text:
\section{Introduction}

The anharmonicity of molecular vibrations makes the dissociation of a
molecule by irradiation of laser light a relatively difficult task
\cite{bloembergen}.  Consequently, high intensity is required for
dissociation, for instance, $I>10^{14}$W/cm$^2$ for HF in
monochromatic fields \cite{che90}.  In half cycle pulse fields the
situation is improving due to the broad frequency content of this
radiation.  Even in that case, however, intensities
$I>10^{13}$W/cm$^2$ are required to achieve on the order of 15$\%$
dissociation probability \cite{lin1}.  At such high intensities, the
ionization process dominates and masks vibrational excitation and
dissociation.  Chelkowsky et al.\ \cite{cheal90} suggested that the
dissociation threshold of a diatomic molecule can be lowered by two
orders of magnitude using a down-chirped laser, tracing the decrease
in spacing of the excited  energies levels, and hence dissociation
without ionization should be possible.  In a similar spirit,
circularly chirped pulses have been used by Kim et al.\ \cite{kim} for
the dissociation of diatomic molecules.  They found that the threshold
laser intensity is substantially reduced, which may allow to achieve
dissociation without ionization.

Recently,
dissociation of diatomic molecules under a stochastic force was investigated
representing the diatom as a Morse oscillator \cite{jcp}. A
phenomenon, akin to  stochastic resonance has also been identified in
the interaction of an atom with a strong laser field and additional
noise \cite{kamal}.

In the present study, the external force is a sequence of pulses
(kicks) at random times, each kick carrying an independent weight~
\cite{jcp,masoliver}.  Both, the weights $\Gamma_{i}$ and the
intervals between kicks $\Delta t_{i}$, follow a Poisson distribution
with averages $\gamma$ and $\langle \Delta t\rangle$, respectively.
This type of force, similar to white shot noise, has also been used to
model the passage of ions through carbon foils \cite{burgdorfer}.
Through its inherent time-structure characterized by $\langle \Delta
t\rangle$, it can couple selectively to bound
degrees of freedom with comparable time scales of the noise.  Given
the difficult dissociation without ionization as described above, it
is natural to ask if  stochastic forcing may allow
one to separate effectively ionization from dissociation.

In order to answer this question we have to include both, nuclear as
well as electronic degrees of freedom in our description.  The
simplest molecule displaying ionization and dissociation is the
hydrogen molecular ion H$_2^+$ in an external field.  Using a
two-level approximation for the electron \cite{lin2} or a soft-core
potential for the Coulomb interaction \cite{volal98,feth03}, this
system has been investigated previously under strong laser fields.

As in \cite{CZAB95} we refrain from these approximations and investigate
this molecule under the influence of a stochastic field with the only
restriction that the random force is directed along the molecular
axis.  This leads to cylindrical symmetry of the problem and therefore
3 degrees of freedom (2 for the electron and one for the nuclei) have
to be taken into account explicitly.  On the same level, the
interaction of H$_2^+$ with laser light has been investigated recently
and a sensitive dependence of the dissociation on the carrier envelope
phase has been found \cite{roudal04}.  Yet, the maximal dissociation
probability reported is below 20 $\%$.

We begin the main text of this paper in section 2 with a description
of the noise source and a brief explanation, how quantum
evolution under a stochastic force is solved for in time.
In section 3 we  discuss the influence
of the same stochastic force on an atom (electronic degrees of
freedom) and a molecule (vibrational degrees of freedom) separately,
since the effect of coupling strong noise to quantum systems is not
widely known.  Then in section 4 we describe how we handle H$_2^+$
numerically, in particular how we extract ionization and dissocication
from the numerically obtained time-dependent wavefunction.  In section
5, results for the dissociation and the ionization probability of
$H_2^+$ will be presented and discussed, while section 6 concludes
the paper.

\section{Description of the noise source}
The stochastic force $F(t)$ we consider here is given by \cite{masoliver,haenggi}
\begin{eqnarray}
F(t)=\sum_{i=1}^{N_t}\gamma_{i}\delta(t-t_{i}),\label{force}
\end{eqnarray}
and stands for a series of random impulses of strength $\gamma_{i}$ at
times $t_{i}$, i.\ e.,  $F(t)$ is a kind of white shot noise  \cite{broeck}
responsible for multiple $\delta-$kicks undergone by the molecule,
where $N_t$ is the number of kicks up to time $t$ controlled by the
Poisson counting process $N_t$.  It is characterized by the average kicking
interval $\langle \Delta t\rangle \equiv \lambda^{-1}$ about which the
actual interval $\Delta t_i=t_i-t_{i-1}$ are exponentially distributed,
similarly as the actual kicking strengths $\gamma_i$ about  their
mean $\gamma$,
\be{deltat}
P(\Delta t_i) = \lambda\exp(-\lambda\Delta t_i),\,\,P(\gamma_i) = \gamma^{-1}\exp(-\gamma_i/\gamma)\,.
\ee

In analogy to periodically applied half cycle pulses \cite{frey}, we
restrict our analysis to positive $\gamma_{i}$ and assume that
$\gamma_{i}$ and $t_{i}$ are mutually uncorrelated random variables
generated by the distributions functions of \eq{deltat}.  The
determination of $F(t)$ reduces to the construction of a stochastic
sequence $(\gamma_{i},t_{i})$ which can be done assuming that the
random times $t_{i}$ form a Poisson sequence of points leading to a
delta correlated process \cite{masoliver}.  It is easy to show
\cite{haenggi} that the stochastic force constructed has the
properties \begin{eqnarray} \langle F(t) \rangle&=&\gamma\lambda
\nonumber\\
    \langle
    F(t)F(s)\rangle&=&2\gamma^2\lambda\delta(t-s)+\gamma^2\lambda^2\,,  \label{averageforce}
\end{eqnarray}
where $\langle \rangle$ is understood as an average over a sufficient
large number  of deterministic realizations $j = 1,\ldots N$ of $F(t)$ in terms of
specified stochastic sequences $(\gamma_{i}^{(j)},t_{i}^{(j)})$.
The corresponding power spectrum, i. e., the Fourier transform
of $\langle F(t)F(s)\rangle$, is given by
\begin{eqnarray} S(\omega) = 4\frac{\gamma^2\lambda}{\sqrt{2\pi}}+\gamma^2\lambda^2\sqrt{2\pi}\delta(\omega).
\label{powerspectrum}
\end{eqnarray}
These properties reveal  the difference between the present stochastic
force (white shot noise) and a pure white noise which is delta-correlated
with {\it zero mean}.

Note that $\langle \Delta t\rangle$ and $\gamma$ are the two relevant
parameters characterizing the present noise source.

The determination of the time evolution of a system with a
deterministic Hamiltonian $H_{0}$ and an additional stochastic driving
$H = H_{0}+ xF(t)$ is straight forward by solving first the
conventional deterministic time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for
each realization $F^{(j)}$ of the stochastic force, forming from it
the desired observable $\cal O^{(j)}$ and finally averaging over the
realizations, ${\cal O} = N^{-1}\sum_{j=1}^{N}{\cal O}^{(j)}$.

\section{Ionization and Dissociation under Stochastic Forces}

To demonstrate that coupling white shot noise to a bound quantum
system is sensitive to the time scale of bound motion, we briefly
describe how an atom and a diatomic molecule responds to noise.  To
this end we show in figure \ref{fig1} how the electronic ground state
of a one dimensional soft-core model of the H-atom and the vibrational
ground state of a Morse oscillator describing a HF molecule are
depopulated under stochastic forcing.  The potential in the atom case
is given in atomic units by
\begin{eqnarray}
V(x,t)=V_C+xF_{\rm a}(t)=-\frac{1}{\sqrt{x^2+a}}+xF_{\rm a}(t),
\end{eqnarray}
with $a=2$ such that the ground state energy corresponds to that of
the 3d hydrogen atom.  In the molecular case it is given by
\begin{eqnarray}
V(x)=V_M+\mu_0 x F_{\rm m}(t)=D(1-\exp\{-\alpha x\})^2+\mu_0 x F_{\rm m}(t)
\end{eqnarray}
with the dissociation energy $D$, the length scale $\alpha$, and the
dipole gradient $\mu_0$.  Note that the eigenstates and the
eigenenergies of this Morse potential model are exactly known~\cite{ter46}.  We
expose both systems to the same stochastic external perturbation, as
described above, by adjusting the molecular force such that $\mu_0
F_{\rm m}(t)=F_{\rm a}(t)$.  The average time between kicks is chosen
to equal the electronic period in the hydrogen atom, which in atomic
units is given by $T_{\rm e}=2\pi$.

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth,clip]{njp_fig1.eps}
\caption{\label{fig1}The population of the (electronic) ground state
of the hydrogen H atom versus the population of the vibronic ground
state of a Morse oscillator, describing the HF molecule as function of
time for the same amount of noise.  For HF model,
$\mu_0=3.54076$~a.u., $\alpha=1.1741$~a.u.,
$D=0.225$~a.u.\cite{goggin}.}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

Numerically, we find a very promising indication that the electron in
the atom case does react much less to the force than the binding of
the molecule.  This is shown in figure \ref{fig1}, where the
auto-correlation function of the ground state electron wavefunction
for the atomic, as well as of the vibrational ground state in the
molecular case is shown.  While the atom is still dominantly in its
ground state, the ground state of the molecule has already been
depopulated by more than 50\%.

In general, we expect for a system $S$ with a characteristic
period $T_{S}^{c}$ of bound motion that noise will couple energy into
the system if its kick spacing is smaller than the bond period,
$\langle\Delta t\rangle< T_{S}^{c}$. In the opposite case,  $\langle\Delta t\rangle\gg T_{S}^{c}$, the
bound motion will be insensitive to the noise. Since the molecular
vibrational period is much larger than the electronic period in an
atom,
$T^{c}_{\mathrm{vib}}\gg T^{c}_{\mathrm{e}}$, there is a
window in $\langle\Delta t\rangle$, where dissociation without substantial ionization
should be possible (see the sketch, fig.~\ref{fig2}).

We double check this conjecture in the following with the hydrogen
molecular ion $H_2^+$ in an external field which is the simplest
molecule displaying both,  ionization and dissociation.  Since
this problem is sensitive to different timescales, we avoid the
Born Oppenheimer approximation which could be an (artifical) source
of physical effects to be predicted.

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth,clip]{njp_fig2.eps}
\caption{\label{fig2}
Schematic ionization and dissociation (including fragmentation)
probabilities as function of the kick spacing $\langle \Delta
t\rangle/T_e$ at a given finite time and for a given kicking strength
$\gamma$.}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\section{Molecular Ionization and Dissociation Dynamics in
$H_{2}^{+}$ under external driving}

We solve the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation for the hydrogen
molecular ion in a linearly polarized laser field neglecting the center of
mass and the rotational motion \cite{CZAB95}.  Adding a dipole coupled stochastic force
$F(t)$ the time-dependent stochastic Schr\"odinger equation is given
by (in atomic units)
\begin{eqnarray}
i\frac{\partial }{\partial t}\Psi(z,\rho,R,t)=\left[
K_{\mathrm{vib}}+K_{\mathrm{e}}+V+z\kappa F(t)\right]\Psi(z,\rho,R,t)\label{sseq}
\end{eqnarray}
with the kinetic energy
$K_{\mathrm{vib}}=-M^{-1}_{p}\partial^{2}/\partial R^{2}$ of the
protons, the electronic kinetic energy
\begin{equation}
 K_{e} =   -\frac{\beta}{2}\frac{\partial^2}{\partial z^2}-\beta \frac{1}{2}\frac{\partial^2 }{\partial \rho^2}-\frac{1}{2\rho}
\frac{\partial}{\partial \rho}
\label{kine}
\end{equation}
and the potential energy
\begin{equation}
    V(\rho,z,R)=-[\rho^2+(z-R/2)^2]^{-1/2}-[\rho^2+(z+R/2)^2]^{-1/2}+1/R\,,
    \end{equation}
where $\beta=1/2+1/(4M_p)$, $\kappa=1+1/(2M_p+1)$, $M_p$ is
 the proton mass in units of the electron mass,
 $R$ is the internuclear distance and $z$ and $\rho$
are cylindrical coordinates of the electron.

Due to the cylindrical symmetry of the stochastically driven system an
expansion of the wavefunction in a Bessel-Fourier series in $\rho$ is
performed.  The singularities of the Coulomb potential is retained,
without  any softening of the potential.  The
time-dependent stochastic Schr\"odinger equation (\ref{sseq}) can
then be solved by the standard split operator FFT technique
\cite{feit}.  We start from the ground state as initial state $\Psi(\rho,z,R,t=0)$,
represented very accurately by  the
product of the vibrational ground state $\phi_0(R)$ and the
$1s\sigma_g$ electronic wavefunction of $H_2^+$.

The observables we are interested in are
the ionization probability
\begin{eqnarray}
P_{\rm I}(t)=1-\int_{0}^{R_{\rm max}}f_1(R,t) dR
\end{eqnarray}
and the dissociation probability which is defined
{\it without} ionization according to
\begin{eqnarray}
P_{\rm D}(t)=\int_{R_{\rm D}}^{R_{\rm max}}f_1(R,t) dR\,.
\end{eqnarray}
Here, $f_1$ is obtained by integrating $|\Psi(\rho,z,R,t)|^{2}$ over
electronic coordinates inside a cylinder of radius $\rho_{0}=8$ a.u.
and height 2$\times z_I+R$ as sketched in figure \ref{fig3}.  The
integration area would split into two cylinders if $R>2z_I$.  The
splitting, however, is never reached in the present calculation due to
the smallness of our $R$-grid.  For $z>z_I+R/2$, the system is
considered to be ionized since the electron is sufficiently distant
 to each  of the nuclei.  The nuclear separation defining the
onset of dissociation into the H+H$^+$ channel is taken as $R_D=9.5$
a.u. and \cite{CZAB95}.  In this configuration, $f_1$ is explicitely
given  by

\begin{eqnarray}
f_1(R,t)=2\pi\int_{-(z_I+R/2)}^{(z_I+R/2)}dz\int_{0}^{\rho_{0}} d\rho\rho |\psi(R,z,\rho,t)|^2\nonumber
\end{eqnarray}

\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth]{njp_fig3.eps}
\caption{The region inside the thick solid lines indicates the support
of the non-ionized part of the total wavefunction. The vertical
dot-dashed line defines the onset of dissociation.}
\label{fig3}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

In our calculations, the electronic grid for $z$ contains 1024 points
and  extends from
$-50$~a.u. to $50$~a.u..
A quadratic imaginary potential has been
used to avoid unphysical reflections at the grid boundaries.  The
onset of ionization was defined to be at $z_I=32$ a.u..  The nuclear
grid consists of 256 points, extending from $R_{\rm min}=0.38$~a.u. to
$R_{\rm max}=24$~a.u. and 16 basis functions were used in the
Bessel-Fourier expansion for $\rho$.

\section{Numerical Results}

 Dissociation and ionization probabilities of $H_2^+$ as described in
 the previous section have been obtained for different parameters of
 the stochastic forcing.  Averaging over around 20 realizations of the
 noise was enough to converge the results for all the cases presented
 below.  The maximum propagation times for the wave function were
 always well below 500 fs around which which rotational motion of the
 molecule (not included in the present approach) would come into play.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth,clip]{njp_fig4.eps}
\caption{Ionization and dissociation probabilities
as a function of time for different average kick spacings., with $\langle \Delta t\rangle/T_e$ as indicated in
panels and for a constant kicking strength $\gamma=0.9$~a.u.}
\label{fig4}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

In figure \ref{fig4} we present  results for a fixed strength
 $\gamma=0.9$~a.u. of the noise.
The average spacing of the kicks was varied to cover the
switching of the dynamics from pure ionization
($\langle\Delta t\rangle/T_e\ll 1$, figure \ref{fig4}a)
to pure dissociation  ($\langle\Delta t\rangle/T_e\approx 1$, figure
\ref{fig4}c).
While  the ionization probability reaches unity the dissociation
probability  has a maximum of 25 $\%$ as can be seen in Figure \ref{fig4}c.

In Figure \ref{fig5} the spacing between the kicks is fixed at the
intermediate value of $\langle\Delta t\rangle/T_e=0.2$, where both,
dissociation and ionization, coexist for a certain amount of time.
From a) to c) we reduce the strength of the external forcing.
Reducing $\gamma$ reduces the ionization rate and correspondingly
shifts the peak in the dissociation without ionization to later times.
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth,clip]{njp_fig5.eps}
\vspace{0.5cm}
\caption{Ionization (black) and dissociation (red)
probabilities as a function of time for different
noise strength and for fixed spacing $\langle \Delta t\rangle/T_e=0.2$:
ionization (a) and dissociation (a'): $\gamma=0.9$~a.u.
ionization (b) and dissociation (b'): $\gamma=0.75$~a.u.
ionization (c) and dissociation (c'): $\gamma=0.5$~a.u.}
\label{fig5}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

   What are close to optimal parameters for dissociation without
   ionization for the stochastically driven hydrogen molecular ion?
   This question is answered in figure \ref{fig6}.  Here, at fixed
   final time of 100 fs, the probabilities as a function of the
   average kick intervals are displayed.  Beyond $\langle\Delta
   t\rangle/T_e\approx 1$ the ionization quickly goes to zero.
   However, also the dissociation approaches zero, as the system does
   not respond to rare kicks.  An intermediate value of $\langle
   \Delta t\rangle/T_e\approx 0.5$ turns out to maximize dissociation
   without fragmentation of the whole system.  The maximal probability
   is close to 30 $\%$ and therefore higher than any comparable value
   we have found in the literature.  We did many additional
   calculations for different final times, as well as for different
   field strengths and found results qualitatively similar to those
   presented in Figure \ref{fig6}.

   These results confirm the expectations from figure \ref{fig2} with
   the important difference, that for the real molecule, the onset of
   ionization limits the maximum dissociation which can be achieved.
   The actual value of the maximum, of course, can only be calculated
   as we have done (see figure \ref{fig6}).
\begin{figure}
\begin{center}
\includegraphics[width=0.6\columnwidth,clip]{njp_fig6.eps}
\caption{Ionization and dissociation probabilities as a function of
kick spacings at a given finite time for a kicking strength of
$\gamma=0.5$~a.u..}
\label{fig6}
\end{center}
\end{figure}

\section{Discussion and Conclusions}

Achieving efficient dissociation in small molecular systems without
ionization has been a
longstanding goal. Here, we have explored an alternative to the
standard tools, such as chirped laser pulses:
the application of stochastic driving in the form of white shot noise
with a characteristic internal timescale.

For the hydrogen molecular ion we have shown that dissociation and
ionization can be well separated by a suitable choice of the noise
parameters.  A major role being played by the internal timescale of the noise,
the average interval between  kicks.  At kicking intervals equal to
the electronic ground state period of the hydrogen atom the driven
system switches between being ionized to dissociating already for
moderate field strengths below one atomic unit.

Stochastic driving with the specified properties can be realized with
chaotic light, where a short laser pulse with sufficient band width
is shaped with random phases and amplitudes of each frequency
component \cite{kamal}.

\section*{Acknowledgment}
Fruitful discussions with Kamal P. Singh and Manfred Lein are
gratefully acknowledged. A. K. would like to acknowledge the
financial support by the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung as well as the
Max-Planck-Gesellschaft through a Reimar L\"ust grant (2005).

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaArXiv


On Monday HARDI filed comments in opposition to a Department of Energy (DOE) Direct Final Rule which would regionalize air conditioners and furnaces and increase efficiency standards for those products in certain regions. The Direct Final Rule came as the result of a negotiation between equipment manufacturers and energy efficiency advocates which excluded the input of HVAC distributors and contractors. HARDI asks the DOE to withdraw the direct final rule and precede with the traditional rulemaking (NOPR) process which would allow for more analysis and stakeholder input.
Indicated in previous comments to DOE, HARDI asserts that support will only be offered to the proposed rule if planned increases in efficiency standards are economically justifiable. With these new comments HARDI maintains that stance, stating that the proposed rule is economically unjustified with the nation's poor economic climate, an unprecedented drop in new home construction, a substantial decline in unitary sales of both air conditioners and furnaces since the last increase in national standards in 2006, and a reduction in consumer purchasing power.
While the "consensus agreement" between the manufacturers and efficiency advocates which provides the basis for this DOE rule may provide some level of certainty for what models manufacturers may produce for the next ten years, it adds significant uncertainty to how the rest of the industry will inventory, support, and sell these units.
HARDI's concerns about the unknown costs associated with compliance and enforcement of the proposed rule make it impossible for the DOE to fully assess its economic impact without first finalizing an enforcement plan. HARDI fears that the cost and responsibility associated with compliance and enforcement will not fall on the manufacturers who negotiated the agreement, but on the many small businesses in the HVAC distribution and contract installation industry. HARDI has asked the DOE withdraw the direct final rule and move the rule to a NOPR with a combined, or concurrent, enforcement rulemaking.


text:
Hakim Ouansafi is a volunteer Chairman for the Muslim Association of Hawaii. He is also a volunteer board member for the Hawaii chapter of the federal law enforcement foundation and is a civil service commissioner with the City & County of Honolulu.

Ouansafi is the executive director of the State of Hawaii Housing Authority.

See also

 Islam Day in Hawaii
 Islam in Hawaii

References

Moroccan emigrants to the United States

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Take it or leave it, every major brand will seemingly set a wager with a smart watch of its own. Sony is one of the pioneers in this area with its LiveView screen tags way back in 2010, then the slim and stylish SmartWatch, and now we are getting the second edition, dubbed simply SmartWatch 2.
Sony's understated design language is present on the SmartWatch 2, which is a thin, squarish, aluminum piece in black and chrome, or, alternatively, with a stainless steel silver face. The circular power key seems to serve double purpose – on one hand, it reminds of the wristwatches of yesteryear you had to wind, and on the other it bears the trademark OmniBalance design that's found with Xperia phones. If you get the "Active" version of the timekeeper, there will be a pair of silicon straps in the box, which you can have in many different hues, like yellow, pink, turquoise, purple, and black. Alternatively, you can have it with leather bands in black and beige - for you, suit types.
Sony SmartWatch 2 is not the lightest of them all, yet at 122.5 grams with the silicon straps, it still goes almost unnoticeable on the hand, though the feeling would be better with the leather straps. There are no tactile keys besides the power button, as navigation is done with capacitive back, home and menu keys. These are responsive, but you'll have to be careful which one you are pressing if you suffer from a case of fat digit-itis. There is a microUSB port with a protective flap on the left for charging the device as well.
The watch is IP57 certified for water resistance, so it is not scared of the rain or water splashes on its shiny surface. This is neat, because it allows you to keep your precious phone safely in the pocket while checking on a text message in moist conditions.
We don't know what's with Sony and skimping on screens lately, but the 1.6" 220x176 pixels LCD touchscreen on the SmartWatch 2 seems rather dull and low-res. Text looks jagged and colors seem washed out, but it's ОК for quick glances, as that's the most you can do with a watch screen anyway.
The screen is bright enough for decent outdoor visibility, but tilt your wrist even slightly, and brightness plus contrast start to diminish rapidly indicating poor viewing angles. On the bright side, snooping on your messages in the subway becomes harder.
Weeelll.... At least it got a better score than the galaxy Gear.
As someone who has owned used all 3 versions of SONY's 'smartwatch' and now owns the Samsung Galaxy Gear (along with a couple of others)... My SONY Smartwatch 2 has no where near the speed, polish, display quality or overall functionality/smoothness of operation of my Galaxy Gear and the fact that it's designed to be tightly integrated with Samsung Devices only ensures that it doesn't suffer from desperately attempting to be 'digitally friendly' with multitudes of (often under-powered) Android devices... That simply lack the ability to function well with the Galaxy Gear... and you can bet that if Apple ever makes a 'smartwatch', It Too will be limited to only Apple/iOS devices for the same reasons. As for those complaining about the price, US 200.00 for the SONY bought me but an easily scratched aluminum casing with a low-res display that's rather unpleasant to view under most situations, whereas the (US 299.00) Galaxy Gear features a case made of highly durable Stainless Steel with an actual Sapphire Crystal covering the display... and let's not forget that the Galaxy Gear also has a surprisingly capable camera and a rather excellent speaker phone and very useful voice control included as well. Comparatively: The SONY is clearly a Ford Fiesta to the Galaxy Gear's BMW 535i.
Lol! Not the Ford Fiesta!
The samsung fan has spoken.
Unfortunately, the Sony does the whole "watch" thing better, since it displays the time all the time without having to hit a button or jerk your wrist like you're having a spasm (which doesn't always work). To me, the Sony is the better watch, which is what I'm looking for. It also doesn't need to be charged nearly as often and doesn't have an awkward special charging unit. Oh, and I'd rather not be stuck with only Samsung devices just so my watch works, thanks.
I'm sorry i would chose the gear over this!
Sony Smartwatch is a joke. Pathetic screen, horrible interface - who ffs uses a phone UI on a watch? Over that you have on-screen buttons..LOL Someone must be drunk when the designed it. Apple/Samsung will eat this for breakfast. Exactly the reason why Gear will sell much more than all generations of Sony's combined.
Not a very good $200 device, but neither is Galaxy Gear a good $300 device. To spendy for a glorified notification center.
I love my gear. A good quality watch could easily cost 350 or more. Gear is a great device. I don't regret the price, worth it to me.
I find this better than the Galaxy Gear. But then again, I don't use Smart watches.
Well, I'm no iFan, but for sure Apple will be watching this space, as well as the feedback on both Galaxy Gear and Smartwatch2 and designing something that is actually useful.. Its a shame, but this is exactly what happens when products are rushed. Sometimes its not optimum to be the first with a product like this, although IMO, Sony should know better after 2 previous attempts - the SW2 should have been a cracker and it's clearly not.. Doh!
Am I the only one who feels that buying a smart watch is a stupid idea considering that the price for one are rediculous plus you could buy a much better cheaper watch for less who's battery would last you way longer.
watch companies is a News Portal Website, that belongs to TugaLogix Lda. and watch reviews is part of the PhoneRPT Communities. Both organizations are very well quoted internationally for their Mobile Phone, SmartPhone, wristwatch , Tablets and Gadgets Web Portals and Websites.


To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to encourage alternative energy investments and job creation.
New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an excise tax credit through 2027 for alternative fuels and fuel mixtures involving compressed or liquefied natural gas; (2) allow an income tax credit through 2027 for alternative fuel motor vehicles powered by compressed or liquefied natural gas; (3) modify the tax credit percentage for alternative fuel vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; (4) allow a new tax credit for the production of vehicles fueled by natural gas or liquefied natural gas; and (5) extend through 2027 the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures for refueling property relating to compressed or liquefied natural gas and allow an increased credit for such property. Requires 50% of all new vehicles purchased or placed in service by the U.S. government by December 31, 2014, to be capable of operating on compressed or liquefied natural gas. Authorizes the Secretary of Energy to make grants to manufacturers of light and heavy duty natural gas vehicles for the development of engines that reduce emissions, improve performance and efficiency, and lower cost.


text:
Home Hardware Dunnington Marks the End of an Era for Intel
Dunnington Marks the End of an Era for Intel
By Andy Patrizio | September 15, 2008
Today marks the end of the road for the Penryn technology line, and with it, the frontside bus (FSB) and external memory controller used by Intel processors. With the release of Dunnington, the six-core Xeon chip officially known as the Xeon 7400, Intel moves to the Nehalem architecture.
Services will not be held for the frontside bus, but no one will miss it, except perhaps AMD, which loses a marketing talking point.
Dunnington is designed for the multiprocessor (MP) market, meaning servers with four- to 16-processor sockets. These servers are very high end and usually used in massive processing jobs, such as heavy-duty databases or enterprise resource planning (ERP). However, they can also be used in virtualized environments as well.
Dunnington is pin-compatible with the older Tigerton (Xeon 7300) quad-core MP processors Intel released just a year ago and uses the existing Caneland chipsets, so it will be an upgrade option for owners of existing Tigerton-based servers. A BIOS upgrade will be necessary before making the chip swap.
The frontside bus has been a standard part of the Intel architecture because the memory controller was a separate chip to the CPU. So to access the memory, a CPU had to go out through the FSB to get at the contents of memory.
This is seen as a detriment because it slows down the computer due to the middleman, and in an era of multicore chips, having four cores going through one bus means an inevitable bottleneck.
AMD's Athlon and Phenom desktop processors and Opteron server processors have a memory controller on the CPU, so each CPU core talks straight to memory. AMD (NYSE: AMD) has made this a regular talking point in its marketing materials for years, and Intel has countered with the point that benchmarks show it to be as fast or even faster than Opteron chips anyway, so the FSB is a moot argument.
The Xeon 7400 offers 50 percent more performance while consuming 10 percent less power than the Xeon 7300 at the same clock frequency, according to Tom Kilroy, vice president and general manager of the Digital Enterprise Group at Intel (NASDAQ: INTC).
At the same time, he said the VT FlexMigration technology would offer protection for virtualized servers running the 7300, 7400 and future servers running Nehalem. It won't matter what processor is running, they will all be able to handle the loads.
"It's not just backward compatible in the core technology but forward looking. As Nehalem is introduced over time, there will be this forward compatibility. That's very important in this flexible, virtual market," Kilroy told a gathering of reporters here.
Intel talked about what it saw as "Virtualization 2.0," which covers areas such as high availability, failover and disaster recovery. "These are increasingly becoming more and more important and being considered by IT for the second generation of virtualization," Kilroy said. "It's not just investment protection but a guaranteed level of performance."
Keen for virtualization environments
After Kilroy's presentation, several technology firms gathered to discuss the use of virtualization in-house. Campbell Webb, Oracle's vice president of server technologies IT at the firm, has his work cut out for him. Oracle has done more than 40 acquisitions, and it's up to him to maintain all of the datacenters that come with each purchase, some of them sizable.
Oracle also has a pretty aggressive virtualization plan. It has 600 virtualized servers now and is on its way to 6,000 by next summer. The company is looking to save more than $1 million a year in power and cooling costs alone through virtualization.
To make matters more challenging, he won't get a new datacenter for another two years and still has to deal with an expanding workload within Oracle. But the hex-core 7400 will buy him some time. "We get a tremendous amount of processing capacity and workload with the new racks. We saw a 33 percent increase in throughput with the additional cores and cache," he told the audience.
For Richard Buckingham, vice president of technical operations at MySpace, virtualization of the servers hosting the millions of MySpace pages just isn't feasible. Those servers run at full utilization. But they do use virtualization in-house for developers. For him, the value in the Xeon 7400 is more power in the same power envelope, since it has the same power draw as the 7300 but more cores and cache. "Our racks are limited to 6 kilowatts per rack, which means more empty space in the rack than we'd like. By reducing server numbers while maintaining performance, that's an absolute direct savings in capital expenses right off the bat," he said.
Big systems coming
A number of vendors already have Xeon 7400 servers ready to go, starting with IBM (NYSE: IBM). It will officially introduce two new System x servers on Tuesday at the VMworld conference in Las Vegas, featuring the Xeon 7400, including what IBM claims is the first single server to surpass the 1 million transactions per minute barrier with the TPC-C benchmark.
The TPC-C benchmark, a measure of online transactions per minute, has been dominated by RISC processors, namely IBM's Power and Intel's Itanium, in massive systems or clusters. The highest-performing x86 server was an IBM x3950, with Intel's Xeon 7350 quad-core processors, at 841,000 transactions per minute.
Big Blue is introducing two servers, the System x3950 M2 and Systems x3850 M2. The x3950 M2 is designed for virtualization and can support high-efficiency power supplies and memory technology while still offering up to 37 percent lower overall power consumption.
The x3850 M2 is expandable from four sockets to 16, ideal for Dunnington since it is meant for multiprocessor systems of four or more. It's designed for high-end compute jobs such as ERP and databases on a single server.
They won't be cheap. The x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 will sell for a starting price of $10,389 and $13,389, respectively, when they ship later this month.
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) is also announcing a new Xeon 7400 server, the PowerEdge R900 rack-mounted four socket, 4U server, with up to 256GB of memory, an embedded Hypervisor and VMware's V-Motion, and support for Sun Microsystems' Solaris on x86.
Dell plans to make a major push to get older SPARC-based servers. The company says the Xeon 7400 systems with Solaris give 2.8x the performance gains and are 75 percent less expensive. "Dell's taking the RISK out of RISC migration" is the tagline of the promotion.
Also in the heavy iron market, Unisys (NYSE: UIS) plans to introduce a new ES7000 Model 7600R Enterprise Server line with Xeon 7400 processors. The 7600R is a 16-socket server designed for large database or transaction processing environments. Unisys claims it can run 64 SQL Server databases on a single four-socket, 6-core Xeon processor configuration with better performance than a commodity server farm of 64 single-socket, dual-core Xeon servers.
The ES7000 supports VMware ESX and Microsoft Hyper-V and has the reliability, availability and scalability (RAS) features for running multiple mission-critical servers on one system.
Unisys plans to introduce secure partitioning, which provides partitioning capabilities at the processor core level, in the first half of 2009. Prices for the ES7000 range from $26,430 to $135,000.
Updated to add comments from the launch event.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Carrie Underwood, Backstreet Boys + More Added to 2018 CMT Awards Performers
Sterling Whitaker Published: May 29, 2018
Ethan Miller / Jason Koerner, Getty Images
Carrie Underwood and the Backstreet Boys have been added to the impressive lineup of artists who will perform at the upcoming 2018 CMT Awards in June.
Dan + Shay, Florida Georgia Line, Jason Aldean and hosts Little Big Town have also joined the performance roster, and the show will feature two very special collaborations. Dierks Bentley will perform with Video of the Year nominees Brothers Osborne, while CMT Performance of the Year nominee Darius Rucker will be joined by Aldean, Luke Bryan and Lady Antebellum singer Charles Kelley for a very special performance. That roster joined Rucker for an all-star cover of the Drivin' N Cryin' classic "Straight to Hell" on his most recent album.
Chris Stapleton and Kelly Clarkson are among the previously announced performers for the 2018 CMT Awards, along with Sam Hunt, Blake Shelton, Kelsea Ballerini and Bryan. Little Big Town are slated to host the ceremony, which will air live on CMT from Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Wednesday, June 6 at 8PM ET/ PT.
Clarkson will debut her new version of the rock classic "American Woman," which serves as the theme song for the upcoming Paramount Network series of the same title, debuting the day after the 2018 CMT Awards on Thursday, June 7. That show was inspired by the real-life childhood of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Kyle Richards. The special performance will mark Clarkson's CMT Awards debut.
Underwood, Aldean and Florida Georgia Line lead the 2018 CMT Awards nominations with four each. Little Big Town, Stapleton, Lauren Alaina and Thomas Rhett are each nominated for three CMT Awards in 2018. Bebe Rexha, Shelton, Brothers Osborne, Carly Pearce, Dan + Shay, Danielle Bradbery, Justin Timberlake, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Ballerini, Lady Antebellum, Lanco, Ludacris and Maren Morris are each nominated twice in the 2018 CMT Awards.
The CMT Awards are decided entirely by fan voting, and fans are welcome to vote on their favorites at CMT.com from now until 12:01am ET on Monday, June 4. The top five Video of the Year nominees will be announced the morning of the awards show, and fans will continue to vote all day and during the show on Twitter before the biggest award of the night is revealed at the end of the show.
2018 CMT Music Awards Performers
Carly Pearce (spotlight performance)
Darius Rucker with Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan and Charles Kelley
Devin Dawson (spotlight performance)
Dierks Bentley with Brothers Osborne
Lanco (spotlight performance)
Lindsay Ell (spotlight performance)
Russell Dickerson (spotlight performance)
Sam Hunt
Walker Hayes (spotlight performance)
The Most Anticipated Albums of 2018
NEXT: See All of the 2018 CMT Awards Nominees
Source: Carrie Underwood, Backstreet Boys + More Added to 2018 CMT Awards Performers
Filed Under: Chris Stapleton
George Strait Announces Six Stadium Concerts for 2023
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Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton, Ronnie Dunn and More Sign on for Fifth-Annual Heal the Music Day
2022 ACM Honors Will Bring All-Star Lineup to Fox
How Chris Stapleton's 'Broken Halos' Became a Salve for the Grief-Stricken
Chris Stapleton Heads to Eastern Kentucky to Help With Flood Relief Efforts
Chris Stapleton Reschedules Shows After Testing Positive for COVID-19
Chris Stapleton Country Music Hall of Fame Exhibit to Open in July


Ok, so this post feels a bit odd for me, a bit too confessional, but I'm gonna go all counter-intuitive and post anyway. I figure that if it's of no interest, you'll just skip it.
A couple of months ago I fainted. On what was, I guess, a date. A first date at that. Luckily it didn't affect my getting a second date, but it's a far from ideal way to get to know someone.
Shortly after that, my acupuncturist told me that he thought I might have hypoglycemia. Being a hypochondriaphobic (yes, I made that word up – means someone who's scared of being a hypochondriac) who doesn't like doctors, I tried pretty much ignored it on the assumption that it would go away.
Well, I almost ignored it. I started looking it up online, and discovered that quite a few medical types don't seem to believe in hypoglycemia if you're not a diabetic too (I'm not), and that it can be hard to clinically diagnose. I dismissed it again.
It has, however, become harder and harder to ignore. Obviously when I'm at home, sitting quietly in front of my computer and eating regularly, it's not that much of a problem. But the last six weeks or so I've been up to London a lot, and frequently my eating pattern would get badly disrupted and I'd get that telltale woozy feeling again.
I hate going to the doctors, though, and I was tempted to just pretend it wasn't happening, but two conversations persuaded me not to: One with a friend who is also hypoglycemic and who has identical symptoms to me, and another with a friend who's diabetic and kindly gave me chapter and verse on blood glucose levels and what they do to you. Suddenly, I had a checklist as long as your arm of relevant symptoms, and a far better understanding of what happens to me when my blood sugar levels go all haywire.
I don't much like self-diagnosis. Give some people Gray's Anatomy and they'll have killed themselves off within seconds. That's the problem with online health websites too – it's like hypochondriac's nirvana. I suppose that's why I feel a bit odd about this post. Too much self-diagnosis.
But I am biting the bullet and Monday morning at 9.50am I shall be off to the quack and will see what he says. I suppose it could all be something else, but I seriously doubt it – the weight of evidence is stacked pretty high. To be honest, I shall be glad if he agrees with me because it will be a relatively simple (if not easy) job to alter my diet to sort out the problem. I have already started eating six small meals a day instead of the usual three. I'll let you know how it all goes.
Anyway, apologies to the people whose ears I have bent about this subject over recent weeks. I tend to use conversations (not to mention this blog) to work out how I feel about something, which is all well and good for me, but can get tedious for other people. And to anyone who's had to deal with my early-morning woozily incoherent self, thank you for your patience.
Meantime, if anyone has any useful links, please do leave them in the comments.
good, go to the doctor, it is the wise thing to do.
From experience with mild hypoglycemia (both my wife and I), I don't know what you'll be able to find out on your visit. Eating at proper times seems to be the best bet.
As it happens, I've long since been in the habit of carrying 'emergency food' around with me. Hadn't realised why I did that, other than that sometimes I felt weak and faint, and I knew eating would help.
I'm not expecting huge amount from the quack. A simple confirmation will do me for the moment. I have long since lost my faith in the medical profession so I don't expect any actual help.
Second day of the six meal thing, and it's harder than I expected. I keep forgetting to eat, or not eating enough, and seem to be permanently hungry. Ah, I'll get used to it in due course, no doubt.
I can relate I have had a minor tremors since my late teens and really need to have it checked out. I have done the background research and fairly sure I know what it is (and that it's mostly harmless), but I need to have it checked professionally.
Get it checked out! Hell, if I can haul my arse to the quack's, so can you. 😉 Let me know how it goes, though.
My mom had to live with this (still does actually), and its not that she eats six times a day, but rather has little cans of juice and small snacks stuck around everywhere (back porch, in the car, etc.) Lots of small meals are actually supposed to be healthier than a few large ones anyways.
Good luck in keeping it under control.
Hypoglycemic Nutrition Rx™ is a supplement specifically formulated by Progressive Research Labs for hypoglycemics. You can read more about it at http://www.prlab.com/home.htm or call (800) 877-0966. Also, they have other products such as Diabetic Meal Rx. I was informed that Diabetic Meal Rx is also a good product for hypoglycemics.


text:
//
//  TTResourceDelegate.h
//  TTResource
//
//  Created by Justin Searls on 10/27/09.
//  Copyright 2009 Justin Searls. All rights reserved.
//

#import <Three20/Three20.h>

@protocol TTResourceDelegate

@optional

/* This delegate will be invoked to return the results of either of these NSObject+TTResource
    category class methods:

 + (TTURLRequest *)findAllRemote;
 + (TTURLRequest *)findRemote:(NSString *)elementId;

 And no, TTResource does nothing to differentiate which one initiated the request here
 (it doesn't keep track of it). However, if the model class really wanted to keep
 track of its "findAllRemote" results separately from any "findRemote:elementId"
 results, it could retain and key off the TTURLRequests.
 */
+ (void)foundObjects:(NSArray*)objects forRequest:(TTURLRequest*)request;

/* This delegate will be invoked to return the results of either of these NSObject+TTResource
 category instance methods:

 - (TTURLRequest *)createRemote;
 - (TTURLRequest *)createRemoteWithParameters:(NSDictionary *)parameters;
 - (TTURLRequest *)createRemoteAtPath:(NSString *)path;

 */
- (void)createdObject:(id)object forRequest:(TTURLRequest*)request;

/* This delegate will be invoked to return the results of either of these NSObject+TTResource
 category instance methods:

 - (TTURLRequest *)updateRemote;
 - (TTURLRequest *)updateRemoteAtPath:(NSString *)path;

 and maybe even:
 - (TTURLRequest *)saveRemote;

 */
- (void)updatedObject:(id)object forRequest:(TTURLRequest*)request;

/* This delegate will be invoked to return the results of either of these NSObject+TTResource
 category instance methods:

 - (TTURLRequest *)destroyRemote;
 - (TTURLRequest *)destroyRemoteAtPath:(NSString *)path;

 */
- (void)destroyedObject:(id)object forRequest:(TTURLRequest*)request;

/* Returns the error for any request that failed
 xxtodo return the object/objects and/or request type?
 */
- (void)requestFailed:(TTURLRequest*)request withError:(NSError*)error;

@end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Take a Walk on Mars
A walk on Mars may not be too far in the future with a visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Destination: Mars, a new, limited-time attraction, makes it possible for visitors to "walk on Mars."
Destination: Mars uses real imagery from NASA Mars rover Curiosity, brought to life by Microsoft HoloLens, the world's first self-contained holographic computer running Windows 10. The experience will be located in a pop-up theater, and available through January 1, 2017.
Guided by a holographic Buzz Aldrin, guests have the opportunity to "visit" several sites on Mars. Erisa Hines, rover Curiosity driver, also appears and leads visitors to sites where scientists have made exciting discoveries.
Destination: Mars is included with daily admission to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, but visitors must make a reservation on the day of their visit. The experience operates from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily, with limited availability on a first-come, first-served basis. No advanced reservations are accepted.
Visit www.kennedyspacecenter.com for more information on the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex and the new Destination: Mars experience.
Written by Cassie Westrate, staff writer for Groups Today.
Photo courtesy of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. A holographic Buzz Aldrin guides guests to Mars in Mixed reality using Microsoft HoloLens.
Destination: Mars
Erisa Hines
Coming to Fort Worth: The 2023 USA Fencing March North American Cup
Fall Foliage Destinations Not to Miss
Colorful Public Art Awaits


text:
Roth IRA conversions: Opportunity or trap?
Large IRA accounts pose both income and estate-planning challenges.
While it's a nice problem to have, large IRA accounts pose both income and estate-planning challenges. Among other issues, IRAs pass directly to named beneficiaries, so a standard will or trust won't work with IRA assets, which demands extra planning. And, importantly, taxes due upon withdrawal (in the case of a traditional IRA) pass on to the beneficiary, too.
Roth IRAs require special attention. The primary attraction of a Roth IRA is the absence of future income taxes. Account holders contribute after-tax money, which grows tax-free until withdrawal. And while there is a 5-year wait before withdrawing, there are no Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) in retirement.
Changes in the federal tax code in recent years have made it easier to convert traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs. Under this scenario, the owner of a traditional IRA could turn it into a Roth by making a 1-time payment of income taxes. But before this year, there were stringent rules that prohibited most families with adjusted gross incomes of more than $100,000 from converting.
CONVERSION RULES WAIVED
Those rules were waived for 2010, enabling many more people to convert. There's even a provision allowing the tax to be paid over the following 2 years. Is this an extraordinary 1-time window of opportunity or an attractive trap? That's the question we want to address here.
Overall, converting is a step to consider if you:
But the decision can get a lot more complicated than just answering these questions. It is also an income and estate tax problem, so it is necessarily an individual and/or family. Some families have more money. Even among people making similar salaries, there are multiple factors to consider. How much wealth have you accumulated? How old are you, and how long will you likely live? What about your spouse or parents? Do you have other sources of income? Will any of those sources continue after you die, such as book royalties or rental income?
What about your heirs? How much do they earn? What is their current tax bracket, and what is it likely to be after you're gone?
Another factor to consider is that often there are substantial income taxes due upon conversion. So the decision to convert a million-dollar traditional IRA is accompanied by a sizable check (or checks) to Uncle Sam. To keep this discussion simple, let's assume a 35% marginal tax bracket, and total taxes due of $350,000. Ouch. How's that for a painful mix of money and emotion?
Most people who convert want to keep the full portfolio growing tax-free. To do so, they need to pay taxes from another source, so as to allow the full million to be rolled into the Roth IRA. Where will that money come from? Will productive assets need to be liquidated? What is the opportunity cost of that liquidation?
Finally, any decision to convert is based on certain assumptions. I've heard most of them and they are worth considering: Income taxes are lower today than they will be in the future. Conversion will reduce the size of my taxable estate. Heirs will be spared from paying huge taxes on IRA assets inherited by them. As mentioned earlier, those are all important factors.


The scholarship will benefit students in mining engineering.
An organization that brings awareness to the nation's coal miners has endowed a scholarship at West Virginia University to help educate the next generation of mining engineers.
Remember the Miners, LLC, has pledged $50,000 to WVU's Department of Mining Engineering. The funds will be used to provide scholarships for undergraduate students majoring in the discipline. First preference will be given to students from West Virginia.
The organization was created by WVU Head Men's Basketball Coach Bob Huggins after the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster in 2010. It provides support to miners, mining communities, dependents of miners, those in mining families and those pursuing higher education or additional job skills in the mining industry. This is the first award the organization has made to the Department. Huggins will announce the award on February 3 at the Fifth Annual Bob Huggins Fish Fry.
This gift was made in conjunction with A State of Minds: The Campaign for West Virginia's University. Conducted by the WVU Foundation, the fundraising effort will run through December 2017.


I have stayed here twice so far when working in the area and will do so again. Good size rooms, clean, and fantastic cooked breakfast in the morning, freshly made just the way you like it.
'Heather Gables' is ideally situated to take full advantage of both motorway, air, rail and 'sea' travel and has very easy access to countryside walks and exploration.
The Hamble River, a world renowned excellence of sailing, is one mile away and has on its banks many marina's complete with restaurants and pubs.
There is an abundance of restaurants and pubs within a few miles from 'Heather Gables'. A list is available from the proprietor. Hamble Country Park is situated at the back of 'Heather Gables' and is a delightful walk from the house.
With easy access to the motorway system the New Forest, Ringwood and Bournemouth to the west are all less than an hour away. To the north is Blandford, Salisbury and Winchester and to the east Fareham, Gosport, Portsmouth and Chichester.
Please contact us with any questions you may have. Please be aware our accommodation is limited for disabled guests and we do not permit any pets or animals.
CONTACT US TODAY To book your room and enjoy an award-winning experience at Heather Gables.
Heather Gables, Dodwell Lane, Bursledon, Southampton, Hampshire SO31 1DJ T. 02380 404 925 M. 07900 63 83 40 E. heather.gables@talktalk.net All content © Copyright Heather Gables Guest House 2015. Web Design by Footprint.


For Your Entertainment captures Lambert's flair for the bombastic, a trait that made him a fan favorite. Lambert's debut unspools like a big-budget blockbuster with a synth-heavy rock/pop soundtrack. Buffered with superstar cameos from P!nk, Lady GaGa, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Matthew Bellamy of Muse, and Justin Hawkins of the Darkness, Lambert emerges from the shadows and into the blinding center-stage lights.


text:
A Message from your President: We are Not Alone
By Warren Brill
September 2013 Volume XLIX Number 5
It was eloquently pointed out by immediate past-president Joel Berg that not only are world political and cultural affairs global in scope, but, so too oral health care for children. And as we remember, he constituted a task force headed by Dr. Amr Moursi to develop bases for our relations with international pediatric dentists and their constituent societies. These activities are not entirely new to the Academy. We have maintained membership and participate with several international organizations; the International Association of Pediatric Dentistry (IAPD) and the International Association for Dental Research (IADR) are the two most prominent.
Recently the IADR recognized the importance of children's oral health and the science needed to develop standards by forming a section called the Pediatric Oral Health Research Scientific Group. This is the first time the IADR singled out children's oral health as a specifically designated area of interest. It is to the credit of the AAPD that many of our members have been named to the group. The chair is Dr. Indru Punwani, retired chairman of the department of pediatric dentistry at the University of Illiinois. Also appointed are AAPD members Drs. Tegwyn Brickhouse, Yasmi Crystal, Anne O'Connell, Donald Chi, Francisco Ramos-Gomez and Kimon Davis. AAPD Educational Affairs Manager Scott Dalhouse, along with Dr. RamosGomez, serve as secretaries of the Group. AAPD members have been active within the IADR and the American Association of Dental Research (AADR) for many years, but now there is international recognition of the AAPD's and its members' expertise and distinction of being the recognized authority on children's oral health in the United States. This past June I had the honor of representing the AAPD at the biennial meeting of the IAPD held in Seoul, South Korea. This responsibility also carried with it a vote in the IAPD governance meeting.
There were pediatric dentists representing over 60 voting constituencies and another 10 as observers or representatives of countries that have petitioned for membership. And while we have one vote among many, our voice will be stronger over the next four years as Dr. Yasmi Crystal was elected to a term on the IAPD board of directors. This is in addition to Dr. Milton Houpt, who is honorary editor and sits on the IAPD board. It was eye-opening to see the breadth of knowledge and expertise around the table. We are sometimes myopic when it comes to our profession. We know that the level of pediatric oral health care and research in America is outstanding and sometimes fallaciously assume that no other country can match us. This is not the case. The presentations I attended and the pediatric dentists, both clinical and academic whom I met were of the highest level. It re-worded the theme of my editorial in Pediatric Dentistry from "by your students you'll be taught" to "by your colleagues all over the world, you'll be taught". Referring back to my introductory remarks about the task force headed by Amr Moursi: Amr was also in Seoul and led a meeting with over 30 national and international pediatric societies in attendance. Many topics were discussed and it became clear that there were many interactions possible that will benefit the practice of pediatric dentistry here and world-wide. In addition, invitations were tendered for representatives of the AAPD to visit with several of the international organizations. One invitation that will see fruit next year is when then AAPD president Dr. Ed Moody Jr. attends the European Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (EAPD) meeting in Sopot, Poland, as our official representative. Both Joel Berg and I had discussions with EAPD President Dr. Monty Duggal about their Congress in 2014 and we expect many AAPD members to attend. This will enable not only AAPD leadership, but also private clinical and academic American pediatric dentists, to see how the rest of the world works with children.
This is not new to the AAPD, as in 2010 the AAPD held a joint meeting in Edinburgh, Scotland, with the Royal College of Surgeons. At this meeting, which was attended by about 100 AAPD members and 100 pediatric dentists from the United Kingdom, we saw contrasting approaches to similar problems. While we may not have agreed with our British and Scottish colleagues on every approach, we all agreed that we benefitted by seeing how others practice. Myopia, when seen in opthalmalogic practice, needs correction; myopia in pediatric dentistry also may need adjustment. Continued close interactions with our foreign colleagues will not only make us stronger, it will help us deliver even higher quality care to our children.


text:
IETA Information
Posted On 8 Jan 2016
Keynote: Joe Sanfelippo
Dr. Joe Sanfelippo is the Superintendent of the Fall Creek School District in Fall Creek, WI. The Fall Creek School District was named an Innovative District in 2016 and 2017 by the International Center for Leadership in Education. Joe holds a BA in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from St. Norbert College, a MS in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a MS in Educational Leadership, and a PhD in Leadership, Learning, and Service from Cardinal Stritch University.
Joe is also an adjunct professor in the Educational Leadership Department at Viterbo University. Joe has taught Kindergarten, 2nd Grade, and 5th Grade. He was also a school counselor and high school coach prior to taking on an elementary principal position in 2005. He has served as a principal in suburban and rural Wisconsin.
Joe started the #1minwalk2work Leadership Challenge and co-authored The Power of Branding-Telling Your School's Story, Principal Professional Development: Leading Learning in a Digital Age and Hacking Leadership: 10 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Learning That Teachers, Students and Parents Love.
He was selected as 1 of 117 Future Ready Superintendents in 2014 and 1 of 50 Superintendents as a Personalized Learning Leader in 2016 by the US Department of Education. He attended summits at the White House for both distinctions. Joe was named 1 of 5 K-12 administrators to watch in 2018 by Education Dive. He has been a featured speaker in multiple states in the areas of Advancing the Use of Social Media for School Leaders, Telling Your School Story, Creating a Culture of Yes, and Personalized Professional Growth for Staff.
Connect with him @Joe_Sanfelippo and at his website.
Keynote: Tara Martin
Tara Martin is an enthusiastic educator, national speaker, and author who thrives on change and refuses to settle for the status quo. She has served as a classroom teacher, an instructional coach for several years, and most recently, a district administrator.
As the founder of #BookSnaps, the latest reading comprehension strategy currently implemented in seventeen countries, she is always seeking unique ways to make learning fun, relevant, and meaningful.
Tara is the author of the inspirational book, Be REAL: Educate from the Heart and Cannonball In, a motivating children's book illustrated by Genesis Kohler. Tara firmly believes machines and artificial intelligence will never replicate an individual's REAL identity–the unique strengths, talents, and life experiences of every human. Tara's passion for education and love of writing led her to a new role where she coaches and serves educational authors as the Director of Public Relations and Communication for DBC, Inc.
Tara's ambition is to lead a culture of innovative change, keep social-emotional learning at the heart of our work, and encourage others to Cannonball In and fulfill their true potential!
Connect with her @TaraMartinEDU and at her website.
View the full schedule


PLUS, voting is now open for Eclipse Community Awards and GlassFish 3.1 RC 1 is released.
The Apache Camel team have released version 2.6.0 of their open source integration framework. In this release, the camel-blueprint component has been enhanced with new features, and Data Format now supports Service and CamelContextAware callbacks in an effort to simplify performing custom initialisation logic. Approximately 297 issues have been resolved in this release. More information is available at the New and Noteworthy.
JBoss Developer Studio 4 CR1 is now available on the Early Access site. This release candidate features a new directory layout, where everything related to JBoss Developer Studio is now in the studio folder. The latest stable fixes and features from JBoss Tools 3.2 are also included. Users are required to sign up for the early access program, in order to access JBoss Developer Studio 4 CR1.
The Apache PhotArk team have released Apache PhotArk M3-incubating. This project is targeting providing a complete open source photo gallery application, including upload functionality, an access control layer, a display piece and a content repository for the images. Currently, the project allows users to define and manage a set of albums hosted local into the content repository, provides a default web UI and supports deploying a photo gallery into Google AppEngine. It can be downloaded from the Apache PhotArk website.
Version 1.1.28 of the Eclipse collaborative text editing 'Saros' plugin has arrived with a new distributed whiteboard. Currently, the whiteboard gives users access to copy/paste, zoom and undo functionality, and multiple users within a Saros session can collaborate remotely on the drawing.
jQuery 1.5 is out now! For this release, the Ajax module has been completely rewritten, with a focus on making the Ajax system more extensible and changing a call to jQuery.ajax so that it returns a jXHR object that provides consistency to the XMLHttpRequest object across platforms. There is also a new Deferred Objects API that allows users to work with return values which may not be immediately present, and allows users to attach multiple event handlers. jQuery 1.5 exposes a new way to create, modify and clone jQuery, and the internal build system has also undergone a revamp. Please see the announcement for full information.
Apache Whirr 0.3.0-incubating has been released from the Apache Incubator. Whirr is a set of libraries for running cloud services, for example Apache Hadoop and Cassandra, and provides a "cloud-neutral" way to run such services. This release adds HBase service and composable services, and sets AWS credentials in the local site file for Hadoop S3 access. There is also a list of bug fixes. Please see the Release Notes for more information.
Nominations for the Eclipse Community Awards are now open! The community can now vote for their Top Committer, Top Contributer, Top Newcomer Evangelist, Most Open Project, and Most Innovative New Feature or Eclipse Project. Voting closes on February 25, 2011 at 5:00pm EST, and the winner will be announced on March 21st, 2011 at EclipseCon.
Version 1.5.0 of the Asynchronous Http Client (AHC) library is out now. This release comes with a new SimpleAsyncHttpClient Fluid API, which is an implementation on top of the AsyncHttpClient and its builders class like AsyncHttpClientConfigBuilder and RealmBuilder. 100-Continue support has also been added, alongside resumable download support with both AsyncHttpClient and SimpleAsyncHttpClient.
CloudBees have announced the GA of their integrated cloud platform. This release is based on Tomcat, although according to the announcement it is also possible to run languages and frameworks such as JRuby, Play, Scala, LiftWeb and PHP. Moving forward, new features and services are expected every 2-3 weeks.
The first release candidate of GlassFish 3.1 has been released. This release integrates Jersey 1.5, Mojarra 2.1.0 Release Candidate 2, EclipseLink 2.2.0 RC3, and Weld 1.1.0 final. The upcoming GlassFish 3.1 is slated to address "the vast majority of Weld or CDI-related issues," including portability issues with CDI extensions.


text:
This document describes release tasks used during the project life-cycle.
We might want to automate some of them in a near future (e.g via Travis).
For now, let's use this document to make sure everyone is on the same page.

## Release a new version

``` Bash
git checkout master
npm test
npm run build
git add . && git commit -m "Bundle release [release version number]"
npm version <major|minor|patch> # depending on the changes
npm publish
git push --tags origin master
```


text:
Staff Reviews: superheroes
Check out these reviews written by the staff of the Marathon County Public Library! (For reviews in all genres, visit our main Staff Reviews webpage.) Staff book reviews are also published at Goodreads.com; follow us for the latest updates.
"Strong Female Protagonist" by Brennan Lee Mulligan, Molly Ostertag
★★★★★ I don't always cry while reading books. Mostly my sniffles are reserved for a good romance, but the graphic novel "Strong Female Protagonist" got me sniffling. "Strong Female Protagonist" tells the story of Alison Green, AKA Mega Girl, a former superhero turned college student. After Alison is confronted by the damaging results of her...
Audience: teens | Genre: fiction, graphic novel, superheroes
"Injustice: Gods Among Us #1" by Tom Taylor, Jheremy Raapack, Mike S. Miller, Tom Derenick, David Yardin
★★★★ "Injustice: Gods Among Us Volume 1" is the first in a mulitvolume exploration of the five years before the video game of the same name. In this opening volume, the Joker sets off an atomic bomb that destroys Metropolis and at the same time tricks Superman into killing the pregnant Lois Lane. After killing the Joker during Batman's interrogation, Superman...
Audience: adults | Genre: fiction, graphic novel, superheroes
"Batman: Earth One, Volume 1" by Geoff Johns, Gary Frank, Jon Sibal, Brad Anderson, Rob Leigh
★★★★★ "Batman: Earth One" goes back the beginning of the Batman saga, revisiting and recasting the murder of Bruce Wayne's parents and his eventual development into Batman. While the story remains basically unchanged, the brilliance here is in the details. Writer, Geoff Johns, creates a Gotham riddled with crime and hamstrung by political corruption on all levels...
Audience: adults, teens | Genre: fiction, graphic novel, superheroes, action adventure
"The Secret History of Wonder Woman" by Jill Lepore
★★★★★ Comic book geeks and history buffs alike will enjoy this fascinating story about the creator of Wonder Woman. William Moulton Marston invented the blood pressure-measuring lie detector test, and had a colorful academic career before he created the beloved comic book character. Inspired by the women's suffrage movement, and his own belief that women would...
Audience: adults | Genre: nonfiction, biography, superheroes


text:
View source for Conception of the Theotokos
← Conception of the Theotokos
The '''Conception of the [[Theotokos]]''' by Saint [[Anna]] is commemorated by the Orthodox Church on [[December 9]]. St Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary, was the youngest daughter of the priest Nathan from Bethlehem, descended from the tribe of Levi. She married St [[Joachim and Anna|Joachim]], who was a native of Galilee. For a long time St Anna was childless, but after twenty years, through the fervent prayer of both spouses, an [[angel]] of the Lord announced to them that they would be the parents of a daughter, who would bring blessings to the whole human race. The Orthodox Church does not accept the teaching of the [[Immaculate Conception]], but has also always believed that the Virgin Mary was, from her conception, filled with every Grace of the Holy Spirit in view of her calling as the Mother of Christ our God. The Church also celebrates other [[saint]]s who were sanctified in the womb of their mothers. St [[John the Baptist]] is one example, and St [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas the Wonderworker]] is another. The feast is not a perfect nine months before the feast of the [[Nativity of the Theotokos]] ( [[September 8]]) as it is in the West, but a day later. ==Hymns== [[Troparion]] (Tone 4) :Today the bonds of barrenness are broken, :God has heard the prayers of Joachim and Anna. :He has promised them beyond all their hopes, :To bear the Maiden of God :By whom the Uncircumscribed One was born as mortal man, :Who commanded an angel to cry to Her: :Rejoice, O Full of Grace, the Lord is with You! [[Kontakion]] (Tone 4) :Today the universe rejoices, :For Anna has conceived the Theotokos through God's dispensation, :For she has brought forth the One who is to bear the Ineffable Word! ==Sources and External links== *[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103506 Conception of the Theotokos] (OCA.org) ==See also== * [Immaculate Conception] [[Category:Feasts]]
Return to Conception of the Theotokos.
Retrieved from "https://orthodoxwiki.org/Conception_of_the_Theotokos"


June 14 will mark twenty years since the death of Jorge Luis Borges. In honor of his writings, I'm starting a new blog series called "30 Days with Borges" that will examine various aspects of his works, life, and his impact on literature and culture.
To get started, you may want to gather some reading material. If you read Spanish, then obviously try to read him in the original. But if not, there are very good translations available. Most times, I will refer to both the Spanish and English text in these postings.
There are many biographies and remembrances of Borges. I know that more in the process of being published in preparation for the 20th anniversary of his death and I'm sure that the 25th (in 2011) will see an ever larger number of books come out about Borges, just as was with the 100th anniversary of his birth in 1999.
I recommend the biography by Edwin Williamson.


text:
Previous Scientists absorbed by deep-sea sponges
Next How global warming is changing when Europe's rain arrives
How will the new intelligent breed of ROVs benefit us?
Euronews, July 18, 2017
Filmed in Marseille, France; Brussels, Belgium
Edited by Bill Smith
This edition of Futuris looks at the new, more intelligent breed of remote-operated vehicles (ROVs) and how they will benefit us.
If an undersea mission is too deep or risky for human divers, researchers can send down an ROV, as we discover in the French city of Marseille.
At the time of our visit, the Janus research vessel was about to leave Marseilles port for a day at sea. It carries a piece of technology often used to observe or manipulate items on the sea floor: a pressure-resistant robotic platform tethered to the ship by a very long cable.
"Humans can't go beyond a certain depth," explained Peter Weiss, robotics and automation engineer, Comex.
"If we want to go below 700 metres then we need a robot. That's when we use the so called ROVs — to perform these kind of deep-sea operations."
It is extremely rare that divers go deeper than 100 meters deep (which is already very demanding). With particular equipment (atmospheric diving suit) it is possible to go up to 700m deep, but their use is still very experimental, and remains the exception rather than a daily routine.
Departure to the sea
This vessel's ROV has two cameras which, just like human eyes, provide stereoscopic vision, and with advanced 'arms' — the manipulators have three 'fingers', so more dexterous than typical two-fingered ROVs.
"There is some room for progress in terms of dexterity when manipulating objects," explained Jeremi Gancet," DexROV project coordinator and technologies, applications & research division manager at Space Applications Services.
"We are also working on controlling this kind of robotic platform via satellite link from a control centre that can be placed anywhere in the world."
Until then, all ROVs need to be controlled from the ship. Moving the control onto land would be safer and more cost-effective, as smaller vessels could be used.
For the test, a ship in the Mediterranean Sea is linked via a satellite to the control centre in Belgium.
Some 1,000 km away, the operators work in a virtual reality simulation. Their commands are relayed back to the ROV. There is a communication delay. So the ROV has to be autonomous enough to operate safely with no real-time control. It also needs intelligence to interpret what's happening in the virtual world, and to act accordingly in the sea.
"We have separated what the robot does from what the control centre does," Javier Martínez González, Researcher in virtual reality, Space Applications Services, told Euronews.
"Here the work will be conducted continuously, in real time. The intelligent software will be observing what we're doing at the control centre and will be sending this information to the robot which will be carrying out the tasks automatically, by itself, without our continuous guidance."
To make robotic arms more dexterous, engineers in this European research project are using an exoskeleton system. It provides the operator with force feedback, allowing to feel the weight and resistance of the objects manipulated in virtual reality.
"We'll control this 3D character in virtual reality," said Pierre Letier, Robotics engineer, Space Applications Services.
"He'll perform a task, and his movements will be taken apart to be reassembled by the remote robot, which allows to operate with long delays."
This technology can help to control autonomous vehicles safely and accurately — not just in depths of the ocean, but also on land, or wherever robotic dexterity could be used.
"You can imagine this same kind of technology used on a mobile platform on the ground, with manipulator arms," said Jeremi Gancet.
"This kind of technology could be useful in dangerous situations such as Fukushima where there's still the need for operations on the ground."
The researchers are testing components of their advanced ROV system, heading to a advanced trial 1,300 meters deep in the Mediterranean Sea.
Belgium France robotics VR


ESPA Innovation Awards reflects the ESPA aim to stimulate Innovation and Excellence.
health resorts management, operations or marketing.
or ideas that are readily available to the market.
effect cost savings, achieve environmental goals, improve market position.
All completed submissions will be supplied to the Jury for rating according to the evaluation criteria and making recommendations for the award.
In order to apply for the ESPA Innovation Awards, the candidates must submit the completed Application Form to the ESPA Secretariat Office no later than 30 April 2019.
Innovation1 is a new idea, device or process. Innovation can be viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, unarticulated needs, or existing market needs. This is accomplished through more effective products, processes, services, technologies, or ideas that are readily available to markets, governments and society. The term innovation can be defined as something original and, as a consequence, new, that "breaks into" the market or society.
Domburg welcomes the 6th edition of the ESPA Innovation Awards Gala.
Award Winner's certificate (Finalists will receive the Award Finalist's certificate).
Award Winner's logo/seal image for use on stationery, websites and other marketing materials and channels.
Award publicity and promotion to a wide variety of Spa, Travel and Tourism press and media partners.
Sponsoring the ESPA Innovation Awards offers your company or brand prestige and exposure to the industry leaders and key decision makers.
ESPA is welcoming Media Partners willing to cooperate in advertising and promoting the ESPA Innovation Awards 2019 using their various channels.
The Media Partnership Offer is reserved for media publications or e-media which are willing and able to get substantially involved in the promotion of the EIA 2019 through different channels.


Ring Binders offer great protection for documents and paperwork, and have a sturdy, protective shell. In our range, you can choose from many durable designs from reputable brands such as Avery, Exacompta and Elba. Whether you need binders for the home, office or for studies, there's sure to be a design to meet your needs, ensuring you stay organised and are always ready for meetings, presentations, filing and archiving. Choose ring binders to suit your budget, with economy designs and luxury, heavy-duty varieties for challenging projects. You also have the choice of two, three or four D-rings inside binders, offering a secure hold on your paperwork. Your choice may be influenced by the type of hole punch you own.
Some ring binders have special features, comprising internal and external pockets to hold items such as business cards, CDs and loose papers. You'll find designs that are compatible with indices and dividers, preventing index tabs from being hidden, so you can easily use the binder to your best advantage. Clear pockets along spines allow you to label your folder to ensure you never lose track of the contents of your file. Choose different coloured designs so you can organise your files according to their colour, and group different projects together. You'll find ring binders in many inspiring colours, including reds, greens and blues. Alternatively, choose traditional black or white varieties for a classic look. Order ring binders here by choosing the products that best suit your purposes. You can buy in bulk or choose individual items here today.


text:
Q: How do I make a QPushButton play a sound at the same time as it adds a text to my QLineEdit? I'm running PyQt6. I have a QMainWindow with one QPushButton and QLineEdit in a widget. I want to play a sound every time I click the button, and simuatenously it adds a text to my line edit. I used playsound to achieve this effect, but there's a delay when the sound is played and the text is added.
I want to remove that delay. I have also found that there were QSound options way back in PyQt4 but it doesn't exist in PyQt6 anymore. Maybe there are alternatives to playsound?
Anyway, here is my code:
import sys
from functools import cached_property, partial
from threading import Thread
from playsound import playsound
from PyQt6.QtCore import *
from PyQt6.QtGui import *
from PyQt6.QtWidgets import *

class Main(QMainWindow):
    def __init__(self):
        super().__init__()
        self.setWindowTitle('Play Sound')
        central_widget = QWidget()
        self.setCentralWidget(central_widget)
        self.btn = QPushButton()
        self.lay = QHBoxLayout(central_widget)
        self.btn.setText('Play the Sound')
        self.lay.addWidget(self.btn)
        self.qline = QLineEdit()
        self.qline.setFixedHeight(35)
        self.lay.addWidget(self.qline)

        self.btn.clicked.connect(partial(self.buildExpression, 'X'))
        self.btn.clicked.connect(self.playsound)

    def line(self):
        return self.qline.text()

    def lineedit(self, text):
        self.qline.setText(text)
        self.qline.setFocus()

    def buildExpression(self, sub_exp):

        expression = self.line() + sub_exp
        self.lineedit(expression)

    def playsound(self):
        playsound('sound.mp3')

def background():
        while True:
            playsound('background.mp3')

def main():
    app = QApplication(sys.argv)
    run = Main()
    Thread(target=background, daemon=True).start()
    run.show()
    app.exec()

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

A: Looks like:
playsound('sound.mp3', False)

did the trick. There may be improvements though if we want to start the sound again(while stopping the first) when clicking the button again.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
History of Powerlifting, Weightlifting and Strength Training – Number 5
Posted by admin in Dr Ken Leistner on June 13, 2014
A Bit Of Lifting And Training History From My Perspective.
With the proliferation of health clubs, spas, fitness facilities, gyms, and the fact that most martial arts and yoga teachers have somehow branched out into personal training or "their-specialty-specific lose weight and inches fitness training" it might be beyond the understanding of the last two generations that there actually was a time when it was almost impossible to find a gym that had barbells and dumbbells in it within the confines of any town or village in the United States. By the mid-Sixties, most of the major cities contained perhaps one or two "health clubs," usually a chain franchise like Vic Tanny's or Jack LaLanne's that was filled with chromed devices designed to separate the slack-muscled from their mounds of body fat and pocket books. I would be the first to add that these "clubs" were definitely a step forward from the "health spas" of the mid-1950's and early 1960's that were stocked with vibrating and rolling type machines that were meant to shake, jiggle, or massage the fat off of specific areas of the body. I can recall such an establishment opening in my home town of Long Beach and even at the age of eleven or twelve, I knew a rip-off when I saw it up close and personal. Overweight men and women strapped into contraptions that seemed to have the potential to rip genitals and other vital body parts off if used incorrectly, that would produce headaches or vision problems due to the violent shaking and bumping they produced, did not seem as if they really and truly would deliver the goods they promised. Lawsuits resulting from vicious injury, as well as the predictable lack of results, dictated the closing of every one of these outlets within a year or two of their opening.
The New York Scene.
In the New York City area, Olympic lifting was very popular in the early to mid-1960's. There were pockets of activity that spread from The McBurney YMCA basement on 23rd Street in Manhattan to Lost Battalion Hall in Queens, all the way out to Suffolk County's Islip Youth Center. All boasted good lifters, some like Larry Mintz, a young Artie Dreschler who is now active as the director of the Association Of Oldetime Barbell And Strongmen, and Tom Marshall were of national level. York Barbell Club lifters usually made an annual showing at the larger metropolitan area contests and the City was seen as a hotbed of Olympic lifting until the entire sport began to sag in participation by the end of the decade. Unfortunately the standard procedure by the mid-'60's was to hold the weightlifting contest and only afterward, present the physique contest that was scheduled for the same date and venue. It made for a very long day and evening, with the bodybuilders often asked to show their wares at 1 AM and sometimes later. However, this was perhaps the only way to guarantee a solid crowd for the heavier and later-held weight classes of the lifting competitions, such was the state of the sport. Neither the lifters nor the physique men were pleased with the arrangement. In fact, at the 1970 Junior National Weightlifting Championships and Junior Mr. America contest held in Islip, half as many observers were on hand to cheer Dreschler's world record press than there were for Chris Dickerson's physique victory. This was typical and I can recall Dickerson's brother Henry, who was seated next to me commenting more than once that he couldn't believe "how late it was" as the physique men mounted the dias after the midnight hour.
The Quest For Knowledge.
In the days before the internet and immediate worldwide communication, the wonders of bodybuilding, especially in California, was brought to the attention of the many eager enthusiasts across the country, through the pages of Joe Weider's various muscle building publications. It was necessary to present news from all of the weight training related activities. There weren't enough of any one group of devotees that one could expect to publish and distribute a "muscle magazine" and make a living off of it if any particular group was completely ignored. Thus Joe and his various issues of Muscle Power, Muscle Builder, Muscle And Fitness, Mr. America, Young Mr. America, All American Athlete, and a few others covered all bases. The rare known athlete who admitted to utilizing weights as a training tool or as an adjunct to whatever made up the "regular training" and preparation for their sport would be featured. There would be a monthly column dedicated to Olympic weightlifting with brief contest results. Once powerlifting became popular or at least became a viable activity separate from bodybuilding or Olympic lifting, Weider always had at least one training feature and a standing monthly column that included gossip type of news, some training information, and the results of one or more contests, usually from the West Coast. I know that every lifter in the New York City area would pace the local luncheonettes and newsstands waiting for the clerk to cut open the packages that held the monthly nuggets of information, on the day of the distributor's delivery.
One's choice of lifting activity could have been very much determined by their geographic location in the 1940's through the 1960's. Referring to the first installment of this series, while most "training guys" did the same basic exercises, different parts of the country, different parts of some specific states, gravitated to one of the three major types of lifting expression. The most obvious example of this was the York Barbell Club located in York, Pennsylvania. The headquarters of Bob Hoffman's York Barbell Company, he had funded America's Olympic weightlifting activities, as the supplier of equipment, as the provider of funds necessary for travel, and as the sport's chief administrator for decades. He was referred to and rightfully so, as "The Father Of American Weightlifting" and he took the title and the responsibility seriously. In fairness, while his reign was dictatorial he viewed himself as a benevolent dictator and the retrospect of a few decades indicates that he was indeed, just that.
Posted by admin in Dr Ken Leistner on June 9, 2014
There are many fundamental differences among the participants of the various aspects of the iron related sports. The emotional response and make up of the athletes involved in strongman competition differs from those who compete in bodybuilding shows and powerlifters think and often behave very differently than those who do Olympic weightlifting as their primary sport. It wasn't always like this. Powerlifting wasn't organized as a sport until 1964 and yes, I was there for that. It wasn't seen as a momentous occasion and few of its participants believed that the "odd lift" contests that had been held on a more or less regular basis for perhaps a four or five year period, would significantly change just because the activity now had a name and an official organization. We were obviously wrong in that belief for both positive and negative reasons.


Devon accountancy firm Simpkins Edwards has appointed Julie Rose as branch manager to be based primarily at its Heathfield office, near Newton Abbot.
Chartered tax advisor Julie joins the firm from Farm Accounts where she spent 11 years and managed over 100 clients. In total she has over 17 years' experience providing practical advice and business support to farms and other rural businesses, including management of accounts, ensuring compliance requirements are met for tax credits, self-assessment, PAYE and VAT. She has also carried out extensive tax planning work for income tax, capital gains tax and inheritance tax.
Simpkins Edwards' Heathfield office opened in 2014 following the acquisition of former accountancy firm Adams & Co. The firm also has offices in Exeter, Okehampton, Barnstaple, Holsworthy and Honiton.


text:
Sarko's back, playing it by the book
Former French president returns to spotlight as party seeks way out of wilderness.
Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy | Thomas Samson/AFP via Getty Images
By Rym Momtaz
June 26, 2019 4:00 am CET
PARIS — Nicolas Sarkozy is rekindling his passions — and that's prompting talk of a political comeback.
The former French president is about to publish a book, titled "Passions," putting him back in the spotlight just as his party is searching for a savior after a drubbing in last month's European Parliament election.
Some officials in the center-right Les Républicains (LR) have called on Sarkozy to return to reunite the once-mighty party, which has hemorrhaged votes to both President Emmanuel Macron's centrist La République En Marche and the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen.
The hankering for a Sarkozy comeback — seven years after he failed to win a second term as French president — underscores how wide the party is casting as it seeks a path back to electoral success. Although Sarkozy is a political beast enjoying a resurgence in popularity, he is now 64 years old and a polarizing figure, even within his own party.
Book showing same-sex marriage suitable for children, European court rules
At previous turning points in his political career, Sarkozy published books that set the tone for what was coming next.
There's little question that something drastic is needed to revive the fortunes of Les Républicains. The party that traces its political lineage back to Charles De Gaulle and propelled Georges Pompidou, Jacques Chirac and Sarkozy to the French presidency won just 8 percent of the vote in the European Parliament election.
The debacle triggered the resignation of party leader Laurent Wauquiez, followed by a series of high-profile defections and doomsday talk about the end of the conservative right in France.
Enter Sarkozy, with a book that almost no one knew was in the works, to be published Thursday.
Could it be a sign of things to come?
This time though, instead of a political program, "Passions" is a memoir of his life and career before he became president — an account of "what I have lived," written "without political motive," according to an excerpt Sarkozy published on Twitter.
Even before news of the book emerged, a few LR heavy hitters, including Brice Hortefeux, an MEP and former minister under Sarkozy, as well as Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, called on him to bring the party together.
Sarkozy denied having any such plans as recently as of 10 days ago, telling supporters that it is "no longer [his] daily life … I am not elected, it is not my responsibility."
Yet Sarkozy is the quintessential political animal, having cunningly positioned himself within the machinery of the party to run for president in 2007, outwitting more experienced rivals in the process.
Not everyone takes his denials of interest at face value.
'Hyper president'
Sarkozy's energetic style and taste for luxury saw him nicknamed the "hyper president" and "president bling bling" during his time in office.
He led France through the 2008 financial crisis but lost his reelection bid in 2012 — to the understated Socialist François Hollande — having failed to cut unemployment, rein in public debt or boost purchasing power.
He suffered another defeat five years later, this time in his party's presidential primaries, dogged by legal troubles and unable to appeal to a wider base than hard-core supporters.
"In politics, one should always leave doors open," — Eric Woerth, member of parliament
But the last time LR won the presidency and held a majority in parliament was under Sarkozy's leadership. And a majority of LR supporters now believe Sarkozy would be the best leader for the French right, according to a recent poll by ELABE for BFMTV, despite his ongoing legal troubles related to various corruption cases, in which he denies wrongdoing.
He also recently became the second most popular political figure in France, according to an IFOP poll for Paris Match.
"He left a big mark on politics over the past 20 years, his presidential term seems like a success compared to the recent crisis we went through," said Eric Woerth, a member of parliament who is a pillar of LR and served as budget minister under Sarkozy.
Woerth couldn't say if the former president is getting ready for another comeback, after his failed attempted return in 2017, saying only that "in politics, one should always leave doors open."
Sarkozy certainly appears to be wielding some influence from behind the scenes. Jean Leonetti, a former minister of European affairs and the interim LR chief, said he consults Sarkozy for his advice as a "tutelary figure of the party."
But Leonetti ruled out a return to the front line for the former leader. "I trust Nicolas Sarkozy, I listen to what he tells me and what he says publicly: he doesn't intend on coming back on the political scene," he said.
Some 130,000 party members are expected to elect the new party leader in October.
So far, only the head of the LR parliamentary group, 59-year-old Christian Jacob, is officially running for the job.
"He is a consensual figure because he is supported by the barons of the party, and harbors no ambitions of running for president," said a party official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
In announcing his candidacy, Jacob told French newspaper Le Figaro that Les Républicains must "recover their capacity to pull together and carry a project."
French Senate President Gerard Larcher | Francois Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images
As part of the party's renewal efforts, Gérard Larcher, an elder statesman who is president of the French Senate, launched a tour of the regions to reconnect with local elected officials and supporters.
These "regional conventions" also double as a timely outreach effort ahead of municipal elections due in March, with both Macron's party and the far-right National Rally trying to convince LR mayors to join their camp.
One issue the party will need to resolve is how close to get to Le Pen. Under Wauquiez, LR adopted an increasingly identitarian line, aiming to appeal to the party's conservative wing and often sounding similar to Le Pen's National Rally.
But the recent ELABE poll found only 27 percent of LR supporters want to form local alliances with the far-right party, making it their least desired partner.
France's far-right boy wonder
Sarkozy's stepson campaigning for Frexit party in EU election
By Marion Solletty
More from ... Rym Momtaz
Scholz upbeat about trade truce with US in 'first quarter of this year'
Scholz, Macron seek to reset fraught relations with big celebration
Books Elections French politics
Christian Estrosi Emmanuel Macron Eric Woerth Laurent Wauquiez Marine Le Pen Nicolas Sarkozy


the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control." (2 Tim 1: 6-7) "The whole Church is a priestly people. Through Baptism all the faithful share in the priesthood of Christ. This participation is called the "common priesthood of the faithful." Based on this common priesthood and ordered to its service, there exists another participation in the mission of Christ: the ministry conferred by the sacrament of Holy Orders, where the task is to serve in the name and in the person of Christ the Head in the midst of the community. The ministerial priesthood differs in essence from the common priesthood of the faithful because it confers a sacred power for the service of the faithful. The ordained ministers exercise their service for the People of God by teaching (munus docendi), divine worship (munus liturgicum) and pastoral governance (munus regendi). Since the beginning, the ordained ministry has been conferred and exercised in three degrees: that of bishops, that of presbyters, and that of deacons. The ministries conferred by ordination are irreplaceable for the organic structure of the Church: without the bishop, presbyters, and deacons, one cannot speak of the Church (cf. St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Trall. 3,1)."
Please pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. The responsibility to foster vocations and a culture of vocations is a responsibility of all members of the Church.
If you are a man interested in becoming a priest, or you know someone who is a suitable candidate, please contact Fr. Wilson at (740) 345‑4290.