between the wave tank scale and that of the field scale is sufficient to accurately evaluate the effectiveness of a dispersant to disperse oil droplets. A wave tank measuring 16 m long x 0.6 m wide x 2 m deep was constructed on the premises of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Halifax, Nova Scotia. Waves were generated using a flap-type wave maker. Conditions of the breaking waves were created using a dispersive focusing technique in which the wave maker is started at high frequency and then the frequency decreased to create breaking waves. Experiments defining the velocity profile and energy dissipation rates in the wave tank were conducted at 2 different induced breaking-wave energies. Energy in the wave tank was measured with an Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter (ADV) coupled to a data acquisition system. Energy in the lab flasks was measured with a Hot Wire Anemometer.	850473fe6cee95a68f5173142caa2757
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/10/051004175547.htm	Vast Majority Of Adults At Risk Of Becoming Overweight Or Obese - October 4, 2005 - NIH/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - Framingham Heart Study researchers report that after 30 years, nine out of 10 men and seven out of 10 women were overweight or became overweight. In addition, more than one in three were obese or became obese. After four years, 16 to 23 percent of women and 12 to 13 percent of men who were overweight became obese. More than 4,000 participants ages 30-59 were studied. A large, community-based study – considered the first studyto assess the long-term risk of developing overweight and obesity inadults – found that over 30 years, nine out of 10 men and seven out of10 women were overweight or became overweight. In addition, more thanone in three were obese or became obese. The study was supported by theNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), one of the NationalInstitutes of Health (NIH). Researchers analyzed the short-termand long-term chances of developing overweight and obesity among morethan 4,000 white adults enrolled in the offspring cohort of NHLBI'slandmark Framingham Heart Study, an ongoing longitudinal study inFramingham, Massachusetts. Participants ages 30 to 59 were followed for30 years, from 1971 to 2001. The results appear in the October 4, 2005,issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine. “National surveys andother studies have told us that the United States has a major weightproblem, but this study suggests that we could have an even moreserious degree of overweight and obesity over the next few decades,”said NHLBI Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D., who also co-chairs theNIH Obesity Research Task Force. “In addition, these results mayunderestimate the risk for some ethnic groups.” Framinghamparticipants were white, and other studies have shown, for example,that Hispanic and black individuals, especially women, have a greaterprevalence of excess weight compared to their white counterparts. Accordingto the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, 65 percent of U.S. adults aged 20 yearsand older are either overweight or obese, and approximately 30 percentof adults are obese. These estimates are from the 1999-2002 NationalHealth and Nutrition Examination Survey, a population-based survey. Framinghamresearchers assessed the participants’ body mass index (BMI) – astandard measure of weight relative to height, which is an indicator oftotal body fat. A BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2 is considered a normal, orhealthy, weight for adults. Overweight is a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m2,and obesity is a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or higher. Making it to middleage without extra pounds was no guarantee for staying at a healthyweight – even in the short term. About one in five women and one infour men who were at a healthy BMI at a routine Framingham studyexamination became overweight after four years. Among those who wereoverweight, 16 to 23 percent of women and 12 to 13 percent of menbecame obese within four years. “Our results, although notsurprising, are worrisome,” comments Ramachandran Vasan, M.D.,Associate Professor of Medicine at Boston University School of Medicineand lead author of the study. “If the trend continues, our country willcontinue to face substantial health problems related to excess weight.” “Overweightand obesity increase the risk of poor health. We hope these resultswill serve as a wake-up call to Americans of all ages,” adds Nabel.“Even those who are now at a healthy weight need to be careful aboutmaintaining energy balance to avoid gaining weight. Taking simple stepsto make sure that the overall the number of calories you consume do notexceed the amount you burn can play a major role in lowering your riskfor many chronic conditions.” Overweight increases the likelihoodof developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease, stroke,breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea, some cancers,osteoarthritis, and gall bladder disease. Obesity is associated withthese conditions as well as with early death. Research has shown thateven a small weight loss (just 10 percent of body weight) can helppeople who are overweight or obese lower their risk of developing manyof these conditions. The Clinical Guidelines on theIdentification, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity inAdults recommend that both people who are overweight as well as thosewho are at a healthy weight prevent weight gain. The guidelines areavailable online at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_home.htm. Strategiesthat promote a healthy weight beginning in childhood are critical. Forinformation on We Can!, NIH’s national education program to enhancechildren’s activity and nutrition to prevent childhood obesity, visitthe website at http://wecan.nhlbi.nih.gov or call toll-free 866-35-WECAN. For help assessing obesity risk and advice on how to lose weight, consult your healthcare professional. * Body Mass Index Calculator: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bmicalc.htm. * Aim for a Healthy Weight: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/patmats.htm * Portion Distortion: http://hin.nhlbi.nih.gov/portion * We Can! Families Finding the Balance – A Parent Handbook (in English or Spanish): http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/parent_hb_en.htm * Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/dietary_guidelines.html Cite This Page:	41156820eb9845512bedaea07c009db0
https://drdawgsblawg.ca/2005/12/-meanwhile-in-another-part.shtml	Meanwhile, in another part of the forest... ...we're in the midst of Kwanzaa, and the usual suspects are out in force attacking the holiday full-bore. Why the frenzy? one might be tempted to ask. Why the obsessiveness? Surely it couldn't be...racism? Heavens, no. It's just joyful conservatives taking an annual whack at a holiday celebrated by millions of Black people.Let's have a look, first, at what these concerned commentators are saying. (We'll give the Stormfront.org folks a miss, though, if that's OK. No group endorsed by Fox News is getting a pulpit here.) So why not start with Ann Coulter? The outlines of her argument are clear enough: the founder of Kwanzaa, Ron Karenga, was an FBI pawn (although, given her politics, I can't imagine why this would constitute a criticism), a violent Black nationalist, criminal and Marxist who, in the natural course of events, became a university professor. He "invented," "concocted," or "made-up" the holiday, "a lunatic blend of schmaltzy '60s rhetoric, black racism and Marxism." She ends her article (actually a pretty restrained one by Coulter standards) by comparing and contrasting Kwanzaa with the more venerable Christian religion, as do many of the other Kwanzaa-dissers. (No mention of the latter's seamy history of colonization, torture, massacres, witch-burning and slavery: that would spoil the turkey dinner, and make Ron Karenga look like a veritable saint in comparison.) "Ann Coulter calls a spade a spade when she comments on Kwanzaa," says one forthright blogger, no doubt amused by his own wit. But the anti-Kwanzaa charge is being led this year by Black conservative LaShawn Barber, whose agenda is Christian, not racial. Kwanzaa is "made-up" and "anti-Christian," she avers. "Kwanzaa is a jumble of political ideology, pseudo-cultural, and spiritualized 'African' rituals." Attention Christians: Kwanzaa is a made-up creed cobbled together by a man hostile to the very God you claim to worship! Kwanzaa is not an innocuous celebration of black history. It attempts to spiritualize that history, replacing Christ-centered theology with pagan principles. Other commentators weigh in with their takes on Kwanzaa, often calling Karenga a racist or a Black nationalist, e.g., "Now, I'm not trying to be the grinch who stole Kwanzaa here, but I think it's a sin that the rather radical, Marxist, black nationalist origins of the holiday are ignored every year-- ignored with the power of a thousand suns." Or, as Tony Snow puts it (take note of his racist assumptions): The fact is, there is no Ur-African culture. The continent remains stubbornly tribal. Hutus and Tutsis still slaughter one another for sport... Kwanzaa is the ultimate chump holiday--Jim Crow with a false and festive wardrobe. It praises practices--"cooperative economics, and collective work and responsibility" -- that have succeeded nowhere on earth and would mire American blacks in endless backwardness. But not every Kwanzaa-hater agrees: My research also tells me that Karenga is not a racist. In fact, the best research on Ron Karenga reveals no violence against Whites by him or his followers. He had an excellent relationship with former Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty. He met with then Governor Ronald Reagan and other white politicians. Predictably, our Kathy Shaidle plays the "me-too" game every year as well. We have an oh-so-clever entry this year: and a ripe one from Dick Evans, of "Rosa Parks was a fraud" fame. Well, Kwanzaa is not the only set of cultural practices that can be called an invented tradition. The historian Eric Hobsbawm has assembled a series of essays on this very matter: one of them, by Hugh Trevor-Roper, demonstrates that the Scottish clan tartan and the kilt are both fairly recent inventions. The former was originally produced for the tourist trade; the latter was an exuberant post-Culloden creation. Or take Christmas. Christmas as we know it is even more recent than Highland tartan. One reviewer writes, of Stephen Nissenbaum's The Battle for Christmas: This scholarly analysis of our modern celebration of Christmas pulls together a thoroughly convincing case for the widely accepted notion that it is a 19th-century creation, indeed a deliberate reformation and taming of a holiday with wilder pagan origins. Christmas was set at December 25 in the fourth century, not for any biblical link with Christ's birth, but because the church hoped to annex and Christianize the existing midwinter pagan feast. This latter was based on the seasonal agricultural plenty, with the year's food supply newly in store, and nothing to do in the fields. It was a time of drinking and debauchery from the Roman Saturnalia to the English Mummers. The Victorians hijacked the holiday, and Victorian writers helped turn it into a feast of safe domesticity and a cacophonous chime of retail cash registers. Here's another, on Jock Elliot's Inventing Christmas: How Our Holiday Came To Be: Nodding to its earliest origins, Elliott focuses on the "invented traditions." "Most of our Christmas customs," he explains, "were invented in an amazingly short twenty-five-year period, from 1823-1848-a sort of `Big Bang' of our Christmas." Gorgeous illustrations by Thomas Nast (who created the Republican elephant and Democratic donkey) show the invention of Santa Claus, which began with a story by Washington Irving and culminated in "The Night Before Christmas" by Clement Clarke Moore. Nast's vision became iconic, but Elliott persuades us that a trio of New Yorkers--Irving, the holiday booster John Pintard and Moore--invented the child-centered family holiday that we know today. Christmas is certainly a hodgepodge of a holiday if ever there was one: pagan Christmas trees (discouraged in the Bible: Jeremiah 10, 2-5), the ritual sacrifice of the God-King reduced to the roasting and eating of a turkey, a jolly fat man reverse-burglarizing homes, Christmas carols which often are an odd but appealing mixture of pagan and Christian themes ("Here we go a-wassailing," "The Holly and the Ivy"), and lots of being kind and being together with family, and watching the wonder in the eyes of children. Now, that all sounds great to me. I love Christmas, pastiche though it be. It's a marvellous celebration, built out of a series of myths and inventions. Its origins matter far less than what it means now; the past is continually constructed and reconstructed. Which brings us back to Kwanzaa. The celebration has taken hold with such tenacity that even George W. Bush has stood up for it, and a US stamp has been issued to mark it, much to the despair of the far-right. Situated in a context of continuing racism and poverty, a history of slavery, exploitation, oppression and degradation, Kwanzaa is not the creation but the re-creation of a myth that can be found world-wide, combining elements of rebirth and community. From its archetypal roots, Kwanzaa speaks to people where they live, resonating deeply as do all myths emerging in the here-and-now: fluid imagery and values that take new form, re-presenting the profound meaning of what it is to be human. Kwanzaa doesn’t belong to Ron Karenga, but to those who celebrate it; like a text, the identity or intentions of the author really don't matter. The celebration is what counts. And it will continue, and flourish, despite the array of racist, anti-socialist and fundamentalist forces that have, predictably, risen up in coalition against it.	42b225edcb01a25d13fa0677ce2e4cdb
https://www.starsandgarters.com/oh_my_stars_and_garters/2005/06/a_cry_for_help.html	It's summer, and I need a really good pop album to listen to when I'm running errands or driving home from downtown. I was hoping the New Pornographers would be out by now so I would not have to think about this any further, but no. Let me know if you have any suggestions. Also, I have to work at 7:30 tomorrow morning, so if anyone feels up to shooting me in the face between now and then, be my guest. Thanks in advance!	6a94f9b2ac89134a2345d940583ed146
https://www.tunanews.net/2005/10/this-is-halloween_24.html	My child is trying to kill me. I nearly had a stroke when TinyTuna announced this weekend that she was too old for the pumpkin patch. "We can just go and get one at the store." she said. I peeled out of the parking lot and drove to the store as fast as possible before she changed her mind ... or aliens let her re-enter her body .. or sucked me out of this hella pleasant alternate universe. We made it to the store in record time, and found the large cardboard box of pumpkins that were all of $2.88 apiece. It was cheap. It was beautiful. It was painless. It was dirt-free, hay-free, patch-free, rotten pumpkin all over your shoes-free. As I stood in the 12 item or less U-Scan line, I was certain that this, THIS was what heaven would be like. And then today.... As we came home tonight and walked through the drizzle toward the house, she asked me if we would still go trick or treating if it is raining outside. But she's not asking in that passionately defiant "neither rain nor snow" kind of voice. No. I hear the unmistakable trace of "...because I'm starting to think that trick or treating in the cold, nasty rain is a pain in the pink princess pumpkin pail..." I looked at her and said, "Listen. If you want, I would be more than happy to go to the grocery store, buy you a bag of whatever you want, and then on Halloween night we can go to the movies." "REALLY?" She asked. "Oh yeah. You say the word. I'll go right now." "Well...." The nanoseconds seemed like nanohours as she pondered this suddenly appealing option. My heart began to race. I clutched my cars keys. COULD I BE THIS LUCKY????? "Next year. When I'm 12." She had better not be toying with me.	7d6becd34642d6e0852cbb5196882b8e
https://christianstandard.com/2005/05/cs_article-6/	By Tom Jones God is blessing the Christian churches/churches of Christ with incredible growth. More churches are being started than ever. Existing churches are taking the mission of the church seriously and more and more individuals and families are coming into the doors of the church. This is indeed good news! However, when growth comes to any organization, including the church, there is also a corresponding need for additional staff and workers to direct, organize, teach, and lead. As the gospel account clearly states: “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” (Luke 10:2). Churches and parachurch organizations all over the country are dealing with this need in a number of ways. Many continue to call on Christian colleges and seminaries to meet their needs. However, these institutions have not been able to keep up with the growing need of the churches, and in some cases, are not producing the quality leaders required. Therefore, many churches are hiring from within. Men and women are leaving their secular jobs and being called into vocational ministry. Their churches have done an outstanding job discipling them to the point where they want to work for the church. This is not a bad thing. In fact this phenomenon is filling the gap and helping local churches fulfill their mission. MORE WORKERS, BETTER WORKERS However, it is not enough. More workers are still needed for existing churches and for the new ones that will be planted in the next 25 years. In addition, generally speaking, those who come up within the church and go directly into vocational ministry need better ministry and theological training than they are currently receiving. (I say generally because some change-of-career types just seem to “get it” intuitively.) The church needs leadership that is well-trained to meet the multidimensional needs of a complex postmodern culture. So, what”s the answer to providing both quantity and quality leaders for the church and the parachurch organizations that serve the church? Partnership! To be able to get the job done, churches and educational institutions that prepare leaders will require much closer working relationships. Here”s why: 1. Churches need seminaries and Christian colleges more than ever before. Does anyone doubt that the changing needs of a postmodern culture are overwhelming to say the least? The answers that the church seeks and postmodern generations will insist upon are not simple and will not be attained from a weekend conference or basic level of study. The problems faced by today”s leaders require “sustained attention over time.” It”s hard to improve on the words of Daniel Aleshire, the executive director of the Association of Theological Schools: “[The church] needs leaders who have learned to think with discipline, who have the wisdom that occurs from reflecting theologically on ministerial work, and who know the story of faith intimately. The church needs leaders who have been to school, learned their stuff, and who love the sacred tests they have learned. . . . Seminaries have important gifts to give to the communities they serve. When they do their work well, theological schools provide intellectual substance for faith, practical wisdom for the work of religious leaders, and moral guidance for the church”s work in the world.” (Association of Theological Schools, Colloquy, November/December 2004, Volume 13, Number 2, page 2.) The body of Christ deserves its brightest and best thinkers to mold its ministers into leaders who are passionate, practical, creative, and theologically have deep wells. 2. Seminaries and Christian colleges need the church more than ever before. Educational institutions exist to serve the church! When that is not the case, then the church should no longer financially support a college or send students its way. The seminary I serve and others I know value their relationship with the church. We want you to hold us accountable to produce the kind of leader that is useful in ministry. Be in dialogue with us. Tell us what we are doing right and where we need to improve. We are in the midst of defining moments in theological and ministerial education. We know we must do better in this new age and are committed to reaching a different level of service and relationship to the church. At Emmanuel School of Religion we are serious and have a vision for two developing issues that will complement what we are already doing and enable us to better serve the church. The first is distance learning. This means that soon change-of-career ministers and other leaders will be able to take seminary-level courses while in the midst of their ministries. Other institutions have similar visions for distance learning, and some already have courses online. Second, ESR is getting ready to unveil three institutes (church planting, world missions, and ministerial excellence) that will be programmed to interact directly with and meet the needs of Christian leaders and their ministries. We are building a center, with modern meeting rooms and motel-type rooms and suites, where groups of leaders will be able to come for short periods of time to study topics important to them and their ministries. I know other educational institutions have similar plans. In order for ESR and others to adapt to the needs of the church without giving in to the whims of the church, we need the church”s wisdom, patience, a steady flow of students, accountability, and long-term financial investment. We cannot exist without you. Together we can meet the needs of the future and produce a practical and theologically-balanced leadership for the church, both in quality and quantity. Tom Jones is professor at Emmanuel School of Religion, Johnson City, Tennessee, and director of the southeast region of Stadia: New Church Strategies.	4a569e9dd9d5308723631e659c01e2f4
https://oig.hhs.gov/reports/all/2005/review-of-south-dakotas-accounts-receivable-system-for-medicaid-provider-overpayments/	Our objective was to determine if the State agency reported Medicaid provider overpayments pursuant to Federal regulations. We found that the State agency did not report all or part of 342 Medicaid provider overpayments due before or during FY 2003 pursuant to Federal regulations. The State agency did not have sufficient policies and procedures in place to ensure it reported all overpayments pursuant to Federal regulations. As of January 14, 2005, the State agency had not reported provider overpayments totaling $229,792. Of that amount, the State agency had not returned the Federal share totaling $154,741. We recommended the State agency should: (1) return to the Federal Government $154,741 of overpayments as soon as possible, (2) ensure the Federal share of all Medicaid provider overpayments is returned within established timeframes, and (3) strengthen policies and procedures to ensure it reports overpayments pursuant to Federal regulations. Although the State agency agreed with two of our findings, it disagreed with the amount of overpayments, including three overpayments it claimed it made to individuals rather than providers.	2dee9f5edc248786eb17bde153be733a
https://www.digitalhealth.net/2005/09/health-professionals-urged-to-share-child-information/	Health professionals urged to share child information - 5 September 2005 Health professionals should lower the threshold at which they seek information from other agencies over concerns about children and young people, according to new draft government guidance. The cross government guidance, which has been published in the wake of public concerns over child protection issues and the Laming Enquiry into the death of Victoria Climbie, proposes a new two tier approach to information sharing by health professionals. It says that if a GP or other health professional believes that a child may be at risk but they have insufficient evidence to justify a full disclosure of information, they should first contact other relevant professionals, without disclosing the substance of any concerns, to seek further information. Having done that where a health professional is satisfied that there are reasonable grounds for believing that a child is being harmed as a result of abuse or neglect they should consider sharing substantive information. The guidance states: “This approach is in response to the already high, and increasing, level of public concern that children should be properly protected from harm, arising from abuse or neglect.” The guidance says the approach would be a change from existing practice which means that a health professional considering sharing information about children without consent must do so only where they are satisfied that there is an overriding public interest which justifies breaching the confidentiality of the child’s information. The guidance states that the new approach will mean that there is disclosure of information, even at the first stage of the proposed two tier approach. It adds: “Some confidential information will inevitably be disclosed simply by the health professional contacting other services. This will be the case regardless of whether the substance of their concern is divulged; the fact that the enquiry is taking place at all is by itself a disclosure.” The guidance, which covers all adults working with children and young people including the police, education and social services as well as health, is now out for consultation until November 15. A spokesperson for the British Medical Association told EHI Primary Care that the association would be responding to the consultation but no further details were available as yet.	e4ca98f69e231227bc94e2eb71d95f7b
https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2005/04/10/2003249909	President Chen Shui-bian ( The conclusion emphasized that in order to protect Taiwan's economy the country cannot blindly pursue investment in China while ignoring the basic and important need for effective management and control of such investment. The relevant government departments were asked to re-examine current trade and economic policy toward China. At the same time, Chen issued an official statement on the recent phenomenon of visits to China by opposition parties. Chen indicated that no political party, group or individual has the right to represent the Taiwanese people in signing any agreement with foreign governments without proper authorization, and that the relevant government units should deal with such conduct in accordance with the law. Afterward, Premier Frank Hsieh ( At the same time, Minister of Justice Morley Shih ( According to Shih, the prosecutor's office has already begun an investigation of the case. In light of this, the government of Taiwan -- after Beijing enacted the Anti-Secession Law and after Chiang's trip triggered "China fever" among the political parties -- has apparently been thrown into crisis over a perceived threat to Taiwan's survival. They have begun to take strong measures to powerfully reverse and counter this alarming political trend. The government finally got on its feet and started to gain traction. It's finally willing to face up to the fatal flaws in its cross-strait trade and economic policy of "actively opening up and effective management" for the past five years. For this, it deserves encouragement. The Taiwan government has repeatedly taken a tough stance against China's campaign to put the screws to Taipei through the private sector. However, the pace at which the government has adjusted its cross-strait economic policies has lagged, showing wishy-washiness and a lack of determination. For example, some government officials continue to say that while management of cross-strait policies needs to be reinforced, Taiwan will not return to the days of the "no haste, be patient" policy. Evidently, some officials still do not realize the serious injuries inflicted on Taiwan by businesses' investments in China and the westward exodus of Taiwanese industries. All their current effort to re-examine current policies and reinforce control and management were only compelled by the strong popular backlash to China's Anti-Secession Law. Therefore, while the government's seven-point conclusion on cross-strait economic policies came just in time, there is room for improvement. The government must work harder, and some officials must have a more sincere and accurate view of the situation. This is the only way to effectively save Taiwan from the current threat to its existence. Over the years, the government has adopted an illusory policy of "actively opening up" cross-strait trade and investment. It lacked the determination to strictly impose control on such investments, making a mockery of the so-called policy of "effective management." It allowed valuable business resources to embark on a one-way trip to China. Businesses and politicians long ago realized the incompetence of the government. Case in point: When it was first revealed that United Microelectronics Corp (UMC, Without question, some politicians and businesspeople have no respect for the government. They are calm, because they know that the government does not dare to enforce the law. During the meeting of the KMT's Central Standing Committee on Wednesday, KMT Chairman Lien Chan ( It's clearly wrong for the members of the opposition and the business sector to behave this way. But the root of the problem is the government's mistaken emphasis on the "active opening up" part of its policy, with only lip service paid to the equally crucial "effective management." The government should not flinch when confronting possibly illegal activity. When prosecutors and the police showed determination to follow through with the investigation of UMC despite overwhelming pressure, Tsao's statement in a second newspaper ad was less arrogant and angry. Instead, he went on the defensive, laying out excuses and justifications for his conduct. According to Article 113 of the Criminal Code, anyone who enters into unauthorized agreements with a foreign government on matters that require government approval may receive a minimum seven year jail term or a maximum life sentence. Legal academics and professionals believe the "foreign government" referred to is any government other than that of the Republic of China. The agreements covered by the law can be either verbal or written. Therefore, while the KMT may try to justify Chiang's 10-point agreement with Beijing, prosecutors have every reason to investigate whether Chiang broke the law. Once authorities demonstrate a determination to uphold the law, the race between political parties to suck up to China will surely stop. In the uproar sparked by the Anti-Secession Law, the government has finally come to realize that its active opening policy is leading the nation into ruin. The policy direction underlying the government's seven-point conclusion is in line with the consistent stance of this newspaper toward cross-strait relations. The point on implementing effective and strict control and management of cross-strait trade and investment has been the focus of constant reminders from this newspaper. While it is encouraging to see the government's apparent change of heart on this issue, it will take time to observe whether the government will live up to its words. The Chinese government on March 29 sent shock waves through the Tibetan Buddhist community by announcing the untimely death of one of its most revered spiritual figures, Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche. His sudden passing in Vietnam raised widespread suspicion and concern among his followers, who demanded an investigation. International human rights organization Human Rights Watch joined their call and urged a thorough investigation into his death, highlighting the potential involvement of the Chinese government. At just 56 years old, Rinpoche was influential not only as a spiritual leader, but also for his steadfast efforts to preserve and promote Tibetan identity and cultural The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan, Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article, Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,	539c62c69f236238f1ace6ec8ecdfbd6
http://rocketjones.new.mu.nu/links/archive/2005/8	August 31, 2005 Someone in England compiled a list of the 100 most rude place names (wink, wink. nudge, nudge). This might explain why British soccer fans are so testy. Thanks to CGHill of Dustbury for pointing this one out. Thanks to Owlish for the pointer. August 29, 2005 - Courtesy of the Gray Monk, a funny list of odd things found on medical charts. - From Eric, the pointer to a list of things applicable to those born in 1987. - Jeff at Alphecca points to this list over at Argghhh! on the rules of a gunfight. - Owlish leads us to Pratie, who snagged an item from 100 different "100 things about" lists. Great fun! August 27, 2005 Can You Hear Me Now (formerly Retail Hell) RetroBabe (gotta love a name like that) August 25, 2005 Exotic dancing is much more than "dancing sexy", it is learning how to reach deep within yourself, find your own inner beauty and grace, and combine it into a sensual movement. Through Exotic Dancing, you will learn how to fully empower yourself, connect with others, boost your self-confidence and self-esteem, become a role model, attract people to you, overcome your fears of self expression, let down your guard, and discover new ways to spice up your relationships. That's what the women get out of it. Us guys just like tits and hope we'll get laid. August 24, 2005 Leading off is columnist Tim Dahlberg, who has spent this entire season ripping on Barry Bonds for not playing. Of course, three knee surgeries and rehab are no excuse to this hack, he's got his schtick (Bash Bonds) and he's beating the dead horse as hard and as often as he can. If you follow the link, make sure you catch all of his oh-so-subtle steroid references. This fool hates baseball, pure and simple. It would be nice if he quit writing about it. Up second, Milton Bradley of the Los Angeles Dodgers proves that the anger management counselling he received last year worked well. He never once raised his voice as he ripped into teammate Jeff Kent, calling him a racist. Personally, I think that his voice was muffled since his head was up his ass. Jeff Kent is not an easy guy to get along with, but to play the race card is just low and stupid. Kent had the perfect response, "Ask Dusty Baker if I'm racist, Ask Dave Winfield and Joe Carter." Bradley's problem is that he was promised by management that he would be the leader of the team, and he believes that all you need to do to be a leader is to be told that it's the way it will be. When Kent jumped him about not hustling during one baserunning play, Bradley fires back and displays his mad leadership skills. I'd call him a Dodger jackass, but that would be redundant. And I didn't make a single board game joke. And then there's Frank Robinson. I have a lot of respect for the man, which is why I choose to believe that reporters caught him at a bad time, like maybe he'd just finished snorting cocaine from a DC hooker's bellybutton. I'd say "batting cleanup", but I'd rather use the bat on the skull of the director of the Tour de France. After yet another smear attack on Armstrong by the French newspaper L'Equipe (who do so regularly), Jean-Marie Leblanc has come out firmly on the side of science scientology. The newspaper printed copies of paperwork they claim proves that six year old urine samples belonged to the American cyclist. Six year old urine sample? I guess the only question I have about the "proven scientific facts" is, tastes great or less filling? He owes explanations to us and to everyone who follows the tour. No, he owes you nothing. Armstrong has been repeatedly tested throughout his career and has never had anything but clean results. Now that he's retired and out of the country, French courage roars forth for one last cheap shot. It's telling that the other leading professional cyclists are all coming out in support of Lance Armstrong. And until another American LeMond or Armstrong comes along to dominate, the Tour de France will drop back to the level of popularity enjoyed by Iron Man triathalons and Arena Football. I suppose I should wrap this up somehow... ok, I've got it. August 23, 2005 Thanks to Off Wing Opinion for the pointer. August 22, 2005 I enjoy finding interesting and funny things to share with y'all, and I really appreciate the fact that you keep coming back. Not only that, but many of you still talk to me. That kinda amazes me sometimes. Besides the regulars, I get hits from people searching the web for things. Besides the usual odd and downright perverse stuff (we all get 'em), I get visitors quite often looking for things like "build a rubber band gun" and "model rocket plans". I still get comments almost every week on the Box Hockey posts, Rob's Favorite Guitarists of All Time list, and Nog Watch. Like I said, I'm proud of all of this. But when I'm talking to someone about Rocket Jones and want to toss out one datum with maximum wow power, well, there's really only one choice. If you google "stripper music", Rocket Jones comes up #1 on the list. Yeah, I brag about that often. I know you've heard it before, but dammit, it means something to me! Lots of blogs boast about how if you google "goat oreo rubber pants" then they come up at the top of the search results. Bee Effen Dee. "Stripper music" isn't some random pairing of words with a tenuous connection to my place, this is where actual DJ's and ladies of the dance come to check out the latest tunes and to leave their own suggestions. It's also become a popular target for women looking for pole dancing lessons. And up until now, all I could do was offer generic advice about where to look in their local areas, and to wish them luck. This first link, A Pole Lot of Fun, looks to be a 'party' style setup, similar to the way Tupperware used to work. We bring the pole, you bring the friends and together we create a magical night of fun, laughter, and support. Follow that link and see if there's someone local to you. Ladies, do it for yourself if not for your guy. Guys, grow some romantic initiative and set it up for her (and don't forget a dozen roses so she doesn't think you got her hooker lessons, you insensitive bastards). This link, PoleStars, is based in the UK and Australia. It looks like this is more of the traditional (if I may use that word) class instruction on the art of pole dancing and strip tease. Both sites offer equipment and clothing too. And remember ladies, it's exercise! The world is crisscrossed by our navigational coordinates, latitude and longitude. A confluence is defined as a flowing together; a meeting place (often of rivers). In our case a degree confluence is the exact spot where an integer degree of latitude and an integer degree of longitude meet. Every person on earth lives within 50 miles of a degree confluence, and the world is dotted by 64,442 of these. Someone had the brilliant idea to have people visit each one and take a photograph, to be collected into one place and shared. Proof of visit is supplied by snapping a screen shot of a handheld GPS unit on the spot (or within a reasonable distance in some cases). Of course, many are in the middle of the ocean, or located on the ice packs up where Santa lives (and his Summer home down South). So if someone visits one of those, it's great, but they're concentrating on the land-based confluences. Maybe one is near you? August 19, 2005 August 18, 2005 Goalie Curtis Joseph (aka Cujo) signed with the Phoenix Coyotes, which incidentally are now being coached by Wayne Gretzky. The 'Yotes haven't made a big splash in the free-agent feeding frenzy, but they've signed several quality players. Watch for them, they may surprise a few people. I didn't realize that with all the the new rules changes, it could mean this (courtesy SharksPage): Larger Neutral Zone, more difficult to clear the puck & blue line is now inside the doors - therefore if a player enters the ice and moves forward he'll be offsides There's some question about this one. We'll have to wait and see it in action. I heard on the radio this morning that the Capitals have made an offer to Peter Bondra. Now if he comes back, that would make me happy. "Three teams not radically exploring the unrestricted free agent market because of the way they are built are Ottawa, Tampa Bay and ourselves. If that is the company I'm to be judged with, IÂ’ll take that." -- GM Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks And finally, the Atlanta Thrashers website has been named best in the NHL by The Sports Business Journal and the University of Massachusetts Amherst (yeah, not a biggie to most of us, but who else does these rankings?). Sites were judged for design, content, commerce, and fan interactivity. The top 5 were: 1. Atlanta, 2. Washington Capitals, 3. Chicago Blackhawks, 4. Columbus Blue Jackets, 5. San Jose Sharks. Thanks again to SharksPage for the last two. Don't forget to join us for the third annual Hockey Whoopass Jamboree! Trust me, I have it on good authority. August 17, 2005 "Someone once said that there was no doubt that we would colonize the Moon and Mars. The only question was what language would be spoken: the language of science or the language of business. My money is on business. The language of business is universal, ignores national borders, and is capable of speaking all human languages." You can go to RocketForge to see the original quote, and his reasoning behind thinking that the original is not necessarily true. 78 queries taking 0.3226 seconds, 248 records returned. Powered by Minx 1.1.6c-pink.	b8412f1e2f72287e0763b1ecfa81518d
https://norightturn.blogspot.com/2005/07/submit.html	The Law and Order Committee is seeking submissions on the Sale of Liquor (Youth Alcohol Harm Reduction) Amendment Bill. 20 copies, by Friday, 12 August 2005, to Law and Order Committee Secretariat A submission can be as simple as a letter saying "I support / oppose this bill" and stating your reasons why. There's a guide here if you need further help. Note that this is also the deadline for the New Zealand Bill of Rights (Private Property Rights) Amendment Bill and the Evidence Bill, both of which are before the Justice and Electoral Committee. If you'd like to have a say on those, follow the links.	59319d3026f81574c049aaa87edd0c0a
https://crochetwithdee.blogspot.com/2005/02/fire-warning-sirdar-spinning-ltd.html	Having seen the horrific pain 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns can inflict upon a loved one (and I'm not even touching the topic of skin graphs!), I am urging my readers to take heed to this Fire Warning issued by Sirdar Spinning Ltd: "Fizz incorporates a viscose content which, combined with the loose construction of the yarn, means that it will ignite when exposed to naked flame. In view of this IT MUST BE KEPT AWAY FROM FIRE AND OTHER SOURCES OF IGNITIION SUCH AS CIGARETTE LIGHTERS, GAS COOKER HOBS, CANDLE FLAMES, ETC." You can read more about this safety warning by visiting Sirdar's press release on this. It also includes information about a possible product recall, and how you can contact them.	30ac9a8173f063c495624fdd7ad878cc
https://damieng.com/blog/2005/08/25/fillinganipodwhatispodcastinganyway/	I recently upgraded my aging and rather temperamental iPod, a 20GB G3, to a spiffy new color 60GB. My 20GB wasn’t full and my 60GB was positively bare. What can I put on it? I’ve loaded every audio CD I own and spent over £100 at the iTMS and while there’s a few tracks I want they’re not in iTMS and I’m not buying an album full of junk for a single track. The few bands I enjoy whole albums of aren’t very prolific. I enjoyed Red Dwarf on tape and The Second Coming of Steve Jobs from Audible but I find it difficult to listen to a strong American accent for several hours. Perhaps this is because I’m not acclimatized to the twang after I ceased TV viewing at the start of 2001 (the year, not Kubrick’s space-out space-trip). Then there is the cost – most titles costing much more than the books themselves. While there is a little extra cost in recording the audio track surely once that’s done the files must be cheaper than their dead-tree cousins. I can only assume Audible have their hands tied by scared book publishers. I just love the Hitchhiker's Guide radio show, all 13 CD’s worth. The problem here seems to be trying to get hold of the shows. The BBC releases very few on audio CD, perhaps they could register with Audible/iTMS and provide some via that. The BBC web site uses the rather iPod-unfriendly Real Audio although they are experimenting with MP3 and podcasting. Perhaps podcasting could fill the unused sectors now iTunes makes finding and downloading them simplicity itself. Tens of podcasts and a couple of weeks later I was left rather disappointed. You can break down what’s available into two types: Professional podcasts, “The future of radio” I ran through several professional podcasts, normally edited chunks from radio or TV productions hosted by presenters who’ve proven themselves in the commercial world of being able to talk and at least jot down a page of points and topics before a show. Sandi Toksvig – The Best Of The only podcast I’ve listened to daily since I subscribed. Often funny with interesting stories, Sandi’s observations and guests including ex-Python travel-writer Michael Palin. Best of Moyles BBC Radio 1’s popular breakfast show presenter could have a shot here if it wasn’t for the fact the BBC are only putting up 20 minutes a week of “highlights” that aren’t capturing the best of the show at all. Amateur podcasts, “Blogs gone wrong” Blogging is similar to the early days of DTP where technology gave enabled anyone with a computer to produce a newsletter. While the bar to production was lowered people quickly discovered software can’t create interesting well-written material. Even the best blogs vary in quality and topic but it’s painless to skip over uninteresting subjects and select individual categories and blogs for aggregation. Blogs you read often uncover other interesting blogs or a Google search might lead you to a new blogs you may also want to keep an eye on. Technical information, diagrams and supplemental material is easily linked and downloaded. Amateur podcasting has sprung from blogging but looses almost all these redeeming features despite some attempt at addressing these some with chapters and show notes. Podcasts are much longer than blog posts but the presenters seem to spend little time putting a basic plan together. Often they start by talking about podcasting, their shows rank in iTMS, why they weren’t here last Wednesday and other off-topic stuff that is of little interest to anyone but themselves. Even good content can loose an audience after a few minutes if the speaker lacks audio communication skills. Anyone who’s been to a seminar, presentation or lecture can vouch for the importance of a speaker with an interesting tone of voice and being able to deliver a talk that just flows naturally. Such a flow is usually the result of solid preparation and pod-casters have the luxury of a little post-show editing. Perhaps if they edited and relied less on group-chats to avoiding develop material at all something good might emerge. Instead we are often treated to a group of people chatting about a subject with little to say – like overhearing a conversation in a coffee shop. At least everybody in a coffee shop is there and not talking over a poor quality phone or IP telephony solution. I couldn’t bring myself to review most of the podcasts I came across for the reasons already explained but here’s a few I wanted to like. Daily Source Code Both this and PodFinder are hosted by the self-proclaimed “Podfather” Adam Curry (no, not my friend from the Toaster Files with the same name). I tried three different DSC shows before I gave up. Curry actually has a good radio voice and technical ability but his lack of material preparation leads to an uncountable number of errs, umms and uhhs interspersed between talking about his cat, podcasting, new headphones and whatever else he feels like. A great idea – review new and interesting podcasts! Curry has spent a time preparing and editing so his delivery is much more professional. On the downside is the show takes wholesale chunks of other people’s podcasts with little commentary so it’s not much better than preview the podcasts in the iTunes directory itself. Both Curry’s shows have seen serous iTMS rank slippage but I think there is still hope for this one. These two guys chat about various Mac and iPod things, none in much depth. They loose credibility when they claim IBM’s 2.0GHz to 2.7GHz G5 speed increase in a year was abysmal (it’s a much bigger increase than Intel in the same period). If they are going to discuss a subject without knowing it…. They talked about getting permission from their wives to travel an hour to a new Apple Store and told each other what buttons to press I decided that listening to uninformed Apple fanatics chatting to each other, virtual or otherwise, wasn’t for me. There is hope for podcasts yet providing they can polish up before the hyped-up audiences give up for good. I’d recommend starting with Mastering Communication by Nicky Stanton.	017d99dc2f4f9e31cf33012619963f9f
https://lianza.org/blog/2005/05/	I’ve posted most of my pictures thus far from Seattle. They don’t all have titles or tags, and some of them aren’t rotated yet, but they’re up. Login if you want to see all of them, otherwise you’ll just see the lamer, public ones. Typically when you shop at Amazon, they’ll offer you a suggestion of something to buy in addition to what you’re currently buying – sometimes they’ll even give you a discount on the combination. Say you’re looking at a Pearl Jam CD, they might suggest you buy it with another Pearl Jam CD and give you a dollar off the combination. Well, today I was browsing for a bluetooth mouse. This was one of the less expensive ones – coming in around $45. What does Amazon suggest you buy in addition to it? How about a $600 iPaq! That’s definitely a sweet combo it’s tough to refuse… I’m sure you’ll catch a lot of people with that impulse buy. I just wanted a mouse for my laptop, but then realized, why not spend $600 for a handheld PC too! In case you’re looking for me, I’m currently in Seattle. This weekend I’ll be going to the Sasquatch Music Festival which should be a good time. If anything crazy happens, I’ll be sure to post (hopefully with pictures). I didn’t realize there was such a holiday, but apparently I forgot to celebrate no pants day. So it looks like there were no confirmed time travelers at the time-traveler convention yesterday. The question that really blows your mind is – does that mean we should still be advertising? I’m sure the answer is yes, but the difficult part to conceptualize is what the benefit would be to us (individuals living now) since we have already passed that time and no one showed. The only authority we can really turn to on a subject like this is Doc Brown. So, by now everyone has seen Google Maps and by and large find it very impressive. You might even have seen the housing finder that someone built by integrating google maps and craigslist, or that someone developed a mechanism for integrating Flickr with google maps and called it Geobloggers. Cooler still is the fact that Amazon is working on a yellow pages such that you can see pictures of the businesses, and in fact walk down streets and see what’s nearby. This is all pretty cool stuff. What I’d really like to see is someone integrate this mapping/photographic stuff in such a way that it also reflects time. For example – lets fast forward a few years when we all have cameras in our phones, and those cameras are actually decent (multi-megapixel) quality. When we take a picture, not only is the time captured with it (very common these days) but also the GPS co-ordinates (less common these days). You now have an image that looks good, and it is tagged with where on earth it was taken and when. Now you zap this phone off to an online service… like a Mobog of the future. What might we end up with? How cool would it be to be able to browse your city or town and see what was going on at a given instant in time? How about big events like concerts? See the band from multiple angles. See yourself in others’ pictures. Maybe even big world events… like 9/11. We could have thousands of pictures of something like that from numerous angles at various instances in time. Then zoom out and slide over and see what was happening in Los Angeles at that same point in time. I think something like that would be pretty damn cool. I also don’t think we’re that far away from seeing it. This whole idea is pretty hilarious (and awesome). Schedule a time traveler convention, publicize it well, and hope people from the future show up. Can’t the time travelers just hear about it from the attendees, and travel back in time to attend? Yes, they can! In fact, we think this will happen, and the small number of adventurous time travelers who do attend will go back to their “home times” and tell all their friends to come, causing the convention to become a Woodstock-like event that defines humanity forever. Unfortunately, we of the present (2005) don’t have time travel, and so we only have one chance at observing the convention. If the time travelers don’t leave us their secrets, we won’t be able to go back in time and see our convention in all its glory unless it is publicized in advance. Check out this post at wackbag.com. It was from a girl who went to the same show we did. In the second picture, down in the lower-left hand corner, you can see my green sleeve next to a Heiniken bottle. Anyhow, today during the radio show they were talking about these pictures a lot – making fun of the smelly girlfriend and the guy picking his nose, etc. That guy was sitting right across from us. Callahan made fun of him at one point, I believe.	e3fb3ae7759846ebf79b0ae77b27dd5a
https://malfunction54.therac25.net/2005/07/23/cable-guy/	So a few weeks or so after the wedding, I walk into the computer room at home, and notice that my Windows machine (which had been running for a few months with no issuues) is at the BIOS screen. “okay”, I think, “something small has happened and I’ll just reboot.” Uh-uh. The SCSI controller is complaining that it can’t make its wide negotiation with one of my drives (the 80GB 10,000RPM guy). Well, it says to check the cables, but I hope that’s really the problem. So, I never get around to fixing it because I’m so busy getting the rest of the house in order, living the married life, and working. So finally, last night, I decide to take a look and see what the problem really is. I disconnect the cables from both hard drives and the adapter doesn’t complain. Good. At least that somewhat eliminates the adapter as the problem. Now, I hope it isn’t the drives. So, I reconnect the drive that wasn’t having issues, and the controller complains that there’s a termiation problem and that I should check the cable. Great, this is pointing more and more to actually being a cable issue. so, I replace the cable with another SCSI cable (happen to have 3-4 68-pin SCSI cables lying around) and voila! It works! no complaints from the controller, so I think that was the issue. A huge sigh of relief 🙂	14368c35105a9e10f52be67c17d6f825
https://milliblog.com/2005/12/18/thagappansaami/	Srikanth Deva’s music for this Prashant-starrer has two genres that Tamil cinema seems to have lately forgotten. A full-throated, noisy saami paattu, in Aadhi sivane. And a seduction song in Kaadhal munivaa. The lazy rhythm is rather inviting while the lyrics and Anupama’s mukkal singing adds some zing. Aariyamaala, the assembly-line melody invokes Karikaala chozhan quite unnecessarily. After Vadumaanga, its Paniyaaram and Aappam. Catchy nonsense. Sangu chakkara has a Deva’ish sound with additional chords as the son’s contribution. The six bit songs are rather pointless and are perhaps better as the film’s BGM with no additional purpose to the soundtrack.	658bb59e73078ce24294507567e45846
https://www.youthesource.com/2005/03/here-they-come/	They were acolytes all through middle school. They cleaned tables at church dinners. They even sang at the occasional church service. They’ve been helping in the church for years, and now they’re old enough to be part of the youth group. Young teens have been coming to your youth ministry events, and they are excited! They want to be there. Whether you (or they) realize it or not, they are ready to become even more active in the church! So what do you do now? Youth ministry is a movement from childhood to an adult relationship with the church. In a way, youth ministry is the bridge from acolyte to elder. Before they came to youth ministry events, your youth had little (or no) involvement in the church; after they “graduate” from being youth, they need to have the ambition to be active members of the church for the rest of their lives. And it’s your job (with the help of God) to get them to that level! “How do I do that?” you ask. Every church is different. However, every church has a wealth of opportunities to get youth more involved. In my own experience, my rural high school youth group provided me many chances to help out in the church. Being part of this group helped me conclude that to prepare the youth to become lifetime, active members in the Church, your youth ministry programs can offer two things to youth: education and experience. Let’s start with education: Until now, your youth have probably seen your congregation as a huge, jumbled collection of boards and committees. (I certainly remember this feeling!) They hear about worship committees, evangelism boards, altar guilds, and missions clubs, but do the youth have any idea what these groups do? Do they know what it means to be an elder or the congregation president? Youth will never want to be involved in the Church after graduating from youth ministry if they don’t know the opportunities available to them! Maybe you can get members from different ministries to speak to the youth about their purposes and goals as a church ministry. Find a creative way to educate the youth about the variety of groups in your church! My youth group would sometimes host game nights and invite other ministry groups to join us. A game night created a fun chance for the two groups to interact and talk with each other about their ministries. Educating your youth about their congregation is an extremely helpful way to show them the structure of your church body, and it will show them the ministry opportunities they will have after their years in youth group. Knowledge is important, but experience is vital. Don’t just tell your youth about the different ministries of your church; let the youth be part of them! Here are some ways to do this: - The worship service is an amazing, yet often untapped, site for youth to be direct participants. Do your youth know how a worship service is structured, and why it is structured that way? Give your youth the chance to work with your pastor to help plan a church service. When they have helped plan a service, the youth will be amazed to see how much more connected they will be as worshipers in future services. Personally, I never got the chance to do this as a high school youth, but after taking a class about Lutheran worship in college, I learned a great deal about the worship service. The church services I’d been attending for 19 years suddenly became deeper and much more meaningful! Helping youth better understand the worship service is an essential–and relatively easy–task that a youth group can (and should) undertake! - Encourage youth to be greeters, ushers, and lectors, if your pastor and congregation allow. They can definitely be part of processions and choirs. Talk about these roles at your youth meetings and help provide the opportunities for the youth to experience them. It has become a tradition in my home congregation for our youth group to assist with the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service. I vividly remember helping with these services as a youth; it was the first time I ever ushered, which meant that I helped with both the offering and communion. This was, no doubt, one of the best experiences that my youth group provided for me. Ushering gave me a first-hand perspective on how a worship service is carried out, and it gave me confidence that I could definitely do these same “jobs” during future services! Your church has countless other ministries for your youth to experience. Explore the resources your church offers! If you want to see your youth being active members of the church when they are adults, give them experience with the church now. Get those youth plugged into the Church! thESource is published on the Web by LCMS District and Congregational Services–Youth Ministry. The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, 1333 S. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO 63122-7295; 1-800-248-1930; www.lcms.org. Editor: Gretchen M. Jameson; Assistant Editor: Dawn Cornelius-Gaunt; Layout: Gretchen M. Jameson. VOL. 2 NO. 4 February 2005.	77c8dd06cc678fe606f4d58703e143ab
http://bouphonia.blogspot.com/2005/01/its-only-money.html	POGO Blog catches AP misrepresenting the cost to taxpayers of the disastrous and pointless F/A-22 Raptor: This AP article seriously understated the F/A-22 Raptor's price tag. The article says that "Raptors cost approximately $133 million each." As we said in the recent post...The latest acquisition numbers show the F/A-22 development and manufacturing program will cost $71.7 billion for 279 aircraft – or about $257 million per copy. If the program is sliced by $10.5 billion, the 180 F/A-22s will cost about $340 million each.That's a very, very large increase in costs - especially for an unnecessary plane that doesn't work properly - and POGO deserves a lot of credit for predicting it way back in 1998. Some of you may have read the despicable David Holcberg's recent commentary, in which he argued that the US should not give a penny to tsunami victims, "because the money is not the government's to give...and has to be extorted from an American taxpayer first." Obviously, Holcberg is being foolish, in that he's pretending to know what the taxpayers' wishes are. In fact, the majority of Americans support sending aid overseas, especially in response to a disaster of this magnitude; in the present case, nearly half of American households have added to the federal funds with donations to charity out of their own pockets. I'd argue that tsunami relief isn't a misuse of taxpayer funds; it's an example of why we should pay taxes...so that we can respond instantly (or eventually, in BushCo's case) to emergencies at home and abroad. There are Americans like Mr. Holcberg and Michael Savage who don't agree with me, and that's fine. But personally, I don't support the use of my tax dollars for stupid, money-burning projects like the Raptor. And now, it looks as though the cost of one Raptor - one faulty, unproven, unnecessary, dangerous, insanely expensive jet fighter - may end up being roughly equivalent to the entire amount the US government is sending for tsunami relief. Kind of puts things in perspective, I think.	e64db8ced43287f6498529c898194ee6
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2005/09/every-crisis-opportunity/	There’s an old myth, popular in business circles, that the Chinese character for “crisis” combines the characters for “danger” and “opportunity.” It doesn’t. But the Bush administration is certainly thinking that way, judging from this little tidbit in CongressDaily today: “[White House spokesman Trent] Duffy asserted that the vast spending that would be required to address the hurricane’s impact adds to the need to change Social Security, which threatens to strain the budget in coming years.” Ah yes, despite the fact that Social Security “reform” would add trillions to the deficit in the short term, at a time when Katrina will already cost the federal government $100 billion or more, the time for privatization is now, obviously, in the wake of disaster. Um, no.	3017fb0fac62706c63e70ec212f021a8
http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/07/15_kerre_allen/	July 15, 2005 St. Paul, Minn. — On its most basic level, "Yes" is the story of a married woman having an affair. But we live in complicated times, and Joan Allen's character, who is never named, has a more complicated life than most. She's a scientist, in a loveless marriage with a high-ranking politician. "And she is an Irish-born girl, woman, who at the age of 10 came to join her parents in America," Allen says. "So she is Irish and American, and she meets this Middle Eastern man and begins having this romance with him. And then over the course of time, as in many relationships, the cracks sort of start emerging and the cultural issues in this particular relationship come to the forefront." Issues pile upon issues. He's a surgeon who has been forced to flee Beirut, but now can only find work in a kitchen. Religion butts heads with science, and international politics colors local realities. Characters argue over belief in God, and whose God, and whether there is a God. The script takes on a combatative but lyrical sound. That is in part because Sally Potter wrote the screenplay in iambic pentameter, making it sound almost Shakespearean. At one point, Allen's character, an embryologist, is asked by a panel to define when life begins. She tells them she knows they want scientific evidence, yet warns them it might not be that simple. But wait a minute. Is this really true? Could 'objectivity' be just a point of view? We interpret what we see, and can see What we expect in embryology. When a man first saw a sperm magnified He thought he saw a little man inside; And those that looked were sure they could see One too; so eager were they to agree. Then there are the issues of other people piling on top of those. Ultimately it is hard for a viewer to come up with a major cultural, political or philosophical debate of the last decade which is not touched on at least briefly. Joan Allen says director Sally Potter began writing "Yes" on Sept. 12, 2001. "Because she knew there was going to be a lot of hatred and outrage flying around. And she thought, 'Well, what's the antidote to that? Oh! Love! I'll write a love story.'" Potter began with one scene. She thought it was going to be a short film, showing an argument between a European woman and her Middle Eastern lover. The script expanded, but the scene is still pivotal to the film. HE: Every time I make the effort, and I learn to rhyme In your English. And do you know a word Of my language? Even one? You've read the Bible. Have you read the Koran? SHE: Is this the reason you are rejecting me? HE: Rejection? No, I don't reject, But, yes, I do demand respect. Allen says it's the moment in the film where it becomes clear that conflict is not insurmountable. "I think the biggest thing to me more than anything was about listening. I don't know how else to say that. Listening to the other, trying to understand the other," says Allen. The film has recieved mixed reviews. Some people love it, and recommend seeing it several times to catch the nuances. But some of the reviewers, notably in the New York Times and the New Yorker, have been less than glowing. A particular bone of contention is the iambic pentameter of the dialog. Joan Allen says she enjoyed working with Sally Potter on "Yes." Potter is one of the few female directors even in independent film, and Allen describes her as brave and creative. For Allen's part, having completed five films in the last two and a half years, she is taking time to look for new projects. She says now she has a hankering to do a little more comedy.	604c6da5ad4684da50a5be5b2ebb2af7
https://beancounters.blogs.com/daydreams/2005/05/snarky_goodness.html	Who wants to spend quality time with their childhood memories of those old McCall's patterns here at Threadbared? Anybody? Okay, you can come along and borrow some of my memories. The year, 1969. The place: TG&Y, our Northern Ohio department store, in the fabric and notions section. The characters: me, age 6; my brother, an infant in a basket; my mother, age ??. Mother is sitting on a stool in front of a long angled table, poring over these giant catalogs of patterns. I am idly flipping through a book of my own, twisting on my own stool, desperately bored but not allowed to leave the area (not for fear of kidnappers in those days - for fear I'd knock over something breakable, or wedge myself into a fabric display). I'm also thinking that my Barbie dolls seemed downright fat compared to the twiggy illustrations. The clothes would never look the same on me as on the pattern envelopes. What was a chubby little girl to do? Suddenly I twist too far on the stool, fall off and accidentally kick the baby's basket. He cries. My mother snaps. All hell, etc. So, let me at those Threadbared patterns! I have some more laughing to do.	b141ec824d76ec25f62dc421ab2640d7
https://er.educause.edu/articles/2005/11/instant-messaging-im-online-ru	© 2005 Robert Farmer EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 40, no. 6 (November/December 2005): 48–63. If students come to us with PDAs and cell phones . . . and spend hours on Instant Messenger, we should use what they know as the starting place for their educational experience. —Newton Smith, “Teaching as Coaching: Helping Students Learn in a Technological World,” EDUCAUSE Review (2002) Today’s students entering higher education have grown up with technologies like video games, cell phones, microcomputers, and the Internet. In fact many, if not most, college students are younger than the first microcomputer. Students are more technology-literate and Internet-savvy than ever, and they use technology in ways that weren’t even imagined a decade ago. Their fluency with technology is not even a question. The bigger issue may instead be their demand for the integration of technology into their learning. This is especially important as more and more institutions, programs, and courses move to an online or blended environment. A vital technology for this generation is instant messaging—or “IM,” for short. IM is one of the simplest forms of synchronous online communications available. It allows two, and sometimes more, computer users to communicate across a network connection. For the most part, the communication is text-based, although many IM networks currently provide facilities to allow for audio and even video. IM is thus an ideal technology for today’s students—students who have, as Jason Frand has noted, an “information-age mindset.”1 Frand identified ten attributes that reflect the values and behaviors of this mindset. The following four can been seen as directly relating to the use of IM by this younger generation: (1) computers aren’t considered to be technology; (2) the Internet is better than television; (3) multitasking is a way of life; and (4) staying connected is essential. This younger generation views computers to be technology no more than their parents would the telephone. And with IM, the telephone is no longer necessary for an individual to stay connected. As the growth in IM usage continues, it will compete with other forms of communications, such as the telephone and e-mail, to become the primary means of communication within business, education, and everyday life. According to a 2001 Pew Internet & American Life Project study, Teenage Life Online, this is already true for most teenagers. And a 2004 Pew study, How Americans Use Instant Messaging, notes that 62 percent of Internet users ages eighteen to twenty-seven have used IM.2 This trend will only continue as the IM-ers move through their educational experience and into their careers. Television is no match for the Internet. The interactivity and the endless amount of information on the Internet are deemed far superior to the passive, one-way media of TV. The Online Publishers Association reports more than 50 percent of people ages eighteen to twenty-four picked the Internet as their top media choice (28.5% picked TV). The Internet was chosen as the most important source of news (45%), with TV close behind (39%). As an information source, the Internet ranked as high as 96 percent when people were looking for information about specific products, whereas TV was given its highest marks for financial information (10%) and entertainment information (10%).3 One needs only to watch teenagers today to get an understanding of multitasking. While working on their homework, members of this younger generation are likely to have their computer on and be connected to IM with one or more chat conversations active, have an MP3 player with earplugs attached to their head, be eating a snack, and oh yes, have the cell phone nearby (set to vibrate, since they wouldn’t hear the ring over the volume of the MP3 player). According to the Pew study How Americans Use Instant Messaging, the majority of IM-ers say they do other things while participating in IM sessions. This is all part of being constantly connected. A recent technology-usage survey showed that 56 percent of American teenagers (ages thirteen to seventeen) have a cell phone. With laptops, PDAs, text-messaging via cell phones, and wireless networks, the ability to stay connected all the time is approaching—perhaps not at light speed, but it is approaching. Reporting on the “instant-message generation,” the Pew study Teenage Life Online notes that 13 million U.S. teenagers use IM, that 74 percent of online teens use IM, and that 69 percent of online teens use IM at least several times a week. In the article “Are You Web Aware? Instant Messaging,” the Media Awareness Network noted that among younger Canadians (grades 7-10), almost half (49%) use IM every day.4 IM has become firmly entrenched in the lives of the younger generation. As a result, IM usage is expanding into both higher education and the workplace. Most IM network systems are based on software, referred to as the “IM client,” which is downloaded and installed on a computer. This IM client resides in the background and allows the user to manage a contacts list and to visually see the presence of others. It is this presence-awareness that reinforces the idea of constant connectivity, for as a user connects to the IM network, his or her status within the IM client of others is updated, and all people who have that user in their contact lists immediately know that the individual has just come online. IM clients allow users to stay connected continuously and to set their status, such as “busy,” “away,” and “on the phone.” Some systems provide automatic status updates, setting the user to “idle” if the user is connected but has not initiated any activity within a set timeframe. Communications occur when one user initiates a conversation within a chat window. Some IM networks can be accessed via a Web-based client—for example, e-messenger (http://www.e-messenger.net/). IM networks or systems can be categorized into three areas: (1) public (free) networks; (2) private or enterprise networks; and (3) integrated or embedded networks. The growth in IM has occurred primarily due to the free public networks, which include the following popular programs: MSN Messenger (http://messenger.msn.com/); Yahoo! Messenger (http://messenger.yahoo.com/); and AOL Instant Messenger, or AIM (http://www.aim.com/). These public IM networks do not interoperate between each other, meaning that users must have multiple IM clients and accounts if they wish to communicate with users of different networks. However, some IM client developers, such as Trillian (http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/) and Instan-t (http://www.interactiveni.com/IMSite/imfreeware.htm), provide interoperability between several IM networks, including the main players. Private or enterprise networks work similarly to public IM networks but are limited to those individual clients within a specific network domain, be it a workgroup, a department, or an entire organization or enterprise. These networks often provide increased user authentication and encryption and therefore increased security. The major drawback to these systems is that they are no longer free and in some cases come with a hefty pricetag. Systems within this private domain include Effusia Business Messenger (http://www.liquidcs.com/) and InterComm by Five Across (http://www.fiveacross.com/products/clientapps.shtml). Enterprise systems include IBM Lotus Instant Messaging and Web Conferencing (http://www.lotus.com/products/product3.nsf/wdocs/homepage), Microsoft Office Live Communications Server (http://www.microsoft.com/office/livecomm/prodinfo/default.mspx), and Groove Virtual Office (http://www.groove.net/). With integrated or embedded networks, the features and functionality of IM are included within other, often larger, software applications. This is the case with most of the large enterprise-wide networking systems mentioned earlier and with many Web-based educational learning environments. This is true of virtual classroom systems such as Elluminate Live! (http://www.elluminate.com/) and Horizon Wimba (http://www.horizonwimba.com/), which both include an area for text messages to be sent among participants. It is also true of learning management systems such as the chat area of WebCT (http://www.webct.com/). Some people feel that IM and chat areas are not the same, in that IM is based on presence-awareness whereas one must enter a chat area or room to see who is there. However, once the user is in the chat area, many of the functionalities are the same. The integration or embedding of IM features and functionality into more and more productivity applications, both on the desktop and via Web-based interfaces, is likely. While many productivity and enterprise systems are integrating the features of IM, the same is true from the other side. IM clients are continually increasing the features and functionality available to their users. As mentioned earlier, the ability to use audio and video connections within IM is becoming popular. Additional communication features may include the ability to send messages to mobile devices such as PDAs or cell phones, to send messages via e-mail or to hold messages for users currently not online, and to send files between users. IM developers continually add features directed at the user’s individualism, including a personal profile, look-and-feel (skins selection and color schemes), and a user’s picture or icon. Most, if not all, IM networks allow the user to archive the transcript of the text conversation. Many private or enterprise systems also capture this transcript, sometimes in a centrally administered storage area. Some IM clients have unique features. For example, InterComm by Five Across can be considered a private network, although users have the option to make the network publicly accessible within the proprietary domain of its own IM client. InterComm’s methodology is slightly different from that of most other IM networks: it is group-based, and users are invited into and arranged by groups. IMs can be sent to an individual or an entire group; messages are held for offline group members and show in a window when the member logs in. It provides file-sharing via online storage, with alerts on file updates and version tracking. InterComm also supports RSS feeds and Web-site URL sharing via a tab-screen environment. Much of the research into IM that is non-work-related has been based on its use by the younger generation. This research has focused on socialization, including social presence and social interactions among users. In addition to socialization, non-work-related uses of IM include event planning and project collaboration.5 The younger generation is not the only group using IM. The Radicati Group expects the number of IMs sent daily to grow from 13.9 billion in 2005 to 46.5 billion in 2009. According to the 2004 Pew study How Americans Use Instant Messaging, more than fifty million Americans use IM, with 24 percent of them reporting that they use it more frequently than e-mail. In addition, although the majority of IM usage today is personal, many analysts’ findings indicate that corporate users compose the fastest-growing segment of IM-ers. The Radicati Group estimates that by the end of 2005, there will be 362 million corporate IM users (of which only 42 million will be using enterprise-only IM systems), affecting 85 percent of all companies in North America. IDC researchers predict that business users will make up nearly half of the 506 million IM users it expects to be online by 2006.6 Research into at-work use of IM shows that most users feel positive about it. They report that IM improves their productivity and teamwork, saves time on tasks, and provides relief from the daily grind. In early 2004, IBM stated that its employees were sending more than three million IMs a day—thus speeding up the decision-making process from days or weeks to minutes. IBM reported that IM had reduced telephone use by 4 percent, reduced the load on mail servers, increased responsiveness and collaboration, and improved employee productivity and teamwork. Similarly, Genelle Hung, senior analyst for the Radicati Group, noted: “Instant Messaging has tremendous potential across the enterprise, from improving employee communication and collaboration to providing better customer service at lower costs.”7 On the other hand, IM is also often seen as a distraction and as something that encourages gossip. And as the use of IM within businesses increases, technology managers are plagued by the fact that much of this use is on public IM networks. Such unmanaged entities open the organizational computer infrastructure to potential security and privacy risks. Within the educational environment, IM has made its way to several college/university library Web sites in the form of online reference desks. IM is also being looked at by student affairs professionals, who need to understand the impact this technology is having not only on their students but also on their institution’s employees. Admission counselors are becoming aware that their clients, entering freshmen, are likely to prefer to contact an institution of higher education with questions via IM rather than by phone. One example is Boston University, whose admissions counselors use IM to field prospective students’ questions about admissions procedures, college life, and their application status.8 Students are definitely bringing IM to school, with millions of them using it daily, primarily as a social tool. But with IM embedded into virtual classroom applications and Web-based learning management systems, IM is now becoming a learning tool as well as a social tool. IM as a Learning Tool Over the past two years, I have experimented with IM in a number of IT courses. For example, as part of a senior IT course titled “Management of Information Technology,” I invited students to participate in a short IM experiment. All the students in this course were very computer-literate and Internet-savvy, yet their level of IM familiarity varied. This initial experiment utilized a private IM network and an IM client called IMici BM (Business Messenger). IMici BM, which is no longer available, was a hosted secure IM, meaning that it was accessed via the IM client from a Web server maintained by the IM developer. One reason for selecting this software was that it allowed for monitoring and logging of both the activity and the message content. The experiment lasted three weeks. Ten students from the class accepted the invitation to participate, generating 405 IM sessions over this short period of time. An IM session could include one message or several messages being sent back and forth. In a more recent experiment, eight students from a communications course participated, this time using InterComm. InterComm is a private IM network and IM client and was used as a hosted secure service, although it is also available in a workgroup version for local server installation. The hosted version does not provide statistical usage data; therefore, the analysis was limited to student-reported activity and perception. Students participated heavily during the three-week experiment, utilizing the tool to interact and collaborate on a major presentation. Within the first two weeks, the average usage was one to two hours a day per student; in the last week, that average jumped to two to three hours each day, with some students utilizing it more that three hours a day. The majority of students reported interacting with more than half of the remaining students in the course, typically four to five times a week. Not all students used IM to communicate with the professor; e-mail within the university’s learning management system was the primary communication tool for contacting the professor. In addition to IM chat, which all the participating students used, InterComm provides some additional features and functionalities, as summarized in Table 1. Along with the synchronicity of chat, students reported liking the fact that files could be stored in one spot and were always accessible to everyone. Feature \| Percentage of Students Using the Feature \| \| Send note to individual (who is offline) \| 75.0% \| \| Send note to group (some of whom are offline) \| 87.5% \| Over thirty group notes posted \| Post files in shared storage \| 75.0% \| Twelve files uploaded, including Word and PowerPoint files \| Propose a meeting \| 25.0% \| \| Post Web-site URL \| 87.5 % \| Twenty-eight URLs posted \| RSS feeds \| 0% \| Educational and learning collaboration could and should be the next emerging use of IM. To some extent this is happening, but mostly in high schools and lower grade levels.9 IM comes with some identifiable issues and/or disadvantages.10 Perhaps foremost among these issues are concerns about security and privacy risks, which are mostly associated with public IM networks. These risks are a major concern, since most business usage of IM is through public IM networks. The main security issue stems from the fact that IM is a computer-to-computer communication, and any attachments follow the same path; therefore, neither an organization’s firewall nor its corporate virus software scans these attachments. On the privacy side, although all IM networks require login names and passwords, these are stored on the host servers owned by the IM developer and are not managed or controlled locally. In addition, since the content of IM conversations is transmitted over the Internet, it may be susceptible to digital eavesdropping. More important, both parties can archive the IM conversation, and within private and enterprise IM networks, this is normally done globally for all conversations. Confidentiality is not ensured. IM is also becoming the next target for the distribution of viruses and worms. And then there is spim—IM’s own flavor of spam. The Radicati Group estimates that spim will grow from 1.2 billion messages in 2004 to 17.9 billion in 2008.11 This growth could be fueled with more enterprise use and the possible inclusion of IM identities in organizational directories. Within the educational setting, IM raises some unique issues, including the potential for distraction, unauthorized use, the slang language created by IM users, slow adoption by faculty, and the ubiquitous nature of IM. As noted earlier, some people view IM as a distraction and time-waster. In fact, many high schools have banned or are considering banning the use of IM by students. In response to “Should We Ban Instant Messaging in School,” a point/counterpoint article in Learning & Leading with Technology, Stephen Downes commented: “You know, it’s funny—I read so much about teachers trying to find ways to get students’ attention, and when they find a device—a communication device—that captures students’ attention, they want to ban it.”12 How to deal with the unauthorized use of public IM networks has been a concern for a number of years. A joint IDC and FaceTime Communications survey shows that most organizations that prohibit IM also fail to address critical network security and information security. In the survey, 36 percent of respondents reported that IM is prohibited by their organizations, but only 17 percent of those reported having a solution in place to block its use.13 Public IM clients can easily be downloaded and used by any worker who has a computer on his or her desk—without the knowledge of the IT department unless IM blocking solutions have been implemented. One can monitor IM usage via an IM software auditor, of which there are several. Such software can intercept IM messages from AOL, MSN and Yahoo, among others, and record them. The fact that individuals (employees or students) know that their conversations are being recorded may not stop unauthorized use, but it puts a new light on what the conversation may include. Controlling and regulating IM—or at least access to public IM networks—is not as easy task. A more appropriate organizational tactic would be to provide a solution that uses an IM network that is safe for corporate use—that is, an IM network that includes encryption, authentication, and organizational directory integration. Another issue is the use of IM slang or Net-lingo, which is raising major concerns about the language and writing ability of the younger generation. IM slang is the phonetic representation, acronym, or another commonly accepted form of written words. Some of these slang terms were in use even before IM. From the hundreds of acronyms that are currently in use online, some examples include the following: BTW: By The Way AFK: Away From Keyboard GMTA: Great Minds Think Alike IC: I See POS: Parents are looking Over my Shoulder RU?: aRe yoU? IM slang is spilling over into other forms of writing—not only online. Students are using these shortened words in e-mails, but more troubling is the fact that they are moving from these casual writing activities into more formal ones (projects and reports) without changing their writing and attention to punctuation or grammar. Faculty and instructors need to clarify and remind students about writing expectations. Clearly, students have embraced this technology. Ellen Cohn notes: “Academic institutions are well advised to address IM use with alacrity, as IM demographics show pervasive adoption of this technology among both prospective and current college students.” But faculty have not widely adopted this technology. A large number of faculty are ill-equipped to use IM and will likely need formal faculty development training.14 Furthermore, the ubiquitous nature of IM and its growth within educational environments may encourage the expectation of the “ubiquitous” instructor, possibly resulting in additional time demands on and increasing workloads for faculty. IM is a relatively simple form of communication. It is also—by its very nature—a collaborative communications tool. This collaborative nature is what makes IM ideal for educational and learning environments. With IM playing such a large role in the communication, interactivity, and socialization skills of today’s younger generation, higher education leaders and faculty must seriously consider its application and inclusion within students’ learning activities. The use of such collaborative communications tools within courses and course activities creates a more engaging learning environment for students, most of whom have already adopted the readily available IM tool and are using it prolifically. IM has powerful applications and incredible potential within educational and learning environments. It is making inroads in both business and everyday life and is knocking at the door of higher education. Let’s open the door. IM Online! RU? 1. Jason L. Frand, “The Information-Age Mindset: Changes in Students and Implications for Higher Education,” EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 35, no. 5 (September/October 2000): 14–24, http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm00/articles005/erm0051.pdf. 2. Amanda Lenhart, Lee Rainie, and Oliver Lewis, Teenage Life Online: The Rise of the Instant-Message Generation and the Internet’s Impact on Friendships and Family Relationships (Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2001), http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Teens_Report.pdf; Eulynn Shiu and Amanda Lenhart, How Americans Use Instant Messaging (Washington, D.C.: Pew Internet & American Life Project, 2004), http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Instantmessage_Report.pdf. 3. Online Publishers Association, “Generational Media Study,” September 21, 2004, http://www.online-publishers.org/pdf/opa_generational_study_sep04.pdf. 4. “Teenagers Connected by the Convenience of Cell Phones,” News Target, January 25, 2005, http://www.newstarget.com/003682.html; Lenhart, Rainie, and Lewis, Teenage Life Online; “Are You Web Aware? Instant Messaging,” Media Awareness Network, http://www.media-awareness.ca/english/resources/special_initiatives/wa_resources/wa_teachers/ 5. Ha Sung Hwang, “Always in Touch: A Preliminary Study of Instant Messaging,” presentation at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication convention, Toronto, Canada, August 2004; Scott Nicholson, “Socialization in the ‘Virtual Hallway’: Instant Messaging in the Asynchronous Web-Based Distance Education Classroom,” The Internet and Higher Education, vol. 5, no. 4 (2002): 363–72; Rebecca E. Grinter and Leysia Palen, “Instant Messaging in Teen Life,” in Elizabeth F. Churchill, Joe McCarthy, Christine Neuwirth, and Tom Rodden, eds., Proceedings of the 2002 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work (New York: ACM Press, 2002). 6. The Radicati Group, “Instant Messaging Market, 2005–2009,” http://www.radicati.com/; Shiu and Lenhart, How Americans Use Instant Messaging; Andre Yee, “Securing Instant Messaging: The New Corporate Security Challenge,” ebiz, March 18, 2004, http://www.ebizq.net/topics/messaging_middleware/features/3965.html. 7. “IM Emerges from the Shadows,” ITworld.com, January 5, 2004, http://www.itworld.com/App/299/040105imemerges/ (IBM); Hung quoted in “Bots for Business: IMlogic Pushes Instant Messaging beyond Chat,” IMlogic press release, September 21, 2004, http://www.imlogic.com/news/press_83.asp. 8. Kevin R. Guidry, “Instant Messaging: Its Impact on and Recommendations for Student Affairs,” Student Affairs Online, vol. 5, no. 4 (fall 2004), http://studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2004/InstantMessaging.html; Jen Haberkorn, “Colleges Reach Out via Instant Messaging,” Washington Times, June 24, 2004, http://washtimes.com/business/20040623-114522-1105r.htm. 9. Grinter and Palen, “Instant Messaging in Teen Life.” 10. Robert Farmer, “Instant Messaging: Collaborative Tool or Educator’s Nightmare?” Proceedings of the North Atlantic Web Learning Conference, NAWeb-2003, Fredericton, New Brunswick, October 2003. 11. “Radicati Forecasts Huge Growth in Enterprise Instant Messaging,” Messaging Pipeline, July 15, 2004, http://www.messagingpipeline.com/23901002. 12. Sharon Texley and Donna DeGennaro, “Point/Counterpoint: Should We Ban Instant Messaging in School?” Learning & Leading with Technology, vol. 32, no. 7 (2005), http://www.iste.org/inhouse/publications/ll/32/7/06t/32706t/pdf; Stephen Downes, in Stephen’s Web, http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/website/research.cgi?item=1115773366. 13. “Banning Instant Messaging Does Not Reduce Business Risks,” April 28, 2004, Continuity Central, http://continuitycentral.com/news01168.htm. 14. Ellen R. Cohn, “Instant Messaging in Higher Education: A New Faculty Development Challenge,” http://www.ipfw.edu/as/tohe/2002/Papers/cohn2.htm.	7d7247b6b474e111c4d7ebadb1639a30
https://www.chickenblog.com/2005/09/mars-is-closer-than-you-think_23.html	Read up on it: Approaching Mars. Cool. Of course I read it as another good reason to host our pumpkin party on the 30th of October. It's the cosmic union of science and party planning. Hey, my tools are back! I can post pictures again! So... here's Alison, conquering Stonewall Peak. Love the confident stance. Here's a view of the crew, Alison, Gretchen and Hans, waiting below the rapellers. William was hooked, and made 3 descents. His uncle Bill is showing him the ropes. I guess I am hooked too. It's very fun, and I like the counterintuitive challenge of letting go. 24 hours later and we were at the beach. Southern California is awesome. Gretchen, Delia, Alison with Maria and Natalie.	ba1d27cf5fb8d0412c744d04b04a34e3
https://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/5/111353/250	We know it's coming down the pike. We know it's sitting there waiting to kick us in the ass. If there is one issue we can't afford to be considered obstructionists on, it's tax reform. We can't be seen as protecting the current system. We need to figure out how to get around it, and I think I've got it, and it's going to be, hard work. What we need to do is go on the offensive about deductions. Not the ones that help the middle class and keep our heads above water, but the goofy ones. The tax shelter ones. Offshore holdings ones. We need to come out of the shoot saying that we are, indeed, in favor of tax reform. We want to make it so the monied interests can't exploit the loopholes they paid to have inserted into our tax code. That will be our saving grace. That will keep us from being labeled "obstructionist" and "supporting the current tax system." Thoughts? What deductions do you think we can get rid of?	85a9ed58d0af126d35319e5bb444be33
https://www.torontomike.com/2005/02/my_link_of_the_day_163/	Big Things - Canada is a big country and we've got some big things here. This link is to big collection of photographs of such big things. Ontariariariarians may want to be Ontario-centric and skip to the Ontario page. This Bluesky post serves no other purpose than to give me something I can embed on torontomike.com since I can't seem to embed my feed. So follow me on Bluesky at bsky.app/profile/toro... and let the good times roll.	00e413e6f635b8fede10d6ead8a8be44
https://pubs.rsc.org/en/Content/ArticleLanding/2005/JM/B513125A	Unique photoluminescence property of a novel perfectly carbazole-substituted POSS * Corresponding authors School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan I. Imae and Y. Kawakami, J. Mater. Chem., 2005, 15, 4581 DOI: 10.1039/B513125A To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page. If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page. Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content. Fetching data from CrossRef. This may take some time to load. Loading related content	d8cc3f820660a8a970536170b4f3587f
https://nyceducator.blogspot.com/2005/12/economic-progress.html	Tuesday, December 27, 2005 In case anyone hasn’t noticed, it’s getting tougher to get by in the US. Rent costs are going up, and a wage of 15.78 per hour is said to be the minimum for families who wish to avoid living in a tree. The US minimum wage remains at $5.15, and has not increased since 1997. The solution, according to our illustrious president? Huge tax cuts for those making over 300K a year. For folks in that category, apparently, inflation is important. If Steve Forbes is happy, everyone else must be too. Many low-income people are forced to choose between paying rent, buying medicine, or providing books for their children, Bender said. "How do people like that have holidays?" Bender asked. "They probably don't." Here in NYC and its environs, you may have noticed, things cost more than in most of the country. What’s Mayor Bloomberg doing to help? Watch for a new sports stadium near you.	b82879e944e1576a65a5befce30975a9
https://www.nera.com/insights/publications/2005/tarifas-entradasalida-para-el-transporte-de-gas-natural-entry.html	In this article, Dr. Hernández and Ms. Gandolfi examine the current debate on the costs and benefits of entry-exit tariffs within the context of the overall tariff design problem, which involves tariff objectives (i.e., efficiency, transparency, and cost recovery), the costs that tariffs reflect, and the way in which costs get allocated to network users. The authors argue that the adequacy of an entry-exit system versus alternative billing determinants, such as postal or distance based tariffs, is dependent upon the specific features of each gas transport system. They note that entry-exit tariffs based on marginal long-term costs have the main advantage of promoting an efficient network growth and the development of gas trades. However, the authors observe that the practical application of entry-exit tariffs can be very complex and often requires accounting for the specific details of each transport system. This article was published in Gas Actual, No. 94, May 2005.	af84af4cf318ac86cf89fd75595dea3d
https://ipbiz.blogspot.com/2005/12/law-review-article-on-bobbling-heads.html	Law review article: ON BOBBLING HEADS, PAPARAZZI, AND JUSTICE to disallow right of publicity claims by public officials through an absolutist application of the First Amendment as articulated by Justice Black. Of bobbleheads: The case of the Governor Schwarzenegger bobblehead illustrates the difference. n112 Under a right of publicity claim, the Governor could enjoin the depiction of his image with a gun. This was the result of the settlement in the actual dispute. Under a false advertising or false endorsement claim, however, the Governor could enjoin the depiction of his image with the gun only if the depiction caused consumer confusion as to his association with or endorsement of a gun or the particular make of the gun represented in the bobblehead. A right of publicity claim protects the economic and property rights of the public official; a false advertising or false endorsement claim protects the interests of consumers to be free from confusion. The reference to Justice Black is to the dissent in N.Y. Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254, 296 (1965). Yes, there is a reference to Samuel Warren & Louis Brandeis, The Right to Privacy, 4 Harv. L. Rev. 193 (1890). There is also a reference to Mark Lemley & Eugene Volokh, Freedom of Speech and Injunctions in Intellectual Property Cases, 48 Duke L.J. 147, 169-80 (1998). There is a cite to Sunstein, Why Societies Need Dissent? , at 97-98 (arguing that the principle of freedom of speech protects the right to dissent against the government), but there is no mention of the New Jersey Supreme Court case involving the right, under the First Amendment, to discuss disciplinary actions against lawyers.	6cc91a2d0e9b9e06551e9e8be530514d
https://sfist.com/2005/11/25/rip_pat_morita/	Best known for his role as Mr. Miyagi in , Pat Morita passed away yesterday at his home in Las Vegas. A look at his bio, however, makes it clear that Morita was much more than the guy who said "wax on, wax off." Born in Isleton, and a graduate of Fairfield's Armijo High School, Morita spent the first 30 years of his life (excepting the period during World War Two he spent in an Arizona internment camp) in Northern California. It was only as an adult that he realized his desire to perform stand-up comedy (his nickname at that time being "The Hip Nip"), and later to act. A look at his CV illustrates the challenges facing a Japanese-American actor, with many of the roles verging on the stereotypically demeaning. That said, he worked nearly constantly, with three films still in production at the time of his passing. Survived by his wife and three daughters, Pat Morita was 73 years old. The Karate Kid	3116e65839b2816414e991bbdbbf3468

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Dataset Card for Filtered Articles by Year

Dataset Summary

The Filtered Articles by Year dataset contains yearly-segmented web articles from the FineWeb dataset, specifically filtered and processed for temporal language analysis and Word2Vec model training. This dataset spans 21 years (2005-2025) and serves as the foundation for research into semantic change, concept emergence, and language evolution over time.

Supported Tasks and Leaderboards

This dataset supports several tasks:

Language Modeling: Training language models on specific time periods
Semantic Change Detection: Tracking how word meanings evolve over time
Temporal Analysis: Studying language evolution and concept emergence
Word2Vec Training: Creating time-specific word embeddings

Languages

The dataset contains English text only.

Dataset Structure

Data Instances

Each article contains three fields:

url: Source URL of the web page
text: Extracted and cleaned text content
hash: Content hash for deduplication purposes

Data Fields

url: string - The source URL of the web page
text: string - The extracted and cleaned text content
hash: string - Content hash for deduplication purposes

Data Splits

Each year is available as a separate configuration, with all articles from that year in the training split.

Source Data

Initial Data Collection and Normalization

The dataset originates from the FineWeb dataset, which contains high-quality web text extracted from Common Crawl (CC-MAIN) snapshots using advanced content extraction and filtering techniques.

Who are the source language producers?

The text content comes from web pages crawled by Common Crawl, representing a diverse range of web content producers including news sites, blogs, educational resources, and other web content.

Annotations

Annotation process

No additional annotations were added beyond the original FineWeb processing.

Who are the annotators?

N/A - uses original FineWeb annotations and quality scores.

Personal and Sensitive Information

The dataset contains web content that may include personal information depending on the source websites. Users should be aware of privacy considerations when using this data.

Additional Information

Dataset Curators

Adam Eubanks - Primary curator and researcher
FineWeb Team - Original dataset creators

Licensing Information

This dataset is released under the MIT License.

Citation Information

@misc{filtered_articles_by_year_2025,
  title={Filtered Articles by Year: FineWeb Dataset for Temporal Language Analysis},
  author={Adam Eubanks},
  year={2025},
  url={https://huggingface.co/datasets/adameubanks/filtered_articles_by_year},
  note={Yearly-filtered web articles for Word2Vec training and semantic change research}
}