Monday, December 27, 2010

Created public version 27 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/zqSXH

Friday, December 17, 2010

Created public version 26 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/uOxZj

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Created public version 25 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/dmbAh

Monday, December 13, 2010

Created public version 24 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/gzuAO

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Created public version 22 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/MzAip

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Created public version 21 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/PlxEf

Monday, December 6, 2010

Created public version 20 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/Gc17U
Created public version #2 of the knol: "Learn All About These Three Adwords Mistakes So You Can Avoid Them" http://ping.fm/32aFe
Created public version #5 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/qjFPZ
Wrote a comment: "Popularity of Aztec Tattoos" http://ping.fm/1ZAP2
Created public version 11 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/xJZEf
Wrote a comment: "Friendship Day Greetings from a fellow knol author" http://ping.fm/LaJoq
Created public version 13 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/lDh0S
Created public version #4 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/ZUEzS
Created public version #8 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/5iedV
Created public version 10 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/oYpyZ
Created public version 14 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/kvBLD

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Created public version 19 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/ehESK

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Created public version 18 of the knol: "Aztec Tattoos and their Meanings" http://ping.fm/dW2X5

Thursday, December 2, 2010

smt dev app http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/es-ES/Offtopic/thread/c66242b7-5196-474c-ab16-63b70246757f
tattoo forum http://www.mytattooforum.com/new-member-introductions/345-hello-all.html
smt dev apphttp://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/da-DK/Offtopic/thread/c66242b7-5196-474c-ab16-63b70246757f
mfhttp://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/es-ES/Offtopic/thread/c66242b7-5196-474c-ab16-63b70246757f
tattoo forumhttp://www.mytattooforum.com/new-member-introductions/345-hello-all.html
tattooforums http://www.thetattooforum.com/member.php?u=29907language=ru
crowdgather http://www.crowdgather.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10013619
check it out http://knol.google.com/k/robert-avery/aztec-tattoos-and-their-meanings/1slymfg30gpl5/72#

Friday, November 26, 2010

Symbols and Meanings for Tattoos

Tattoos are an integral part of mainstream culture today, and there are a large number of symbols and meanings for tattoos that mean different things for different people. Though the history of tattoos can be traced back to various tribes across the world, especially of the Polynesian culture, in today's times the Internet and the celebrity preference for tattoos has made them hugely popular means of self expression. 

Tattoos have special significance for the wearer, and you will easily see a whole host of tattoo designs around you that may not mean anything to you. Just like fashion emanates from the personal preferences of an individual, symbols and meanings for tattoos are interpreted in many different ways. These can be used to denote a person's point of view or his standing on a particular topic, and it can even illustrate the philosophical beliefs of a person. Getting a tattoo just for the sake of looking good is a mistake many people often make though, and this should be avoided. When you get a tattoo you should ensure that it carries some significance in your life, and that it clearly indicates what you really believe in. 

The choice of various symbols and meanings for tattoos is truly mind boggling. Assuming that you have decided that you want to permanently ink yourself, you must go about choosing the right design for yourself in a systematic and organized manner. You can choose from texts, black and white drawings, large sequences of tribal lines, or huge colorful pictures. You can design your own tattoo to lend an original blend of creativity and expression as well, as long as you hold a special affinity to the tattoo design. 

Designs 
As mentioned earlier, there are a multitude of designs to choose from. Each person goes about arriving at these designs in different manners, be it from books, movies, music, references to popular culture, history, political agendas, environmental messages, or just plain sayings that depict what is on one's mind. The range of tattoo designs that you can choose from can include any of the following.
Based on the personality and the beliefs of you as an individual, you can decide which one suits you best. Do not get swayed by what other people say, and do not look for approval from anyone regarding the matter. Remember that it is your body, and therefore the tattoo design must be of your choice and something that you relate to and believe in. The worst scenario arises when a person gets a tattoo and realizes after a few months that the design they choose is not appropriate anymore. Tattoo removal is a painful and expensive procedure and one that will most likely leave a permanent scar on your body, so be wise. 

More Designs
As you may have noticed by now, the list is endless. Even as you read this, more and more original tattoos are being generated all over the world. Here are some more tattoo designs that may appeal to you and help you make a decision regarding the various symbols and meanings for tattoos.These and many more popular tattoos await you and your uniqueness. 

Location
In case you didn't know this already, the place where you actually get your tattoos makes a lot of difference too. You have to choose the right location for a specific design, and it would not make sense if you just saw the various symbols and meanings for tattoos without paying any heed to where you're actually going to get the tattoo on your body. You need to make a decision about whether you want the tattoo to be clearly visible, or conveniently concealed. Some people prefer to get tattoos in areas that can only be viewed in intimate moments, and the decision lies completely in your hands. Assess the way people would react to the tattoo in various situations, and then come to a suitable conclusion. Imagine the President walking down with a bold tattoo saying "Death to Capitalism" etched across his forearm. That would not go down too well, "Now, would it?". Here are some popular choices for many symbols and meanings for tattoos with their seemingly suitable locations.In short, your entire body is a canvas waiting to be explored. If you're more concerned about the pain, you can learn more about the least painful place to get a tattoo. 

Whether you go for gothic, artistic, tribal, new wave, religious, political, regional or Chinese symbols and meanings for tattoos, the fact remains that tattoos are permanent. These will stay on your body for the rest of your life, so choose very very carefully. Do not be rash and do not be reckless in your choice and make a completely informed and intelligent decision. Don't get a tattoo just because everyone around you has one, and most certainly do not settle for an inferior design because someone else convinced you about it. Do your research on the various symbols and meanings for tattoos extensively and then take a call. If you find the right design though, it can be a highly satisfying experience.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

OIL FUTURES: Crude Ends Lower, Even As Pipeline Outage Continues


Crude-oil futures eased lower Tuesday as uncertainty about the status of a major Canada-U.S. oil pipeline weighed on the market.
Light, sweet crude oil for October delivery settled 39 cents, or 0.5%, lower at $76.80 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude oil on the ICE futures exchange was recently up 11 cents, or 0.1%, at $79.14 a barrel.
Oil prices are being supported at their current level by the continued shutdown of Enbridge Inc.'s (ENB) Line 6a pipeline, which can carry up to 670,000 barrels a day of Canadian crude to U.S. refiners. A long outage could begin to drain bloated U.S. oil inventories, which, when combined with fuel stockpiles, sit at their highest point since the early 1980s.
Futures are still more than $2 a barrel above where they stood before Enbridge announced the shutdown after discovering a leak late Thursday.
On Tuesday, however, futures took a small hit on reports that Enbridge could restart the pipeline without the prior approval of U.S. regulators, potentially resulting in a faster return to service. But the company later told Dow Jones that regulators would need to give the go-ahead for a restart.
"It was a little bit of noise in the market; there were no major shifts," said Tim Evans, an analyst with Citi Futures Perspective, speaking about the pipeline's shifting restart prospects.
The latest U.S. oil and fuel inventory data, for the week ended Sept. 10, are due out Wednesday from the Energy Information Administration. Oil inventories are expected to drop 2.5 million barrels, while gasoline stocks are seen falling 1.1 million barrels, according to a Dow Jones survey of analysts. Distillate stocks, including heating oil and diesel, are seen rising 200,000 barrels, while refinery utilization is expected to decline 0.7 percentage point to 87.5% of capacity.
On Tuesday after settlement, the American Petroleum Institute, an industry group, reported a 3.3-million-barrel increase in oil inventories, a one-million-barrel drop in gasoline stocks and a 1.5-million-barrel decline in distillate inventories. Refinery utilization was estimated at 85.6% of capacity.
Oil prices were also under pressure from evidence of sluggish growth in Germany's economy. The ZEW economic research institute cut its closely watched expectations index for Germany's economy to -4.3 in September, from 14.0 in August. The index represents a "flattening" of activity in Germany's economy, Europe's largest.
The index served as a reminder that not all large economies are growing at the rate of China's, where a 13.9% year-on-year jump in August industrial production sent crude-oil futures as high as $78.04 a barrel on Monday.
U.S. retail sales data for August failed to provide a boost, with the 0.4% increase slightly exceeding expectations.
Front-month October reformulated gasoline blendstock, or RBOB, settled 1.16 cents, or 0.6%, lower at $1.9690 a gallon. October heating oil settled 0.61 cent, or 0.3%, higher at $2.1288 a gallon.

Monday, September 13, 2010

FBI reports 5% drop in crime rate

The nation's crime rate dropped 5% last year, continuing a 20-year trend that has cut the incidence of major crimes nearly in half, according to FBI statistics.
Crime experts have cited several possible explanations for the falling crime rate, including better policing, a swelling of the prison population, the decline of the crack cocaine epidemic and an aging population. But regardless of the reason, crime fell sharply during the 1990s and has declined gradually since then.


Last year, the rate of murders and manslaughter was 5.0 per 100,000 Americans, down from 9.8 in 1991. Overall, the rate of violent crimes fell more than a third during that time, from a rate of 758 per 100,000 in 1991 to 429 last year. This number includes homicides, rapes, robberies and assaults.
Common property crimes also declined sharply over the last two decades. For example, the FBI counted 1,661,000 thefts of motor vehicles in 1991. Last year, it counted 794,616, a drop of 164,000 vehicle thefts from 2008.
"This is good news. It should get more attention," said John Conklin, a Tufts University sociologist who has written widely on crime and its causes.
He said the recent declines contradict predictions that a bad economy and high unemployment would lead to an increase in thefts, robberies and other crimes. Conklin studied the steep decline in crime rates in the 1990s and concluded the most significant cause was the increase in the prison population.
"If you lock up a lot more people, you will probably see reduced crime," he said. "That's doesn't necessarily mean I recommend a 'lock-them-up' policy. We have the world's highest rate of incarceration."
The FBI released its final crime statistics for 2009 on Monday, following up on estimates released in March. Its final report highlighted the across-the-board drop in crime between 2008 and 2009. Robberies declined by 8%, murders by 7.3%, aggravated assaults by 4.2% and rapes by 2.6%. The number of property crimes fell by 4.6%, including a 17% drop in motor vehicle thefts.
The FBI breaks down its national data by four regions and reported that property and violent crimes are highest in the South and lowest in the Northeast.

Tony Hawk Was Live On YouTube, And Less Than 500 People Were Watching

YouTube is testing out live video streaming with a few video partners today such as RocketBoom, Howcast, and Young Hollywood. Gathering a live audience on the Web to watch video is hard because there are no schedules and people are used to clicking on videos on their own schedule. But if anyone can make live video a mass market experience, it should be YouTube, right? Throw in a celebrity like skateboarder Tony Hawk and that should be a recipe for tens of thousands of viewers or more.
Well, Tony Hawk just finished an appearance on Young Hollywood right now, and the number of viewers never went above 500, according to the view counter at the bottom of the player. For most of the segment, it was much less—at one point I saw 9 viewers, then 81. As a point of reference, when we livestream TechCrunch events, we often get 2,000 to 3,000 concurrent viewers, and that is without being promoted on YouTube’s homepage. So 500 viewers for Tony Hawk is really nothing.
Young Hollywood wasn’t the only show that seemingly got an underwhelming number of live viewers. I asked Andrew Baron from RocketBoom how many people watched his first show today. He says: “We sat in the 850′s almost the whole time, I noticed. But when I saw Howcast, they had like “1 viewer” so I was thinking maybe it wasnt the true count?”
A call into YouTube confirms this theory. A spokesman confirms there is a bug with the counter and the engineers are trying to figure it out. He also emphasizes that this is only a test so that YouTube can find and fix issues just like this one. But he can’t say by how much the viewership is being undercounted. Let me repeat that: YouTube doesn’t know right now how many people are watching YouTube Live.
It shouldn’t be too hard to figure out how to get the live viewer counter to work. Startups like Justin.tv, Ustream, and Livestream can show accurate viewer counts in their live players.
It is definitely possible to bring together millions of video viewers on the Web for the right event with the right promotion. YouTube has done live concerts and other events which attracted millions of live viewers, but the reality for most producers is going to be quiet different. Live video is hard, and the Web is not built for appointment viewing. Even if the true number was 5,000 viewers for the Tony Hawk segment, that is still a fraction of how many people would see him on a third-rate cable channel. Maybe young Hollywood didn’t promote the appearance enough, although there was lots of press earlier today about the YouTube initiative, which is testing out live streaming shows today and tomorrow. To be fair, none of the video partners were allowed to promote their live shows ahead of time, but again, you’d think the YouTube homepage would drive more traffic.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

H-P Nears Deal to Buy ArcSight for $1.5 Billion


Hewlett-Packard Co. is nearing a deal to acquire security-software maker ArcSight Inc. for around $1.5 billion, people familiar with the matter said.
ArcSight's market capitalization was $1.2 billion, or $35.10 a share, in 4 p.m. trading on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange Friday. ArcSight had been seeking around $42 a share, people familiar with the matter said, but the exact price per share H-P is willing to pay couldn't be learned.
A deal could be announced as early as Monday.
A spokeswoman for H-P declined to comment. A spokesman for ArcSight didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
This is the second time that H-P has agreed to pay a big premium for a small technology company since its chief executive, Mark Hurd, resigned in August. Earlier this month, H-P said it would pay $2.35 billion for storage maker 3PAR Inc. after getting into a bidding war with rival Dell Inc.
ArcSight, of Cupertino, Calif., had been quietly shopping itself to a handful of big technology companies. It makes software that monitors corporate networks for unusual activity, such as a hacker's attempt to break into a system. ArcSight attracted interest from a number of large tech companies, and bidding quickly surpassed $40 a share, people familiar with the matter said.
ArcSight, which went public in 2008, reported revenue of $181.4 million in the fiscal year ended April 30, up 33% from the year before. Income for the fiscal year grew to $28.4 million from $9.9 million a year earlier.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Betting site favors Miami Heat, over the Lakers, to win 2011 NBA title


PhiljacksonBodog.com has released its odds on who will win the 2011 NBA championship, and the star-studdedMiami Heat, with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, are their favorite to win it all, at 7-4 odds.

The Lakers, who are going for a three-peat (it would be Coach Phil Jackson’s fourth career three-peat), is the second favorite to win next June, at 11-4. They're followed by the Orlando Magic (11-1), the Boston Celtics (12-1) and theChicago Bulls (15-1). The youthful Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets follow at 18-1.

By the way, the Clippers are listed at 100-1, and Kurt Rambis’ woeful Minnesota Timberwolves squad pulls up the rear (with the Sacramento Kings, New Jersey Nets and Toronto Raptors) at 150-1.

Celticstown.com has its own take on the next champ and, surprise, lists "10 Reasons why the Boston Celtics will win the 2011 NBA Championship."

Reason No. 1: "To lose a Game 7, to the Los Angeles Lakers, in LA, after leading by 13 midway through the third quarter is as devastating as it gets. ... That pain, that memory can only be cleansed by raising banner 18."


Marlins players appeal suspensions


MIAMI -- The fireworks took place on Wednesday night. The fallout occurred on Friday.

Major League Baseball levied a series of fines and suspensions in the aftermath of the benches-clearing altercation between the Marlins and Nationals on Wednesday night at Sun Life Stadium.

From the Marlins, Chris Volstad was fined $4,000 and suspended for six games. Alex Sanabia was suspended for five games, while Gaby Sanchez received a three-game suspension. Sanabia's suspension will begin on Sept. 8. The reason is the league didn't want to overlap two Marlins starting pitchers.

Manager Edwin Rodriguez was suspended for one game and fined $1,500. Bench coach Brandon Hyde managed the team on Friday. Jose Veras wasn't suspended, but he was tagged with a $1,000 fine.

Sanchez and Sanabia each received $3,000 fines.

"I think the umpires and the league did what they had to do," said Rodriguez, who served his suspension on Friday when the Marlins faced the Braves. "All the players are going to be appealing their suspensions. The league did what they had to do, to get this over and start playing baseball."

All the players are appealing, which means they can play until the appeal process takes place.

Volstad is hoping to at least have his suspension and/or fine reduced.

"Fair or not, I don't know what it is," Volstad said. "I'll serve it and go through that process."

The firestorm started on Wednesday after Volstad threw behind Washington's Nyjer Morgan, who charged the mound. Morgan was suspended for eight games and fined $15,000.

Nationals reliever Doug Slaten and third-base coach Pat Listach received three-game suspensions. And Washington manager Jim Riggleman was handed a two-game penalty.

Sanchez was highly visible during the skirmish, as he knocked down Morgan, who'd already thrown a punch at Volstad. The Marlins first baseman said he was protecting his pitcher, and not looking to apply a clothesline move.

"In a situation like that, you don't want to see your teammates go down," Sanchez said on Friday. "After that, I'm done with it. I want it to be over, and to play baseball."

The Marlins face the Nationals Sept. 10-12, and chances are Sanchez could miss that series if his suspension is upheld. The appeals process is expected to take place just prior to Florida being in Washington.

Sanabia, meanwhile, was actively pulling players off each other. And he was entangled with Washington's Adam Dunn.

"I thought he just landed on me," Sanabia said.

Sanchez said he has seen enough of the replays and he is ready to play baseball.

"After the first day, it was kind of like, 'Enough with it. I've seen it. I've lived through it.' The biggest thing was, for me, is that no one got hurt, and everybody was OK," the rookie first baseman said. "What you don't want to see is guys get hurt in that situation."

The Marlins clearly were upset by the way Morgan conducted himself during the series. On Tuesday, the Washington outfielder collided with catcher Brett Hayes, who suffered a separated shoulder.

The matter with Morgan would have been resolved, to many Marlins, after he was hit by a pitch in the fourth inning. But Morgan swiped two bases with his team trailing by 11 runs.

But when he scored, Morgan stared into the Marlins' dugout, and he made expressions to the crowd as he entered his dugout.

"That definitely upset people," Sanchez said. "He did what he thought he needed to do, and we did the same. In baseball, you're going to have situations like that. It's not the first time, and it probably won't be the last time where situations like that happen in the game. It's the bad part of the game."

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Afghans Pull Money From Weakened Bank



KABUL, Afghanistan — One of the principal owners of the Afghan bank at the center of an accelerating financial crisis here said depositors had withdrawn $180 million in the past two days. He predicted a “revolution” in the country’s financial system unless the Afghan government and the United States moved quickly to help stabilize the bank.


Khalil Frozi, one of the two largest shareholders of Kabul Bank, said reports indicating that the institution had lost as much as $300 million were overstated. But he predicted that if Afghan depositors continued to withdraw their money at the current rate, then Kabul Bank would almost certainly collapse — undermining confidence in the nascent financial system Afghanistan has been trying to build with American help.

“If people lose their trust in the banks, then we will have revolution in our financial system,” Mr. Frozi said in an interview. “We need the Afghan government and the U.S. government to support us. That is essential.”

The news came as Afghan leaders took the first steps toward arresting the panic, which began earlier this week when the country’s top banking officials demanded the resignations of Mr. Frozi, the bank’s chief financial officer, and of the bank’s chairman, Sherkhan Farnood.

Afghan and American officials say the two men presided over the bank in a reckless and free-wheeling manner, doling out millions to allies of President Hamid Karzai and pouring money into risky investments that went bust. The bank’s nosedive — and the corruption associated with it — are posing a direct challenge to the country’s fledgling financial system, which was built under American guidance following the collapse of the Talibangovernment in 2001.

In a news conference here, President Hamid Karzai promised that the Afghan government would guarantee all deposits at the threatened institution. He said the Afghan government had already given Kabul Bank more than $100 million to ensure that it could pay the salaries of some 250,000 public employees. The bank administers the payments for the government.

“People don’t need to be worried,” Mr. Karzai said. “We’ve got enough cash to support the bank.”

“Even if the whole financial system in Afghanistan collapses, we have enough money to support it,” he said.

Mr. Karzai, who appeared with Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, said the crisis had been invented by the Western press, which he said had raised baseless fears among ordinary Afghans.

“The Western press has been covering it in a negative and provocative way,” he said of Kabul Bank’s troubles.

Still, it was not clear that the Afghan government had the legal authority to guarantee Afghan deposits, or the financial wherewithal to shore up the banking system if confidence were to collapse.

Mr. Frozi said Kabul Bank retained about $1.1 billion in deposits. That figure alone would represent a quarter of Afghanistan’s foreign currency reserves, which Mr. Karzai said totaled $4.8 billion.

If the loss of confidence spread beyond Kabul Bank, it seemed almost certain to strain the resources of the Afghan government —and make it more likely that the Americans would be forced to intervene. There were no indications yet that the panic was spreading, but American and Afghan officials say privately that other Afghan banks might face similar troubles.

For now, American officials ruled out any direct financial assistance. They said they were providing technical assistance to the Afghan government but nothing more.

“We are taking no steps to bail out Kabul Bank,” a White House spokesman said. “We support the Afghan Central Bank’s efforts to uphold international standards on transparency and its decisive action in response to reports of fraud at the Kabul Bank.”

Most Afghans do not keep their money in the banking system, and Kabul Bank is tiny by international standards. But creating a credible and stable banking system is an important goal of the American-led effort in the country, which is seeking to help Afghanistan develop a modern economy.

Kabul Bank, one of the biggest private financial institutions that sprang up after the fall of the Taliban, stands at the very center of Afghanistan’s political and economic elite. A brother of Mr. Karzai, Mahmoud, is a major shareholder, as is Haseen Fahim, the brother of the country’s vice president. The bank lent Mr. Fahim, a prominent businessman, as much as $100 million, officials say.

The bank helped finance President Karzai’s re-election campaign last year, giving him as much as $14 million, according to former senior Afghan officials. Mr. Karzai, in turn, chose the bank to administer much of its payroll, which Mr. Frozi desribed as one of the bank’s most lucrative fields of business
.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Sony rolls out rival to iTunes


Sony has launched a new music and video download service as it gears up to challenge Apple's iTunes.

The announcement, made at the IFA technology fair in Berlin, was timed to coincide with an Apple media event in the US.

The cloud-based service will be available on PlayStation 3s, Bravia TVs, Blu-Ray players and Sony's personal computers.

Initially it will offer movies. Music will be added at the end of the year.

Sony's online services platform Qriocity has offered video-on-demand in the US since April this year but will now be available in Europe.

The Music Unlimited service, due at the end of the year, will give users access to millions of songs.

"Via Qriocity, Sony will deliver a variety of digital entertainment content and services... including video, music, game applications and e-books over time," said Fujio Nishida, president of Sony Europe.

It is not the first time that Sony has tried to break into the digital music market.

In 2004 it launched an online music download service in the US, called Connect.

It did not prove popular with consumers and Sony pulled the plug on it in 2007.

Commenting on the new service, Forrester analyst Mark Mulligan said it was a "necessary strategic move".

"It has done a wise thing launching a multi-media rather than just a music service. Apple has the glue of iTunes but Sony doesn't have this and it has recognised the need to join the dots between all its disparate devices," he said.

In Australia and New Zealand, Sony has been trialling another music service called bandit.fm, which allows users to stream unlimited music for a fixed cost.

It is rumoured that Amazon is also about to enter the movie and music streaming fray, with its own download service.

Details of Sony's latest service and the costs will be announced later.