Yesterday, for the first time in 9 years, I emailed my psychiatrist and lied to him about being sick so that I could cancel my appointment. I don't remember the last time that I missed a session. He could tell I was lying and asked how I was doing emotionally, I wasn't doing particularly well at my last session two weeks ago, but I wouldn't budge and claimed it came on suddenly. I feel mad at therapy right now. I feel mad about everything right now. I feel like I should be better by now. Over the last month I've been slipping back into a super dark place. I won't deny that I made a shit load of progress but right now it feels like I haven't made any of it. I don't feel like I'm able to put the skills I know that I have to work right now. I don't want to. I'd just like to have some semblance of normal. Just a tad, without having to take medication for it or to have to go to see a psychiatrist or to have to tell myself a fuckton of mantras that I don't even believe anyway and I know saying I don't give a shit means that I give a shit but fuck me I'm so tired of trying. I went from being a person who overshared my life with almost everyone I would meet to being someone who hardly talks to even my closest friends. I keep everything all knotted up inside now and the rage and the anger becomes almost unbearable and I'm on this medication that is supposed to help with my fight or flight reflex and I don't think it's working, except for the drying my mouth out and giving me bad breath bit, but then again I think it might be and then I get scared thinking why do I still want to lash out in anger so severely why can I go for months at a time now and be sure as sure can be that I'm over something and then it still comes roaring back like it never left and I fall backwards for days. Or is this part of getting better? That when I do go down for the count is it harder now because I have had a lot of good? This feels different though, it feels old hat. It feels like it's been brewing. A while back my psychiatrist made a comment in regards to how when my depression gets to a certain level that I tend to use my suicidal thoughts as a go to . I was ready to hear that and I've been able to use it since he said it to mostly curb them. As soon as they come on I say to myself stop using these horrendous thoughts to torture yourself it's only a go to, knock it off dumb ass -- or something similar. This and learning forms of meditation were working for a while or so it seemed. I seem to have gone so inward that now I can't get out. I keep telling everyone that I'm fine and that it'll pass. I'm not fine but it probably will pass. But it's hard not to be disappointed in myself. I don't want to be throwing tantrums on Twitter or feeling so low and losery that I can't even run. That's when I know it's really bad, is when I don't want to run. Don't give two fucks that I haven't ran since Monday. I'm supposed to be pacing someone in a race tomorrow. Nope, won't be beating myself up AT ALL for letting my friend down, it isn't like I don't let my friends down ALL THE FUCKING TIME, because I suck at friends. That is actually part of my problem, part of where all of my pent up rage and shit is coming from. It's guilt because I let my depression win and rule my friendships and so I'm unreliable and I let people down and I won't let people in and so they give up because I make them, I don't give them another choice because I truly don't know how. ttp://gusgreeper.com Corinna Carlson thank you kindly for your supportive comments, they are always very much appreciated. Tod M We don't know each other well, but I follow your blog and Instagram. It DOES get better -- you know this. If tomorrow sucks, call it a day, make popcorn, crawl into bed, and watch bad TV. And try again tomorrow. {{HUGS}} ttp://twitter.com/EatsShootsEdits Steven Schwartz I for one have never and will never give up on you. I know the wonderful Corinna. I do not pressure you to spend time with you even though I miss you, because I know you are on a journey. Just know I am always here and always available for you. You do not have to be well or at your best for me to be your friend. Good or Bad,  healthy or ill you are my friend I put zero conditions on it. You have given me so much more than you know, I am a better person for being your friend. ttp://twitter.com/Kenzie20 Kenzie Someday, I am going to come to Canada, and you and I are going to have a long chat over coffee (or beers or whatever) about wanting to feel normal. And then afterwards we can go hide in a bookstore and read or something. *hugs*


Enjoy fun science experiments for kids that feature awesome hands-on projects and activities that help bring the exciting world of science to life. Make an Egg Float in Salt Water An egg sinks to the bottom if you drop it into a glass of ordinary drinking water but what happens if you add salt? The results are very interesting and can teach you some fun facts about density. What you'll need: One egg Water Salt A tall drinking glass Instructions: Pour water into the glass until it is about half full. Stir in lots of salt (about 6 tablespoons). Carefully pour in plain water until the glass is nearly full (be careful to not disturb or mix the salty water with the plain water). Gently lower the egg into the water and watch what happens. What's happening? Salt water is denser than ordinary tap water, the denser the liquid the easier it is for an object to float in it. When you lower the egg into the liquid it drops through the normal tap water until it reaches the salty water, at this point the water is dense enough for the egg to float. If you were careful when you added the tap water to the salt water, they will not have mixed, enabling the egg to amazingly float in the middle of the glass.


It is said that human resource professionals only look at a resume for an average of 30 seconds. So you only have 30 seconds to stand out from a crowd and make a great first impression! How do you do that? Here are a few pointers to get you started. Formatting While everyone seems to have their own personal opinion on format, the truth is really it's about the content. If you need help or a starting point, there are a number of websites that offer different templates and resume suggestions. Here are a few formatting suggestions: Keep it clear and concise -- use headings for your sections (ex. Experience, Education, etc.) and rather than paragraphs use bullet points to explain your experience For someone with a lot of experience, it is okay to have a two page resume -- if you haven't had a lot of experience, a one page resume is appropriate (if you have a CV or research background different guidelines apply) Layout can and should vary -- if you are a new graduate you should consider beginning with your education; if you are a professional with some good experience to showcase begin with that -- whichever way, be sure that each section is listed in reverse chronological order Unless references are asked for, do not include them on your resume -- also, it is not necessary to state 'References available upon request' at the bottom. Most employers will not hesitate to ask for references if they need them and including this statement on your resume is just stating the obvious Contact information A common mistake that is easy to avoid is an unprofessional e-mail address. Don't think that this is just students or young professionals; there are plenty of experienced professionals with inappropriate or unprofessional personal e-mail addresses as well. Also, include contact information that you can actually be contacted at. If you are currently in a job, we strongly advise that you do not give out your company e-mail or office phone number as contact information for prospective employers. You never know when an employer may contact you. Content Focus on measurables -- rather than providing the employer with a job description of past roles, focus on your accomplishments. Use statements that include action words, such as attract, make, save, etc. Examples of measurable statements: Grew sales by X% in a nine state territory to an annual sales revenue of $X Led X number of people in a department that oversaw the marketing of X number of products Successfully attracted X number of new customers within one year, an increase of X% to the overall customer database in the Eastern region Some people like to include a career objective or skills profile within their resume, while this is something that is not standard it can sometimes be helpful to quickly give a snapshot of abilities. If you choose to include something like this, be sure that it is tailored to the job that you are applying for. Using keywords in these introduction sections that have been featured in the job posting can be an easy way to catch an employer's interest. It can be difficult to know how far to go back in your work history. If you are a seasoned professional this can be particularly important to avoid any type of age discrimination. As a general rule, it is most appropriate to include the past 15 years of experience. As a young professional, if you have built up some good work experience, don't feel that you need to include your part time work from high school unless it directly relates to the position that you are interested in. If you are struggling for good work experience content, you can use your part time work and try to draw again on the measurable or business skills that you picked up. If you have a gap in your resume the best place to explain the reasons is in your cover letter. If it was a minimal amount of time you can sometimes cover these gaps by using years rather than months when including dates in your work experience. Resume databases If you post your resume to a database, there are things that can be done to get your resume recognized. First of all, be sure to keep your resume up-to-date. Many resume databases will remove or deactivate resumes that haven't been updated in three to six months. Use keywords within your resume that an employer might use to search for candidates with your qualifications and skills. You can use current job postings that may be of interest to you -- look at the words used in those and select a few keywords that you can use in your resume. Keywords can be incorporated into your resume in your past work experience and/or your career objective. While we hope you are happy in your current job and won't need your resume, it doesn't hurt to keep it fresh. Updating your resume is much easier as you go. For more information, contact AgCareers.com at agcareers@agcareers.com .


This year will be a boom year -- for scaremongering But before you start wondering what I'm "on" to make a comment like that, let me explain: I believe this is going to be a boom year for fright. There is no shortage of scary stuff in the media. Things like "House prices are unaffordable!"; "Property prices will crash"; "Europe's financial system will fall apart"; "Which economy will topple next?"; "It's China's turn for a property bubble"; "Will America go into recession again?"; "Britney Spears does it again!" Every year is a boom year Of course just about every year is a boom year for fright. As far back as I can remember there have always been scary stories in the media. And looking back over the years I have invested through many property slowdowns, share market crashes, periods of double-digit interest rates and periods when people thought housing was unaffordable or would never go up in value again. Yet despite all of this the value of my properties keeps doubling, allowing me to refinance and buy even more properties. Like I said, there's always bad news in the media. I remember in the late 1980s the cry was, "Don't buy houses... they can't go up in value. Your kids will never be able to afford them." Then there were similar headlines in late 2003 and predictions of our property markets collapsing in 2008. There always seemed to be scary headlines about a grim future that could have given me plenty of reasons not to invest in property. Before the global warming crisis there was an over-population crisis with politicians, environmentalist and economists predicting massive food shortages, rioting in the streets and an impending collapse of society. I even recall a panic about global cooling. Of course, the media gets more mileage out of this type of story. Journalists find it hard to get readers' interest reporting on the unemployment rate being well below the long-term average, an economy that is the envy of most nations, a resources boom the likes of which we haven't seen in a century and 19 years of continuous economic growth for Australia. This is boring. Take a long-term view As a property investor you need to take a long-term view and refuse to be scared by the next boogey man jumping out from behind the bushes. To be successful you need to step back and take a big-picture view. The fact is, this week somebody's getting married, somebody's looking forward to having a baby, somebody's getting promoted, somebody's getting transferred, somebody's getting divorced. A lot of people are happening to get rich. This year more than 150,000 new households will be formed in Australia and they are all going to have to live somewhere. Those who can't afford to buy will have to rent. This means the long-term fundamentals -- in fact the medium-term fundamentals -- for our property markets are very sound. And if you take a long-term perspective, you'll be able to spot and act on opportunities that arise this year, as many potential home buyers and investors get scared by this boom year for fright. Is this a year of opportunity? This could well be a year of opportunities for property investors who are willing and able to see the big picture. But remember: what you look for is what you see. If you look for bad news you'll find it. On the other hand if you look for opportunities, you will find them. And boy, are there opportunities out there at present. What determines property prices? While many factors, including supply and demand, affordability, interest rates and the economy, affect property values, I have observed: Short-term property price movements (one to three years) are usually determined by market sentiment (which is currently very low) Medium- to long-term property price movements are determined by two main factors: population growth and the wealth of the nation . Despite what some people would like, strong population growth in Australia is a given (to replace our ageing baby boomers) and as a matter of fact so is our increasing wealth. I don't think that anyone would argue that as a nation Australia will become wealthier over the next 15 years. Australia is well positioned to benefit from the growth of Asia, which represents 50% of the world's population. We have vast resources that will be required by our growing neighbours and we're at the beginning of the mother of all resources booms. However, rising property prices, decreasing affordability, changing sentiment and fluctuating supply were a volatile mix that caused our property markets to slump. And now we are in a buyers' market. But the funny thing is that buyers don't buy in a buyers' market -- yet smart investors do! They recognise that the current market presents them with a smorgasbord of opportunities and they step up and take advantage of them. I've found that when there's lots of bad news people believe times are going to be tough forever, just like when things are good people forget the bad times ever existed and think that things are going to remain good forever. Neither case is true! In fact during booms people are most confident when they should probably be the least confident, as things can't continue travelling at breakneck speed and above average rates of growth. Similarly, during the market slowdowns, things eventually turn around. Ironically, people have the least confidence when it's more likely that things are going to improve -- that is, when markets are near their lowest point. Now is the right time to educate yourself and get set to take advantage of the opportunities that this stage of the cycle presents. Yes, things have slowed, and property prices have fallen over the past 18 months. And they will continue to fall in some areas. But this is a normal part of the ups and downs of the property cycle. As always, while some people worry about the bad news and sit on the sidelines, astute investors will set themselves up for the next stage of the property cycle by purchasing well-located real estate. property observer Network partners Property Observer is Australia's number one property investment website for investors and savvy buyers, featuring property news , property information, market forecasts and expert commentary and analysis . Property Observer covers all aspects of real estate, including residential property and commercial property, throughout Australia and around the world. Property Observer offers everything you need to know about selling your house, buying a house and the property cycle, as well as tips on property management and when and how to invest in property.


Mark Twain is said to have remarked that a gold rush is a good time to be in the pick and shovel business. Investors may be able to apply that same bit of wisdom to the growing number of U.S. states that have legalized pot. Although federal law prohibits the sale or possession of marijuana, Massachusetts last week joined the ranks of states -- 18 plus Washington, D.C. -- that allow its use for people suffering from chronic illnesses like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. In Washington and Colorado, meanwhile, voters passed an initiative to allow pot for recreational use. How to invest in legalized Marijuana Several states made recreational use of marijuana last week, and there are several small-cap stocks that stand to gain from the drugs growing acceptance. Photo: AP. Those changes have kickstarted a small but fast-growing medical-marijuana industry, estimated to be worth about $1.7 billion as of 2011, according to See Change Strategy, an independent financial-analysis firm that specializes in new markets. In Colorado alone, sales topped $181 million in 2010, and the business employed 4,200 state-licensed workers, says Aaron Smith, executive director of the National Cannabis Industry Association , a nonprofit trade group that campaigns for marijuana's federal legalization. In addition to profiting itself from growing and selling marijuana, the industry benefits a slew of other businesses, such as insurers, lawyers and agricultural-equipment firms, experts say. "Call it the 'green rush,'" says Derek Peterson, CEO of GrowOp Technology, an online retailer of hydroponics -- products used in the cultivation of indoor plants -- and a subsidiary of OTC stock Terra Tech /quotes/zigman/8701126 /quotes/nls/trtc TRTC +1.19% . "The industry is expanding, and there are all kinds of investment opportunities." For regular investors looking to get in on the action -- and without having to actually grow or sell drugs -- there are several small-cap stocks that stand to gain from marijuana's growing acceptance. Medbox /quotes/zigman/7157004 /quotes/nls/mdbx MDBX -90.24% , an OTC stock with a $45 million market cap, for example, sells its patented dispensing machines to licensed medical-marijuana dispensaries. The machines, which dispense set doses of the drug, after verifying patients' identities via fingerprint, could potentially be used in ordinary drugstores too, says Medbox founder Vincent Mehdizadeh. Based in Hollywood, Calif., the company already has 130 machines in the field, and it expects to install an additional 40 in the next quarter. "The smart money is trying to help with compliance and transparency," Mehdizadeh says. Expelled U.S. Olympian: Yeah, I ate marijuana Nicholas Delpopolo becomes the first U.S. Olympian in London to be disqualified for failing a drug test. Of course, investing in drugs the federal government still outlaws poses enormous risks to investors, says Sam Kamin, a law professor and the director of the Constitutional Rights & Remedies Program at the University of Denver. In fact, nearly 500 of the estimated 3,000 dispensaries nationwide have either been closed by the federal government or shut down in the past year, says a spokesman for StickyGuide.com , an online directory and review site for medical marijuana dispensaries -- and yet another ancillary business that's currently seeking investors. That said, there are many companies that appear to be betting on a change in federal law. Steep Hill is a quality-control laboratory that tests medical marijuana to see if there's any contamination from mold, bacteria or harmful pesticides. The company, based in Oakland, Calif., is also actively seeking funding of up to $3 million. David Lampach, co-founder and president of Steep Hill, expects a federal law legalizing medical marijuana within the next decade. Cannabis Science in Colorado Springs, Colo. /quotes/zigman/11136879 /quotes/nls/cbis CBIS +2.33% , an OTC stock with a market cap of $41 million, is developing marijuana-based medicines to help cancer and HIV/AIDS patients. "We're at the beginning of the revolution in medicine," says CEO Robert Melamede. Other companies are creating a range of quirky products that allow people to use marijuana without smoking it. Medical Marijuana /quotes/zigman/548382 /quotes/nls/mjna MJNA -7.45% , an OTC stock with a $69 million market cap, based in San Diego, Calif., offers more than 50 ways to ingest marijuana , from Dixie Elixir soda to Dixie Chill ice-cream and a range of Dixie Edibles, like chocolate truffles and crispy rice treats. While experts say competition in the medical-marijuana business is growing fast, they add that there are also still plenty of opportunities for entrepreneurs. For example, Troy Dayton, president and CEO of ArcView Group , an angel investor network for the industry, says demand has been growing for handheld tobacco vaporizers like those made by Ploom (which charges $250 for its "premium loose-leaf vaporizer"). "There's a rush now to make the ideal vaporizer," Dayton says. "There's still room for a kingmaker in this space." In the meantime, at least one drug company is directly selling medical marijuana to patients around the world. GW Pharmaceuticals /quotes/zigman/286334 /quotes/nls/gwprf GWPRF +0.19% , based in London, markets Sativex, billed as the world's first marijuana-based medicine. With a market cap of around $137 million, it's listed on the Alternative Investment Market, a submarket of the London Stock Exchange. Sativex is currently sold as a mouth spray to help alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis in several countries, including the U.K., New Zealand, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Canada, a spokesman says, and it is currently seeking FDA approval in the U.S. for use as a pain reliever in late-stage cancer patients.


Study News Tuesday, 30th October 2012 One year down, three to go! We are now one year into our research study, and what a year it's been! Thanks to everyone who took part and helped us make the last year a successful step towards our mission of defeating dementia in Down's syndrome. But we're not quite there yet, and we have another three years to go before the project is finished! We've seen lots of people since we started, and 21 people have now been to Cambridge to have their brain scans. But we still need about 40 new people to help us! If you or someone you know is interested, we'd love to hear from you. This website contains all the information you need to get in touch, so we hope to hear from you soon! Until then, we'll keep you updated right here, so don't forget to stop by whenever you have a minute to see how we're getting on! Liam. Monday, 3rd September 2012 The Down's Syndrome Energy Study. It's been a busy summer here in Cambridge for the Down's syndrome research group . Almost 20 people have visited Liam and Tiina in Cambridge to have brain scans, and there are more on their way over the next couple of weeks! But we still need more people to come and help us, so please do get in touch if you're interested. It's also been a busy summer for Kate , who has been setting up a new Down's syndrome project. Kate wants to know why some people with Down's syndrome find it difficult to do exercise. She thinks that people with Down's syndrome might have problems with their mitochondria (click HERE to hear how this word sounds). These are like 'little energy factories' inside our cells which help us to make energy. Kate would like people with Down's syndrome to help with her research by coming to Cambridge and doing some exercise. If you would like to know more about Kate's study, you can click on HERE . I know she would love to hear from you! Thanks for keeping up to date with our study, and there'll be more news soon about how we're getting on with our work to defeat dementia in Down's syndrome! Liam. Friday, 6th July 2012 Full steam ahead! We're now well under way with our project, and Tiina and I have been very busy indeed since our last update. We've been plodding on through wind and rain, visiting people all over England. There are now 21 people who have volunteered for our study, and 12 of those people have already been to visit us at the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre in Cambridge. At this point, we'd just like to say a big thank you to all of those ladies and gentlemen who have helped us out so far, you've been fantastic! So now we are going full steam ahead, but the search for volunteers is still on! We need lots more people to help us complete our project, so if you're interested please get in touch, and help us to Defeat Dementia in Down's Syndrome! Liam Friday, 27th April 2012 A strangely dry spa day in Cambridge It has been another busy busy month for Liam and I. We have found ourselves driving by the beautiful scenery of The Cotswold landscape (not that we are complaining!) and explored the small towns of Suffolk and Norfolk counties. Unfortunately, we have mostly been accompanied by clouds and rain with an odd sunny day a week. So there has been even more reasons to shelter in the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre in Cambridge, where the kettle is always warm and the beds of the scanners are comfortable and welcoming. At least this is what we believe. We hope that the two individuals, who visited the brain imaging centre with us, feel the same. After all, they were the lucky ones who had a chance to relax on the comfy beds while listening to their favourite music..We hope it felt more like a strange dry spa break, now who wouldn't want that? Mmm (dreaming..) Tiina Thursday, 29th March 2012 Twelve is the magic number A warm welcome to our followers! It has been the most sunniest and warmest week in March -- I hope you all have had plenty of chances to soak up the sun! Liam and I, on the other hand, have been seeing the sun mostly through the windows of our car as we have been extremely busy with driving to visit our participants all across the eastern counties and beyond! Nevertheless, it is a great pleasure to announce that we have successfully recruited and consented 12 individuals with Down's syndrome, whom have very kindly agreed to help us with the study. We have been treated very well at our participants' homes and greeted with cakes, biscuits and tea -more than we would ever expect! So thank you very much for the families for being so kind to us and for giving us a chance to tell you, why we are so passionate about what we do. I take my hat off to you, the 12 participants and their families, for sharing our passion and for helping us Defeat Dementia in Down's Syndrome! Tiina Wednesday, 8th February 2012 The prologue Today is a happy day for our research team -- an article about 'Defeat Dementia in Down's Syndrome' study was published on Cambridge University website and in Business Weekly . In addition, Cambridge News and Disabled and Supportive Care (D&SC) magazine have also expressed interest in featuring the article. We are glad that we can bring public's attention to the importance of this research and to the implications the results of this study might have in the future. On the same happy note, we are glad to announce that we have officially moved into recruitment phase and have already consented two adults with Down's syndrome, whom have agreed to participate in this research! Hopefully, more people will be able to help us in the future towards our goal of defeating dementia in Down's syndrome!


Where are the ladies? where are the shadies? The Lizas, the Lotties and Lous? Where have they gone to? You know they want to All go in Revues Girls don't go off to work, all bus'ness now they shirk They've got in Revue On Revue there's now a run, if you'd like to go in one I'll tell you what to do Well, you've got to do this and you've got to do that If you want to get on in Revue Your Maudies and Bessies must wear pretty dresses And a dainty little shoe Plenty of ginger, snap your finger Let the Johnnies in the stalls get a view Have a smile on your face, show a little bit of lace If you want to get on in Revue. Flossie the Flapper was courting a Sapper Who from the front came home on leave And without any warning, he found that she'd gone in A Revue called 'I'VE SOMETHING UP MY SLEEVE' The first night that he got back, To the stage door he made a track To see his little Flossie, but he sighed For he found another battalion there Waiting for his Flossie fair When he said 'What's your game?' she calmly replied, 'Well, you've got to do this and you've got to do that If you want to get on in Revue The night may be 'parky' when a nice young man in Khaki Says, 'Come in my Lotus for a mile or two' If it's fine or if it's raining, remember he's in training 'Sit with me at the back' he'll say to you 'It's as soft as a sofa' but you're safer with the chauffeur If you want to get on in Revue.'


Majority in U.S. Still Say Government Doing Too Much But fewer Americans now say government has too much power by Frank Newport PRINCETON, NJ -- A majority of Americans (54%) continue to believe the government is trying to do too many things that should be left to individuals and businesses, although that is down from the record high of 61% earlier this summer. About four in 10 Americans (39%) say the government should do more to solve the nation's problems. Only a few times in Gallup's 20-year history of asking this question has a higher percentage of Americans said the government should do more to solve the nation's problems than said the government is doing too much. Two of these were in the fall of 1992 and again in early 1993, as Bill Clinton ran for and took office as president. Another was in October 2001, just after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and at a time when Americans were especially supportive of government and its efforts to help the nation recover from the attacks and retaliate against those who were responsible. Americans have been most likely to say the government was attempting to do too much during the middle years of the Clinton administration, and in recent years during the Obama administration. These data were collected as part of Gallup's annual Governance survey, conducted Sept. 6-9, which overlapped the end of the Democratic convention. Other Gallup measures from this poll, including satisfaction with the way things are going in the U.S. , were more positive this year than previously, suggesting that the convention may have made at least temporary changes in Americans' perceptions. Major Partisan Divide on Appropriate Role of Government The appropriate role of government in addressing the nation's problems is one of the most divisive issues in this year's presidential election. President Barack Obama tends to support the idea that government should do more to address the country's problems, while Mitt Romney generally takes the opposite view. It is thus no surprise to find large partisan differences in Americans' views on the appropriate role of government. Two-thirds of Democrats think government should do more, while an even larger percentage of Republicans say government is doing too much that should be left to individuals and businesses. More than six in 10 independents agree that the government is doing too much. Fewer Say Government Has Too Much Power A separate question in the Sept. 6-9 poll asked Americans to characterize the scope of government power. Americans are now basically split between those who say the federal government has too much power and those who say it has either the right amount of or too little power. This marks a change from the last two years; 57% last year and 59% in 2010 said the government has too much power. Gallup first asked this question in September 2002, and found a majority of Americans saying the government had about the right amount of power -- no doubt a legacy of the strong support the government and government institutions received after the 9/11 terrorist attacks of the previous year. By September 2005, however, these views had flipped, and more Americans said the government had too much power than felt its power was about right -- and this has been the case each year since. Partisans' views on the government's power are related to which party is in power. Republicans have been much more likely to agree that government has too much power since 2009, under a Democratic president, while they were comparatively less likely to say the government had too much power from 2002 through 2008, under a Republican president. The fact that Democrats for most of the Bush administration were more likely than Republicans to say the government had too much power probably reflected Democrats' negative views on government power in the Bush years in terms of fighting terrorism, the Patriot Act, and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Once Obama took office, however, these partisan views changed, and Republicans' concern about government power overtook Democrats'. This partly reflects Republicans' views on the role of government spending and government power in domestic and economic affairs. Bottom Line Americans continue to say the government is attempting to do too much that should be left to individuals and businesses, and about half say the government has too much power, while the rest say that its power is about right or that it has too little power. These views have moderated somewhat compared with prior surveys, most likely as a result of the apparently successful Democratic convention, which resulted in changes in a number of Gallup trends. Republicans are much more likely to say the government is doing too much and has too much power than are Democrats, underscoring one of the most meaningful partisan and ideological divides facing the country today -- and one that will continue to play out in the presidential campaign this fall. Sign up to get Election 2012 news stories from Gallup as soon as they are published. Survey Methods Results for this Gallup poll are based on telephone interviews conducted Sept. 6-9, 2012, with a random sample of 1,017 adults, aged 18 and older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the maximum margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points. Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones and cellular phones, with interviews conducted in Spanish for respondents who are primarily Spanish-speaking. Each sample includes a minimum quota of 400 cell phone respondents and 600 landline respondents per 1,000 national adults, with additional minimum quotas among landline respondents by region. Landline telephone numbers are chosen at random among listed telephone numbers. Cell phone numbers are selected using random-digit-dial methods. Landline respondents are chosen at random within each household on the basis of which member had the most recent birthday. Samples are weighted by gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, region, adults in the household, and phone status (cell phone only/landline only/both, cell phone mostly, and having an unlisted landline number). Demographic weighting targets are based on the March 2011 Current Population Survey figures for the aged 18 and older non-institutionalized population living in U.S. telephone households. All reported margins of sampling error include the computed design effects for weighting and sample design. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls. For more details on Gallup's polling methodology, visit www.gallup.com . Click below to get more stories, RSS feeds, and e-mail alerts on these topics:


Ted walked into the pet store. With no hesitation, he opened the front door (the cow bell on the handle ding-a-ling-a-linged), marched past the cockatoo perched by the door ("Hello, I'm not for sale!" it cackled), past the various assorted reptiles and birds (the 2 dozen parakeets were extremely noisy!), past the adorable puppies playing tug-of-war in the makeshift playpen (they wagged their tails but couldn't understand why he didn't stop and at least pet them), and went straight up to the rodent section. He ignored the hamsters (which all left their wheels and tunnels and hid in their plastic houses), guinea pigs (whose squeals sounded not unlike a pig's), and the bunnies (which simply sat and started at him). Instead, Ted simply stood directly in front of a large, metal cage full of very fuzzy animals with ears that looked like a cross between a mouse and a bunny; short, coarse-but-fuzzy tails; small little front paws that looked remarkably like little hands; back feet like a tiny kangaroo; and big black eyes. In short, these animals had the face of a guinea pig, the body of a rabbit, and the tail of squirrel. They were chinchillas. Most of them were gray, although one of them was white with a gray tail. Ted stood in front of the cage. He didn't bend over and examine the cute, cuddly creatures, or try to pet them, or anything. He simply stood there and stared at them. He crossed his arms impatiently. Eventually, a store employee realized that this person wasn't "just looking", but was waiting for assistance. The employee walked over to Ted and asked: "Can I help you?" Ted looked up, reacting as many customers do - like nothing was really wrong: "Oh, yes, I would like to purchase a chinchilla. The white one, please." The employee hesitated. "Well, you can't simply pick out a chinchilla. They're very finicky animals, and although these are all handled since birth, and therefore very tame, each one won't like just anybody." Ted repeated, firmly, "I want the white one." "Again, you can't just pick a chinchilla. The chinchilla actually has to pick you." "Hm." Ted bent over and looked into the cage. The chinchillas all turned and looked at him. "Well," Ted said, "I guess I can deal with that. But I'm confident that one way or another, the white one and I will wind up together." "Okay..." In his mind, the employee began to question Ted's motives. He shook his head. This was his job, it didn't matter what he thought of a customer. "Well, let me open the cage for you, and you can put your hand in. It may take a moment, as the different chins may come up and sniff you, maybe even nibble you, but the one that stays the longest or jumps onto your hand will be your chinchilla." Ted didn't respond, so the employee opened the cage. Ted put his hand in the cage, close to the floor, palm facing up. Like the employee said, the various chinchillas (including the coveted white one) hopped, walked, and otherwise made their way to his hand, and began sniffing him. They began sniffing and nibbling all up and down his arm and hand, more and more. Soon every chin in the cage was standing on whatever part of Ted they could find, sniffing him, and making very quiet squeaking noises. Ted's eyes were wide, but he didn't move a muscle. He look over at the store employee. His eyes were just as wide, his eyebrows raised. He shook his head, raising his hands in confusion. "I don't know, this has never happened before." "Well," Ted said, "can you simply remove some of them? Surely if you make some of them move, only some of them will stay." The employee gently reached his arm through the small cage door, next to Ted's arm, and tried pushing some of the chins. They all resisted, but some of them sort of fell off. They immediately got back on. The employee kept brushing them off, but they kept getting back on. The employee got more aggressive, but to no avail. This ritual continued for about 5 minutes until he finally gave up. He threw up his arms. "I don't know what to do! This doesn't make any sense!" Ted tried to withdraw his arm, but there were so many chins that they were pushing against the cage bars. So Ted pulled harder, and they started falling off, but they kept trying to scramble back on. So Ted simply yanked his arm out, and the store employee quickly closed the door. Ted stood straight up for moment, looking down at the normally docile creatures as they began to gnaw on the bars in their crazed desire to get to Ted. Ted looked at the employee, then turned around, and marched out the door. Past the adorable puppies, past the assorted reptiles and noisy birds, past the big cockatoo (which cackled "Goodbye! If you come back I'm still not for sale!"), and out the door, the cow bell of which jangled angrily. The store employee simply stood there, staring after him. He turned and looked at the chins. They had quickly, surprisingly, calmed down, back to normal. They were going about their quiet ways, eating, chewing on cardboard, and climbing around the different parts of the cage. He shook his head. "Maybe my intuition wasn't wrong about that guy after all..." I wish there was a mountain high enough that I could climb up to the stars and bring one home for you. Norm turned on his all-house music system. He needed something to help him focus while he worked, and although he would be working primarily in the study, he wanted to take advantage of this one opportuniy he had to play HIS music over the sound system. Normally, his wife and kids would insist on playing that cheesy country music throughout the whole house, and there was nothing he could do about it - he was outvoted! This time, however, the family was visiting his parents-in-law, and he was going to play what he wanted. He grumbled. He paid good money for this system, and did all the work himself to install it, and he never even got to use it. He put in the soundtrack to that new thriller movie that he saw with his guy friends (his wife refused to watch it with him - she thought it looked like a stupid movie). It starred two popular actors, a man and a woman, as they awoke from cryogenic sleep to find themselves in an country theu didn't recognize, and then trekked across a foreign, post-apocalyptic landscape filled with unknown terrors and paranoid groups of human survivors. Norm really like the soundtrack, because, for the most part, it was very ambient in nature, and provided a unique atmosphere for getting thought-intensive work done. The music began with the swell of an orchestral string section, then shifted into a brooding, slow-moving piece accompanied by ambient piano and harp. He spread out the paperwork from his big work assignment across his desk in a very organized fashion. He didn't sit down in his cushy office chair, but instead leaned on the desk with both of his hands, intently studying the notes and figures on the paper. An hour later, the papers were scattered chaotically, and some of them were on the floor or in the wastebasket. Norm was sitting in the chair with his left elbow on the desk and his left hand on his forehead. In his right hand was one of the papers, which was completely filled with pencil scribbles that had erased, re-written, and then erased again. The movie soundtrack was in the midst of a moving piece that accompanied a scene in which the main characters were being chased by wolfmen and vampires. Norm was seriously considering taking a break when this track was over, so when the hammered percussive section died away into tense, sustained string chords, he set down the paper he was holding with a sigh. He spun his chair around, stood up, and stretched. He was in the middle of a big yawn when he heard a strange noise in the living room. It sounded remarkably like a door being shut, which didn't make any sense, because his family was gone and no one else had a key to the door, which was always kept locked. He froze, and slowly put his arms down. He peeked his head arouund the corner of the room's doorframe, and he heard the noise again. He slowly looked down both ends of the hallway, but didn't see anything. He heard the noise again. It seemed to be coming from the living room, where the door to the house was. Was someone trying to break in? Quietly, Norm grabbed the wooden baseball bat that Norm always kept in the study, even though his family never understood why. Then, while the movie soundtrack continued continued to play its tense, subtle music throughout the house, he began to tiptoe down the hall towards the living room. The noise started happening more frequently now, like whoever it was who may be trying to break in was becoming more frantic, more determined. Norm's heart was pounding in his ears, almost in time to the now building music that he was only barely aware of. He clutched the bat tighter in his hands as he emerged from the hallway and into the main room of the house. The TV was off, and so were all the lights, except for the one directly above the front door. The sound had stopped, but now he heard something rustling by the door. He couldn't tell for sure, but he thought it was coming from the bush just outside the door. He swallowed and moved closer to the door. He'd never encountered a burglar before, but he wasn't about to let one break into his house. The music was almost at its highest point now, with every string instrument (and even parts of the horns and percussion) playing repeated notes in a steady rhythm, getting louder and louder. Norm reached a trembling hand out to grasp the door handle. Just as the music built to a deafening crash, a small, black figure dashed out from behind the couch and leapt at Norm's face. Norm fell backwards, dropping his bat. The figure was behind him now. He whipped around and saw - Inque, the family housecat. The cat was playing with her catnip mouse, which would explain why she was acting in such a strange manner. She was jumping and clawing at invisble things at the air while she still held the mouse in her mouth. Norm swore. He clambored to his feet, grabbed the nearest throw pillow off the couch, and threw it at the cat. The cat retreated into a back room of the house. Still breathing heavily, Norm picked up the bat and trudged back to the study. The CD player built into the wall had ejected the soundtrack CD, as it always did when it finished playing something. Norm stared at it for a moment. He picked up the CD, and then the CD's case that had been sitting on the desk. He studied them both for a moment, then threw them in the trash. Whether you agree or disagree with Casey Anthony's verdict, why don't you pray for her and her family and the loss of an innocent little girl, rather than name calling? It's done, you can't change the verdict. She's obviously a soul in need of saving. But you can pray, that's something you CAN do. Bob, Dan, and Ken are riding in a car down the interstate. Bob is driving, Dan is in the passenger seat, and Ken is in the back seat on the driver's side. As they're driving, they run into construction. It doesn't really slow them down, but Ken is rather keen on the concrete barriers bordering the road. "Those barriers have weird flixible thingies attached to them," he said, indicating the yellow, plastic objects sticking up about 3 feet in the air. They were attached every foot or so. Dan cocked an eyebrow. "I bet it would be real fun to stick your arm out and hit them," he said. "Well it just so happens we have one!" Dan said, grinning. "My hiking stick, it's sticking up in the back!" Ken unbuckled himself and clambered over the back seat, reaching into the station wagon's hatch. "Oh no you don't!" Bob insisted. He tried to find an opening to move into the right lane, but it was filled with other cars, the drivers of whom seemed oblivious to his turn signal. "We're probably breaking at least a dozen traffic laws right now," he muttered. Ken managed to grab the hiking stick from the back, and, much to Bob's chagrin, he stuck it out the back window, holding it by its molded rubber handle to maximize grip and reach. The plastic guards began to slap against the stick, making a very noisy rhythm, and waving in the stick's wake. Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere (as they usually are), blue and red lights lit up behind them. Bob groaned. "Oh no..." Despite the busy traffic in both lanes, Bob managed to navigate across to the right side of the interstate, rolled to a stop, and put his window down. Ken had reluctantly rolled up his window after retracting his plastic-smacking stick. After the police car stopped behind them, there was an indeterminate length of time which seemed much longer than it needed to be, and then a husky, brim-hatted officer walked up to the driver's side. Speaking in a slight drawl, he then asked the question: "Do ya know why I pulled ya over, son?" The use of the word "son" made Bob's throat tighten, but he made himself swallow. It just made it more awkward. "Well," he started, "I would guess it's cause my friend Bob here was smacking the plastic things on top of the concrete barriers with a hiking stick." I sound like an idiot, he thought. "Oh, it was him, was it?" the officer gestured to the man in the backseat. "Hell, I thought it was you, and I was gonna give ya a warning to cut it out!" He laughed. Bob forced a laugh in response, and the other two men in the car followed suit. "Listen, if it's the guy in the backseat, I ain't gonna spoil your fun. Just be careful you don't ruin your nice thing-a-ma-jig there!" He gestured to the hiking stick that Ken had been ineffectively trying to hide. Without another word, the cop climbed into his patrol car. Bob was afraid to drive away, but the officer turned off his lights and drove away after a short moment. The three men just stared at each other. Then, in silence, Bob started the car back up, drove back across the lanes of the interstate, and rolled down Ken's window for him. Dan and Ken grinned at each other, and Ken happily stuck his stick out, and started smacking the plastic thingies again.


Man Utd waiting on the results of Kagawa scan Wednesday 24 October 2012 Manchester United will on Wednesday discover the extent of any damage done by midfielder Shinji Kagawa, after the Japan international injured his knee during United's 3-2 Champions League victory over Braga on Tuesday, the Daily Mail has reported. United came back from two goals down to take three points and all-but secure their safe passage into the next round of the competition thanks to a Javier Hernandez brace and one from Jonny Evans, leaving United with nine points from nine available. Braga scored twice through Alan inside 20 minutes but United completed the turnaround with 15 minutes of the match remaining. Kagawa however was replaced by Luis Nani at half-time having twisted his knee mid-way through the first-half. Sir Alex Ferguson could not say at full-time how serious or otherwise the injury was, instead admitting he was waiting for the results of the scan to be held a day later.


How to have a good relationship A summary of the research evidence, by Dr Bob Rich Love in the bank: the 5:1 rule Every relationship involves problems and conflict. Trading in one partner for another is freeing yourself from one set of problems, and taking on another set. Choosing to live alone also has its problems. So, the trick is to have a good relationship DESPITE the problems that arise. Research by John Gottman and many others has shown that it is possible to "put love in the bank." When the conflicts arise, you can survive them and maintain a good relationship if, on the average, there are at least 5 good interactions for every bad one. When I found out about this, I monitored good and bad interactions between my wife and me for a week. I found that the ratio was more like 20:1, explaining why we have been married for over 43 years now. A good interaction is anything that one person does in order to make the other feel good. It can be a smile, a friendly tone of voice, a non-sexual touch like a pat on the back... basically, anything the other person notices, and therefore feels good for sharing a life with you. So, deliberately and intentionally, go out of your way to do things that put love in the bank. Avoid actions that go the other way. If one happens, apologise, own up, and counter it with one or more good acts. Do note that this only works if BOTH partners do it. How to handle conflict Every relationship involves conflict situations. Where "there is never any conflict," you can be sure that one partner controls, dominates and therefore abuses the other. There would be conflict if the subjugated person dared. Conflict is healthy -- if handled right. Four dimensions are all-important. Here are the extreme points of each: Listening vs. defensiveness . When you make a complaint, you need to be heard. More than that: you need to feel that you've been heard. Even if the complaint proves to have been misguided and wrong, the emotion associated with it is genuine. So, a response of this kind is good: "I hear that you're hurt that I didn't phone that I'd be late. Sorry you feel so badly about it. But actually, I tried to ring, only my phone ran out of charge, and I couldn't get to any other phone. So, all I could do was to hurry home, and well, here I am." Defending your actions is fine -- AFTER acknowledging the feelings of the other person. The opposite is illustrated by: "You've trampled mud all over the carpet again!" "Yeah? And I see last night's dishes are still in the sink!" A counterattack like this may work, but damages the relationship. Complaint vs. criticism . A complaint addresses an issue. A criticism says something negative about a person. For example, "You've trampled mud all over the carpet again!" is a complaint. "You're a slob for trampling in all that mud" is a criticism. The first is constructive, the second destructive. It's a cliche of childraising to discipline the child with love: to do something about unacceptable behaviour while making the child still feel loved. The same applies to adult relationships. Accepting influence vs. stonewalling . I am stonewalling when whatever you say, whatever you want, I do what I feel like, when I feel like. Included are promising to do a job and then not doing it, not-hearing something or forgetting it had been said, advancing endless excuses, and a straight refusal every time, even if the suggestion or request is wise and reasonable. Some men have the habit of thinking that accepting influence from a woman is somehow demeaning and belittling. It ain't. A good relationship is one in which partners listen to each other, pool their wisdom and make decisions jointly, each accepting influence from the other. Respect vs. contempt . This is the most important. Even if the other three factors are handled right, the relationship will founder if one partner acts with contempt toward the other. Derogatory terms (stupid, slut, bastard, lazy, slovenly, spendthrift, miser...) are terms of contempt. Interestingly, the research shows that universalising statements have the same effect as such labels: "you always..." and "you never..." are terms of contempt. "It distresses me when you drink to excess" is respectful. "You"re a drunkard" is not. Argument style People have various emotional styles for engaging in conflict. The relationship is more stable if you and your partner use the same style. Mismatches cause problems, but with tolerance and goodwill, you can learn to make allowances and put in place defence strategies for minimising the effect of the different styles. Three major styles are called volatile, rational and avoidant. None of these is better than the others -- the issue is whether your way of doing it drives your partner away or not. Volatile arguers are drama queens. They shout, scream, exaggerate, make a great show out of the issue. Then when it's over, they are passionate, and make great love. Rational arguers like to organise a meeting, sit down and seriously talk an issue out. They need to understand, negotiate, look for compromises. Avoidant arguers are those who say, "We can agree to disagree over this." Peace and harmony are a lot more important to them than being right, or having their way. As I said, if you and your partner have matching styles, then you can have a good long term relationship. Two volatiles can have fierce arguments followed by wonderful passion. Two rationals can sort things out. Two avoidants can live together regardless of an accumulation of unresolved issues. The problem arises if the two partners have different styles, and you can see why. A volatile and a rational will drive each other crazy. When one partner calls the other "a cold fish," "boring," "all in the head, no heart," you can be sure it's a volatile talking about a rational. The retort will be "throws tantrums like a spoiled kid." A rational teamed up with an avoidant is a chasing game. One has the need to talk it out, the other to run away. Some situations of domestic violence can be understood with one or the other reaching breaking point, because the issue just won't stop. And yes, a rational can be violent. The worst is a volatile and an avoidant. It doesn't take long for the avoidant to move out. It IS possible to build a loving, lasting relationship despite such mismatches. This needs understanding and allowance. You need to accept the other person's style, and each of you needs to do your best to modify somewhat toward the other's preferred way of doing things. This is difficult, but possible. It may even be good for you. Attachment style As a little child, a person has to make sense of the world. We build a model of reality, including what kind of person we are, what is safe and what is dangerous. As part of this, we form long-term reactions to other people, and these strongly influence romantic relationships in adulthood. If the people who cared for you when you were little treated you with consistent love (even when you needed discipline), and you learned to trust them, then as an adult you will have a positive view of others and feel comfortable around them. But if the big people who ruled your childhood were dangerous and unpredictable, you will have a negative view of others as an adult, and generally keep them at an emotional distance. That's one dimension. The second is how you think of yourself. If the way you were treated as a little child built up your confidence and made you feel good about being you, then that's how you will be as an adult. However, the events in your childhood may have made you feel damaged, never good enough, inferior, and then you have a negative view of yourself as an adult. Naturally, both these distinctions have many degrees. Each is a continuum, not a point. All the same, a good understanding of what makes people tick in relationships is that how you feel about yourself and others determines how you behave as one half of a couple: trust others fear others I'm OK Secure attachment Dismissive attachment I'm faulty Insecure attachment Avoidant attachment Various researchers have used different names for these, and some only have three rather than four types. But the concept is clear enough. People with secure attachment are wonderful partners and lovers, and many of them find secure partners for themselves. Those of us with attachment problems are not so lucky. We tend to have selective perception, seeing situations and other people in a way that confirms our expectations. We fall in love with people who treat us the way out childhood carers treated us, and this keeps our problematic attitudes going. If you have problems in your relationship, chances are your and your partner's attachment style contributes to this. People with dismissive attachment tend to handle conflict by being abusive and contemptuous, those with insecure attachment readily fall into the victim role (and these two often find each other), avoidant people are often loners who wish for love, but don't know how to get it. And because these patterns act as self-fulfilling prophecies, they tend to be stable for many people. But there is hope. Your attachment style is only one of many relevant influences. And it is an invitation, not a command; a tendency, not a doom. I am an example. I have the very worst pattern: "I am damaged and people hurt you." And yet, I am now impervious to negative opinions of other people (while taking in anything they say that might help me to improve). The damaged little boy is still within me, but he no longer has any influence. People like me, and I can form good relationships with them, including those the closest to me: my wife and children. If I could do it, so can you. It took me many painful years, but I can shorten the journey for my clients. If you have identified an attachment style that's not the best, see a psychologist. In summary Look for a mate who argues the way you do. Whatever the provocation, treat your partner with respect, be open to influence, listen, and complain rather than criticise. And put LOTS of love in the bank. ...and something from me I am not aware of any research on the next point, but it works. It turns on the little word "me." Think of the difference between I want someone to love me; I want someone to love. One is needy, the other giving. Or: She is screaming at me. How can I defend myself; She is screaming. How can I help? A rule of the universe is, the more you give, the more you get. If both partners are in the relationship FOR the other rather than for what they can get out of it, they can ride over every difficulty.


I looked all over for people with similar issues and tried all the solutions posted for issues like this but got nowhere. I have tried both with ow3nd and twitch accounts and with ow3ned when I start my stream I get nothing, with twitch it goes online for a second with a black screen and then back offline, while xsplit still says it is streaming. Trying to local record gets me a file in the xsplit recordings folder that is 0 bytes large and disappears as soon as I stop local recording. When I try to test bandwidth with either stream I get 0kbps, I tried turning firewall off but it did not help. When I start the stream it tells me at first I have 24kbps bitrate, which shortly goes down to 12, then 8, 6, 4, and then the bitrate counter goes away entirely Here is a compilation image with some information, I assume you want something more than just speedtest.net specifics, if so can you tell me how to get to that information and specifically what you want? Absolome wrote: turned off antivirus, turned off windows firewall. Still getting the same problem with local recording and streaming, still starts off streaming at about 27 kbps and steadily drops to nothing Are you using a wireless connection for streaming? If you are, consider switching to a wired one. That said, whether you are using a wireless / wired connection, please try the (applicable) suggestions here . Did you update to v. 1.0 yet? Try updating your channel plug-in - delete it complete from the channels view (take note of settings you want to keep), then add it through the interface. This will install the latest version of the plug-in. Whoops, sorry - completely forgot to write the name of the processes to watch for: VHMultiWriterExt2.exe (this is the encoder, and there has to be one for video and one for audio). Xsplit.core.exe does not change much when local recording, since it's basically the encoder you turn on. Fix: XSplit Not Recognizing Paid Licenses (June 2-4) Last Updated: 16:56 EST In the XSplit 1.0.1204.1301 client we have discovered a bug which for several hours today may have prevented many paid users to login to XSplit. We have constructed XSplit as a service that will still be able to operate for paid users even if our servers should experience unexpected downtime. The official XSplit 1.0.1204.1301 had a bug which prevented this safety mechanism to kick in under some special circumstances which we discovered today during intermittent server down time. We will work very hard to avoid similar situations going forward and we thank everyone for their support and patience. While we are still working on some server issues, the patch in the download page will resolve the issues for existing XSplit account holders who have been logged into their account before on the current workstation. New users that have recently signed up for an XSplit account or existing users who is logging into XSplit on a new workstation may still be getting the following message "You need to be online the first time before you login". We are working to resolve that and will provide an update when this issue is resolved.


Files seem to be deleted from Free Agent Go Flex 1TB drive I have a Free Agent Go Flex 1TB external drive that I bought expressly to store my movies on when I deploy overseas. I am using HandBrake to transfer the movies to the external, using a MacBook. I've transferred about 100 movies (about a GB each) to the external drive. Today, I transferred one movie successfully and got an error message on the second that the "Destination drive [the Go Flex] is not valid". When I checked the contents of the drive in Finder, the movies do not appear; however, the drive shows that approx 100GB has been used - which is exactly what it showed prior to the error. When I plugged the external drive into a Windows PC, some of the movies showed up, but not all.  I'm at a loss as to what to do to get to the files. Help!


Seeing The Sign Where to go. How to get there. Looking for a picture-perfect view of the Sign? For many visitors to Los Angeles, there is no more coveted photo than a shot of the world famous Sign.   Though it is visible from all over the city from its lofty perch on Mt. Lee, it can actually be surprisingly difficult to get a well angled shot.   Many are surprised to learn that it's actually illegal to hike to (or basically get anywhere near) the Sign, which is set well back behind restricting gates and protected by security cameras and Park Rangers. With our insider's photo guide to the Sign, you'll beat the crowds and get that perfect photo you were hoping for.   (Commercial photographers and filmmakers, please consult our "Filming the Sign" page for information on getting the proper permits.) Check the map below to find the best location near you, or visit them all for a fun day tour!


I am new 2 this forum... i found this forum very intresting and da forum is providing loads of help 2 studentzz I have Unconditional offer for addmission in PhD integrated (MS by research Leading to PhD) from University of Wollongong. I am abt 2 apply for student viza. I would appreciate help in regardzz wid docuements 2 b submitted @ the time of student visa lodging. Kindly correct me if i am missing some of the documentzz. Here is da List. Congratulations for getting a HEC scholarship to PhD program from a reputable university in Australia. Undoubtedly this is some thing a person should always be proud of. Your efforts and hard work has paid of. As per rules [University of Wollongong] comes in streamline processing which basically means that Embassy recognizes your university to be an authentic education provider. This makes an applicant's chances for obtaining a visa even brighter. Please follow the link to visa check-list below to submit your case to the Embassy. Assessment Levels have been streamlined meaning you will be treated the same as a student from United States. i.e Assessment Level 1 < Reference: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/checklis\\... > There is not need to notarize your statement of purpose(SOP). Your signature at the end are sufficient. Please write it persuasively and put some thought into it as it is a document of utmost importance. Undeniably visa officer will read your SOP and the outcome of the decision will be based on it. I hope it was helpful. Regards C.Sagan P.S- My semester will commence in spring for Masters of Professional Engineering from UOW this July 2012. FaizaJ May 6th, 2012, 10:50 AM Thank you C.Sagen for da info and complements. Yes, University of Wollongong is very nice university and very reputable one. Have you applied for da visa? hope 2 c u at Wollongong. By the way, is PFL a good consultant for australia visa cases handling? Thankzzz once again Carlsagan. carlsagan May 6th, 2012, 04:05 PM @FaizaJ The purpose of human existence should be to help others if we cannot they we should at least try not to harm others. The university is well known for research on Nano Technology. According the updated rankings it's research capabilities are higher than [University of Melbourne]. The program allows me to participate in thesis and contribute directly in my discipline. It is the one of those universities working on nano based solar panels that will eventually end the monopoly of oil cartels around 2030's. Shortage of energy will cause the biggest crisis mankind has ever faced in the future. The world relies heavily on energy, 90% of which comes from oil. Already the price of petrol as of 6th May 2012 is spiraling out of control. It is obvious that if an alternative is not discovered soon, immediate repercussions will be on the price of transportation that will reach beyond the grips of a common man,the price of commodities and overall living cost have been rising and are bound to go even higher in the years to come. In this regard some nations have invested in renewable energy technologies but they are ineffective on an industrial scale. The answer will come from [University of Wollongong, Nano Labs] where today researchers are looking for answer to these questions. That is what I hope to be a part of. I hope to strengthen the fabric of science. I worked in the middle east for few years to earn my tuition fees. My colleagues and boss is Australian and our Head Office is also based in Australia. I got the visa in 2 weeks time. It was difficult on HEC scholarship a few years ago as they were having trouble funding students already pursuing degree abroad. We were hearing news of Pakistani scholars returning home leaving their studies because HEC was unable to provide funds. May be situation has improved since them. This was in around the year 2007/08. I took a decision not to apply for HEC as they were in troubles of their own. In any case it is tremendous achievement to have your efforts recognized by government of Pakistan, considering the current situation. Being fully funded gives you the liberty to enjoy your stay while in Australia on a stipend. As for your queries, National Identity Cards are translated in shops around places where Notary Public sit outside court rooms. They are usually well advertised. One cannot miss their signboards. A translated NIC is a print out of a simple form built in excel with your data. It is nothing really sophisticated or amazing. The reputation of the consultant doesn't matter in your case. You are a sponsored student for research degree. You automatically meet the criteria of [Genuine Student] and [Temporary Entrant]. The only important pieces of paper in your application will be the letter from HEC and your statement of purpose. Regards Escallanio May 6th, 2012, 10:32 PM Hi FaizaJ i am also scholarship awardee (HEC batch X1). However mine is for PhD. Can any one elaborate about financial statement in scholarship case? @FaizaJ and carl i have heard it is MUST to submit first semester fee to be granted australia visa...However in HEC Scholarship tuition fee is paid once visa is granted. Will a simple plain Scholarship letter be enough to submit with application fee for visa to be granted? That's because Embassy is under the impression that you are a fraud. Applying to Australia with the malicious intentions of causing harm to its citizens either directly or participating in activities that will bring harm to its citizens indirectly. The decision officers so far must have been unable to determine [ Genuine Student] and or [Temporary Entrant ] intentions. FaizaJ May 8th, 2012, 02:02 AM @carlsagen i am impressed. You have chosen Wollongong with an excellent frame of mind. You have done thorough research in choosing wollongong. Wollongong is very famous in telecommunication as well. However sometimes nowadays fear comes in my mind. i dont know why but my frame of mind is not set bcoz i wonder why i choose wollongong instead of melbourne or Uni of Sydney. May b i am work i dont know but ???? Carlsagen, is it your own picture in the display. i hope 2 see you soon in NSW. Where you from in Pak? FaizaJ May 8th, 2012, 02:10 AM Escallanio i Nice 2 meet you. I am HEC scholars as well. i am in batch ix. I am going 2 Uni of Wollongong MS leading 2 PhD. HEC wont provide bank statement or any advance payment this is what HEC Islamabad told me. They told me if Uni is world class or above average they will not ask for advance payment once you inform them about HEC scholarship. Normally HEC scholars are accepted by universities abroad without asking fee in advance. one of your post says you got addmission in ballarat as well. Lolzz. I am sure they will ask you about tuition fee in advance as its a low standard uni. I am waiting on Wollongong offer. i have conditional offer which required me 2 pay first semester fee. My consultant (PFL) have inform them about my scholarship last friday. let see when they dispatch unconditional offer. FaizaJ May 8th, 2012, 03:14 AM @Carlsagen In our case, HEC told that we will not pay tuition fee till visa is granted. Is it a pre-requisite to deposit first semester tuition fee for visa 2 be granted? can you please explain tthis situation? carlsagan May 8th, 2012, 08:04 AM @carlsagen i am impressed. You have chosen Wollongong with an excellent frame of mind. You have done thorough research in choosing wollongong. Wollongong is very famous in telecommunication as well. However sometimes nowadays fear comes in my mind. i dont know why but my frame of mind is not set bcoz i wonder why i choose wollongong instead of melbourne or Uni of Sydney. May b i am work i dont know but ???? Carlsagen, is it your own picture in the display. i hope 2 see you soon in NSW. Where you from in Pak? The course was subsidized by my company (Head Quartered in Australia) on the recommendations of my boss in UAE who is an Australian and an alumni of UoW. About the profile picture, it belongs to 'Carl Sagan' a famous American astronomer whose documentaries about the universe has always captivated me. He made science easy and accessible for all. I guess if you are coming to UOW this spring it is likely to run into each other since not many Pakistani students are expected to be there. @Carlsagen In our case, HEC told that we will not pay tuition fee till visa is granted. Is it a pre-requisite to deposit first semester tuition fee for visa 2 be granted? can you please explain tthis situation? As per the official guide lines. If you are a fully funded student, you must show evidence that the sponsoring agency, government or organization will cover the cost of:travel, tuition and living expenses for yourself and dependent family members accompanying you to Australia. < Reference:http://www.immi.gov.au/student\\... | 574-Postgrad Research > canberra_pk May 9th, 2012, 12:38 PM Please also include Form 80 and Form 54 in your application. If you don't want to submit with the application now then make sure you keep them handy as Visa Officer might ask you to submit later. Well, I also wonder why you didn't choose Uni Melb or ANU or other top Aussie Uni. Well, Uni Wollongong ranks 10 in Australia currently (http://www.australianuniversities.com.a\\... Good luck for your visa application. carlsagan May 9th, 2012, 03:43 PM @canberra pk University of Wollongong has exactly the same research breath as ANU. (Reference: http://www.australianuniversities.com.au\\... Overall it is a mid ranking university with faculty a lot less cocky than ANU or Melbourne, thus a lot less pain in the... FaizaJ May 10th, 2012, 06:26 AM @carlssagen thank you carlsagen. Yes, sure i will definitely meet you. I have heard about form 157 A. Never heard about form 54 and 80.. do i need 2 submit them as well? @canberrapk I have applied 2 Uni of Wollongong and Uni of Queensland. If i get addmission in Queensland Uni (Unconditional ) then i will prefer Queensland University as my sister and brother in law are settled there. At the moment i have two conditional offers : one from QU and other from UoW. Lets see who offer unconditional without paying tuition fee 4 first semester. Yes melbourne is good but UOW and QU are also excellent in research. i am getting late as my classes in UoW starts Mid July and QU on 30 July and i havent yet recieved unconditional offer. carlsagan May 10th, 2012, 07:30 AM @carlssagen thank you carlsagen. Yes, sure i will definitely meet you. I have heard about form 157 A. Never heard about form 54 and 80.. do i need 2 submit them as well? Please follow the document checklist as per 574-postgrad research streamline applicants. Any unnecessary/irrelevant documents are discarded by the Islamabad Embassy before dispatching to Adelaide office. canberra_pk May 10th, 2012, 09:59 AM Hi FaizaJ You may also need to submit Student Supplement Form that can be found at: http://www.pakistan.embassy.gov.au/files\\... For PhD Research you don't need to worry about start date as it can be started at any time of the year (preferably before end of Semester 2 the latest.). Depends on when you get your visa. Go for UQ if you get unconditional offer letter of course. It's an excellent Aus Uni and trust me St Lucia, Brisbane/Queensland is a wonderful place to study at and live in. canberra_pk May 10th, 2012, 12:26 PM carlsagan: Please correct me if I am wrong. The student visa application is sent DIRECTLY to Adelaide Office and NOT via Islamabad as you mentioned in your message below?? Thanks! Form 80, 54 and student supplement forms are requested from most of Pakistani students see at (although it's old info but still valid I believe?): http://www.pakistan.embassy.gov.au/files\\... Please follow the document checklist as per 574-postgrad research streamline applicants. Any unnecessary/irrelevant documents are discarded by the Islamabad Embassy before dispatching to Adelaide office. canberra_pk May 10th, 2012, 02:34 PM @FaizaJ THE below info (Pak specific) is available at Australian High Commission (AHC), Islamabad website.