text:
Роже Луи Шюц-Марсош (, известный как Брат Роже, ; 12 мая 1915, Прованс, кантон Во, Швейцария — 16 августа 2005, Тэзе, Сона и Луара, Бургундия) — франко-швейцарский христианский лидер и монах, основатель и первый глава экуменической общины Тэзе в Бургундии, Франция.

Биография

Родился 12 мая 1915 года и был девятым и самым младшим ребёнком в семье протестантского пастора Карла Ульриха Шюца из Бакса (Швейцария), и его жены, Амели-Генриетты Марсош, гугенотки из Бургундии (Франция). Шютц вспоминал об отце как о «мистике в сердце», который молился по утрам в храме  и однажды мальчик даже видел, как отец молился в католической церкви. Мать его была француженкой и приняла католичество сознательно, не в укор мужу-пастору, а чтобы свидетельствовать об отсутствии разделения между католиками и протестантами. Когда Роже пошёл в среднюю школу в соседнем городке, родители предпочли снять ему комнату в католической семье — потому что эта семья нуждалась в деньгах больше, чем протестантская. Бабушка Роже по матери (француженка) тоже была женой лютеранского пастора, но часто ходила на мессу и «даже причащалась» у католиков. Во время Первой мировой войны она жила на севере Франции, прятала у себя беженцев.

С 1937 по 1940 год изучал кальвинизм в Страсбурге и Лозанне, где он был лидером швейцарского студенческого христианского движения, частью Всемирной студенческой христианской федерации. Несколько лет страдал туберкулёзом, и за долгий период выздоровления он ясно различил в себе призыв создать общину.

В начале Второй мировой войны чувствовал призвание служить тем, кто страдает от конфликта, как поступала его бабушка по материнской линии во время Первой мировой войны. Роже очень сочувствовал разгромленным французам и писал: «Если бы там можно было приобрести дом, о котором мы мечтаем, это могло бы оказаться путём для помощи самым отчаявшимся, лишённым места в жизни; это могло бы быть и место для молчания и молитвы». В августе 1940 года он сумел недорого купить заброшенный уже много лет дом с пристройками в деревне Тэзе, недалеко от Макона, о 390 км на юго-восток от Парижа. Как раз тогда виноградники были уничтожены филлоксерой и цена на недвижимость резко упала. Тезе была расположена на неоккупированной на тот момент части Франции, недалеко от демаркационной линии. Там в течение двух лет он и его сестра, Женевьева, прятали беженцев, в том числе еврейских.

Осенью 1942 года офицер предупредил Роже и Женевьеву, что их обнаружили, и все должны немедленно уехать в более спокойное место. До конца войны Роже жил в Женеве и именно там начал общинную жизнь вместе с первыми братьями.

В 1944 году они вернулись в Тэзе, чтобы основать сообщество, сначала небольшую квази-монашескую мужскую общину, открытую для всех христиан, члены которой стремились жить в бедности и послушании.

Во время долгих размышлений в молчании зимой 1952—1953 основатель общины написал Устав Тэзе, сформулировав для своих братьев «то основное, что делает возможной жизнь в общине».

С конца 1950-х годов Тэзе сделалось местом массового паломничества. Там проводились в еженедельные семинары, молитвы и размышления. Кроме того, братья Тэзе делают визиты и проводят встречи, большие и маленькие, в Африке, Северной и Южной Америки, Азии, и в Европе, в рамках «паломничества доверия на земле».

В 1988 году был награждён Премией ЮНЕСКО за воспитание в духе мира и написал много книг по молитвы и размышления, с просьбой к молодым людям быть уверенными в Боге и быть членами их местных церковных общин и человечества. Он также писал книги о христианскую духовность и молитвы, некоторые вместе с Мать Терезой.

Глава общины брат Роже всегда вёл себя сдержанно, редко давая интервью и отказываясь создать любой «культ» вокруг себя. Ещё до своей смерти брат Роже в силу преклонного возраста и слабого здоровья передал свои функции общине. Он страдал от усталости и часто пользовался инвалидной коляской.

Экуменические идеалы

Всю свою жизнь брат Роже посвятил примирению различных христианских церквей. Он особо обращался к христианской молодёжи. Часть его подхода, возможно, была его неприязнь к формальной проповеди, в то время он поощрял к духовным поискам как общим усилиям. Во время собрания Тезе в Париже в 1995 году он говорил с более чем  молодых людей, которые сидели на полу выставочного зала. «Мы пришли сюда, чтобы искать или пойти на поиск через молчание и молитву, чтобы войти в контакт с нашей внутренней жизнью. Христос всегда говорил, Не волнуйтесь, дать себе»

С протестантской точки зрения брат Роже сделал беспрецедентный шаг со времён Реформации: введение постепенно полного общения с католической верой Церкви без «преобразования», что означало разрыв с его истоками. В 1980 году, во время Европейской конференции в Риме, он сказал, в Базилике Святого Петра в присутствии Папы Римского Иоанна Павла II: «Я нашёл мою собственную идентичность как христианина, примиряя в себе веру в моё происхождение с тайной католической веры, не нарушая общения с кем-либо»

Брат Роже получал католическое Таинство Евхаристии во время католической мессы, которая служилась каждое утро в монастыре. Также он получил причастие из рук папы римского Иоанна Павла II и папы Бенедикта XVI, что, казалось бы, противоречит каноническому праву администрирования причастия тех, кто не в полном общении с римско-католической церковью. По словам кардинала Вальтера Каспера, это было достигнуто путём молчаливого взаимопонимания между братом Роже и католической церковью, «что пересекает определенную исповедь и канонические препятствия» из-за того, что брат Роже называет постепенным обогащением его веры, основ Католической церкви, в том числе «служение единства, осуществляемого епископами Рима».

Смерть и похороны

16 августа 2005 года во время вечерного молебна в Тезе Брат Роже был зарезан молодой румынкой по имени Луминица Руксандра Солкан, которая впоследствии была признана психически больной. Он был ранен несколько раз, и, хотя один из братьев нёс его от церкви, он вскоре умер. Нападающая была немедленно задержана прихожанами и помещена под стражу.

Похороны состоялись 23 августа 2005. Их посетили Президент Германии Хорст Кёлер и министр внутренних дел Франции Николя Саркози. Сообщество и друзья брата Роже приняли участие в литургии в огромном монастырском храме в Тэзе, в то время как тысячи смотрели его на огромном экране в полях за пределами церкви. Простой деревянный гроб брата Роже, деревянная икона, которая лежала на ней, была отнесена к церкви членами сообщества.

Похороны этого протестантского монаха возглавил католический кардинал Вальтер Каспер, глава Папского Совета по содействию единству христиан, который отслужил мессу в сослужении с четырьмя священниками-братьями Тэзе. В своей проповеди он сказал, «Да, весна экуменизма расцвела на холме Тэзе». Ссылаясь на озабоченность брата Роже социальной справедливостью, кардинал Каспер сказал, что «Каждая форма несправедливости или пренебрежения очень огорчала его». Преемник брата Роже, Брат Алоис Лёзер, молился о прощении: «С Христом на кресте, мы говорим вам, Отче, прости ей, потому что она не знает, что она сделала».

Публикации
 книги
 Introduction à la vie communautaire (1944)
 Vivre l'aujourd'hui de Dieu (1959)
 L'unité espérance de vie (1962)
 Dynamique du provisoire (1965)
 Unanimité dans le pluralisme (1966)
 Violence des pacifiques (1968)
 Ta fête soit sans fin (1971)
 Lutte et contemplation (1973)
 Vivre l'inespéré (1974)
 Étonnement d'un amour (1979) ISBN 2-85040-142-0
 Fleurissent les déserts du cœur (1982) ISBN 2-85040-006-8
 Passion d'une attente (1985) ISBN 2-02-008948-3
 Son amour est un feu (1988) ISBN 2-85040-083-1, ISBN 2-85040-093-9
 Amour de tout amour (1990) ISBN 2-85040-107-2
 En tout la paix du cœur (1998) ISBN 2-259-18389-1
 Les Sources de Taizé (2001) ISBN 2-85040-187-0
 Dieu ne peut qu'aimer (2001) ISBN 2-85040-194-3
 Pressens-tu un bonheur ? (2005) ISBN 2-85040-227-3
 Choisir d'aimer — Frère Roger de Taizé 1915—2005 (2006) ISBN 2-85040-231-1.

 Участие
 Taizé comme à une source…, Vladimir Sichov, (1989) ISBN 2-227-36041-0 (les textes sont de lui)
 Marie, mère des réconciliations (1987), Mère Teresa de Calcutta et Frère Roger de Taizé, ISBN 2-227-34044-4
 La prière, fraîcheur d'une source (1998), Mère Teresa de Calcutta et Frère Roger de Taizé, ISBN 2-227-43670-0, ISBN 2-227-47308-8
 Mère Teresa : Une vie où la charité demeure, Christian Feldmann, (2002), ISBN 2-88011-285-0 (автор предисловия)

Примечания

Почётные доктора Лёвенского католического университета

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Historic Austintown home believed to be stop on Underground Railroad
by: Noah Daniels-Wilder
Posted: Feb 23, 2019 / 03:45 PM EST / Updated: Feb 24, 2019 / 04:43 AM EST
During slavery in America, the secret path to freedom we know as The Underground Railroad ran through the Mahoning Valley.
Slaves who ran away from southern plantations tried to make their way north to freedom in Canada.
On Mahoning Avenue in Austintown, the Strock Stone House is believed to be a stop on the Underground Railroad.
Built in 1831, the historic landmark had the perfect conditions to serve as an underground railroad station to move slaves through the area. It had a 250-acre farm and a creek with no neighbors nearby.
The Underground Railroad Association said they didn't have any addresses because the journey to freedom was life or death for slaves and people who helped.
In fact, it was against federal law in 1850 to help slaves escape. Anyone who did faced legal and sometime social consequences, so most shelters didn't keep a record of their address and who came.
That makes it hard to find concrete evidence for any stops on the Underground Railroad in Ohio.
"We had some real history buffs with the Underground Railroad come out, and they said they thought they may have come from a boat," said local historian Joyce Pogamy.
Pogamy said it's believed that they traveled at night, coming up the hill to the back door of the Strock House. She said they'd likely stay in the basement.
The North Star led the slaves to freedom, but quilts guided them.
"If it was an Underground Railroad, they would hang quilts. If there was an arrow right in the middle of it, it meant go straight for the next Underground Railroad," Pogamy said.
Most of the slaves couldn't read or write, so they would put stars signifying that they made it to their stop and that it was safe to come to that house.
"These quilts hung out all summer," Pogamy said.
The road to freedom is such a guarded secret that history isn't sure slaves stopped at the Strock House, but Pogamy said that history buffs from years ago agreed that it was a likely stop.
If you want to visit the Strock Stone House and see it for yourself, it is open for tours on the first Sunday of every month, from 1 to 4 p.m.
It's located at 7171 Mahoning Avenue.
The Senate will convene at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday to debate the rules and procedures of the impeachment trial. Once the Senate votes on and approves the rules and procedures, the trial will begin in earnest. Opening statements are expected to be delivered some time Tuesday or Wednesday.
National & World / 13 mins ago
Nugget of Knowledge: Traffic light colors

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Bulk Charcoal
Other commodities are produced from trees:
Charcoal: Partially burnt wood shipped in bags or in bulk. Very dusty and can easily absorb moisture to as high as 20% of its own weight. A somewhat dangerous cargo liable to spontaneous combustion if in contact with oils/greases.
Cork: The very light outer bark of the cork-oak, grown in Southern Europe and Northern Africa. Must be kept completely dry but this increases the dust to which this cargo is prone. Usually carried in bales, its stowage factor varies widely depending on the degree of pressing in the bale. Can become very brittle when cold.
Extracts: The extracts from barks of certain trees provide medicinal tonics and drugs as well as liquids used in the tanning industry. These extracts may be carried in liquid form but also are dried and transported in bags in small quantities. Such bags must be kept dry and separated from each other by straw or sawdust or similar, for otherwise they have a tendency to stick together and, if wettened, to solidify. Some may be odorous and taint nearby cargoes.
Gums: Resins obtained from various trees may be used in a wide variety of industries. for coloring/tanning; stiffening and adhesives; medicines; confectionery; and for clothing processes among them. Most gums are liable to melt at about normal temperatures and must be kept cool as a result. They must also be kept away from oils and greases which may dissolve certain gums and, since they readily absorb moisture, they may be liable to overheat. If carried in bags they should be carried as for extracts, above.
Rubber: The coagulated sap' of certain tropical trees.
Extracts Bagged Stowage Factor 35/50
Gums Bagged Stowage Factor 50/65
Cork Bales Well Pressed Stowage Factor 200/225
Cork Bales Lightly Pressed Stowage Factor 300/400
Charcoal Bagged Stowage Factor 170
Charcoal Bulk Stowage Factor 100


text:
E - Records of the Exchequer, and its related bodies, with those of the Office of First Fruits and Tenths, and the Court of Augmentations
Division within E - Records of the King's Remembrancer
Catalogue description Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Registers of Licences to pass beyond the seas
Search within or browse this series to find specific records of interest.
From (yyyy):
To (yyyy):
Details of E 157
Exchequer: King's Remembrancer: Registers of Licences to pass beyond the seas
These records consist mainly of two types of register: those of soldiers taking the statutory oath of allegiance under the Act of 1609 before going to serve in the Low Countries between 1613 and 1633; and those of licences to persons going to Europe, chiefly to Holland but also Scotland and Ireland, in the period 1573-1677.
There are also several registers of passengers to New England, Barbados and other colonies between 1634 and 1639, with one of 1677. There is also a blank licence of the reign of Elizabeth I. The entries in the registers generally include date, name and destination.
33 volume(s)
Publication note:
Entries relating to the American colonies have been transcribed in J C Hotten, Lists of persons emigrating to America, 1600-1660 (London, 1874) Details of emigrants to North America are also entered in P W Coldham, The complete book of emigrants, 1607-1660 (1987) See also, P W Filby, Passenger and immigration lists index (1981)
How to look for...
Emigration and emigrants
Merchant trade records: port books 1565-1799
ball emigrates Flag
blessing Flag
walter chiles Flag


text:
Kansas school standards evaluated
Bob Weeks July 14, 2015 July 15, 2015 0 Comments3 Mins Read
A new edition of an ongoing study shows that Kansas school standards are weak, compared to other states. This is a continuation of a trend.
Last week the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) published a new version of its ongoing study Mapping State Proficiency Standards Onto NAEP Scales: Results From the 2013 NAEP Reading and Mathematics Assessments. As was also found in past years, the standards that the state of Kansas uses to evaluate students are low.
This study is important because states set their own standards for evaluating students, as the report explains: "Because each state set its own standards, there was no assurance that students who met the standards of one state would be able to meet the standards of another state, and one could not compare the effectiveness of schools across states in terms of the percentages of students reported to meet the standards."
There is a national test that is the same in all states, the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Again, from the report: "NAEP provided a common scale on which the stringency of the various state criteria for proficiency could be compared." The purpose of the study is to map each state's standards to a common standard. By doing this, we can determine whether a state uses a stringent or weak standard to evaluate students. This study does not evaluate the performance — good or bad — of a state's students. Rather, the study evaluates the state and its standards.
The two-page summary for Kansas is here.
The summary is this:
For reading in grades four and eight, the answer to the question "How do Kansas' reading standards for proficient performance at grades 4 and 8 in 2013 map onto the NAEP scale?" is "below basic."
For math in grades four and eight the answer to the same question is "basic."
This means that the state of Kansas says students are "proficient" when by NAEP standards the students are "basic" or "below basic."
Especially in reading, Kansas standards are low. For grade four reading, 26 states (including Kansas) are in the "below basic" category. For grade eight reading, only nine other states besides Kansas fall into the "below basic" category.
Following, charts excerpted from the study showing how Kansas measures against the other states. In some cases, there are few states with lower standards than Kansas. In no case is Kansas above the middle. Click charts for larger versions.
EducationFeaturedKansas State Department of EducationKansas state governmentWichita and Kansas schools
Previous PostIn Wichita, wasting electricity a chronic problem
Next Post'Love Gov' humorous and revealing of government's nature
Kansas school spending, through 2020
Bob WeeksSeptember 20, 2020
Charts of Kansas school spending presented in different forms. Recently Kansas State Department of Education released spending figures for the 2020 school year, that is, the schoo...
Kansas school employment
Bob WeeksFebruary 25, 2020
Kansas school employment rose for the current school year. Figures released by the Kansas State Department of Education show the number of teachers and certified employees rose fo...
Performance levels in Wichita schools
There is some good news in the performance level reports for Wichita public schools. Since 2015, Kansas test scores have been reported in a new way. Kansas State Department of Edu...
Kansas school salaries
Kansas school salaries, visualized. This is an interactive visualization of Kansas school salaries for superintendents, principals, and teachers, for each school district. To lea...
Wichita public schools, by the charts
Bob WeeksFebruary 3, 2020
Data from the annual report for the 2018-2019 school year for USD 259, the Wichita, Kansas public school district. The Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for USD 259, the Wichi...


text:
Fabricator of the Year Winner at G13 Annual Awards Ceremony
In December 2013, the team at SWC Trade Frames were absolutely delighted to pick up the coveted Fabricator of the Year Award at the Industry's leading Glass & Glazing Awards.
The trophy was presented to business owner Paul Richings & Managing Director Susan Richings at the glittering Awards Presentation and Gala Dinner in central London hosted by comedian and television presenter Dara O'Briain.
SWC is a family-run, progressive business with a clear vision to maintain & grow the business through innovation. The Company has been successfully trading in Scarborough, North Yorkshire for more than 25 years. The company has continued flourish year-upon-year since it was established in 1989.
SWC has grown as a result of investment, through continuous improvement and the deliverance of quality of service, marketing and technical expertise. This in turn has benefited SWC's trade customers, whose businesses have grown over the years by working closely together. This approach helped SWC achieve substantial growth – manufacturing in excess of 1000 frames per week.
SWC has always moved forward from a position of strength. Continuous investment in machinery, people and work process technology has always been a core focus for the company and in 2010, an initial investment of £1.3M allowed the business to relocate to a larger 70,000 sq ft site to improve operational efficiency and customer service.
SWC's partnering approach with stakeholders, customers, suppliers and local community is unparalleled in the industry. SWC firmly believes that building long-standing relationships is key to its success. More than half of SWC's customers have traded with SWC for more than 15 years, buying across the entire range. Of our 100 + committed employees, more than a third have clocked up well over a decade of service!


How can I locate qualified Rapid City tutoring for private study sessions?
When you realize that working alongside a talented private Rapid City tutor could be a good idea for you or your child, we're ready to assist you. We will give you some questions to answer about the subject you or your child needs help with and what you're hoping to accomplish. This lets us formulate a custom learning plan and quote made just for you. Then we do all the hard work of finding a Rapid City, SD, tutor ready to fulfill you or your student's needs.
We ensure that the tutors we provide for you have passed a verification. Every single tutor has to submit to a background check as well as an interview where they are asked to demonstrate their knowledge. With our system, we can get you the Rapid City tutoring help that you deserve.
How can tutoring in Rapid City, South Dakota, give students the tools they need to experience academic success?
Finding your version of academic success can be challenging. Although students often have a good idea of where they want to go, they might not know how to get there. Developing a solid set of learning tools is one of the best ways to prepare yourself for wherever your education may take you next. If you're interested in finding academic success, it often helps to work with a private tutor.
Tutoring in Rapid City is a great option for students of all grade levels. If you attend Rapid City High School, a tutor can help you get ready to take exams like the SAT. Similarly, parents with children at Canyon Lake Elementary School can get their child a tutor who can help them get ready for their next school year. Even students at Black Hills State University-Rapid City can use a tutor as a way to get ready for graduate school exams like the GRE.
Working with a Rapid City tutor offers you a unique blend of flexibility and personalization in your learning process. This is because tutors meet with their students individually rather than in a classroom setting. That difference makes it possible to craft lesson plans that take the interests and individualized needs of each student into consideration. The result of this process is a study session that keeps your goals in focus. You can find these benefits without making changes to your schedule, as well. Your tutor can meet with you either face-to-face or online through a virtual learning platform.
I am a professional science teacher with 10 years of experience teaching in both public and private classroom settings. I also have practical work experience as a chemist and spent seven years editing science-related materials for a publishing firm, so I have an excellent understanding of what science is and how to present it to students. I am comfortable teaching a variety of science subjects, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Middle School Science, and Thermodynamics. I can also prepare students for standardized tests that involve science, including the Praxis and MAP. I value education very highly as one of the main factors that determines a person's professional success. In my spare time, I enjoy yoga, biking, reading, exercising, and spending time with my family. Please feel free to reach out and ask me any further questions you may have!
I am currently attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and I am pursuing bachelor's degrees in accounting and actuarial science. I am also minoring in mathematics. I have extensive experience helping my fellow classmates with homework. Tutoring was more of a hobby for me until I was approached about becoming a formal tutor for statistics and mathematics. I am comfortable tutoring students in a variety of subjects, including high school economics, high school accounting, and calculus, to name a few. I am the most passionate and confident about tutoring students in mathematics and business courses. In terms of hobbies, I enjoy relaxing, hanging out with my friends, spending time outdoors, and fishing.
Hello, my name is Kathryn, and I am a Spanish tutor. I believe that students can learn to speak Spanish and fall in love with the language too. I am excited to help students learn the basics of Spanish and also hone their skills. Everyone learns at their own pace, and I am happy to walk alongside you on your language journey.


We can produce quality, professional utility statements for a fraction of any in-house operation.
In the utility industry, whether a small local water authority or a large multi-state power company, each is faced with the same underlying financial objective, "reduce operating costs." Financial Imaging was established just for that purpose; however, we not only reduce costs, but also offer many value-added services that wouldn't normally be available without third party data management intervention.
As you are faced with lowering costs, we at Financial Imaging continuously find ways to make your data management activities more cost effective.
With Financial Imaging's technology, we can reduce mail return by more than 75% utilizing our Smart Update proprietary software. Our on-line systems utilize a 28 database array including NCOA, DOL-Link, Equifax, TransUnion, and more to not only validate information, but to correctly update your data. Not only do we perform this advanced skip-tracing feature before your mail is processed, but it's completed at NO ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO YOU. These updates are transmitted back to you via 128-Bit encryption technology usually in the same day files are uploaded.
Not only do we reduce mail returns, but we also increase your operation efficiency by adding services like Smart CASS at no additional charge.
No matter what type of utility statement you mail, we can accommodate any type of request. Ranging from the most complex multi-page utility bill to a simple post card reminder, we have capabilities that will surpass your needs. We offer value and convenience you cannot find anywhere. Our state-of-the-art software allows us to receive, process and transmit client data via 128-Bit encryption technology.


text:
Laura Poppema Named to Kodak All-Region Team
March 13, 2002 — by Hope PR
Hope College senior forward Laura Poppema of Holland (Holland HS) has been named to the all-region team of the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.
As an all-region honoree, she becomes a finalist for the 2002 DIII Kodak Women's Basketball All-America team.
This season the Flying Dutch won the MIAA championship, advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III tournament and posted a school record 27 victories.
Poppema lettered four years and was a two-time Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) first team honoree. This season she averaged 11.6 points and 8.1 rebounds a game while shooting 54% from the floor and 76% from the free throw line.
She hauled in more than 200 rebounds in consecutive seasons and finished fourth alltime among Hope rebounders with 695 over 110 games.
Poppema played on three MIAA champion teams and during her four seasons the Flying Dutch posted a 93-18 overall record and 52-8 mark against MIAA opponents.
She is the only Michigan player named to the All-Region team. Other honorees from the Great Lakes Region are Jennifer Harrison of Otterbein, Ohio, Je'Nine Nickerson of Case Western Reserve, Rachel Poland of Heidelberg, Ohio and Katy Sturtz of Ohio Wesleyan.
Founded in 1981, the WBCA promotes women's basketball by unifying coaches at all levels to develop a reputable identity for the sport and to foster and promote the development of the game in all of its aspects as an amateur sport for women and girls.
Kodak has sponsored the Kodak Women's All-America basketball team for 29 years. It is Kodak's way of reocgnizing the accomplishments of young athletes and the positive recognition they bring to their school by displaying their talents on the basketball floor.


text:
Home » Feature Stories » Rethinking Jupiter
Rethinking Jupiter
Categories: Feature Stories Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids
By Lee Pullen - Nov 12, 2007
Comet impacts pose a serious threat to life on Earth.
Jupiter is known as many things: king of the planets, an impressive gas giant, defender of the inner solar system. This last notion comes from the idea that Jupiter is so massive that its gravitational influence deflects objects like comets, which, as they spiral toward the Sun, could potentially hit inner planets such as the Earth.
Without Jupiter acting as a "cosmic vacuum cleaner" sucking up these dangerous objects, there would be so many catastrophic impacts that life probably wouldn't have evolved on the Earth and we wouldn't be here today. At least, this is the commonly accepted wisdom. Like so many topics in astrobiology, it isn't as straightforward as it first seems. Jonti Horner and a team from the UK's Open University have been addressing the question of whether Jupiter is our friend or foe.
"This vacuum cleaner idea goes back to when the long-period comets coming in from the Oort Cloud were viewed as being the only significant impact risk," says Horner. "In the 1950s there were only one or two near-Earth asteroids known, so they were viewed as oddities."
Astronomers in the 1950s realised that comets were approaching the solar system from extreme distances – so far away that the Sun, Jupiter, and other planets were essentially a single point-source of gravitational influence. When the comets got close enough to resolve the Sun and Jupiter as separate objects, they then had different forces pulling at them, resulting in a change of direction.
"The comets get a very slight kick, an increase in energy, from Jupiter," says Horner. "For these comets, Jupiter stops them from coming back time and time again; Jupiter makes them leave. The great majority of long-period comets only come through once but they have a very small chance of hitting the Earth."
Jupiter can act as a shield, soaking up impacts as happened in 1994 with comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Since the 1950s, scientists have discovered more objects in the solar system, and they say many of them could collide with us. The objects are found primarily in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but a few remnants from the planet formation era 4.6 billion years ago are dotted around the solar system. Horner believes it's these two groups of asteroids – and not comets – that are most dangerous to life on Earth.
"Occasionally there are collisions between these objects, and when they collide they get nudged onto different orbits and into unstable regions," says Horner. "Then Jupiter can start to perturb them and nudge them around. That's where we get the near-Earth asteroids from, and these are now perceived to be the greatest risk to our planet."
But just how common are these impacts? Do they occur often enough to endanger life? Horner and many other scientists believe so. Part of the danger depends on the size of the object. It's been estimated that about 75 million meteors hit the Earth every day, but because they are typically no bigger than a grain of sand, they'll just leave a pretty trail in the night sky. It's not these tiny meteors that concern Horner, it's their larger relatives that inhabit the solar system.
"The bigger they are, the less frequent the impacts are, but the more interesting they become, and certainly more threatening," says Horner. "A figure that's banded around is that a one kilometer-sized object would hit the Earth on average every 300,000 years. A one kilometer object is the threshold between being a locally-damaging event and a globally-damaging event. Bigger than this, and you get a lot of people falling over."
Horner's graph simulates impact rates on the Earth over a ten million year timescale. Changing the mass of Jupiter has a dramatic effect.
It's not just the size or frequency of impacts that has to be taken into consideration. Speed also is an important factor. Doubling the velocity can put four times more energy into the impact.
"The long-period comets are more of a threat at a given size because they hit harder and faster," says Horner. "With the near-Earth asteroids, you'd need a bigger object hitting us to have the same amount of devastation."
Horner and his team reasoned that for a planet to be habitable over appreciable periods of time, it would have to somehow avoid impacts of extinction-level size and speed. However, smaller and slower impacts also may stop life from developing if they hit regularly enough.
Despite the apocalyptic potential of asteroids and comets, Horner's research suggests we're more likely to find habitable worlds elsewhere in the galaxy. He says that the presence of a gas giant planet isn't as important as everyone thinks, and that means there is greater wiggle room in our definition of what makes a solar system habitable. He also theorises that impacts may not always be detrimental to life — in fact, they may be essential.
"It may be that if you have too few impacts, life will stagnate," he says. "It may even be that our Earth is not the ideal in terms of intelligent life evolving. Maybe we have too few impacts, which is why it's taken us four and a half billion years to get here."
However, until life is found elsewhere scientists can only guess at what environmental conditions are best for intelligent life to evolve and persist. In the meantime, Horner's results may cause us to alter our ideas of where life could form, and the conditions under which it can develop. The next step in his research is to look at the effect of smaller planets, such as Neptune. Could it be that they have more of an influence on our own world than we currently believe? Horner also hopes to use complex computer simulations to move Jupiter into different orbits, experimenting with how the distance of a gas giant from a habitable world affects impact rates. Jupiter may well have more surprises in store.
Jupiter's Dos Equis
Jupiter: Moon Festival
How Jupiter Got Big
Without Jupiter, Home Alone
The Threat of Small Rocks
The Baptistina Breakup
The Great Impact Debate
The Tricky Business of Finding Exocomets
International team agrees on a natural origin for ʻOumuamua
(Feature Stories, Meteorites, Comets and Asteroids) Most Read


China on Sunday patted Pakistan for its "efforts" to have peace talks with India to resolve the "outstanding" Kashmir dispute. During the ongoing China visit by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, Beijing and Islamabad issued a joint statement which had some references to India and the issues where it is involved.
"China appreciates Pakistan's quest for peace through dialogue, cooperation and negotiation, on the basis of mutual respect and equality, and supports Pakistan's efforts for improvement of Pakistan-India relations and for settlement of outstanding disputes between the two countries," the statement said.
China says it has a neutral stance on the Kashmir dispute between Indian and Pakistan, but its officials have hinted that Beijing can try to broker peace between them, an idea junked by New Delhi. The artery of Beijing's Belt and Road project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is planned through a part of Kashmir held by Pakistan and claimed by India.
The statement also said that "negative propaganda" was being spread about the CPEC, in a clear reference to India which opposes the project. "Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to CPEC and agreed that it was a win-win enterprise for the entire region and would bring regional prosperity and development through enhanced connectivity."
The officials in Imran Khan government had expressed concern over Chinese investments under the CPEC, fearing that country might not be able to repay its Chinese debts. There was no reference to the highly-anticipated Chinese financial aid to Pakistan, the main reason for Khan's visit.
The "all-weather allies" as they call themselves said the UN sanction regimes should not be politicized. "Both sides underscored the need for all states to avoid politicization of the UN sanctions regime and the work of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF)."
China, a member of the 1267 UN committee, has blocked India's application to ban Pakistani terrorist Masood Azhar. Pakistan in June was formally added to the FATF'S 'grey list' of countries which fund terrorists.
In the statement, Beijing again backed Pakistan entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) where it has repeatedly refused India's admission. "China supports Pakistan's engagement with the NSG and welcomes its adherence of NSG Guidelines."
China says India is a non-signatory to nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty and cannot be let in. It says if India can be given exception, why not Pakistan. The statement talked about Islamabad's support to China in fighting separatists in restive Xingjiang province.
To Beijing's surprise, Islamabad had expressed concerns over the treatment of Uighurs Muslims in Xinjiang by Chinese authorities, who they suspect of being separatist and sympathizers of EITM. Islamabad also backed Beijing's entry into the eight-member South Asia Association of Regional Cooperation.


Please note that applications for Cheltenham Literature Festival have now closed. Check back here in June 2019 for information on volunteering at the Literature Festival 2019.
The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is looking for friendly, hard-working and enthusiastic volunteers. Volunteers will be needed from Wednesday 3 October – Monday 15 October to help with all aspects of running a successful festival. This would be a valuable experience especially for those passionate about arts administration, events management and stage production.
In return for volunteers' hard work, UK travel expenses are paid and accommodation is provided if not local (in shared rooms), as is a small contribution towards living costs. You will also receive a free Cheltenham Festivals t-shirt to wear during the festival and to keep. And of course, the opportunity to get behind the scenes at a famous festival with the chance to see great events for free!
Issuing Radios, stationery, venue kit, etc.
Preparing the stage for performance – chairs, tables, water, equipment, etc.
Volunteers are asked to commit to full time for the duration of the Festival (Wednesday 3 October – Monday 15 October). Working hours during the festival are long and tiring. Days often start at 8.30am for morning briefing and don't finish until the last event has finishes, sometimes as late as 11pm.
We are looking for highly motivated and reliable volunteers who will be happy to do whatever task is required of them. Volunteers will need to have good teamwork skills, initiative, and the stamina to work long hours. Evidence for a passion for Literature and/or skills in events management would be a plus.
To apply to be a volunteer please fill in our online application form below.
Applications for volunteering at Cheltenham Literature Festival have now closed. Check back here in June 2019 for information on volunteering at the Literature Festival 2019.


Previous PostDo you know our Pros? Meet Claire Smallwood -Epic Skier, Executive Director and Co Founder of SheJumps *PLUS* a Private ChefNext PostDo you know our Pros? Meet Tyler Knoles – Powder Magazine Cover-man, Slayer of the Steeps, Tight Friend of Billy and Loyal Billy Poole Ski with the Pros Event Supporter!


text:
Photo © J. Adrian Wylie
The Crane Wives
Further than folk
by Patrick Dunn
From the September, 2014 issue
The Crane Wives bill themselves as an indie folk group, even deriving their name from an album by one of that genre's original stalwarts, the Decemberists. But despite the presence of a banjo, mostly acoustic instrumentation, and vocal harmonies, the Crane Wives push far beyond the boundaries of folk, even its more loosely defined "indie" variant. With danceable rhythms, poppy hooks, and powerful vocals, the Crane Wives' folk is infused with plenty of rock and considerable soul.
Based in the Grand Rapids area, the band's five members are all products of Grand Valley State University. The group got its start in 2010 in a most inauspicious location: a Chinese restaurant in Grandville, where vocalists and guitarists Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury worked. Starting out there as a duo playing on weekends, Petersmark and Pillsbury soon outgrew the establishment and expanded their ranks to include banjo player Tom Gunnels, drummer/vocalist Dan Rickabus, and bassist Ben Zito.
The Crane Wives--who are scheduled to perform at the Ark on Saturday, September 6--have since recorded two full-length albums and played numerous gigs across the Midwest. But the essence of the band's live performance still lies with the women who got it all started. Petersmark and Pillsbury stand front and center with acoustic guitars, and their unassuming presences, slight figures, and hipster-ish clothing might suggest some pretty, low-key balladry in the offing. While the product of their combined talents is certainly pretty, it's anything but low-key. The front women are true powerhouses, with stirringly soulful voices that frequently intertwine in gorgeous harmony. The relationship between these old friends is close (they share a "band tattoo") and playful--smiles pass between them onstage as they bounce vocal phrases off one another. They're a pleasure to hear and see.
Though the women are the focus, the Crane Wives' male contingent is integral to the band's joyful energy. Gunnels brings dexterity (and the occasional outbreak of punk-style pogoing) to his banjo work, while Zito's solid bass quietly holds
things down. Rickabus fills out the vocal harmonies from behind the drum kit while providing the simple but propulsive rhythms that drive the Crane Wives' tunes. Whether adapting a metal-ish riff for banjo, grooving on a ska rhythm, or utilizing a drumbeat that wouldn't be out of place on a hip-hop track, they bring considerable stylistic range to the folk template. And the melodic hooks are hard to shake, from the exquisite church bell-mimicking close of "Counting Sheep" to the melancholy elongations of the phrase "Oh, my love" in "October."
The band drew an unusual recognition in 2011 from the man who inspired its name, Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy--he discovered the Crane Wives' album during an NPR interview and took a picture holding it. While the band hasn't otherwise made the breakthrough to national attention, a busy statewide touring schedule gives us plenty of regular opportunities to catch this group of unconventional folkies in full-blown, exuberant action.
[Originally published in September, 2014.]
Photo: Pig Roast Fundraiser for Veterans
Ann Arbor Observer Calendar
Subscribe to the Ann Arbor Observer
Subscribe in print and on-line
Baked Goods Ice Cream And Chocolates in Saline
Nightspots: Ypsi Alehouse
The Eyesore on W. Washington
The old road commission site is once again in play
Grace Shackman


Software maker plans to erase about 10 percent of its workforce. The move comes as it lowers its earnings outlook and as its executive chairwoman leaves to become Yahoo's CEO.
Autodesk announced on Thursday plans to cut about 10 percent of its workforce--or about 750 employees--as it lowered its fourth-quarter earnings outlook.
The drafting and design software maker now expects to post between $475 million and $500 million in revenue when it reports results on February 26. In its previous forecast in November, the company said it expected to bring in $525 million to $550 million in the quarter.
Autodesk also lowered its non-GAAP earnings outlook to 18 cents to 24 cents, excluding special charges, down from its previous forecast of 28 cents to 34 cents.
The company's shares fell as much as 15.5 percent in intraday trading to $14.98.
Autodesk plans to take a pretax charge of $65 million to $75 million as a result of the restructuring and layoffs, and save roughly $130 million in annual pretax dollars beginning next year.
Autodesk noted that it also "may take an impairment charge of up to $125 million net of taxes" in the fourth quarter, adding that a final determination hasn't been made.
The layoff announcement and fourth-quarter warning come two days after Yahoo announced its hiring of Autodesk Executive Chairwoman Carol Bartz as its new CEO.


We have carried out over 100 different construction projects. Please view some of them.
As a construction company we work with the best tradesmen and contractors to ensure all our projects are finished to the highest standard .
All our employees are fully qualified in there area of expertise & all are fully up to date in the health and safety training .


January 8, 2011 / Stephanie / Comments Off on Are You Ready to Train as a Medical Transcriptionist?
Working as a medical transcriptionist isn't easy and it is definitely not for everyone. Here are some of your skills you should have before you even start training for this job.
Grammar, punctuation, spelling. If you aren't well above average in these basic skills, you are going to have a hard time as a medical transcriptionist.
Typing skills should be 45 wpm or greater. Your transcribing speed will be slower, especially at first, so the faster you are at the start, the better.
What about vocabulary skills? You need to start out with an excellent vocabulary and have the ability to add to it rapidly. This is a skill you will use throughout your medical transcription career.
How well do you work without supervision? If you plan on working at home as a medical transcriptionist, this skill is vital.
Take the time and be honest with yourself about the skills you have. If you aren't up to par with these skills you should work on them on your own before signing up for classes. You will make much better progress if you are ready for it.


When you start to search for a new car insurance policy, you will soon realize that there are a multitude of companies in Whately, MA to choose from. Many people believe that they can only get good rates from well-known national companies, but there are actually many other businesses that do not do have a national advertising that can actually offer exceptional rates. Of course, you do need to verify the authenticity of each company that you find as they may not have the best overall rating. However, if you are able to use websites that can connect you with different companies that have already been verified, you simply need to choose one of them that will offer you the lowest price. Here are a few of the cheap car insurance online tips that you can use when searching for your coverage in Massachusetts, regardless of the type of vehicle that you drive or how much coverage you actually need.
Most people will start their research on the Internet, searching for individual car insurance providers, helping to get one that will offer them a much lower rate. There search could be prompted by an increase in their car insurance premiums from their existing company as a result of a claim that they filed recently. If this is the case, you can begin to get individual quotes from each of the businesses that you find to see which one can save you the most money. However, this could be a very time-consuming process, so the following low cost automobile insurance tips will help you streamline your search for the best coverage the lowest possible price in Franklin county.
The following cheap car insurance online tips are probably ones that you have heard of before, but you may not have used. These strategies are not secret. They have been utilized by people for decades in order to get the best premiums on their auto insurance policies. The Internet has changed many things when it comes to finding cheaper rates for any type of insurance in Whately, Massachusetts that you may have. It gives you instant access to a multitude of companies that you may not have known about, businesses that can literally save you hundreds of dollars in premiums every month. The goal is to take your time and make sure that you are looking at every possible option. You can actually use multiple tips simultaneously. The goal is to do everything that you can to lower your premiums, especially if they have recently gone up, so that you can have more money to spend on yourself or your family.
These are just a few of the many strategies that you can use when you are looking for cheap car insurance online. Your best bet is to utilize online services that can submit your request for a quote to multiple companies, and use one of the many that send their quote to you. As mentioned earlier, some of these businesses may not advertise heavily so you may not have heard of them before. You can always verify the authenticity of an insurance company by checking the Better Business Bureau, and if they check out, this is a great way to save hundreds or thousands of dollars every year on your auto insurance premiums. Hopefully these low cost car insurance tips will lead you to the best possible insurance provider that can give you the best coverage at the lowest possible rates in Whately, MA.
If folks speak their car insurance coverage at all, it is most probably because the regular monthly rates are just also large. Effectively, there are many approaches you can perform to bring down the expense of your insurance policies without having allowing the good quality of your protection to endure. You can also apply some ideas that could maintain you from inadvertently gettin into difficulty. Understand about a couple of of them beneath.
Ahead of you acquire a automobile, find out how a lot it would cost to insure it. Your insurance policies agent can advise you on the models of automobiles that can help save you income on your rates. This should aid you choose your next car, regardless of whether it is new or utilized. You'll save a good quantity of income if you buy an auto that carries an superb basic safety score.
You should make every single effort at keeping your drivers license thoroughly clean. You can pay out much more on insurance policy if you have tickets and mishaps on your document. If you can not keep away from an incident or a driving citation, appear into going to site visitors university to thoroughly clean up your file and decrease your insurance policy.
Sign up for an auto club to get greater rates and particular reductions. A lot of of these clubs partner with diverse insurance policies businesses, so if you can sign up for one particular, you can enjoy the advantages. Make certain to point out to your agent that you are a member of these golf equipment. Even if your business will not spouse with them, they could still give you a reduce rate.
If at all achievable, you should limit your insurance coverage promises if you want to preserve income on your plan in the long operate. If you have a tiny fender-bender with somebody, the two of you can choose to take care of it with out involving the insurance coverage firm. Getting insurance policies included for each and every scratch on your vehicle will deliver your premiums through the roof.
As stated just before, car insurance policies is essential by state regulation. This functions as an advantage for drivers, as it protects them in the function of an vehicle incident. Many providers exist that sell vehicle insurance. By making use of the tips from this write-up, you can decide on the right vehicle insurance policy for oneself.


text:
<?php
namespace Chamilo\Core\Repository\ContentObject\AssessmentMatchingQuestion\Integration\Chamilo\Core\Repository\ContentObject\Assessment\Display;

use Chamilo\Core\Repository\Common\ContentObjectResourceRenderer;
use Chamilo\Core\Repository\ContentObject\Assessment\Display\AnswerFeedbackDisplay;
use Chamilo\Core\Repository\ContentObject\Assessment\Display\Component\Viewer\AssessmentQuestionResultDisplay;
use Chamilo\Core\Repository\ContentObject\AssessmentMatchingQuestion\Storage\DataClass\AssessmentMatchingQuestion;
use Chamilo\Libraries\Format\Theme;
use Chamilo\Libraries\Platform\Translation;

/**
 *
 * @package
 *          core\repository\content_object\assessment_matching_question\integration\core\repository\content_object\assessment\display
 * @author Sven Vanpoucke <sven.vanpoucke@hogent.be>
 * @author Hans De Bisschop <hans.de.bisschop@ehb.be>
 * @author Magali Gillard <magali.gillard@ehb.be>
 * @author Eduard Vossen <eduard.vossen@ehb.be>
 */
class ResultDisplay extends AssessmentQuestionResultDisplay
{

    public function get_question_result()
    {
        $labels = array(
            'A',
            'B',
            'C',
            'D',
            'E',
            'F',
            'G',
            'H',
            'I',
            'J',
            'K',
            'L',
            'M',
            'N',
            'O',
            'P',
            'Q',
            'R',
            'S',
            'T',
            'U',
            'V',
            'W',
            'X',
            'Y',
            'Z');

        $configuration = $this->getViewerApplication()->get_configuration();

        $html = array();
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '	';
        $html[] = '' . Translation::get('PossibleMatches') . '	';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';

        $label = 'A';
        $matches = $this->get_question()->get_matches();
        foreach ($matches as $i => $match)
        {
            $html[] = '
';
            $html[] = '' . $label . '.	';

            if ($this->get_question()->get_display() == AssessmentMatchingQuestion::DISPLAY_LIST)
            {

                $object_renderer = new ContentObjectResourceRenderer($this->getViewerApplication(), $match);
                $html[] = '' . $object_renderer->run() . '	';
            }
            else
            {
                $html[] = '' . strip_tags($match) . '	';
            }
            $html[] = '
';
            $label ++;
        }

        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';

        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '	';
        $html[] = '' . Translation::get('Option') . '	';
        $html[] = '' . Translation::get('YourMatch') . '	';

        if ($configuration->show_solution())
        {
            $html[] = '' . Translation::get('Correct') . '	';
        }

        if ($configuration->show_answer_feedback())
        {
            $html[] = '' . Translation::get('Feedback') . '	';
        }

        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';

        $answers = $this->get_answers();

        $options = $this->get_question()->get_options();
        foreach ($options as $i => $option)
        {
            $valid_answer = $answers[$i] == $option->get_match();

            $html[] = '
';

            $label = $i + 1;
            $html[] = '' . $label . '. 	';

            $object_renderer = new ContentObjectResourceRenderer($this->getViewerApplication(), $option->get_value());
            $html[] = '' . $object_renderer->run() . '	';

            if ($configuration->show_correction() || $configuration->show_solution())
            {
                if ($valid_answer)
                {
                    $result = ' getImagePath(__NAMESPACE__, 'AnswerCorrect') .
                         '" alt="' . Translation::get('Correct') . '" title="' . Translation::get('Correct') .
                         '" style="" />';
                }
                else
                {
                    $result = ' getImagePath(__NAMESPACE__, 'AnswerWrong') .
                         '" alt="' . Translation::get('Wrong') . '" title="' . Translation::get('Wrong') . '" />';
                }
            }
            else
            {
                $result = '';
            }

            if ($answers[$i] == - 1)
            {
                $html[] = '' . Translation::get('NoAnswer') . $result . '	';
            }
            else
            {
                $html[] = '' . $labels[$answers[$i]] . $result . '	';
            }

            if ($configuration->show_solution())
            {
                $html[] = '' . $labels[$option->get_match()] . '	';
            }

            if (AnswerFeedbackDisplay::allowed(
                $configuration,
                $this->get_complex_content_object_question(),
                true,
                $valid_answer))
            {
                $object_renderer = new ContentObjectResourceRenderer(
                    $this->getViewerApplication(),
                    $option->get_feedback());
                $html[] = '' . $object_renderer->run() . '	';
            }

            $html[] = '
';
        }

        $html[] = '
';
        $html[] = '
';

        return implode(PHP_EOL, $html);
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


It seeks compensation for residents of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover who were forced to evacuate after the explosions Thursday but didn't suffer injuries or damage to their homes.
Columbia Gas didn't immediately respond to an email Tuesday.
Moody's Investor's Service says the gas explosions and fires in Massachusetts are likely to damage the finances of Columbia Gas and its parent company.
Moody's also predicted a more "contentious" regulatory relationship in the future, noting the event was already being politicized, with Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's decision to put another utility in charge of restoration efforts.
Moody's noted that shareholders of Pacific Gas & Electric were forced to fund $4 billion in costs and penalties after a 2010 gas pipeline explosion killed eight people and destroyed 38 homes in San Bruno, California.
One person died and more than two dozen were hurt in last week's explosions and fires.
The Republican governor said the Greater Lawrence Disaster Relief Fund will help residents of the three communities with food, housing and other immediate needs as they recover from last Thursday's fires that killed one and injured two dozen others.
The information was in a letter from the state's U.S. senators to the heads of Columbia Gas, the company that serves the communities of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover, and NiSource, the parent company of Columbia Gas.


text:
Follow @inafried
Recent Posts by Ina Fried
Apple Previews iOS 6, Mountain Lion, Debuts New Laptops, but No "One More Thing" (Video)
June 11, 2012 at 8:00 am PT
The banners are up, the stage is set and it's almost time for the curtain to come up on the next crop of Apples.
While most of Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference is for developers' eyes only, Monday's keynote speech is open to the press, and is typically the place where Apple makes some of its most important platform announcements of the year. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company is expected to, at a minimum, outline the next versions of both the Mac OS, known as Mountain Lion, and iOS.
The new iOS should include, among other things, an Apple-developed mapping service. Also on the expected list for WWDC are integration with Facebook and new Mac hardware.
WWDC is the first of several developer events this month, with Microsoft holding a Windows Phone Summit on June 20, and Google's I/O conference a week after that. It also marks the first WWDC since the passing of Steve Jobs, who died last year.
Live coverage (earlier):
8:25 am: We have arrived at Moscone West for WWDC 2012. Doors haven't yet opened, but we will update as soon as they do.
8:33 am: Upstairs, outside the auditorium, are two banners concealed by black draping. Consensus in the crowd is that they're promos for a new tentpole maps application and the refreshed Mac line.
9:33 am: Okay. We survived the stampede of press rushing for a good seat. It's nice to see some things never change. Still half an hour until showtime.
As is typical, the Apple online store is closed, only to magically reopen in a couple hours touting whatever it is Apple is about to show off.
9:54 am: Wireless networks getting overloaded. Switching to one of several contingency plans.
10:00 am: Music plays down. Smattering of applause. Lights dim.
"Hello and Welcome to WWDC," Siri says via video.
And today I was asked to warm up the crowd which should be easy since the high is going to be 75 degrees.
She then tells jokes about Facebook, Instagram, Samsung and Android.
How many developers does it take to change a lightbulb?
None. It's a hardware problem.
Ice Cream Sandwich. Jelly Bean. Who makes up these code names. Ben and Jerry?
10:02 am: Siri ends her stand-up routine. CEO Tim Cook takes the stage, opening Apple's 23rd WWDC, which Cook notes is older than many people in the crowd.
10:03 am: Cook rattling off some WWDC stats. There are over 1,000 Apple engineers at the conference.
"We closed Apple for the week."
10:04 am: Cook starts with updates, following Apple's well-worn keynote script.
App Store: 400 million accounts.
650,000 apps, including 225,000 apps optimized for iPad.
Cook announces that 30 billion apps have now been downloaded.
"This is a number that is so mind-boggling," Cook said, adding that Apple has paid out $5 billion to developers.
"It's becoming an economy in and of itself," Cook said. Apple is adding 32 more countries where the App Store is doing business, bringing its total to more than 150.
10:07 am: Cue a video on some of those apps …
Among the apps highlighted is a GPS navigation program for blind people.
Airbnb's iPhone app is highlighted, showing how a treehouse rental place in Vermont uses it.
10:14 am: For you Apple stock watchers, shares have been trading up about 1 percent today at around $586 a share. We'll see how things move once Apple gets into the heart of things.
10:15 am: Video wraps, Cook is back, thanking developers for all the incredible apps.
"We love giving you a platform and a store to realize all of your dreams," Cook said.
10:16 am: Cook previews today's announcements: new laptops, preview of new iOS and Mac OS updates.
Invites Phil Schiller to announce new laptops.
10:17 am: First up, updates to MacBook Air.
"Everyone is trying to copy it," Schiller said of the MacBook Air. "But they find it is not so easy."
New MacBook Airs will add third-generation "Ivy Bridge" core chips from Intel running at up to 2GHz. Flash storage can now be as much as 512 gigabytes, twice as much as the prior maximum.
Also adds USB 3, which can be up to 10 times faster. Adding a higher-resolution 720P Web cam.
The 11-inch model will come in two variants, $999 and $1,099 — $100 less than before.
The 13-inch model will come in $1,199 and $1,499 models, also $100 less.
All those models will start shipping today.
10:21 am: Next up, update to MacBook Pro.
It will also get Intel Ivy Bridge chips, up to a 2.7GHz quad-core chip, with faster graphics, including the option of an Nvidia discrete graphics card. It's all USB 3 compatible as well.
The 13-inch comes in $1,199 and $1,499 versions. The 15-inch model is offered in $1,799 and $2,199 versions, all with quad-core chips.
The MacBooks are still considerably heavier than the Air at .95 inches thick and more than 5 pounds.
10:23 am: But … Schiller is making room on the slide for a new laptop family.
Schiller notes that Apple has been asking its engineers to rethink the MacBook Pro and what it could get rid of and what it could add.
Next generation should have a dramatically better display, discard some legacy and be much thinner and lighter.
Here it is, Schiller turns it on.
"It is the most beautiful computer we have ever made," Schiller said.
It's not quite as thin as the MacBook Air, but way thinner than traditional MacBooks.
It's 0.71-inches thin, weighs 4.46 pounds.
10:27 am: That screen. Yep, it's a "Retina display," Apple's term for a screen where, from a normal distance, users can't see individual pixels.
The screen is 2880×1800 pixels, that's more than the prior MacBook Pro and more than 5 million pixels total.
10:29 am: OS X apps, including Mail and Safari, have been updated to take advantage of the screen.
Apple's pro apps, including Aperture, also being updated to take advantage of display.
Final Cut Pro also being upgraded with 1080P video taking up only part of the screen, even at full resolution.
So what's on the inside of the next-generation MacBook Pro?
It's dominated by the battery pack, to power all those pixels. Intel quad-core i7 processor, up to 2.7Ghz, up to 16GB of memory. Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics. Up to 768GB of internal flash storage.
Up to 7 hours of battery life, Schiller said.
Ports: SD Card slot, HDMI, USB 3, MagSafe2 (had to be smaller to fit the thinner design), two Thunderbolt ports.
10:35 am: Legacy connectors can run over Thunderbolt through an adaptor, including Ethernet and FireWire. (So, no built-in ports for those.)
Dual microphones as well.
10:36 am: Cue the video, starring Jony Ive.
10:36 am: Guessing this is going to be one pricey laptop.
Ive notes there is no separate cover glass on the display, which is built into the unibody aluminum casing.
Ive noting some other interesting design points, such as the fact that, while it does have a fan, the blades are placed at different intervals, rather than uniformly spaced. The result is the sound is spread out over different frequencies.
Key point Ive is making is that Apple continues to custom build its products rather than using off-the-shelf parts.
10:42 am: Here we go with the specs. Starts at $2,199 for an 8GB memory model with 256GB of flash storage, with pricier options available.
It will start shipping today.
10:44 am: Next up, Mac OS X.
Onstage is Apple's Craig Federighi talking about Mountain Lion, next version of Apple's laptop and desktop operating system.
Mountain Lion has more than 200 new features, Federighi said, though Apple plans to show off only eight of them today.
First up, iCloud.
Mountain Lion will add iCloud-connected Reminders, Notes and Messages apps as well as support for iCloud-synced documents.
10:49 am: Next up is Messages, the chat app that supports iMessage and other IM protocols.
10:51 am: Apple is also, as previously announced, bringing the notification idea over from iOS. Mountain Lion's notification center will offer both banners and alerts, as does iOS.
10:53 am: Banners go away, Alerts don't until you dismiss them. There's also an option to turn off notifications when you don't want to be interrupted. Plus, if you connect to a projector, notifications will turn off automatically.
"We're bringing dictation to the Mac," Federighi said. Anywhere you can type, you can talk.
10:53 am: A new sharing options menu comes up within Mountain Lion that allows you to Tweet or post to Flickr, for example, from throughout the system.
10:54 am: A new version of the Safari browser has a faster javascript engine along with a unified search bar, including a top hit and matches from bookmarks or browsing history.
Safari has iCloud tabs that let you see open pages across various devices. (Google is taking a similar approach with Chrome for Android.)
There are also new gestures for moving from tab to tab.
10:59 am: Another new feature is Power Nap.
Power Nap keeps Mac up to date while it sleeps. Fetches email and photo stream. Can also backup to Time Capsule and fetch app and system updates. It works on recent Mac Book Airs and the new Retina-display-equipped next-generation MacBook Pro.
11:02 am: AirPlay mirroring makes it easier to share a screen with a TV or projector.
Another feature Apple is bringing over from iOS is Game Center.
Game Center will support interactive games between Macs or even between Mac and iOS.
11:04 am: Craig Federighi brings out "Mr. X," a driver in full racecar gear to compete in CSR racing. Game coming out this summer for iOS and Mac.
Federighi lost by a nose.
11:06 am: Screen with other 200 features, including Launchpad search, VIP contacts in mail, offline reading lists, specific features for China.
"The Mac has been growing fantastically well in China," Federighi said. Mountain Lion will bring support for Baidu as search option, sharing to Sino Weibo, new fonts and input means and connections to China's top email services.
There will also be some 1,700 programming interfaces that developers can connect into, Federighi said.
Coming out next month via Mac App Store for $19.99 (Lion was $29.99).
That price covers all Macs and includes upgrade from Snow Leopard or Lion. Upgrades will be free for those buying a new Mac now and there is a near-final developer preview being given to developers at WWDC.
11:09 am: Scott Forstall takes the stage to talk iOS.
11:09 am: Forstall presents a pie chart showing more than three-fourths of customers running iOS 5, as opposed to a single-digit percentage of Android users on the latest Ice Cream Sandwich version of that operating system.
11:12 am: As expected, Apple announces iOS 6, next version with more than 200 new features, including updated Siri.
11:13 am: Siri "has been studying up and learning a lot more," Forstall said.
Among her new tricks, she's now a sports nut. "What was the score of the last Giants game?"
"The Giants were downed by the Rangers yesterday; the final score was 5 to 0," she says, displaying a box score.
You can also ask a player's batting average or get standings.
11:15 am: Siri also knows about basketball and football.
Words can hardly describe how excited Kara Swisher is about this.
11:15 am: Siri has also learned more about restaurants, including average prices and other information. Apple has partnered with Yelp to include reviews and with OpenTable to make reservations.
11:17 am: Siri can also tell you what movies are playing, show a trailer and reviews from Rotten Tomatoes.
Siri can also launch apps, a feature that draws applause from the crowd.
"Play Temple Run," Forstall said, with Siri launching the popular game.
"Those are just a few of the things that Siri has learned," Forstall said.
You can also tweet and listen to notifications. Siri is also working with a number of car manufacturers to add a button to steering wheels to power a new "eyes-free mode" in which the iPhone doesn't even turn its screen on. Several car makers have committed to shipping vehicles with this feature in the next 12 months.
11:20 am: With iOS 6, Siri will get Canadian English and French.
"Eh," Forstall said.
Adding Spanish tuned for Spain, Mexico and U.S.
Adding Italian and Swiss Italian, French and German.
Also getting Korean, Mandarin tuned for Taiwan, Cantonese tuned for Hong Kong and Mandarin and Cantonese tuned for mainland China.
Local search, which had been U.S.-only, will also work internationally.
Siri will also work on the new iPad.
11:22 am: Facebook integration.
"We have been working very closely with Facebook," Forstall said.
Can login once and post to Facebook from Safari, Maps and Photos as well as be logged in to Facebook for third-party apps.
Facebook also integrated with Siri so you can talk. Facebook integration is a public API so developers can more easily do their integration.
You can "Like" apps and see which apps your friends like and also do that with music and movies in the iTunes store.
11:24 am: iOS 6 also bringing enhancements to that little-used "phone" feature.
With iOS 6, a new control with incoming calls lets you reply with a message or set a reminder to call that person later.
You can send an automated or custom reply and, with reminders, can be reminded at a set time or when they leave the area.
With iOS 6, Apple is adding a "do not disturb" feature.
Push notifications and texts will still come to the device, but won't light up the screen.
You also get fine-grain control over which phone calls get through. You can allow calls from favorites, another group or even anyone who calls twice in a three-minute period.
11:27 am: With iOS 6, Apple is finally allowing FaceTime over a cellular connection. Until now the video chat service has been Wi-Fi only.
Apple is also unifying phone number and Apple ID. Can answer call on iPad or Mac if you are both on FaceTime.
11:28 am: The iOS version of the Safari Web browser is also getting an update.
About two-thirds of mobile Web traffic comes from Safari, Forstall notes. New features include offline reading lists and the ability to upload photos from the iOS photo library to a Web site.
Developers can create a "smart banner" that allows users to go from a company's mobile Web site directly to that app.
11:30 am: Apple is tweaking Photo Stream, its fairly new service for syncing photos.
With iOS 6, Apple is allowing for the creation of shared photo streams. Choose a set of photos and who you want to share them with. You can share with iOS, Mac with iPhoto, a television with Apple TV or on the Web for those who have Windows computers.
11:32 am: With Mail in iOS 6, you can select certain people to be "VIPs." When mail comes in from those people, you can get a notification similar to when one gets a text message.
Other mail features include the ability to insert a photo while composing an email. (That had required a cumbersome process of starting a message from the Photos app.)
11:33 am: A new feature called Passbook makes it easier to store things like boarding passes, movie tickets or gift cards.
(There are some third party developers who create similar apps, so I expect there are a few frowny faces mixed in with the audible applause.)
Forstall's demo includes Starbucks gift card, Fandango movie tickets and United and Amtrak boarding passes.
When you delete a Passbook card, it goes through an animated shredder.
Passbook cards can be geotagged so your movie ticket pops up at the theatre.
You can also get a notification for a gate change.
11:37 am: A new Guided Access feature is designed to make iOS devices more accessible for those with disabilities.
Have been surprised how, for example, the iOS devices have been successfully adopted by kids with Autism. Guided Access allows certain options to be turned off in order to keep kids within a single app.
Single App mode allows for a variety of uses, such as a teacher locking students in a test or museums that offer guided tours or parents that want to hand over their phone.
11:39 am: With iOS 6, Apple has built "an entire new mapping system from the ground up," Forstall said.
The company is doing its own cartography, Forstall said, showing off new maps of Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Paris, Singapore, etc. …
11:39 am: Part of maps, Forstall said, is local search. Apple already has more than 100 million local listings, Yelp integration.
Apple is also building a traffic service with the incidents causing the delay overlayed. Includes anonymous, real-time crowd-sourced data from iOS users.
The next version of iOS will also have turn-by-turn navigation, a feature long missing or requiring a pricey third-party app.
Turn-by-turn will even work from the lock screen and is integrated with Siri. You can ask questions like "Where can I get gas?" and Siri will look for a convenient stop.
Kids can even ask "Are we there yet?" and Siri will do her best to answer that, too.
A feature called fly-over adds 3-D maps for some places.
11:43 am: Forstall demoing the new maps, including both 3-D and 2-D options, as well as a satellite view, in addition to fly-over, which allows a 360-degree three-dimensional view from different camera angles.
Lots of "oohs" and "aahs" from the crowd as Forstall shows a flyover of the Sydney, Australia, opera house.
11:48 am: Other iOS features include a "lost mode" where you can send a lost phone a phone number to call, such as a land line or spouse's phone number.
New developer hooks include support for transit apps (Apple isn't doing that itself in iOS 6) and support for new Passbook.
Beta of iOS 6 being given to developers today, Forstall said, with final version this Fall for iPhone 3GS and later versions, iPad 2 and the new iPad, as well as more recent iPod touches.
11:51 am: Tim Cook back onstage recapping announcements.
"They are perfect examples of what Apple does best," Cook said of the new products.
"The products we make, combined with the apps that you create can fundamentally change the world," Cook said. "Really, I can't think of a better reason of getting up in the morning."
11:53 am: Keynote wraps.
11:54 am: No "one more thing," though.
Connected iPads Offer a Bit of iCandy at WWDC
Scenes From a WWDC (Comic)
Apple's New Smart Case Has Got the iPad's Back
Looking for the Apple TV? Look in Front of You.
Siri Gets Smarter and Maps Get Fancier in iOS 6 (Video)
After Years of Courtship, Apple and Facebook Finally Hook Up
OS X Mountain Lion Gets Faster Browser, Facebook Integration
Apple Unveils New MacBook Air, Next-Generation MacBook Pro
Rounding Up the Apple Rumors Ahead of WWDC
Complete Apple coverage
Tagged with: Apple, Apple TV, iOS, iOS 6, iPhone, Mac, WWDC
Another Longtime Windows Exec Heads for the Exit as 2013 Draws to a Close
Veteran Microsoft Engineer Jon DeVaan Leaving After Almost 30 Years
BlackBerry's John Chen on What He Is Doing to Shake Up the Phone Maker
Bringing Inexpensive Mobile Access to Researchers in Antarctica
Investors Flock to Twitter, Like Facebook, as Year Draws to a Close
api-video/find_all_videos.asp&fields=id,videoStillURL,thumbnailURL,guid,video320kMP4Url,name,duration&count=4&doctype=128&type=allthingsd-section&query=Mobilized


text:
Best Buy Ups Stakes With Latest iPhone Trade-In Offer and Sprint, Verizon Deals on 5s
The retailer is guaranteeing a $200 trade-in for an iPhone 5, $150 for an iPhone 4s and $100 for the iPhone 4.
By Ina Fried@inafried May 8, 2014, 1:08pm EDT
Share All sharing options for: Best Buy Ups Stakes With Latest iPhone Trade-In Offer and Sprint, Verizon Deals on 5s
In what has become a key way to woo would-be iPhone buyers, Best Buy is offering its best-yet offer for those looking to trade in an existing Apple phone.
Through Sunday, Best Buy is guaranteeing those with a working iPhone 5 will get at least $200 in trade-in credit, while iPhone 4s owners will get $150 and iPhone 4 owners will get $100. Devices have to power on and be free of screen cracks and water damage.
The deals, combined with a $100 price drop on the iPhone 5s for Sprint and Verizon, mean that those signing up for a new contract on those carriers could actually get more for their old device than they need to pay for the new one. The AT&T iPhone 5s remains at the standard $199 price.
Earlier this spring, Best Buy offered a weekend of guaranteed $150 trade-ins for the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4s. Other big retailers have also banked on the high resale value of used iPhones to offer similar trade-in offers.


It won't be obvious to your customers, but drop shipping is a completely different way of fulfilling orders that relies a lot more on your vendors. This article quickly reviews the traditional retail fulfillment model and compares it to how drop shipments work.
You may have heard about sending drop shipments or running a dropshipping business, but what is dropshipping exactly?
Dropshipping lets you count your chickens first because you know they're going to hatch. In either the traditional fulfillment model or dropshipping, you'll require some sort of vendor to purchase your products from.
The difference is that the vendor in a dropshipping setup will be offering you additional services aside from just product. Not only will they store your products for you, but they will also take charge of the fulfillment and shipment for your orders.
The vendor maintains and pays for storage, so no inventory is kept on-hand by your business.
You don't manage inventory, so there's no need to calculate safety stock or reorder points.
Your business can offer a wider variety of products, since your capital isn't taken up by buying and storing products.
The vendor takes care of shipping, so you'll end up saving time by offloading the fulfillment.
The product takes a direct route from vendor to customer, instead of passing through your business first.
Dropshipping prices from vendors are higher because they're providing a service on top of their products, which means margins for dropshipping products are lower overall.
You'll rely a lot on your vendor so you're on the hook for their mistakes if product quality isn't up to par, or if the shipping goes out late.
The lower barrier of entry makes it a business model that's rife for competition.
What are you responsible for when dropshipping?
When it's done right, customers won't actually know that a business is using a drop shipping model for fulfilling their orders. Let's take the example of Archon Optical again.
Archon Optical actually manufactures most of their eye wear themselves. That's why they keep a detailed bill of materials for their products. However, during the summer time they send special promotional sunglasses to their customers as a "thank you" for purchasing in the past. Customers get an email with a site, visit it to select a color, choose a shipping option, and then wait for the sunglasses to arrive. When the free sunglasses arrive in the mail, as far as the customer knows, everything was done by Archon Optical.
But in the case of these promotional sunglasses, Archon Optical has one of their suppliers act as a drop shipper, so the two entities work closely to provide the customer with a cohesive and consistent experience.
In either case, all the customer sees is a box with Archon Optical's logo is on it, alongside their return address. From all accounts, that shipment will appear to be the same as a regular pair of glasses from Archon Optical. The company would create the marketing website for the sunglasses, track customer orders, provide support for questions about the sunglasses, and coordinator orders with the drop shipper. However, the fulfillment and shipping will all be done by the vendor, who acts as the drop shipper.
The drop shipping business model isn't right for everyone, but it is a very flexible option for instances when storage space and capital are tight, or if you see a market for something that isn't easily available in your area.
Did you know that inFlow Cloud can help you manage your drop shipments and customer sales, all in a single app?
All you need to do is start a sales order to indicate what your customer is buying. Then you can create a drop shipment in just two clicks and then email that PO to your vendor.
Want to speed up drop shipping with just one program? inFlow Cloud can help.


text:
Double Rooms: 20
Twin Rooms: 10
PPPN £70 to £290
PR2S £80 to £300
Contact: Reservations
Bridge of Orchy Hotel
Bridge of Orchy, Argyll
Bridge of Orchy Hotel offers outstanding accommodation in Bridge of Orchy. Situated in a spectacular Highland setting, we are ideal for an idyllic break away. Our hotel in Argyll has a range of luxurious facilities to make your stay as relaxing as possible.
We have a range of stylish and lavish rooms to choose from. Our double/twin rooms are newly refurbished and enjoy glorious countryside views. The Glen Orchy View annex are modern, beautifully decorated and boasts views towards Glen Orchy, Beinn Udlaidh and Beinn Bhreac-liath. Black Mount and River Orchy View annexe rooms are also available. The Orchy Cottage is a large room standing in its own grounds. It overlooks the historic bridge of Orchy and the surrounding mountains.
All the room comes with luxurious facilities: flat screen TV with a built in DVD player, tea and coffee making facilities and en suite facilities with White Company toiletries and fluffy towels. Some rooms come with a private decking and parking area. Wi-Fi is available in the public areas. All the rooms include a full Scottish breakfast.
Our contemporary restaurant offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. We cook each dish to order using fresh, locally sourced ingredients where possible. Our menu changes daily to ensure we make the most of some lovely seasonal produce. The serves an excellent selection of craft beers and whiskies.
We are on the West Highland Way, perfect for mountain bikers and skiers. Nearby there are the world class facilities of Glencoe and Fort William. Lots of great attractions are in the local area:
Glen Etive.
Caledonian Forest Reserve.
Glencoe Mountain.
Beinn Dorain.
Rates: From £70 to £290 per person per night based on a single.
From £80 to £300 per room per night based on two people sharing.
Disabled facilities.
Pets are welcome.
Dinner available.
Wi-Fi/internet.
4 Star Visit Scotland.
Booking enquiries for Bridge of Orchy Hotel
To make a reservation or to request more information about staying at Bridge of Orchy Hotel.
Contact Reservations on 01838 400208, don't forget to mention Hotels Available when calling, or fill in the form below.


Captain America, the comic book character created during World War II as a patriotic opponent of the Nazis, was killed by sniper bullets in a recent comic. What do you think?
"But who will avenge him? If only there were a group of 'avengers,' if you will, organized for that purpose."
"Yet another intelligence failure by S.H.I.E.L.D.. How many more screwups must we endure before Bush fires Executive Director Nicholas Fury?"
"Oh, man! Why are all the really cool assassinations wasted on make-believe people?"


text:
Scion iM is a "Corolla hatchback made by Scion"
I was reading through an AutoEvolution article on the Scion iM and something caught my eye. The author says that you can think of the Scion iM as "some sort of Corolla hatchback made by Scion, or a Toyota Matrix."
How does that sit with you? Does the idea of a Corolla hatchback made by Scion make it seem more attractive to you, or does it leave a bad taste in your mouth?
Scion iM Coming in 2015 Under $20K [Photo Gallery]
Filmore
Well whoever writes for autoevolution is either patently stupid or purposefully think.
"some sort of Corolla hatchback made by Scion, or a Toyota Matrix"
Well, the Matrix was always our Auris. Both never minced that they were in fact derivatives of Corolla's
On August 5, 2013, Toyota announced that it would end production of the Matrix for the US market after the 2013 Model Year due to declining sales, and that there were no plans to replace it with another vehicle, leaving this segment void for the near future.[43] A 2014 model was still offered for The Canadian market, with those assembled in Cambridge, Ontario by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada.[citation needed]. The Matrix was then discontinued in Canada, and no 2015 model was offered
Scion doesn't make anything, or do them employ their own clan of badge installers?
Besides, why should this leave a abd taste in anyones mouth, its plastered all over the site. Why does it leave a bad taste in YOUR mouth?
It doesn't really bother me that much, though the idea of rebadging on the whole isn't my favorite. Just new packaging on a old product. Its not the worst, I just appreciate brand new designs. They are more innovative almost be definition.
Gotcha said:
its not old product, its existing product. Brands behave differently in different regions. Auris as a true Toyota would eat into Corolla and possibly Rav4 and Camry, because of the space advantage...
Filmore said:
What do you mean by "space advantage?"
Patrick.S
he probably means the size of the auris/iM
cargo cap of Auris vs Cargo cap of Corolla. IF you can get a Corolla with Cargo cap similar to Rav4 why buy a Rav4? (if Cargo Cap is high on your list of needs, which it is for most buyers in segment)
So you think that the Rav4's only plus is that it has a bigger cargo capacity than others in the segment?
Veloist
Yes the iM is actually a Corolla hatchback...in fact the Austrailian model of the Auris is sold as the Corolla and even wears the same exact badge as our Corolla. Austrailian and Japanese models even have the same 2ZR-FE engine as the current and previous Corolla.
http://www.toyota.com.au/corolla
I think Toyota's strategy is to isolate the iM from the Corolla so that it doesn't have the negative association that usually comes about when driving a Corolla.
Although the plus is that there is a growing number of accessories that already exist for the Toyota Corolla AU/ Auris JP. I'd be interested in importing a few goods. There's already a TRD kit too, the Modellista kit isn't bad either.
Veloist said:
That's a good way to look at it, one which I can see really being part of their plan, starting fresh with a new name and 'new' vehicle gives them that sort of leverage and freedom, plus there's that need for being more enthusiast-focused... good way to divide the two... your average commuter and the more enthusiast-friendly version.
Discussion Starter · #11 · Dec 6, 2014
Is there a negative connotation with the Corolla? Sure it is an everyday kind of car, but I don't think of that as a bad thing. I guess people do not want a car that they know is a really common model.
Gotcha Dec 6, 2014