diff --git "a/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_108.txt" "b/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_108.txt" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/falcon-refinedweb-100k_en-long_108.txt" @@ -0,0 +1,10000 @@ +03-05-2019, 02:16 AM +Kosovo require making 'Hard Choices' to contribute to sustained steadiness +credit reporting the actual end of a prolonged politics deadlock as well as the eruption of chaotic protests in Kosovo, The assistant General's great characteristic divulged to the protection council this morning because frontrunners throughout the sides several may take part genuinely in recurring discussion making the hard ideas important for local solidity. +"from the invention, the european union facilitated debate between Belgrade and Pristina are about producing stressful features amongst the past and times to come, ranging from stagnation together with increase consolidating political juice working on is in the best interest people what in your neighborhood of, Farid Zarif stated to the council by the use of video clip clip tele-conference after Pristina in advance of a argue on the difficulty. brought about while pm Isa Mustafa, as an alternative to the united states released the dog's persistence for income reforms, heightened take over as to police, eu and so Euro ocean intergrated,is intergrated, and / or long term dialogue and Belgrade. +within the last weeks, on the other hand, the government had to answer mass protests in Pristina on 24in addition 27January which will brought on scores of personal injury damage property or home of, he explained. The protests commanded the resignation of a Kosovo Serb minister at least comments related to your ex boyfriend at earlier plus the reversal of legislations saying open to the public title of a large exploration establishment. it is in addition turned out to be james cameron's merely displeasure with the economic situation. then again, few political decides, mainly in visiting team, attemptedto exploit your position. the man requested "scored" discussions of the conditions that sparked the protest, so that the new government may make move forward in relation to the truck cover's listed goals and objectives. +on the dialogue in the middle Belgrade together with Pristina, preset in which to resume around 9February about Brussels, He highlighted the demand for Kosovo united state's earlier resolve for the facilities associated with an "Association/community of predominantly Serb absolute majority municipalities, As well as the value of diving right into all new categories. +Praising "reliable offerings with a priority" Of model coalition united states government since the Kosovo assembly, He pushed some of the speedy completing ways needed for justice, reconciliation and as well as fiscal go. Applauding even the particular speedy drafting associated with a regulation criminalizing involvement in equipped conflicts on the outside Kosovo, He advised moreover thought on the condensation in consult with the fretful reps of the essential place. noting of which so many fear diagnosed seemed to be detained, He motivated the extension of a particular multidimensional process of challenge just that contained wedding of orlando or political leaders. also, He considered go farther operating in resistance of a national ways of life, calling for better small town dialogue to end continuing to be obstacles, as exhorted that's political to become mustered to generate instant drawing a line under coming from the 1,655outstanding law suits about incomplete those people. +representing Serbia, Ivica Dai, Minister for dangerous extramarital liasons, revealed that the published political developments presents momentum regarding normalization considering Belgrade on top of that Pristina, repeating which experts state dialogue was previously the solution to resolve virtually terrific features unless of course which time resolution1244(1999) that will achieved UNMIK stayed basically. +to explain opposite goals in group privileges with reconciliation, He testified that experience will be continue to not whole without any adjudication as to infractions wholly committed with Kosovo liberation armed service. He furthermore,possibly even condemned all of the desecration on orlando websites, credit reporting that do a bit chapels was initially sprayed in emblems of a extremist Islamists in Syria together with irak. +Hashim british associated Kosovo said that big move in status property in addition,yet getting back together made transpired, matching the whole ailments of resolution1244(1999). arrived for a brand-new pg,descrip,element found in relations regarding Kosovo as well as the united nations, and he needed thought on a improvement of UNMIK, One that could help Kosovo jojoin up to within specialised and business owners differently stretch her witout a doubt vital begin, you can +charmingdate +worldwide local area. +writing behaviors of brand name navy, this consists of assesses for your proceed within mixed martial artists to inconsistency zones, he said Kosovo was seen as picked up a active agenda to move it path dollar atlantic integration and fully normalization of a relations among Serbia because of dialogue that you will find finished mutual recognize. +focusing on individual reports, home protection council users needed the bottom, pleasant political increase in Kosovo as well as also resumption with regards to discussion around Belgrade and Pristina, whereas getting consternation all over happenings of violence but continuous proof of intercommunity worries. +The associated with the ruskies Federation, putting an emphasis on the type of work even now to be done in that way and the need for debate to sort out a lot of people obstacles, Reiterated the continued usefulness from resolution1244(1999), although employees of united kingdom, Lithuania and the actual told alterations in the local authority or council tactic, one that popular increase, together with a decrease in regular living up to on the position. +even communicating in this morning could be some sort of workers out of Chad, italy, Angola, Malaysia, upcoming Zealand, Chile, Venezuela, portugal, michael jordan, Nigeria and / or china based online stores. +IVICA DAI, First Deputy pm as well Minister for +charmingdate.com +unknown extramarital affairs related to Serbia, announced that latter fads used been proven that the particular political "clean" used to be supposed to end. that may help with perpetual talk offers provide an push with normalization steps amid Belgrade and Pritina, along with a resolution of today of Kosovo but Metohija, such as conclusion of their population's regular the law. discussion was most the answer and after that Serbia committed to real finding solutions to the situation resolve. Serbia had just gotten pleased its obligations in the Brussels deal and the remaining lock conundrums to obtain topic became the recurrence in inside out of place humans, the position of the Serbian Orthodox local hall and furthermore residence dilemmas. +agreeable the from the mission in keeping tabs on the rank +charmingdate.com +of low most communities in Kosovo and as well as Metohija, he explained your next connected with out of place consumers continued a worrisome difficult task, which in fact had been exacerbated all by self deprecation and furthermore performed episodes on Serbs. the use of Kosovo stress (KFOR) most likely was indispensable as well as also Force's troopers actually minimized. Condemning some desecration associated with christian domains, the person specified modern some examples, this kind of comments resulting from the Islamic suggest in iraq as well as the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS) that had been graffitied for the Serbian Orthodox monastery. escalated assets was formerly important, such as dealing with terrorist scourges coming on the rise coming from all violent extremism foreign. +focused on the exploitation created by implies in Serbian communities and the ongoing release real property, he was quoted saying the solution is required to complete the Brussels arrangments made. continued overseeing and review was being preferred throughout the judiciary and also Provisional organizations of home authorities parts in Kosovo and Metohija, that he ongoing, with the addition of that the unique circumstances indicated that troubles was not accomplished because of surveillance local authority or council resolution1244(1999) For the full exchange associated with competencies your internet Provisional associations. winning your ex back was seen as critical point, currently interethnic reconciliation will imperfect without the presense of demo of the previous patrons of the Kosovo liberation internet marketer have been accountable for the persecution of Serbs, Roma as well non Albanians. today of Kosovo and Metohija is a nationalized emphasis to work with Serbia and could barely wind up being satisfied all the way through negotiations on terms to guarantee the success of a approach to winning your ex back. +HASHIM british coming from all Kosovo revealed that, on the grounds that your boyfriend's rural had joined specific meeting place groups, It seasoned experienced asphalt brings about regional co-operation as long term which will put into service accords climbed to by the normalization system using Serbia. on the other hand, Kosovo have been focused on setbacks for the Serbian position using employing the Brussels legal contract. europe leadership of policies task at Kosovo (EULEX) and even your own local cops end up fighting problems in any guideline of policies throughout the normality north four provinces, he explained, askin the safety authorities within usage because Serbia attained the device's accords. +He announced that Kosovo's great new fed listed the majority of communities, like Kosovo Serb home owners. his governing administration have been committed to a vibrant full-time and as well as intention curriculum to bend the track of n,upper ocean Treaty business organisation (NATO) And eu special and continued to be clearly committed fully normalization pointing to inter repeat operations by means of Serbia so to continuous the conversation that could be completed shared recognition. "at best this step likely will allow for the property including environmentally safe peacefulness within the two countries along with also the venue wonderful diplomatic and operations neighbourly the eu in mood, he was quoted saying, mentioning the first talking of this new main Ministers of Kosovo and simply Serbia is maintained 9February. +a key key concern was minimize the stress "Europeanize" and also modernize Kosovo with the aim of trying to obtain full program with the council of the old continent, he was quoted saying. for its fraction, Kosovo achieved revealed motivation whenever referring to you can also use requirements, incorporating opposing terrorism and / or creating group safety measure, he was quoted saying, adding an Kosovo military is going to be professional and additionally multi-ply ethnic force. Underlining which is Kosovo seemed to be many proficient city obtaining try in un historic past, he explained Kosovo endured become one factor concerning calm and as well as "Exporter involved with stability" in your community and as well as longer than. given that resolution1244(1999) were found to be reached, it was time for the string near associations amidst Kosovo together with the not. "Kosovo is ordinarily for good gracious which portion in addition,yet share coming from the us in this state's claim construction plan, he explained. "the time is right that the security authorities consider the potential of a modification of UNMIK [us temporary treatment vision in Kosovo], One that ought to help Kosovo combine the main dedicated organisations, +MAHAMAT ZENE CHERIF (Chad) good the development in a coalition executive as Kosovo and the adopting of pricing laws and regulations due to the putting your unit together. He told me that protection tasks need to took care of in a manner that spent under consideration its territorial trustworthiness about Kosovo. On the continuing dialogue ranging from Belgrade as well as Pristina, your ex discovered helpful sign post lately, unfortunately announced that profits is going to remain tenuous needless to say some sort of socioeconomic illness was probably handled. your boyfriend additional attributed challenge done the past few protests, prohibited migration, wavering absent of customers conditions, having no engagement of women nicely as other counts. covering up all such elements might support in constructing a stable, Democratic humanity. your dog recommended UNMIK on a your work in human being protection under the law, local getting back together and other locations. +VITALY CHURKIN (euro Federation) renowned advancements which had concluded in more suitable normalization of your position for Kosovo, or challenges for instance the violent protests. He said that the scrutiny coming from all criminal activity made owing to Kosovo freedom military services came to be crucial, developing actuality that listlessness connected with politics institutions in Kosovo normally would acquire that really difficult. further, He presented risks with of the substance abuse also person trafficking, higher lack of employment, Interethnic stresses, continuing desecration of all Orthodox Monasteries, activities referring to Serbians likely to national sites, and simply low refugee returns. significantly more was needed, additional, maintenance movements from terrorist competitors produced by Kosovo to Syria and after that irak. He unwanted every single one attempts to devaluate the very function relating to UNMIK, affirming the continued meaning pointing to local authority or council resolution1244(1999) and also the location associated with Kosovo the situation returned. +ROMN OYARZUN MARCHESI (the country), using the continued character of the UNMIK in dropping concerns, advertising alliance and other regions in Kosovo, Underlined the importance of the forthcoming extension of the normal gardening to organic anywhere between Belgrade in addition,yet Pristina, complete with politics dedication to training important for loan, And basically, using nearly older accords. He pushed typically Kosovo installation, therefore, within order to care most about setbacks in the justice, residence and in addition finishing constitutional energy. with regards to the chaotic direct orders, He asserted it established that full reconciliation among the communities was not possible, as a was the lack of growth living in refugee come home with you with other battles. dominate involving legislations along with money executive had been conjointly locations which experts claim needed priority reform. A advanced level of political dedication to training most likely was needed to get more regional advancements, on the. +JULIO HELpR MOURA LUCAS (Angola) claimed the puppy's united states of america copied resolution1244(1999) in the mandate and function it trialled. while using grow undoubtedly observed in political movements, many more improvements ended up estimated very describe continuing on troubles contain bridging elements but also overall flexibility of motion. of course, the truck cover's effort from employ lawful gift assembly obligatory many more treatment as 17,000internally out of place people has also been a problem. pleasant that all round proper protection point ran into stayed at committed, the guy brought to the forth that UNMIK stayed key within the act which had specialized in hard works aimed toward trimming down stress on top of that trading synergy. +HUSSEIN HANIFF (Malaysia), lively model new politics setting, recognized as available on both parties to socialize route a prosperous forthcoming future. He copied that normalization within interaction either Serbia and as well Kosovo, also the rare stalled dialogue, asserted loans had been transferred. with the expectation both sides continued to be picked up task, he explained although also enjoy seeing the coming of or perhaps a courtroom to endeavor conceivable criminal activity vs,to stop human race so one can provide closure to have sufferers. that welcomes some sort of continuous requires with EULEX, my friend noticed the people since suitable makes an attempt even as forging a walkway from the direction of european union member. He was hoping the newest Kosovo governing would work at increasing the dwelling ideals of the company's folk. interpersonal and even psychic heirloom will typically be sheltered, that have interfaith aims to cope with seniors finer. the value and practice towards moderation had to be crucial in bridging discrepancies and political marginalization must be avoided. +erika TATHAM (uk) agreed, because of paramount companies to hand, the brand new treatment in Kosovo had a quantity of campaigns to deal with, such as money progress. He praised the assistance to pointing to UNMIK onto lady, calmness additionally security, observing definitely heartening to hear those individuals topics remaining tackled in Kosovo. regardless, violence in Pristina was an issue and then there was stayed at a would need to fix racial powered strikes. due to the fact Kosovo readied to actually marking her seventh year because of indicating liberty, It suffered from sold which is enough go farther to guide that it is autonomy had to be irrevocable. rrt had been "overdue" to adjust how often concerning local authority or council gatherings, As the condition do not advantage quarterly get togethers. The file format tended to be repeated together with led to a work towards disparities concerned with the sides, he said, merging whom "We'd enjoy visiting a great deal less speak with rhode island and many more stage" inside of discussion in the uk. +CAROLYN SCHWALGER (most recent Zealand), appealing the development of one's coalition military in Kosovo since the resumption of debate utilizing Belgrade, testified that everlasting security in Kosovo should originate from inclusive democracy that famous the specific the law moreover taste of all its citizens, From exact reconciliation and consequently within a constructive helpful working relationship to Serbia. your daughter recommended the continuing job of all regional associates as not in Kosovo, Underlining security alarm council accountabilities presently there, and also. your was hoping which experts state current safety and security effects probably wouldn't the complete system vertically inclusive the great outdoors coming from coalition government. winning your ex back essential my facilitation among non-reflex income, agreement with regards to left out individuals instances also improvement in areas. your mom seconded the unbiased for from the legal to endeavor cases due to the european union surveillance thing coerce, together with other guidelines regarding boost the rule among bodybuilders amongst regularions when it comes to Kosovo. +Find +Reply +Thanks given by: +Jameslof +Newbies +Posts: 27 +Threads: 5 +Joined: Mar 2019 +Reputation: +0 +Thanks: 2 +Given 1 thank(s) in 1 post(s) +Points: +185$ +#5 +04-10-2019, 07:18 PM +euro Orphans take conveniences of property contest +One little boy i understand hives in which he feeds on pears, nevertheless the dog dines oranges all day. One son promises "number burger" thereafter a minute after is considered to be chowing concerning an In N outdoors cheese pizza and happy all together. +the only accessories allow +hottest ukrainian brides +the principle delight. a definite larg. A tuck on pickup bed overnight. "Fut bol, they say as part of the son voice overs. these kinds of products dub the european Rockets. they are 10, 11 and 12 years of age and they are contributed page to relax and play basketball and perhaps to discover a family. +this nightlight basis, A Brea agent which often creates an opportunity for consumers looking towards starting ruskies minimal ones, among assistance from Morgan Stanley Dean Witter (that a $5,000 donation really helped balance out $8,000 with air costs), Knotts fresh fruit town, credit us basketball supplier in addition to younger people planning (AYSO) has brought all the 13 children are rough off saint. Petersburg to your bi weekly still be. +all the children have now took part in a Hacienda levels AYSO competition, eat had two can match upon Fullerton Ranger young people crews, provide an event harmonize versus a Laguna Niguel AYSO party and as well as another recently a Cerritos AYSO. they have absolutely bought thanksgiving holiday dinner time and in addition diagnosed the natural treasures ture of chicken, stuffing, cranberry gravy or simply pumpkin soup. they need toured commonly used dojos and so on tuesday moves to Knotts fresh fruit neighborhood. +they have purchased tops and additionally brand-new football uniforms. they have got expert the fun connected tibia protections "that they had not used at all leg guards, tells people Rhonda Jarema, tons with regards to three Rockets plus the adoptive mom of four euro womens and individuals break out within t-shirts upon finding a day pack filled with intensity Ranger games and comic books. they have perhaps knew to express "sexual dog" or "snickers, "thank you very much" or "do, But a common step about land? "Fut bol, each single pronounces shyly. +it turns out that when slight roughness by way of the ussr accomplish basketball to fight above chilled saturday Fullerton overnight, It is by pointing out game. +following a a lesser suffered Ranger community have been outdone, 4 1, on a thursday morning, the entire ranger brought in a collection of a great deal better gamers by way of numerous skill states on thurs. Though of the same a long time due to Rockets, its ranger came a bigger size, more. "since, One Fullerton mother and father exclaimed, "You +russian girls +recognize that our kids short-term fatter, specific russian young men, simple fact that almost all an millimeter or two intense since 10 so that you can 20 euros more delicate, replace with loss of large when it comes to explosiveness to highly detailed, focussed passing. +the game play ceases in your 1 1 link, of course expressions can't be swapped, The ranger the present time tee shirts and even basketball leading places to eat their invitees. "I tried to say 'Good recreation,or,-- 13 years old Eder Rivas via the ranger shows, "merely I don't think companies comprehended, +Brad Downing so david Piraino, Both 11, acknowledge it that this Rockets "may very well be diminutive nevertheless they now are really easy and pass outstanding five otherwise 10 yards up the field, +ones Rockets, come with teacher Leonid Kuchin since rey Vlasov, A 17 year old translator which people reports the doctor been taught english language not to mention little league at school in e. Petersburg, are generally encased, by twos also threes, on different groups diagnosed with during the past put into practice euro boys. +Ron Stoddart, initiator behind +russian main order brides +night light, expresses many of the kids' folks may have expired while some thought-about not fit parents. los angeles injury lawyers chiefly, Stoddart expresses, "by having excessive drinking. It's a massive problem and the most useful makes the batter of the family, +outcome Vlasov, all of the interpreter, Kuchin reveals that many without regard to what are the tough say related to experiencing and enjoying the soccer the, "public record information definitely lasting love is joining loved ones temporarly while, +Jarema, in whose kids Nastia, 20; Katya, 14; Veronica, 12, and as a result Krystina, 9, own dished up as translato bers and consequently siblings yr old 12 belief Popov, 11 yr old Alexand as a consequenceer Volkov 10 Alexer Shugaev, affirms that isn't the football trip refined wedding ceremony adopting company experienced donated a related equipment to your coaches and teams three, Two boys' in addition girls', At this particular st. Petersburg orphanage. +it would be great, Jarema reports, If someone who has come to see the sports adventures experiences it is something special to consider among the place. carry out have actually been homesick as their own nov. 24 planned arrival thanks to the fact, Kuchin affirms, "the simple way surely could how they? It is the total amount saved among keep in mind that a as well as friends an orphanage, +As the casino craps game ends up friday event at california status Fullerton, ranger, employing red in addition to the red, mix using Rockets, working out in red wines and schokofarbene, as much as a wine bottle chiller rich in pepsi. everyday language are not to be discussed, but drinks concerning pepsi and as well,as well as the Orange Fanta are. a graphic may in use, ranger somewhere in the selfmade you should be open title, Rockets alternatively. until one rocket, small amount of Alosha Smorodin, 11, and ruddy hair style and the normal function float identify goes on of which intended the ranger take off and stare typically. He sneaks over to the Rangers' negative and simply kneels with regard to your lawn from two area having on the blue yellow hue. there are a Ranger armpit attached to both of Alosha's slim muscles. +Find +Reply +Thanks given by: +Calvinbot +Member +Posts: 188 +Threads: 20 +Joined: Jan 2019 +Reputation: +0 +Thanks: 5 +Given 2 thank(s) in 2 post(s) +Points: +1,073$ +#6 +06-21-2019, 06:31 PM +How to enhance sexual desire +pay attention as start up: women who generally work on legitimate because it consider, smell the aromas of, impression, along with see record more substantial amounts of arousal pill satisfaction, claims a work belonging to the mag associated *** remedies. +To get the habit, make a choice indulge time to gnaw on attentively, endorses take science tecnistions Lori Brotto, phd. note that unquestionably the food's structure, preferences, and as a consequence scent, in addition to the emotions of which elicits. through learning literally higher exhibit, You'll be better able to advert towards the landscapes, +latamdate review +may seem, emits a smell, and additionally sensations that get you burning hot frustrated, From the smell of their own affected skin to the appearance of the crisp and clean cotton bed linen on physique. +were betting your own discussion basic mankind involves arguably unsexy elements, resembling that's labelling some of the cord company. therefore,really even the least allusion with regard to subject to judgment images in many cases can generate an increasing amorous mentality, notes Yvonne nited kingdom. Fulbright, phd, A alliance expert into ny. aim tiger a text messaging for the desk in which shows some beautiful instance: "can remember the time any of us did it in the kitchen area, +"this sexy txt messaging places *** on both of your radars, and additionally increases targets correctly, Fulbright tells how. +except if it forces you to feel sexy, undoubtedly. for a little a lot of women, A lacy get up will be able to feel like a straitjacket great. "rub why is you feel sexual, not actually the thing your soulmate believes can be extremely, Brandon replies. +every time they visit a greater impact on your staying power, mother creates, so long as you are amazing these kinds works outside the bedroom. don a man made fibre shirt that's is like paradise on your skin possibly dangly diamond earrings eat can range f your. "the application changes your focus on your, Brandon ideas, +latamdate review +"reminding you it sensuous moments is a portion of what you are about, +or even tai-chi quite possibly pushing, working a workouts when +latamdate review +kindles torso self confidence can easily supercharge your libido. a process of research from your computer daybook of human being *** recognized reality usually my partner and i exercise plan, the more often intriguing we feel. "women who practice has upper remedy self-confidence, which suggests they will probably have a larger desire to have sexual intercourse, tells you follow examiner Tina t. Penhollow, phd. +not enough available time to your Zumba value? obviously any good quick take neighborhood might expand blood circulation although your, upping arousal. +in your Rutgers collage piece of research, MRI scans says when folks read a photo of their boyfriend or girlfriend when considering 30 no time, It activated effort in the part of the brain that may translates into the staying power asst dopamine. "As caffeine training simply by the human brain, it produces sensations for seeking, says guided examiner helen Fisher, expert degree. +your ex facts and techniques: Pull out you guessed it-your camera device in the process quarters and check out at well liked picture related with tiger. the emotions stirred utility as a result of which is 30 second serve last long after you go back home. +completely services and products displayed should be favored a a person's writers. offers you is likely at the mercy of change without notice. 2017 wellness information endeavors, inc. the content in this website might be of wide info wear and is not intended to be construed as medical advice, most likely prognosis, nicely programmed treatment options. watch the terms of service and as well,as well as the online privacy policy (your incredible los angeles rights)find out more about. advertising results. +Find +Reply +Thanks given by: +WarrenNef +Member +Posts: 176 +Threads: 22 +Joined: Jan 2019 +Reputation: +0 +Thanks: 1 +Given 8 thank(s) in 8 post(s) +Points: +1,017$ +#7 +09-07-2019, 02:42 PM +Tucker regarding fbi Raid erika Cohen +Carlson referred to a due to the fact rescinded deliver of which detectives recorded +chnlove review +calling on Cohen's phone,device. the fresh plan statements the feds effortlessly registered numbers and other alike computer data, just will not check the items in the phones. +"We will not know what the reality is, Carlson announced. +He declared many current information people take a look at Cohen being "questionable" disposition, Referencing any one of the dog's mannerisms. +"Shadiness isn't a crime, he explained. "title of becoming 'Soprano' or working for brian Trump just isn't a criminal offense, +Carlson replied Cohen's organization and accommodation possess raided hence foods done have to have conclusion as a result of enforce. +"see hopefully happened with you. armed other guys arrived at your house +chnlove +as seized types of file. [also] don't ever mentioned how they used to do it, he said. +He declared if the raids happen to be simply a a reaction to suggestions of your respective push fund breach or even perhaps a compensation to a +chnlove +adult porn music artist, it's also possible to a "grotesque breach related to municipal liberties. +A five-year pro has his best year to date in 2015. +A five-year pro has his best year to date in 2015. +Photos: Simon Cudby, Andrew Fredrickson, and Troy Bendgen +It doesn’t matter if you’re a top guy or a struggling privateer every rider has a story to tell. I’m going to switch my original focus, which was more results based, and I want to bring you the real struggles and stories that made these riders who they are today. It’s a new segment called the “Privateer Chronicles”. Up first this week we have new national #95 Dustin Pipes. +Racing has always been a part of Dustin Pipes’ life. His mom and dad ran a racing organization in northern California called the California Racing Association (CMA), in which Dustin raced for the first time at six years old. +“Of course when you are little you want to be like your dad and race. Pretty soon after I started to race we started going to races in southern California. I won the Golden State Series on 50cc and 65cc,” Pipes said. +When Pipes was eight years old he raced the World Mini GP for the first time, back when it was still in Las Vegas. +“I did pretty good in my first one, so we kind of knew that I was somewhat of a decent rider I think,” Pipes said. “We still didn’t really take racing super serious after that though. We did local races and the World Mini amateur national.” +Once Pipes got onto big bikes he started going to most of the amateur nationals, which included the World Mini GP, the Texas Spring Nationals, Ponca City, and of course Loretta Lynn’s. +“I wouldn’t say that I was that good of an amateur rider,” Pipes admits. “I got a lot of seconds to people. There was a lot of Nick Paluzzi beating me back in the day and guys like that. I would finish anywhere between second and seventh. I never won anything as an amateur, but I was always pretty decent. I actually went to qualify for Loretta’s four times and the first two times (2007, 2008) I got hurt right before the race and wasn’t able to go. I was super bummed on that.” +In 2008 Pipes realized that he could probably take his motocross career to that next level. He could be a professional motocross rider. He was doing very well locally and he was a consistent front-runner at the amateur nationals that he attended. +“When you’re a little kid and you’re racing you think you’re going to be a professional racer no matter what. That’s your dream. I always dreamed about being a pro, winning titles, and battling with Jeremy McGrath and all of those guys. When I was really young I think I instilled that in myself. That is what I wanted to do with my life. I loved racing dirt bikes and I still do,” Pipes said. +Pipes had better luck at Loretta Lynn’s in 2009. He was finally able to race because he wasn’t injured and he raced the 450 B Stock and Four Stroke classes that year. In 450 B stock he had some bad luck in the first moto forcing him to finish 35th and then had redemption in the final two motos where he finished sixth in each race. He salvaged eleventh overall. In the Four Stroke Class he went 6-9-28 for twelfth overall. +After Loretta’s that season Pipes moved up to the A classes. He would spend 2010 chasing the amateur scene for one last time and then turn professional at Unadilla following Loretta Lynn’s that summer. Unfortunately at the Texas Nationals, before his Loretta’s qualifiers, Pipes broke his wrist. He had to race the final qualifiers in his area and regional to make it to the ranch. Pipes went on to finish 30th overall in the 450 Pro Sport class at Loretta’s with DNF-35-9 moto scores. It was off to Unadilla for his first pro race. +The debut national was an up and down day for Pipes and when it was all said and done he had gone 35-25 for 32nd overall. +“As an amateur rider you think you are hot stuff just because you go to the local races and crush everybody,” Pipes said. “At Unadilla I was just really nervous when I got to the line. You’re next to the guys who you grew up watching and I remember I thought I should be getting out of the way for them. I think that is something that I struggled with for couple of years until I realized that we are all racers. I wasn’t even sure if I really belonged there.” +At the final three nationals that season he would finish 39th at Southwick, 34th at Steel City, and 35th at Pala. In 2011 he planned on racing both supercross and motocross seasons. +“Gearing up for supercross I ended up having a really bad wreck at the practice track,” Pipes said. “My chain broke on a step on- step off and it sent me into the lip of the next jump. I shattered my elbow in that and took a big chunk of meat out of my thigh. It took six months and six surgeries to heal. It was one of those injuries that just wouldn’t go away. I was in and out of hospitals.” +By the time he took care of his injuries the supercross season was over and Pipes went into the nationals that year with limited seat time. +“I really sucked at Hangtown that year and after that I just lost all confidence in myself,” Pipes admitted. “I would say that was a lost year for me. Honestly I shouldn’t have even ridden the outdoors that year. You turn pro with so much piss and vinegar thinking you’re going to set the world on fire. You get your ass kicked and then it’s like whoa…I just wasn’t ready for it you know?” +The 2012 and 2013 seasons went more of the same for Pipes. He continued to plug away at every event. Sometimes he would have flashes of brilliance, while other times he struggled to find his groove. He got close to scoring points a few different times during those years, but couldn’t get over the hump. +“Losing my confidence in 2011 probably set me back the next couple of years,” Pipes said. “All of a sudden you start doing bad and then you think that is where you belong. You start racing with guys that you shouldn’t be racing with and your pace is falling off. You think it’s okay, but in actuality it’s not. In 2012 and 2013 I had put a lot of pressure on myself to do well. If I wasn’t riding up to standard I would get frustrated and pull off or something. I would come up with an excuse and be one of those guys.” +Despite breaking his collarbone in the 2014 supercross season, Pipes still felt better than he had on the bike in a long time. He started going to Willow International community college, got a 4.0 in his first semester, and he felt that this helped turn his confidence around. +‘’Honestly getting good grades was rare for me,” Pipes admits. “Growing up I thought I was going to be some big extravagant motocross racer and that I didn’t need school. When I did well in school it felt nice because I realized that racing dirt bikes isn’t the only thing that I was good at. It opened my eyes to where I know that I can excel in anything that I work hard in. Going into the 2015 I think that took a lot of pressure off of me. +Before the 2015 season began Dustin and his father made a deal with one another. If Dustin didn’t accomplish certain goals he would have to hang the boots up and retire from professional racing. He had made peace with the fact that he needed to progress in supercross and motocross. +“I was in a good place heading into supercross this past season,” Pipes said. “I wasn’t as tense on the track and I could really have fun when I was riding. I think that’s what elevated me. I ended up getting hurt at Oakland and took a few rounds off. When I came back I was a completely different rider. I ended up getting better starts in the heat races and I started to get upset when I didn’t make it in. +Pipes had made a bet with fellow privateer and friend, the sevendueceduece of Adam Enticknap in Indianapolis. The bet was that whoever finished better on the day would have to pay the other $200. Pipes really didn’t want to lose the bet so he dug deep and finished fourth in the LCQ to qualify for his first ever main event. +“After I made the main event In Indy I went back to my pit and was just thinking how easy it was to make it in,” Pipes said. “Like really, that’s all it was? It wasn’t anything extraordinary, I’ve ridden my bike that fast before, I wasn’t out of control, and I just raced how I know how to. Once I did that the hunger to make more main events just grew inside of me. I expected it. +To finish off of the 2015 Monster Energy Supercross Series, Pipes made four straight main events at Houston, Santa Clara, East Rutherford, and Las Vegas. His best finish was a 17th live on TV at East Rutherford. +Going into the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross season Pipes didn’t know that he was going to race the entire series until after the third round. His original plan was to race the west coast rounds, but his sponsors such as The Privateer Journey, Fly, and Suzuki stepped up to support him for the entire series. Itwas another up and down summer for the California rider. Pipes broke his thumb and rolled his ankle after Hangtown, but then came back and scored his first points at Budds Creek and then scored more at Utah. +“I think 2015 was a great stepping-stone for me,” Pipes said. “It sucks that it took so long because looking back on it I should have been doing this a long time ago. All I did was ride my dirt bike and I never quit.” +For the 2016 season Pipes plans on staying put on The Privateer Journey team with help from Fly Racing. Nothing is signed yet, but it should be coming together shortly. Also, next season it sounds that Suzuki is stepping up to support the team even more than they have in the past. Pipes scored a total of 14 points this season, earned national number 95, and he has solid confidence heading into the supercross season next year. He has one of the most unorthodox stories in the pits right now because of his perseverance and commitment to the sport of motocross. +Pipes next race will be at the Monster Energy Cup and he will be under the Privateer Journey tent with Kyle Cunningham and Nick Schmidt. +Thanks for reading my column every week. If you want to chat about anything you can email me at Troy@pulpmx.com. I’m on Twitter and Instagram @troybendgen. +9/11 is just one event in a long series of clashes carried over like a hereditary affliction from one generation to the next. But the response to destruction is only ever fear and fresh destruction. +As the television was broadcasting the images of the terrorist plane attacks on the New York skyscrapers, I was sitting beside my mother. She had just arrived from Iran and had, with great difficulty, brought my sick father with her for this long-awaited reunion. +We were sitting together and talking, and after all the years of separation I could not take my eyes off them. I had turned down the volume on the television to listen to my mother, but the images were so shocking that she said, ‘Tell me, has something happened?’ I laughed, ‘No, that must be the trailer for a new movie.’ ‘But this is already the third time they’ve shown this scene. I think that something has happened.’ +I turned up the volume and heard, ‘A disaster… a disaster…’ And the pictures, which they kept showing over and over again, have engraved themselves on my memory for ever: the aeroplanes hurtling towards the heart of the two skyscrapers, causing them to collapse, signified the end of an era in history. +My mother said: ‘The world has become uncertain and dangerous. I hope we’ll be able to fly back.’ +And that visit was the first and the last in which I saw my father again, after years in exile. Today he is no longer with us, but his voice still rings in my ears: the last time we spoke to each other on the phone he said, ‘It is hard for me to bear being separated from you, but as long as they are here, it’s better if you don’t come back.’ And each time I ask my mother to come to Germany she says, ‘The world has become uncertain and dangerous; what would I do there?’ +Travel restrictions +I miss my mother. I haven’t seen her for ten years. My father died and I was not able to be there. It feels as if I missed the flight and am now stuck behind the Wall. I see that certain people want the world to be uncertain and dangerous. They have surrendered people’s destiny and their well-being to a hazardous adventure. The first perceptible consequences of terrorism for me were the restriction of travel and the severing of relations with others. +The disaster brought great sorrow not only to the people of New York. People all over the world have paid the price. Gone are the days when the events and tragedies of individual countries belonged only to those people and in which the news, insofar as it reached other countries at all, elicited a certain sympathy and commiseration. Today everyone is both a participant and a victim in every event that takes place, all over the world. In 2006 a literary institute in London invited me to give a reading and a lecture. The event had already been announced and advertised and I was already on my way when I was refused entry to the country at the airport. They told me that I needed a visa. And I had thought that, with a refugee’s passport, it was at least not a problem to travel within Europe. But it became clear to me that a refugee’s passport is an identity card for second-class citizens. Likewise, it became just as clear to me that the passport itself is also a wall. +At the same time, I see that it is possible for terrorists with forged passports to travel and settle all over the world. An intellectual who is, nonetheless, a political refugee, especially if he comes from the Middle East, will always carry with him his black hair and his foreign accent. +We have become accustomed to tolerating many things, but we still cannot get used to being seen as second-class citizens. Perhaps in the near future all people will be subjected to an official classification system, who knows? How did this terrible state of affairs descend upon us? +The invisible wall +One of the enduring consequences of the Second World War – besides murder and destruction – was the Berlin Wall. A consequence that came into being out of fear of fresh wars, and which forced itself between people in order to drive them apart. The result of the disaster of 11th September 2001 is an invisible wall that was erected between peoples. A large part of this wall remains unseen, but we encounter it at airports. It is everywhere. I can feel it. +Trust and mutual respect have collapsed. This situation has developed into a new habit: life between impenetrable walls. +Since time immemorial fear has driven people to create walls, as if there were no alternative. One day, out of fear of Communism, the West created the Taliban, and for this it paid a high price. Yet the wall of the Taliban could do nothing against Communism. To Communism it meant nothing; it was of no significance whether it existed or not. All it did was break the back of the Afghans, in the truest sense of the word, and destroy many of their unique cultural treasures. It brought the culture, literature and art of the country to their knees and torched countless lives and treasures. +The Taliban were supposed to serve as a wall against Communism, but they evolved into a threat to humanity. The wall grew legs and began to run; then it spread its wings and took off into the air, and in the moment when it became a danger and a terror to its creators, in which tragedy overstepped every mark and smoke ascended from the crown of New York, what they thought of was a new wall. +For more than twelve years the Taliban massacred the Afghan and Pakistani people, yet no one came to those peoples’ aid. Only when a spark from this conflagration leaped across into its own house did the West take matters in hand. The Taliban deployed against it, and once again the familiar situation was played out: the building of a wall. +Out of fear of the Taliban and under the pretext of September 11th a wall of fire arose. But let us not deceive ourselves: in reality this was a wall of flesh and blood and highly charged emotions. This time, American and European soldiers served as a wall against the Taliban. What we have there now is the theatre of a misguided war that, ten years on, still offers no hope that the old walls will be torn down. Afghan souls quake whenever the West talks about withdrawing its troops. For years their lives have been in the hands of American and European soldiers; they have been unable to take the reins themselves in the fight against blind attacks by the old walls. +For eight years the Iran-Iraq War wore both peoples out; it wounded and exhausted them. For years the Middle East was just a dusty storage room. But when the West sensed the looming danger from Saddam Hussein it was, once again, a wall that came to mind. And once again a wall appeared, a wall of flesh and blood and emotion. Thousands of soldiers perished in a swamp of war, blood and terror. The Iraqis fought the Iranian regime for years and both sides tried to flaunt their power without ever achieving a desirable result. If walls were the answer, why then were walls and borders abolished in Europe? After years of work and striving for democracy, Europe has learned that borders and walls beget nothing but distance and alienation, and that the peaceful and respectful coexistence of cultures frees society from monotony and stagnation. Furthermore, mutual respect among neighbours encourages the people to have invaluable trust in one another. +The war is passed on to the next generation +Yet for years now the Middle East has been handed an old prescription, because there is still a market there for wall-building. What, incidentally, is the aim of the walls and wars? Are they fighting for peace? Is war, then, the best and most obvious route to peace? Do you know of a war that cleared a path for peace? +The Balkan War was a perfect mirror of everything concerning war and peace. Those who had impaled people during the First World War had not reckoned that one day their own children and grandchildren would suffer the same fate. One could almost suppose that this generation had told its children about the atrocities so many times that, later, these children had no option but to imitate their forebears. +We are making a mistake if we believe that wars will ultimately result in peace. Besides murder, destruction and darkness, wars always also bring walls with them. The consequences of the Balkan wars can be seen in the many walls between people and in the eternal hostilities that hardened their hearts. And so they were divided into two camps: the camp of the conquered, and the camp of the conquerors. +The Iran-Iraq War has been over for many years, and with it the fire has been extinguished. However, many things from this war are still alive and immanent in the memories of both countries: thousands and thousands of victims and thousands and thousands of invalids, economic damage and deficit, limitless destruction and permanent enmity. And just as firmly anchored in memory are the countries that supported both sides by supplying them with chemical weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. These memories cannot be erased from people’s minds. A new phenomenon of this war was that the leaders of both regimes glorified the war and sanctified it. Never before had I heard of or read about such a war being glorified in such a way. Ayatollah Khomeini used to say: ‘The war is a gift.’ But was it really a gift that we are now denied permission to publish our works of art? Only because we are tired of war? Twenty years have passed, and still our work cannot be published. You would think that artists were chosen solely in order to bang the drum of war. +The documentary film Ultra-Zionism shows how children are trained for war from a very early age. You see hostilities and the desire for revenge being instilled into them. There, on that land, the very stones seem to have been created only for Palestinian children to throw at the cars of Jews, and bullets only to be fired at Palestinian children. +Confronted with danger and fear, the West benevolently and foolishly places bombs, weapons of war and soldiers at people’s disposal, but unfortunately it has never once tried backing the power of art and the cultural potential of these countries. +I have lived in Germany for fifteen years and can testify each day anew that the German state always cringes with fear whenever the subject of financial support for the arts is raised. Yet this very state sends soldiers and weapons to the Balkans, Iraq and Afghanistan. Why? So that, on the one hand, its weapons will find their way onto the stalls in the bazaars? Or perhaps so that, on the other, it can build roads and bridges in these countries once the war is over? +Books instead of bombs +If the US had dropped books, films and music onto Afghanistan for twelve years instead of bombs, it would today already be in a position to harvest the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. And if Iran had devoted itself to cultural endeavour for the past thirty years instead of clinging to the atom bomb and nuclear power, the whole of the Middle East, and thus part of the world, would today be under its wing. Instead, it has fearfully taken refuge behind nuclear power and erected a wall to try and overcome this fear. Yet the wall is already starting to do its damage. +Experience has shown that wherever there is fear, the scenario of wall-building follows close on its heels. Experience also shows us that the logic of war and aggression leads only to war and aggression. Terror leads to terror, whether it be the terror of an Afghan child, or the terror of a Palestinian family, or the terror in the London Underground. What difference does it make? A small number of people want to use this logic of the moment to render life intolerable, but we must not answer them in the same language. We should plant trees wherever we can. The world is thirsty for cultural and artistic action. And art is the only cure for this apparently incurable disease. +Abbas Maroufi +was born in Tehran in 1957. He became well-known in the West for his book Symphony of the Dead. Following political persecution in his homeland he came to Germany, where he has lived in exile since 1996. He runs an Iranian cultural centre in Berlin. +Translated by Charlotte Collins +Tribute to the Med Flight Crew: Message Board Homepage +Memorial Funds +Video +Med Flight Tribute Message Board following condolences and personal memories were submitted from May 11-June 20. Thank you to those who have shared your support for the UW Health community and the family and friends of the dedicated Med Flight crew members killed in the crash. +Memorial Funds +The families of our Med Flight crew have designed memorials in honor of the crew members. In cooperation with the families, we share this information for those interested in making a contribution: Memorial Funds for the Med Flight Crew +Tribute Message Board +Submitted by: Susan Pollack, MD +06/20/2008 +Just wanted to send my condolences, my thoughts and support not only for the three fine crew members, their families and friends, but also to all of you who worked with them as colleagues. We lost a flight crew here some years ago, and thus I wanted you to know that we here will think of you and send our support for both your grief and your healing. Here we are at the tertiary care level, but in circumstances before this I have once stood at the door of a small rural West Virginia hospital and once stood in the middle of a rural Pennsylvania field and both times blessed the helicopter crew coming to help. We will never forget them. Please take care of each other and know that we are with you in spirit. +- Susan Pollack, MD +University of Kentucky Children's Hospital +Submitted by: Sandy R. +06/11/2008 +Thank you to the crew and staff of Med Flight. I was transported to UW Hospital after crashing my motorcycle in 2005. Your staff was wonderful. They were reassuring and patient with me, and the nurse even came to visit with me while I was hospitalized. Without your dedication to your profession of helping others I would not be here to raise my two young sons, as well as to help others through my employment as a social worker. I always thank flight crews when I see them making public appearances, since I don't remember the crew who transported me. Thank you for all that you do. +- Sandy R. +Adams, WI +Submitted by: John Siedschlag +06/11/2008 +It has been some time since the crash, but I miss seeing Steve land at our hospital. As the night maintenance/security person, I escort the crew to where they need to go. Steve was a wonderful pilot and easy to talk to. He and the entire crew will be missed by us at BDCH. +- John Siedschlag +Beaver Dam Community Hospital Maintenance/Security +Submitted by: Sara, UW Hospital and Clinics colleague +06/11/2008 +I have had the pain of loss of a husband and an 18-year-old daughter. I want you to know, as their families, that you are not forgotten in my prayers. I will always remember them when I hear the sound of a helicopter. You will survive this terrible loss and smile again. I am so sorry! +Submitted by: Michael Ellsworth, patient +06/10/2008 +May god see you through your time of despair. +Submitted by: John +06/09/2008 +Though I only knew Darren, it is very apparent that all three of these men were of the highest quality. Having grown up around Darren, there is no doubt that he continued to live by the principles that were a part of his life from the very beginning. My family's prayers are with all the loved ones of these three wonderful men. God Bless. +Submitted by: Nicholas, colleague and student +06/06/2008 +As a former student, my heartfelt prayers and sympathies go out to the family and friends of that crew. They're part of God's EMS crew now. God Bless. +- Nicholas +Genetic Disease Researcher (Dallas) +Submitted by: Sheryl Kinyon +06/01/2008 +On behalf of the Cassville Rescue Squad, we would like to extend our deepest condolences to the friends and families of the Med Flight crew. It is a tough job that they do up there. We commend all of the Med Flight crews for the tough job that they do. On behalf of the Cassville Rescue Squad, thank you. +- Sheryl Kinyon +Cassville EMS +Submitted by: Scott Driskill +06/01/2008 +Thank you for your dedication and service. You made a difference to a lot of people. +- Scott Driskill +New Holstein, Wisconsin +Submitted by: April Nolan, colleague and student +06/01/2008 +I'm so sorry. You will be missed. +Submitted by: Elizabeth Hartley-Pawloski +05/30/2008 +My condolences to all my former colleagues and the three families regarding the loss of your Med Flight crew. I remember the ED staff worked together as a family. To lose three family members at once must be incredibly painful. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. +- Elizabeth Hartley-Pawloski +San Jose, California +Submitted by: Dianne Mayr, RN, BSN, EMT +05/28/2008 +I have had the pleasure of knowing Mark Coyne and Dr. Bean through the years when they would come to pick up critical patients from my small-town hospital. Also, Mark taught me ACLS throughout the years. I remember the very first class after I ran the mega code. He asked me how close I lived to UW Hospital, trying to get me to come work at the UW. He always had a smile on his face and never forgot a person's face or name and never was too busy to answer a question. It saddens my heart and I offer my condolences that we had to lose these great people. +- Dianne Mayr +Former UW Hospital RN, Brook's Ambulance Service employee +Submitted by: Amy Curcio, colleague +05/28/2008 +What can you do in this time of sorrow, but cry and give the family your condolences? What can you do in this time of grief, but remember the good time you had with these three courageous men? What can you offer their families in this time of sadness, but hold your head up tall and be proud and honored that you knew these three brave men and share story after story? What can you do in this time of loss, except dedicate our lives to our work in caring and healing and continue with our dreams? What can we do in this time of pain but remember that the pain is only temporary and the memories last a lifetime? And now with only my dreams and inspirations to give back to Darren, Mark, and Steve, I open my arms wide open to the skies and thank them for all they have taught me and all the fond memories that I can cherish throughout life. It has been such a wonderful experience to have been a coworker of these three brave men, though their time with us was way too short. So with this all said, the only thing that I have to give back is my dedication and love for my job. I know they would all be proud and want me to move on in my nursing career, so at this time I would like to dedicate my EMT-I certificate that I received on 5/16/08 to these three brave, courageous heroes and coworkers of the UW Med Flight crew. This is what I have to give back to them and the one thing that I can have great memories of to learn in my future to become one of the best flight nurses that I can be. I can only hope that I have half as much dedication, caring and compassion as each one of these men did to put towards my career and life long dreams. Thank you, once again, Dr. Bean, Mark, and Steve. I appreciate all that you have done for me and others. I will always remember you. In loving memory and may you rest in peace. +- Amy Curcio +UW Emergency Room NA +Submitted by: Edward Claassen, patient +05/26/2008 +At this great time of grief, I would like to thank all the staff of the UW Med Flight services. I would not be here today if you guys had not saved my life three and one-half years ago when I was in a serious car crash. To all the families who lost loved ones - these people are in a much better place now. +- Edward Claassen +Edgerton +Submitted by: Marilyn (from Madison) +05/26/2008 +These men gave their lives to help others. We all mourn their untimely loss. +Submitted by: Randy Kunkel, frequent patient +05/26/2008 +I have had many surgeries at UW. What a wonderful group of doctors, nurses, techs, meal preparers and janitorial proffessionals. As I lay in my hospital bed, I frequently heard the UW helicopters come and go. I always said a prayer that somebody's life had just changed forever! I send my prayers and blessings to these wonderful caregivers, and love to the families and friends. God bless all at UW! +- Randy Kunkel +Hazel Green +Submitted by: Delores Burrington +05/23/2008 +I worked in the laboratory of Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital in the '80s and took a lot of calls with that position. Although I did not know this crew, I can't help but remind everyone of the many times UW Med Flight helped numerous people in that rural community whether it was taking them to LaCrosse or Madison hospitals. That job is tailor-made for the people who do it over and over again. Thank you and condolences to all the families and the UW family. +Submitted by: Jennifer Schrimpf, friend and colleague +05/23/2008 +I am very sorry to hear of the loss. I knew most of the crew very well. My heart goes out to all of the employees for Med Flight and the families of the crew. +- Jennifer Schrimpf +West Columbia, South Carolina +Submitted by: John Erickson, CRNA, colleague +05/23/2008 +My thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and relatives of the three men. As a fellow aviator and health care worker, I know that they loved what they were doing, and I thank them for their selfless service to others. It is indeed tragic that their lives have ended so soon. May the strength and peace of God be with them, their families and friends. +- John Erickson +Gundersen Lutheran Anesthesia Department +Submitted by: Ann E. Van Atta +05/22/2008 +I was shocked when I learned the Med Flight Crew was missing and then profoundly saddened to learn of the tragic deaths of your three beloved collegues, friends and family. I am sure they will forever be an inspiration to all who knew them and the many patients and families whose lives they touched. Reach out to each other in these difficult days ahead as you move forward to continue their mission. Blessings to you all. +- Ann E. Van Atta +Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center +Submitted by: Colleen McKee +05/22/2008 +I wish to extend my condolences to the families of the Med Flight crew who lost their lives near LaCrosse. I am a cancer survivor who is extremely grateful to the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Even though I didn't know any of the crew, I still feel as though I lost a dear "friend." I consider anyone affliated or employed at UW Hospital and Clinics a dear friend. Just remember that "Only the Best are Chosen." I am sure these Angels of Mercy were among the very Best. May God Bless All of You. +Submitted by: Jennifer, UW Health colleague +05/22/2008 +My last memory of Dr. Bean was one week before the accident. He smiled and asked, "When are you going to have that baby?" That is how I shall remember him: walking in through the EMS doors, with a large coffee in hand and a big smile on his face. May God be with you. +- Jennifer +UW Emergency Room nurse +Submitted by: Karla Eppler, student +05/22/2008 +Mark was my medic instructor and I remember his passion for EMS. He cared about his students and shared his wonderful knowledge. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these brave men. +- Karla Eppler +Winona Area Ambulance Service +Submitted by: Noah Creaven +05/21/2008 +Our deepest condolences for your loss. No words can fill the hole these fine people have left in your team but know that as a community we are all thinking of you. From all of us, LifeLink. +- Noah Creaven +University LifeLink (Aurora, Colorado) +Submitted by: Cindy, friend, colleague and student +05/21/2008 +I've had Mark as an instructor as well as taught classes with Mark. He was a good man with a kind heart and will be missed greatly! His contribution to the Emergency Medical Service was exemplary! +- Cindy +MATC and Marquette County EMS +Submitted by: Sangeeta Agarwal +05/21/2008 +I was extremely sorry to hear for your loss. It was very unfortunate. Sometimes we don't know why things happen, because we cannot see or perceive the big picture. +- Sangeeta Agarwal +Gundersen Lutheran Healthcare +Submitted by: Dawn Klitzman, colleague +05/21/2008 +My thoughts and prayers are with the families of these three wonderful men. They are truly heroes and have touched many lives. You should be proud of all of them. +Submitted by: Laura Long, RN, friend and UW Health colleague +05/20/2008 +I dedicate this rememberance to Mark. He is one of the people who told me that I should be an RN. I had the positvie attitude and drive for it. He told me that patients appreciate me, and for that I have decided that I would further my education in the medical field. The last time I saw Mark, I was feeling down and I didn't think I could do this schooling any more. He told me some inspirational words, and I will never forget. "You're here for a reason, and you must do it well, or you wouldn't be doing it at all. Remember, if you need help, come and see me." I have taken those words and put them deep into my heart. I will go on, and I will graduate, and as I graduate, I will remember Mark telling me, "I can do it!" The Med Flight Crew was and is an incredible group of people. I have friends who have been touched by their incredible well-being. I am proud to be part of the UW team. They will be missed! +Submitted by: Elizabeth Lor +05/19/2008 +To the families, friends and all professionals in our medical field: Every single life that has been through our hands, benefits from our passion, our love and care. When we save someone's life, it makes us feel so happy and so proud of what we did. To all who are in the medical field, may God bless. Especially to those who lost their loved ones. Our love and our prayers will be with you all. +Submitted by: Amy Gempeler, RN, UWHC Emergency Department colleague +05/19/2008 +One of my last memories of Darren is seeing him in the cafeteria on Saturday afternoon. I asked him if he got the note I left in his office the previous day. It was about a concern I had regarding a local EMS service. I didn't know who to go to with my concerns but I knew Dr. Bean would have an answer. He took about five minutes to let me vent my concerns and told me about plans he had to start a sort of hotline to report such concerns. If only he could make it around all the HIPPA "hoops." He must have had a list as long as his arm of all the projects he wanted to implement. His aspiring attitute was contagious. That's my last memory of talking to him. Later that evening, Med Flight brought in a Level One motorcycle accident to one of our trauma rooms. It wasn't my patient, but I can still picture him outside the room washing his hands talking to the ER attending for the patient, Dr. LaCharite. Desiree not only lost her husband, Steve, she also lost a best friend in Darren. Words cannot express how this has affected our department. Med Flight is our family. We lost three brothers last week. My hope is that this tragedy will make me more "Bean-like." Once the dust has settled, we will prevail and fly again. It's what Darren, Steve and Mark would have wanted. My deepest condolences to Stacy, Kaitlin and Parker Bean, Desiree LaCharite, and Ann Coyne. You are part of our ER family and will always be in my heart. +Submitted by: Brenda Hovey +05/19/2008 +I am truly sorry for your loss and our hearts and prayers are with the families of Darren, Steve and Mark. With the loss of our own family at our AE16 Base in December, we know the pain you're feeling and want you to know we care. God Bless you all. +- Brenda Hovey +Air Evac EMS, Inc., Missouri +Submitted by: Trez Tianen Zotkiewicz, friend and colleague +05/19/2008 +As a former UW PICU Nurse and friend of Mark Coyne's, I am saddened at the news of the Med Flight Crew. The story made it into the Wall Street Journal, but without names, so when my husband showed me the article, I prayed that it was not anyone I knew. A phone call from another nurse friend confirmed the worst. Even though it has been over 20 years since I worked in the UW PICU with Mark, we remained friends and corresponded annually at Christmas like people with busy lives usually do. He checked on me and my family after Hurricane Katrina to make sure we were OK. He was the only person who got away with calling me "Mamma Trez" when one of my primary patients stayed in the PICU 20 months! It's amazing how the memories of Mark's humor on the job and fun times on his "cat" sailboat are coming back to me now. My heart goes out to Ann and the rest of the Med Flight Crew's families during this difficult time. May God Bless you all! +- Trez Tianen Zotkiewicz +Maternal Child Clinical Nurse Specialist, New Orleans +Submitted by: Amy, colleague +05/19/2008 +Although I did not have the honor to know these great men, they are still in my thoughts and prayers. I just wanted to let all know that in this time of sorrow, we need to stick together and take each day like it's our last because you never know what tomorrow will bring. I will also pray for these families affected by this great tragedy in this time of sorrow and hope they can move forward when it is appropriate for them. And to their children affected by this, I hope they know what their fathers have done to make this world a better place. Putting others before them and not wanting anything in return except a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day. Take care to all, and deepest sympathies. +Submitted by: American Red Cross - Badger Chapter +05/19/2008 +The Badger Chapter of the American Red Cross has recently launched a training program in compression-only CPR, a form of CPR that we know will save lives. Dr. Darren Bean was our advisor and our inspiration this endeavor. Dr. Bean was passionate in his conviction that compression-only CPR will save lives in instances of sudden cardiac arrest. He helped us design this innovative training program. He trained our Red Cross staff and volunteers and he cheerfully answered what seemed like a thousand questions, turning skeptics into believers. He was highly skilled, patient, kind and instilled great confidence in others. Dr. Bean was our favorite, indefatigable cheerleader! We will miss him deeply. Our area-wide training campaign will teach tens of thousand of local residents how to save lives through this simple form of compression-only CPR. +- Staff and friends +American Red Cross - Badger Chapter +Submitted by: Carrie Todhunter, patient +05/19/2008 +Thank God for these unselfish people. My husband was a heart transplant recipient at UW Madison. Through the years we met and used some of the flight crew. My heart sunk when I returned from vacation and read of our loss. God Bless all of you at UW and the families of the victims. I remember when the nurses were having a rough time getting a needle in the correct spot to draw for blood gases, someone said, "If we cannot get it, we will go get the flight nurse. They are the best!" Yes, you are. Thanks. +Submitted by: Candice, colleague +05/18/2008 +Respectfully to all, words cannot even come close to addressing this tragedy and the emptiness I feel. You all make a difference. My thoughts are with the Med Flight organization. We all know the risks. I have had one near-hit in my aeromedical career. I'm able to write about it and I feel miserable. It doesn't feel right, nor is it right. Gravity and terrain weren't fair to you this time. The unfairness is indescribable. Steve - I did not know you but Mark spoke of you, I know you made a difference. Darren - we've had the opportunity to talk EMS and work together at scene flights. You made a huge difference educating the public on resuscitation so they can help those in need. Mark - If I could have traded places with you so you would not have had to endure what you did, I would have done so without hesitation. I miss and love you, our bond is not broken. "Two feet up, two feet down...," well, you know, and, we'll get there...Wow. To Mark's siblings, especially Mignon, I will do my best to "defy gravity, cheat death, and stamp out ignorance and superstition." My thoughts are with you all, and thank you for your support and understanding. +- Candice +MedEvac and Beloit FD +Submitted by: Shana, colleague +05/18/2008 +That Saturday night I was working in paging, internal communications for the hospital, when word got out Med Flight was not responding. I waited, hoping with all my heart that these brave, remarkable men were perhaps stuck somewhere but otherwise OK. In all my years here my heart has never been so heavy as when I discoved Dr. Bean, Steve, and Mark were no longer alive. My thoughts and prayers with all of us who have been missing them, and especially to their families and co-workers. All the good they have done will never be forgotten. +Submitted by: Tammy Olson, friend and UW Hospital colleague +05/18/2008 +My deepest sympany to the families of the three men. I have been an RN here at the UW just over 10 years. I had both the honor and privilege of knowing Mark through my years here. I will always remember his smile and his humorous stories. The kind you just couldn't help busting out laughing even in the Peds ICU in the middle of the night. Mark told me once when I was working in the ED, "Sometimes you just got to find the humor in it, to keep going. After all, laughter is the best medicine for patients as well as staff." You will never be forgot in our hearts. God bless your families, they are in my thoughts and prayers. +Submitted by: Marie +05/17/2008 +You're in my thoughts and prayers. +Submitted by: Collin Mc Allister, friend, student, patient and colleague +05/17/2008 +I would like to offer my condolences to the family and staff of the UW team who lost their lives. I will especially miss a good friend in Mark. He was one of the best EMS instructors I ever had. He was also a good friend as when my wife was ill and in the UW Hospital. He stayed with me as she went through a very long procedure. Mark was always making the EMTs he taught better by pushing us to be the best we could be. Thank you, Mark. I would also like to thank both Steve and Dr. Bean for all of their work as well. I know that we would have less people alive today without all of yur work that you did. +- Collin Mc Allister +Retired EMT-I Tech (Lake Delton) +Submitted by: Traci Segar, RN, colleague +05/17/2008 +To the family, friends and UW EMS community, I can not imagine your loss. As the wife of a flight paramedic and a ground transport nurse myself, this felt very close to home. These three men have saved many lives and are heroes to all of us. +- Traci Segar +MedLink Air Specialty Care Transport (LaCrosse) +Submitted by: Jennifer Brooks, former UW ER social worker +05/17/2008 +Desiree, Sweet Steve loved you so much. The way he looked at you just said it all. Your friend always, Jennifer. +- Jennifer Brooks +Dallas +Submitted by: Jon Keevil, friend and colleague +05/17/2008 +Darren, I am pleased to know that my children met you briefly. Simon was excited that you might show him the "aircraft" some day. Margo could tell immediately what a kind and caring person you were. They noticed you picked hot chocolate instead of coffee from the machine like they did. They were still talking about you on Sunday before we knew you were gone. We are heavy with grief, but being able to share with my kids how great you were, helps the pain a little. Thank you for everything. I miss you. +- Jon Keevil +UW Cardiology +Submitted by: Deb, RN +05/17/2008 +Words cannot express how sorry I am for the loss of these three wonderful men. I have had the pleasure of working with them as a nurse at UW but also in the ERs of other facilities. I was amazed by all. Though Steve was not a medical professional, he helped with whatever needed to be done. He did his job proficiently and, may I add, quietly. Mark would come to the ICUs or call facilities to check on patients and always told a story and was willing to lend a hand where it was needed. My first encounter with Dr. Bean was in the UW ER at a trauma. He was so composed during a very stressful situation. Where other MDs would have the residents step aside, he used that opportunity to teach them in a very professional manner. He encouraged questions and discussion and never turned down an opportunity to teach. I was amazed at the dedication and compassion these three men had. They will be missed. My heartfelt condolences go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of these brave men. Though their stay on this earth was short, the legacy they have left will live on. +Submitted by: Kim, student, patient, friend and colleague +05/17/2008 +It's been a great loss. I will miss you all, and the smiles you brought to me every time I saw your faces. You have brought joy to many people and had touch lives that you never know. Thanks for all you did. May God Bless you and take you home. +Submitted by: David Henning, friend and colleague +05/17/2008 +I've been a paramedic for over 30 years. I have known Mark for over 20 of them. We both taught EMTs and paramedics in the state and I had the opportunity teach, sit on state commities and be a good friend with Mark. He will be missed throughout the state by the EMS community. The one thing that I see when I think about Mark is the big smile and positive being. He was a great guy and friend, I will miss him. +- David Henning +Gold Cross Ambulance +Submitted by: Jonathan Chun and Jeannie Yang, former colleagues +05/16/2008 +I had the privilege of spending last year on the trauma/general surgery staff at UWHC while my wife finished her chief residency in general surgery. After meeting Darren, it was quickly obvious why my wife and so many others spoke so highly of him. Interacting with him throughout the year only reinforced that impression. We were devastated to hear of this tragedy. May God provide peace and comfort to all the families and friends of these three brave and dedicated men. +Submitted by: Lynda and Steve Siewert, MDs, colleagues +05/16/2008 +Our most sincere sympathy to the families, friends and collegues of the Med Flight crew lost well before their time. We've both had the pleasure to work with Darren and Stacey through St. Mary's Hospital and understand the challenges of being a two-doctor family. Our hearts break for Stacey, Caitlyn and Parker but know that they'll "be OK" after last night's moving memorial. Stacey showed amazing grace and strength with her thoughtful tribute to Darren...he would certainly be proud. What a touching way to help us know Darren and Steve in ways that only you did. The community support, humbling experience of the funeral processional and personal memories shared by family and friends was an amazing way to celebrate the lives of these two men. We must strive to live each day to the fullest and dedicate ourselves to honoring their work and memory in our life's passion. "I'd rather give my life than be afraid to give it" - Lyndon Baines Johnson. May God bless your loved ones with comfort during the long journey to healing. +- Lynda and Steve Siewert +Wildwood Family Clinic +Submitted by: Julie Truitt, colleague +05/16/2008 +I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. +- Julie Truitt +Meriter Hospital Operating Room +Submitted by: Ann Louise Tetreault, colleague +05/16/2008 +Mark will be remembered for his many contributions at work and his never ending compassion and commitment to the community as a registered nurse and instructor. I remember Mark fondly having worked with him over his many years at UWHC. His engaging smile, dry wit, laidback nature and helpful mannerism with patients put them at ease and staff assured that he could handle the unexpected. SEIU Healthcare members recall his participation in the early years of United Professionals as an independent union. He was elected as a delegate to state conventions and was a member of the Board of Directors serving in the early administrative decisions of the union. Mark served on the 1199W/UP bargainging team representing the nurses and other health care professionals at UWHC leading to some on the benifits that we enjoy today. I will remember you for your passion for fun and adventure as a sailor, pilot and colleague. You are looking down upon us today concerned about us and how we are coping, humbled by our words of praise that describe you so well. Take care, Mark. We offer our prayers to your family and friends. +- Ann Louise Tetreault +SEIU Healthcare District 1199 +Submitted by: Michelle, family member of patient +05/16/2008 +I didn't know any of the men personally, but I had the opportunity to see Dr. Bean in action when he helped my mother in the ER last year. Not only was he a skilled physician, but he was a caring and compassionate human being. Such a tragic loss cannot be comprehended. My deepest sympathies go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of the Med Flight crew. May the love and support of those around you guide you through this difficult time. +Submitted by: Marilyn Leavitt (Trempealeau) +05/16/2008 +My condolences to the family and friends of these fine men. My heart goes out to the families and will always be remembered. +- Marilyn Leavitt +Gundersen Lutheran +Submitted by: JoAnn Henrickson, friend +05/16/2008 +My deepest sympathy on the loss of your courageous crew. It seems that even though all of them were so young, they had a big impact in their short time on earth. My thoughts and prayers are with all their families during this tragic time. +Submitted by: Jennifer Weiss, UWHC colleague +05/16/2008 +As an Internal Medicine resident at the UW, I had the amazing opportunity to work with Darren. His enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and patient care was obvious from the moment you met him. Everyone who came in contact with him was blessed. I still find it hard to believe that this tragedy occurred. My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of all involved in this tragic event. +Submitted by: Sandy, colleague +05/16/2008 +I am a nurse at UW and even though I did not know these three men, I have so much respect for the Med Flight program. I could not believe it when I heard the news on Sunday morning. I always love seeing Med Flight in the sky and think how proud I am to be a part of the UW. I would like to send my condolences to each of their families, friends and everyone who knew these three great men. God Bless you all. +Submitted by: Staff at Monroe Clinic +05/16/2008 +Many of us in the Monroe Clinic and community at large have followed the story with great sadness. There is an added poignancy to the gratitude we all feel for the risks taken by the people of Med Flight as well as their families and colleagues to help with the safety of others in surrounding communities. Of the three people killed, the one who touched us most directly was Darren, who came down several times and spent much time with me and others, in person and on the telephone, in his efforts to upgrade our regional EMS capabilities. It was really special to get to know him as a great professional and human being. +- Staff at Monroe Clinic +Monroe, Wisconsin +Submitted by: David Hyslop +05/16/2008 +My wife and I wish to extend our deepest condolences to familes of the Med Flight crew members and to the greater medical community in Madison and LaCrosse. We lost our oldest son Scott in the crash of CareFlight 4 near Durango in 2005 so we can empathize with the loss the families are feeling and the grief they are experiencing. There are several stiking similarities with the two crashes. Scott left a wife who is a doctor and a five-month son. The flight nurse on CF4 was also in his 50s and was loved by all. To all of the friends and colleagues of the crew, pleae continue the support of their families. They will be traveling a long road to recovery. +- David Hyslop +Denver, CO +Use your antibodies-online credentials, if available. +No Products on your Comparison List. +Your basket is empty. +Worldwide Shipping! +Find out more +» +For best experience we recommend to activate Javascript in your browser. +Show all species +Show all synonyms +Select your species and application +anti-Human RYR1 Antibodies: +anti-Rat (Rattus) RYR1 Antibodies: +anti-Mouse (Murine) RYR1 Antibodies: +Go to our pre-filtered search. Pubmed References 1b (ryr1b) mRNA in mutants carried a nonsense mutation that was generated by aberrant splicing due to a DNA insertion in an intron of the ryr1b gene, leading to a hypomorphic condition in relatively relaxed mutants. +sepn1 and ryr1 are required for the same cellular differentiation events and are needed for normal calcium fluxes +findings show alphaRYR & betaRYR use divergent mechanisms to generate molecular variations; alternative splicing generates variants of alphaRYR, whereas presence of SNPs may change the secondary mRNA structure of betaRYR. +The Ryr1 p.Val4849Ile variant should be considered a risk factor for malignant hyperthermia, while the p.Phe4857Ser and p.Asp4918Asn variants should be classified as pathogenic for central core disease. +Ca(2+)-mediated activation of the skeletal-muscle ryanodine receptor ion channel +Ryanodine receptor Ca(2+) release channel post-translational modifications play a central role in cardiac and skeletal muscle disease development. (Review) +c.9458delG (p.Gly3153GlufsTer58) and c.12582C > A (p.Phe4194Leu) mutations identified in family with recurrent fetal akinesia deformation sequence +the molecular environment of individual amino acid residues that form binding sites for essential modulators of ion channel function and determine its role in Ca 2+ signalling. +All the hit compounds, except for oxolinic acid, inhibited [(3)H]ryanodine binding of WT and mutant RyR1. +Substitution of Gly-4941 with Asp or Lys of RyR1 results in functional channels as indicated by caffeine-induced Ca(2+) release. +RYR1 C6487T polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk of congenital hypospadias in Chinese Han children +Segregation analysis is of limited value in assessing pathogenicity of RYR1 variants in malignant hyperthermia +49 RYR1 variants were identified in 47 cases. In recessive cases, facial weakness, neonatal hypotonia, ophthalmoplegia/paresis, ptosis, and scapular winging were more frequently observed than in dominant/de novo cases. Variant mapping revealed patterns of clinical severity across RyR1 domains, including a structural plane of interest within the RyR1 cytosolic shell, in which 84% of variants affected the bridging solenoid. +Our FRET-based HTS detects RyR binding of accessory proteins calmodulin (CaM) or FKBP12.6...One compound increased FRET and inhibited RyR1, which was only significant at nM [Ca(2+)], and accentuated without CaM present. +Mutations in RYR1 should be considered as a significant cause of rhabdomyolysis and myalgia syndrome in patients with the characteristic combination of rhabdomyolysis, myalgia and cramps, creatine kinase elevation, no weakness and often muscle hypertrophy +The ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1) is mainly expressed in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) of skeletal muscle and is a calcium release channel which is coupled to the dihydropyridine receptor in the T-tubule of the sarcolemma. +in our series subarachnoid hemorrhage patients have an increased frequency of rare RYR1 variants +Findings signal a potential association between malignant hyperthermia (MH) susceptibility and exertional rhabdomyolysis (ER); the presence of MH-causative mutations and putative deleterious RYR1 variants in ER patients without a history of adverse anesthetic reactions suggests their possible increased risk for MH +Thus, RYR1 mutations may lead to prolonged bleeding by altering vascular smooth muscle cell function. The reversibility of the bleeding phenotype emphasizes the potential therapeutic value of dantrolene in the treatment of such bleeding disorders. +Results show that in disease-associated RYR1 mutations, there is increased gain and Ca(2+) sensitivity for activation in a site-specific manner which suggest that divergent CICR (Ca(2+) -induced Ca(2+) release) activity may cause various disease phenotypes by specific mutations. +the RYR1 SNP rs35364374 was not associated with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage or its clinical squeal.. +Allosteric mechanism of RyR1, including a key interaction between a peripheral domain and the Ca-binding EF hand domain +Gain of Ca(2+)-induced Ca(2+) release activity of RyR1 is markedly lower than that of RyR3 in mammalian skeletal muscle, indicating selective stabilization of RyR1 +In-depth structural analyses elucidated a novel channel-gating mechanism and a novel ion selectivity mechanism of RyR1. +the cryo-electron microscopy structures of rabbit RyR1 in three closed conformations at about 4 A resolution and an open state at 5.7 A, are reported. +Data suggest that RyR1 exhibits conformation consistent with an open-channel model sufficient for movement of Ca2+ except for a pore constriction site; molecular dynamics simulations suggest Ca2+ passage could be allowed by rotation of upper portion of pore-lining S6 helix away from 4-fold channel axis and twisting of Ile-4937 at channel constriction site out of the channel pore. +Data suggest that reduced SOICR (store overload-induced Ca2+ release) threshold is a common defect of malignant hyperthermia- or central core disease-associated RyR1 mutations; carvedilol (a beta-blocker), like dantrolene (a central muscle relaxant), can suppress RyR1-mediated SOICR. Here, human disease-associated point mutations were induced in recombinant rabbit RyR1 via site-directed mutagenesis. +RyR1-G4934A had reduced K(+) conductance and ion selectivity compared with WT. Mutations further increasing the side chain volume at these positions (G4934V and G4941I) resulted in reduced caffeine-induced Ca(2+)+) release through RyR1. +Two regions of the ryanodine receptor calcium channel are involved in Ca(2+)-dependent inactivation +Data indicate that S107 increased FKBP12 sheet. +Coupled events reveal complex interactions among RyR1, differentially modulated by cytosolic ATP/Mg2+ and Ca2+ under ionic conditions. +3D localization of a SPRY2 domain in RYR1 +Both basic and acidic amino acid residues of IpTx(a) are involved in triggering substate of RyR1. +Chloroform extract of hog barn dust modulates skeletal muscle ryanodine receptor calcium-release channel (RyR1). +RyRsl subunit is expressed in corpus cavernosum smooth muscle cells. +phosphorylation and K201 acted similarly to change the conformation of RyR1/2 and regulate FKBP12/12.6 binding. +These results suggest that the heterogeneity of immunological and neuroendocrine response to exercise stress in pigs could be influenced by RYR1 gene mutation. +Interleukin 1, IL-2, IL-10, and TNF-alpha measures were positively intercorrelated in each of the three RYR1 genotype group +T-tubules proximity modulates RyR cluster properties resulting in intracellular heterogeneity of diastolic spark activity. +Results support the hypothesis that Ca(2)(+) binding to CaM's C-terminal acts as the switch converting CaM from a RyR1 activator into a channel inhibitor. +The RYR1 genotype had a significant effect on IGF-2 expression in pig longissimus dorsi muscle. +Binding to RyR1 targets evokes significant changes in calmodulin+ homoeostasis seen in the malignant hyperthermia phenotype +altered luminal Ca(2+) regulation of RyR1 represents a primary causal mechanism of malignant hyperthermia +Donor-acceptor distances derived from our FRET measurements provide insights into calmodulin (CaM)'s location and orientation within the RyR1 3D architecture and the conformational switching that underlies CaM regulation of the channel +these findings indicate that RyR dysfunction shapes ER Ca(2+) dynamics in beta cells and regulates both UPR activation and cell death, suggesting that RyR-mediated loss of ER Ca(2+) may be an early pathogenic event in diabetes. +RYR1 pG2435R mice demonstrated gene dose-dependent in vitro and in vivo responses to pharmacological and environmental stressors that parallel those seen in patients with the human RYR1 variant p.G2434R +Results suggest distinct functional roles for type 1 ryanodine receptor (RYR1) and Ca2+ channels-the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor (Cav1.1) in skeletal primary and secondary myogenesis. +Results show that MG53-Orai1 interaction enhances extracellular Ca2+ entry via Orai1, and decreases intracellular Ca2+ release via RyR1 for skeletal muscle contraction. +These results suggest that common molecular mechanisms underlie malignant hyperthermia (MH) crises and exertional HS in mice.- +This molecular rearrangement is compatible with direct inhibition of RyR opening by junctophilin-2 to intrinsically stabilise the Ca(2+) signalling properties of the junction and thus the contractile function of the cell. +These data demonstrate that modulating Ryrs has neuroprotective effects in nGD through mechanisms that protect the mitochondria, autophagy, Ryr expression and enhance GCase activity +these findings suggest an important non-contractile role of RyR1 or RYR1-mediated Ca(2+) signaling during muscle organ development. +mutating residue E4242 affects RyR1 structures critical for retrograde communication with CaV1.1 +High-intensity interval training exercise induces a ROS-dependent RyR1 fragmentation in muscles of recreationally active subjects, and the resulting changes in muscle fiber Ca(2+)-handling trigger muscular adaptations sensitization results in abnormal calcium signaling in airway smooth muscle cells. +major finding from this study is the novel region- and cell-specific relationship between the localization of the plasma membrane Kv2.1 channel and intracellular RyR Ca2+(503) within the bet1a C-terminal tail plays a nonessential role in the bidirectional DHPR/RyR1 signaling that supports skeletal-type excitation-contraction coupling. +these results provide novel evidence that CaN regulates ASMC Ca(2+) sparks specifically through RyR1, which plays an important role in the control of Ca(2+) signaling and contraction in ASMCs. +Results suggest that RyR1 and RyR2 expressed by Purkinje and granule cells play important roles in promoting the dendritic differentiation of Purkinje cells and that RyR2 expressed by granule cells is involved in the secretion of BDNF from granule cells. +- About +- Season & Tickets +- Undergraduate Programs +- Graduate Programs +- Current Students +- Support +- Summer Programs +ABT Summer Intensive at UT Austin: Frequently Asked Questions +Questions and answers regarding audition preparation, audition day, audition results, tuition and housing payments, housing, classes, performances, and 'what to bring' are below. For more information, please email utabt@austin.utexas.edu or call (512) 232-7099. +Audition Preparation +- When and where are auditions held for the 2014 summer intensives? +- Is pre-registration required in order to attend the auditions? +- If a prospective student has a birthday before the start of the summer intensives, which audition class should he/she attend? +- What requirements are there for the audition picture? +- How much experience on pointe should a dancer have before attending an audition? +- Can I schedule an individual audition in New York? +- How will I know if my Pre-Registration Form, Audition Video, or Enrollment Form has been received? +Audition Day +- What are the auditions like? +- Is there a dress code for the auditions? +- What do you look for in the auditions? +- What if I can't make it to a scheduled audition? +Audition Results +- How soon will I find out the results of my audition? +- When will I receive the results from my video audition? +- How do you decide which program I will be accepted to? +- Do you give out audition results over the phone or via email? +- Can ABT provide specific feedback from the audition classes? +- When are waiting list applicants notified and what are the chances of a position becoming available to the summer intensive? +Tuition and Housing Payments +- I have submitted my tuition payment online. How long will it take to process my tuition payment? +- What is the cost of housing? When and where do I send my housing payment? +- Does ABT offer financial aid? +Housing +- When and where do I check-in? +- When do I check-out at the end of the Intensive? +- My child will be traveling alone. Do you provide transportation from the airport to the dorm? +- Will a parent/student orientation be provided? +- Do I have to attend the whole summer program or can I attend just a few weeks? Can I arrive a few days late? Can I leave early? +- What kind of housing is provided at the UT Austin Intensive? +- Where will I have my meals? What food options are available? +- When is the first meal/last meal provided? +- Are laundry facilities available? +- May I request a particular roommate? +- Is internet access available at the dormitory? May I bring a laptop computer to the Intensive? +- As a parent, I plan to visit the Intensive throughout the program. May I check out my child in the evenings or weekend? +- Are staff available in the dorm? +- What security measures are in-place at the dorm? +- Are parent housing accommodations provided? +- May students access the campus gymnasium or pool during the Intensive? +- What activities are scheduled for times outside of class and rehearsal? +- Is a medical facility available to students? +Classes +- How many students are enrolled in the program? +- What is the daily schedule like at an ABT Summer Intensive? +- How are students placed in classes? +- What is the typical class size? +- May parents attend a class or rehearsal? +Performances +- When and where are the final performances? +- How and when can I purchase tickets to the performance(s)? +- May I video the performance? +- I would like to schedule an early flight on August 5. May I check-out my child prior to the performance? +What Do Students Need to Bring? +- How many pairs of pointe shoes should a dancer bring to the summer intensive? +- What is the dress code for class? +- How much money should I send with my child? +- I would prefer to not send a large amount of cash with my child. What do you recommend? +- May my child have a cell phone during the Intensive? +- Do I need to bring linens for the dormitory? +- How do I send items to my child during the Intensive? +Audition Preparation +When and where are auditions held for the 2015 summer intensives? +Auditions for the 2014 summer intensives will take place at the University of Texas at Austin on Saturday, January 10, 2014. Dates and locations for the 2014 summer intensives audition tour will be available online at: in the fall. +Is pre-registration required in order to attend the auditions? +Pre-registration is recommended but is not required. If you pre-register, then you will know in advance that you are guaranteed a spot at the registered time. +If a prospective student has a birthday before the start of the summer intensives, which audition class should he/she attend? +Students should audition with their age group at the time of audition even if they will have a birthday before the summer. Eleven year olds, who are applying for the Summer Intensive and who will be twelve by June 16th 2015, may audition with the twelve year old class. +What requirements are there for the audition picture? +At the audition you will be required to submit one non-returnable black and white or color photo ranging in size from 4 x 6 to 8 x 10 that shows the student's First Arabesque line clearly. +How much experience on pointe should a dancer have before attending an audition?. +Can I schedule an individual audition in New York? +We cannot accommodate the scheduling of individual auditions in New York. If you cannot make it to a scheduled audition, please send a video audition. Please click here for further details on how to send a Video Audition. +How will I know if my Pre-Registration Form, Audition Video, or Enrollment Form has been received? +ABT will send you a confirmation email upon the receipt of your Pre-Registration Form, Audition Video, or Enrollment Form. Please make sure to clearly print a current/valid email address on any forms sent to our office. +Return to Top +Audition Day +What are the auditions like? +The audition will be a ballet class starting with barre and progressing through center work. The last 30 minutes will be reserved for men's jumps and pointe work. +Is there a dress code for the auditions? +Yes, there is a dress code. Girls should wear pink full-length tights and black leotards with ballet slippers. Boys should wear white t-shirts and black full-length tights with ballet slippers. +What do you look for in the auditions? +We evaluate dancers on the basis of the level of their classical ballet technique, with special attention to adagio, jumps, turns, and pointe work. We also assess the dancers on their retention of combinations, stamina, musicality, work ethic, attitude, and potential. +What if I can't make it to a scheduled audition? +You can upload a digital video audition to this website starting Monday, December 1, 2014. The deadline for Videos is January 31, 2015. Please upload the following: Recent headshot (informal or professional), Full body photo in first arabesque (on pointe). +Your video must be less than 10 minutes in length and include the following components: +• Begin your video by stating your name, age and date of birth. +• Barre work—plié, tendu, adagio, grand battement +• Center work—adagio, pirouette, petit allegro, grand allegro +• Pointe work—relevé, sous-sous, passé, échappé, pique turns (age 13 and up), pirouette (age 13 and up) +• Men include two turning combinations, tours en l’air, and petit allegro with beats +*Please only perform one side of each exercise +* Make sure that the entire dancer is visible throughout the video (no close-ups) +*Do not film into the mirror +Audition Results +How soon will I find out the results of my audition? +The results are emailed out within 10 business days following each audition. If you do not receive your results letter within two weeks of your audition date, please contact the summer intensive staff via email at summerintensive@abt.org. +When will I receive the results from my video audition? +All results from video audition submissions received by January 31, 2015 will be sent by February 20, 2015. +How do you decide which program I will be accepted to? +The audition qualifies dancers for consideration in all five can't guarantee a student will be placed in the program that is their first choice or closest to their geographic location. +Do you give out audition results over the phone or via email? +We do not give out audition results over the phone. We only give our audition results via email. +Can ABT provide specific feedback from the audition classes?. +When are waiting list applicants notified and what are the chances of a position becoming available to the summer intensive?. +Tuition and Housing Payments +I have submitted my tuition payment online. How long will it take to process my tuition payment? +In accordance with our rolling admissions, please allow our office 2–4 weeks to process a tuition payment after it has been sent. ABT will contact you if there is a problem with your payment, or if it has not been received +Is there a Day Student Option (students who are not living in the dorms)? +Yes, there is a Day Student Option. The Day Student Fee (only applies to students not living in the dorms) is $500 and is due on May 15 to The University of Texas at Austin. +What is the cost of housing? When and where do I send this payment? +Your housing payment of $2,000 is due on May 15 to The University of Texas at Austin. This housing payment includes the cost of the student's room, three meals a day, and covers activity fees. Information packets and invoices will be made available online to participants in April 2014. Payments may be submitted online or made by check or money order and mailed to: +The University of Texas at Austin +Department of Theatre and Dance +ATTN: ABT Summer Intensive +1 University Station D3900 +Austin, Texas 78712 +Does ABT offer financial aid? +ABT does have a limited number of full and partial scholarships to the Summer Intensive. Scholarship decisions are made based on merit. All students are taken into consideration, so it is not necessary to apply. ABT will notify students who are awarded scholarships in their acceptance letter to the program. We also encourage our students to explore alternate funding possibilities for their summer training. Several students have had success in finding local or corporate sponsors. +Return to Top +Housing +When and where do I check-in? +Students may check-in at Jester Center on July 5, 2015 between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Jester Center is located at the corner of 21st Street and Speedway on The University of Texas at Austin campus. Jester Center's physical address is 201 E. 21st Street, Austin, TX 78705. To access Jester Center, turn north onto Brazos from MLK Jr. Blvd, go left at Jester Circle Drive, then right onto Speedway. +Online maps and directions to Jester Center: +Google Maps +Yahoo Maps +Parking directly in front of the Jester Center is prohibited. Paid parking is available in the Brazos Parking Garage (BRG) located on Brazos, south of Jester Center. Parking hours and rates are available here. +When do I check-out at the end of the intensive? +All students must be checked out by 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2015. +Students may not check-out prior to Friday, July 31 at 4:30 p.m. We are unable to accommodate requests for check-out on Thursday, July 30 or on Friday, July 31 prior to the conclusion of both final performances. Students and parents should arrange travel in advance accordingly. +My child will be traveling alone. Do you provide transportation from the airport to the dorm? +Yes, UT Austin can arrange for transportation from/to the airport and dorm. An ABT staff member will meet your child at the airport baggage claim and travel with them to the dorm. There is a transportation fee applicable that is due prior to program arrival. +Will a parent/student orientation be provided? +An orientation meeting will be held on Sunday, July 5 at 4:00 p.m. at Jester Center Auditorium. This meeting is mandatory for all students. Parents are welcome to attend. +Do I have to attend the whole summer program or can I attend just a few weeks? Can I arrive a few days late? Can I leave early? +In order to receive the full benefit of the intensive summer training, everyone must attend the program in its entirety. As a policy, there are no exceptions to this rule. +What kind of housing is provided at the UT Austin Intensive? +Students live with a roommate and share a community bathroom in Jester West Residence Hall. Jester Center is a residential complex with mail service, food service, a campus store, and many other features to facilitate any basic shopping needs that might arise. All dorm rooms have a microwave and small refrigerator. The dormitory is air-conditioned and has multiple elevators allowing for easy moving-in and out access. +Online maps and directions to Jester Center: +Google Maps +Yahoo Maps +View photos of Jester here. +Where will I have my meals? What food options are available? +Students will have three meals each day at their assigned hours at Jester Center. The Jester Center dining rooms offers many different food stations (cafeteria style) to suit individual diet needs, including salad bars, fruit, yogurt, etc. +When is the first meal/last meal provided? +Students' first meal provided will be dinner on Sunday, July 5 at Jester Center. On Friday, July 31, students will be provided dinner at Jester Center. +Are laundry facilities available? +Coin operated washers and dryers are located on each floor of Jester Center. +May I request a particular roommate? +Yes. You may list your preferred roommate on the housing invoice you receive in April. We will make every effort to pair roommates per these requests. +Is internet access available at the dormitory? May I bring a laptop computer to the Intensive? +For those wishing to bring a computer to the Intensive, students will be assigned an internet access code during registration. The University of Texas cannot be responsible for students' money or other personal items, therefore, we strongly encourage students to leave non-essential and valuable personal items at home. Computer labs are not available to Intensive participants. +As a parent, I plan to visit the Intensive throughout the program. May I check out my child in the evenings or weekend? +You are welcome to check out your child during non-class times. We ask that you arrange this 2 weeks in advance, and your child notify their mentor 2 weeks in advance so we can plan accordingly. For the safety of your child and for liability reasons, we will not allow any students to leave campus without your permission, other than for emergency or pre-approved doctor visits. A Permission to Leave Campus Form will be included in the housing information packet. You will also be allowed to add other adults to your students Permission to Leave Form by emailing the UT ABT office at utabt@austin.utexas.edu. You must do this during the week so that we may update our paper work in the dorms to eliminate any problems at the checkout table. Please complete the Permission to Leave Campus Form and return it with your housing payment by May 15. +Are staff available in the dorm? +A staff of mentors and supervisors live in-residence at Jester Center during the Intensive. Staff chaperone students to/from dorm and classes, attend classes and rehearsals and assist with evening and weekend activities. Our staff assist and accompany the students in each step of the program, making sure their needs and concerns are met. +What security measures are in-place at the dorm? +As mentioned above, there is a staff of mentors and supervisors living in-residence at Jester Center. In addition, the Jester West Front Desk is staffed 24 hours a day. All Intensive participants and staff are required to wear nametags for easy identification. Each residence hall requires a security code (provided to participants and staff upon check-in) for entry. In addition, each dorm room is keyed. +Are parent housing accommodations provided? +We cannot provide dormitory rooms for parents and friends. +May students access the campus gymnasium or other recreational facilities during the Intensive? +No. The gym and recreation center are not available to non-UT students, faculty or staff. However, we have arranged for students to swim at UT's Gregory Gym Pool as an extra activity on one weekend. +What activities are scheduled for times outside of class and rehearsal? +Students enjoy a full schedule of weekend and evening social activities. All field trips are fully chaperoned by our staff of mentors and supervisors. The students may be split into smaller groups for optional participation on various weekend activities. A sample of tentative activities include: Dance Party/Sock Hop, Paramount Theatre/IMAX movie, Talent Show, Bowling, and Swimming. Schedule subject to change. +Is a medical facility available to students? +Yes. Students who require medical attention will be accompanied to the University Health Services by the residential coordinator, supervisor or mentor. All medical costs incurred for treatment will be the responsibility of the parents or guardian of the individual treated. University Health Services (UHS) is located in the Student Services Building at 100 W. Dean Keeton. The summer operating hours for the University Health Services are from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students needing medical attention beyond these hours and/or those with illnesses or injuries beyond the scope of care provided by University Health Services will be taken to St. David's Medical Center Emergency Room or Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. +Classes +How many students are enrolled in the program? +The expected enrollment is 170 students. +What is the daily schedule like at an ABT Summer Intensive? +Though some lecture and elective offerings may vary by site, the daily structure and curriculum of all Summer Intensive programs is identical. +- Students will be in class or rehearsal from approximately 9am to 5pm, Monday through Friday. Some programs include electives or lectures on Saturdays. +- On the first day of the program there will be a placement class to determine student levels. +- All levels will have technique and pointe/pas de deux everyday. +- Other class offerings may include: Variations, Modern, Character, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, Yoga, Pilates, Music, Acting, Dance History, Costumes, Pointe Shoes and Stage Production. +- Dancers will have rehearsals or choreography sessions approximately 2–3 evenings per week. +- All students will have the opportunity to participate in a final performance showcasing selections from ABT's repertoire and new choreography created during the program. The final performance is on the last day of the program and is usually scheduled for the afternoon. +How are students placed in classes? +On the first day of the program there will be a placement class to determine student levels. The UT Austin Intensive has five class levels/groups. +What is the typical class size? +Depending on final enrollment, class size will be approximately 32–35 students per class. +May parents attend a class or rehearsal? +All classes and rehearsals are closed. Parents are not permitted to watch classes or rehearsals during the ABT Summer Intensive because it is distracting for the students. Parents and teachers are invited to attend the final performances at the end of the program. +Performances +When and where are the final performances? +The two final performances are on Friday, July 31 at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The performances will be held at the B. Iden Payne Theatre at the Winship Drama Building. The Winship Drama Building is located at the intersection of 23rd Street and San Jacinto on the UT campus. The Winship Drama Building's physical address is 300 East 23rd Street, Austin, TX 78705. For driving directions and online maps, please click here. +How and when can I purchase tickets to the performance(s)? +Tickets go on sale Monday July 20, 2015. Admission is $15.00 per performance for adults and $10.00 for children under 18. Tickets may be pre-ordered online at TXShop. If you choose this method of purchse, your tickets will be held at the B. Iden Payne Will Call and you can collect them on the day of the performance. You will also be bale to purchase tickets on the day of the performance by cash or check. The box office opens 90 minutes before the 11:00am performance, and 60 minutes before the 3:00pm performance. The University of Texas at Austin cannot accept credit cards. The B. Iden Payne Theatre is open seating. +May I video the performance? +Videotaping and flash photography of the final performance are strictly prohibited. However, for your convenience, the performances will be professionally recorded and available for purchase. +I would like to schedule an early flight on August 1. May I check-out my child prior to the performance? +Students may not check-out prior to Friday, August 1 at 4:30 p.m. We are unable to accommodate requests for check-out on Thursday, July 30 or on Friday, July 31 prior to the conclusion of both final performances. Students and parents should arrange travel in advance accordingly. +Students may check-out on Friday, July 31 following the performances or on Saturday, August 1. All students must be checked out by 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 1. +What do students need to bring? +How many pairs of pointe shoes should a dancer bring to the summer intensive? +The number of pointe shoes needed for the summer intensive depends on the strength of the dancer's feet, the brand of shoe, and humidity. Dancers will be on pointe everyday in very humid weather. Therefore, we suggest that each dancer brings approximately one pair of shoes per week. In addition, dancers may wish to bring an additional pair of shoes for final rehearsals and performances. Dancers are encouraged to take care of their shoes and use hardeners when necessary to lengthen the life of their pointe shoes. +What is the dress code for class? +Detailed information on dress code will be provided in the information packet to be made available online in April, 2014. +How much money should I send with my child? +It is expected that your child will want to purchase snacks, supplies, or go shopping during the month. We recommend sending a limited amount of cash ($50 per week) to cover these needs if you would like. +I would prefer to not send a large amount of cash with my child. What do you recommend? +You may send an ATM/check card or pre-paid cash card with your child. There are several ATMs conveniently located in Jester Center. We do not have a check cashing service available to students. +May my child have a cell phone during the Intensive? +Yes. However, during class, cell phones must be turned off. +Do I need to bring linens for the dormitory? +You must bring your own towels, washcloths, hand soaps, hangers, drinking glasses, and alarm clocks. The residence hall provides bed linens, blanket, and pillow; however, students may wish to bring additional blankets/pillows. +How do I send items to my child during the Intensive? +To mail items to your child, please use the following address: +Participant's Name and Dormitory Room Number +c/o ABT Summer Intensive +Jester Center Halls +201 E. 21st Street +Austin, TX 78705 +CEDIA Product Introductions Focus on Aesthetics and Performance +CEDIA Product Introductions Focus on Aesthetics and Performance By Michael Heiss Legend has it that when he was once asked what colors his company's cars came in, Henry Ford is said to have responded, "Any color you want, as long as it is black." Anyone who has ever bought or dealt with the design of consumer electronics products, particularly would think that the same design theory holds true in the audio/video world. Variations on the theme of square black fronts, black buttons and blue displays have traditionally seemed to dominate the way products looked, regardless of brand or price point. +To some extent, that has been a good thing for the custom installer, as it opened the door to the type of "hidden" gear installation that has become a mainstay of many of our businesses. However, it must be noted that for every installation where the equipment is hidden there is another one where it is on view and out in the open. There, where the "anything as long as it is black" rule was once easy to apply, things are getting a bit tougher from a color palette standpoint. Leading that charge is the dramatic change in the way that display manufacturers have been styling their products in the past few years. +After all, "TV sets" (as we lovingly used to call them) spent many years in a black or dark cabinets once the wooden console was abandoned for the molded plastic shell. More recently, however, driven by the shift to flat front tubes, flat, thin PDP and LCD displays, and new designs in rear-projection televisions, a great deal of bright work has become popular in the industrial design and appearance for video displays of all types, sizes, technologies and brands. +It has taken a few years, but in the audio/video world is finally coming around to change their color and appearance outlook. +Admittedly, it is more than just an alteration in the appearance of displays that has caused this. One need look no further than the dramatic evolution in the appearance of "Home Theater in a Box," or "HTIB" products that have peppered the market with systems that often make up for sonic and video performance deficiencies with striking design. Although there have always been bright-front products with natural aluminum front panels at the extreme high end of the audiophile and component world, the current trend toward something other than black has been given a big push by the silvery and mirrored fronts sported by many of the HTIB systems. Yes, looks do not compensate for performance, but you can't ignore them. +Toward that end, one very interesting trend noted at the recent CEDIA EXPO was the appearance of new coloring for audio and DVD components. +As an example, Kenwood, NAD, Denon and Onkyo are offering A/V receivers with full "silver" front panels and top covers, while Harman Kardon has switched virtually its entire line to a combination of both black and silver, with matching silver/gray colored top covers. All of this is worth noting in the context of starting a quick overview of some of the more interesting trends to emerge from CEDIA EXPO 2003. The exterior of a product is what both you and the customer first see, and it is what the customer sees every day once the installation is completed. Yes, you need to match the industrial design of the product to the interior scheme of the room where the products live. However, you also must make certain that what is inside the product matches the client's expectations as much as the front panel's color blends in with the paint and carpet. +For example, let's turn those products around and look at the back panels for a moment. There, the color is not important, but the types of connection points that appear are. A good example of this is the first widespread appearance of HDMI connectivity in a number of brands' products. It is true that forward compatibility with the FCC's "Plug 'n Play" regulations, which was announced a few days after the EXPO ended, will easily be maintained for the large number of projectors and displays that now sport DVI/HDCP connectivity. This will insure that they will connect to the new wave of HDTV source components to appear over the next year without worries about disappearing down the "analog hole." Moving further into the future, however, it seems like a sure bet that the smaller HDMI connector type will gradually supercede DVI. +Don't worry too much about backward compatibility, as HDMI does add additional features such as audio and bi-directional control to the DVI video scheme, it should be interconnectable to existing DVI equipped displays through "dongle" style adaptors. Leading the way into the future with the smaller, more flexible HDMI jacks were projectors from Sony, Panasonic, Sim2 and Pioneer, LCD displays from Panasonic, plasma displays from Pioneer and Panasonic, DVD players from Meridian and Pioneer and processor/controllers from Meridian and Pioneer. This is one that has been talked about for a while, now it is finally here. +Not here, at least yet, are cable boxes, satellite receivers or HDTV tuners with HDMI. Nonetheless, another piece of the connectivity puzzle was tossed on the table at the EXPO. Perhaps anticipating the FCC rule-making decision, the trend toward products equipped with CableCard slots began in Indianapolis with the appearance of the first displays and set-tops that have this key feature. Formerly known as a Point of Deployment, or "POD" card, the newly renamed CableCards allow products with built-in digital cable-compatible QAM tuning to interoperate with the various conditional access platforms used by the cable industry under the Open Cable standards. Okay, let's put that in simpler terms. With a CableCard-equipped product you won't have to worry about connecting a cable box, because you won't need one. The card allows the built-in tuner in a product such as the Panasonic RPTV to fully operate on any cable system and receive any programming, premium, pay or otherwise, for which that viewer is authorized. Alternatively, where a set top is required to feed an HDTV signal from a cable system to a "ready" product, having a CableCard slot means that you will be able to stock cable receivers and use them in almost any system, regardless of what company services the client. +If it seems as though the possibility of any of us every having the ability to legally sell cable boxes would remain a dream forever, the availability of CableCards is the answer to your prayers. A preview of that appeared at EXPO with a range of products from Motorola that are designed for retail sale and installation, including cable set-tops both with and without PVR capability, as a well as an updated version of their all-in-one A/V receiver that adds DVD-Audio and HD reception to the mix along with a CableCard. +Having solved a large part of the connectivity issue between existing DVI and 1394 connectivity and the HDMI and CableCards to come, another connectivity issue looks to be solved through the increased use of RS-232 ports on A/V receivers. While receivers offer a tempting combination of features that makes them suitable for custom systems, the lack of a standardized and easy-to-integrate means of control has often been lacking. The talents and ingenuity of installers have long been put to work with IR control, but that is often intermittent, and even in the best of installations it is only one-way. Perhaps seeing the light, an increasing number of brands have added bi-directional RS-232 control ports to their mainline products, making it easier to integrate a receiver to either a whole-house system or a single-room keypad or PC-based controller. +NAD, Marantz, Harman Kardon and Sherwood's Newcastle line premiered RS-232-equipped receivers at EXPO, while Denon and Yahama added additional models to their existing serial communicative products. +Going one step further, one of the Newcastle receivers offers USB connectivity, as well. This feature may well come in handy over the next few months. +In related news, one of the other important announcements made in Indianapolis was the introduction of Dolby Labs' new ProLogic IIx mode. As the "x" indicates, this is an extension of the existing ProLogic II processing and decoding technology, allowing 6.1 or 7.1 channel systems to offer discrete surround back channels from stereo or 5.1 channel programs. While the ProLogic IIx technology was demonstrated at CEDIA EXPO, most of the new receivers were not yet equipped to offer it. Thanks, however, to the use of the connectivity made possible by the RS-232 ports, it is likely that many models will take advantage of the serial ports to allow for the new modes to be added in-field at a later date. +Looking beyond rear panels and under the actual hoods of the new products at CEDIA EXPO, more technology trends began to reveal themselves. In the world of video displays, virtually all of the DLP-based products were in the process of upgrading to newer versions of the basic imaging chips or the sub-systems that drive them. All offer additional contrast along with other features, and given that the code names for these products tends to get slung around by consumers and sales people alike, it is worth decoding the mystery of the technology levels for those not on the inside. All three platforms use "M" words, with the Mercury-based products at the top. +Here, it isn't the imaging chip itself that is new, but rather the driver chips that integrate the imagers with the rest of the projector's video circuitry. Mercury-based systems are designed to make three-chip projectors more affordable, allowing greater light output and eliminating the need for color-wheel artifacts and noise. +All the major projection brands, including BARCO, Digital Projection International, InFocus, Marantz, Runco and SIM2 Multimedia are now on the Mercury bandwagon with products or prototypes. +"Mustang" is the description used for the highly popular HD-2 chip systems, offering 1280x720 resolution for full native HDTV displays. +Within the HD-2 offerings, Texas Instruments introduced a new, enhanced, "HD2+" version of the Mustang chip that offers increased color and brightness. If you are looking at a DLP based projector that is a single-chip 1280x720 model, it uses one version or another of the Mustang chips. +The third member of TI's "M" trinity is the Matterhorn, a new 1024x576-resolution imager. It is not quite native HDTV, but it does allow full 16:9 images on the chip, as opposed to the earlier XGA models that did allow for all the resolution capability of the chip to be used when the system was configured for 16:9 images. This platform will enable higher performance at lower price points, with better resolution and contrast than current models. Given the popularity of DLP for fixed-pixel displays, this is certainly a technology trend to look for in projectors in all shapes and styles. +While the DLP steamroller barrels on in both the front and rear projection markets, don't count LCoS and its derivatives out of the picture. Most notable in that technology area was the introduction of Sony's long-awaited SXRD powered "Qualia D04" projector and the return of a D-ILA based engine to a rear projector from JVC. While the chips powering both of these models might be broadly categorized under the LCoS banner, their manufacturers claim significant unique differences that merit the unique monikers. The performance of both units is evidence that while some see LCoS in retreat, these sets along with Mitsubishi's 84-inch-wide Alpha model should tell you that reports of LCoS's death are very much exaggerated. +Elsewhere on the display trends front, a brief note must be made of the introduction of a new PDP panel size in the form of a 55-inch-wide unit produced by the FHP joint venture in Japan, and seen at EXPO under the Fujitsu brand. Exact availability and pricing were not announced, but this unique new size may hopefully give customer installers some relief from the competitive pressure being felt at retail by the appearance of lower cost HD-native 50-inch-wide panels. +There was much more to see at the largest CEDIA EXPO to date, but space does not permit a complete review here. We'll get to more of those products over the months to come in category-oriented coverage, but looking back to the start of this article one final word is in order. When spec'ing products for a job you do need to start with a look at the front panel, as that is the continuing face of the job that your client will see. Fortunately, more choices for that side of the product are something that the manufacturers are beginning to make available to you. However, just as important, look at a product's other faces, its back panel and the componentry inside to make certain that you have the right model for the job. Stick with that approach and you can't go wrong. +Michael Heiss (CaptnVid@aol.com) is a technology and marketing consultant based in Los Angeles. +When Shan Xi said “trample,” Hua Yi immediately thought of a lot. +This area they’re in was actually a plain that stretched from the middle of the pass between two mountains before the terrain rose again. Part of it went up, and after digging into a dense forest, it would enter into a relatively level place—This was where the Jushan tribe was located. The other part of the terrain was on the low side, facing the river valley and a wilderness that ran for thousands of miles. +Hua Yi lowered his head and muttered to himself, but then Suo Laimu grabbed a handful of burnt taro egg fruits from Chang An’s plate and shamelessly stuffed them into his mouth, interrupting his thinking. +“What are you thinking?” He ate in all smiles, but then asked a bit coldly. “You wanted to expand our territory, so are you going to let them join us?” +Hua Yi was cautious, and his city palace1城府颇深 – A city palace is a metaphor for the human mind was quite deep, yet his response wasn’t as fast as that of Suo Laimu’s. He had just figured out the key points of the problem and began to ponder when Suo Laimu spoke quickly, cutting off his line of thought. So Hua Yi simply pretended to be stupid and said, “Yes, is there a problem?” +Suo Laimu said: “You wanna raise wolves in our backyard?” +Hua Yi asked, “The Black Eagles can join, so why can’t they?” +Suo Laimu: “All that’s left of Black Eagles are men and one woman who is yet of age. Their tribe was destroyed, and restoring with such few people would be very difficult. And there’s no way they’d turn into a ghost tribe, robbing other people to survive. They can only rely on other tribes. However, a migrating tribe is different. They have men, women, the old and the young. At any time, they could have strange ideas and want to replace you as the chief!” +Hua Yi frowned. +“Ai, listen to me this time ba!” Suo Laimu sighed for a long time. When he was a mercenary, he had always been the knowledge tank2A smart and resourceful person in Hua Yi’s group. Whenever he warned them of something, he’d say it very harshly. However, it would only last for a moment, and his voice would return to being soft. “One tribe is enough for this forest. It cannot feed too many people. We have just stabilized ourselves; what energy do we have left to manage other people’s life and death? In those days when the river just overflowed, they all knew that the land on both sides of the channel were fertile. Since they have occupied that fertile land for so many years, shouldn’t they bear the corresponding risks brought by it?” +His words sounded very reasonable. Lu Quan and Shan Xi listened, but they said nothing and just looked at Hua Yi, waiting for his judgment. +Hua Yi didn’t answer immediately, but just waved his hand: “I’ll think about it again. Tomorrow morning, tell the hunters not to go out and call all the elders. We’ll talk about it in detail then.” +Suo Laimu rolled his eyes, seeing that he didn’t want to discuss it anymore. He had always been shrewd and knew how to read people. He immediately stopped talking before he went too far. +He swaggered to his feet and went out, taking Chang An’s entire plate as he politely said to him, “I’ll wash it for you and send it back tomorrow.” +“……” Chang An went silent for a moment before he finally said, “I’ll trouble you.” +Suo Laimu shrunk his neck and gnawed away at the remaining taro eggs while puffing and blowing at it. +Lu Quan hummed. “I’m also going.” +On the contrary, Shan Xi curiously looked at Chang An and said, “Xiao xiongdi, if you’ve got nothing to do, don’t shut yourself indoors all the time. Come out and play more with everyone.” +Chang An looked up at him. +Shan Xi was friendly and he said with a smile, “It’s getting colder and colder now, and there will be fewer people going out in the future. At that time, there’ll be horse-riding games and sparring. What’s more, we’ll be chasing and teasing the girls. Then they’ll kick us one by one into the river. It’s a lot of fun.” +Chang An couldn’t imagine what was so fun about watching other people being kicked one by one into the river by the girls. But he felt that he meant well, so he said “en” and nodded his head. +The three people left one after another. Chang An turned around and saw Hua Yi, and what he was thinking obviously showed on his face. Hua Yi immediately understood his question—Why aren’t you leaving? +This was really shooing people away. +Hua Yi laughed, then asked him in a low voice: “How about you? What do you think I should do?” +Chang An was stunned. He knew that these things were the so-called “big things in the tribe.” Although he couldn’t see how they were “big,” others paid great attention to them. No one had ever asked to discuss any “big thing” with him, so Chang An suddenly had a strange feeling in his heart. It was as if someone had handed a crumbling and extremely important porcelain bowl to him. +He couldn’t help but sit up straight. +However, sitting upright wouldn’t help him in thinking. Chang An tried to give him a high opinion3高见 – A wise idea or opinion, but after considering past causes and future effects, he had no choice but to admit that he didn’t even have a “low opinion.” He frowned and pondered for a long time before he finally choked out a sentence. He asked, “Do you want more people? Do you think this place is too small?” +Hua Yi had originally spoken without thinking and had asked on a whim. He didn’t expect that Chang An would hit the mark and what he really thought of in his heart. Taken aback, he asked, “How did you know?” +Chang An said, “Didn’t you say it yourself: ‘Let our warriors tread through the entire northern continent and have no man dare stop them. In this continent, we will have no more enemies’?” +Hua Yi was stunned for a moment. He shook his head and laughed. “Turns out the blind cat has met a dead mouse4 瞎猫碰上了死耗子 – Means the same as “every dog has his day.” People will have luck and reap success at some point in their lives without having to do anything.. Ai, in this kind of situation, you can actually be like a real person. You little simpleton…” +His smile was forced. Whether those words he said at that time were real or not, only Hua Yi himself could tell clearly. +Hua Yi had always felt that Chang An lacked common sense and was a bit unreasonable. It wasn’t until now that it was a little creepy. He had always wanted to mask himself, so he talked of a lot of rubbish everyday. When he talked too much, he would inadvertently expose some clues which he couldn’t hide from other people. What’s more, he couldn’t conceal this kind of stuff from a person who knew only that two points make one line. +Hua Yi was sitting on pins and needles under Chang An’s eyes, so he hastily took out a little toy and stuffed it into Chang An’s hand—It was a small, bright red stone, which had a rope so that one could wear it. The stone was round and smooth, as if a person had rubbed it and turned it over and over in their hand until it formed this shape. Holding it in one’s hand, it felt like the stone was emitting heat, and it was very warm. +“The weather is cold, so play with this.” After Hua Yi said this, he ran away in a panic. +It’s a pity that when something unfortunate happens, it wouldn’t wait for people to prepare for it. +On this day, it was a little stuffier than usual in the morning. If not, Chang An wouldn’t have gone out of the house. In the evening, this stuffy weather was even more difficult to bear. Chang An couldn’t sleep. It was as if someone had pressed down a large hammer weighing several hundred jins on his chest. Without even having to see it, he was certain that his lips were already blue right now. +His head was aching. When he couldn’t bear it anymore, he suddenly rose and sat at the edge of the bed. His vision flashed back, and he sat for a while before he slowly came over a bit. +Only then did Chang An discover that his little slave Luda had woken up sometime ago and was sitting on the floor, watching him. +“Sleep,” Chang An whispered. “I’ll go out and have a look.” +But as soon as he stepped on the floor, his legs went soft. Chang An had to drag his large blade from the head of the bed. He poked the blade quite firmly on the ground while he grasped its handle. Using it as a crutch, he slowly walked out of the house and then stood in the courtyard for a while +However, it was still stuffy outside. The surroundings seemed to be shrouded in turbidity. There wasn’t a bit of fresh air, and the sky was overcast, as if holding back heavy rain. +Chang An stood there with slightly arched shoulders, pressed on his chest and took a few deep breaths. All of a sudden, he swayed in place from how dizzy he was. Slowly, he crouched down while supporting himself with the blade. He rummaged through the leaves of herbal medicines hung up to dry in the courtyard, and without mashing them, he stuffed them into his mouth. +With a bitter taste in his mouth, Chang An simply leaned against the wall as he slowly fell to his knees. He shut his eyes and then raised his head, waiting for this dizziness to pass. However, at this time, the ground suddenly shook, and Chang An was startled. Before he could figure out what was going on, he had already instinctively held his blade and rolled away from the corner. That small stone wall of the courtyard suddenly collapsed into smaller halves. +A flash of lightning cut through the gloomy sky. The sullen thunder hadn’t spread yet, but it had already exploded in people’s ears. Swarms of birds shrieked and glided extremely close to the ground. +Chang An knew that this was an earthquake. He had already experienced it once, so he wasn’t flustered. And this time, the shaking wasn’t very violent, so it soon subsided. Apart from that not very sturdy courtyard wall, he could see that there wasn’t any problem with the house. +Like a frightened little animal, Luda rushed out of the house. He was so desperate, he unexpectedly plunged into Chang An’s arms, knocking him two steps back. +Thunder rang out one after another, and lightning struck the ground one after another. Chang An felt the ground tremble slightly. He couldn’t tell whether it was the aftershock of the earthquake or the effect of thunder. +People’s voices began to spread in the night. The beastmen on the night watch knocked on the doors one by one, calling the people out. Knocking finally on Chang An’s door, before the guards could even speak, they all heard a howl which seemed to come from nearby. +The guard’s face changed and he said quickly, “It’s a wolf pack!” +The wolves in the forest weren’t much, but they were very cunning. Every year, it was only when it was coldest and food was scarce do they occasionally steal food from the tribe. That would also be putting their lives at risk. If they were caught by the beastmen guards, they wouldn’t be able to run away without being tortured. Never before would the wolves brazenly approach a human tribe like this. +Chang An suddenly turned around, only to see four or five big-headed wolves with green eyes emerging from the collapsed courtyard wall. Their mouths were slightly open and their steps were in disarray. +The guard turned into a giant beast and roared at the pack of wolves. +Even the size of the big wolf’s head couldn’t compare with the beastman’s beast form. As expected, when the small group of wolves saw the giant beast, they recoiled a bit. But at this moment, a tiger roar came from the forest in the distance. +The leader of the big wolves suddenly ignored the danger, took large strides toward them, leaped high, but actually leaped high over the courtyard wall, and the other wolves followed it. +When these four or five big wolves came at once, the fur of the orc guards almost exploded. They showed their fangs fiercely, but Chang An didn’t move. He just picked up the little slave and put it under his arm. He quietly leaned on his knife and stood there, watching the wolves pass by them thoughtfully. The beastman guard’s fur nearly exploded. They fiercely revealed their fangs, but Chang An had never moved. He simply picked up the little slave, stood up, and tucked him under his arm. He just stood there quietly, leaning against his blade, thoughtfully watching the wolves as they passed by. +His judgment was right. These animals weren’t here to attack people, but to escape. +The guard who broke out in cold sweat recovered and returned to his human form. He breathed heavily and said, “Chang An-xiongdi, you were calmer than me in this situation. I will go to inform the others. Hurry, take your weapon and find the chief. Something big might happen!” +Strong wind blew from the depths of the forest, and thunder was still breaking out continuously. The stuffy pain of Chang An’s heart and the feeling of numbness became more and more pronounced. He frowned and said to the slave, “Bring me my herbs and follow me.” +Catching the familiar smell of blood from the wind, he stuffed all the herbs that the slave had brought into his arms. And like a ferocious goat, he squeezed all those leaves into his mouth. As he strode out with a blade in one hand and a slave in the other—something came. +The author has something to say: +Go to Chapter 25~ There is something about shifu +^_^ Today there were no classes. How good~~~ +Lizonka: PRIEST WAS STILL IN SCHOOL WHILE WRITING THIS???!!! +Suggestion +Ginger: a secret, spicy friend in the kitchenBy Eleonora Pallavicino on December 6, 2012 In Home Made, Suggestion0It’s always fun to challenge family and friends in finding out that secret ingredient that has given a special, unusual flavour to some dish we have cooked. In China, experiment after experiment, I met my perfect, secret and tasty friend: the ginger.Keep Reading +Berlin-Shanghai: 88 days on the Silk RoadBy Manuela Castiglione on November 30, 2012 In Looking at China, Suggestion0“The traveller is active. He went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive. He expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes sight-seeing”, said Goethe almost three hundreds years ago. In 2012 two young German cousins shared this traveller´s attitude. Moritz and Paul decided to invest 88 days of their lives to travel by car all the way from Berlin to Shanghai fed up of the consumerist tourists´ culture: jumping from one airport to the other completely missing all the land that lies in the middle.Keep Reading +Gordon Ramsay? 20,000 years ago was ChineseBy Mauro Scanu on November 23, 2012 In Looking at China, Suggestion0The first cook in the history might be Chinese. Recently a group of archaeologists unearthed the oldest known samples of pottery in Xianrendong cave, in southern China. Lab analysis revealed that those fragments belongs to a large bowl – probably a cauldron to cook food, or possibly to brew alcohol – dating back to 20,000 years ago. This new finding suggests that hunter-gatherers in East Asia used pottery for cooking at least 10,000 years before farming appeared in that part of the world.Keep Reading +Energize your thoughts with a coherent heartBy Editorial team on October 26, 2012 In Senti-mentally, Suggestion0Great video by Gregg Braden, the New York Times best selling author, internationally renowned as a pioneer in bridging science, spirituality and the real world.Keep Reading +The horse whisperer ladyBy Manuela Castiglione on October 24, 2012 In Senti-mentally, Suggestion2When I met Christiane it was one of those beautiful autumn days in Berlin with red and orange leaves carpeting the sidewalks. She was waiting for me sitting in a sunny spot of Café Lentz in a charming corner of Charlottenburg ready to tell me her story, step by step. It´s a story where rationality and feelings magically intertwine to always let the heart show the right way. She is Christiane Schwagrzinna known as the “Pferdefrau” (the “horse lady”)Keep Reading +Made in the promotion of love and trustBy Thomas and Christine on October 15, 2012 In Senti-mentally, Suggestion0Experiences as a traveller on the road can be significantly shaped by the people you meet. Brisbane-based, Iranian-New Zealander artist Nabil Azadi has translated this idea into his work, a book titled ‘For You The Traveller’. Hand bound with wood and covered in recycled rabbit fur, inside this little book you’ll find the contact details of some kind people dotted around the world, as well as hand drawn maps to assist in reaching them.Keep Reading +When a sketchbook becomes the hyphen between two sensibilitiesBy Steven Guarnaccia on October 9, 2012 In Senti-mentally, Suggestion0I recently paired up my senior thesis Illustration students at Parsons and gave them very small accordion-fold sketchbooks to draw in. I first asked them to come up with a strategy together for drawing in the sketchbooks, and then to fill them in 20 minutes. When I collected the books, I found that the pairs of students had taken quite different approaches to working together.Keep Reading +We are feelings´machines that thinkBy Editorial team on October 4, 2012 In Senti-mentally, Suggestion0We opened the month dedicated to "Senti-mentally" by citing Antonio Damasio, University Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. We would like to share this video with you because it explains really good the power of the collaboration between feelings and rationality.Keep Reading +A “Green Land” in Venice, where canals turn into meadowsBy Silvia Vatta on September 17, 2012 In Aequopolis, Suggestion0I have the impression that year by year we detach ourselves from the real problems of our planet. There is a lot of talk about environment, ecology, energy, nuclear, water, sun... We talk a lot, but what are we doing? Where are we going? ... Each city seems to act like a world apart with a separate system. The "Common Ground" has to be the solution. This ist the keyword and title of The Venice Biennale of Architecture, that collected and proposed different visions for the common development of towns and cities.Keep Reading +Thoughts and nostalgia of a “Wahl-Berlinerin”By Manuela Castiglione on September 6, 2012 In Aequopolis, Suggestion0I´m a so called “Wahl-Berlinerin”. It means that I freely choose this city to live. I am one of the three and a half millions of residents who live on this extremely wide surface of 890 square meters that after the fall of the wall it has been changing face every day. If you stroll around the city, you could be sure to come across a building site.Keep Reading +The Brocante Festival of Contemporary Circus in Val ColveraBy marcominuz on August 14, 2012 In Food for the mind, Suggestion0Ever since I was a child, the circus has meant for me a circular space and a world of subdued light, overcast by a deep blue canopy decorated with stars and faded by many years of performances. A world inhabited by rather unhappy animals, the laughter of children more engrossed than myself and enormous tubs of popcorn. Then suddenly, a few weeks ago, on a rainy day in the electric green of a mountain valley I discovered that my circus had a close relation.Keep Reading +Making ideas happenBy Editorial team on August 9, 2012 In Food for the mind, Suggestion0It´s a shame! There´s a lot of great ideas out there that do not go anywhere. Do you know why? Yes you know it for sure. Because you got one at least once in your life that has been patiently lying in your fridge.Keep Reading +Eat, drink and be happy!By Manuela Castiglione on August 7, 2012 In Food for the mind, Suggestion0“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well” . I definitely agree with Virginia Woolf. So, I would like to share with you my love for food giving you some tips where to get special delicatessen here in Berlin. Your belly will thank!Keep Reading +Mobility and discipline give new fuel to your ideasBy Editorial team on August 1, 2012 In Food for the mind, Suggestion0Mobility. Travelling. Exploring the richness of the world. Not only key words to give tips to a friend stuck in the middle of the boring daily life but ideas for ourselves to explore the possibilities out there and enrich our brain with "good food": the world!Keep Reading +Rebuilding the alternative laid-back Berlin. The former Jewish Girls School back to lifeBy Manuela Castiglione on April 10, 2012 In Refresh, Suggestion0Despite the never ending transformation and rebirth the city went thruogh in the last 20 years, Berlin is still able to surprise its inhabitants and visitors for its capacity of constant blossoming.Keep Reading +Refresh your cells and boost your mind-power and vitalityBy Editorial team on April 6, 2012 In Refresh, Suggestion0Two more days to Eastern! Two more days to eating and drinking with family and friends. And right now we would like to suggest to you a rapid and delicious way to "update" your cells and get fit physically and mentally in time for the new season. We got spellbound by the wonders of a raw food diet that we would like to share with you and get your impressions in case you already practice it.Keep Reading +Florence: new fresh air out of beautiful dustBy Silvia Vatta on April 4, 2012 In Refresh, Suggestion0The city of Florence, along with Venice, is celebrated by the world tourism as one of the most traditional artistic destinations in Italy. I visited Florence many..too many years ago. I have to admit that I always associated in my memory this city with something old and a bit dusty. Now I am here! What a surprise to notice how the city renewed itself in these years.Keep Reading +The heart of Brazil in each flavour. The Mocotó restaurant in San PauloBy Danilo Rezende on February 27, 2012 In Different Cultures, Suggestion3Brazil is huge, so you can imagine that there are so many different cultures inside one. São Paulo synthesizes that. With its nearly 18 million inhabitants, people still come from all over the country to look for a more prosperous life. With them come their accents, way of behaving and, of course, their way of cooking.Keep Reading +Love on the International ExpressBy Chiara Basso on February 24, 2012 In Different Cultures, Suggestion1The number 7 subway line in New York is like a time and place machine: you can travel around the world in few hours and without changing train. How is it possible? At every station you can find a different culture and ethnicity.Keep Reading +The premiere of “Italy, love it or leave it” in BerlinBy Manuela Castiglione on February 19, 2012 In Different Cultures, Suggestion0With the victory of Fratelli Taviani´s movie the 62nd Berlinale film festival closes under the sign of “Italianness”. But when I thought the “party” was over I came across an independent documentary film entitled “Italy, love it or leave it” directed and interpreted by Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi.Keep Reading +Yutaka Makino at the DAAD Galerie in Berlin: pushing you to the limitsBy Manuela Castiglione on December 20, 2011 In Nomadic Knowledge, Suggestion0Are you a visual artist? Or you are a music composer that would like to innovate the conventional character of Berlin´s musical life? Or you are rather a writer and you want to engage a dialogue between cultures through the verbal mode of communication that you so well know is able to supercede all cultural limitations? ... Well, then you should apply for the Berliner Künstlerprogramm to get a scholarship and come to Berlin for one year.Keep Reading +Alessandro Bergonzoni about “coopetition”By marcominuz on November 10, 2011 In Coopetition, Suggestion0The comidian and artist Alessandro Bergonzoni in interview about the concepts of competition and collaboration.Keep Reading +A Q&A with Ross LovegroveBy admin on October 12, 2011 In Galleria illy London, Suggestion0Looking back over my notes from last night’s Q&A with industrial designer Ross Lovegrove, I’m struck by the breadth of topics covered in such a speedy sitting. If the designer’s conversation is as bright, colourful and complex as a patchwork quilt, what seams it together is enquiry. Question marks pepper my pages...Keep Reading +The Wonder of WandersBy admin on September 26, 2011 In Galleria illy London, Suggestion2Galleria illy was abuzz with crowds of design fans this afternoon, as innovative product and interior designer Marcel Wanders visited to launch his Mini Can Can and Chrysalis lights and share his thoughts on the importance of “lightness” to the world of design.Keep Reading +The naked placeBy Ariella Risch on September 5, 2011 In Place Not Place, Suggestion2“The naked place”. Should I give today a title to my editorial of the magazine issue of year 2004 on the topic “Place, Not Place”, I would call it like that. A naked place is a place that I can cover or fill with my presence, my choices and my content.Keep Reading +The story of stuff: the life cycle of material goodsBy Editorial team on July 27, 2011 In Suggestion, The Dictatorship of the Consumption0A 20 minute animation of the consumerist society, narrated by Anne Leonard. The Story of Stuff explains where our stuff comes from and where it goes when we throw it away. It shows the life cycle of material goods and in simple words of our actual consumeristic society.Keep Reading +Dead malls in the US: when the consumption falls out of fashionBy admin on July 25, 2011 In Suggestion, The Dictatorship of the Consumption0When the Viennese immigrant Victor Gruen designed the first Mall ever, the Northland Shopping Center in 1954, he only had good intentions. Once the customers had entered this world, they were shielded from everything that stood in the way of shopping: noise and congestion, heat and cold, and, of course, the criminal, the homeless and the poor who roamed the historic city centers in increasing numbers as the middle class escaped to the new suburbs.Keep Reading +Playing with clichés: Eastern souvenirs in Western sauceBy admin on July 6, 2011 In Suggestion, The Dictatorship of the Consumption0Considering that Milan in July is definitely not a key destination for art crowds, I finally managed to find a must see exhibition, in a hot and humid post-Basel fair artistic vacuum (the most important appointment of the year for several Italian galleries ended the 17th of June with the close of Art Basel fair, and Liste the Basel young art fair).Keep Reading +The Humboldt-Box in Berlin, breathtaking views and outrageous architectureBy Manuela Castiglione on July 1, 2011 In architecture, Suggestion0The Humboldt Box has been inaugurated yesterday in the stormy Berlin weather. Walking along Unter den Linden direction Alexanderplatz, in the middle of the baroque Berlin, just in front of the Berliner Dom you cannot do without coming across this postmodern asymmetric building.Keep Reading +Arte Povera: Pistoletto, Kounellis, MerzBy Ariella Risch on December 7, 2010 In Art, Suggestion, Techno-Ecology1The arte povera movement remains strong, propelled by its most representative artists whose manifesto is to use or reuse materials available to anyone. I’ve been thinking about the arte povera artists I’ve met over the years – Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Mario Merz who passed away in 2003 – and how I have personally experienced their message. From Greek-born Jannis Kounellis (1936) perhaps I best understood how the arte povera movement made its mark... For me, he embodies the contradictions of a consumer society that has to think about reuse if it wants to survive.Keep Reading +Re+ recycled light (Prato Dec. 3 launch)By Editorial team on November 30, 2010 In Colour, Suggestion, Techno-Ecology0The RE+ light fixture is a project winner of La Casa del Terzo Millennio (2009); designed by Stefano Giovacchini (who told us recently about his profession of colour design, remember?) it's a flexible light fixture made from a plastic core that is re-used from the textile yarn dyeing process.Keep Reading +Waste Land movie review: art, garbage, and social changeBy Editorial team on November 24, 2010 In Experiences, Suggestion, Techno-Ecology3Waste Land is a film about finding the beauty in an ugly place. It’s about garbage and recycling, sort of. Or it is a film about looking at art, or about making art. Or about the potential of art to change people. It is all these things and more, I think, as I attempt to digest the powerful story that I saw last night at the Italian premiere (part of the Lo Schermo dell’Arte film festival in Florence). Directed by Lucy Walker and featuring New York contemporary artist Vik Muniz, the documentary film recounts the three-year project by the dignity and despair of the catadores.”Keep Reading +Seductive Colour: A Conversation with Laura GonzálezBy Editorial team on October 25, 2010 In Colour, Suggestion0Colour and attraction, Colour and seduction. They seem to go hand in hand. What role does colour play in the process of seduction by things or people? To verify my theory I consulted artist and seduction expert Laura González. Here is our conversation.Keep Reading +You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘E. P. Sanders’ tag. +[I wrote this post almost exactly six years ago, September 14, 2011. Howard Pepper asked some good questions in a recent post about the idea of conversion, so I thought I conversion in this post. Traditionally, Paul is described as struggling to keep the Law perfectly and was in despair over his inability to do “the whole of the Law.” Usually Romans 7 is the key text here. Paul himself is the “wretched man” who must be delivered from his body of death (Rom 7:25). He has been “kicking against the goads” for some time, according to Acts 26:14. Paul knew that he was unable to live up to God’s righteous standards and lived in a state of perpetual wretchedness. His encounter with Jesus on the Road to Damascus freed him from the weight of his sin and guilt and he became the apostle of the Grace of God., it was Luther who was a guilt-ridden sinner trying to justify himself, not Paul! Paul was therefore not converted on the road to Damascus. Obviously this has huge implications, since the theological edifice of the reformation is guilt on Luther’s understanding of Paul, and there have been some fairly strenuous arguments against Sanders and the other more recent New Perspective writers. +Is Polhill is correct in the end when he states that Paul’ encounter on the road to Damascus was a radical event for which he was totally unprepared (55)? +When Paul talks about the struggle to do what the Law requires in Romans 7, is he reflecting his own experience as a Jew? Alternatively, Paul may be speaking of his post-conversion struggle with sin. It is even possible that Paul speaking hypothetically, not using his own experience as a guide at all. +Cranfield (Romans 1:344) lists 7 possible interpretations of the “I” in chapter 7:14-25: +- That it is autobiographical, Paul is describing his own present Christian experience. +- That it is autobiographical, Paul is describing his own past Christian experience. +- That it is autobiographical, Paul is describing his own pre-conversion experience in the light of his current Christian faith. +- That it presents the experience of a non-Christian Jew, as seen by himself. +- That it presents the experience of a non-Christian Jew, as seen through Christian eyes. +- That it presents the experience of a Christian who is living at the level of the Christian life which can be left behind, who is trying to fight the battle on his own strength. +- That it presents the experience of a Christians generally, including the very best and mature. +Cranfield sets aside the second possibility as impossible in the light of Philippians 3:6b and Gal 1:14. The fourth possibility is rejected because it is contrary to the view of the Jewish “self-complacency” described in chapter 2. The use of the present tense tends to argue against the second and third option. The present tense to too sustained throughout the section for this to be an historical present for vividness. The order of the sentences argues against 2-6. If verse 24 is the cry of an unsaved man, then all of the preceding material ought to be before salvation as well. +There are problems with thinking that the “Wretched Man” is Paul’s pre-Christian experience based recent studies of Judaism by E. P. Sanders and others. This “New Perspective on Paul” argues that Judaism was not a “works for salvation” religion and that “rabbi Saul” would not obsessed about his lack of perfection in following the Law. I suppose it is possible that Paul was a particularly obsessive follower of the Law, but it is also popular scholarship reads Luther’s own struggle into the passage. +The problem, for Cranfield, in accepting either the first or seventh option is that they present a dark view of the Christian life, and one that seems to be incompatible with the concept of the believer’s liberation from sin as presented in 6:6, 14, 17, 22, and 8:2. But it is important to understand that the very fact that there is a struggle indicates that the Spirit of God is present in the writer’s life, for without the Spirit he will never realize that he is in sin and struggle to remove himself from that state. He notes that it is “relatively unimportant” that we choose between the first or seventh option since they are virtually the same thing. If it is autobiographical then Paul, as a very mature Christian struggled with sin. Is that possible? While we might think a mature Christian has risen above the wretched struggle, that is simply not the case. +What is the significance of this passage to the believer? We can learn from this passage, it is clear that if Paul himself struggled with sin, then we should realize that we too will struggle with sin. In fact, I think there is more danger in “not struggling” than being contented in your walk with God. +The sin of complacency is far more dangerous than we might think.. +The zeal worthy of Elijah. Since Wright has sold quite a few books and has attracted a strong following, it is somewhat fashionable to reject him ought of hand with a sneer usually reserved for Rick Warren. This does not seem fair to me since Wright is a brilliant scholar, careful researcher and entertaining writer. nor the New Perspective. In many ways, Watson’s work draws the best from both views of Paul and attempts to build a biblical theology of Paul. I would also add Douglas Campbell’s The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2009), although it has been severely critiqued. Matlock, for example, called the book an “impossibly forced argument” (R. Barry Matlock, “Zeal for Paul but not according to Knowledge: Douglas Campbell’s War on ‘Justification Theory,’” JSNT 34 (2011): 115-149. See also Joshua Jipp, “Douglas Campbell’s Apocalyptic, Rhetorical Paul: Review Article,” Horizons in Biblical Theology 32(2010): 183-197; Douglas J. Moo, “The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic Rereading Of Justification In Paul By Douglas A. Campbell, Review Article,” JETS 53 (2010): 143-50.) +While studies challenging Sand describes the final judgment as a judgment by works, including the Apostle Paul. (See Chris Vanlandingham, Judgment and Justification in Early Judaism and the Apostle Paul. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson, 2006.) +Another dozen titles could be added to this list if I included responses from systematic theology, but these are among the best which I have read on the New Perspective and are all worth reading to balance the more polemical books out there. This is far from a complete list of responses to the New Perspective; please feel free to suggest others in the comments. +Justification; Wr process of salvation; it is only.. +There are a few battleground ideas and texts on which the New Perspective differs from the traditional view. First and foremost is the nature of Judaism in the first century. From the traditional perspective, Judaism was a legalistic religion which required works for salvation. This was often stated but rarely proven, especially in popular presentations. The Pharisees are described as hand-wringing legalists who sought to burden others with onerous laws which made little sense. Perhaps there is an undercurrent of anti-Semitism here, but more often than not this mischaracterization is simply the result of ignorance of what Jews actually believed in the Second Temple period. +Sanders turned the assumption that Judaism was a legalistic religion on its head – Judaism was in fact a religion centered on God’s grace, as demonstrated in his election of Israel as his people and his gracious gift of the covenant. Of critical importance is the election of Israel as God’s people and the covenant He made with them. Philo states: “Yet out of the whole human race He chose as of special merit and judged worthy of pre-eminence over all, those who are in a true sense men, and called them to the service of Himself, the perennial fountain of things excellent” (Spec. Laws 1.303). Similar statements of Israel’s election are common in nearly all the literature of the second temple. Equally common are statements about the covenant God sought to initiate with the people he had chosen. Sanders cites Pseudo-Philo: “I will give my light to the world and illumine their dwelling places and establish my covenant with the sons of men and glorify my people above all the nations” (Bibl. Antiq. 11.1f, JBP, 264). +Israel’s election is confirmed by God’s gift of the Law and his requirement of obedience to that law. Everything we know about Judaism in the Second Temple Period is predicated on the fact that God gave the law and he required his people to obey. Because Israel is chosen and given a Law and the responsibility of obedience, she is liable for both rewards and punishment; to experience both God’s justice and mercy. God cannot let an evil-doer escape. He is all-knowing and punishment is certain (Antiq. 1.14; 3.321, 4.286). +Perhaps the most controversial point in Sanders’ view of common Jewish theology is that Judaism was a religion of grace. As noted above, the Christians often describe Judaism as a works-salvation in contrast to Paul’s salvation by grace alone. Everything in Jewish religion seems to point to the grace of God in this life. Whatever one has, whatever one is, it is only by the grace of God. One did not do the various “works of righteousness” (circumcision, food traditions, but also shema, prayer, wearing tefillin, etc.) in order to receive grace; rather one did them in response to the grace already received. +If this is a correct understanding of Judaism, then it seems to me that it is rather a” Pauline” way of expressing ethical obligations. Or maybe Paul is rather still Jewish in his ethical teaching! Paul never says one can be right with God on the basis of good works, it is only by God’s sovereign choice to adopt the believer as a member of his family that we can be saved: by grace through faith. But it is well know that Paul also gives many ethical and moral commands which he expects from his churches. These are not requirements to be saved, but the natural response of those who are “in Christ.” +To summarize this point for Sanders: Election is what placed the Jews “into” the covenant; obedience is what “keeps them in.” There are a number of mechanisms which are used to deal with disobedience, all of which are expressions of God’s grace. There is nothing Israel did to merit this election. Israel is given every help possible by God’s grace to assist them in the “keeping in” element. +But is this a wrong view of Second Temple Judaism? Perhaps Sanders has overstated his case in some respects. For example, a book like Fourth Ezra demands that the Law be kept perfectly and the Essenes certainly are an example of a group that demands rigorous attention to the demands of the Law. In the New Testament, Jesus does describe the Pharisees as legalists (Matt 23) and Paul is arguing against some form of legalism in Galatians. In addition, there is a certain attraction to legalism since it defines the steps one must take in order to be right with God. There were Gentiles who converted to Judaism and tried to keep the Law as perfectly as possible. That Paul must deal with Gentiles wanting to keep the Law in several letters ought to be evidence of the attraction of legalism. +On the whole, I think Sanders is correct that Judaism in the first century was a religion of grace, but there was also a strong attraction to legalism among both Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism (and later, Christianity). A major cornerstone of the theology of the Hebrew Bible is the gracious loving-kindness of God, his hesed. Nowhere in the Hebrew Bible do we read of someone who claims to be burdened down by the impossibly heavy load the Law. Rather, keeping the law is the proper response to a gracious God. The big difference between Paul and Second Temple Judaism is his view of Gentiles keeping the Law. +This series on the New Perspective on Paul has generated several conversations (online and in real life). I was chatting about F. F. Bruce with a colleague today and he asked me if F. F. Bruce could be considered “New Perspective.” My initial thought was that Bruce did most of his work before the NPP was well-known, although I notice that he cited E. P. Sanders 23 times in his commentary on Galatians, Dunn appears a few times, but Bruce wrote on Galatians well before Dunn’s commentary was published in 1993. +Commenting on Galatians 3:10, Bruce sees Paul’s conversion as a decisive break from legalistic Judaism: “Paul’s confrontation with the risen Christ on the Damascus road after his grounding in Judaism, and the new understanding of salvation-history which sprang from that confrontation, compelled him to see the legal path to salvation closed by a barrier (which he would not have refused to identify with the cross) which carried a notice reading: ‘No road this way.’” F. F. Bruce, The Epistle to the Galatians (NIGTC; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1982), 160. +I would say that is solidly “Old Perspective”! +F. F. Bruce was a careful exegete and he is certainly not importing his personal conversion experience into his reading of Paul. It is simply the case Paul saw his own Gospel as a major break from his previous way of life in the Judaism of the Second Temple Period. +That is not to say that Paul rejected Judaism, however. In may very well be that he thought of himself as reforming Judaism with a “new understanding of salvation-history.” As I said in the previous post, Paul’s experience is unique in salvation history. +Critics of the traditional view of Paul’s theology often note that Paul’s experience is described in terms of Augustine’s conversion or Luther’s struggle against the Roman church. Both men found their experience parallel to Paul’s and meditated deeply on what God did in their lives to release them from the weight of their guilt. +For and psychological conversion. If Romans 7:7-25 deals with Paul’s apparent struggle with sin prior to his conversion, then we do have a spiritual and psychological reversal in Paul’s conversion. Paul is described in the traditional view as a Pharisee that struggled with sin and the guilt of not being able to keep the Law. His conversion releases him from the weight of the guilt of his sin; he experiences justification by faith and converts from Judaism to Christianity. +The New Perspective on Paul calls this traditional view into question. James Dunn has built on the work of Krister Stendhal to argue that Paul did not experience a conversion from one religion to another. Rather, Paul received a call of God that is quite parallel with the prophetic calls of the Hebrew Bible, especially that of Jeremiah. The Damascus Road experience. (Not all scholars who are associated with the New Perspective agree, N. T. Wright still talks about “Paul’s Conversion” in What Saint Paul Really Said.) +Dunn points out that Paul stayed “zealous,” but instead of zealous for the Law, he because zealous as the “light to the Gentiles” (“Paul’s Conversion,” 90). This view of Paul’s conversion is that he does not “found a new religion” but rather a new understanding of the Jewish Law. His gospel is a new interpretation of the Hebrew Bible and Judaism. Paul may not have changed parties within Judaism: he went from a Pharisee who did not believe Jesus was the messiah to a Pharisee who did believe Jesus was the messiah.. significant radical breaks with the Judaism of the first century. While it is possible Paul thought he was staying within Judaism, his contemporaries disagreed. (I suspect that includes not a few Christians Jews who disagreed with his view of the Law for Gentiles.) +But it is also and in Ephesians 3 he is quite clear that he has a special commission as the apostle to the Gentiles. +Paul never “joins the Jerusalem church” nor does he receive his commission from them (again, see Gal therefore probably best to see Paul’s Damascus Road experience as both a conversion and a call. I agree that Luther and others hear their own conversion in Paul’s Damascus Road experience. But to think of the categories “conversion” and “call” in modern Christian categories is a mistake; Paul’s experience in Acts 9 is quite unique in salvation history. +Bibliography: There is a huge bibliography of essays and monographs on this issue; the critical articles include: J. D. G. Dunn, “‘A Light To the Gentiles’ or ‘The End of the Law’? The Significance of the Damascus Road Christophany for Paul” in Dunn, Paul, Jesus, and the Law, 89-107. See also Seyoon Kim, The Origin of Paul’s Gospel (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1982); After Kim was critiqued by J. D. G. Dunn and others, he responded in a number of articles that are collected in Paul and the New Perspective: Second Thoughts on the Origin of Paul’s Gospel (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2002). +Before. +Reviews of Poetry Collections +"There is a secret and proficient music in these poems that sings to itself, like the lake in Minnesota which the French mistranslated Lac Que Parle, the lake that speaks, after the Sioux had been calling it "the lake that whispers to itself." This poet goes farther. She." +James Wright, poet, Lamont Poetry Award Judge +"A stimulating accomplished collection that seethes with visceral pleasures, sexuality and a yearning, hungry intelligence. These poems are naturally relevant. They are inside the blood." +Douglas Blazek, High Sierra Times +"A lively collection of poems - witty, serious, and imaginative." +Publishers’ Weekly +"This is a fresh poetry of body and blood...it is loaded with intriguing sparks." +The Chicago Sun Times +"A strong new talent to be watched, a poetic voice to be heard." +St. Louis Post-Dispatch +"This book is a complete delight - not a lightweight delight, but a profound, funny, and sad delight, evoking the laughter that comes from a recognition of the ridiculousness and sorrow of the human condition." +Ruth Whitman, poet, Radcliffe Quarterly +"As well written as anything you’ll find these days, informed with deep feeling about friendship, change and blood knowledge." +Los Angeles Times +“Her poetic view encompasses the myriad possibilities of woman, including herself. The language is positive and full of reverberations, but she’s not afraid to love men, and say so." +Linda M. Hasselstrom, poet +"Freya Manfred has perfected a distinct, flesh-and-blood voice that puts her right there in the chair across from you - funny, exuberant, tender, curious, rebuffed, wounded, angry, and always disarmingly candid." +Peter Klappert, poet, George Mason University +"No narcissism here. Discovery, recognition of what is - being there and being for - which makes for vitality, illumination and humor: a strong sensibility, a real woman’s voice." +Robert Harvey, Associate Professor of English, University of Nevada +"The quality of being at one with the earth, its waters, its green-growing lands, and the creatures, both human and animal, that live within its boundaries, pervades all of Manfred’s poetry. Freya Manfred’s lyrical affirmation of life is a definite contribution to contemporary poetry." +Jean Gould, biographer, Modern American Women Poets, Dodd, Mead, publishers, +pp. 309-319, one of three "younger" poets included +"Thank you for these poems, so full of love and so full of hate. So direct, so deep." +Thomas McGrath, poet and novelist +"What I like in these poems is that they are not floating around in the air or the intellect. The body takes them in. They are brave. The reader and the writer meet each other in the body." +Robert Bly, internationally known poet and translator +"Freya Manfred always amazes me by how close she gets to everything she sees." +Philip Roth +"Thank you for the book. You’re a wonderful poet - so alive!" +Maya Angelou +"If I may be allowed an observation or two may I offer the following. All of us can use what you have to give. Warmth. Compassion. Light beyond brilliance. Glorious poetry said in a new way. You are more than a budding writer; you’re a writer, period." +Letter, Frederick Manfred, novelist, 1985 +." +Carol Bly +“My Only Home is a lovely and moving collection of Freya Manfred’s response to a beloved place, written with humility, generosity, and a deep sense of responsibility." +Ted Kooser, U. S. Poet Laureate +"There’s such a believable range of emotions here, and the poet’s voice is so engaging and resonant and true. This is a book of poems for teachers looking for ways to motivate students to care about poetry." +Charles Woodard, English professor +"I’ve always loved Freya Manfred’s poems for their blending of wit and physicality. My Only Home is full of poems like that, but also brings into sharp relief another quality of her work – she is foremost a poet of intimacy. We are accustomed to poetry addressing intimate feelings between lovers, between parents and children, between friends, but many of her poems enter into a kind of elemental intimacy. They dive deeper, into mother lust, into a physical bonding with water and earth, into the certainty of death, and come up having transmuted grief and fear into joy." +John Calvin Rezmerski, poet, English professor +“Meditative, big-hearted, sensual, the poems of Freya Manfred’s My Only Home unfurl like a single long silken filament of language spun out of fierce solitude and tender communication. Like the swimmer at the heart of her sequence, 'The Lake that Whispers to Itself,' Manfred observed the world at close hand, charting the signs of life, echolocating the primal impulses: ‘A door opens in the water.’ Reader, open that door, open this book." +Sue Standing, English professor, poet +“When I read the poems in Manfred's fifth collection, Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle, I am reminded of how Miller Williams said, 'A poem must be clear to be mysterious.' The book is broken into three sections: 'Swimming with a Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle' focuses on the natural world and swimming, one of Manfred's favorite activities; 'Just Like a Woman' contains poems about marriage (not necessarily hers); and 'One True Thing,' with its character sketches and graveyards, distantly echoes Our Town in a fresh, pleasing way..' With drawings by her artist sons Bly and Rowan Pope.” +Minnesota Literature, Ed. Lucy Vilankulu; review by Katrina Vandenberg +“I have several books that I keep by my desk; these are my 'working' books, books I dip into for pleasure and inspiration as I write. Freya Manfred’s poetry collection, Swimming With A Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle, is one of them. Each time I pick it up, I find something new, some new depth of vision that I had missed before that makes me sit back and wonder, 'How did I not see this? How could I possibly have missed it?' What is exciting about this slim volume of poems is that each time I visit, I discover something new that touches my heart and gives me delight and insight. Her opening poem, 'To A Young Artist,' is a blessing poem from a wise elder to a young artist just starting out.” +Review on Amazon.com +"Manfred’s [Swimming with a Hundred Year Old Snapping Turtle] comes in three sections – the first focuses on nature and the introspective revelations it allows or inspires, and the third directs toward the search for meaning in life. The second section, composed of poems about marriage, is perhaps the most arresting. Here the poet adapts various personas to tell stories of different marriages. An epigram preceding the poem, 'The Nemesis Speaks,' recalls a party guest’s overhead comment: 'My wife is my nemesis.' The imagined voice of that wife begins by saying, 'My husband doesn’t want me around so I sip/ too much wine to keep from choking him.' And she concludes by imagining herself 'cradled by invisible arms while I seek some deeper truth./ Truth, that thing he cannot speak when it’s all I ask of him.' Manfred’s 'Vanishing Point' begins, 'The moment arrives when you say/ I don’t dislike this man,/ but how did I marry him?' And the poem concludes with the dark realization that 'you’re running parallel to him;/ and you’ll never meet.' So much for happily ever after. But the darkness of these jarring poems comes along with other moments of affection and hope. 'Decisions Born of Small Gestures' closes this way: 'I’m sure of nothing, except/ that I don’t know what love is./ How is it when he beckons me with one finger/ my whole body follows?' Throughout this finely crafted book, Manfred reveals the risks we take and the faith we have open as to possibilities of suffering and fulfillment." +Nick Healy in The Corresponder +Minnesota poet and memoirist, Freya Manfred gives us her eighth book of poetry, Speak, Mother, which resonates with humbling gratitude and a deep longing for connection. Throughout the first section Manfred meditates on dreams as a means to explore a purpose -- alive, innate, unadulterated and unthinking - beyond her daily life and her sense of great loss. She claims, "Our dreams were born with the big dream," and shapes the dream world into a prophetic place, leading us home, connecting us to all things. In the poem, "Everything Dreams," Manfred writes, "Even when we die, we don't stop dreaming./We dream on, as water, as dust, as boiling rock, as bone." +Manfred's second section addresses the complications of love, the difficulty of friendships, her experience of aging with her husband, and her sometimes haunting love for her parents. In a searching encounter with an old friend or lover she exclaims, "I flew out of my body into the deep-rooted, dancing,/sweet, savage elms of New York City,//their branches reaching without finding,/finding without reaching..." This aching lyricism and a mystical joining with the natural world are present throughout the book. +The work's final section is filled with earnest storytelling about her father, mother and grandmother,all who have passed away. Through memory Manfred creates a sense of reunion with her lost family, bringing them back to herself and to us. This section has several longer poems about her mother in which Manfred explores her mother's modesty and practicality, and her transformation as she nears death. A longing for love in the second section grows and swells into a mourning of loss and a questioning of self in the third section. In "Mother Dies, I Write," Manfred asks, "When a mother leaves, what cup will we drink from?" Throughout this section we are reminded of our own beautiful, tender mortality as Manfred gracefully examines her own. In "When I Was Brave," she asks, "And why am I so precious to myself now/that I fear the smallest death on the shortest day." Through quiet, courageous lyrics, Manfred asks us to consider the hallowing uncertainties of aging, loss and purpose. +Review of Speak, Mother in the Corresponder, by Emile Marie Buehler +Reviews of Memoirs +FREDERICK MANFRED: A DAUGHTER REMEMBERS. +Freya +RAISING TWINS: A TRUE LIFE ADVENTURE +Freya Manfred is a poet, author of six collections and a memoir, Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers. In Raising Twins she shares the story of being the mother of fraternal twins, Rowan and Bly, from the first time they were seen on an ultrasound until they left for college. "(Bly) emerged with a cosmically fierce, angry cry, which ceased almost immediately when he was placed in a warm holding crib. ... Ten minutes later the doctor had to reach inside me to pull Rowan into the world. He emerged feet first and more reluctantly than his brother, with a soft, high-pitched wail and a look on his face that seemed to embody the infinite sadness of the universe." Manfred and her husband, Tom Pope, were afraid when they got the news they were having twins; Pope actually turned green. But they navigated the boys' childhoods with love and patience. How do parents honor each twin's individuality while acknowledging the strong link between the boys? How does a mother mediate disputes without showing favoritism? Today Rowan and Bly are handsome, talented young men who agonized over whether they should go to the same college, and their thoughts about being twins are particularly interesting. This memoir will delight parents of twins, those whose children came sequentially and readers who have no children because it is filled with introspection and tenderness. +Mary Ann Grossman, St. Paul Pioneer Press, April 2015 +Describing coping with caring for more than one baby and guiding multiple birth children to adulthood as an adventure story is an interesting way to encourage other parents of multiples, no matter how old their multiples may be. Perhaps it takes a poet who somehow managed to take weekly notes on what her twins did and what family members said from the time of her pregnancy to her twins' early college experiences. In Raising Twins: A True Life Adventure, poet Freya Manfred recreates the "marathon parenting" demands and stress of the first year, the challenge of protecting two "very active" young boys from the consequences of their constant exploring and many experiences in supporting the boys into teen years. +The author thought she saw different personalities in her look-alike twin boys when they were born. In their second year, the twins seemed to take turns going through "developmental phases" and were already very competitive. They cooperated in escaping several times at a very early age. Later, several teachers commented on how well they worked together in more positive ways. +The feelings of the author and her screenwriter husband about their parenting experiences are revealed in reconstructed conversations which frequently are as amusing as the banter between their sons from childhood into the teen years. The family moved from California to the author's home state of Minnesota where the twins started preschool in their third year. The adventure continued as the boys participated in school and sports, sometimes together and sometimes apart. +Each twin's need "to feel special" at a very early age eventually led to a desire "to be seen as individuals" by going to separate colleges. While visiting prospective colleges, the author...wished that she and her husband...had "found ways to separate the boys more often when they were growing up" to make separation easier. That first year in separate schools on the East and West coasts was difficult. The adventure ends with the perceptive application essay that one twin wrote that enabled him to join his brother at Stanford where they graduated. +Each chapter starts with a thoughtful quote form a famous individual, and there are also a few short excerpts from a book by a renowned psychoanalyst on developing creativity in children. The author includes poems about parenting from her book, My Only Home, in some chapters. Raising Twins: A True Life Adventure and Freya Manfred's most recent books of poetry are available on Amazon. +Fall 2015 NOTEBOOK, published by Multiples Of America, a.k.a. the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. +Mr Radcliffe's Preserves: Jams & Jellies +Preserves Home +Recipes +Jelly 2004 +Jam 2004 +Jelly 2005 +Jelly 2007 +Jam 2005 +Jam 2006 +Jam 2007 +Jam 2010 +Jam making started with fruit from pick your own farms. We used to get plums and damsons on our way back from Bromyard Festival in September and produce jam and wine. The availability of fruit from the Sherborne Avenue garden in the early 90s led to raspberry jam and some strawberry. +Now in Barton with a large fruit cage we produce raspberries, gooseberries, +blackcurrants, redcurrants and some strawberries, all of which are used +for jam. The favourite is raspberry with redcurrant jelly now also very +popular. +I did a trawl through the jam cupboard, to see what was there, when starting this page in early 2003. As you can see the plum does not appear too popular although I find the '87 still quite tasty. +Raspberry +Bulletin 21 Recipe 19 used. +Probably two batches made. +Blackcurrant +Bulletin 21 Recipe 8 used. +8lbs of fruit. +Gooseberry +Bulletin 21 Recipe 12 used. +7.7 lbs of fruit. +Three batches of Raspberry jam were made all to jam recipe 19 of Bulletin 21 +Summer Raspberry Bulletin 21 recipe 19 +A small batch of raspberry jam was made just before the end of June using Summer Raspberries. (Malling Jewel) The flavour was superb. Only lightly set. +Autumn Raspberry (Ripe)Bulletin 21 recipe 19 +About 6lbs of ripe fruit were used. It had to be boiled more than normal to produce a set and was darker than usual but still good. +Autumn Raspberry Bulletin 21 recipe 19 +About 6lbs of fruit were used. A good batch. +Redcurrant Jam +I couldn't find a Redcurrant Jam recipe so ended up adapting the Blackcurrant one +4lb 3 oz of ripish fruit. 4lb 3 oz of sugar. +Raspberry Jam +I made three good batches this year, two of Summer and one of Autumn, +to the usual recipe. +The first batch on 25.June used 3.58kg (7.14lb) of fruit and gave 21 +smallish jars. +The second on the 28th of June used 3.95kg (8lb 11oz) of fruit and gave +18 jars. +The Autumn batch was made on 15th September.2.72kg (6lb) of rather ripe +fruit gave 12 jars. +We made three batches this year using Summer Raspberries. +The first, on July 3rd, was a double batch using two pans and 17lbs of +fruit to the usual recipe. +It turned out a bit runny but gave 35 jars and tasted great. +James and Kate helped with a batch on 9th July. They did a great job. +3 kg of raspberries and 3 kg of sugar gave 14 jars. Set well. +Strawberry Jam +We made a couple of small batches this year to recipe 24. +In spite of the small batch sizes the juice of two lemons was used and +setting was not a problem. +4 July 1.956 kg (4.3 lbs) strawberries. Boiled to dark colour. 6 jars +Set well looks correct colour when set. +15 July 1.58 kg 5.5 jars Set well good colour +July 1st. Kate made the first batch using 2kg of fruit to recipe 24. +Made 8 jars. +I made another with 2.4kg of fruit giving 9.5 jars but didn't set well. +Some of fruit was over ripe. +2 July Kate and I made a batch to the usual recipe +using 2.8kg of fruit. 12 jars. +5 July Another batch of Raspberry using 2.6kg of fruit. Well boiled. +Sample on cold plate did not move when tilted vertically! 11 jars. +2007 +24th June 2.75kg of summer raspberries to usual recipe made 12 jars of +jam. +7th July 3.2kg of summer raspberries. Kate made 15 jars of jam. +Not enough strawberries this year for jam. +27 Aug 1.5kg Autumn Raspberries. 7 jars jam. +9 September. 2.4kg Autumn Raspberries made 11 (biggish) pots of jam. +Fruit rather ripe so boiled for about 30mins. Rich colour and good flavour. +2009 +1.9kg of Strawberries, recipe 24 as usual. Boiled a little too long because +it didn't seem to be setting. 7.5 jars. +Mirabelle Jam +3.4kg fruit Recipe First try. Looks good. +12 jars +2010 +26th June. First decent punnet of Strawberries. 930gm made 4 small jars +to usual recipe. +Blackcurrant Jam. Normal batch size. About 12 jars. +2011 +16 July Mirabelle Jam +Tree just ripening. James picked the fruit. +3km fruit following recipe . Made 11 jars. +Managed to get most of stones out. Set well and looks good. +17 July Blackcurrant Jam. Only 1.4kgm Normal recipe. 8 jars plus 2 small. +More than expected. +September 2011 Blackberry and Apple Jam +Lots of blackberries so tried a new recipe from Ruth. recipe +Came out well. +2012 +22nd July 2012 Raspberry Jam from Frozen +The raspberry crop not being good and the freezer still having old fruit, +tried some jam from frozen berries. +A bag of 2006 and one of 2008, coming to 2.2kgm, (including ice) were +melted in three pans and then cooked normally in one. The usual recipe +was followed except the juice of 1 lemon was added because of the probability +that the pectin had deteriorated over time. +30th September Raspberry Jam - mixed fresh and frozen. +2.5 lbs of fresh Autumn raspberries, together with frozen bags of 2006 +and 2008 Summer Raspberries. Another 3.5lbs but included quite a lot of +frost in the older bag. Made as usual assuming 6.5lbs of fruit. Set well, +tastes good. 13 jars, half small ones. +2014 23rd May Jetlag Strawberry Jam. +1.1kg of strawberries plus juice of 1.5 lemons - about 1/3 normal batch +- made 4 .5 small jars. +5 June Another batch of Strawberry. 1.4kg of fruit, +juice of 2 lemons to aid setting. Made 5 pots, 2 normal size 3 small. +July 20th/21st Mirabellum Jam. +Picked some fruit previous Tuesday which turned out to not be very ripe. +Added more on Saturday to make 3.6kgm of fruit. +Stones difficult get get out because fruit wasn't as ripe as usual. Forgot +to reduce fruit before adding sugar. Also left until next day after sugar. +Seemed to turn out well. 11 jars. +2015 +2nd June Strawberry jam. 1.3 kg fruit usual receipe. +Took long time to reach setting oint. 4.5 jars Tastes very good. +15th June Strawberry jam. 4.5kg of fruit. Had to use +two pans for final boil. 16 jars. Long boil again. Excellent taste. +2016 +20th June 1.13kgm fruit (2.5lb) to usual receipe. 4 and 1/3 small jars +3 July 0.9kg fruit (2lb) 3 3/4 small jars. Flavour good. +2017 +Blackcurrant 1 July. Stripped most of two bushes. Big +bowl of fruit - 2.28kgm. 3.42 kgm of sugar made 11 pots. +Raspberry 3rd July Not many raspberries this year because +of new planting. Mixed some from freezer '15 and a few fresh. 2kgm fruit. +Made 7 1/2 jars. +Mirabellum 6th July Lots of fruit this year. Picked +when some were a bit green. Large bowl was 3kgm of fruit. Stoned with +German plum stoner for the first time, which reduced the volume slightly. +Stones put in muslin badg and boiled with fruit. 13 1/2 jars. +2018 6 July Raspberry Jam +1.35kg of fruit, half new picking, half from freezer. 61/2 +jars of good tasting jam +15th July Redcurrant Jam. +Decided to make jam rather than jelly. +1.47 kg of fruit. Same amount of sugar. 6 jars Tasted good. +I resisted jelly making for many years having believed it was too +much trouble. I yielded in 2001 with some redcurrant jelly, which was certainly +a lot of trouble but was superb. I used recipe 13 from Bulletin 21 +[1] It came out rather runny but this may have been +because the fruit was over ripe. +Redcurrant jelly +Flushed by the success in 2001 two batches of redcurrant jelly were made. +Batch1 used recipe 13. 5lb of fruit gave 5¾ pint of juice after two boils and 5.6lb of sugar was added. It set well and quickly, probably because the fruit was not too ripe. +Batch 2 seems to have used recipe 12 where there is only one boil, no added water and less juice is produced. 5½ lbs of fruit gave 3½ pints of juice and 4.4lb sugar was added. Again a good quick set. +Blackcurrant Jelly +Most of the blackcurrant crop went into jelly. There were two pans each +half full of fruit. Recipe +12 was used with an extra ¾ pint of water per pan. 6 pints +of juice were produced and 3kgm (6.6 lbs) of sugar was added. The jelly +set very quickly and looked good but the flavour was much too concentrated. +More water was needed and recipe +4 (as 13 but more water) should have been used. +Redcurrant Jelly +I intended to use Recipe 12 again but added water by mistake. So the recipe is a mixture between 12 and 13. +The juice was very dark and a thin layer of scum quickly formed. Yield 11 small jars about 8 lbs. The jelly turned out a reasonable colour, not too dark. +I made quite a big batch on the 1st of July to recipe +12. 3.68kg of fruit gave 1650ml of juice. I added 1.65kgm of sugar +but it was hard to dissolve, so an extra 300ml of water was added. +Made the usual batch of jelly but decided on a recipe which gave the +advantages of recipe 13 without the hassle of boiling for a second time. +So having boiled the fruit up as recipe 12 and mashed and strained it, +I slowly added a pint of boiling water to the mashed up fruit in the bag +and mashed it a bit more. Then added sugar as usual and finished off as +normal. It came out fine. I call this recipe 12A +Redcurrant Jelly (about 29th July) +3.1kgm of fruit to recipe 12A. +650cc of boiling water added and gave 2500cc of juice. Was only boiled +for one minute but should have been longer because the jelly was not a +well set as usual. (Fruit was quite ripe). 11 jars plus one scum jar. +Redcurrent Jelly 22 July +4lbs of fruit to recipe 12A. 1.5l of juice. Boiled for about 10 minutes. +Made 9 jars three v. small. +Looks good, set well and tastes good. +2013 Redcurrent Jelly 11th July +Full bowl of fruit just ripened, recipe 12A mashed with an extra 3/4 +pint hot water made 1.75l of juice. +9 mixed size jars. +2014 Redcurrent Jelly. 2nd July. Nearly full bowl of +fruit, rec 12a, mashed with extra 1pt water, (maybe a little too much) +Set reasonably well, 9 smallish jars. +2016 Redcurrent Jelly. 2 July. Half batch. 1.628kgm +(3.38lb) fruit. Recipe 12A. 5 1/2 smallish jars. Set well as usual. good +flavour. +2017 Redcurrent Jelly 26th June Bowl of fruit gave 2lt +of juice. Made 10 1/2 jars. +This document maintained by +Chris@Radcliffefamily.net. +Material Copyright © 2003 CJR + Says U.S. Will 'Do What It Takes' to Defend Taiwan +Aired April have said that I will do what it takes to help Taiwan defend themselves, and the Chinese must understand that. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +ANNOUNCER: President Bush gets more blunt about Taiwan policy than his predecessors in a CNN interview marking his first 100 days in office. +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +NARRATOR: President Bush, don't gamble with America's last great wilderness. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +ANNOUNCER: Mr. Bush is the target of an unprecedented assault of issue ads. We'll have the numbers. +And former Senator Bob Kerrey reveals the true story about a deadly raid during his service in Vietnam. +Now, Judy Woodruff takes you INSIDE POLITICS. +FRANK SESNO, CNN ANCHOR: And thanks for joining us. I'm Frank Sesno, sitting in for Judy Woodruff today. +Well, from Taiwan to taxes to quality of life inside the White House, President Bush covered a great deal of ground today in his interview with CNN. +First Taiwan: The president said as far as he's concerned nothing has changed with regard to U.S. policy toward Taiwan. A delicate policy it is. That's not the way, however, many observers in this country and around the world see it. +As Mr. Bush nears his 100th day in office, he spoke at length about Taiwan and other global and domestic issues in that interview with senior CNN White House correspondent John King. +We begin now with the first segment of the interview, conducted this morning at the White House. +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +JOHN KING, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're raising eyebrows around town and around the world by your comments recently on Taiwan, saying that the United States is prepared, whatever it takes, whatever it took -- your words -- to defend Taiwan if it is attacked by China. +That's a dramatic break. For about 20 years, U.S. presidents have been deliberately ambiguous on that subject. +GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think that the Chinese must hear that ours is an administration, like other administrations, that is willing to uphold the spirit of the Taiwan relations law, Taiwan Relations Act. And I'll do so. +However, I think it's important for people to also note that mine is an administration that strongly supports the one-China policy, that we expect any dispute to be resolved peacefully. And that's the message I really want people to hear. +But as people have seen, that I'm willing to help Taiwan defend herself, and that nothing has really changed in policy, as far as I'm concerned. This is what other presidents have said, and I will continue to say so. +KING: Other presidents have relayed that message privately, though. There's some consternation around town that you did this in a television interview, not a speech to the American people. We don't have a treaty with Taiwan, certainly. +BUSH: Well, I also said this during the course of the campaign, John. I mean, I've been very clear about my position. And that when pressed further, I said that's what -- the Chinese need to hear the message. And I think it's an important message to send. +I also want to send the message that this can be resolved peacefully. We've got a very important relationship with China. Obviously, it was tested recently. And one of the pieces of good news is that we were able to resolve an incident that could've turned out to be a breach of relations. +I've got some very tough decisions to make coming up about trade. I still think we ought to trade with China, because I think trade will not only help our economy and help people in our economy -- like farmers, for example -- I also know that by spreading trade in the marketplace, it will enhance freedom. +But I've got difficulties with some of the decisions China has made recently, such as the imprisonment of a Catholic bishop and other members of the Catholic faith in China, or how they're dealing with different citizens, and I will make those displeasures very clear. KING: I want to ask you more about that, but I want to follow up a little bit more on the Taiwan issue. You have said publicly the U.S. would commit military forces if China attacked Taiwan. What if Taiwan declared independence first? +BUSH: First, I have said that I will do what it takes to help Taiwan defend herself, and the Chinese must understand that. Secondly, I certainly hope Taiwan adheres to the one-China policy. And a declaration of independence is not the one-China policy, and we will work with Taiwan to make sure that that doesn't happen. We need a peaceful resolution of this issue. +KING: But it sounded in your remarks, though, that you were being much more candid, much more open about the idea that the United States was prepared to militarily defend Taiwan. Would you consult with the Japanese or the South Koreans before saying this publicly? +BUSH: I am candid in my support of the Taiwan Relations Act. And I have said this during the course of the campaign appearance and I'll say it right now: That our nation will help Taiwan defend herself, at the same time that we support the one-China policy, where we expect and hope and believe there will be peaceful resolution to any differences of opinion. +KING: Let's get back to the broader relationship. Can we have a productive relationship with China so long as that plane sits on the tarmac on Hainan Island? +BUSH: Yes, we can. And I'm confident we'll get the plane back. I'm concerned about the plane. I was much more concerned about the people, and it was obviously a tense 11 days. +I did take some comfort when I talked to the general, who told me that he said that our people were in navy barracks that were as good as a barrack -- as good as they could find, and that there was some concern on the Hainan Island amongst the Chinese enlisted personnel that the Americans were being treated better than they were. +I was comforted by the fact that he said the folks' spirits were high. In other words, our people were treated well. +But yes, I think we can -- I mean, this is a difficult relationship. It's a complex relationship, but it's one that my administration takes very seriously. We'll find areas where we can agree. And we'll find areas where we don't agree, but we will do so in a respectful way. And there's going to be some times where we're going to have to draw some lines, and I'll be willing to do so. +KING: Some tough talk on this issue, as the Congress returns. +BUSH: Yes. +KING: Let me ask you two questions. One, if Congress voted to suspend the trade relationship, to deny what we call permanent normal trading relations or normal trading relations with China, if Congress voted to do that, would you veto that bill? BUSH: Well, you know, listen, I reserve the right to veto or approve anything, but I would hope Congress would not do that. I would hope Congress would realize the benefits of trade with China. It's in our nation's interest, but it's also in our nation's interest to promote an open market so that there's more freedom in China. +We've had this debate in America a long period of time. Remember, during the course of the primaries, for example, there was a lot of people in my party didn't think that logic made sense. I thought it made sense then -- I think it makes sense now -- that open markets create more opportunity for freedom and a more open society, a more transparent society. And that is in our nation's interests, not only economically, but it's in our nation's interest to promote a more free society in China. +KING: One more on this issue. I want to get to your domestic agenda, but in the recent approval of the weapons package to Taiwan, you deferred a decision on the Aegis radar system. Now, many viewers may not know what that is, but it's state-of-the-art, would help -- Taiwan thinks it needs it to track incoming missiles in the case of a Chinese attack -- seem to be a carrot-and-stick approach. You're saying, I'm not going to do this now, but I reserve the right to do it in the future if China continues to build up its missiles across the Taiwan Straits. What is the threshold? +BUSH: I made a decision based upon what I thought was necessary to help Taiwan defend herself. You bring up the missile issue, and it's an issue that my administration is going to take very seriously, and that is the development of anti-ballistic missile systems that will make our world a safer world. +And one of the things you'll see us doing here in the course of -- in due time -- is to begin consultations with others around the world as to what we mean by missile defense. I'm not prepared to do that yet, but we'll do that. +And I had said during the course of the campaign, and I'm going to say it in the administration, it is important for us to use our resources and technologies to develop such a system so as to make threats to people around the world that, you know, as obsolete as possible, as irrelevant as possible. And that threat's not only in the Far East, but in the Middle East, as well, and to our own homeland. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +SESNO: Now we're going to hear the rest of the interview in just a moment where the president turns to domestic issues. +John King joining us now from the White House. +John, let's get a little bit more detailed as to what the president was getting into on this Taiwan and China policy. John, before I come to you, let's put up a graphic of what the president said yesterday in an interview with ABC. He was asked about whether the U.S. has an obligation to defend Taiwan, the Taiwanese. "Yes, we do," he says. "And you would?" he was asked. "And the Chinese must understand that." He said, "Yes, I would." +Here's the key, John. "Would the full force of the American military?" And the president replied, "Whatever it took to help Taiwan defend herself." +John, how does that differ from, if at all, from what the president was saying today? +KING: Well, the president today gave that same answer. He said he would help Taiwan defend itself. But he also was careful to add those other caveats. He said he did not want to give the green light to pro-independence forces in Taiwan. You heard him say that he believes in the one-China policy and Taiwan declaring its independence would be against the one-China policy. +So the president giving a fuller answer here today, but a controversy about this: not just around Washington but around the world. The administration insisting the president has broken no new policy ground, but they concede that this policy has been in place for 21 years and no other U.S. president, including this president's father, has ever publicly said explicitly the United States would come to Taiwan's defense. +That has been deliberate ambiguity, this president deciding he wants to be much more candid and open about it. He opened a can of worms by saying so. +SESNO: John, it's almost impossible to overstate the Chinese sensitivity on this issue, the Taiwanese sensitivities as well. And that's largely what surrounds this, as well as domestic politics. +Talk some more about that. +KING: Well, the Chinese of course don't even want the United States to sell any weapons to Taiwan. They view it as a renegade province. They believe it is part of China. Even selling arms upsets the Chinese. +For a U.S. president to say that the United States military would come to the defense of Taiwan is something that China will certainly object to. +Now, as for domestic politics, there are some in the Congress upset that the president is so bent in favor of trade toward China at this very delicate moment. To hear the president come out and publicly say this, I've talked to officials from past administrations, again including the first Bush administration, and they're frankly aghast at this. +They say if the president wanted to publicly commit the U.S. military, that he should have given a speech, a big foreign policy speech. He should have consulted the allies, especially Japan and South Korea, and he should have consulted the Congress. +Inside, the White House here senior officials say everyone is making too big a deal about this, that this president is just being candid in saying publicly what other presidents relay to the Chinese privately. +SESNO: OK, big deal or otherwise, though, a more balanced and certainly nuanced approach by the president today in summing up the U.S.-China policy. +John, we're going to take a quick break here. Coming up next here, President Bush's views on some key issues close to home. +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +BUSH: I think it is necessary to have a tax relief package that not only sends a clear signal that tax relief is real, it's substantive, it exists for a while, but also to get money in people's pockets as quickly as possible. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +SESNO: The president's thoughts on taxes, education and other domestic issues. Plus: Medal of Honor winner and former Senator Bob Kerrey comes forward with new revelations about his service in Vietnam. This is INSIDE POLITICS. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +SESNO: As President Bush prepares to mark his 100-day milestone, his two top legislative priorities, tax cuts and education, still are the subject of negotiation and dispute on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. +So CNN senior White House correspondent John King asked Mr. Bush about those domestic issues and more today. Here's the second part of the interview, beginning with a concern for many Americans: rising gas prices. +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +KING: You were very critical of the prior administration when gasoline prices were going up. You said the administration should do more to help consumers. You said the administration didn't have a long-term energy policy. Twenty-four cents -- the average price of gasoline has gone up 24 cents in the last four weeks. And yet, if you pick up the business pages, Mobil Exxon, Conoco, reporting record profits, increasing their profits both by more than 50 percent. +Is something awry here? +BUSH: Well, we don't want price gouging, and I think we need to make sure that that doesn't occur. But I haven't changed my opinion about the need for an energy policy in America. We need one. And we need to do two things. We need to increase supply of product and we need to do a better job of conservation. Let me talk about supply. There have been no refineries built in America in the last 10 years. And therefore, when you have increasing demand and limited supply, price is going to go up. We've got to figure out how to bring more product into the marketplace. +Secondly, in terms of power plants and the California issue, much of it is driven by the fact that we're running out of energy supplies. We need more energy supplies, that's why we need to have an environmentally-friendly exploration program around the country. +And we also need to conserve more, and conservation comes as a result of new technologies. And we've got to do a better job of developing new technologies, you know, more mileage for cars, etcetera. But this is an issue that's going to require a long-term solution, just like I said in the course of the campaign. +KING: But not much hope then for anybody thinking about spring and summer vacations this year? +BUSH: Well, I think people who are thinking about spring and summer, hopefully, the price of product will decrease. And to the extent -- if anybody is gouging anybody, we'll find out about it. But the solution is going to require more refined product. +KING: Let's move on to taxes and spending. The second 100 days will probably be much more instructive than the first 100 days as to the fate of your agenda. And of course, the signature issue: tax cuts. You had dinner last night with Senator Breaux. +BUSH: I did. +KING: Many Democrats -- I saw Max Baucus, ranking Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee coming in here this morning. You are in the middle of negotiations. The House says 1.6 trillion over 10 years. The Senate says 1.2 trillion over 10 years. +Where are we going to end up? Will you accept 1.4? And I think more importantly, where will you end up on spending? You have said the growth in discretionary spending should be no more than 4 percent. The Senate says, 8 percent. +BUSH: Eight, yes. +KING: Are you willing to split the difference there, like you are on taxes? +BUSH: Well, John, let me first say, I think the first 100 days have been pretty instructive. I want to take you back to when you covered me in the campaign. A lot of folks were saying, there's never going to be tax relief. He's just talking. He has no intention of getting anything done. The people don't want tax relief. +In the first 100 days, we got one bill out of the House at 1.6 trillion and one out of the Senate at 1.2, so at least the parameters have been defined. And I think we're going to get meaningful tax relief. My answer is, let's get as much as possible for the American people. I think it is necessary to have a tax relief package that not only sends a clear signal that the tax relief is real, it's substantive, it exists for a while, but also get money in people's pockets as quickly as possible. +In terms of spending, you bet I'm concerned about the increase of discretionary spending, and the idea of an 8 percent increase that came out of the Senate is just not acceptable. It's too high a number. +I think many senators realize that now. They went home and took a look and heard from their constituents and realized 8 percent is too significant. +And we'll work with the Senate and the House to bring a responsible budget to the floor and one that provides meaningful tax relief. +KING: Is a 6 percent increase responsible? Would you accept that? +BUSH: I am keeping all options open. +KING: But people are leaving these meetings that you appear ready to embrace a compromise? +BUSH: I appear ready to get something done. It's time now we -- the House has made a statement. The Senate has made its statement. And now it's time for the White House to help bring the parties together to get real, meaningful, substantive tax relief done. +KING: We have the same debate on education. You've been working closely with the Democrats on this one. +BUSH: Yes. +KING: Senator Kennedy is saying very favorable things about you. He's not known as a compassionate conservative around the country. +(LAUGHTER) +BUSH: He's a compassionate man, however, and very open-minded, for which I'm grateful. +KING: Yet he has said that he's prepared to move your way on the issues like accountability, teacher testing, the standards, but he says you are woefully short in terms of money, and they want as much as $10 billion more in the budget for education. +BUSH: I think we're making good progress on the budget negotiations as well. I appreciate so very much the spirit that Senator Kennedy has approached this issue. +We are making great progress on the education reform issue, and I believe we're going to get a good bill. And I believe we're going to come up with a budget number. I truly do, John. This is an issue where people have realized that the kind of finger pointing and name calling has really created a spirit that's just not right for America. +And Senator Kennedy and others have bent over backwards to work with us, and I'm very grateful, and I believe we're going to get a very good bill. +KING: You've offered about $2 billion more, we're told. Is that your bottom line, are you willing to go... +BUSH: John, we're going to get a good bill. I mean, one of the things I've learned is not to try to negotiate with you or me on national TV. +KING: We asked the senator to watch. +BUSH: Well, thank you, Senator, for all your hard work. +KING: I want to talk a little bit about your style as president. Very marked contrast with your predecessor. I covered this White House in the Clinton days, and it is impossible to imagine that when we had the unrest in Cincinnati, racial tensions in the streets, that he would not have spoken out. Very hard to imagine when those 24 crew members came home that we all not would have traveled to Washington state to welcome them back at the base. Why do you take a different approach? +BUSH: Well, those are two incidents that, I mean, I made my mind not to go to Washington, because I wanted their mothers and dads and loved ones to be with their family members who just came off Hainan Island without the president creating a scene. +And in terms of Cincinnati, I felt like the mayor was doing a fine job. I had talked to John Ashcroft to make sure that our administration was engaged in helping calm the situation. He assured me we were. +And secondly, there are some times when a president shows up that can make a situation worse. And I just got to make the judgment call on each incident or each moment as to whether or not I'm going to show up or not. And, you know, I'm adverse to a camera. On the other hand, I think the president can either help or not help a situation, and I'll just have to make a judgment call each time. +KING: On the broader issue of race relations and the politics of race, if you will. I know you were very disappointed that you were beat 9-to-1 among African-Americans in the election. +BUSH: That's an understatement. +KING: That's a political question. On a policy question, you've instructed your attorney general to move to end the practice of racial profiling. Some in the Black Caucus in the Congress say, you know, "Where are you, Mr. President? We're here if you really want to talk to us." What's the status of your political outreach? And on the policy front, given the tensions in Cincinnati, is that reminder to a president to say, "Mr. Ashcroft, let's hustle up and get this racial profiling...?" +BUSH: Well, I think we got to address racial profiling, and John Ashcroft will. And I think he's making good progress along those lines. +Secondly, good policy makes good politics, John. I'm not the kind of person that sits around here in the White House saying, "Well, gosh, I wonder how I can enhance my political standing?" +I believe tax relief is good for all Americans. I know that good education policy is good for all Americans. Listen, I am working as hard as I can to explain to Americans that if you didn't vote for me, I'm still your president and I care about you. +And a peaceful world is good for all Americans. And there are some people I'm just not going to be able to persuade that I'm, you know, the kind of person they ought to support, like the people you mentioned, some of the Congress, they're just totally dug in, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to listen to them or bring them over to the White House, like I've done. And we'll find areas where we can work together, and I look forward to doing so. +KING: Couple of more quick questions. One is, I saw you used the term, "pretty darn good." That's how you think you're doing as you approach the 100-day mark. Expand on that a little bit. And if you would, as you do so, one lesson you appear to have learned from your father's administration, is that he had a lot of tensions from the beginning with the Republican Party base. The conservatives thought that after he was elected, he forgot that they had worked so hard for him. +BUSH: Well, I'd say pretty darn good. I mean, I'm enthusiastic about the job. I really love what I'm doing. I put together a great team of fine Americans that are working together on behalf of the American people. Some of the agenda that I talked about in the campaign that people thought would be dead on arrival seems to be doing quite well, one of which is tax relief, another is education reform. +The faith-based initiative, I'm proud to report, has gotten bipartisan support. For example, Senator Lieberman has worked closely with my office to make sure that the faith-based initiative achieves its objectives, so we're making good progress. But pretty darn good is kind of a Texas phrase. I mean, I really like what I'm doing. +And you know, the American people will make the decisions as to how a president does or doesn't do. The only thing I know to do is just to give it my all, put my whole heart and soul into the job, make decisions based upon what's best for all Americans, not based upon what's best for a political party or me, personally, and to ask people to judge me, based upon results and my administration, based upon results. And so, I really like what I'm doing and so I'm feeling pretty darn good. KING: One more policy question and then I want your personal thoughts about the first 100 days. I'm not saying the tax cut debate is easy or the education and the budget debate is easy, but most would agree that the ticking time bombs, the much more difficult issues out there, because of the budget constraints, because of the aging of America, are the structural reforms to Medicare and Social Security. You're learning about what it's like to govern in this 50-50 environment. The House pretty evenly divided... +BUSH: Right. +KING: ... the Senate 50-50. What can you say about your level of optimism or pessimism that you can actually get those issues dealt with in a reasonable way with the 2002 elections? +BUSH: You know what this sounds like? It sounds like the guys that used to ask me about the tax relief plan six months ago. Seriously. +They said, you're going to go to Washington -- nobody wants tax relief. And all of a sudden looks like we're going to have a tax relief plan that makes sense for the American people. +My answer to the skeptics is, let's work together. We've got to. We don't have any choice on Social Security. Now is the time for people to come together to figure out how to make the system secure for young workers. +We made it secure for older workers, because we've set aside all the Social Security surplus for only one thing, and that's Social Security. We've got to figure out how to make it secure for younger workers. +And there's some really interesting ideas on the table. I put a commission together that's going to forward those ideas. +It's going to take political will for people to move forward, but I'm a living example of a person that took on the issue and benefited from it. I think the candidates, the congressmen and senators who are willing to tackle this tough issue, and to be willing to think differently for the future, are going to benefit. I think the American people are going to say, thanks for willing to think differently on such an important issue. +So I'm very optimistic we can get some things done. +KING: Two quick questions, personal reflections. You're from Texas. You have a ranch. You like open space. +BUSH: Yes. +KING: You like to run. You like to get out and run. And you like to get out and meet and greet people. +You now live in a building surrounded by armed security forces and cast-iron gates. Are you talking to the portraits yet? I mean, what it is like? Do... +BUSH: Exactly. +(LAUGHTER) +(CROSSTALK) +KING: ... you feel isolated? +BUSH: No ghosts. +No, I really don't feel isolated. I work so hard all day long that when I finally get to -- get upstairs, I'm ready to hit the sack or just settle in and read. +But -- Well, you just described the reason why Laura and I like to go to Camp David or go to our ranch, because I do like to get outside. +And I like to be around my friends, and there's no place better to visit with friends and family than either Camp David or the ranch. +People have said, "Well, you don't seem to like it here in Washington, because you tend to leave on the weekends when you can." +And the answer is, I like both. I like to be here in the White House. I like to go to the Oval Office. It is such an honor, John, to come down, walk through the Rose Garden and go in the Oval Office every morning. Early in the morning when I get there, it is just inspiring. And it will be inspiring on the last day that I'm here, by the way. +But you bet, and nor do I feel burdened or captured or any of the words that people like to use for the president. I feel free. I'm relaxed. I feel comfortable. +Perhaps, that's because, you know, I'm on bended knee every morning, asking for guidance and for comfort. Whatever the reasons, I'm enjoying myself. +KING: One last one, and as we approach the 100-day mark, I'd like to ask you about a moment on day one. You came into the Oval Office. You sit at the desk for the first time. There's a picture outside your press secretary's office. Apparently, after you were in there for a few minutes, your father came in. +BUSH: Yes. +KING: Quite a scene, the 41st and the 43rd presidents of the United States. +BUSH: Yes. +KING: What was that moment like? +BUSH: Well, he's going to have to speak for himself. But I was, obviously, a proud son and very emotional. As you know, I'm not very poetic as I try to describe things to people. But I was -- it was just -- suffice it to say, it was a meaningful moment, when a son and dad were able to bond in the most unique way. +And it's hard to describe to people who haven't been in the Oval Office, what it's like. It's a shrine. It is a powerful feeling. And it's not a feeling of power, it's a powerful feeling. It's such a wonderful example of the best of America. +And to have my dad there the day I was sworn into the presidency is a moment I'll never forget, enhanced, by the way, by walking by the press secretary's office, looking at the picture -- when I look at the picture. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +SESNO: George W. Bush talking to John King in the Map Room at the White House just a few hours ago. John, we heard substance, we heard about style, we heard some reflections from this president. Perhaps not to bury the lead, the most encouraging thing we heard is that he's not talking to the portraits. +KING: He's not talking to the portraits, Frank. He is a man who despite the challenges ahead of him, whether it be the controversy over the Taiwan remarks or the still very difficult negotiations over taxes and education spending in the overall budget, he's a man who is obviously, as he appears in the interview, very comfortable with himself, very happy to be here, full of energy and enthusiasm. At this point, many difficult challenges still ahead, though. I think the next 100 days will be much more instructive, much more instrumental in seeing how he can govern in this environment than the first 100 days. +SESNO: John, we call this program INSIDE POLITICS for reasons. So let's do that for just a moment and come back to his discussion about how he is dealing with conservatives and the lesson that he may have learned from his father. +Conservatives walked away very quickly from George Bush, (a) because they didn't think he cared much about them to begin with, the first George Bush, and (b) there was always that business about taxes. +KING: You'll notice he didn't answer that part of the question when I asked him, because he doesn't like to discuss political strategy like that publicly. But this administration doing all it can to reach out to conservatives, and even when the conservatives are upset by what the administration does, the reversal on carbon dioxide emissions -- that pleased some conservatives. Some of the other environmental policies have disappointed conservatives. +But when conservatives look at this administration, (a) this president has reached out to them and they like that. They didn't believe his father did. But they also see Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, Attorney General John Ashcroft. There are conservatives throughout the ranks of senior positions. +Right now, this base standing by this president. +SESNO: Back to the beginning of this portion when you were talking about domestic policy, you were asking him about energy and energy policy. And the president said, "Hopefully the price of product will decrease." That doesn't sound like a very aggressive plan or policy to actually do something about it. Obviously, it's the marketplace, but the president is waiting for this to happen. +KING: And this is a very corporate-minded president and administration. He raised concerns about price gouging. He said he didn't believe it was going on. But this is not a president who's inclination is to lecture the corporate community or the business community. +You're right there, he was pretty clear: no short-term solution. Another controversy awaiting this administration is when they release that energy report. They're going to call for natural gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, more exploration. This president may even have a fight with his brother, the governor of Florida, about drilling off the coast of Florida. So more controversies ahead. +And the president -- he was very critical of the Clinton administration about energy prices. It's clear he will make the case there are no short-term solutions now. He'll also make the case that he shouldn't be blamed as prices go up this summer. Consumers don't always think that way. +SESNO: John, thank you very much, fascinating interview. And, of course, a signal from the president as well on another topic that compromise on spending and taxes, as far as he is concerned, is within reach. Very important point and one we will be returning to. +John King at the White House after interviewing George W. Bush today. +Well, we'll continue and look at this some more. Straight ahead: reaction to the president's comment from two veteran analysts, Republican Scott Reed, and Democrat Joe Lockhart. Also: +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never seen an administration so hostile to women and children. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +SESNO: Is the honeymoon over, or did it ever begin? The Democrats unveil their own version of events during the first 100 days. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +SEN. BARBARA BOXER (D), CALIFORNIA: I've never seen an administration so hostile to women and children. It has come at us like a barrage of things and these are just a few that I have shown you. I haven't even gone into the budget itself and the tax cut, which is so terrible for women. Well, you have 43 percent of the tax cut going to the people who earn over $315,000 a year who don't need it. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +SESNO: Senator Barbara Boxer taking part there in one of several events the Democrats are putting together to publicize their version of the first 100 days, focusing on the shortcoming of President Bush's strategy. The public relations efforts included reports from leading environmental and feminist groups, which criticize the early Bush record, along with a cable TV ad campaign purchased by the Democratic National Committee. +Well, joining us now for some perspective on this, Republican strategist Scott Reed and Democratic strategist and former White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart. +First to Barbara Boxer and what the Democrats are doing, Joe. Is that fair to come out and trot and say that the sky is falling? You heard the president say, judge me by my results. If you read the polls, people are judging him fairly favorably. +JOE LOCKHART, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Well, I think they are looking at very specific policy decisions the president has made, and if you look at things like food safety, worker safety, the environment, he should be judged be his record, and his record on those things is very poor. He seems to have put the interest of the business community and his contributors in front of the interest of average working class Americans. +On the bigger issues, only time will tell. We don't know where he will be on the economy, fiscal policy, whether he will be able to continue to pay down the debt. And I think there's still a number of questions there. +SCOTT REED, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: There's always a role for the loyal opposition to be out there in their sunglasses in front of the Capitol talking about the president. Let's be honest, the polls show Bush is off to a very strong start; he has over a 60 percent approval rating, he has a two to one favorable over his unfavorable. +American people like the job he's doing. He's been tested with some international incidents; he's had his first summit, and overall, Republicans across the country are very excited about the start this administration is off to. +SESNO: Let's look at, going back to this interview, and comments we've heard in various interviews over the last several days, the comments on China. There are people, Joe Lockhart, in the administration that you served in, this Democratic administration that worked hard on China for a long time, that are outraged to say the president was way off the reservation on this. Is this a mountain being made out of a mole hill? LOCKHART: Well, I don't think so. And there's a reason, since the late 1960s and through the '70s and '80s and '90s, the administrations have been deliberately ambiguous on China and Taiwan. +SESNO: Were you... +LOCKHART: Absolutely. +SESNO: Were you under orders to be ambiguous. +LOCKHART: Because -- probably the most delicate relationship we have in our foreign policy, and the stakes couldn't be higher. So I don't think the president... +SESNO: Joe Lockhart, how were you deliberately ambiguous in ways the president was not? I mean, certainly what we heard in the interview today was one China policy on the one hand, a warning to Taiwan not to declare unilateral independence on the other. +LOCKHART: There is very formulaic language that the Chinese and the Taiwanese except and it doesn't upset the apple cart. He went far beyond that yesterday; I think it was just verbal clumsiness. But I think he'll have to understand that this words carry very particular meaning and it may be fun to poke fun at your own inability to speak the language, but there are some areas where you have to be more careful. +REED: What you saw was Bush, who's a very plain-spoken man, who says what he believes. He doesn't have a lot of gray area in what he talks about. And I think what you have seen here is the impact of Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who's probably the smartest GO political adviser the president has in his Cabinet and on his team, giving him some very good advice on how to deal with Taiwan, how to move forward with the sales of these armaments, the ships, the submarines, the airplanes, in a very strategic way, that allows him to be assimilated into what the Taiwanese army can deal with right now. +Not give them Aegis, not give them what they can't deal with. It was a very logical step and it was a good step. Remember, the Congress cares about Taiwan, too. +LOCKHART: But, I think there are two separate things here. One is, the decision on arms, and in fact, I think there's many in Congress that will criticize that on the right. And if this was Bill Clinton making that decision, there would be congressional hearings investigating whether there was money involved. Thankfully, we are beyond that now. +But the difference is on the language. I think Don Rumsfeld is a very smart gentleman, but if you look at our foreign policy now, I think there are some dark clouds out there. Tension has risen between U.S. and China. Tension has risen between U.S. and Russia. We have strained relations with Europe on a number of issues. Tension is rising in the Middle East. +SESNO: You are saying George W. Bush is responsible for this? LOCKHART: I'm saying that his foreign policy -- the unilateral approach -- the sort of my way or the highway, whether it's Kyoto or national missile defense, these take great care. And what you want to do, you want to reduce tension, and that hasn't happened. +REED: I think it's refreshing that we have a president that uses the Oval Office as a bully pulpit to send a message to the world and the country about what he believes. +SESNO: You're both communicators, you both helped presidents or presidential candidates on something. Another thing we are talking about is the remarkable degree to which the temperature has been turned down in this town in the nearly 100 days since this man has come to office. +Joe Lockhart, your president was constantly under investigation, there was constantly triangulation and political maneuvering; maybe, is this a welcome change? +LOCKHART: I think any president should have the right to try to govern without the constant harassment of Congress, in the name of oversight and George Bush, as president, didn't deserve that, and I think most Americans are glad he is not getting that. +SESNO: Do you give him credit for that? +LOCKHART: No, I think it's a political decision. But let me make a broader point. I think that the first 100 days reflects, to me, a remarkably unambitious presidency. And one that -- this should be the time where the president is out there, and grabbing the country and grabbing Congress. +I mean, Ronald Reagan had got his talk cut through; Franklin Roosevelt had got most of his legislative agenda through; Bill Clinton had basically turned the apple cart upside down, which caused a lot of controversy. +This president has said, well, I want my tax cut, I'm not sure what else. I think he's lost a big opportunity here in the first 100 days because he is not on the front page. He is governing from Page A-11. +REED: I think what you're going to see is this White House now pivot to a new way that they deal with things. They got the president's numbers very strong, now they've got to go out and sell the agenda and get the American people to get behind some of his ideas, like moving towards a new Social Security system; like cutting taxes; like coming forward with ideas for the uninsured, giving them a tax credit so -- which, by the way, is very popular with the Hispanic and Latino voters -- some of these innovative ideas. +He has to go out and sell these ideas and get the American people to follow his ideas. But it was important to go out and lay down this foundation first, and that's why his personal numbers are high. +SESNO: And Scott Reed, just to wrap this up, because we're going to have to move on, based on what Joe was saying, he's governing from Page 11, we heard the president, say judge me on my results. +REED: The most important thing for Bush and this White House is to show they can govern. They have a Republican Congress. It's important that there are results. That's good for the Republican Party, it's good for the country and I think this president understands that, and I think it's healthy that's not all Bush all day every day. +SESNO: Politically, it may be designed a little anti-Clinton. +REED: A little. +LOCKHART: I think the problems, the hard problems, the longer you're in office get harder to solve. The best time to solve the hard ones and take them on is at the beginning, and I think historically, that's proven and I think he has squandered the political capital of the first 100 days. +SESNO: He was supposed to get the last word. +LOCKHART: There you go. +REED: No squandering. +SESNO: All right, you got it then. Thank you very much, Scott Reed, Joe Lockhart. +Up next, a difficult admission from a Vietnam veteran. Former Senator Bob Kerrey on the event that has haunted him since 1969. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +SESNO: Former Senator Bob Kerrey of Nebraska is revealing new details about his service in the Vietnam War. Kerrey, a decorated war hero with possible presidential ambitions, is telling a story he says he is not proud of. +Jonathan Karl reports. +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +JONATHAN KARL, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Bob Kerrey's wartime heroics have been central to his political biography, but the former senator now says one incident that earned him a Bronze Star for heroic achievement was actually a tragic mistake that has haunted him for 32 years. +BOB KERREY, FRM. U.S. SENATOR: What matters to me more than anything is to be able to talk publicly about something that produced a great deal of shame and a great deal of guilt. +KARL: Kerrey, in that interview with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, was talking about an incident that happened in Vietnam in 1969, when a squad of Navy SEALS he commanded came under fire on a moonless night and returned fire into the darkness. +KERREY: When the firing was all over, all we had was women and children that are dead. +KARL: The Bronze Star citation he was awarded says, quote: "The net result of his patrol was 21 Viet Cong killed, two hooches destroyed and two enemy weapons captured." The citation goes on to credit Kerrey for showing "courage under fire in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." +Kerrey, who also won a Medal of Honor for his service in Vietnam, now says the bronze star citation was wrong. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +KARL: Now, Kerrey decided to speak after one of his fellow Navy SEALS, in a joint interview with CBS News and "The New York Times," said that Kerrey's squad had intentionally killed civilians, acting on Kerrey's orders. +Now, Kerrey says that account is incorrect, but he very much regrets what happened and in that interview with "The New York Times," which has just hit that newspaper's Web site, he says, quote: "It's going to be very interesting to see the reactions to the story. I mean, because basically, you're talking about a man who killed innocent civilians." +Well, on Capitol Hill, the only reaction have come is among Kerrey's fellow former senators; senators up here now who are also Vietnam veterans. One of those, John Kerry, came to the floor of the Senate earlier today. This is what he had to say. +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +KERRY: Bob Kerrey served with distinction. He feels, obviously, anguish and pain about those events, but I don't believe they should diminish for one moment the full measure of what he has given to his country and of what he represents. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: Bad things happens in wars, and that's why we try to avoid wars because there are terrible tragedies that are a part of it, and, frankly, my heart goes out to Bob Kerrey at this moment, and all of us who are involved in wars do things that we're proud of and sometimes that we're not so proud of. I can't guarantee you that every bomb that I dropped in North Vietnam only hit North Vietnamese military. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +KARL: The Medal of Honor that Kerry won has always been central to his political biography, something he has talked about a lot, something his political allies have talked about. But Kerrey has never mentioned that Bronze Star he won. In fact, in his official biography that had been on his Senate Web site or is on the Web site now of the New School, which he is president of in New York, doesn't even mention the fact that he had won a bronze star -- Frank. +SESNO: Jonathan Karl, Capitol Hill. +And this programming note: You can see more of an interview with former Senator Bob Kerrey, Wolf Blitzer conducting it, on "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." That's at 8:00 p.m. Eastern, 5:00 Pacific. +Next on INSIDE POLITICS, a crime bill some say has implications beyond criminal law. We will hear one woman's personal story and find out why the legislation she favors has been caught up in the debate over abortion. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +SESNO: We want to take you to a story now we're tracking at this time, an explosion out in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These pictures courtesy of KOAT-TV, one of CNN's affiliates out there. Rescuers there digging through the rubble of a building, searching for at least one person trapped, based on out lasted information about his explosion at an insurance company. +According to Santa Fe Police Sergeant Alex Montoya (ph), it was apparently a gas explosion, several injured in that blast. The blast blew out windows and heavily damaged the Northern New Mexico Insurance Company building. Again, one person believed trapped. No one, we're told at this time, killed in that explosion, nor we don't know whether more people are trapped. +Right now, again, we're told that rescue workers are searching for one person who is said to be missing. We will follow it for you and bring you more on the story as it comes to us. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +KERRY: In my view, it is a policy change that serves neither our interest, nor Taiwan's. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +SESNO: As President Bush nears his 100th day in office, his remarks today on Taiwan policy are making waves on Capitol Hill and around the world. +Bill Schneider will bring us the British view of the Bush presidency along with the latest poll numbers here in the U.S. +And, painful memories of Vietnam after former Senator Bob Kerrey's new disclosure. Our Bruce Morton reflects on the war and the wounds that have yet to heal. +ANNOUNCER: From Washington, this is INSIDE POLITICS with Judy Woodruff. +SESNO: Welcome back to INSIDE POLITICS. I'm not Judy Woodruff. She's off today. I'm Frank Sesno sitting in for her. Well, whether he intended to or not, President Bush turned his round of interviews marking his first 100 days in office into an international news story of sorts. His comments about what the United States would do to defend Taiwan, how far it would go, have also raised some concerns on Capitol Hill. +CNN White House correspondent Kelly Wallace is traveling with the president in New Orleans. +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +KELLY WALLACE, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In an interview with CNN's John King, President Bush states what no other U.S. president has ever said publicly, that the United States would defend Taiwan if it were attacked by China. +BUSH: I have said I will do what it takes to help Taiwan defend herself, and the Chinese must understand that. +WALLACE: Those comments drew a sharp rebuke from Democratic lawmakers, who said Mr. Bush's words represent a dangerous shift away from the United States' long-held ambiguity about whether it would defend Taiwan; an ambiguity which Democrats say helped to prevent antagonizing Beijing or encouraging Taipei to move towards independence. +KERRY: The new policy has the automatic impact, if it is in place and if it is the declaration that was made, of emboldening Taiwan and frankly reducing our control over events. +WALLACE: But in the interview, Mr. Bush sought to clarify his support of the one-China policy, the U.S. view that there is one China is that Taiwan is part of it. The president stressing the need for a peaceful resolution of cross-strait tensions, signaling he would not endorse any independence movements by Taipei. +BUSH: I certainly hope Taiwan adheres to the one-China policy, and a declaration of independence is not the one-China policy. +WALLACE: For two decades now, the United States has implied, but not publicly stated, it would help Taiwan, leaving vague just what the U.S. would do in the event of a Chinese attack or blockade. But some China observers saying that the so-called strategic ambiguity has not deterred Beijing from threatening Taipei. +JAMES LILLEY, FRM. U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA: When you start to play with ambiguity where you have a military, a potential military confrontation, it can lead to real problems. I think that it's much better you get it on the table and then move on. +WALLACE: The president, in New Orleans to build support for his tax cut plan, also told CNN his comments do not represent a change in policy, and match what he said during the presidential campaign. +(on camera): Aides say President Bush's words were not part of any orchestrated move to send Beijing a message now. They insist he was asked about the issue and simply communicated his feelings. Still, the open question is just what this new public posture will mean for already tense relations between Washington and Beijing. +Kelly Wallace, CNN, New Orleans. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +SESNO: And in Mr. Bush's interview with CNN, he contended that great progress is being made on Capitol Hill on one of his top priorities, education reform. But Senate Democrats say a debate on Mr. Bush's education plan is likely to be delayed until next week. Democratic negotiators and the White House remain about $6 billion apart in their proposals for spending on America's schools. +(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) +SEN. EDWARD KENNEDY (D), MASSACHUSETTS: If the administration says that education is the most important priority for the nation, we don't think it ought to have a third- or fourth-rate priority in terms of investment in the future. We do not believe that you can nickel and dime children's education. We think educating children in the United States cannot be done on the cheap. +(END VIDEO CLIP) +SESNO: Some Republicans are accusing the Democrats of trying to use school spending as a political weapon. They cite studies which suggest that additional education funding does not necessarily produce results. +So far, the education issue seems to be working in President Bush's favor, politically at least. To get a new perspective on Mr. Bush's early tenure in the White House, our Bill Schneider went all the way to London; that's what we might call the scenic route. +As the president nears the 100-day mark, Bill, what do we know about his image at home and overseas, where you are now. +WILLIAM SCHNEIDER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, Frank, first of all, let's check out first how Americans rate President Bush on the issues. The president gets his highest ratings on defense, on international affairs and the domestic issue that he put at the top of his agenda, education. +He gets satisfactory ratings, just over 50 percent approval, on economic issues: taxes, the budget, the economy; no serious blunders, but as of yet, no dramatic results. +What are his worst subjects: the environment, abortion and energy; the issues where his conservative positions are most controversial. On all of those, he gets less than 50 percent approval. +This president's strong suit right now, clearly, is world affairs. That's partly due to his resolution of the China standoff, which as report earlier, get a very high approval rating from the American public. +SESNO: Is that positive view in Britain? +SCHNEIDER: No, it is certainly not. I've been at Oxford University this week, talking with a group of political intellectuals, not all of whom are on the left. They are what the British call "the chattering class." Now, the discussion, of course, was entirely in Latin, but I shall endeavor to translate. +I asked them about President Bush's image over here in Europe, and there was a very dramatic moment of silence around the table. Then someone blurted out, "appalling," and they all nodded in agreement. You know, one distinguished gentleman I recorded, he said "a swaggering bully who got in by a cheat." That's loosely translated from the Latin. When I asked them if that view was held widely outside of intellectual circles, they pointed out that President Bush is very often parodied by the entertainment media over here as a ridiculous figure, unqualified for the job; in their words, another Dan Quayle. +SESNO: Bill, based on your observations and your conversations, I suppose we should emphasize it's hardly scientific, chattering class notwithstanding, what is contributed to that image you're talking about? +SCHNEIDER: Well, three things were mentioned: One was Texas; a number of them said he impresses people abroad as a bit of a Texas showoff; his name, he's seen as an inexperienced adolescent, a "daddy's boy" and of course, ideology. He's the most right-wing figure that people overseas are familiar with from the United States. Now, they all agreed that this image of the American president is superficial; they agreed that it's unfair, but there it is. +SESNO: What about his policies? How about discussing his policies? +SCHNEIDER: Well, I did ask people about his resolution of the China standoff was seen overseas. And their answer was, it was seen as relief. He didn't do anything rash. But one issue above all others has had huge repercussions in Europe, in Britain, and around the world, and that is: Kyoto, the global warming treaty. +They called that issue, "a serious disaster for Bush." Global warming is far more important overseas than it is in the United States, because for ordinary citizens here in Europe, they have had their worst winter ever for flooding. Europeans responded with real shock when the Bush administration dismissed the Kyoto agreement of something that was really dead. +What made it worse, was the president said he would never do anything, never take any steps that might damage the U.S. economy, which sounded to Europeans like, Bush to world: drop dead -- Frank. +SESNO: All right. Bill Schneider, thanks very much. We should say that the president is teeing up another issue that would be very controversial overseas, he talked about it in his interview today, the national missile defense; he's trying to brief allies, his team on that probably in the coming weeks. Bill Schneider in London, thanks. +Back here in the U.S., the president's first 100 days have been marked by a battle of ideas over the nation's airwaves. Joining me now with the hard numbers is David Peeler of Competitive Media Reporting. +David, I understand you're finding unprecedented barrage of issue ads, mainly opposing the president's agenda. True? . +DAVID PEELER, COMPETITIVE MEDIA REPORTING: Well, Frank, that in fact very true. President Bush has had no honeymoon when it comes to promoting his political ideas. In 1992 and 1996, there was no advertising for or against the president's agenda. This year, alone, we see interest groups lining up to spend over $833,000 opposing the president's policies. And this is just since January. +And we have some of these ads and let's take a look at some of them: +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE, POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT) +ANNOUNCER: Imagine turning America's clock back to the pollution standards, drinking water standards, and logging practices decades ago. Do you think it can't happen? +President Bush has already acted to ignore global warming pollution, weaken arsenic standards in drinking water, and open national forests to new logging, all to help his coal, oil, mining and logging contributors. Send President Bush a message. Let's move forward, not backward, and save our environment. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +PEELER: Those ads are symbolic of the kind that we see running across the country, groups like the Sierra Club, the Auto bonds Society, have led the way. They've spent over 1/2 million dollars; organized labor spent $270,000 million; more than $50,000 was spent opposing Bush trade policies. +SESNO: David, what about the interests group that support the president of the United States? Now, are they running issue ads as well? +PEELER: Yes, they are but in much smaller amount, Frank. Largely in response to the anti-Bush ads, overall, about a little less than half, $415,000 was spent in support of the president's agenda; far being outspent by the opponents. +SESNO: And you have seen ads? +PEELER: We have some ads from the Club For Growth, they favor the tax cut. They've spent about $155,000 promoting their cause. Pro-tax cuts were the largest chunk of issue ads in support of the president. They spent about $225,000 and $130,000 was spent backing White House environmental policies. We even saw the Jewish coalition weigh in a $60,000 ad buy in support of John Ashcroft's nomination for attorney general. +SESNO: David Peeler, I am curious about this dramatic rise in the use of issue ads and at an interesting time. We are not in a campaign right now, or supposedly. What do you make of this? +PEELER: Groups are using this in a different tactic. They are using it to get out in front of legislation; they are seen by interest groups as kind of a new tool to influence the debate throughout the process. And this year so far, we have seen 85 separate interest groups, they've spent a total of $28 million on issue ads in the nation's top 75 markets so far. +The biggest part we have seen is industry image ads, like plastics and biotech industries. They're trying to get out in front of the the environmental issues: 30 percent on abortion-related issues; 9 percent on the environment, 9 percent on school choice, 5 percent on local health care issues. +Less than 1 percent, which is interesting, of this money was spent on issues that were important during last year's campaign, like campaign finance reform, tax cuts, prescription drugs, we haven't seen that. And I think that probably the last thing that is really of interest is that only $6 million has been spent inside the Beltway. The remaining amount of money has been spent outside the Beltway and this is kind a new tactic. +We see the groups going directly to the voter to try to shape the image and shape the debate. +SESNO: David Peeler, thank you very much. Shining the spotlight on the issue ads and more. I appreciate it, as always. +PEELER: Thank you. +SESNO: A state and its people confront the past, but is anyone paying attention? Next here: the Alabama trial of a former Klansman accused of taking part in the 1963 church bombing that killed four African-American girls. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +SESNO: Now some news from the gubernatorial campaign trail: Arnold Schwarzenegger is terminating talk of a 2002 bid for California governor. The actor says he wants to put his film career and family first. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, left open the possibility of entering politics in the future. +In New Jersey, acting Governor Donald Difrancesco is dropping out of the governor's race, just three days after formally announcing his candidacy, citing media scrutiny of his business dealings as the reason for his decision, Difrancesco said he would instead support the candidacy of fellow Republican and former Congressman Bob Franks. +The woman who stepped down as New Jersey governor to become EPA administrator faces a lawsuit related to her time as her state's top official. A 21-year-old man is suing Christie Whitman and the New Jersey State Police, claiming he was targeted by state troopers because of his race. He was stopped by police but not arrested back in 1996. +This photo of the incident showing then-Governor Whitman frisking the man made national headlines when it became public last summer. Whitman had accompanied the officers as part of a crime crackdown. The suit seeks unspecified damages. Whitman had no comment on the lawsuit. +One of the most infamous acts of the violence from the civil rights era is being relived in the Alabama courtroom. A former Klansman is on trial for murder of the 1963 Birmingham, Alabama church bombing that killed four African-American girls. Thomas Blanton is accused of plotting the bombing with three other men. But as CNN's Brian Cabell reports, this well known but unsolved murder case has failed to capture the public's attention. +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +BRIAN CABELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In a city that honors both its Confederate past and its civil rights heroes, there is a drama playing out in the county courthouse. The lead character? 62-year-old Thomas Blanton, former Ku Klux Klansman and accused church bomber. +LEE NAVES, BIRMINGHAM RESIDENT: I look at this pitiful man who is the center of all this attention and I'm surprising myself because I hate his deed, but I don't hate him. +CABELL: Lee Naves, a motivational speaker, a former journalist and a longtime Alabaman, has found himself drawn to this trial. He sees himself as a witness to his state's past and its present. +(on camera): But if you look inside the courtroom, where cameras aren't allowed, you won't find many others like Mr. Naves. The media are there and some of the families are there. But there are plenty of empty seats. This is not a story that has truly captured the interests of Birmingham. +Oh, the headlines are there at the newsstand, but for people like Sandra Duke and her son John, a story that's almost 38 years old, especially a story that brings back ugly memories, is not all that compelling. +SANDRA DUKE, BIRMINGHAM RESIDENT: I think Birmingham is trying to go ahead, go forward, and try to get -- forget a lot of the past. +JOHN DUKE, FORMER BIRMINGHAM RESIDENT: I don't think it's people don't care. I think, you know, they're busy in their everyday lives. +CABELL: Joe Drake is certainly busy with his: long hours he and his son spend at the downtown cafe that they've owned for the last three years. Joe remembers the church bombing, but he understands why interest has waned. +JOE DRAKE, CAFE OWNER: So many of the people that were involved in it are passed on or so old they don't remember anything. +CABELL: He considers the prosecution of Blanton after all these years a waste of time and money. Eddie Miller, who does landscaping in the city's parks, disagrees. He was 6 years old when the church was bombed and four girls were killed. +EDDIE MILLER, LANDSCAPER: If it was one of my loved ones, I would like to know, you know, what happened, who was responsible for it. I don't think it's a waste of money. +CABELL: Wasteful or not, the drama plays on in the courthouse, with the attorneys, the suspect, and the victims families waiting for a final act after 38 years. +Brian Cabell, CNN, Birmingham, Alabama. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +SESNO: And we're not done yet. Still to come on INSIDE POLITICS, our Bruce Morton considers the difficult lessons still of the Vietnam War. +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +SESNO: There's more INSIDE POLITICS coming up, but first let's go to Willow Bay with a look ahead at what's at the bottom of the hour on "MONEYLINE." +Hello, Willow. +WILLOW BAY, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, Frank. +Coming up next on "MONEYLINE," stocks on Wall Street soar, snapping a three-day losing streak and helping spur the market. Signs of strength in the economy: Lower mortgage rates continue to bolster the housing market. We will have a full report. And we will take a closer look at CNN's interview with President Bush today. We'll focus on his defense of Taiwan, his tax compromise and his energy policy. +And we're going to show you a little mouse that may make your life a whole lot easier. Those stories and more next on "MONEYLINE." +(COMMERCIAL BREAK) +(JOINED IN PROGRESS) +(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) +BRUCE MORTON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Well, the country learned during the war about a place called My Lai, where American troops killed a lot of Vietnamese civilians -- men, women, children, babies -- on purpose, deliberately. American pilots never knew whom they were hitting. What is the relationship, we wondered, between altitude and morality. +(on camera): Americans learned about Operation Phoenix: Agents raid a village with a hit-list of names, kill any Vietnamese they find with those names. Americans learned about tiger cages, and the prisoners who lived in them. Americans learned that their government lied a lot about the war. Reporters, one year, wore badges: "Ambushed at Credibility Gap." +(voice-over): You can tell something about wars by the words they coin. World War II's G.I. Joe: a pretty good guy. In Vietnam, the troops called themselves "grunts," and when they died, they didn't get killed -- they got "wasted." +Politicians in Washington talked about domino theories and communists. Grunts talked about how short they were: how many days they had left in 'Nam before they could go back to "the world." +And it was no surprise when a thousand or so of them came back, came to Washington to protest a war which seemed to kill their friends to little purpose. +It's all a long time ago now. Vietnam veterans, once jeered as baby killers, march in Memorial Day parades: grayer now, paunchier perhaps. And the wounds of that old time have healed some. Some. +But the war changed everyone who went to it, I think, and maybe people who stayed home, too. +I went to My Lai 20 years after the war ended, and one American who'd been a medic in the war had written in the visitors' book they keep there: "We need to realize we are all one. We all carry with us the potential to be the killer and the victim." +Maybe that's the lesson. And now, some of the men who fought the war may run for president: John Kerry, Robert Kerrey, John McCain already has once. What lessons from that long, odd, bitter war do you suppose they'd bring to the White House? +Bruce Morton, CNN, Washington. +(END VIDEOTAPE) +SESNO: And that is all for this edition of INSIDE POLITICS. But of course, you can go online all the time at CNN's allpolitics.com. AOL keyword: CNN. +This programming note: former Senator Bob Kerrey discusses his Vietnam experience, the one he says has haunted him now for 32 years, tonight on "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS." It starts at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. +Also, you can see John King's entire interview with President Bush on "CNN TONIGHT," starting at 10:00 Eastern. And you can go to cnn.com anytime for the president's remarks, text, in their entirety. +I'm Frank Sesno. +. +. +It never fails. When I tell someone, we homeschool, the inevitable question is, “Why?” +While I’m accustomed to answering with ease, I never share the full reasoning behind why we homeschool. +Education is a personal choice, and I’m acutely aware that my reasoning for why we homeschool may make others feel that their choices are less than optimal. I would like to emphasize that this is not the case. We made the decision to homeschool based on our girls, their personalities, and our experiences. +When we started homeschooling, we had one primary reason… my oldest daughter’s health and safety. You see, my oldest daughter has an anaphylaxis dairy allergy. The ingestion of raw dairy products is life threatening. +My husband and I, having been in the childcare/education system, know how stretched teachers and support staff are. In fact, we witnessed slip-ups where a child consumed something they shouldn’t have. We could not afford to take this risk with our daughter. For us, homeschooling felt like a life or death decision. +Now I understand that there are anaphylaxis children in the school system. Schools are far more aware of anaphylaxis now, but dairy is not a common anaphylaxis allergy. People often think of a dairy allergy as lactose intolerance or just an allergy to milk. However, my daughter is allergic to milk, yogurt, sour cream, butter, and so much more. Her allergy is to all dairy products and byproducts. +My daughter’s allergies started us on our homeschool journey, but now that we’re in it, even if my daughter outgrew her allergy, we would still choose home education.Come and find out why #homeschooling is the education of choice for this family of four. Click To Tweet +Homeschooling is what works best for our family and here’s why: +We control the curriculum. +With homeschooling, I can choose the curriculum that best meets my child’s learning style. +Visual learner? No problem, we can incorporate that into our plans. Hands-on explorer? We can include materials and tools to facilitate hands-on learning. +I love that my children’s education is personalized especially for them! +A relaxed atmosphere. +Homeschooling, for the most part, is a much more tranquil atmosphere than the traditional school system. My girls can sleep in if they need to. They can learn in their pajamas and eat whenever their bodies demand food. +Yes, some days are far from relaxed because a child is grumpy, but for the most part, the calm days far exceed the intense ones. +It keeps me connected with my child’s education. +There have been countless times that I’ve had natural lessons come up in daily encounters and I was able to use it as an opportunity to enhance my child’s learning and curriculum. +Since I’m the one doing the planning and teaching, I’m acutely aware of what my child is (and will be exploring) throughout the school year. So, when opportunities present themselves, we seize them! +I couldn’t imagine not fully knowing what my child is learning in school! +My home, my values. +Yes, I’m Christian, but this goes beyond my faith. When I hear of grade 3 children coming home with horrifying language and graphic sexual “knowledge,” I shudder. Childhood is fleeting, and the innocence that used to last until a child was in grade 7 has shifted dramatically. +We live in a world where information is at our fingertips. If my child goes to school, they are at the mercy of the values held by the parents, teachers, and children of that school. I wouldn’t be able to stop the child who’s showing inappropriate content to my child on their smartphone at recess. I wouldn’t be able to shield my child from events and knowledge that are beyond her social-emotional developmental level. +Yes, some people may say I’m overprotective. +My response? Who cares if I’m overprotective or “sheltering” my child?! I want to preserve the joy and innocence of childhood. Life becomes hard very quickly… why rush it? +More time with my kids. +I love my children dearly. When I had my first daughter, I used to do a slight eyeball roll every time someone told me to enjoy the moments as they grow up quickly. +However, I quickly realized this wasn’t some cliche – it’s true! Ten years ago I was 31-year-old. In 10 years time, I will be 51 and my oldest daughter will be 18! Children do grow up quickly! Before I know it, my girls will be out of the house and possibly have families of their own. I want to enjoy as much time with them as possible. +The snuggles on the couch while listening to an audio book, the kitchen counter that was transformed into a science lab, and the back yard that became a scientist’s playground will soon enough be a thing of the past… but the memories will reside in the hearts and minds of my children and me for a lifetime. +Reflect: +What is your “why” for homeschooling? +Liked this post? I invite you to pin it! +Jennifer Bly is the creator of My Kitchen, My Classroom: An Introduction to Homeschool. reasons to homeschool! +Thanks so much Janelle! +Thank you for sharing this, Jennifer! As a deliberate (not default!) Christian public-school mom, it was helpful to read a “why we homeschool” post that did not come across as an attack on those of us who have intentionally chosen to send our kids to public school. I heartily “amen” your reasons and know I would enjoy so many of the benefits you describe if I felt called to homeschooling and believed I could do it well. Neither of which I do! ;) Blessings on your day, from decimals (insert shudder) to dinner! +I’m so glad you enjoyed this Elizabeth and that you found this post informative even though you don’t homeschool your children. +I never want anyone to feel their education choices are wrong, but it seems like education is just as touchy of a topic as parenting! Our children are individuals and us as parents, choose what’s good for them (and us). It looks different from family to family and praise God that you’re doing what’s right for your child! +Thank you so much for reading. I love your sign-off (decimals to dinner…. lol) – that’s brilliant! +Why home school? I love being with my kids. I love watching them learn new things. I want to be there when my kids learn to read (my favorite school subject ever!). I want to be sure that the education they get is something that will serve them for their entire life not just be some arbitrary body of knowledge that they may never use. But…I’ve been questioning my decision. I’m halfway through the first year so I guess that’s a good time for doubts to start setting in, especially since my daughter is still young enough to start kindergarten at a “real school” this fall. But, I’m so excited for Deliberate Homeschooling’s launch and I hope that your printables (I printed off a couple last night) can help me feel less like I’m floundering at this home school thing. +I love your reasons for homeschooling. I’m sorry to hear you’re having doubts but can I assure you that it’s completely natural to have those doubts – especially given the stage you’re at! +I hope that Deliberate Homeschooling can help you feel more confident in your decisions and the way you choose to educate your children. +I’m so glad I get to read one of your posts on homeschooling, Jennifer! I can tell that you’re really passionate about it and it shows through your writing. +Your reasons for homeschooling are noble, and since reading this post, and your book, I’ve been considering it as well. I was in the educational system for 6 years, and I know that just before I left to stay home with my daughter, a big push for making standardized test scores even more prevalent was just starting to stir. As a teacher, I didn’t like the idea. My students would be nothing but numbers on paper and I would be forced to teach them skills that they may not be ready for (let alone relevant to their learning). What I loved most about teaching was connecting with my students, beyond the their test scores and homework completion. I loved talking to them, and incorporating what they liked into the curriculum we were handed. I believe that’s what makes them successful, that’s what allows me to teach them the right skills, and what makes them willing to learn them. But turning our schools into a test taking magnet eliminates that. +As a parent, testing my kid on content that’s way beyond her reach, and not allowing her teachers to make that connection with her is something I cringe thinking about. One of the reasons I became a writer is because teachers had the patience to hone my skills…and I want the same for my daughter. I want her education to be encouraging and not just…systematic. I want her to realize her potential with the help of her teachers, her peers. And standardized testing isn’t doing that. +So should the US education system continue in this trajectory, I will be right there with to homeschool my kid. It holds plenty of benefits, as you mentioned, but it’ll also allow me to provide that connection that schools are inevitably losing as the years of standardized testing continue. +Sorry for the novel, but you hit a good nerve with me here, and I wanted to share how you’ve helped me consider homeschooling for my daughter :) +Can I just tell you how much I appreciated this Maria?! I’m a former early childhood educator and often worked hand-in-hand with the education system and I didn’t like what I saw. I think a lot of teachers share similar concerns… yet still the standardized tests are shoved at people. It just doesn’t make sense to me. +I hope that my posts continue to encourage you. Regardless of your education decisions, I know you’ll do what works best for you and your child. +The freedom for my daughter to learn at the speed she needs to learn is our main reason for homeschooling at the moment but there are so many more reasons/benefits to it. It is a grand adventure for sure. Hopping over from Lisa’s Linky (Squishable Baby). +Great post! +That’s a wonderful reason to homeschool. The conventional school system certainly doesn’t cater to learning at one’s own pace but the benefits are many. +Thank you so much for stopping by Christine. I loved hearing your perspective on why you homeschool. +I love the design of your blog! I homeschool because I want my kids to have the freedom to learn at their own pace without pressure and labels. I want them to take as long as they want to learn about something they are interested. I think the constant shifting between subjects in school is a major cause of killing creativity and that desire to learn that all kids are born with. +I love your reasons for homeschooling. I agree, the flexibility to continue learning about something they’re enjoying is awesome! The other day my daughter got up and started writing a book about a dog. I cancelled school for the day… because to me, her initiative to write means far more than math or a science experience. +Thank you so much for sharing your reasons as to why you homeschool! +I love, love, love reading about other homeschoolers “why”. Education is a very personal decision and we are blessed to have options. Thank you for sharing. +I love reading about others’ homeschooling “why” as well. It’s so fascinating and you’re right, education is a personal decision. I feel very fortunate to be able to school my children the way I wish. +The Civilian M60 Machinegun Owners Guide: Part I +By Thomas T. Hoel, historical and technical editing by Dan Shea, Photos by Dan Shea +There always seems to be a certain few military firearms that bear an unusual and universal interest for collectors and students of military weaponry. The US M60 General Purpose Machinegun has always occupied just such a position within the civilian NFA weapons owning population. Although there also seems to be little ability to compromise on feelings toward the design, as it is either highly praised or deeply maligned. While in the past literally volumes have been written on the military adoption and use of this interesting weapon, the scope of this discussion is strictly to aid the civilian owner-operator of the M60 GPMG as a guide in obtaining maximum enjoyment, usefulness, and longevity of his personally owned machinegun. +Additionally, specific recommendations discussed herein for operations strictly in the civilian realm will be presented as the civilian owner-operator has certain freedoms, and also certain limitations, that the original military end-users may not. The M60 has a number of well-known characteristic wear and failure profiles for certain component parts and assemblies. Anything the civilian owner-operator can do to decrease operating stresses, and attendant wear and tear on component parts or assemblies, will serve to prevent unnecessary or premature wear and failure of these parts, adding tremendously to the life expectancy, serviceability, and enjoyment of the weapon as a whole. This should be the primary concern with such the large investment these privately owned machineguns represent. +While certain distinct characteristics of the M60 design may not at all pose a serious or dangerous matter for the civilian owner in a recreational shooting environment if or when they result in a failure to function, they bear discussion to further the serviceability and enjoyment of personally owned examples. This discussion is divided into two distinct sections. The first, discusses in detail the receiver, its sub-components and construction, along with recommended practices for the care and preservation of the receiver as an assembly. The second part will discuss the various and sundry peripheral assemblies that complete the weapon, with the same emphasis in the discussion provided as appropriate. +Many of the long established military use and service protocols exist for reasons specific to the military/combat environment, or specific governmental exigencies. These include repair or service protocols where the actual military end-user is not to be concerned with the costs of repair, even if the supply of spare parts was unlimited. Since the civilian owner-operator is not bound by such exigencies, he should exploit any and all maintenance and operating schemes that benefit preserving of the serviceability of the weapon over an extended period of time and use, along with minimizing actual financial outlays for avoidable repairs parts or services. As such, certain of these recommendations are intended for use only in the civilian realm, and do not represent advice or recommendations for operational use, or maintenance functionality, of the weapon in any military or law enforcement scenarios. +The Heart of the Matter +Those M60 machineguns that are available to the civilian collector of NFA weapons can be described as being of two basic origins. The first important distinction, and the one which relates most strongly to their value as collectibles only, concerns the manufacturing origins. +The top rung on the collectability ladder is those guns that were originally manufactured by a genuine military contract producer. Although their numbers are quite small there are, remarkably, a certain number of M60’s that are of true military production-line origin and pedigree. Due to these contract producers being private companies, they were able to offer the exact same weapons they were producing under military contracts additionally to both domestic law enforcement entities, or for export to approved Friendly Nations clients. Not all guns originally destined for either of those last two markets ended up there, mainly due to some quirks in salesmanship domestically, and thus a few of those guns have been able to enter the civilian market and placed into the NFRTR. The salient feature of these specific guns is that they can all be described as being manufactured and assembled to full military specification, in both materials and workmanship, in all component parts and assemblies. While this distinction often has no bearing on serviceability for sport shooting purposes, it can have a definite in their value. The second group of guns is that in which the receiver was manufactured by any method, by anyone, other than the original military contract producers. This is the most critical distinction in the pedigree (and value) of civilian available M60 guns, and bears careful discussion. +Receiver Basics +The “receiver” of the M60 machinegun on all of its several variant models is actually an assembly of several component parts, permanently or semi-permanently joined to render the complete functional assembly. BATF Technology Branch has recently authored a reply to an inquiry letter asking for a definition of what legally constitutes an M60 machinegun “receiver.” By rendering this recent official opinion they introduced considerable confusion into what was previously the legal definition under previous Technology Branch Administrations. The “current” (as of 11/2001) BATF Technology Branch definition of a “M60 machinegun receiver” is: “...the frame or receiver of the M60 machinegun consists of a bottom plate(sic), two side plates(sic), the bridge, and a trunnion. The top cover, while attaching to the receiver, is not considered a part of the receiver.” +This definition is significant as it fails to consider two of the most structurally important receiver component pieces, namely the receiver’s sheet metal channel and the gas tube. Both parts are structural members that are permanently joined to form the receiver structure, and in the case of the sheet metal channel, to which the above mentioned five component parts must be joined together. +The “receiver” of the M60 machinegun has traditionally been defined to be made up from eight permanently assembled individual component parts, as follows: +- Barrel trunnion +- Gas tube (or Operating Rod tube) +- Stamped sheet-metal “lower receiver channel” +- Left and right side, milled, bolt bearing/guide rails +- Lower, milled, operating rod guide channel (similar to the bolt guide rails) +- Stamped rear receiver “ridge” (top cover latch) +- Mounting plate, T&E mechanism adapter. +(There may be one possible additional component part not counted above. Some very early military trunnions utilized a separate, riveted-in, cartridge feed ramp. This was soon replaced in the manufacturing process by a simple machined ramp feature in the basic trunnion forging. Virtually all, new-manufacture, commercially produced trunnions have the machined in feed ramp feature.) +These above eight component parts are assembled, by either riveted and/or welded joints, into a unitized structure that cannot be disassembled to a lower individual state without destructive separation. This is a significant definition, as it relates to what BATF Technology Branch is using now to determine the legal definition of a “M60 machinegun receiver.” By electing to render this current definition, BATF Technology Branch has ostensibly recognized the true component nature of the M60 machinegun receiver, thereby presumably allowing a duly registered weapon to have any of its five legally defined component receiver parts replaced if necessary due to damage. (While it is of course prudent to get a personal reply to any proposed repair actions inquiry direct from Technology Branch, this “opinion” has been rendered verbally to others in the past) The relevant statement from the recent opinion states: “...removal of one or more of these (component) parts would not change the classification of the item as a machinegun.” +This statement, making no mention of the other two common, and structurally required, component parts, can be assumed to indicate that they do not comprise a part of a “machinegun receiver” in the current opinion of ATF and are of no consequence in its definition. However, this now introduces considerable confusion into individual guns being compliant with the markings requirements (Title 26 U.S.C., Chapter 53, section 5861(g)), as there now exists a discrepancy between their (recent) definition of the “receiver” and where certain older, Pre-5/19/1986, registered machineguns bear their legally required serial number(s), which by the recent definition, can be located on a part that is not now considered to be the “machinegun receiver, or a component part of a machinegun receiver.” +This utterly bizarre and unexplainable situation becomes highly relevant when one observes that the legally required manufacturers’ identification markings and required serial number(s) have been observed to have been applied to at least three of the major “receiver” components when examining individual commercially manufactured guns, which by the recent definition can be located on a part that is not now considered to be the “machinegun receiver, or a component part of a machinegun receiver.” The most common location to place these required markings have been the top surface of the barrel trunnion, the large flat surfaces of the sheet metal channel, or the bottom surface of the gas tube, with only the trunnion now being legally considered a component part of a machinegun receiver. (It should be noted that all of those guns that were originally manufactured by a genuine military contract producer bear their markings on the top surface of the barrel trunnion.) +In addition to these above described permanently assembled component parts, a functional M60 receiver is usually considered to also comprise the following semi-permanently installed components or assemblies, (Though these additional parts are required for a functional weapon, they do not comprise the legally defined receiver.): +- Rear sight assembly (any variant model specific assembly) +- Carrying handle assembly (M60 and M60D only) +- Tripod pintle retaining latch pin +- Cocking handle assembly (cocking handle and cover plate) +- Barrel retaining latch mechanism +It is important to understand that in the sense that though the “receiver” of the commercially produced M60 machinegun may bear markings of a Class 2 Manufacturer, only a select few parts are not original military contract origin parts. Usually in most cases, the only component part(s) known to be actually made by these civilian concerns was the barrel trunnion itself, though in some cases additionally the sheet metal channel, and/or the bolt and operating guide rail sections were of new, commercial fabrication. The remaining component parts or assemblies used to complete the weapon were simply military contract spares, commonly available on the surplus market. This was a simple necessity from practical reasons as since the barrel trunnion was the most massive and sturdiest component in the receiver design, its failure or damage in service was not seen as a common occurance, hence a supply of ex-military origin spare-part trunnions was virtually non-existent. Unlike most other common spares or replacement parts of the gun, barrel trunnions as spares simply never really reached the surplus markets, so they had to be fabricated on the civilian side. The other reason is that even in the military environment, the barrel trunnion was considered to be the (tightly) controlled part of the weapon (“the receiver”) as it bore the manufacturers markings and serial number. The remainder of the receiver components could generally be obtained, so that from that point on the “manufacture of a civilian M60 was nothing more than proper assembly of the component parts and assemblies needed to render whatever version of the gun you were trying to build. In general terms then, the civilian M60 machinegun is built up from all MIL-SPEC parts and assemblies, with the exception of certain receiver parts. How this was accomplished was not always the same, either from a mechanical standpoint, aesthetic, or “quality” perspective. +Trunnion Variations +Excluding the few guns that came from the true military contract producers, the manufacture of the barrel trunnion is where the greatest difference in civilian M60’s comes into play. The original MIL-SPEC calls for the trunnion to be manufactured from an ordnance steel hammered-pressure forging, machined to final dimensions and tolerances. This is ideal if the economics of a Governmental contract with a large manufacturing concern allow for it, but for the civilian market, such expenses for what was always a extremely limited production item, were simply impossible. Fortunately though, the design of the M60 places no direct firing stresses on the trunnion itself, as the rotating bolt locking into the barrel extension contains these; and these two component parts are MIL-SPEC items in every commercial M60 known. +Due to this fortunate circumstance alternate methods of manufacture for the trunnion were conceivable, and fully within the limits of complete safety. As the M60 barrel trunnion only receives indirect stresses of firing, and since all other highly stressed component parts are MIL-SPEC items, the civilian trunnions could be manufactured by more cost efficient methods. And no matter how the basic trunnion blank was fabricated, all M60 trunnions required machining to final dimensions and tolerances. +All forms of manufacture for the trunnion blanks, be they forgings, castings, or fully machined, require slightly differing methods of arriving at the actual blank form shape as each method must be designed to accommodate the intended metallurgical profile employed. In other words, a blank sized and shaped to be formed from a pressure forging will not be directly the same as one intended to be cast, as the different metallurgies require that different physical areas of the trunnion be formed correctly for the method used. This results in slightly differing exterior shapes and sizes of otherwise “identical” parts that have been manufactured by different methods. +The most commonly employed method for the manufacture of civilian M60 trunnions was by investment casting the receiver blank form, though machining from full barstock or billet was also done. It may be argued that, in theoretical terms at least, a firearm receiver made from a machined billet of solid steel may offer certain theoretical advantages in the metallurgy of grain structure and orientation over a cast-steel version. However, in terms of the commercial M60 trunnions machined out of barstock or billet steel, this perceived advantage is of no consequence. The widespread application of CNC machining tools now being used even in the small-production shops today, was not the case when these receivers were machined and registered close to twenty years ago. At that time, without having access to the extremely expensive pressure forging methods employed in military production line manufacture, investment casting of the trunnion blank was the most reliable method of duplicating the compound curvatures and other hard-to-duplicate exterior forms of the originally designed MIL-SPEC forging. As a consequence, fully machined billet trunnions bear a distinctively more “heavy,” or “squared-off” appearance totally negating the size-to-weight ratio advantages of the strong, but lightweight, forging of the mil-spec original, or even the casting. +Commercial investment-cast steel trunnion guns are every bit as serviceable as their military cousins, and are equivalent in life-limit and durability if the private owner takes certain common sense precautions. Importantly, these castings also virtually duplicate the exact exterior physical contours of the forged original design, and can actually be very hard to tell apart from a MIL-SPEC forging if the telltale surface features of a casting are not known. These cast trunnions are particularly close to the forged MIL-SPEC originals as the basic casting alloy used was an excellent firearms-grade of steel, and the casting process employed produced a nearly exact unfinished blank that required nearly the same machining steps as the MIL-SPEC forging to complete. When finished, these cast trunnions displayed the greatest degree of uniformity of all commercially produced M60 trunnions. They readily accepted standard military component parts and assemblies used to complete the receiver assembly, and mil-spec parts interchangeability is virtually certain. +With those commercial M60 trunnions machined out of barstock or billet steel though, certain Class 2 manufacturers were content with only replicating the functionality of the original military spec forged trunnion. Due to the difficulties in replicating the hard-to-machine contours and compound curvatures of the original forged-blank design, exterior contours were often left in a rougher and not-exact state of duplication on these billet-steel trunnions. Fully machined trunnions are easily identifiable by their more “squared-off” contours, and while detracting from the aesthetics a bit, remain fully serviceable and inherently strong. Fully machined trunnions are readily identifiable due to their telltale machining marks along all major surfaces, and the less pronounced curvatures around the top of the barrel channel and rear sight mounting base. Interchangeability of MIL-SPEC component parts and assemblies on these trunnions can vary considerably depending upon the tolerances of the final machining; many of these fully machined billet trunnions exhibit indications of hand-fitting of individual parts during final assembly. A thorough inspection of an individual receiver for evidence of hand-fitting of parts or assemblies is highly advised, as later fitting of any replacement parts may be considerably more involved than with another type of trunnion based receiver. +In the many decades the gun has been in military service, literally thousands have been removed from service and DEMIL-ed, and then surplused out as scrap value. It is known that over time various methods for the actual DEMIL procedure of ex-military firearms were used, generally becoming more fully destructive over the years as concerns mounted as to usability of even component parts remaining. It is further known that a few M60 ‘s were DEMIL-ed in a more “friendly fashion” leaving open the possibility of salvaging an un-cut trunnion itself, from which a new “receiver” could be fabricated quite easily. It is therefore possible to have a commercial receiver fabricated using an original, un-cut, MIL-SPEC trunnion still bearing military production markings, and while having no collector’s value, it will be desirable receiver. The major problem here is just how the trunnion was originally joined to the other component pieces of the receiver, if only rivets had to be drilled off the DEMIL-ed pieces, it may render a perfect trunnion, but if there was any welding of the other component pieces this can complicate matters. For a DEMIL-ed receiver to have escaped the mandated reinforcing weldments, it had to have been DEMIL-ed very early on, or come from an out-of-the-way locale in the inventory. (While likely exceedingly rare, there a few known to exist in civilian hands, of this exact origin.) +The last variation in available “commercial” trunnions, undeniably the least desirable, are those individual trunnions that have been re-manufactured from original military production guns that have been DEMIL-ed. Commonly known as “re-welded” trunnions or receivers. Usually these re-manufactured commercial production receivers/guns were built up with all new receiver components assembled onto an original military production forged trunnion that has been re-manufactured into a homogeneous component by welding existing-but-damaged pieces back together. Despite any cosmetic touches rendered during final finish to make it appear “new,” original forged trunnions that have undergone welding should be carefully and thoroughly examined. When originally manufactured under military contract production, these forgings were final heat treated to produce casehardened surface hardness of 57-58+ Rockwell C scale. Case hardening is not very thick as it is intended to reduce surface wear primarily, and drops off quickly to a core value in the high 20’s Rockwell C scale. When rejoining such pieces by welding, followed by seam grinding, the basic welding process along these long and deep seams will likely produce micro-granular fracturing and general stress concentrations that can possibly extend to structural cracking and failure in/near the weldments, or along lines of concentrated stress. (This is far different type of welding than the reinforcement welds described above which penetrate only to a very shallow depth, and with minimal linear progression.) To be clear then, a re-manufactured trunnion that has undergone welding is always suspect for cracking and stress failure along the re-joined seam(s). Though generally serviceable as shooters, these re-manufactured receivers warrant close inspection before purchase (a MagnaFlux®, or fluorescent dye-penetrant type, inspection is recommended), and continuously thereafter in service at regular intervals. +In Part II we will begin discussion of the various component parts and their assembly and interface to the basic receiver assembly, along with a continuing look at factors that contribute to the structural integrity of the receiver. +2021 Wearables Holiday Shopping Guide: Earphones, Headphones, Smartwatches +This is the best time of the year! If you're looking to make this holiday season better for someone (or yourself) by buying them a wearable tech gift, then you've come to the right place. This guide lists some of the best TWS wireless earbuds, over-the-ear headphones, and smartwatches you can consider giving as a gift this holiday season. And this is not only it. Whether you're considering buying a smartphone, a tablet, or something out-of-the-box, this holiday season, worry not. We have got a buying guide for all! +We know that no tech is cheap these days. So if you're on a tight budget, this is a perfect list for you as well, since there are a few affordable and cheap devices that you can check out this holiday season. We know choosing a wearable tech gift isn't easy, so we have included devices that are by our expert staff and you would love to own. So without any further ado, let's take a look at the list of all the best earphones, headphones, and smartwatches you can gift this holiday season. +Earphones +The Best Earphones for Apple Ecosystem: Apple AirPods Pro +If you're looking to buy a pair of AirPods this holiday season, AirPods Pro is the way to go. We know, it's been over two years since Apple introduced the AirPods Pro, and even with the introduction of the new AirPods 3 this year, we still feel AirPods Pro are the best wireless earphones for the Apple ecosystem. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), silicon ear tips, H1 chip which brings "Hey, Siri" support and iCloud sync, Adaptive audio EQ, Spatial Audio, sweat and water resistance, and over 24 hours of battery life are just a few key highlights that make the AirPods worth the $179 price tag. +For around $20 more than the current sale price of the AirPods 3, you're getting Active Noise Cancellation and silicone ear tips for a comfortable fit. While the rumors claim Apple is still (at least) six months away from the introduction of the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro is the perfect AirPods gift this holiday season, especially with deals available in the range of $170-$185. +Apple AirPods Pro +Best Earphones for Apple Ecosystem +AirPods Pro is an excellent wearable gift this holiday season. It features an H1 chip that brings iCloud sync, 'Hey, Siri' support, and features active noise cancellation. Check out the deal using the link given below! +The Best Earphones for Android Ecosystem: Galaxy Buds 2 +If you're on the other side, i.e., on the Android ecosystem, Samsung's new Galaxy Buds 2 are the ideal choice at the price they are available at. At the price of around $110, these earphones offer a lot more value than their pricier Galaxy Buds Pro siblings. This set of earphones offers (pretty good) Active Noise Cancellation. They have a lighter and smaller design than the Buds Plus and offer silicon ear tips for a comfortable fit. They connect to your smartphone using an app wherein you can set the earbuds to your liking. Samsung even includes an ear fit test that helps you choose the best silicon ear tip for your ears. Other than that, these earphones offer touch controls, easy switching between smartphone and PC, and much more for the offered price of ~$110. +Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 +Best Earphones for Android Ecosystem +Samsung's newly announced Galaxy Buds 2 are available at a discount of $40 this holiday season, bringing down their price to $109 which is their lowest price ever. Check out the deal down below! +The Best Value-For-Money Earphones: Nothing ear(1) +Nothing ear(1) is an excellent pair of TWS earphones from the newly launched brand by ex-OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei. At the price of $99, Nothing ear(1) is one of the best value-for-money earphones available. They offer Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), something that not a lot of earphones in this price range offer. They connect to any smartphone using an app (both Android and iOS) wherein you can customize its audio, set noise cancellation to your comfort, and update the firmware of the earbuds. They have a unique transparent-ish design and are now available in a new excellent-looking black edition as well. Even though Nothing ear(1)'s case isn't the best in the world (it seems to get scratches easily), and there are some nitpicks about the device, we still think Nothing ear(1) offers a bang for its buck. +Nothing ear(1) +Best Value-For-Money Earphones +Nothing ear(1) features active noise cancellation, crystal clear voice calls, 34 hours of battery life, low weight of just 4.7 grams, and much more for just $99. Check out the deal down below! +The Best Sound Experience: Sony WF-1000XM4 +If you're looking to buy earphones for the best sound experience, Sony WF-1000XM4 is a perfect choice. Even though they come at a hefty price of around $250, these are some of the best-sounding earphones available in the market. They have Sony's custom Integrated Processor V1 that supports the LDAC codec. In addition to ANC and "crystal clear voice calls", they're ideal for outdoor usage thanks to the earphone's IPX4 Water resistance. And they're not short in features. These earphones feature Qi-wireless charging so you can dump these on your wireless charging pad in the night. They connect to the smartphone using an app and support Amazon Alexa as well. If you're looking for a pair of earphones that sound great, look no further and go for Sony WF-1000XM4. +Sony WF-1000XM4 +Best Sound Experience +Sony WF-1000XM4 are undoubtedly one of the best sounding earphones we've tried. If you're an audiophile and looking for a pair of earbuds that sound the best, go for Sony WF-1000XM4. Check out all the deals available on the device using the links given below! +The Best Earphones for Workout: Beats Fit Pro +Along with the Beats Studio Buds, Apple also unveiled the new Beast Fit Pro this year. This set of earphones is oriented for workouts and sports. They snug in your ears with the silicon tips and make sure that they don't fall off with the help of wingtips. They're not very bulky and weigh very little. And oh, don't you think they're short in features if they are designed for athletes. +They feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) so no one disturbs you on your run. Along with that, they feature Apple's new Spatial Audio system that plays sounds from all directions thanks to dynamic head tracking which makes music, movies, and games more immersive. They feature up to 24 hours of music playback and pair with Apple devices using the H1 chip so you get all the AirPods features like "Hey, Siri" support, iCloud sync, audio sharing, and more. They're currently available for the price of around $200, and we think it's the best set of workout earphones you can buy right now. +Beats Fit Pro +Best Earphones for Workout +Beats Fit Pro is the best wireless earbuds you can get if you're looking for a workout-dedicated pair of earphones. They're currently available for the price of ~$200. Check out the deals down below! +The Best Budget Earphones for Apple Ecosystem: AirPods 2nd Gen +Now we know this is gonna raise some eyebrows, and it's okay too. If you've searched a bit about earphones, you'll probably ask why we are recommending you to buy four-years-old looking Apple AirPods in 2021? Well, the question is right but we do have something to defend here. AirPods 2nd gen is currently available for the price of around $100. And in this price range, you're getting some of the features that are exclusive to the Apple ecosystem that you will not be able to enjoy with other earphones. +These exclusive features include "Hey, Siri" support, iCloud sync, audio sharing, and more, which are available thanks to the H1 chip here. If you're invested in the Cupertino ecosystem, you'll enjoy features like auto-switching between your Mac, iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch. You get the best call quality earphones in this price range, and the simplest pairing process as well. For $100, these are still the earphones to beat due to their exclusive features and tight integration with Apple devices. +Apple AirPods 2nd Gen +Best Budget Earphones for Apple Ecosystem +Apple AirPods 2nd Gen is also available at an attractive price of around $100 this holiday season. Check out the deal using the link given below. +The Best Budget Earphones: Jabra Elite 3 +Jabra is a brand that has quickly made its name in the audio market. They've made some of the headphones that we absolutely love and with Elite 3, they've expanded their audio portfolio to almost all the price ranges. And if you're on a tight budget and looking for a pair of earphones that won't burn a hole in your pocketnow, Jabra Elite 3 are the true wireless earbuds to get. +For the price of ~$80, this set of earphones features IP55 dust and water resistance — something that other earphones in this price range lack. They feature support for Google fast pair, Amazon Alexa voice assistant, and Spotify Tap playback. They have 6mm drivers for excellent audio quality and silicone ear tips for a comfortable fit. Even though they don't feature ANC, they feature "Intelligent" noise control through Jabra's HearThrough technology. They have 4 microphones for satisfactory quality calls as well. We think that for $80, Jabra Elite 3 are the earphones to get. Check out all the deals available on these using the links given below! +Jabra Elite 3 +Best Budget Earphones +If you're tight on budget and are looking for a pair of earphones with a decent amount of features, we'll recommend you to pick up Jabra Elite 3. They're currently available for the price of ~$80. Check out the deals down below! +The Best Cheap Earphones: Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Earbuds +Skullcandy doesn't use to be what it was a few years ago. However, they still make some of the best cheap earphones available today. If you're in for a set of affordable earphones this holiday season, we recommend you to get Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Earbuds. They feature a very small and comfortable design. They're easily pocketable and, with the case, they're as small as your car's key. +They feature IPX4 sweat and water resistance, so you don't need to worry about spilling some water on them. Despite themselves being small and featuring the small case, they boast 12 hours of playback time. The call quality of these earphones is decent too. For the price of $22, these are the best affordable earphones to get this holiday season. Check out the deals down below! +Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Earbuds +Best Cheap Earphones +For $25, Skullcandy Dime True Wireless Earbuds feature the best audio quality of any earphones available in this price range. They're are the best cheap earphones we recommend. Check out the deals on the device using the link given below. +Headphones +The Best Overall: Sony WH-1000XM4 +Sony, again, takes the award for the best overall headphones experience with the Sony WH-1000XM4. Unveiled last year, they're still the headphones to best. They are one of the best sounding over-the-ear headphones with a 40mm driver Liquid Crystal Polymer diaphragm. Plus, they're not short on features as well. They have one of the best-in-class Active Noise Cancellation — perfect for flights, bus, train, office work, and pretty much everything. They have adaptive sound control as well that sets the ANC according to your environment. +They feature up to 40 hours of playback time and have fast charging that gives 5 hours of playback with just 5 minutes of charging. They support Amazon Alexa so you can simply ask your headphones to play a song that you want to listen to without even touching your phone. It features a skin sensor so it automatically knows when you wear them to play or pause the music. It comes with an outstanding quality case and can be paired with your smartphone using an app. For a price of ~$250, Sony WH-1000XM4 is one of the best audio purchases you can do this holiday season. +Sony WH-1000XM4 +The Best Overall +Sony WH-1000XM4 is overall the best earphones to get this holiday season. They feature excellent audio quality, active noise cancellation, playback time, and much more. Check out all the deals available on these headphones down below! +The Best Affordable Headphones: Beats Solo3 +Beats Solo3 is the best affordable headphone to get this holiday season. They don't burn a hole in your pocket and for the price, it is available at, it's one of the best you can buy. Thye feature Apple's W1 chip so if you're in the Apple ecosystem, you can enjoy features like "Hey, Siri" support, iCloud sync, audio sharing, and much more. They feature up to 40 hours of playback time and also feature fast charging that boasts 3 hours of playback time on 5 minutes of charging. They have one of the best comfort-cushioned ear cups that don't stress your ears too much. For the price of around $150, Beats Solo3 is the budget headphones to get this holiday season. +Beats Solo3 +The Best Affordable +Beats Solo3 is one of the best affordable headphones to get this holiday season. Check out all the deals available on the pair of headphones using the links given below! +The Best Sound Experience: Apple AirPods Max +Now we know, we know, this recommendation is again going to raise some of the eyebrows. But, barring the hefty price tag that these headphones come with, Apple's AirPods Max is the best sound quality headphones available out there. We know it lacks some of the features like the ability to play music via a 3.5mm headphone jack — something that over-the-ear headphones should offer — but the quality of any music you throw at it 'stupidly' amazing. The instrument separation annd the rumble this pair of headphones from Apple produce is amazing. +The ambient mode feels as if you're wearing nothing, and when you feel like, you can separate yourself from the rest of the world with best-in-class Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). The design is premium too, with a knit-mesh canopy and memory foam ear cushions, and stainless steel frame. It features Apple's H1 chip for iCloud sync, automatic switching, and "Hey, Siri." If you're looking for a pair of headphones that sound great, grab Apple's AirPods Max this holiday season. +Apple AirPods Max +The Best Sound Experience +Apple AirPods Max is still the best sounding earphones available out there. Check all the deals available on the over-the-ear headphones from Apple down below! +Honourable Mentions: Jabra Elite 85h, Bose QuietComfort 45 +Jabra Elite 85h +Jabra Elite 85h is another over-the-ear headphone option for you to consider this holiday season. It features 36 hours of battery life with ANC, 8 built-in microphones for clear voice calls, SmartSound noise cancellation, and they're the only headphones with water resistance. Check out the deal using the link given below! +Bose QuietComfort 45 +Bose QuietComfort 45 is another fantastic sounding headphone you can consider buying this holiday season. It features High-fidelity audio with Volume-optimized Active EQ, USB-C port for fast charging, synthetic leather and impact-resistant cushions, and much more. Check out the deals on Bose QuietComfort 45 using the links given below! +Smartwatches +The Best Smartwatch: Apple Watch Series 7 +Even if it doesn't come with the expected redesign, Apple Watch Series 7 is the best smartwatch for iPhone users. Not only does it gain from the tight integration with Apple devices, but it genuinely offers some features that other smartwatches don't support with iOS. It features the overall same frame as the Apple Watch Series 6, but it benefits from the bigger displays and smaller bezels. +In addition to featuring a bigger display, the display panel is crack resistant as well. Other than that, the Apple Watch Series 7 features IP6X dust resistance, a SpO2 blood oxygen sensor, and an ECG sensor that detects irregular, high, and low heart rates. Other features include Apple Pay integration, the Mindfulness app, sleep tracking, syncing with iPhone, fall detection, fast charging, and much more. If you're in the Apple ecosystem and looking for a smartwatch this holiday season, Apple Watch Series 7 is the best smartwatch to buy. Check out the deals on the smartwatch using the links given below! +Apple Watch Series 7 +The Best for Apple Ecosystem +Apple Watch Series 7 comes with a bigger display in the same form factor as the previous Apple Watch models. It features an always-on display, IP6X dust resistance, ECG measurement, sleep tracking, and much more. Check out the deal on Apple Watch Series 6 using the links given below! +The Best Budget Apple Watch: Apple Watch SE +If you're on a tight budget and looking to grab an Apple Watch, Apple Watch SE is the way to go. For nearly $200 less than the Series 7, the Apple Watch SE features the same integration with iOS as its price siblings. The Apple Watch SE features sleep tracking, workout tracking, fall detection, and Retina display. In addition, it also features the same irregular, high, and low heart rates detection system as the Series 7 despite having no dedicated ECG app. For the price of around $200, Apple Watch SE is the smartwatch to get for Apple users. +Apple Watch SE +The Best Budget Apple Watch +If you're on a tight budget and you're looking for a smartwatch to pair with your iPhone, we would recommend you to get an Apple Watch SE. Check out all the deals available on the device using the links given below! +The Best Android Smartwatch: Galaxy Watch 4 +With the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung has regained the position of the best smartwatch for Android users. Not only does it come at a lower price than its Apple counterpart, but it's also better on some fronts as well. The new Wear OS made by Samsung and Google is the best operating system for Android-compatible smartwatches. It's deeply integrated with Google's Android OS and is pretty much faster and battery efficient now. +And it's not only about the Wear OS, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 comes with a slew of features as well. It features sleep tracking, SpO2 blood and oxygen monitoring, ECG heart measurement, and a body composition scale that helps the get factors like skeletal muscle, fat mass, BMI, body water levels, basal metabolic rates, just from their wrist. If you're looking for a smartwatch for your Android smartphone this holiday season, we would recommend you to get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4. +Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 +Galaxy Watch 4 is the device to pick if you're looking for a fitness-centric smartwatch that doesn't hurt your wallet. For a price of around $230, its assortment of features and assurance of quality make it worth buying. +The Best for Fitness: Fitbit Sense, Garmin Venu +Fitbit Sense +Fitbit Sense is a superb choice for fitness smartwatches lurkers. It features heart rate tracking, 6 days battery life, on-wrist skin temperature sensor, support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, built-in GPS, and much more. Check out all the deals using the link given below! +Garmin Venu +Garmin Venu features AMOLED display, 5-day battery life, support for offline music playing, health monitoring features, 20 preloaded GPS and indoor sports apps, and much more. Check out all the deals using the link given below! +Honourable Mentions: Fitbit Versa 3, Amazfit GTR 3 +Fitbit Versa 3 +Fitbit Versa 3 features built-in GPS for your to track your runs, voice calls support, SpO2 blood oxygen tracker, support for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, and much more. Check out all the deals using the link given below! +Amazfit GTR 3 +Amazfit GTR 3 features a circular design, a big and bright display that also ensures good battery life, plenty of health tracking options, customizable watch faces, 150+ built-in sports modes, 5 ATM water resistance and much more. Check out all the deals using the link given below! +Follow in our footsteps as closely as you can, a graduate student said. And step on the green grass as much as possible, added Brent Peyton, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Montana State University. Theres less likely to be a hot cavern underneath. +Falling in line behind the five men, I carefully placed my foot on the indentation left by the feet in front of me. To my left and right hot springs gurgled and purled. Robin-egg-blue sky reflected in the calm water of another spring, contrasting with the deep orange around its edges. Ahead of our short train of researchers Mount Sheridan loomed above us at 10,308 feet. The fire lookout on its top reminded me of a Shriners hat. +It was a hot day for scurrying around steaming, boiling pots of water, yet that was the goal for this research crew from the Thermal Biology Institute. I met Peyton, fellow professor Matthew Fields (along with graduate students Storm Shirley, Eric Beacraft, and John Aston) at Heart Lake Geyser Basin in the southeast section of Yellowstone National Park. After a sweaty, mosquito-ridden, 7.5-mile hike in, I found the men briskly hiking up the trail towards the geyser basin. They had backpacked in a few days prior (with six horses carrying 700 lbs of gear) and were camping at Heart Lake. +Peyton and the rest of the crew were bioprospecting, sampling alkaline hot springs. Much research has been done on the acidic hot springs in the Park, but this work is altogether new. According to Peyton, this is the biggest effort of this kind in Yellowstone National Park to characterize alkaline hot springs. +To pull off this kind of effort, Peyton had to be prepared to handle the rigors of the backcountry. In addition to the perils of wandering around a landscape where boiling water spews from the ground, hot pots are sometimes only concealed by a thin, breakable crust, and mosquitoes are so thick its possible they might carry away smaller members of a group, Peyton and friends had to be on the lookout for grizzly bears. (In fact they had to evacuate their original campsite when a bear chomped through a tent in a neighboring site.) +Science can be tricky when researchers venture out of the lab and into the wilderness, but the group came preparedeach person had a canister of bear spray holstered to his hip, gaiters over boots so hot water wouldnt fill their shoes faster than they could remove them should they break through the crust and into a hot pool, and head nets packed into daypacks, just in case the bugs became unbearable. I, too, carried bear spray and heavy-duty bug juice, but fortunately only used the Deet. +When he is not in the field, Peyton is on the faculty of the Thermal Biology Institute (TBI) at MSU. TBIs goal is to learn as much about Yellowstones hot springs, geysers, fumaroles and mud pots and then share that information through their many outreach activities, which was exactly what Peyton was doing. (A week after the Heart Lake Geyser Basin exploration, Peyton was at Old Faithful teaching kids how to make hot spring batiks.) +The first pool we examined, Peyton described as big and murky with an orange crust. Fellow Professor Fields noted the description in a journal next to the GPS data he had entered previously. Peyton and crew had spent the first two days in the geyser basin walking from spring to spring, sampling the water and noting the GPS points, temperature, pH and other important parameters. After compiling the information, they prioritized which hot pots to look at more closely. +While Peyton described and Fields transcribed, graduate student Shirley broke out the backcountry chemistry lab. He placed a couple of glass bottles on top of a blue and white cooler filled with dry ice. Thermometers, a pH meter and lots of plastic tubes littered the area around the spring. +Two 12-foot aluminum poles, each with a one-liter plastic Nalgene bottle strapped to the end, were hauled out. Another graduate studentBeacraftdipped the bottle in the spring and collected a sample of water for a community analysis— a whos who of the orange-crusted spring. +When it was Peytons turn to take a sample, he collected a big glob of gooey orange microbial mat. Everyone was excited to see such a dense sample; usually they end up with a lot of sand and gravel. After squeezing the mat into tubes, Peyton put the samples on dry ice as quickly as possible to stop any further growth or die-off. Essentially, he wanted the sample preserved as closely in that moment as possible. These samples, once sent to the Joint Genome Institute, will have their DNA extracted and a large DNA database (called a metagenome) will be created. Many hot springs organisms have proved difficult, if not impossible, to grow in laboratory conditions. Metagenomics is a new tool that allows researchers like Peyton to gather microorganisms in the field and isolate the DNA cells. From there, they can unlock the mysteries of these organisms physiology, metabolism and ecology. +After analyzing the sulfides (almost negligible) and the dissolved oxygen at Big and Murky, the samples were packed up and we headed toward the next spring. Harebells, yarrow, and poison hemlock poked through the yellowing grass along Witch Creek. I had read in a guidebook that this area would be marshy, but there was nary a drop of water in sight save for the creek and springs. Someone assured me that this was an abnormally dry year, which only added to the heat and otherworldliness of the basin. +To cross Witch Creek I leapt from the mid-river rock to the undercut bank where a couple hands grabbed me and pulled me forward. The water in Witch Creek was warm, but no one wanted to get their boots wet. The professors, Peyton and Fields, opted to walk across small rocks to get to the other side. Upstream, hot springs spilled into the creek, geothermally heating it to the point that fish cannot live in it. I dipped my hand in and swirled the warm water through my fingers. +Yellowstone National Park itself is at a crossroads, a pivotal moment when the National Park Service has to decide whether or not bioprospecting (removing biological material from the park to test for potentially profitable and beneficial uses) will be allowed. Like Peyton, bioprospectors take small samples from hot springsless water than a camper takes filling up her water bottleand glean as much information as they can by studying the DNA or growing the organism in the lab. Chief of the Yellowstone Center for Resources, Tom Olliff, is quick to point out that bioprospecting is a non-consumptive use of Park resources. Theyre not using the organism itself, theyre replicating a process. +For years, scientists have taken small samples from Park thermal features in hopes of discovering something that might have commercial benefits, and bioprospecting in Yellowstone has become the basis for a multi-hundred million dollar-a-year biotechnology industry. Diversa Corporation is one of the biotechnology companies that were plying Yellowstones hot springs for useful bacteria when they discovered a potentially profitable enzyme. In 1997, the Park Service hoped to share in the intellectual and monetary success of Diversas find and entered into a benefits sharing agreement with them. +Unfortunately for Diversa, environmental groups didnt like the idea of using the Parks resources for profit. They believed Yellowstone was headed down a slippery slope; a few vials of water now, might be something bigger, later. Additionally, the Park Service had not put together an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS document would describe the possible impacts of bioprospecting on the environment, and ways to mitigate any negative effects. +The environmental groups went before a judge, and a court order was issued requiring the Park Service to draft an EIS for activities relating to bioprospecting in Yellowstone and 270 other National Parks. The judge also ruled that bioprospecting was not a consumptive use and using Yellowstone as a laboratory was appropriate. Although the Park was mandated to do an EIS, we actually got a lot of interesting and useful rulings (from the court case), explains Olliff. In September of 2006 the EIS was released and open for comments until January 2007. Olliff expects the final EIS to be completed by the end of summer 2007 after working through some interesting and sticky questions with the lawyers. +This centurys scientists arent the first to take note of the colorful and life-filled deposits in Yellowstones hot springs. In 1889 geologist Walter H. Weed recognized microbes among the colors of the Parks hot pots. These bacteria are so small that 500 of them could fit on the period at the end of this sentence and its only because there are such a large number of individuals that Weed could see them. +Seventy plus years after Weed noticed hot spring bacteria, another scientist made an important discovery in the Great Fountain area of the Lower Geyser Basin. Thomas Brock discovered Thermus aquaticus, for which a whole new kingdom of life was created (Archae), and to which we owe the ability to copy and amplify DNA quickly. +Taq, as Thermus aquaticus. is affectionately known, is active at high temperatures and thus can be used in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) needed to copy DNA. During each of the heating cycles of PCR, Taq lives on, whereas the bacteria previously used would die. From one molecule of DNA, comes a million, thanks to Taq. If one single-celled organism from a hot spring filled with an unknown number of bacteria and archae, can revolutionize medical research and forensics, what else might be lurking beneath the surface? And how might it benefit society? +Peyton may be the first person to attempt to answer that question in regard to alkaline hot springsthat water with a pH greater than seven. While many hot springs look the same, or at least similar, they are in fact quite different from each other. The microorganisms in acidic springs (such as those found in Norris Geyser Basin) are entirely different than those living in neutral or alkaline springs, like the ones at Heart Lake Geyser Basin. +We often find totally different species (in alkaline pools); its a hugely different environment, Peyton notes in a soft, southern drawl. The acid concentration in acidic hot springs is 100,000 to a million times more acidic than normal water, Peyton explains. Alkaline springs, on the other hand, are 100,000 times more basic than normal water. Nothing can survive above a pH of 12. In fact, pH 10 is about as high as scientists have found in Yellowstone, and nobodys looked at it, consternates Peyton. +Peyton is looking, and based on previous summers treks to Heart Lake, he knows that bacteria with names like Chloroflexaceae; Thermus; Sphingobacteriales; Verrucosispora; Micromonospora; Actinobacterium; Thermocrinus and Synechococcus swim around in these hot waters. It is also known that most of the single-celled critters are bacteria, with a few Archae thrown in for good measure. At lower temperatures algae and protozoa make the springs home. +But thats where the knowing ends and the questioning begins. The microbes evolutionary history, exactly what species live in which of the alkaline hot springs and what their use to humans might be is still unknown. Peyton and the other researchers sieve through hot water in search of answers to some of the remaining questions. In addition to understanding the composition of hot spring ecosystems, Peyton wants to find out two things about these thermophiles. +First, do the bacteria have the potential to convert renewable biomass into useful compounds? For example, a new method of acquiring an alternative energy resource might be discovered if bacteria can convert wood chips into ethanol. Ethanol can be used as vehicle fuel, but when it is made from corn it is fairly inefficient. (Diversa Corporation is also working on more efficient ways to convert organic biomass into ethanol using Yellowstones thermophiles in hopes of providing alternative energy sources. The difference between their bioprospecting and Peytons is that Peyton doesnt expect to make much money off his research.) +Secondly, Peyton is hoping the bacteria can be used to break down hazardous compounds like trinitrotoluene (TNT). TNT is an important constituent of many explosives. If the bacteria can molder TNT into harmless carbon dioxide and nitrogen it will have big implications for the disposal of weaponssomething Peyton hopes the Department of Defense will be interested in. +Beyond Witch Creek, we arrived at another spring, and the sampling process began anew. Shirley found one of the few lodge pole pines scattered about the basin and unpacked the chemistry lab in the shade. Peyton, Beacraft and Aston double-checked the GPS points and Fields jotted in the notebook. Samples were taken, passing cloud cover appreciated, jokes made and the pursuit of science moved on. +I left the crew at the third springDead Martha. One of the students named it Martha (its easier to keep track of the numerous geysers and hot springs when there is a temporary name assigned to them). After peering into the depth, some bones were spotted and Dead was added to the moniker. I gathered around the edge with the rest of the group trying to identify what type of bones lay far beneath the surface. We squinted, we wished we had polarizing lenses on our sunglasses, and then we gave up to the glare and reflection. +Before heading back to the trail, I snapped a group photo for posterity. Dead Martha is in the foreground, the men stand side by side in the middle, and Mount Sheridan fills the scene beyond them. I was struck by how the blues, oranges and whites in their clothes mimic the hot springs wed been looking at. The men seemed to have become part of this big, weird Yellowstone. +As Peyton, Fields and their students headed up-slope to a hot spring they called Brain Slime, I hit the hot, dusty trail to fight off mosquitoes for the next few hours and contemplate this junction Yellowstone finds itself at. By the time this article is printed, the EIS will be complete and there will be new rules for bioprospecting in Yellowstone, granting the Park Service some of the intellectual and monetary benefits of the work being done inside Park boundaries. Some folks, like Peyton, will still be dipping into Park hot springs to satisfy their intellectual curiosity, others will be hoping to get a payoff from the next big discovery, but either way, the laboratory that is Yellowstone National Park will continue to provide as many questions as it does answers. +Big Sky Journal +October 05, 2007 +. +Without the annexe +With the annexe +Our little home at night +We’ve been surfing, riding scooters, cycling, walking and enjoying time together. +Maxie’s first visit to a skate park on his new scooter +I can’t switch off my concerns about the future, or my need to take action, but escaping home, and living in such a tiny space together, has made it easier to share joy with my family (and harder to work!). +In America, where so many are suffering as a result of the Global Financial Crisis, a Tiny House Movement has sprung up. Jay Shafer, for example, who started the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company , decided to inhabit just 89 square feet, partly because of the impact of building large houses on the environment, and partly because he didn’t want to maintain a lot of unused or unusable space. He says that his houses have met all his domestic needs without demanding much in return and that the simpler, slower lifestyle his houses have afforded is a luxury for which he is continually grateful (mind you he doesn’t have children to share such a tiny space when he’s trying to get work done). He sells the homes he builds as well as the plans to make them, so it is easier for anyone else to do the same without being indebted to banks for the rest of their lives. If you click on the link above you can download his book to see more examples. +Speaking of banks and other money grabbing corporations, one of my political actions in the last few days has been to sign an Avaaz petition calling on Western Union to stop taking critical money from the world’s working poor by charging predatory transfer. If we raise our voices loudly now to challenge their predatory fees, we could challenge them to stop. +You can find out more and add your name to the petition by clicking here. +Avaaz describes itself as the campaigning community bringing people-powered politics to decision-making worldwide. Simple actions like signing this petition, can make a profound difference and signing the petition certainly didn’t take much time away from our holiday enjoyment. +The other political action I took was to make a quick phonecall to organise to do a video interview next Monday about saving The Kimberley in Western Australia – one of the world’s most beautiful places as well as being a critically important biodiversity hotspot. +But back to our holiday camp. Never having caravanned, we’ve been very pleasantly surprised by the whole experience and, of course, it’s made us think more about how little you really do need to live and enjoy life, and how easy it is to become more independent and self reliant. +Charging our solar lantern +While I’ve angsted about the issue of peak oil and the energy consumption of driving a caravan, we’ve also been aware that we’ve gained a much needed bedroom, with no additional materials to build an extension, and from this caravan park we can cycle almost anywhere we need to go. It’s also giving us the chance to turn weak pathetic jelly legs to fit cycling legs! +As soon as we left home we switched off the hot water and fridge and are now living with a very tiny fridge in the van, very few lights, no television or heating, and only the occasional shower. We’re using solar lanterns, and, given that we’re reusing an old caravan and only using gear we already had, we are well ahead in energy and water savings. +Thinking about these savings concerns me daily given that this year the world’s population will have grown by almost a billion since my children were born : going from 6 billion 12 years ago to 7 billion people in 2011. If we’re to reduce energy consumption, smaller houses will probably be part of the solution. +Mind you, while we’re having a ball now, the hardest part of coming away was the day leading up to leaving. After an almost non-existent summer, temperatures suddenly soared (for Blackheath) into their 30’s, our hens gave birth to 12 chicks and everywhere I looked there was work to be done. Worst of all, the fruit I’ve worked so hard to grow was all starting to ripen and would be eaten by the birds while we were away. +I felt so cranky about losing my blueberries, after nurturing the plants all year, that I decided to experiment with picking them green and seeing if they’d ripen off the bush. +I have to admit I’ve become so annoyed with the birds taking everything that I’ve started eating some of my fruit green (eg strawberries) , just to beat the birds! +It was so frantically busy getting ready to go, what with netting, watering etc, that my personal and political action on the 2nd January merged into one efficient action to save time. In fits of optimism I notoriously buy seedlings and tubestock and then proceed to let them die on my verandah because I’m too busy to plant them. On the 2nd I gathered my native tubestock and planted them on the nature strip using water crystals to try and keep them alive while we’re away. I planted hardy groundcover (Kennedia Rubicunda or dusky coral-pea) to spread over the nature strip, acacias to attract wildlife and fix nitrogen into the soil (Acacia Floribunda or Sally Wattle), beautifully scented native mint to brush against as we come in (Prostanthera Ovalifolia) and prickly small shrubs where small birds can hide and be protected from larger birds that are stealing their habitat (Grevillea Juniperina and Hakea Sericea). The reason I’m claiming this as a political action as well is that a lot of people still think it’s against council regulations to plant on your nature strip (it’s not in the Blue Mountains) and I’m hoping it motivates other people to do the same. It’s a great way to increase wildlife corridors in urban areas, cut down wind damage to properties and just simply create a more beautiful environment for us as well. I originally got the idea by seeing other people do it so am just passing on my enthusiasm for bringing more beauty into our world. +Just before leaving I harvested a basket of fresh veges to take along on the holiday: +There wasn’t a huge amount but then again the bar fridge in the caravan is very small. Managed to get three different types of zucchini, celery, chives, rosemary, kohlrabi, 3 beans and 3 different Asian greens and all stuffed our faces on raspberries before we left. +When we finally arrived in Narrabeen the weather had cooled and we were able to enjoy watching a huge electrical storm across the sea. I was able to relax because I knew my plants would now survive in Blackheath. The electrical storm did get me wondering, however, whether it was safe to be in a caravan. +We heard the news of a rockclimber in the Blue Mountains being “struck” by lightning so I did a quick bit of googling. It seems there is a miconception about being “struck” by lightning … if someone were actually “struck” there would be not much left of them to find. There is some detailed information about lightning hitting people on this University of Chicago page:. +Dead cows lined up along a metallic fence. Lightning struck the fence, and the electrical current traveled along the fence killing the cows. Photo Courtesy Ruth Lyon-Bateman +Of course my main concern, being away from our solid brick home in thunderstorm season, is how to keep my family safe in the event of another lightning storm. The best site I found is the National Weather Service site which you can access by clicking here. +In a nutshell it is never safe outdoors and the worst place to shelter is under trees, car ports, open garages, covered patios, picnic shelters, beach pavilions, golf shelters, tents of any kinds, baseball dugouts, sheds and greenhouses. You need to be in a fully enclosed building with plumbing or wiring. +The site explains the best options if you’re caught outside and how best to protect yourself. +A safe shelter is a building with electricity and/or plumbing or a hard topped vehicle with windows closed. +Safety precautions: +Seek shelter when you hear thunder, lightning can strike up to 10 miles from the heart of a thunderstorm. +Get away from water. On or in water is the absolute worst place to be during a lightning storm. Water is a conductor of electricity, so there is no safe place on a lake or pond to hide.. Do not lie on concrete floors and do not lean against concrete walls. +Another good site is Campfish:. +After surviving the electrical storm, our second day included working out how to keep growing things while we were away. On our first full day I set up two jars to grow alfalfa and mung sprouts (green peaches trying desperately to ripen to the left, sprouts to the right, boys incognito to the rear): +We feasted on home grown produce for our first day – fresh raspberries, stir fried Asian Greens, potato chips, buttered beans and zucchinis with chives. +On our second full day we had delicious sorrel soup that had thawed out (the freezer in the caravan is tiny!) and I cooked up the last of the raspberries that had thawed out with sugar so that the boys had warm raspberry sauce with cream (life’s tough here!). +In terms of growing something to replace the amount of food we’re consuming, I dug up a tiny bit of dirt from near the +lake and planted some Dragon’s Tongue bush bean seeds. Bush beans apparently are more productive than climbing beans. +Narrabeen beans +I’m going to return all our vege and fruit scraps to the spot to replace the soil. +But now the kids are nagging ME to get off the computer …. Maxie folded a green tree frog and sat it on the corner of my laptop … time to go and experience more joy ….. +Hi, +How long are you in Narabeen? Call us, we can pop in to visit. +Ric and Frances +Once again Lis, a fascinating blog and I feel as though I was there with you at Narabeen (in spirit anyway). I have been following the writings of an Australian Geophysicist who is based at the ANU Canberra, you may have heard of him as the author of the book “Economia”. His name is Geoff Davies. Your feelings of concern for our future on a number of fronts is an obvious worry to all of us who care passionately about the way we are headed and especially for our children’s future. Geoff uses “wordpress” for his “blogs” and his latest one is absolutely magic. To understand the importance of “positivity” regarding these matters of concern. it is inspiring to read the works of someone who always manages to provide ‘do-able” suggestions and the “tools” required to make them happen. I would like to respectfully suggest that as many people read his latest report that can be found at: +Love your blogs and the ‘thinking” behind them. +Warmest regards, +Ronald Bastian +Nice to see you back on the air-waves so to speak. +As always I’m impressed with lots of your photos but most of all I’m jealous of your zuchini, I haven’t got any so far this year. Interesting having to re-learn gardening with a view to climate change… +I hope 2012 is good to you. +: ) +Sue +- Possible allergy? +- Looking for insight! +- If you formula-fed from the very start... +- enough milk?? +- reflux +- 7 week old feeding. +- My LO is 12 months confused over formula. +- Can I stop breastfeeding cold turkey? (BF less than a week) +- Formula feeding and newborns +- Breastfeeding guilt trip at every opportunity?! +- Newborn feeding - is this ok? +- stage 2 formula? +- Can i leave my 6 week old 4 hours between feeds? +- Perfect prep +- choking on spit up.....terrified :'( +- Bub hasnt dropped bottles +- 10 week old draining 7oz!! +- When did you get our periods back? +- Is it just me or..... +- Feed times +- Moldy bottle nipple-Baby drank from! +- Baby Overeating?! +- Nutramigen Lipil 1 Help +- she just won't feed :-( +- Aptamil pepti 1 +- how do you make your bottles uk? +- which to follow? +- comfort/reflux/combination? HELP +- what do you think? +- How much and how often at 2 weeks? +- Can't get 6 month old to drink formula +- formula at room temp +- Omg!!!! Advice please!! +- Mam anti colic vs born free +- Quick question re follow on milk +- transition from EBF to formula +- When to stop giving formula +- how much??? +- Comfort milk and colief +- neocate: please help me understand +- Nutrimagen Lipil 1 for CMPI +- Quick question - it's getting me stressed! +- Not sure what to do? Advice? +- Need some advice please! +- Baby 3 1/2 months can I use normal water instead of distilled?!? +- Combination feeding question +- When will my milk go? +- Advice needed +- Cow & Gate formula fed..... +- Which baby formula to use? Confused +- How much +- Should you introduce formula early if you will have to stop BFing before a year? +- anyone using comfort milk? +- Lo wont drink Nutramigen +- Sma lf...struggling to poo :( +- TMI poo question (with pic) +- Hipp Organic & perfect prep question? +- Tommee Tippee perfect prep +- 2 week old - 1.5oz every 2/3 hours +- Aptamil hungry baby milk? +- Leaking nipples +- 15 weeks can only drink 40ml! +- Engorgement +- newborn bowel question +- 7oz bottles at 18 weeks? +- sma staydown +- Formula schedule +- 2 week old being sick after every feed?? +- HiPP Organic +- Do you heat your newborns bottles? +- 3 week old snacking +- Gulping bottle causing trapped wind +- Should I try Hungry milk/Night time milk at bedtime with 6 month old? +- Perfect prep - growing up milk +- Newborn suddenly only taking 1 ounce at a time +- Is this enough/too little or just right? +- Would you recommend the perfect prep machine? +- Should I switch formula? +- 5 week old baby spits out more milk than she drinks :( +- no poop for 3 days +- Feeding issues / question almost 6month old +- How much formula for 3 week old. +- 2 month old - fighting bottle nipple +- Advice on how to choose a formula? +- Bottle sterilising +- How many bottles/oz per day for 9mo old +- Amount Per Bottle Issues +- Nan HA problems... +- Breast to bottle advice needed +- Is this too much milk? +- Has anyone weaned off Comfort milk? +- Mixing cows milk and sma stay down/gavisgon +- When to go up to the next teat? +- when to go up to the next teat size? +- Organic holle formula?? +- Plastic Bottles..Glass Bottles?? +- new guilty mom with feeding problems +- 5.5mo Dropped to 4bottles. +- How much milk? 2 months +- advice please +- Moving on to different formula stages +- SMA wysoy +- How much milk?? +- feedino schedule +- nutramigen for first time.. +- Question, please help :) +- UK Formula- partially hydrogenized? +- What bottles do you prefer? +- Constipation with Hungry Baby Formula... +- CMPA and Lactose intollerance +- Slow feeder..please help x +- Sick with formula +- Been told we're overfeeding our baby +- Advice on milk dribbling out of babies mouth +- Why always sterilise with formula? +- How many ounces in TOTAL for a 3 month old? +- Combi feeding +- Best formula for tummy trouble? +- How long will mixed formula last in the refrigerator? +- How many poos does your newborn have a day? +- Mixing Aptamil anti-reflux with Comfort to avoid constipation? +- Hello Friends +- Struggling to feed +- Sudden bottle aversion, please help! +- BM to FF - the big switch +- question about feeding times & amounts.. +- Can someone please explain... +- Follow on milk +- Bottles on the go? +- Best formula to avoid constipation? +- When to cut down to three bottles? +- is it bad to switch around formula? +- SMA stay down... +- will this make him ill? +- is he feeding too much/too often? +- New to formula feeding! +- 'breast is best'... +- 4 bottles a day/teats/dream feed +- Constipation? Just 6 days old ..... advice? +- May have found miracle formula - reflux +- How long does your night feed last? +- Water for formula abroad +- Feeling guilty re milk! +- Adding rice cereal to formula? +- Help! silent reflux & colic UK +- New mom here! When does nighttime feedings slow down? +- Recommend me a bottle brand? UK +- Considering ff but feeling guilty? +- How much milk is your one year old drinking +- Feeding app for twins? +- Need to vent/ feeling proud! +- What time is your baby's last bottle of the day ? +- How much is/was your 9 week drinking? And night time? +- sterilizing bottles - how long??? +- cloudy and discoloured bottles/teats +- sterilising +- Formula milk, hard water area +- So I BF then FF Then BF now FF!! +- Sterilising 'on demand' - Do I need to? +- Switching to formula at 6 weeks and in a complete mess HELP +- Breastfeeding only social groups +- Feeding on demand ; how long is too long ? +- sicky baby or... +- DESPERATE: Non-constipating formula for baby w/allergies? +- frustrating fussy 4 month old!! +- Gerber Soothe +- Baby gassy but not in pain? +- Breastfeeding and formula feeding!! Help! New mom +- His feeding is getting worse and worse :( +- dr bowns sippy cup +- Baby wanting more on hungry milk! +- 10 week old being sick after SMA powder but not ready made .... +- How many ounces at 3 months? +- Best formula to prevent constipation? +- Dr Brown microwave steriliser...how long do bottles stay sterilised for? +- 5 months and only drinking 25ozs +- How much milk for 6mo when weaning? +- How long does your baby go after having 5oz? +- Do babies tummy need to adjust to formula? +- Difficult to dissolve +- Baby consistently dropping centiles? +- preparing formula +- Ummm I am clueless, a few questions +- Hungry milk or not? +- Lactose free formula question +- Follow on milk advice +- Confused: amounts & frequency +- 8 month old switching to formula from breastmilk +- Preparing bottles to take out for the day? +- Confused about making up bottles +- 4mth old and feeds! +- Best formula for cows milk allergy and colic? +- Best formula for cows milk allergy and colic? +- Is this "normal"? 2oz every 2 hours +- Would love some advice on aptamil comfort milk +- 5 month old having 40-4oz formula a day +- Anyone's baby reacted to neocate? +- Cow and Gate Growing Up Milk - changed ingredients? +- 12oz!!! Really??? +- How to quickly warm up a bottle? +- From 32oz to 20oz in a day!? +- Perfect prep question +- Babies rejecting last bottle Help! +- Weight, Height, How Much Formula, and Age of Baby +- Advice! What formula?! +- Do you ever go over the 2 hour rule? +- Toddler milk? +- SMA Staydown Reflux Milk - an absolute nightmare!! +- Nanny care formula?? +- SMA Staydown Milk - how to use?! +- Newbie questions +- Not meaning to offend. +- How often to feed 3months baby? +- Confused. +- Hungry baby milk and on 6ozs +- Milk intolerance +- Strange question about 9oz!? +- Similac Alimentum +- How much does/did your 9 week old eat?? +- Can you over feed a bottle fed baby ? +- How Much To Feed?!?! +- How many bottles does your 11mo have? +- reflux? +- Aptamil changing the way cartons are labelled +- changing breastmilk to formula advice needed +- MAM teat help and colicy baby +- New to FF +- Feeding schedule (solids & formula) +- does anyone have any experience using Aptamil anti-reflux? +- does anyone have any experience using Aptamil anti-reflux? +- 3 month old suddenly squirming during feeds +- Is my 6 week old eating too much? +- SMA staydown vs using Gaviscon for reflux? +- Bottles with drop-in liners...sterilize still?? +- Old VS New AVENT Bottles +- Nutramigen or Alimentum? +- Cow and gate 2-3oz +- When to switch to fast flow nipple? +- 5 weeks old and eating how much???!!! +- Changing milk +- Nuk bottles, teat question +- When do you stop Bottle feeding? +- How many oz of milk at 9 months? +- Soya formula +- 10 week old only drinks 2-3oz per feed. +- end of bf question.... +- New to this... Feeding question. +- Constipated 2 week old +- Any tips on changing from anti reflux to allergy milk? +- Formula Feeding Mums in AUS or NZ? +- How many feeds in a day - 13 week old +- Do you have to stick to only 1 formula? +- How much and how often should my 5 week old be taking? +- Cow & Gate or SMA +- Aptamil pepti anyone? +- Should I be using follow on milk? +- Baby dropping morning bottle before afternoon one?! +- NUK bottles? +- Anyone successfully night weaned a FF baby with water? +- Am I the only one that makes bottles like this? +- Currently breastfeeding but struggling. Considering switching to FF. Advice please +- Similac advance in blue can... +- Combi-feeding questions +- Drop in by Playtex +- Twins and random bottle question +- I'm Still leaking!! When will it stop??? +- LO fussing while feeding +- Getting rid of bottles +- Confused About 2nd Step of Formula +- Making up bottles and putting them in the fridge?? +- Opened tub of formula +- lo wont keep any solids down :-( +- Perfect prep - worth the money? +- 25oz a day at 12 days old? +- Making formula with MAM bottles +- 6 Month Old Feeding Schedule +- Longest stretch your LO sleeps at night? +- 7 days need help pls +- Anyone moved from BF to FF? Need help slowing my supply as moving to FF. +- 10 month old? +- Switching back from comfort milk +- Normal intake for a 6 week old? +- constipation- Change formula? +- Baby has DROPPED intake!!! +- Bottles messed up! +- Making the switch to cow's milk? +- Do you still boil water for formula? +- Timeframe for bottles +- Baby wanting fed every 2hours even on hungry milk +- Aptamil liquid 200ml price UK +- feeding a 3 week old please help and winding issues +- How often and how much does your little one eat? +- Teat too small? Anti-reflux milk - updated +- Really odd poo question (Aptimal 1st milk) +- Please help- bottle feeding going wrong +- Aptimil pepti and sleep +- Microwave steriliser doesn't fit in microwave! Anyone else experience this? +- Help, can't find a bottle my premie can use :( +- How do I make the move to cow's milk? +- Anyone else using SMA Stay Down milk? +"Should Christians stay away from yoga because of its demonic roots? Totally. Yoga is demonic," Driscoll said. "If you just sign up for a little yoga class, you're signing up for a little demon class." +Mohler received heavy criticism for his article calling yoga "contradictory" to Christianity. He responded to all the letters, emails and rebutal editorials by pointing out the following: +(1). Not one protest against his article contained a "theological" argument. +(2). More than 90% of the protests came from women. +(3). Those who protested are replacing Christianity with a religion of their own invention. +(4). Women who argue for yoga have no reference to "biblical Christianity." +(5). The evangelical world is in "worse shape" than he ever thought. +Even a casual attempt at research would have caused both Mohler and Driscoll to find websites such as Holy Yoga, which places their doctrinal statement on the front page. Under a detailed confession regarding the person of Jesus Christ, Holy Yoga is as theologically orthodox, if not more, than the Abstract of Principles of Southern Theological Seminary. +There are two main issues with Mohler's and Driscoll's comments about yoga. First, the spirit in which the comments are conveyed seems haughty. It sounds as if Mohler and Driscoll are saying those who oppose their statements against yoga are theologically incompetent. One of the tell-tales signs of spiritual arrogancy and an unhealthy debate is for one side to act as if the other side has no ability to counter one's arguments. Second, Mohler and Driscoll seem to be confusing a cultural bias with a theological argument. Instead of investigating what Christians who practice yoga actually believe, there is an assumption that Christians who practice yoga can't believe correctly. +One of these days we will realize that culture evolves, civilization's habits change, and peoples' perspectives alter over time. It used to be that culture considered fat people rich, prosperous and educated because people with access to an abundance of food became fat and were the elite of soceity. Now, culture often discriminates against fat people, believing them to be inferior to the elite of society. Those kind of judgments are wrong. In my opinion we Southern Baptists should be very careful about judging a fellow believer who practices yoga by assuming they aren't theologically sound. It would akin to judging a fat Southern Baptist pastor as theologically unsound before we ask him what he believes. +The best way to discover whether or not Christians who practice yoga are involved in a "dangerous" practice or participating in a "demon class" is to ask the yoga participants what they believe about Jesus Christ. Any judgment against Christians practicing yoga before this happens is at best premature or at worst reveals some sort of cultural bias. +134 comments: +This post is very personal to my life. Why? I am a Christian (former Hindu) who happens to practice Iyengar Yoga. I practice yoga at least twice a week with my yoga instructor. My main motivations for practicing yoga is for health issues that have been tremendously helped by yoga. +There are two parts to yoga. One is the physical exercises and other part is meditation. In Iyengar yoga the meditation comes at the end and it is only undertaken by people who have mastered the body first. +But I do practice Christian meditation and sometimes this also called yoga by some. +What are the demonic things I do in this meditation? +As I go through my daily routine (walking, working and so on) I say a short prayer of St. Francis. +My God and my all. +This short prayer (also called a mantra in hindu texts) centers me in Christ. Wherever I am. +I am known to say this even in my dreams. +I also do a form of meditation. This involves reciting the prayer of St. Francis s-l-o-w-l-y in my mind one word at a time, as a drop of water falling into a pond. understand the above form of meditation goes against the teaching of Our Lord Jesus Christ against mere repetitions of prayer. +So these are the demonic things I do, while being centered in Christ. +Well said Thy Peace. +Well said. +A description of 'repetitive prayer' from Revelation: +8 . . . "Day and night they do not stop exclaiming: +"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, Who was, and Who is, and Who is to come." +An MSNBC article says that he objects to "the idea that the body is a vehicle for reaching consciousness with the divine." +I guess that means that in addition to yoga, people should also give up fasting, preaching, praying, thinking, singing, going to church, helping others, etc. etc. +Thy Peace, perhaps we are a bit different in our theological beliefs, but I am not surprised that you are a meditator because of the spirit in which you usually communicate. Meditation, though I am not very accomplished at it, has changed my life for the better. In fact, meditation is really, really paying attention to life - that's one simple way of describing it. It's a partial "waking up" from the sleep-walk that we all fall into in our daily lives. +I aspire to try yoga someday. Sounds wonderful. +I do meditation all the time. But my meditation is solely on reading through and meditating on the Scripture. I am going through the book of Romans right now and mulling over and meditating on each phrase and how it relates to what Paul has already said or will say in a few verses. Meditating on God's Word causes me to find peace and spiritual growth through the washing of the water of the Word. This is Christian meditation that is found in the Scriptures. It is a means of grace that God has designed for us. But are "Christian" mantras a means of grace given by God? There are many who had a strong walk with God but who found themselves slowly drawn towards spiritual practices in common with non-Christian religions through the door way of yoga. For them it is not how they started, but how they will finish. For many who start these practices will end pulled away from the pure Word of God and firmly planted in spirituality that takes them away through subtle deception that causes compromise. +Our ministry sells a DVD called Yoga Uncoiled from East to West available at I would encourage every one who thinks that the practice of yoga meditation is compatible with Christianity to be willing to be challenged by watching this DVD to see what goes on behind the veil. It is an act of love to warn our brothers in Christ that there is subtle deception out there disguised as Christian spirituality. +I have to smile when I read this post. +I once commented to another blogger on 'imonk' who had studied about meditation and after viewing the film 'Into Great Silence', saw no point at all in any of it for Christian people. +Thy Peace has given me another idea to include in my original remarks to that man: +"In all your ‘studies’, did you ever ask to visit a monastery? +And to stay there for a while? You can do this, you know. Maybe you didn’t know. +This is an important question. +There is in Christianity that which cannot be contacted by simply reading or hearing. It must be lived deeply over time for it’s effect to be absorbed. For some, the background of silence is what is needed for the full impact of the Words of Christ to be experienced. These are the men and women that God ‘calls’ into the quiet. They understand what you may not know. +In the Gospel of St. Mark we find this: ‘And He saith unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while.’ +The ‘deep silence’ may not be for everyone, no. +But there is a part of everyone that needs, at times, to ‘come away, and rest for a while’ because the world’s demands have drowned out the ‘quiet still Voice’ of the Lord. +A monastery? +Or the quiet of camping in the woods ‘by the still waters’ ? +Silent sailing at night out in the deep under the stars? +Or a steaming cup of coffee at four-thirty in the morning, before the household awakens, with a candle lit for prayer, instead of the electric lights? +We all have our mini- versions of the cloister, if we think about it . . . . " +And I would now like to add to my 'mini-cloister' list: +"A LYENGAR YOGA CLASS " +Thank you, THY PEACE :) +One of my college professors was a real Renaissance man. He knew about EVERYTHING. He had studied yoga and meditation. He said that he stopped one day because after meditating he stood before a class and could not produce the simplest calculation. His mind was blank- which was the goal of the yoga he was studying. In eastern religions the goal is to empty the mind. In Christianity the goal is to fill it with Christ. Yoga is not the issue. The real issue is what is being meditated on. The critics should stop being lazy and get the facts on what Christians are actually studying instead of 'demonizing' them! +I firmly believe that what matters is Who we are worshiping, not the form that worship takes. When God made a covenant with Abraham, it was done in the form of covenant-making as it existed in Abraham's time. God didn't reject the form as a "pagan" practice. Abraham divided the animals in half, and God passed between them. His power filled the form of Abraham's ceremony. +I think what matters is not whether we say a mantra, but what the focus of the mantra is, and Who we are focusing on when we say it. It is not whether we do yoga, but why we do it, that matters. I think this is a Scriptural principle, particularly in the New Testament. The external form takes a back seat to the internal power. As long as the practice is not inherently sinful, harmful to ourselves or others, we are free to turn it to the glory of God. +What's ironic is that Dr. Mohler admits that the evangelical world is "worse shape." +But don't most evangelicals who practice yoga, do it in order to get in or stay in shape? +The stinkers!!!! +First they turned Halloween into a "thing of the devil." Now they are taking on Yoga. +What's next---don't you mess with Old St. Nick or the great pumpkin!!! +Mohler is a LLH = "Lightweight Looking for a Headline" in my opinion. +Just think--a few weeks ago he was awing new students with his "over the top" personal library at his little SBTS President's Mansion and saying Time Magazine considered him a "leading theologian." +Mohler, et al, "better watch out / better not shout / Santa Clause is coming to town!!!" +Mohler interviews Philosophy prof at Denver seminary, Doug Groothius about yoga. Groothius happens to be an egalitarian and married to Rebecca Groothius who edited Complimentary without Hierarchy...the response to RBMW. +I think Yoga is ok. He is hard to understand sometime and his green pointy ears are very strange, but that little guy can hold his own with any Sith Lord in the Empire! Another thing I like about Yoga is...oh...wait...woops....my bad! +Just a couple of observations: +1. Many want to "Christianize" things they like such as Yoga. This can be confusing and deceptive if we are not careful. +2. I agree with Mohler about Yoga and the dangers. I also agree with what Cheryl wrote that folks can easily be lured in deeper without realizing it. It would be less confusing if it is just "special stretching" to call it something else. I, personally like the stretching positions and practice them but it has NOTHING to do with my mind. It is strictly a physical exercise. +Keep Matt 12 in "mind" when emptying the mind: +43"When an evil. +(continued...) +(...continued) +In "The Church's One Foundation",we sing about this "mystic sweet communion....". I certainly hope all this doesn't cause a re-think of all that.... +:) +Absurd! Trying to find God through any means other than Christ is absurd and unbiblical. The Holy Spirit guides this process, not some man-made bodily alignment process. Yoga, or Labyrinths for that matter serve no purpose but to replace the Spirit with an idol. Would better to bang ones head against a brick wall to a bloody nub and find God than all this nonsense. +Religion in the physical, Wade, is a sad thing to be teaching your followers. You lead them to hell and not to Christ. Meditation on self is for the eternally damned. That is what they will do for eternity. Prayer and obedience to Christ is for the redeemed. +You're on a roll... +Mind-emptying meditation works for all religions: +sound of silence +Mind-emptying meditation is a well-known method of self-hypnosis: +self-hypnosis +Even Satan can heal and work miracles. But do we actually believe that God has withheld the best and most direct path to physical and spiritual health from us, by utterly failing to even hint at them in the pages of scripture? (remember not to try lifting a few proof texts out of context) +Think about it! ;-| +Anon TK421 +Wade, +Now that OU is back on track to go to the Big 12 game you must really be bored if this is all you can come up with. Please find better things to complain about in the SBC. I'm sure they are out there if you look real hard. +It seems that those promoting yoga in the West are taking Eastern terms, like mantra, and assigning completely new meanings to them? Al Mohler is raising a legitimate concern based on the emails he has received and I believe you are over generalizing his argument. He suggests that those who engage in the exercises in a Christian context shouldn't call it "yoga," lest they promote confusion of Christian meditation with Hindu meditation. Hindu meditation is designed to empty the mind of external sources of knowledge so that one can find enlightenment from within. Christian meditation focuses the mind on the Word of God that the Holy Spirit might use it to transform our thoughts and actions. I don't doubt that there are Christians who promote the latter and package it as "Christian yoga." The question is: Should they call it "yoga"? Whether you agree or disagree, I think there's a legitimate discussion here. +John, +Tthose promoting yoga in the West are taking Eastern terms, like mantra, and assigning completely new meanings to them ..." +Uh hmm. +It's a little like taking the Arabic word "Allah," which means God, and redefining it to mean "The Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." +Not necessarily wrong if, like many said above, who is being worshipped is the only Savior given among men. +Kevin Crowder, +You are missing the point by creating a straw man. No Christian who practices yoga is "Trying to find God through any means other than Christ." We all would agree that to do so would be unbiblical. +The issue is, plain and simple, "Can a genuine Christian who has come to know God through Jesus Christ, the only Savior given to sinners, practice yoga?" +Mohler and Driscoll say "no" -- or if one does "call it something else." +I say there's nothing wrong with taking the terms that lost people are familiar with, redefining them, and teaching them about Jesus Christ -- which after a quick examination of a few Christian yoga sites is what these Christians are doing. +Off on a staff retreat. +Everyone meditate over what you have written before you stretch out your finger and punch "Enter." +Smile. +Wade, +I think their point is that Yoga is not an amorphous thing left open for each practitioner to fill in the gaps. It came from somewhere. Mohler is arguing that it is an alternative gospel that is incompatible with a solid Christian theology. +Those who strip down Yoga of its spiritual dimension in order to make it compatible with the gospel are not really practicing Yoga anymore. They're just doing some exercises. This is the danger of a consumer culture that feels every right to pick and choose certain elements of every religion and customize it to one's own liking. +"This is the danger of a consumer culture that feels every right to pick and choose certain elements of every religion and customize it to one's own liking." +Exactly. This is what Augustine did in renaming the statues of pagan gods into Christian "saints". This is what the reformers did when they merely renamed the priest into the pastor, sacraments into ordinances, etc. +Check out this link: interview with a zen master. How can any Christian think that it is a trivial thing to adopt all the terminology and many of the practices of this obvious pagan religion and sanctify it with Christianese? A rose by any other name... +Sorry, I wrote Augustine when I meant to write Constantine. +"Everyone meditate over what you have written before you stretch out your finger and punch "Enter."" +How can we meditate over what we've written when we aren't even supposed to meditate on what GOD has written? +A "staff retreat"... yes, retreat! You are being defeated by scripture and the real Holy Spirit! Let the "generals" rethink their strategy and consider surrendering to God and renouncing this false king. +I like Yoga, and don't know what all the fuss is about. Sure, I don't think he got enough credit for his defensive skills behind the plate, and his sayings like "it ain't over til it's over" show he is not a great philosopher or theologan, but you people need to get off his back! +I'm all for Yoga! +Strider Said: +" In eastern religions the goal is to empty the mind. In Christianity the goal is to fill it with Christ." +AMEN! so few words, so much truth. +Why do people still give credibility to Mohler? I gave up on that years ago. Education and a quick mind to do not equal wisdom. +If two people do yoga and practice it exactly the same, can they say that one is for the purpose of emptying the mind while the other is for filling it? If both chant a sound and reach the same kind of "enlightenment", can one say that the chanting emptied their mind while the other says it filled their mind? +Doublespeak! +"It's a little like taking the Arabic word "Allah," which means God, and redefining it to mean "The Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." +Actually, that is a big problem. Lots of people, even professing Christians, do think it is the same god as the God of Abraham. +Words mean things and when they lose or take on variations of their meaning, confusion reigns. +So when immature believers see the Word "yoga" approved by other believers, they think it is ok. After all, it is "spiritual". +It is not that different than when the mega church bookstore sells Rob Bell or Joel Osteen books. That communicates approval of their doctrines. +I don't think Mohler made a good case in his original article. He does not make distinctions and only later admitted that if they are simply stretching, it is not Yoga as Yoga is defined. +Strider: " In eastern religions the goal is to empty the mind. In Christianity the goal is to fill it with Christ." +I was raised Society of Friends. They attempt to empty the mind every Meeting precisely in order that it may be filled with God; perhaps in that complete silence can we listen fully. There is a long, long Christian tradition of trying to empty out the self so that there is room for God to come in. +It frustrates me when ancient Christian practicess are called unholy merely because other religions share them. Should we give up praying next? +Lydia, +"Words mean things and when they lose or take on variations of their meaning, confusion reigns." +I don't disagree. That's why I think those in a Christian yoga class are instructed about Christ. That which I resist is a general denunciation of all Christians practicing yoga without the caveat that some Christians could be meditating and filling their minds with the good news of Jesus Christ while stretching and call it Holy Yoga. +:) +The problem is with the word Yoga. What does it mean? Obviously it means different things. There certainly could be some forms of yoga that are not healthy for Christians. Other forms, called Yoga for simplicity, are simply a series of stretches and exercises. Can a Christian do that type of yoga? Or does the word Yoga taint the very practice? +The same applies to martial arts. Some forms of MA employ spiritual and meditative aspects which would no doubt be unhealthy for Christians. But does that mean Christians cannot learn how to disarm an attacker or flip some guy over their shoulder? +To come out and say that Yoga, or MA or ( ) is incompatible with Christianity is too simplistic. +Any physical activity can be coupled with a spiritual or religious component. By the same token those physical activities can be practiced without the spiritual or religious component. +We don't object to non-Christians eating bread and drinking wine do we, even though we perform that activity as part of a religious observance. +It is also interesting that Mark Driscoll is a huge fan of Mixed Martial Arts, to the point of suggesting that all real Christian men are fans of MMA. +Lydia, +I appreciate your comments about Allah not being the God of Abraham. I got accused of "splitting legalist hairs" last week when I made the same statement. Allah is a reinvented version of a tribal moon god, the very fact that Isalm did not come around until somewhere around 600 AD should give people a clue to this fact. +Would those of you who see nothing wrong or harmful with "Christian yoga" explain what it does that cannot be achieved any other way? +Are practitioners of "Christian yoga" more enlightened than non-practitioners? More spiritual? More loving? +Its a good idea to remember that most people who practice yoga are doing so purely for the physical benefits. They do not meditate on anything other than keeping their body in the proper position for as long as they can without hurting themselves. +There are physical benefits to stretching of various kinds. The yoga routines do have good stretches. IMO the best way to approach it is to divorce the meditation concept from the routine altogether. Next best is to replace them with a prayer time in general with the Lord. Have a good long chat with God. I think anything beyond that is not the best though it still may be OK to recite a prayer I don't think its the best thing to do. Having been raised as Catholic I now do not see any great benefit to reciting rosaries or repeating saints prayers. Best to say your own from your heart. +Bottom line is to NOT repeat the spiritual recitations of the yoga routines even if you are aiming them differently. +I have read a lot of comments that reference "emptying the mind". Meditation is about emptying the mind of distractions - of compulsive thinking. +"What's for lunch?" "I have to remember to pick up the cleaning" "I can't believe she wrote that!" +Replaying argument in our heads, inventing fantasy arguments, thinking of all the things we have to do, trying to pursue some little chemical pleasure (candy, rest, complimenting oneself) etc. etc. etc. etc. +Meditation is about trying to wake up to life, rather than sleep-walking through much of it driven by urges which lie below the surface of our mindfulness. +As the song leader started a repetitious new song, I overheard an elderly woman say, “Here we go with another little ditty.” +The leader said, “Just turn your mind off.” +Is this type of church singing of almost chanting a type of yoga? +That's exactly what the zen master said in that link above. Turn off the mind from its normal activity. +But if yoga is tied in any way to a Christian's spirituality, it is much more than mere exercise, and it is being used as an elitist path to "enlightenment" or "more spiritual than thou". That's the attitude I always see in those who practice yoga or mysticism. They look down their noses at Christians who don't practice them or who think they're spiritually dangerous. Just like Gnosticism. +Point being, that if yoga/mysticism isn't a spiritual requirement or exclusive path to spiritual maturity, then the Christian has no need of it. Why work for that which we all receive for FREE when we are saved-- the indwelling Holy Spirit? Didn't we get all of Him when we were saved? +I see nothing in yoga/mysticism to compare to the indwelling Spirit and nothing keeping me from knowing God as "abba, father" in the Word or in my "cluttered" mind. +Some people see a meadow as "cluttered". After all, it's filled with many forms of life and they are not marching like an army. But I see that meadow as the design of God, a harmony that needs no "practices" or "disciplines". It just is. And that's what the mind filled with the Word is: a spiritual meadow, cluttered with life. +I'll take that meadow over the stark, gray, bland "order" of mysticism any day of the week. You can't claim that this "ordered" mind is anything else. +Jesus, the Word, the Spirit... I have it all and it was a gift. +A lot has been written about this topic, and most of it unnecessarily. +I think that Wade and Lydia hit upon the true issue when discussing the meaning of the word "Yoga." +If that word is defined by it original meaning by those who created Yoga, I suspect all of us would be in agreement (or at least a substantial portion of us). +In the U.S we have the uncanny and wonderful ability to take something from another culture, to keep its moniker but re-create it into something else. +That's what we have done with Yoga. +I did a quick search on-line for a definition of Yoga. Here is what I found: +yo·ga[ yṓgə ]NOUN +1. Hindu discipline: a Hindu discipline that promotes spiritual unity with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals +2. system of exercise: a system or set of breathing exercises and postures derived from or based on Hindu yoga +[ Late 18th century. < Sanskrit yogaḥ "union" ] +In the U.S., 99% of the people who practice Yoga, practice the later, not the former, though the derivation is from Hindu practices. +I suspect that there is not one of us that is going to say that Yoga, as defined by "spiritual unity with a supreme being through a system of postures and rituals" is Christian. +But many of us, have been to the local YMCA or something similar to "Holy Yoga" (that must make the people who keep the flame of the founders of Yoga puke). +There is nothing unholy about a local YMCA stretching class called "Yoga." +The term "Yoga" and the practice of Yoga in the U.S. has been so completely bastardized from its original concept and meaning that in my opinion, it is harmless. +I have taken Yoga classes, and have found them quite helpful to my endurance athletic performance. But the classes I took had no spiritual component or true Yoga masters etc. +I will agree that there is a good warning to unknowledgeable people who may become involved in Yoga studios where they have spiritual classes in addition to the stretching. They should know what "Yoga" means and from where it is derived so they can avoid things that would not be helpful. +I think that it is fine for Dr. Mohler to point out the difference between how Christianity teaches people are to come to know God, and what Yoga teaches. +I think his writing and communication would be better if he were more clear with his definitions. That would have dispelled any incorrection notions that have so dominated the discussions. +If anyone should be upset about all this, I think it would be the creators and founders of Yoga. +Louis +Anon, +That's one of the problems with Christianity - it can degenerate into a religion with no concrete practice for self-improvement. Christianity is profoundly mystical - it says "fill the mind with Christ" but too often it offers no practical methods for doing so. +But if one wants to preserve the status quo in one's mental activity, then meditation is probably a bad idea. I have found, however, that developing a bit of mental discipline (and in my case it's only a bit!) has been extremely effective. +But of course, I think some people focus more on the spirit of what one is pursuing and others focus more on the "correct" names and mental pictures. +As a Lutheran minister friend of mine said recently, "Who am I to tell the Holy Spirit when, where and how it should do its thing?" +Hinduism is a generous, ancient religion with much to offer.. +Steven Stark, +Problems with Christianity? You mean "Jesus Christ and him crucified" isn't good enough? Can't the Holy Spirit "improve us"? And isn't it clear that filling our minds with Christ means what Paul said to the Philippians, and Romans, etc.? +Christianity isn't about methods or practices or disciplines from the world's religions. It is not defective or incomplete. The "status quo" you deride as inferior is what the Christian knows as "the Sabbath rest", a place of having peace with God. And it's all given for free to any who ask. +Christianity isn't about ME, about SELF, but about JESUS. All the "discipline" in the world is a mere house of cards compared to the Rock that is the risen Jesus. +(See the "holier than thou" attitude from the practitioners of mysticism/yoga?) +So who all here did MasterLife back in the day? +Go on, raise your hands. +Remember the last session? +The whole find a quiet place, relax, and meditate on the Lord with copious amounts of prayer? +Same thing if you ask me... +So basically you can't start your day with a calm relaxing meditation centered around Christ while doing stretching exercises that are good for you? +That would first explain the obesity and gluttony of an overwhelming majority of our pastorate that everyone notices but no one addresses. +No. Yoga is perfectly alright if you're meditating on the Word of God and spending time with Christ. That's no different than those who have micro-worship sessions in their cars or who lock their office door for a half hour to have a bible study of one. +Heck, if you really want to make them mad, make sure you have a glass of red wine with lunch afterwards... +What DO Christians 'chant' these days? Oh, yes, they DO 'chant'. +And the litany goes like this: +'We thank You Oh Lord that we are not like those other sinners who: +-practice yoga +-celebrate 'The Great Pumpkin' +-drink wine +-have gender issues +-pray using 'Allah' for 'God' +-celebrate St. Nicholas at Christmas +-just love Halloween +-accept people as they are +-have no problem with the Easter Bunny +-here we can add your own speciallity +of what makes 'us' better than 'them' +Now THAT's a 'litany', but just not one of praise (except to ourselves) +My own personal favorite, of which I am SO very guilty is 'God I thank You that I am not like those others who engage in the 'pointing of the finger'. +Time to sing a new song unto the Lord. . . +it's long overdue +How many ways can we say that Christian meditation is on the BIBLE? Yet somehow, now this is the same as yoga! +Of course, that only brings us back to the question, who needs yoga? +Can a moment of meditation bring you closer to Christ ? +See for yourself: +I have never been involved with Yoga, although I do have friends who have been/are. Yet this post and the comment thread reminds me of an experience I had long ago. +I made my living a little differently than most people before God saved me. My entire way of life drastically changed after my conversion. I had to leave most everything behind. +After having been a Believer for a little over a year, I went to hear a well known evangelist preach. It was during the time when almost every professional evangelist had at least one sermon against demonism and Satan worship taking over America through the likes of Anton LaVey. +During the evangelist's sermon he mentioned the evils of practicing Martial Arts due to the presence of demons in the lives of those are "caught up in it and spend hours and hours practicing it." (not an exact quote, but pretty close) +Now, I must admit, I had known some pretty evil guys who were very good at Martial Arts, but I had not encountered any who could levitate, hurl green vomit from a rotating head or had tried to get me to join the Church of Satan. Their evil desires were usually to leave you in a broken heap on the ground. +After the sermon, I got the opportunity to spend some time with the evangelist. During the conversation, I realized he knew very little about Martial Arts as a whole and especially as it was practiced in Western culture. +One part of the exchange we had that I remember was something similar as the following: +He said, "Karate people are in danger of letting demons into your lives." To which I replied, "Well, preacher, all I know is that it has kept a whole bunch of devils from takin' it." +That particular evangelist is still holding meetings. I don't think he preaches much against Martial Arts anymore. Especially since the chief Parliamentarian for the SBC since back around 1986 is a Black Belt. :-) +I saw the film biography of Bruce Lee. Everybody would agree that Bruce Lee wasn't what we'd consider an evil man. But toward the end of the movie he was told he had to "choose a demon". +So demons are okay as long as they don't make someone a serial killer or pedophile or ::shudder:: a fundy? +Whatever you people want to call this religion you're making up as you go along, I just hope someday you'll accept Jesus as the ONLY savior and stop trying to add the world's spirituality or organizational charts or whatever to Him. And please, stop looking down your noses at people who disagree with you. +Steven Stark: "Hinduism is a generous, ancient religion with much to offer. " +Go ask some shudras or chandalas what they think about that. +Hinduism is a vicious religion which denies Christ and imposes unending "karma" on people. Choose a god, hope that you can make them happy and maybe you won't come back in a lower caste. +Generous? In what way? +Steven Stark, +You need to inform your Lutheran minister friend that said, “Who am I to tell the Holy Spirit when, where and how it should do its thing?" +That the Holy Spirit is not an “it” but a person. +Steven Stark comments, "I have read a lot of comments that reference 'emptying the mind'. Meditation is about emptying the mind of distractions - of compulsive thinking." I agree with him completely. Although I have no first-hand knowledge of yoga, I do sometimes practice various forms of meditation in my walk with Jesus; and whether the source is eastern or western (and we in the west sometimes forget that Christianity itself is an eastern religion), the idea is to reduce distractions so that we can hear God speak. I would however go one step further than Brother Stark: those distractions can be not only little worldly things ("Did I turn the stove off?" "Is that my dog I hear barking?" and so on), but can also be me reciting Scripture or praying. After all: if I am busy talking, even if it is about God, even if it is in my mind rather than with my mouth, can I possibly hear the "still small voice" of God? +Something else that occurs to me: to say "yoga" is inherently evil or demonic comes quite close to saying that a "thing" is, in and of itself, evil and demonic, rather than how that thing is used/misused/abused. I am not sure I can agree with that; but then I don't think that beverage alcohol in itself is evil or demonic or sinful, but that such judgments come with its use/misuse/abuse. Maybe there are a few things which are inherently evil (a ouija board comes to mind), but yoga I'm not so sure about. +John +In the 1960's when my mother enrolled me in ballet class, my great-grandmother was certain it would lead to my moral ruin. In the 80's my grandparents where appauld by Christian Jazzercise classes. +It seems that what is going on is a dance of definitions. +Yoga, the word, traditionally means the whole system of Hindu discipline which encompasses both body AND mind, focusing on self-enlightenment, clearing away distractions so that the "true" self is found. That is antithetical to Christianity. +So, if one finds physiological benefit to the stretching and movement of yoga, should we call it yoga? I answer with other questions: If one finds satisfaction in adopting orphans and taking care of widows should they call it Christianity? If one enjoys singing songs together with others, should we label it Christian worship? +Calling the mere exercises "yoga" is not evil in itself, but calls for a redefinition which distorts the original and could end up harming someone who ends up in a REAL yoga situation. +Why do Christians want to call the exercises "yoga?" Is it because of marketing? Is it because of a fascination with Eastern religions? I don't think either of these is a good reason to co-opt the term. +I do think Driscoll, as usual, goes overboard with his language. +Let "yoga" mean "yoga," not merely the stretching. Then we have a reason to defend the term "Christian" against the onslaughts of those who would deny the Gospel is necessary for those who would call themselves Christian. +"In the 1960's when my mother enrolled me in ballet class, my great-grandmother was certain it would lead to my moral ruin. In the 80's my grandparents where appauld by Christian Jazzercise classes." +So anything goes, right? Nothing is dangerous if we personally benefit, right? There are no standards, no boundaries, as long as Jesus tags along, right? +And what part of Jazzercise is supposed to bring you closer to God? +Sheesh, what lame arguments people use to justify their pet heresies! +I've never heard of Jazzercize described before as 'a heresy' by an extemist-fundamentalist. +This is a first ! +Are Christians allowed to walk around the block for exercise ? +Or even breathe ? +But that's another story . . +BNettles, You said exactly what I wanted to say but could not articulate! +"I've never heard of Jazzercize described before as 'a heresy' by an extemist-fundamentalist." +Wow... That would be HILARIOUS if it weren't due to completely missing a point! Point being: Jazzercise is not at all like yoga because only yoga is touted as a way to get close to God. +Get it? +Oh, and what exactly is a "extemist-fundamentalist", and how is it worse than a Buddhist/Hindu Christian, especially the kind that look down their noses at the unenlightened? +I didn't mean to imply that Christianity is inferior to other religions, simply that it often lacks concrete steps a person can take for self-improvement. And I have met few Christians who are not interested in self-improvement. I certainly believe that feeling the grace of God can "grease the wheels" for self-improvement, but if I don't practice the piano, the grace of God is not going to make me into a virtuoso. It's no different with our thought patterns and actions. +I sat and thought about whether I should use the pronoun "he" or "it" for the holy spirit. Maybe I chose wrongly! We will have to hope that the Holy Spirit doesn't mind. ;) +John Fariss, +Thanks for an enlightening comment. You are so right that it is not the nature of particular thoughts running through the mind that is the problem necessarily. It is the involuntary, reactive way of thinking. +I do think that Hinduism can be a very inclusive religions, and every Hindu I know has shamed me with the level of generosity they demonstrate. One of my college friends worked for hours at a gas station so he could earn enough money to rent out a restaurant and throw a party for all his friends. Wonderful, wonderful people. But yes, the caste system can be nasty business. +She's BAAAACK . . . +The Christian faith is all about us being saved, and then about us becoming like Jesus. The focus turns from self to God, and then we are transformed by the Holy Spirit-- not through our own efforts but through the power of God. +Of course this doesn't mean we don't lift a finger. God will only work with what we give Him. But our "work" is to trust Him and to live to please Him. We cannot know what pleases or displeases Him without reading scripture, because our own personal ideas of right and wrong are flawed. Neither can we take our cues from the world. +Nobody is saying other people aren't generous or compassionate, or that Christians can't improve in this area. All we're saying is that yoga, mystical disciplines etc. are cheap substitutes that the world uses because they don't have the Holy Spirit. +Our righteousness before God does not come from our good deeds but from whether we have the blood of Jesus on our hearts. Salvation is a gift, not an earned wage. What we do after that should all flow from gratitude for this gift, and that takes time walking with Jesus-- not through "disciplines" or postures but simply talking and listening, using the mind as well as the heart. +We are to sit at Jesus' feet and learn, not open our mouths like baby birds who have no concern about who or what feeds them or what is dropped in. Jesus taught His disciples with many words and with examples in action. But not once did Jesus lead them in meditation. In fact, when they asked Him how to pray, He used words; remember "the Lord's prayer"? +Look to scripture to find out how to grow spiritually, not to false religions, no matter how much they do appear to be "angels of light". +Anon TK421 +." +Well said, John Wylie, worth repeating... +Pastor Burleson, +Even though I do not subscribe to reformed theology or believe in TULIP doctrine, I applaud you sir for contending with those in your belief system who expect all others to fall into lock step with every pronouncement they publish. Keep up the good work! +"We cannot know what pleases or displeases Him without reading scripture, because our own personal ideas of right and wrong are flawed. Neither can we take our cues from the world." +." +Pondering is good. +But are we called to something more as Christian people? +John Wylie wisely states this: +"But in no way is the idea of emptying one's mind in view when the word is used in the Bible." +But yet . . . there is another way to see the emptying of self as the 'letting go' of our own mind's pride, and self-righteousness, and smugness; +and in its place, we may look to the Bible for a word from St. Paul: +"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jes. +Meditation, to me is about having a conversation with the Holy Spirit. Prayer is when I talk and meditation is when I shut up and let God through the Holy Spirit talk to me. You can't hear what God has to say if your mind is cluttered with every day items. +I personally don't like humming, mantras or chanting. I found the one time I was at a rosary service that all the repitition did was numb your mind from hearing what God might have to say. +I liken this to Elijah when he was in the cave and he heard the "Still, small voice of God." +"You can't hear what God has to say if your mind is cluttered with every day items." +Not necessarily. +One of my sisters is a professional singer. I remember hearing her college choir and telling her afterward that I could pick out her voice. She wondered if she was too loud and I said, "No, not at all, the balance was perfect. But I know your voice and could hear it even when all the other voices were the same volume". +If you really know God, you will hear His voice even in the clamor of life and the "clutter" of your mind. The important thing is not whether the mind is cluttered, but what with. +Anon TK421 +"If you really know God, you will hear His voice even in the clamor of life and the "clutter" of your mind." +sounds like 'I'dol worship to me. +"sounds like 'I'dol worship to me." +"My sheep will know my voice..." +Sounds like a lot of Christians can't tell Jesus from idols. +sounds like people casting God in their OWN image +Yep... God is whatever pops into your head when you empty it. That's what mysticism teaches. +The Bible, on the other hand, tells us that when we are saved we get the Holy Spirit to indwell us, and we are predestined to be conform to the image of Christ. It's all a gift-- something to be grateful for, not ashamed of. +Well, what an interest Biblical Critical thread today. I need to ponder it do I? :) +I would observe that "yoga" really is a form of praying conflating a Biblical practice nuanced by verses like these: +2Sa 7:18 Then went king David in, and sat before the LORD, and he said, Who am I, O Lord GOD? and what is my house, that thou hast brought me hitherto? +Psa 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. +Psa 46:11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. [[[Selah]]]. +Now one wonders, ponders or [[[Selah]]] where King David gets this whole idea of going into the Glorious Presence of Almighty God and being still and then conversing with Them? +Might King David have had sufficient access to Holy Scriptures such as this one then taking the time to ponder it and as a good Jew does after coming into an understanding of such, practicing it too, not only for his welfare and health, but also so he could guide God's people with God's Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding into the same Spirit of Grace and Truth as Moses was led into? +This seems rational to me?. +Notwithstanding Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel all got to had lunch with the Lord that day listening intently I am sure to the lunch conversation over roasted Lamb God was having with Moses, we also see after lunch Moses went forth as he was instructed and began sitting there for six days in silence before God, Who then proceeded to speak to Moses and as we all remember, wrote out the ten commandments with His finger on two tables of stone! +I think smart business people have been using yoga having hijacked those practices we see God taught to the earliest members of Abraham's people. And we should protest, or at least seek to collect royalties, not because of the practices yoga engenders, but for using the name without giving credit where credit is due? Maybe we should try to replace it's name back to what one can best describe the practice of sitting in the Presence of God as a God breathed and man practice Prayerful Intent! +What do you say, anyone game? :) +Gee, I sure do hope that they apply this 'evil roots' argument to everyting. +So much of our culture- from the days of the week, saying "bless you" when someone sneezes- even our Christmas trees ad Easter eggs are pagan in origin. +I get so sick of this "You have to justify everyting you do through the Bible nonsense....I don't think it was ever intended to be used in that way. Think about it- how much of our day to day lives can we justify 'Bilicaly.' +This gives me even more reason to thank God daily for freeing me from lies people have tried to wrap the Bible around. +You know, everything I really know about yoga isn't in a book selling yoga to Christians. It's reflected, accurately, on the wikipedia page about yoga. +I especially thought the Jainism comments and the references to tantric sexual rites (on the tantra wikipedia page) were interesting. +Of course, we can pretend there's nothing dangerous about a system of thought with strong gnostic/mystical undercurrents if we wish. But to say that Christianity is compatible seems to me to deny the truth of Scripture. +Are there health benefits from yogic "stretching exercises"? Possibly. But why do you need eastern, cultic methods when you can do the same thing without the baggage? +And I'm thankful I don't have to pose or control my breathing or numb my mind to know Jesus and bask in the warmth of His love. +But I suppose it was too much to ask for Christians to follow the Bible or be concerned about any spiritual dangers, because there are none, right? +So, for those of you who don't like the Bible being quoted when it impinges on your favorite practices, what do you need it for (the Bible that is)? Why not just throw it out? And why bash people about what they do or believe, since you don't like them doing the same thing to you? +Seriously, who needs the Bible or a profession of faith if the Hindus had a handy, non-judgmental exercise that gets you to God anyway? +Anonymous writes (among other things): +Seriously, who needs the Bible or a profession of faith if the Hindus had a handy, non-judgmental exercise that gets you to God anyway? +Or why did Jesus have to die on the cross if there is another way to re-establish the relationship between humanity and the inhabitant of the Holy of Holies? The claim of the book of Hebrews is that the Old Covenant was necessary, but neither sufficient--because sin continued--nor superior--because sacrifice had to continue, as well--after all. +"Or why did Jesus have to die on the cross if there is another way..." +Some of the regulars here will tell you that because Jesus died, then everybody worships the one true God whether they know it or not. So anything that sounds good to their ears is okay now, because Jesus paid it all. They've got a license to sin--- only there's no such thing as sin anymore, unless it's people trying to quote the Bible. +So they'll tell you Jesus died so that as long as people worship something and act spiritual, they're in. But come to think of it, a loving God wouldn't send anyone to hell anyway (except Bible thumpers), so that whole "Jesus died" thing is probably a lie the Bible thumpers made up. +Which is why the question, what do they need the Bible for anyway? Why does anyone need to know Jesus died for them, since everybody's going to heaven anyway, as long as they don't quote the Bible? +[/sarcasm] +I find it hysterical that some people are looking down on those who practice yoga (or are OK with it) while whining tha those OK with yoga are looking down on them. +I find it hysterical that some people are looking down on those who don't practice yoga while whining that those who don't are looking down on them. +And I find it pitiful that so-called Christians can't even define saving faith or say there's anything the Bible teaches that can't be taught or practiced better elsewhere. +"Christians" promoting Hindu religious practices and hating those that still believe the Bible is God's Word... judgment is near. +What irritates me more than people trying to wrap lies in the Bible is throwing Bible verses out- Such as the "lord Lord" verse (Matthew 7:21).....cuz someone quoting that PROVES that those who support Yoga are not really Christians!11!!! When will someone throw out Matthew 7:13 futher "proof?" +"Christians" promoting Hindu religious practices and hating those that still believe the Bible is God's Word... judgment is near. +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ +Oh please! +'Judgment' has always been near...that evil rock n roll, men with short hair, women going to work... I doubt the sanitized version of Yoga practiced by Americans is going to hasten anything. +Honest question...do you realize how much in your day to day life has (so-called) 'evil' roots? +Do you justify *everything* you do VIA the Bible? Can you justify being online with the Bible...I mean it could be an **GASP** "appearence of evil" you could be watching porn for all anyone knows... +..typing too fast...that shoud be men with *long* hair/ women with short hair... +"Oh please!" is right. What leaps! +People promote a dangerous spiritual practice, others appeal to the Bible against it, then the first group starts throwing out red herrings to take the spotlight off of what the Bible says about those practices. Even legalistic Judaism was seen as a danger in the Bible, but no, we can't say anything is dangerous or we're trying to call every single human activity dangerous! +And they think we who quote scripture are the ones with the attitude! +Good night! +WOW. +L's, +I hate yoga and women becoming pastors, but I love wine and Halloween. +Can we be half friends? :) +-K +PS: Won't be trick-or-treating this year though, going to hear Dr. Tom Nettles speak at a Reformation Day Conference. Can't decide if I want to dress up like Calvin or Spurgeon. :) +All I know is that though I may practive Yoga from time to time, I know in WHOM (Jesus Christ) and WHAT (His shed blood) I believe. +A few stretches and breathing exercises won't be changing that. +Kevin, I am going to wear my old bride's maid dress, give myself a big hair style, and add a tara& a sash that says "Miss Understood." +Or maybe I'll be a glowstick witch...haven't decided yet. +Either way, I am surely helbound for taking my daughter (who wil be a ladybug) trick or treating. I better get some good chocolate in exchange for my soul. +Why call "a few stretching exercises" yoga? +As for us Bible thumpers, we're so unenlightened and unspiritual we must have no souls to lose. Another reason not to bother the enlightened and oh-so spiritual. Let's let them tune out and invent their own personal Jesus, it makes them happy. +"As for us Bible thumpers, we're so unenlightened and unspiritual we must have no souls to lose." +you forgot 'mean as hell, too' +...because the stretching and breathing exercises ARE, in fact, yoga? +~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ +you forgot 'mean as hell, too' +WORD! Really, the only 'down looking' I see in this thread is from the 'Bible thumpers'.....those of us who engage in Yoga are far too relaxed and mellow to get our unders that twisted. ;-P +As I do my martial arts streatching and the exercises that have been know to be healthy for centuried, (longer than america is old) I think of: +Y is for YAHWEH +O is for ORDAINED +G is for GODLY +A is for ATTRIBUTES +I pray, exercise, stretch and meditate to the glory and honor of my Creator. +I think Romans 14 applies here. Vs. 3 & 4:. +Look it up in context. I know we're talking yoga, not food, but it seems the same principle. +I was looking for info on yoga from a Catholic perspective and, as usual, there is a 'diversity' of opinion on the subject. +But I did find the above site, one of the premier Catholic Universities in California, Loyola Marymount University, +has really well-developed programs for teaching yoga. +I have this feeling that 'diversity' is not to be feared in the Body of Christ, but embraced. +Sometimes people get distracted and worry way too much about the unimportant things; +and then they neglect those matters that are so dear to the very heart of Our Lord. +We are better off staying focused on Him. +Having read the comment stream, I don't see yoga as a threat to anyone's faith. +And I think it could really help people as a form of exercise. +I do respect that some people have concerns about the ancient practice of yoga, but I have noticed that, in the past, some of these same people have also indicated fearfulness about many other things that are strange to them. +For them, I wish more peacefulness in Christ, and, also in time, the gift of Christian courage to venture out of their 'comfort zones' with less fearfulness and less dread. +WOW!!! +Mohler, the twit, sure got us going with his tweet!!! +For me, it is of little worry and another Mohler "tempest in a tea pot." +I'm just glad I read all this stuff before taking my cup of coffee to the deck and watching the sun rise of the Pamlico just before it opens out into the Sound. +I watched the setting in a beautiful autumn sky last night / slept good / watched a Clint Eastwood movie / got up early / will watch the sun rise and praise God / then go cut some trees for my living. +Question: Is there any tantric value in pecking a keyboard of the 'puter late into the night???? +Some of us are getting over-extended on this one. I'm getting my costume ready for Halloween / reading my Peanuts coffee table book in the Great Pumpkin section / oops---this one ain't worthy of great biblical exegesis. +Mohler throws rotten husks before swine rather than pearls of wisdom. How the heck did he ever get a graduate degree---I know---a Craker Jacks BoX!!!! +"you forgot 'mean as hell, too'" +Nice words from a "Christian". And of course it's always "mean" to disagree with the super-spiritual but not "mean" for them to mock us Bible thumpers. Mystics are such hypocrites. +But they have "tuned out" for so long it's no mystery why they can't hold rational thoughts together, so what's the point? If they want to practice Hinduism and put a Jesus mask on it for Halloween, let them. And if they want to call cow dung chocolate pudding, let them. +ike the attitude from ANON @8:06 is even remotely 'Christian" +ike the attitude from ANON @8:06 is even remotely 'Christian" +Tue Oct 12, 08:32:00 AM 2010 +Seriously. But it's probably Gene S, just look at his post right above it. +"mean as hell too" +Righteous ! +Hinduism is a generous, ancient religion with much to offer. +Mon Oct 11, 12:45:00 PM 2010 +Much to offer whom? The little girls who are forced to work as Temple prostitutes to make money for the Hindu priests? The widows thrown on the husband's funeral pyre? (This still goes on in remote areas) Or the Caste system. +Big business in India: Sonograms to determine gender and subsequent abortion if it is female. +Not a lot to offer females in your generous Hinduism. +" Nice words from a "Christian". And of course it's always "mean" to disagree with the super-spiritual but not "mean" for them to mock us Bible thumpers." +one out of control 'thumper' tried to 'take an uzzi' to a group of bloggers over at SBC Voices: +just a bible-thumper? +more likely, a blasphemer against Jesus and Paul, who is trying to use them as an excuse to practice abusive treatment of others +"more likely, a blasphemer against Jesus and Paul, who is trying to use them as an excuse to practice abusive treatment of others" +And there you have it: harsh words for people who use harsh words. Can the hypocrisy get any clearer? Judging the judgmental, making themselves God's ambassadors over people who allegedly make themselves God's ambassadors... THAT's hypocrisy! It's always fine to flame flamers, as long as the flamers are Bible thumpers. +Gene S. can fire at will and still be "loving" just because he's liberal. But let a conservative object and its hate speech. +Hypocrites! +Here comes another one: +blaspheming against Jesus is an unforgivable sin +take that !!!! +BONK ! +THUMP ! +WHACK ! +thumper is down for the count +Kevin: +"Can't decide if I want to dress up like Calvin or Spurgeon. :) " +More original would be Edwards or Boyce. +Q: Are you a Calvinist? +A: I'm as Baptist as Boyce. +Kevin, you would like Boyce. He thought you should use wine for communion. :) +Um. . . Wade said this before he left: +Off on a staff retreat. +Everyone meditate over what you have written before you stretch out your finger and punch "Enter." +But this whole conversation has descended to the level of personal attacks. Can we all stop flaming one another and agree to disagree? +Shhhhh . . . +bible 'thumper' is out cold +it's quiet now +Wade, +Someone once said, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing". +That is so very evident in the comments regarding the subject of your current article. +A chap by the name of Pope said,"Twas well observed by my Lord Bacon, That a little knowledge is apt to puff up, and make men giddy, but a greater share of it will set them right, and bring them to low and humble thoughts of themselves." +Wade, +Please hurry and get home and put up a new post so you can spare us all this discussion about something that noone cares about in the first place. +I'd even rather see yet another post on women preachers than this thing. +"Even a casual attempt at research would have caused both Mohler and Driscoll to find websites such as Holy Yoga, which places their doctrinal statement on the front page." +So ones doctrinal statement which affirms scripture (sola scripture), salvation through Christ alone... is enough to believe an organization is OK? does the same thing. Are you ready to support them? +I am not saying AM is right on this but the statement you made above is not true in all situations. Who gets to decide? +why not let people think for themselves . . . or is that now discouraged completely ? +Did it ever occur to anyone that AM 'goes with the flow'. +Could it be that AM follows 'the base'? +B Nettles said... +Kevin: +"Can't decide if I want to dress up like Calvin or Spurgeon. :) " +More original would be Edwards or Boyce +Your brother Tom does an impressive Edwards. :) +----- +Tom +The bias Wade refers to in his post title might be a type of cultural xenophobia. +All the symptoms are there for that phenomenon, so the term fits. +Part of it is how Yoga is being defined. If it's just the exercises then it seems it's not really Yoga. If people try to Christianize Yoga such as Christoga is it really either? +"why not let people think for themselves . . . or is that now discouraged completely ?" +Does that include you letting AM think for himself and give his opinion, even if you disagree? +'." +If we are all allowed to have and give our opinion why ask: +"why not let people think for themselves . . . or is that now discouraged completely ?" +You contradict yourself. +'playing to one's base' may be a personal choice, +but it is not the same as 'thinking for oneself' +Dang and I love yogart! Guess I will have to give it up.Do they make a patch or some gum to help a person trying to quit,or, does one have to quit cold turkey? +A lady from our church was upset when eastern religious practices were brought into the church. She was told by the leadership that keeping the non-Christian spiritual name doesn't mean that the practice is against Christianity because they have Christianized it. She thought a bit and asked them if it was okay for her to have a witches coven that would focus on prayer. She asked them if calling her prayer group as "Christian witchcraft" would be acceptable to them. They were silent. +Often I wonder what God thinks. Is he okay with aligning our exercise programs with eastern religious practices and calling them the same thing? What's wrong with having a class on stretching or exercising? Do we really have to call it Yoga? And would God be offended by us calling it "Christian" Yoga when He seems to be very interested in keeping us pure and away from any unholy alignment with the occult? If not, then why not Christian witchcraft? Surely if God is okay with Christian Yoga, then we should be able to attach "Christian" to anything that had an occult or eastern religious foundation and God should be perfectly fine with that. +Cheryl, +I think you bring up a great point. Is it what we call something that matters, or what it actually is? What it promotes, what the spirit is, etc.? +If something is negative and selfish, but called a Baptist church, and something is positive and compassionate but called witchcraft, then I would take the "witchcraft". +But this has alway been a struggle with religion, or any other human organization. What is the right balance between preserving the personal experience and preserving the hierarchal, organizational structure? It's not always an easy call. +A quick counterpoints to some of the arguments/reasonings being advocated. +My name is a hindu name. Most person names in india who are hindus to begin with are names after gods and goddesses. I do not worship any hindu gods because my name reflects one of the hindu gods name. +I am fully familiar with the philosophy of yoga and the Atman or the Self (which is separate from the self). Yoga texts claim that the Self is the same in all human beings. The self is a mask over the Self. +I do not worship the Atman or the Self. I worship Jesus Christ. +I enjoy listening to music. Mostly classical music. Both western and eastern. I enjoy opera from different languages. I also enjoy listening to south indian classical music, which is ALL religious music. They are mostly praising indian gods. I do not worship indian gods while listening to this music. I happen to enjoy the music. In my heart I worship Jesus Christ. +I can not divorce my indian upbringing and culture just because I have become a Christian. +I enjoy cooking. I make elaborate indian dishes. They all have hindu names and meanings. I do not stop making indian dishes, because I have become a Christian. +The essence of what I am saying, it is the heart which matters and whom the heart is worshipping. +Clearly sorcery and witchcraft are a no-no for christians. +I firmly believe yoga is not wichcraft or sorcery. +Yoga is simply "awareness" and "focus". +I respect lot of the commentators here. +Thy Peace, +What is it about what you do that is "Yoga". What makes it "Yoga". Do you see where I am coming from with this? +I do not think the traditions of your upbringing are any cause for concern like food, names, etc. Some believers in the NT were named after Greek gods. Like Apollos. Those things are no cause for concern at all. Not even dress. My cousins were missionaries in India and dressed in Sari's, etc the whole time there. They ate the same food, etc. +And as I said, I love the stretching exercises/positions. I bought one of those cheap pocket books at the grocery years back with a whole slew of the positions of stretching but it said nothing about meditations, etc. +What if I announced Kaballah for Christians. Could it be done? +I can not claim Iyengar Yoga is Christian. There are hindu concepts and philosophy built into this yoga. Especially breathing and focus/meditation excercises. At least from what I know, one does not chant any mantras or attempt to "blank" one's mind. But so far my experience is all the asanas (poses/exercises) are simply bringing awareness and focus of the mind to the different parts of the body and most of Iyengar Yoga is the breathing in and out during various asanas that streches/relaxes various muscles of the body. +I am only in the beginning stages of this yoga. In the later stages of yoga, the "dhyana" asanas comes in. In Iyengar yoga, Iyengar believe that the body is easy to master than the mind, so most of the beginner asanas are body asanas. +I've taken classes from time to time at a local yoga studio. It calls itself this, and calls what it does "yoga". There is no guru: I have experience with the guru system, and the whole idea gave me the willies even before I was called to Christ. +Some of the language used during the class is non-Christian in the sense of belonging to other spiritual practices, but mostly it's non-Christian in the sense of lacking religious or spiritual content: The teachers there are very grounded in the practical physical aspects of the practice, and help people incorporate whatever modifications they may need to because of injury, etc. +Practicing yoga, for me, it helps me to have space in which I can breathe: to act instead of simply reacting. To focus on Christ more often in my interactions with others rather than on my own perceived or real woundedness. This would not even be possible without the Holy Spirit within me, and perhaps there are other ways I can listen to the Spirit, which I am open to and seeking for, but I wanted to share my experience, as a Christian person, with yoga. +Yoga may be good for some Christians, yet tempt other Christians to stray from Christ. I also do not expect it to be beneficial for all Christians to be vegetarian, as I have been, or to drink alcohol, as I do, as these things are not good for all people. +The owner of the studio, who is also one of the instructors, is not a Christian. He and I have spoken about the fact that I am a Christian and that he welcomes Christians to the studio. Some of you may point out that he may be Satan luring Christians into the evil of yoga. I mention his attitudes merely to note his lack of open hostility toward the faith. +Best Hydroponics 5-gallon Buckets +There are different types of hydroponics systems, but the main focus of this article is the Deep Water Culture. +Known also as the buckets/bubbler systems, the Deep Water Culture method entails the use of a bucket-like tool to suspend the roots of the plants in a nutrient. +There are different types of tools and buckets that can work for a Deep Water Culture System, but our focus is on the Hydroponics 5-gallon buckets. +To help your search for genuine and high-quality hydroponics 5-gallon buckets, we have put together a list of the most efficient hydroponics 5-gallon buckets in the market. +Best Hydroponics 5 Gallon Buckets +Below, are the top 5 hydroponics 5 gallon buckets that you can choose from: +PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics 5 Gallon Bucket Kit +What We Liked Most About This Product +Matter of factly, one of the reasons why we and other growers are rooting for the PowerGrow kit is that it is affordable. +The system can accommodate as many as 4 hydroponics buckets at once, isn’t that amazing? +Product Overview +The Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon features a water level indicator, which helps you have control over the amount of water that your plants are fed at every point in time. +When the water level rises more than average, you will get informed about this before it shuts down. +Also, this bucket kit 5 gallon includes a 44 GPH high-power air pump, which lots of hydroponics 5-gallon buckets don’t have. +Plants’ roots need oxygen to survive, and this is why a hydroponics 5-gallon bucket needs to have an air pump. Otherwise, plants’ roots can die very fast if natural oxygen is dissolved. +With the help of its air tubing system, it is easy for air to be transported in and out of the gallon. +PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5-Gallon system is just what you need for a stress-free plant growing cycle. +Pros: +- Its materials have been certified by the Food and Drug Administration Agency (FDA). +- The bucket has a drain valve that helps to drain unwanted gas and liquid from the gallon. +- It features Rockwool, which is an effective and durable growing medium +- It is easy to set up and use, most notably for a beginner who has little or no prior knowledge of hydroponics plant growing. +- It is expandable- it can increase in size and volume. +- The kit doesn’t require a consistent check-up or servicing. +Cons: +- It does not have glow light, which might make it unattractive to gardeners who love to have such fancy features in their hydroponics buckets. +HTG Supply 5-gallon Bubble Boy Single Shot Deep Water Culture (DWC) Hydroponic Bucket System +What We Liked Most About This Product. +For this product, a standard aeration system is a significant feature that has made us fall in love with it. We all know that without fresh and sufficient airflow, our plants can’t thrive +Product Overview +The first and foremost feature of the HTG Supply 5-Gallon DWC) System that blows our mind is the electrical @120v .03 amps 3 watts’ air pump. +- It features the hydro stone grow medium, which has tons of benefits for your plants, such as. +- It creates a balance between water and air in the gallon. +- It can hold water content more than other growing media. +- It is lightweight. +- It is a source of Silica, a non-essential nutrient that helps to improve photosynthesis and also helps to protect plants from diseases and environmental issues. +- It provides a free flow for oxygen and nutrients in the buckets. +Also, a perfect aeration system is one feature that the 5-Gallon Bubble Boy System has over other products. +This is made possible by its 7.8 liter-per-minute 123 GPH dual outlet air pump and 4 inches air stones features, which enables sufficient interchange of oxygen and water within the roots of the plants. +Another feature that aids excellent aeration for your plants is the 6-inch RhizoCore lids, which has a strong-aerated center channel that gives room for more than enough oxygen for your plants. +Pros: +- It comes with a complete manual, which makes it easy to set up. +- It comes with a 6 inches factory-pressed net-pot lid, which helps to keep plant roots safe from algae. +- The kit has a massive 4 inches air stone. +- It is durable +Cons: +- The lid and reservoir keep away light, hence making the bucket unseen from outside, and for those who love see-through buckets, this might be a problem. +Atwater Hydropod – Standard A/c Powered Dwc Deep Water Culture/recirculating Drip 5 Gallon Hydroponic Garden System Kit +What We Liked Most About This Product +This product comes in a unique and stylish design that takes hydroponics gardening to a whole new level. +Talk about attractiveness and elegance, this product defines it. +Also, we can’t get over the fact that this product comes with the complete hydroponics packet. +We are talking about the mesh lids, water indicator, nutrients, grow media, tubing, elbows – just EVERYTHING you need to start. +Product Overview +The Atwater HydroPod – Standard A/C Powered DWC Deep Water Culture/Recirculating Drip Hydroponic Garden System Kit is the first product to feature a recirculating drip system. +This recirculating drip system makes it possible for used nutrients and water to be stored in a place and reused. +This helps you to conserve nutrients and water. +Besides, this product comes with the leca clay/hydroton grow stones as a growing medium. +Not only are the hydroton grow stones capable of neutralizing PH, but they are also reusable. +Also, this product features a manual that teaches gardeners how to mix nutrients properly, to avoid mistakes. +Another reason we have this product on this list is its starter cubes feature, an extraordinary and uncommon feature for hydroponics buckets. +With the aid of these starter cubes, you can start your seeds or cuttings effortlessly without too many technicalities. +Finally, this product helps you to record up to a 3x increase in yield on any plant you grow in the bucket. +Pros: +- It features an 8-inch mesh lid. +- It features a 10 inches 26.4cm water level indicator. +- It features a 3watt 126.8gph at 40 DB dual outlet air pump and tubing, which aids standard aeration. It comes with dual elbow connectors. +- It has 16 inches 40cm HDPE oxygenating drip ring. +- The kit comes with high quality Grow and Bloom nutrients. +- It has a pH Testing Kit and powdered PH adjusters. +- Made in the USA. +- It comes with a setup manual and a checklist of every item. +- It features a 6 pack Grodan Rockwool 1.5 inches Starter Cubes, which is suitable for starting your seeds. +Cons: +- Water evaporation is minimal for this product. +Viagrow 4-site Hydroponic Deep Water Culture Vegetative System +What We Liked Most About This Product +One feature of this product that left us gasping with surprise is the 4-site system. I.e., this particular product has a hydroponics 5-gallon bubble bucket with 4 openings. +Not 4 other buckets in a system, but 4 openings for 4 different plants in just one bubble bucket. +Product Overview +This product took the Deep Water Culture System to a whole new level. We still can’t get enough of its 4-site in one bubble bucket system. +It is mind-blowing and innovative. It’s just like you are purchasing one bubble bucket to do the job of 4 bubble buckets. +Another feature that raked in points for the Viagrow 4-Site Hydroponic Deep Water Culture Vegetative System is its ability to grow both seeds and plant cuttings. +Aside from plant seedlings, a gardener or farmer can practice vegetative propagation and transplanting. +Going further, this product comes with Viastone grow rocks as the growing medium. Viastone grow rocks are so beneficial to plants in many ways: +- It helps to facilitate and speed up the plant’s blooming. +- It is light, porous for smooth flow of air, and you can reuse it for a long time before changing it. +- It helps to increase the quality and quantity of plants, flowers, and fruits. +To cap it all, this product comes with an easy to use and trusted PH test kit, to help test the alkalinity or acidity of the nutrients solution supplied to the plant’s roots. +According to the attached PH test kit indicator, when it shows the color Red, it means that the pH is very low. In contrast, an indicator of the color blue shows that the pH is very high, but a color yellow to a color yellow-green indicates that the PH level is perfect. +Pros: +- It comes with 4 net cups. +- 40 GPH air pump. +- It has tubing, air stone, and an oz. drops pH kit. +- The kit is easy to set up despite the absence of a manual. +- It comes with a Sight Level Tube and an attached water level indicator. +Cons: +- It doesn’t come with the attached nutrients for the plant. You have to purchase your nutrients separately by yourself. +- It doesn’t come with a manual. +- The bubble bucket doesn’t come with a lid. +Savvygrow Dwc Hydroponics Growing System-kit +What We Liked Most About This Product +First and foremost, the thrilling part of this product is that it can work for anything vegetation. +When you think of planting and growing anything plant; be it vegetables, fruits, flowers, and even herbs; this product has got you covered. +Product Overview +The SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit is the best Deep Water Culture system for farmers and gardeners who would love to grow organic plants in their homes. +With this bubble bucket, you can plant your herbs, spices, vegetables, beans, and flowers just in the comfort of your home. +You don’t need a big orchard, farmland, or garden to achieve this. The SavvyGrow DWC Kit has made it possible. +Besides, this Deep Water Culture System kit comes with six 5-gallon buckets, which means that you have six buckets to plant six different varieties of plants that you desire. +Also, any plant you grow with the SavvyGrow kit is undoubtedly going to come out bigger, better, and more delicious than any you have tasted before. +Pros: +- It contains air stone that aids natural oxygenation of the plants. +- The kit has tubing and drains system. +- It doesn’t require regular cleaning and maintenance. +- It possesses high quality and long-lasting air pump. +- Easy to use, most notably for the greenies behind the ears. +Cons: +- It gets sold out fast. +Can I use distilled water with the PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon system? +The answer is yes. +But it is better to use the regular tap water, which contains magnesium, potassium, and calcium that your plants need for proper growth. +But if you still want to use distilled water for your plant, you need to make sure that you make up for those minerals missing in your distilled water. +Do I need to clean my PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon after each use? +You don’t have to clean your PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon at all times. You can decide to wait until the end of the planting cycle before you wash it. +Can I grow cannabis in my PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon? +If you are in a country where growing cannabis is legalized, of course, you can. +Can I plant melon and tomatoes in my SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit? +Yes, you can. This is the only product offering that feature for now. +You can grow beans, tomatoes, melon, and any organic food in your SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit. +Do I need to place my SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit in a glasshouse before I start growing my organic plants? +No, you don’t have to put your SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit in a garden or plant house before you can grow your plants. +Does the Viagrow 4-Site Hydroponic Deep Water Culture Vegetative System come with a growing nutrient? +No, the Viagrow 4-Site Hydroponic Deep Water Culture Vegetative System doesn’t come with a growing nutrient, but you can purchase a growing nutrient from any online store where planting items are sold. +How can I feed water into the Alfred Horticulture 4-site (5-Gal Bucket) Deep Water Culture (DWC)? +Because the buckets are not joined to each other by any pipe, you have to feed water into the buckets one after the other manually. +But if you have a problem with manually feeding your Alfred Horticulture 4-site (5-Gal Bucket) Deep Water Culture (DWC), you should go for other hydroponics 5-gallon products that feature a mechanical water feeding process. +Is a transplant feasible and possible with the HTG DWC Hydroponic Bucket System? +Yes, it is. +But it will take a lot of technical intricacies and know-how, and this why we would advise that you start again. +What is the quantity of water that can be fed into the HTG Supply 5-Gallon Bubble Boy Single Shot Deep Water Culture (DWC) Hydroponic Bucket System? +As much as 4 gallons and as little as 3 gallons. +Is it hard to change water from Deep Water Culture buckets that don’t have a drain system? +It could be a hard nut to crack, but you can work a drain system out on your bucket to make the job easier on you. +If you try to drain your buckets manually, you might end up hurting your plant and destabilizing the PH level of the nutrient; and this defeats the purpose of using hydroponics 5-gallon buckets in the first place. +Which of the products has a warranty? +Only the PowerGrow Systems Hydroponics Bucket Kit 5 Gallon has a year warranty for now. But this doesn’t mean other products are not right too or are easily defected. +How do you sterilize the buckets after a planting cycle? +Check the attached manual of your hydroponics 5-gallon bucket for any sterilizing instructions. +But if it is not included in the manual, or if your hydroponics 5-gallon bucket didn’t come with a manual, below is how to disinfect your buckets effectively. +After a planting cycle, you need to empty your bucket, pour a bleaching agent in the bucket, and allow to soak for a few minutes, after which you add detergent and wash with water. +Rinse after, and allow to dry. +Does the Viagrow 4-Site Hydroponic Deep Water Culture Vegetative System come with a growing medium, or would I have to purchase outside? +It comes with the Viastone grow rocks as growing medium, and it is very beneficial to your plants. +Will the Atwater HydroPod – Standard A/C Powered DWC Deep Water Culture/Recirculating Drip Hydroponic Garden System Kit fit into a 32” by 32” space? +Of course, make sure you don’t spread the buckets too far from one another. +How can one purchase the SavvyGrow DWC Hydroponics Growing System-Kit if it gets sold out fast? +Try to find a way to reach out to the manufacturer to know if there is a way you can get notified when the next batch is produced. +Can I use other growing mediums asides the one that comes with my hydroponics 5-gallon bucket? +You can, but you need to first inquire from the manufacturer of your hydroponics 5-gallon bucket if you can use any other growing medium aside from the one that comes with your hydroponics 5-gallon bucket. +How reliable and productive is the use of hydroponics 5-gallon buckets for my plant’s growth? +It is very reliable and productive, hence the purpose of this article, and a trial will convince you. +Conclusion +It is no gainsaying that the Deep Water Culture hydroponics method is the future of plants growing all over the world. +This method has made it possible for gardeners to grow plants without fussing about the poor soil conditions of their gardens and farmhouses. +And this is a massive plus for gardeners, horticulturists, and farmers who reside in areas with limited access to good soil such as the deserts. +Asides from the fact that they won’t have to bother about searching for good soil, they can also make use of desert-sand as a growing medium for their hydroponics buckets. +Hydroponics is a win-win method for every gardener and plant farmer. +And this is why you must join the moving train, and purchase your Deep Water Culture hydroponics 5-gallon buckets immediately. +In making your choice of a hydroponics 5-gallon bucket, there are vital features to look out for in a hydroponics 5-gallon bucket. And they are: +- Your desired bucket’s ability to expand to accommodate more plants. +- The air pump feature of your desired bucket. +- The reservoir water capacity of your desired bucket. You need to buy a bucket with the ability to contain enough water. +Also, you have to remember to choose the bucket that fits your budget, one that you can maintain, and one that fits your desired plant. +You need to know precisely what you are looking for in a hydroponics 5-gallon bucket before you make up your mind. +In the same vein, before you make your order from that online store or pay at the offline store, be sure that you are buying from a certified and trustworthy seller. +There are so many uncertified sellers out there, and you need to be careful, so you don’t end up buying substandard buckets. +We hope we can trust you to make the right choice when the time comes for you to purchase one for your plants. +12″ Huffy Disney Princess Bikes royal would want. +What makes a bike a princess bike? Apparently, there’s two things that bikes being marketed under that description have in common – bold graphics on colorful frames and lots of great girl-powered accessories. Most of these princess bikes come equipped with a set of removable training wheels and handlebar streamers. Other popular accessories include baby carriers, handlebar baskets, bells, purses and backpacks. One model even comes with an enchanted doll carriage that sits on the handlebars. +Before choosing a princess bike, measure your child’s inseam. The inseam is the measurement from the ground up to the crotch. Don’t forget to measure them while wearing the shoes your child typically plays in. Add an inch to the measurement and then look for the model which is the closest match. +12″ Huffy Disney Princess Bikes +Huffy has teamed up with Disney and offers a variety of princess-themed bikes designed for children 3 to 6 years old. They offer three different sizes – 12, 14 and 16 inches tall. We’ll be discussing several of the 12-inch models. The documentation from Huffy did not provide guidance on weight limitations for their 12-inch bikes. One third-party seller suggested children should weigh less than 50 pounds. +The training wheels are removable. The wheels themselves are hard plastic with a metal support structure. +All of the models we discuss, including the 16″ model do not have kickstands. +The bike chains are well covered to prevent clothing from getting tangled in the links. These princess bikes all have coaster brakes (the ones where you push the pedals backward to brake). Tires are rubber tube tires that require air. +According to the general bike owner’s manual, we found on the Huffy website, the steel bike frames are warranted for life. (The princess bikes appear to all have steel frames.) The fork on the princess bikes are also warranted for life. All other components are warranted for six (6) months from the date of purchase. Huffy will pay to replace components found to be defective by Huffy however, the original owner must pay all labor and transportation charges connected with the repair or warranty work. +The Huffy Princess bikes do not offer the EZ Assembly feature and will require assembly. We suggest you schedule at least an hour, two to be safe, for assembly. According to the user’s manual, you will likely need a small adjustable wrench that opens to at least 9/16 inch, open-end wrenches, flat-blade screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, slip-joint pliers and metric allen wrenches. However, parents report needing only a screw driver and a pair of pliers. +12″ Disney Princess Bike with Rear Doll Carrier +We love this model. It’s pink! Even the training wheels are pink. The official product descriptions don’t say who will join your child on this princess bike, but we’ve spotted Cinderella, Belle, Snow White, Arial, Tiana and Princess Jasmin on the model we looked at. Rapunzel, Merda, Fa Mulan and Pocahontas may be there as well, we just didn’t spot them in the product photos. +The most charming and fun accessory that comes with this model is the behind the seat royal doll carrier. Treasured dolls and teddies can ride in the carrier in much the same way infants and toddlers do in similar seats on adult bikes. The molded plastic seat is princess pink with passenger safety features of rail-like decorations and a seat-belt with a velcro closure. +Your little one will love the shimmering tassels which hang from handlebars trimmed in hearts. The numerous princess stickers also feature glittery and shimmery accents. The most important bling on this Disney princess bikes are the reflectors on the heart-shaped pedals. +Your little princess can warn everyone to make way for her royal personage with the included bell. It has a clever rotating design that is perfect for smaller hands. +We particularly like this model because of the padding on the front handlebars. +This model only comes in the 12-inch size. +Last update: 2017-05-23 +12″ Disney Princess Bikes with Enchanted Doll Carriage +The Disney Princesses will accompany your little one everywhere she goes on this sweet little pink and purple bike. Again, we’re not sure if all of the Disney Princesses puts in an appearance but we’ve spotted at least five of them on the frame and padded seat. The cute doll carriage is also decorated with several smiling princesses. +The handlebar tassels are a shimmery pearl and the training wheels are decorated with shimmering pink hearts. The pedals are a more traditional shape but do have the edge reflectors. Unfortunately, they appear to be the only reflectors on this model and we would strong urge families to add more reflective elements to this model. +The carriage makes it possible for your little one to bring her favorite doll or teddy everywhere she goes; as long as they weigh less than 2.5 pounds. The carriage is removable for play or installation on another bike. It comes unassembled. +We have mixed feelings about this particular princess bike. The doll carriage perches on the handlebars, leaving no room for padding. The kids absolutely love it and we haven’t found anyone complaining it has led to injuries but, we suspect the carriages, when full of toys, could negatively impact the balance of the bike. +Last update: 2017-05-23 +Disney Frozen Princess Bike +Does your little one love Anna, Elsa and Olaf? Then this charming princess bike might be the perfect fit. Huffy offers this model in 12-inch and 16-inch sizes. +Snowflakes and icicles adorn this Disney Princess bike. Kids will love riding around with their Frozen favorites. They can carry their favorite treasures in the backpack too. +We like this one because it has both handlebar padding and a soft neoprene backpack for carrying treasures. It features a frosty teal blue diamond frame with purple and blue accents. The training wheels and foot pedals are purple. Traditional styling on the pedals with reflectors along the edge. +Shimmery streamers in pearl and teal dangle from each of the handlebars. +A Bit Disappointed in Huffy +Huffy has been making bicycles for over 120 years. You would think they would be experts in knowing what people want to know when purchasing their products. Their product descriptions did not answer all of our questions. We’ve found more detailed information on third-party sellers than the Huffy site. We’ve also seen what appears to be some differences in styling and safety features +How Many Princesses? +Parents are left to assume that all of the Disney princesses make an appearance on the Disney Princess bikes. We caution parents that the Disney Princess bikes might not have all of your child’s favorites. +Are Reflectors Included? +The iridescent stickers do have some reflective properties. However, the product descriptions and photos do not mention if there are front and rear reflectors. We have checked out a number of videos from happy families who own these bikes. Those videos all have shown a red rear reflector and a white front reflector. However, other families are reporting that they did not receive reflectors. +In researching these bicycles, we noticed that there are slight variations in the frame colors, pedal colors and graphics from those shown in the Huffy product photos. For example, the Frozen Princess bike is shown with a frosty teal blue frame and purple trim. One Youtube video clearly shows a white axel, pink trim, pink pedals and slightly different graphics. The chain cover is also plastic instead of metal. +The differently colored frames and pedals might merely reflect slight changes in product design from one year to the next, a case of offering slightly different products to different retailers to meet pricing requirements or some other issue. The Huffy safety sticker and other Huffy branding were visible on the bikes with different colors. We don’t really see this as a deal breaker but do think it is something worth mentioning. +Safety Suggestion From Cool Outdoor Toys +Many of these toddler and pre-teen sized bikes come with warnings about not being street-worthy. Families report they work great both inside and out. We suspect those warnings are not truly about the bike’s ability to handle blacktop or concrete but are about children this size riding in roadways. Families should always watch over children this small and provide safe places to play that limits their exposure to street traffic. +We were surprised that Huffy did not make it clear if their bikes came equipped with reflectors. And, some of the accessories clearly block the front reflectors. +We all know children may occasionally defy house rules and make a quick dash across the street or down the sidewalk crossing driveway entrances. If you don’t want to invest in bike safety lights, we would suggest purchasing some reflective tape. The kids will love the added bling and drivers will be more able to see your kids in low-light conditions. And, with the tape you have left, you could add some to bike helmets, strollers, your own bikes or even Halloween costumes. +Check The Box! +We have noticed a number of families reporting key components of the bikes were not in the boxes. We saw this happening with all of the children’s bikes, not just those made by Huffy. +Rather than simply sending replacement parts, the manufacturers are often asking families to return the entire bike. +Oddly enough, many of the families had already assembled the bikes even when such obviously required pieces like the seat or one of the pedals was missing. Save yourself the headache of assembling and dis-assembling an incomplete bike by always checking all of the parts arrived and are in working order. +Do We Recommend Huffy Disney Princess Bikes? +All in all, the reviews on these Disney princess bikes were positive. Most of the complaints folks had were the same complaints being made with virtually every kids bike on the market. +Kids absolutely love riding with their favorite Disney Princesses. These bikes are super cute and families often end up buying more than one. +Were we shopping for a riding toy for a 3-6-year-old girl, we would definitely include these Disney princess bikes on our short list. Reflectors can be easily added and the color differences won’t matter once your little one sees their Disney favorites. +But many guys fall for this trick because it sounds really straightforward and clear to them. They are always looking for the easy way out. Your psychological drive is what is keeping you from getting better with girls. +Sure, Derek might be a great guy with a wonderful personality, but Heather has standards in what she is searching for in a guy. She does not wish to pick up the invoice whenever they go out somewhere. And Heather knows that she doesn't just want to wait for who knows how long for Derek to receive his act together, get a job, go out of his mother's Brocket Alberta cheap local sluts, and find some hobbies that involve him knowingly engaging in the entire world around him( as opposed to passively observing and speculating about the lives of other online dating in spanish) . +Establishing Online Dating Relationships: Safety First Online dating can be fun. Yet don't neglect safety and security as well as good sense when you try to hook up with a companion. At minimum, take care in the adhering to areas. +Jeff and I excused ourselves and went into our table. I was glad to have eliminated any married dating apps free Brocket from the area before it had a chance to fester. I had been so indifferent about our running I sent a round of Brocket Alberta casual sex ny to Trey's table. +Following thefirst'adjustment' period and elimination from porn and masturbation, go all inwith'NoFap' and experience the local sluts power of sexual transmutation and channeling your sex drive into heading out meeting girls in real life and functioning on yourself in other ways. +Care to take a guess about what she had been texting me to get on Bumble? If you figured that she wanted me to Brocket find local sluts nude her like the property of an Alabama sharecropper, congrats! You were totally right! I never met with her, because she did not take kindly to the fact that I blew her off twice. I was out with another woman and then the next time I hadbeen'busy'didn't feel like that. Anyways, this is a really good case to produce a couple points about how things work under the surface of dating. +My friends would tell you I am an easy local anal sluts Brocket Alberta, local sluts guy that likes to have fun. " Why? Well the first statement makes you seem vulnerable and needy. As I might have stated before this is not a trait that girls find sexy. No matter what you do, while it's meeting in person, casual sex porn subreddit your very first email, speaking on the phone, or compiling your profile, you wish to depict confidence- - which is what women find appealing. Using a statement like the one over, you have just declared to the entire world( and his spouse) thatyou're desperate, needy and see internet relationship as some kind of last resort. Is this? The second statement in itself actually has no significance whatsoever because she does not know your friends( well not yet anyway) so why shouldn't care at this point what they believe about you? If you are trying to say that your friends believe thatyou're funny why not write something as an opener for your profile? That would be more effective than saying the remarks of people she does not understand. +If compassion does not come naturally to you, or if you've cut yourself off from empathy as you fear it'll be too embarrassing, you can learn how to cultivate compassion in your relationship with a small practice and effort. +However, whatever you do, local sluts Don Mills ON away from the following photos: You might have been a knock out but if that's not you today, take it. Reality- - you're the man who frees you back in the mirror and like it or not that is the individual a partner is going to meet. So there's no point in kidding yourself and other people, it local married sluts Brocket AB only return and bite you. +And do you understand why? Since yours is that society has on us. A society where girls have used beauty to acquire advantages itself was seen as an element of significance. +The attractive, confident man doesn't obey this. Even more slow down when he feels the eyes of everybody around him burning into him. He becomes more relaxed. He's completely comfortable with himself and with all the pressure. +After we got to the tube station, he jumped out, left his huge Range Rover and walked me. And boy that the Italian can kiss! His kisses were gentle yet probing, soft yet firm. . . you could tell he was well- practiced. And I replied. I felt like a teen- - there around London's streets kissing this guy! What would people say? Really who cares? As I practically flew local sluts ad Brocket AB the channel steps I had a feeling I would be seeing more of IS. +Example: Good: " You and I understand we are not sexually appropriate, and we do not need to pretend anymore. I really don't bombarded messages online dating Brocket to make you feel bad, but at the same time I don't wish to suffer anymore. " Bad: " You're very dreadful in bed, and in fact, you're nevertheless an amateur despite instructing you several times. I can't explain how I feel whenever we make love, and I haven't experienced a orgasm since we met over a year ago. It is a shame" Good: " Your future plans don't align with mine, and at this time, going our different ways are the ideal choice. " Poor: " You do not have any future soft core dating apps, in actuality, your plans are useless, and you have the head of a rocking horse. " It's clear we disagree on many things. " Bad: " I hate your smoking and probate customs, and I really don't like the fact you go to religious gatherings. Nothing seems to be nice about you. " Keep it Clean Sometimes the other party might want to give reasons to stay to you. Good for you if they do, although if they don't, avoid disagreements protests, and insults. Then there is no use going back even if the other party attempts to persuade you, once you decide that the relationship should end with goal reasons. The dfw hookers Brocket Alberta will occur, so there is no need to be. +Ask Friends you might be the same and I hate looking at photographs of myself. This can make it hard to know which ones are better than others. After a whileyou're going to be able to figure out which photographs are much better than others, but to begin with you should take some advice. Email a couple and ask them which ones they believe make you look great. They will have a much better idea than you may and you may be surprised by their ideas. +If you get into a relationship with a woman or begin dating and you start to get too comfortable and complacent she find her eyes questioning in search of green pastures. +A bigger rift was caused by the discovery in Gilda's household. Her daughter- in- law asked Gilda to remove her grandchildren's photos from her FB page. The problem was that the kids may be in danger from the scammer that Gilda had connected to. +One way to demonstrate confidence with tamarindo prostitutes Saint-Adrien language is to keep your hands out of your pockets. When they are uneasy or unsure of 17, men tend to place their hands. Incidentally do you notice that guys seem bent over or who do this often slouch? I have noticed that on numerous occasions. That's how other people will see you, as long as you've got your hands filled down your trouser pockets. This reveals people you've got nothing to hide and indicates confidence. Instead, consider placing your hands on your hips; it's better or a far more confident make sure they are in your side. +Now you may say to yourself, " This is a local sluts tumblr Lashburn ridiculous. Is it logical to draw these kinds of inferences? Is it scientifically accurate to state plants feel pain? Is it sensible to treat plants such as people? Fair enough there is absolutely no scientific where are the local sluts Brocket AB to be drawn from this. It is merely conjecture. But I am not really trying to make a scientific debate about plant perception. I am arguing that one person's anthropomorphizing is another individual's exposing local sluts Brocket Alberta. An honest person can acknowledge that these are determinations. Here's another example: There are law firms specializing in preserving the legal rights of the Earth; just one such company, Earthjustice, has the motto: " Because the Earth needs a good lawyer" . How utterly ridiculous. Can we bring a plant? Should we give the Amazon rainforest account and a social security number? Are we to draw the line? And to a degree, any stretch of the imagination arbitrarily draws these ethical distinctions. It would be hard, maybe impossible to conjure a defense of faulty thinking. We must inquire, does the feeling of morality warrant you to act as though they're in possession of this augmented reality? At some point we aren't serious inquisitions and must realize that these are. +Are twin flames ever violent with each other because of the frustration? Frustration, anger, anxiety, and stress exist to expose the pain that both Twin Flames have. That having been said, violence is not part and parcel of the Twin Flame relationship. +She will give far to you more attention than she gives anyone else. Again she's attempting to be subtle and not so evident. However, she is still hoping to show you that she likes you. This is one method of accomplishing this. +The entire final thought is this" Quit criticizing others, and likewise yourself, as well as begin working to boost yourself, the beginning is one of the most tough, then good ideas come on their very own. " Good guys end up last? Do they? The answer is categorically no, yet it looks like they do, doesn't it? Good guys do not finish last, individuals that act wonderful do. If an alpha individual behaves entirely, as well as attempts to obtain a lady, he won't be a penis with her, he'll simply be nice like he is with every person else. However a douchebag who chats ladies behind their backs, and simply wants to get in the women trousers exposing local sluts videos Brocket be nice with her, yet it won't work. +Any message you send must be in line with this. Do not simply send a message that you had forwarded to five others to her. She'll likely notice it and she won't be afraid to delete it. Unfortunately, internet dating makes it effortless to mass communicate with women and I know how exhausting this can be. But it's the same with anything else in life. Do not make that mistake and believe that you can come up that it is possible to send to girls. It will feel obscure and the chances are they will figure out your game. +For me, this journey was a thorough commitment to finding the ideal person, however long that took. But Cynde's story was much different from mine. I had been the date she went following her divorce, at the urging of a coworker. She'd have never anticipated these outcomes. Don't place and hope to obtain the individual in a timeline. It differs for every person. For me personally, it was interacial sex dating decades of learning. For her, it had been the date. +Life ventures are very similar to cooking a recipe for the very first time. You need time to plan and prepare. Set yourself up for success, but realize failure is a possibility. Take notes and you'll learn for the next time. +When users flag improper or violent content I get to decide if the item goes or stays. Images of pets, kids, tattoos, extreme close ups- are violations and get deleted; and graphic or sexual images are deleted. That's easy. +Are you looking for a high-quality electric guitar for your kids but still can’t find any great instruments? Well, it is hard to get the best guitar that suits your children. To help you with, Carroll / Fletcher has listed 19 Best Electric Guitar For Kids in 2020. +The most important thing when choosing the best electric guitar for kids is that you have to find one that matches your child’s playing style, and preference because each kid has a different musical style and goal playing the guitar. For example, some kids play the guitar with friends just for fun while others play seriously, aiming to be professional guitar players. Therefore, in a wide range of guitar options, it is hard for you to look for a guitar that meets all your child’s needs. However, don’t worry, we are here to give you our best electric guitars for you to consider buying for your children. +We have done some studies, read some guitarists reviews of some electric guitars for kids and have narrowed down to just 19 electric guitars for kids that we think you should take a closer look at. We hope you can find the best electric guitar for kids after reading our detailed reviews, a summary table of some guitars, and answers of some common questions from buyers below. +Detailed Reviews Of 19 Best Electric Guitar For Kids +** Below, you will find our detailed reviews of the Best Electric Guitar For Kids, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon. +Detailed Reviews Of Top Best Electric Guitar For Kids +Specifications: +Squier Strat Mini, like the Fender Stratocaster-one of the best electric guitars for kids manufacturing business, also has the same flexible and fantastic musical instrument. However, the only difference between them is this Strat Mini in small scale structure. This Squier Strat Mini has a strong 3/4 sized basswood body with a C shaped maple neck which provides those with little hands with the ability to reach all the notes on the fingerboard and play comfortably. It also has 22.75 inches scale length, and 22 frets on a rosewood fingerboard. +The construction of the guitar is solid, strong, and has the appearance of a first-class guitar. The electric guitar’s hardware is the thing that you would expect from the usual Strat pickups arrangement. It has three single-coils, a five-way switch that permits you to change between tones rapidly. The guitar producer provided two handles, one for controlling tones while others for controlling volume. There are also six die-cast tuners and the headstock that keep the guitar in tune for a long time. +One more outstanding thing about this Strat guitar is the sound. Although this is a low-cost instrument, it doesn’t influence the sound. The tone is bright, clear and can produce a variety of frequencies, including basses and high tones. Though you may get a bit more slender sound from a genuine Strat, it is still worth the cost for the light tone you hear. +Moreover, Squier Strat Mini also has a guitar strap, clip-on tuner, picks, cleaning fabric, and a guid book that may help those who begin to learn how to play their electric guitar. +Overall, this Squier Strat Mini is one of the best electric guitars for kids who want to try out various classifications. +Specifications: +Ibanez GRGM21BKN has a perfect structure, great features, and a 3/4 size that makes it a top decision for kids. This electric guitar has 22 inches scale length, and a combination of a mahogany body, maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard with an amazing 24 frets on the reduced neck and the sharp decorates which we have generally expected from Ibanez. The neck is sufficiently slim, making it simpler and comfortable for young children to play without feeling awkward. The GRG21BKN is also lightweight so that the kids with small hands can carry it around straightforwardly. +The hardware accompanies a couple of two humbuckers and a three-way switch for pickup determination, a tone knob for sonic control, and tonic alterations. There is also a volume knob, headstock, dark pick-guard, hard-tail bridge and six die-cast turners. +This guitar delivers a rich and deep sound that you might probably not expect from this budget-friendly guitar. It provides you with clear trebles and punchy middles. And if your child needs to shred, then this is a perfect guitar for them to consider. This guitar can last for many years without any big problems due to the great tonewood and the instrument’s high-quality structure. GRGM21BKN is a wonderful electric guitar and certainly meets the youngster demands of a shredder. +Overall, Ibanez GRGM21BKN is among the best electric guitars for kids that can stay in tune perfectly. +Specifications: +Although the Peavey brand is well-known for its amplifiers, they also have produced many incredible electric guitars for youngsters, including this Peavey Iron Man Rockmaster. +The Peavey Iron Man Rockmaster has an amazing appearance that attracts many children who love Iron Man. It has 22.5 inches scale length and a 3/4 sized body, making it truly appropriate for youngsters or people with small hands to play comfortably. Most of this guitar’s materials are usual because some still are valuable material. Iron Man Rockmaster has a strong basswood double-cutaway body with a bolt-on maple neck. All 21 frets are accessible effortlessly because of the instrument’s good shape. As you would have speculated from the name, it also has an enormous, lovely picture of Iron Man on the guitar. And Rockmaster also sells guitars that have other famous character images such as Captain America and Spiderman. +This guitar has a simple hardware, which is the main feature to keep the price of the guitar down. In this way, there is just only one humbucker at the bridge position. Because of the push/pull coil-splitting capacity on the tone control knob, your kid can even try out a single-coil sound. There is also a volume control knob, a fixed bridge and two diecast chrome tuners. +Iron Man Rockmaster generally has a bright sound; however, because of the single-pickup, it can’t produce the tone with much flexibility. But, it permits your kid to keep it simple, which makes it straightforward for them when they figure out how to play the electric guitar. +Overall, the Peavey Iron Man Rockmaster has genuinely great playability at an affordable price and is another best electric guitar for kids who love superheroes. +Specifications: +Mitchell MM100 is another best electric guitar for kids that has an amazing and cool appearance. It has 22.5 inches scale length and a Super Strat body with excellent curves and edges, making it a perfect electric guitar for children. It features a combination of a basswood body, a bolt-on maple neck and Indian rosewood fretboard, which all support to produce a fantastic sound. This guitar has 24 medium frets with two humbuckers, which allow you to make a thick, misshapen tone. +Yamaha is proven as a real bargain and beginner guitar options, including this Yamaha Gigmaker electric guitar. It is designed with playability and comfortable, making it the ideal guitar for the young children to learn how to play. +Yamaha Gigmaker can hold tune very well, making it simple for beginners who learn to tune their electric guitar for the first time. It also has the greatest tremolo bridge system, which makes it partially similar to a full-sized electric guitar on the Yamaha line. +Moreover, this electric guitar features a few extras, such as a 15-watt Yamaha amp, which packs enough energy to be able to deal with any jam or practice session. It also has a marked gig pack, tremolo bar, tuner, guitar strings, picks, and cables. Above all, it comes with an instructional Quickstart DVD, which helps the young learners to be an expert in playing electric guitar. +Specifications: +Short Scales electric guitars have become more popular nowadays. Although this guitar is shorter and smaller, it is still amazing as a full-sized guitar and a great choice for children and amateurs. +Squier by Fender Short Scale Stratocaster has a 24-inch scale length with a poplar body and a C shape maple neck. The shape is a Stratocaster, which makes it simpler for the kids to hold and play this guitar easily. There are 20 medium large-sized frets with dot inlays. The smooth neck makes it appropriate for some players with fast playing style, and it can remain comfortable for quite a long time. +Although this electric guitar has simple hardware, it still works very well. It is designed with a SSS pickup and has a single-coil pick situated on the bridge, center, and neck. It also comes with a wonderful volume and tone. It doesn’t have a tremolo bar but has a hardtail six-saddle bridge instead which keeps the strings safer and stable along the neck. Despite being made out of inexpensive material, this guitar still produces the great Strat tone if you tune the guitar correctly. +Overall, the Short Scale Stratocaster is one of the best electric guitars for kids who simply learn how to play. It originates from a well-known company that has everything you need to start playing. +Specifications: +If you are searching for a stylish and high-quality guitar for your kid, then this Rise by Sawtooth electric guitar is the great instrument that you should spend time taking a closer look at. +The Rise by Sawtooth has a lovely design with 3/4 size and 24 inches scale length, which makes it easier for young children with small hands to hold and reach all the notes. It is available for both right-handed and left-handed players. It also comes with a basswood body, a maple neck, and a maple fretboard with dot inlays. +This electric guitar also has moderately standard chrome hardware and a non-adjustable shaft piece single humbucker, which implies your kid won’t have the option to deliver as flexible as sounds and various kinds of music on this guitar. However, it is a worthy guitar that is made of incredible and high-quality materials, and it is still the best electric guitar for kids to begin playing the guitar. +Specifications: +The Davidson electric guitar has a lower price that may make you feel unreliable. You may think that this electric guitar is incapable of fulfilling your durability and good sound demand. However, we have to inform you that this guitar still has many excellent features you are looking for since it is made of many high-quality materials. It includes a great humbucker and a fretboard that is totally made for young players with small hands playing comfortably. The humbucker is perfect so that you can easily reach a growly rock sound if you like. +This Davison guitar is suitable for heavier rock tones, and if you would like to have a greater fresh, lively tone, then this instrument is not a good one for you. This guitar can stay in tune for a long time; therefore, you won’t need to tune it continually. +Overall, this Davison is an excellent electric guitar for the kids who begin to learn how to play. If you don’t have enough money to buy an expensive one, then you should consider this guitar as it is a budget-friendly one that also has a guitar amp with a headphone jack, a case, strap and pitch pipe. The package has a reasonable price and can give you, your child or some rock stars need to learn how to play the electric guitar. +Specifications: +The Smartxchoices Kids electric guitar is suggested for the kids at the age of three and is an amazing small guitar with a smooth completion. When you take a look closer at this guitar, you will see that the black finish over the wood grain of the hardwood makes the guitar look more appealing. The light wood neck also makes the look of the guitar, even more, stand out and wonderful. +The Smartxchoices also has rosewood with 22 frets. The strings are simple for children with smaller hands to press down on, and it also produces a deep and rich sound. It has 30 inches scale length, which makes it an ideal instrument for kids to play the guitar easily. +This guitar features a guitar pick, a small amp with 5-watt, strap, and a cable cord. You can clip the amp onto your kid’s clothes for easier portability. +Overall, Smartxchoices is one of the best electric guitars for kids who start learning to play the guitar. +Specifications: +If your child dreams of having an electric guitar with rock ‘n’ roll style, this RockJam RJEG02 will make your child’s dream come true. It is a wonderful guitar that has ST design, shiny finish, and great playability that will help your child play comfortably and easily in a short time. +At this reasonable price, the RockJam features some high-quality hardware, such as three single-coil pickups that will offer your kid a fantastic playing experience feeling. Because it has a humbucker pickup, it can produce a great raspy rock sound. The whammy bar makes string bending incredibly simple. +Overall, this RockJam RJEF02 is among the best electric guitars for kids to play, improve their skills and have a chance to try out many different kinds of music. +The Squier Mini electric guitar is a fabulous electric guitar for the beginners as well as professional players. It has 22.75 inches scale length and 20 frets which make it great for small hands. This guitar has some significant features like its counterpart-the Fender Stratocaster, such as three single-coil pickups, good volume and tone controls, a hard-tail bridge and rosewood fingerboard. +This guitar has a 1/4 sized electric guitar body and C shaped satin-finished neck with 20 medium frets and 9.5 fingerboard radius. There are also three single-coil pickups, a tone control, volume and five-way pickup selector switch, which all offer a wide range of great tones. It also has the chrome to hardtail bridge and many string gauges through the truss rod that makes the guitar more great playability. +Overall, this is one of the best electric guitars for kids to enjoy the playing experience on our list. +The Ibanez Mikro is one of the best electric guitars for kids and rockers who love a smaller neck and body design. This guitar features chrome hardware and infinity R humbuckers with 24 medium frets and dot inlays on a maple fingerboard. It also has a poplar RG body and maple neck with 22 inches scale length, making it the right one for beginners or experts playing during a trip or travel around. +Another remarkable electric guitar for kids over three years old that has a lot of outstanding features is the Red Half Size Kids electric guitar with built-in amp. It is a 1/2 scale length guitar that has a strong basswood body, light wood neck and a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets, making it a stylish instrument for the beginners, the kids, and the professionals as well. You can’t find any other guitars that have a great 9V battery and built-in speaker like this one. It also comes with a die-cast tuner and single-coil pickup with volume control which will give you a fantastic feeling when playing this guitar. +The RED Junior Kids Mini is a perfect electric guitar for kids. It has a small body shape and lightweight which is easy for children to handle simply. It comes with a basswood body, a smooth maple neck and a maple fretboard. If you love LP sounding Strat, you will get there immediately because of its basswood body. +Overall, the RED Junior Kids is a truly simple electric guitar for kids to handle and play. However, those who begin to play the guitar may find it undoubtedly easy to handle because of its lightweight body and simple design. RED Junior can produce deep, rich sounds so that the younger players will certainly love playing it during their guitar practicing process. +Specifications: +The Yamaha Pacifica is one of the best guitars of all time. Suppose you examine the price, the construction, the various finish options and the high-quality tone of the guitar. In that case, you will understand why this electric guitar is always a perfect musical instrument used at school. It features 25.5 inches scale length, an alder body, a maple neck and a rosewood fingerboard. It has a humbucker in the bridge position, helping to reach thicker, deeper, and higher-output tones, which are perfect for rock and metal. It also has two single-coils that provide trebly snap, nice volume and tone, five-way pickup selector and vintage-style tremolo. +Overall, Yamaha Pacifica is on the top of the best electric guitar for kids and beginners to learn how to play with its beautiful design and high-quality hardware. +Specifications: +Squier Special Edition Bullet Stratocaster, as its name implies, is the special electric guitar with many outstanding features that is proven as a suitable one for kids to play. It has the same design with its parent brand Fender, but downsizes some expensive parts and allows playable electrics that produce a better tone compared to some of its counterparts. +This Strat has 25.5 inches scale, a famous Seafoam Green completion, a vintage-style tremolo for whammy bar wobble and three single-coil pickups. +Overall this Squier Special Edition Bullet Strat is among the best electric guitars for kids in the Stratocaster line. +Specifications: +Epiphone SG Classic Worn P-90s is more costly than the others in our list; however if your kid is really serious about playing the guitar, and perhaps has been playing for a couple of months on a rummage cheapo electric, then you should consider this SG classic as it is a great choice for your child to play into adulthood. +The guitar is based on Gibson’s SG that has two vintage finishes (Worn Green and Worn Cherry), two magnificent sounding pickups and a slim mahogany body with 25.5 scale length that is all suitable for young players. +Overall, this Epiphone SG is a great electric guitar for kids that you should have a closer look at to buy one for your child. +The Squier Classic Vibe '50s Telecaster is designed according to the first Telecaster made by Fender during the '50s. It has an all-pine body with a hazy sparkle polyester finish. We are really into the Butterscotch Blonde variation although the guitar is additionally accessible in a Vintage Blonde completion. The pine body provides a well adjusted reaction. +The one-piece neck is made of maple and has a vintage-color sparkle polyester finish. Its "C" shape makes playing easier. Sound-wise offers a light and lively tone. it has 21 medium frets and dark dot inlays on a maple fingerboard on the top of the neck +Catching the sound of the guitar to replicate the great Tele tone are two custom vintage-style single-coil Tele pickups at the neck and bridge. Children will have no issue exchanging between pickups or using both through the three-position blade. It is also simple to use volume and tone controls. +The Classic Vibe Telecaster '50s has vintage-style tuning machines and a vintage-style string Telecaster bridge for ideal tuning security. The bridge has three metal barrel saddles that add to the twangy tones. +Jackson JS1X Dinky Minion +The Jackson JS1X Dinky Minion is a 2/3 scale electric guitar. It has a tonewood body with a combination of bright and darker color finishes that will attract the kids to look closer at it. The maple neck has a smooth satin finish and an amaranth fingerboard with 24 frets and sharks fin inlay markers. +The Dinky minion has two hums free Jackson designed humbuckers controlled by a 3-position switch, master volume and tone which produce the warm amazing sound. Other hardware is a 6-saddle hardtail with block saddles bridge and sealed chrome die-cast tuners. +Overall, this Dinky Minion is also another best electric guitar for kids so we suggest you consider buying for your children. +Buying Guide for Best Electric Guitar For Kids +Size and Reach +You should carefully consider numerous things at a guitar when purchasing one for your kid, and the first thing to take into account and likely most clearly is the child’s size and reach. Well, a comfortable feeling when playing the guitar is significant. It is because the kids are little, so that if the guitar is too large for kids, then it would be hard for them to press frets and hit higher notes toward the end of the fingerboard. Therefore, it would be better to pick a guitar with smaller bodies, or a small scale length such as 3/4and 2/3 sized. However, if the children insist on trying out a full-size guitar, then just buy one for them. One more thing is that you should also look for light strings, lightweight, a neck that is thin and simple to play. +Musical Style Interests +What does your kid like tuning in to? Or then again what melodies would they be acquainted with? Those are presumably the main things you might want to figure out when choosing a guitar for your kids. The guitar you pick should be appropriate for your kids’ music style or tune. For example, a youngster who grew up tuning into substantial metal might need to have a guitar equipped for delivering similar sounds. +Color Or Style +There are numerous best electric guitars for kids that provide a few shading and finish alternatives. For what reason is this significant? Supposing that kids really like the design of their guitar when it comes to their preferred shading, they immediately pick and start playing the guitar. Kids don't generally think about the specialized specifications of their electric guitar, and they do really care about what it looks like instead. Because of this reason, we recommend you consider what shading or design would attract them while picking an electric guitar. +Quality +The quality of an electric guitar is one of the most important things that you should care about before buying one for your kid. You should check the body for clear imperfections. The imperfection can join things like harsh edged frets, messy fulfillment, machine heads that are hard to change. +Moreover, be careful about poor-quality electric guitars. There are a wide range of electric guitars with modest and awful quality producing an awful sound that it's likely better not to get them by all means. +Action +Action is the distance that the strings are from the fretboard. You need to maintain a strategic distance from guitars with high action since it will be difficult for your children to hold the strings down. +Neck +The design of the neck can directly impact the playability of the guitar. When buying a guitar for kids, you should consider a neck which is slimmer than a standard neck, so that it is suitable for kid's small hands to play comfortably. The neck has the fretboard, which is regularly delivered utilizing a layer of rosewood, and frequently maple. The fretboards have position spots or various markers cut. A couple of specifications list something many relate to as the neck structure, which just strategies how the neck is associated with the guitar. Furthermore, you should be aware of three different sorts of neck form, including jolt-on, set neck, and neck-through. +Tonewood +Tonewoods-Wood type can impact on the sound, notwithstanding the way that for most beginners, the tonewood of a guitar is surely not an enormous factor while picking a guitar. There are various kinds of tonewood, such as mahogany, maple, and rosewood. +Body Types +There are three essential kinds of electric body styles: the strong body, the empty body, and the semi-empty body. The most noteworthy valuable piece of the guitar for kids is a solid and strong body, which is delivered utilizing a solid piece of wood. +Those are only a portion of the interesting points when purchasing a guitar for a youthful player. We trust the data on this page makes your quest for the best electric guitar for your kid simpler. Simply recall, the best guitar is the one your youngster would really need to play and continue playing. +Age To Begin Playing The Guitar +Realizing whether your kid can deal with the guitar is a significant thing that you need to know before looking for a guitar for your kid. Nonetheless, this ought to not be a very remarkable worry for you. There is no fixed age for when a youngster ought to get familiar with the guitar. Normally, a youngster needs to learn or play the guitar at 5 years old or under, and that is the greatest age range to begin learning how to play the guitar. One thing that does make a difference is that if your kid is genuinely ready to hold the guitar, then continue to the next variables. +Explanations Behind Various Electric Guitar Sizes From Child To Child +Each youngster has an individual growth system. Some become quicker while others take time to give perceptible growth signs. This is the motivation behind why the children of a similar age have various heights. Thinking about this reality, the manufacturers have provided a lot of guitars with various sizes to meet different children’s needs with different growth even if they are all in similar age groups. If your kid is taller than his/her age group's normal height, then you should go for guitar size suggested for the older age group. If your child is shorter than his/her age group’s normal stature, then you should go for the size recommended for the lower age group. +Things You Should Do If Your Child Likes A Larger Electric Guitar +There are no exact rules for picking the guitar size. If your kid is profoundly energetic to play a bigger guitar in view of its rich sound and successful tones, don't stop them from endeavoring. It's conceivable that they have the correct potential to play a bigger guitar with extraordinary enthusiasm and the correct methods. +The Ideal Budget To Spend On An Electric Guitar For Kids +In the event that you are able to buy your kid an expensive guitar, you can discover alternatives of tenderfoot guitars for over $1,000. Notwithstanding, kids tend to develop, so if these guitars have a small size, they will struggle to play it in a couple of years. So that this sort of guitar is certifiably not a drawn-out venture. Therefore, it is very easy to solve this problem as you can search for an alternative under $300 instead of purchasing a costly electric guitar. Although these under $300 guitars are affordably-priced, it is truly moderate, and the sound quality is better than average. However, you will not regret burning through cash on it if your child loses enthusiasm for playing the guitar eventually. +Final Thoughts of best electric guitar for kids +Our best choice - Squier Mini Strat +Compared to those 19 best electric guitars for kids on our list, we finally picked the Squier Mini Strat as our best choice. We chose it because of its excellent features. The first outstanding thing about this electric guitar for kids is its affordable price. If your child loves playing the guitar and you do not have much money to buy one, then this Strat must be your first consideration. The second feature that we want to mention is its small size. It has a short scale length that will make your kids feel more comfortable when playing for a long time. One more thing is that this Strat is lightweight, making it a very easy carriage instrument as your kid can bring it everywhere without feeling tired. Last but not least, when buying a guitar, the most important thing we look for is the sound quality; fortunately, this guitar has a high-quality sound with bright and clear tones. Those are all the significant reasons why we choose this best electric guitar for kids. +There is a wide range of different best electric guitars for kids so that you can easily find all the information related to the guitars you are looking for. Just make sure that the guitar you choose matches your child’s style, musical taste and preferences. We hope you can soon get the best electric guitar for your kids after reading our article reviews of the best electric guitars for kids. +See more best seller of Electric Guitar For Kids on Amazon and find the best option for you here! +To assess the effectiveness of intratissue refractive index shaping (IRIS) in living corneas and test the hypothesis that it can be enhanced by increasing the two-photon absorption (TPA) of the tissue. ~150 μm below the tissue surface. The RI change of each grating was measured using calibrated, differential interference contrast microscopy. TUNEL staining was performed to assess whether IRIS or Na-Fl doping causes cell death.. +Ultraviolet nanosecond excimer lasers and near infrared (NIR) femtosecond lasers are two forms of laser technology that have been adopted in ophthalmic practice for the purpose of altering corneal optics and cutting corneal flaps. Ultraviolet excimer lasers use single-photon absorption to ablate corneal tissue, changing the cornea's thickness and curvature and thus its refractive state.1,2 This technology takes advantage of the fact that the cornea naturally absorbs ultraviolet light to photoablate the tissue. Femtosecond lasers use NIR light that is naturally transmitted through the cornea with little one-photon absorption. To affect the cornea, femtosecond laser light must be focused inside the tissue. The resultant increase in laser intensity at the focal point causes localized, nonlinear, multiphoton absorption, allowing for a range of modifications within the tissue; because the absorption is nonlinear, the surrounding tissue is left virtually unaffected.3–5 NIR femtosecond lasers are now used clinically for corneal flap cutting.6–12 Such lasers use low-repetition-rate (kilohertz to several megahertz range) pulses that induce photodisruption and optical breakdown of the corneal tissue, accompanied by high-density microplasma and bubbles. The layer of damaged tissue created by the laser can then be used to separate a tissue flap from the rest of the cornea. +In a very different set of applications, NIR femtosecond lasers have also gained popularity as powerful tools for micromachining patterns into different, mostly nonbiological materials.13–17 When the femtosecond pulses are tightly focused into transparent bulk materials, the resultant nonlinear absorption and highly localized energy deposition alter the material's properties, allowing for the fabrication of different components and devices such as gratings, waveguides, and photonic crystals.18–24 The changes seen in these materials are usually the result of laser-induced two-photon polymerization,18–24 and recent research has shown that this polymerization process can be enhanced by doping bulk materials with photoinitiators or chromophores that have large two-photon absorption (TPA) cross sections.18–20,25 +In 2008, our group showed for the first time, that it is possible to use a low-pulse-energy femtosecond laser to induce low-scattering-loss RI changes in lightly fixed, postmortem corneal and lens tissues.26 These modifications were attained with a 27-fs pulsed laser in the NIR (800 nm) with pulse energies titrated to fall below the optical breakdown threshold of the tissue (<0.5 nJ). This process, termed intratissue refractive index shaping (IRIS), causes long-standing refractive index changes that range between 0.005 and 0.01 in the cornea and 0.015 and 0.021 in the lens.26 However, these changes are achievable only with a slow scanning speed of 0.7 μm/s, which makes realistic clinical application of this method unlikely. Recently, Ding et al.18 reported that both coumarin-1 and fluorescein can be used to enhance the scanning speed and magnitude of RI changes attainable during micromachining in hydrogels, which like the cornea, possess a relatively high water content. Fluorescein is of particular interest, because it is already commonly used in ophthalmic practice for the identification of corneal abrasions and epithelial defects.27 It has also been shown to be safe when injected systemically to visualize retinal vasculature leaks and other abnormalities.27 +Thus, in the present study, our goal was to test two hypotheses: (1) that IRIS can be performed in living, unfixed corneas with greater effectiveness than in our previous report of this phenomenon in fixed postmortem corneas, and (2) that the effects of IRIS can be significantly enhanced if the TPA capability of the living tissue is increased. +Three corneas were excised from two normal, adult, domestic shorthair cats (felis catus) in accordance with the guidelines for the University of Rochester Committee on Animal Research, the ARVO Statement for the Use of Animals in Ophthalmic and Vision Research, and the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals. The cats were first euthanatized with a lethal dose of pentobarbital sodium (Sleepaway; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Fort Dodge, IA). The corneas were surgically removed by cutting around the limbal edge, rinsed in chilled sterile saline solution, cut into six pie-shaped wedges and placed into chilled cornea preservative (Optisol-GS; Bausch & Lomb, Inc., Irvine, CA) containing 0%, 0.25%, 1%, 1.5% or 2.5% sodium fluorescein (Na-Fl; Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO) per volume for 2 hours. +The light transmissivity of the undoped and doped corneal tissues was measured to assess the increased affinity to TPA and clarity of the tissue at the laser wavelength of 800 nm. A spectrometer (HR4000; Ocean Optics, Dunedin, FL) with a 2-mm-diameter pinhole in front of the collection lens (to accommodate the small size, 5–6 mm, of the tissue samples) was used. Each tissue sample was immersed in their respective preservative solutions and placed between a 1-mm-thick glass slide and thin (~0.1 mm) glass coverslip. Full-spectrum light (200–1000 nm) from the spectrometer light source was shone through the coverslip, sample, and slide and directed to the collection lens through the pinhole (Fig. 1A). To account for light loss due to the glass coverslip and slide, we measured the transmissivity of these pieces, as well as the transmission of full-spectrum light through the preservative solution (without cornea), separately. A ring of 700-μm-thick hydrogel was placed on a glass slide and filled with the preservative before being covered with a thin glass coverslip. The hydrogel piece was used as a spacer to allow us to measure the transmissivity through a layer of preservative that approximated the thickness of the corneal pieces used. +The pieces of living cornea were micromachined one at a time with an 800-nm Ti:Sapphire femtosecond laser with 100-fs pulse duration, 80-MHz repetition rate, and 120-mW average power (Mai Tai; Newport Spectra-Physics, Mountain View, CA). The tissue pieces were placed endothelial side down on histologic glass slides and bathed with an adequate amount of their respective solutions. A thin (0.1-mm-thick) coverslip was placed over the tissue to keep it flat and prevent solution evaporation. The sample was then placed under the microscope objective (Fig. 1B) on a 3-D scanning platform formed by three linear servo stages (VP-25XA; Newport Spectra-Physics).28 A 60 × 0.70-NA long-working-distance microscope objective (LUCPlanFLN; Olympus, Tokyo, Japan) was used to focus the laser beam in the corneal stroma, ~150 μm below the tissue surface. Five sets of RI modification lines (Fig. 1C), each consisting of five to six lines spaced 10 μm apart, were machined at 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 mm/s. In addition, one to three damage lines were purposely machined at 0.1 mm/s on either side of the RI modification line sets, to aid in their identification for histology purposes. +After the micromachining process, the RI change within each IRIS region was measured by a DIC microscope relative to a micromachined calibration standard consisting of diffraction gratings written into hydrogels, whose diffraction efficiencies had already been measured.26,28 +To assess whether IRIS and Na-Fl doping were toxic to the living corneas, we performed TUNEL staining. Studies have shown that TUNEL staining can label cells undergoing apoptosis as little as 4 hours after corneal surgeries, such as LASIK and PRK.29 To provide a positive control for this experiment, one side of each corneal wedge was manually crushed with a pair of forceps. IRIS micromachining was immediately performed, after which the living corneal tissue pieces were again placed into their respective preservative solutions and stored for another 4 to 6 hours. After this time, they were rinsed in 0.1 M PBS, drop-fixed in 1% paraformaldehyde in 0.1 M PBS (pH 7.4) for 10 minutes, and transferred to 30% sucrose in 0.1 M PBS at 4°C for 2 days. Each corneal piece was then mounted in OCT compound (Tissue Tek; Sakura Finetek, Torrance, CA), frozen and serial 20-μm-thick cross sections were cut on a cryostat (2800 Frigocut E; Leica, Deerfield, IL), mounted on microscope slides three sections at a time and stored at −20°C until ready to stain. +For TUNEL-staining, slides containing corneal sections were air dried and rinsed in 0.1 M PBS. The tissue was then processed according to the manufacturer's directions (S7165 ApopTag In Situ Apoptosis Detection Kit; Chemicon International-Millipore Inc., Temecula, CA). Briefly, the mounted sections were postfixed in precooled ethanol:acetic acid 2:1 for 5 minutes at −20°C and drained. After the slides were rinsed, equilibration buffer was applied to the sections and briefly incubated at room temperature. The sections were then incubated with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase enzyme for 1 hour in a humidified chamber. The reaction was halted by incubating the sections in stop/wash buffer for 10 minutes followed by another wash in PBS. Warmed anti-digoxigenin conjugate (rhodamine-labeled) was applied to the sections and incubated in a dark, humidified chamber for 30 minutes. After a final wash in PBS, the stained sections were coverslipped in antifade mounting medium (Vectashield; Vector Laboratories, Burlingame, CA). The stained sections were imaged with fluorescence microscopy (AX70; Olympus), and the photomicrographs were acquired with a high-resolution digital camera (Microfire; OPtronics, Goleta, CA) interfaced with a computer running image-analysis software (ImagePro software; MediaCybernetics, Silver Spring, MD). +The preservative solution (Optisol-GS; Bausch & Lomb, Inc.) transmitted more than 80% of light for wavelengths ≥300 nm (Fig. 2A; dotted black line). Corneal pieces submerged in preservative only (with no Na-Fl) also transmitted light starting at 300 nm, but with slightly less efficiency at lower wavelengths, a likely consequence of their slight loss of transparency when excised from the eye (Fig. 2A, solid black line). Transmissivity rapidly increased to more than 80% at wavelengths above 600 nm (Fig. 2A). When live corneal pieces were submerged and allowed to absorb different concentrations of Na-Fl, strong absorption of light was noted up to a wavelength of ~500 nm. This corresponds well to the light-absorption range of fluorescein (300–500 nm).27 All the doped corneal pieces were transparent near the 800-nm laser operation wavelength, indicating that single-photon absorption of the laser light at the working wavelength would have no adverse effect on the tissue. +At the lowest scanning speed of 100 μm/s, IRIS changed the RI of undoped living corneal tissue by 0.005 (Table 1, Figs. 2B, B,2C).2C). Increasing the scanning speed to 1, 2, or 5 mm/s caused RI changes of lesser magnitude, which fell below the lowest detectable limit of our system (Table 1). +Doping the live corneal pieces with Na-Fl induced RI changes up to four times larger than those attained in undoped corneas (Table 1). However, scanning speed was critical: for any given concentration of Na-Fl, the magnitude of RI change induced was inversely related to scanning speed (Fig. 2B). Lower scanning speeds induced the largest RI changes, although there was a clear threshold above which strong plasma luminescence was observed. These changes were followed by the appearance of spots of tissue destruction and bubbles along the micromachined lines (Fig. 3, arrows). Such damage was always observed at 0.1 mm/s. However, when corneas were doped with 1.5% and 2.5% Na-Fl, damage occurred at faster speeds as well (Table 1). This finding suggests that Na-Fl significantly increases the laser energy absorption within the tissue exposed to the femtosecond laser and that it does so in a dose-dependent manner. Indeed, for a given scanning speed, RI changes increased monotonically with Na-Fl doping concentration (Fig. 2C). +To provide a positive control for this experiment, live corneal tissue was manually crushed with forceps immediately before IRIS was performed. After IRIS, the tissue was replaced into the preservative for another 4 hours before fixation. The result was thinning and disruption of the corneal epithelium and the appearance of many TUNEL-positive cells in both the epithelium and stroma at the crush site (Fig. 4A). In contrast, there was a complete absence of TUNEL-positive cells around nearby micromachined lines (Fig. 4B). Having the IRIS lines in the same corneal sections as the crush sites was an excellent internal control for the efficacy of the TUNEL assay and of crushing as a means of inducing cell death within the experimental time frame in which IRIS was performed. Even the flanking lines inscribed at the slower scanning speed of 0.1 mm/s, which caused small bubbles of tissue destruction, did not cause the appearance of TUNEL-positive cells within this time frame (Fig. 4B). Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that our doping method resulted in complete, even labeling of the corneal stroma with Na-Fl (Fig. 4C). It also allowed us to determine that, at least over the 4- to 6-hour experimental period, incorporation of Na-Fl into living corneal tissue did not, by itself, cause apoptotic cell death of stromal keratocytes, epithelial cells, or endothelial cells (Fig. 4B). +The present study demonstrates that IRIS can be performed in living corneal tissue with much greater effectiveness than previously reported in fixed, postmortem corneas.26 It also shows that incorporation of Na-Fl, a chromophore known to enhance two-photon absorption, into living corneal tissue potentiates IRIS, causing significantly greater changes in RI at much greater scanning speeds, in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, in the short-term, neither IRIS nor Na-Fl doping appeared to be toxic to stromal keratocytes. +When IRIS was performed in paraformaldehyde-fixed cat corneal tissue in a prior study, it induced RI changes that ranged between 0.005 ± 0.001 and 0.01 ± 0.001 and averaged 0.008 ± 0.002.26 That long-term storage in an aqueous solution did not eliminate the micromachined lines or the RI changes induced suggests that IRIS must have significantly altered the molecular and/or structural composition of the corneal extracellular matrix. However, fixation with paraformaldehyde, which is largely intended to prevent postmortem tissue degradation, acts by cross-linking protein structures,30 a large component of the corneal extracellular matrix. Because the tissue modifications that lead to a change in RI after exposure to high-repetition-rate femtosecond laser pulses are due to cumulative, free-electron-mediated chemical and thermal effects and to photochemical bond breaking, our prediction was that IRIS micromachining would be more effective in living (unfixed) tissue, than in tissue stabilized by significant protein cross-linking (due to fixation). The present experiments tested this prediction by performing IRIS in living cat corneas, which were immediately transferred to preservative solution (Optisol-GS; Bausch & Lomb, Inc.) after excision from the eye to ensure their viability. +Optisol-GS is a storage medium normally used to preserve postmortem human donor corneal tissue for the purpose of transplantation.31,32 It maintains epithelial, stromal, and endothelial viability for up to 14 days after corneal extraction.31,32 A previous study of feline corneoscleral tissue found that Optisol-GS maintained a functional endothelial cell layer for up to 15 days postmortem,33 suggesting similar effectiveness for corneas from different species. However, to maximize corneal health in our experiments, IRIS was performed within a few hours of corneal removal. After IRIS, the tissue was immediately returned to its Optisol-GS solution for another 4 hours, after which we used TUNEL staining to assess cellular viability in all corneal layers. Given the lack of TUNEL staining (except at the crush sites) and the persistent clarity of the corneas throughout our experiment, we are quite certain that corneal viability was not compromised by surgical extraction, doping with Na-Fl or IRIS. Thus, to our knowledge, this constitutes the first reported investigation of IRIS in living, biological specimens. +Previously, to attain RI changes in the range of 0.005 to 0.01 in fixed corneas, IRIS had to be performed at an extremely slow scanning speed of 0.7 μm/s. 26 In contrast, when IRIS was performed on live (undoped) corneas stored in Optisol-GS, scanning at 100 μm/s induced an RI change of 0.005, a 143× increase in scanning speed for a similar RI change. The increased effectiveness of IRIS in living, relative to fixed, corneas was most likely the result of increased cross-linking between structural elements within the paraformaldehyde-fixed tissues.26,30 Indeed, to create lines of altered RI within fixed tissue, the femtosecond laser would first have to break the fixative-created bonds before photochemically altering the matrix. These additional breaks are likely to require significant additional energy, making the process less efficient than in fresh, unfixed tissue. +Having shown that low-pulse-energy femtosecond laser micromachining can change the RI of both fixed26 and unfixed corneal tissues, we want to address several remaining issues. First, the slow scanning speeds required to achieve significant RI changes (0.7 μm/s in fixed corneas and even 100 μm/s in live corneas) are not conducive to trials in situ because the length of time needed to create sufficiently large patterns (e.g., over a circular area 6 mm in diameter) would be many hours to days. However, Ding et al.18 recently demonstrated large enhancements in the speed of femtosecond laser micromachining in dye-doped hydrogels. Specifically, they used two chromophores, fluorescein and coumarin 1, to enhance the TPA efficacy of the hydrogels. The result was a 1000× increase in micromachining speed in addition to an increase in magnitude of the RI changes achieved.18 +In the present study, we decided to use Na-Fl to enhance the TPA efficiency in living cat corneal tissue, since fluorescein is already commonly and safely used in ophthalmic practice to stain corneal abrasions and monitor blood vessel leakage in the eye.27 Fluorescein does not form a firm bond to any vital tissue because of its weak acidity.27,34 When Na-Fl appears to stain corneal ulcers, it is essentially freely diffusing into the bare stroma and, when mixed with blood (after intravenous injections), a high proportion of the injected fluorescein (10%–20%) remains free.27 Incorporation of Na-Fl into living corneas was achieved by immersing corneal pieces into solutions of cornea preservative (Optisol-GS; Bausch & Lomb, Inc.) containing different concentrations of dissolved Na-Fl (weight/volume). In all cases, the dye appeared to be uniformly absorbed across the entire corneal thickness, an observation that was confirmed histologically (Fig. 4C). Furthermore, although all corneal pieces remained transparent, increasing concentrations of Na-Fl caused the tissue to acquire a progressively deeper, dark orange color (under bright light illumination). As in the hydrogel experiment,18 incorporation of Na-Fl into the cornea allowed for a significant increase in the speed at which IRIS could be performed. Moreover, for any given speed, there was also an increase in the magnitude of RI changes achieved (see Fig. 2 and Table 1). This was not surprising, given that the number of photons absorbed during the TPA enhancement process is a function of dye concentration and illumination volume.35 Therefore, the increased dye concentration allowed for a greater number of photons to be absorbed per unit volume within the tightly focused 1-μm beam. +Of interest, the maximum RI change achievable at the different scanning speeds tested was ~0.02. Beyond this, either increasing Na-Fl doping concentration or decreasing scanning speed only resulted in plasma luminescence, a hallmark of tissue damage and bubble formation. This result suggests a possible limitation to the magnitude of RI changes attainable with femtosecond laser scanning in the living cornea, although the reasons for such a limitation remain to be elucidated. +Finally, a potential clinical application that also emerges from our findings is the use of Na-Fl to enhance femtosecond laser flap creation during traditional laser refractive surgery. Since even low concentrations of Na-Fl incorporated into corneal tissue significantly enhance the two-photon absorption of the cornea and the speed and magnitude of material changes induced (in our case, refractive index change), it is conceivable that Na-Fl could also be used to enhance photodestruction of the tissue under femtosecond laser conditions designed for flap cutting. Our results now provide an incentive to test this hypothesis experimentally. +Understanding the cellular response to IRIS is an important step in assessing the potential clinical applications of this procedure. In the present study, we ascertained that IRIS did not induce the appearance of TUNEL-positive cells in the corneal stroma, whereas a crush injury of an adjacent segment of the same cornea did. Previous work investigating corneal wound healing in mice and rabbits noted that the DNA fragmentation detected by the TUNEL assay was most prominent 4 hours after corneal injury.36,37 This observation was confirmed in our system by crushing the corner of each corneal piece, which caused marked apoptotic cell death of both keratocytes and epithelial cells at this time point. However, additional experiments are needed to evaluate more accurately the long-term cellular and biological response of the cornea to IRIS. In particular, we are interested in evaluating whether the natural turnover of the stromal extracellular matrix is capable of erasing IRIS patterns over a period of days, weeks, or months. Another important question is whether multiple IRIS lines inscribed across corneal cells (unlike the single lines used in the present study) can eventually kill these cells, perhaps not 4 hours after laser micromachining, but days, weeks, or months later. To predict whether this is likely, it is important to ascertain the exact mechanisms by which the energy transferred by femtosecond laser pulses into the corneal tissue alters its RI. +Thus, while our data demonstrate feasibility and lack of toxicity of IRIS for a short period after laser micromachining, it was not possible for us to assess the long-term effects of this procedure on excised corneas. The preservative solution (Optisol-GS; Bausch & Lomb, Inc.) used to keep corneal tissue alive in the present study can only do so effectively for up to 14 days, although signs of degradation may begin to appear 5 days after extraction. Thus, to assess the longevity and impact of IRIS on corneal biology and optics more accurately, we must perform IRIS in situ. With the improvements in scanning speed reported presently, this possibility becomes highly feasible. +Based on current knowledge about the effects of femtosecond laser radiation on different materials, at least two mechanisms may underlie IRIS in the cornea. First, in hydrogels, femtosecond laser micromachining that locally increased the material's refractive index was shown to displace water molecules away from the laser focal region, most likely via localized heating of the material.38 In the cornea, an inverse relationship has been demonstrated both experimentally and theoretically between refractive index and stromal hydration, with dehydration leading to an increase in the refractive index of the stroma.39,40 In addition (and perhaps consistent with localized dehydration of the tissue), the refractive index changes seen in IRIS could be caused by the very high free-electron densities generated (on the order of 1018 cm−3) in and around the micromachined lines. Such high electron densities can cause a local temperature increase in the tissue, which in turn, could directly alter the chemical makeup and/or the organization and spacing of individual collagen fibrils in the region of the focused beam.41 Because collagen fibrils have a higher refractive index than the surrounding material,42 it follows that any changes in stromal organization (such as dehydration) that causes these fibrils to be more closely packed, would be associated with an increase in refractive index of the tissue.39,40,43 This could also be an explanation of the increased fluorescence seen in the micromachined lines of the corneal pieces (Fig. 4C). The potential chemical or structural alterations within the tissue may result in the Na-Fl either binding to local structures within the collagen matrix or concentrating in locations of reduced hydration. However, additional experiments need to be performed to conclusively assess the mechanisms by which IRIS takes place in the living cornea. +In the present study, we investigated the feasibility of IRIS laser micromachining in living corneas. When compared with our previous study of IRIS in fixed cat corneas,26 IRIS in the living cornea attained a similar magnitude of refractive index change at a scanning speed that was 143× higher. Increasing the two-photon absorption capabilities of the living cornea via Na-Fl doping increased the magnitude of refractive index changes attainable by two- to fourfold. It also increased the speed at which these changes could be induced by 2 to 50 times relative to undoped, living corneas. Finally, neither IRIS nor the process of increasing TPA was observed to cause cell death within the cornea, at least over the short-term. In summary, the present experiments are an important step in the ongoing exploration of the use of low-pulse-energy femtosecond lasers for the purpose of altering the refractive state of intact, transparent ocular tissues. +The authors thank Tracy Bubel and Jennifer Swanton for excellent technical assistance in performing the histology for the study. +Supported by an unrestricted grant to the University of Rochester's Department of Ophthalmology from the Research to Prevent Blindness Foundation; by National Institutes of Health Grant R01 EY015836 (KRH) and Core Grant 08P0EY01319F to the Center for Visual Science; and grants from Bausch & Lomb Inc., and from the University of Rochester's Center for Electronic Imaging Systems, a NYSTAR-designated Center for Advanced Technology. +Disclosure: L.J. Nagy, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (F); L. Ding, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (F); L. Xu, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (F); W.H. Knox, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (F); K.R. Huxlin, Bausch & Lomb, Inc. (F) +Arckanum – Sviga Læ +October 28, 2010 § Leave a comment +Full-length, Regain Records, 2010 +Formed in 1992 in Mora, Sweden, Arckanum’s sole member Shamaatae has just released his sixth full-length since 1995. Arckanum’s music has gained more and more popularity over the last few years, with the release of 2008’s Antikosmos and 2009’s ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ. Both albums, highly respected by both fans and critics, have put Arckanum back to the forefront of black metal, and for good reason. For those who have yet to hear anything by this artist, it could be described as well-crafted and properly produced black metal, usually played in a mid-pace tempo. For anyone who’s heard Shamaatae’s last two albums and enjoyed them, you can go on right ahead and get yourself Sviga Læas it doesn’t feature any drastic changes from said albums. +To be perfectly honest, Arckanum’s music can be aptly described as memorable. Every song bears a sort of hypnotic anthem-like quality which upon the early listenings can seem like it will fade away quickly, but as is the case with albums of this type, the individual tracks end up growing on the listener and meaning more and more after each listen. For instance, In Følva Felr may at first seem like a song that will only be appreciated upon the first listen, but after a few spins you can notice that it bears this undefinable quality, which ultimately makes the song become memorable. +However, this isn’t the type of album I’d listen to hours on end. As someone who enjoyed the two previous albums but didn’t become obsessed with them, I’d have a hard time telling which tracks are on this album and which tracks were on last year’s ÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞÞ . Listeners who love this music to death will most likely feel different about this, but as someone who just appreciates the music, that’s how it is. Still, Sviga Læ is a properly executed black metal album which, if you haven’t heard Arckanum yet, will have you wanting for more. In terms of production and guitar tone, Satanic Warmaster comes to mind. It’s something about the type of riffs to the distorted guitar, which to me are very reminiscent of SW. I found the clean closer Røk to be quite dull and uninspired, but the other 34 minutes of this album are pretty much in the vein of…other Arckanum albums. +That’s pretty much the jist of it: if you already know and like Arckanum, then go right ahead. If you don’t know them yet and like mid-paced black metal in the vein of Satanic Warmaster and the likes, get this or any of the past two albums. It’s properly executed, well-written and perfectly produced, and contains all the essential elements that make an album enjoyable. +Bahrrecht – Lotharingen +October 27, 2010 § Leave a comment +Demo, Self Released, 2010 +From Lorraine, France, Bahrrecht is a relatively new name in the black metal scene. This is their second demo overall, following a demo released in 2005. The drumming duties are handled by none other than Winterhalter of Peste Noire, Amesoeurs and Alcest fame. The other members are also active in other bands such as Funeral Holocaust, Svartblut and Cofex Inferis. To be blunt, this release is very impressive, and this is amplified by the fact that this is only the second demo from this band to see the light of day. +Bahrrecht play an exciting brand of in-your-face, grander than death black metal that really get the black metal juices flowing. It’s important to note that in terms of musicianship, production and composition, Bahrrecht excel on every single level. The group has figured how to make efficient and aggressive black metal without following any particular trend, but also without being overly unorthodox. Nuit de Neige, the opener, wastes no time in acquainting the listener with the sound of Bahrrecht: aggressive without pretention, blasphemous and profane. The riff that kicks in at around three minutes will have fans of reverby, trebly and dark black metal utterly satisfied. +Sous Une Pluie D’Étoile, as well as the two other tracks on this demo continues this tendency: to have a subtle melody lingering in the back, while the bulk of the musical attention goes to portraying an image of a world filled with worldly obscenities and unwelcome tyranny veiled with a layer of deep and satisfying acceptance. It is often said that many black metal artists are more style than substance, but if there’s one band that’s made solely of substance, it’d have to be Bahrrecht. +The only thing that irks me a bit on this release is the vocal performance. These kind of “demented” shrieks have become commonplace in black metal, and they don’t really work for me. At least they’re really not that high up in the mix. Still, musically, Bahrrecht have truly mastered the black arts and its subtleties, as evidenced in the ending of Sous Une Pluie d’Étoile and the general feel that this demo gives off. For fans of honest and aggressive black metal, a must-have. +Marțolea – Noaptea Dihãniilor +October 27, 2010 § Leave a comment +Full-length, Self-released, 2010 +Martolea is a one-man folk/black metal band hailing from Romania, and its sole member is none other than Alin Drimus, mainly known for his work with acclaimed Prog/Black metal band Negura Bunget. Drimus handles all the duties on this album, from the songwriting/production to the performance, featuring instruments such as the wooden flute, the mouth harp, the kaval and a bucium. +Drimus plays a very well balanced blend of raw and addictive black metal with the perfect touch of folk music. The traditional Romanian instrumentation really makes the song feel that more folky, without having to compromise in any way. Yes, the recipe for most of folk black metal is quite simple, and for this reason it’s been done a little too much. However, the professionalism in terms of production, songwriting and musicianship of Drimus really makes this album that much more enjoyable. +The chants are really something else, something of a Gregorian chant, sung with a low, brooding voice. It really makes a great change from the vocals we usually hear in this particular brand of folk black metal. At its core, this is a black metal album with folk elements, and it’s one of the reasons why this album just doesn’t fall short. Every track bears its own atmosphere, but the closer Zorii is really something else. While most of the other tracks on the album give off this vibe of wilderness and contact with nature, this track sees Drimus play a sort of melancholic, mid-paced black metal song. The wooden flute really comes out even more in this track, and it’s a very impressive way to close off the album. It definitely surprises me every time I hear it. +At first, Noaptea Dihãniilor might come off as a little uninspired or bland, for some reason. But after taking the time to get to know this album and its intricacies, it definitely grew on me and it has to be one of the best black metal albums I’ve heard this year, and probably the best folk black metal album in a while. To make a great album in this musical climate, there can’t be any holes in the cracks, any little mistakes or any less-than-stellar production. Martolea deliver on every level, and the result is a highly compelling, layered and enjoyable album. +Circle of Animals – Destroy the Light +October 23, 2010 § Leave a comment +Full Length, Relapse, 2010 +You can think whatever you want to think when you hear the terms Industrial and Experimental metal. It’s easy to automatically think of too many experiments gone wrong, too many bands which tried to incorporate as many elements as possible into their music and still fall short. Most fans of metal and extreme music in general have come to terms with what the term experimental has now come to mean. But Chicago’s Circle of Animals is here to instill hope in your heart with its debut album, Destroy the Light. Considering the current state of industrial metal, Circle of Animals can be seen as saviors of the genre. +The main two members of the band are none other than Minsk’ Sanford Parker and Yakuza’s Bruce Lamont. The fact that these two are seasoned musicians shines through the music, both in terms of compositional prowess and flawless production. For each track, the band invited a different drummer from any corner of the globe, which ensures that the drumming on the album constantly seems fresh from track to track. This is an interesting luxury which only makes the listening experience that much more fulfilling. +Each track on here has something great to offer, but it’s clear to me at this point in time that No Faith and All Spirit/No Mind are the standout tracks. The former could easily become an industrial metal anthem, if anything. It boasts this certain contained intensity without going overboard. The latter is a little slower, like a dying bacteria. There’s something really intense yet under control about this album that really enhance the overall experience. +It seems like in a very small span of time, my hope for industrial metal has been reinvigorated. This album is professional, highly enjoyable and profoundly fabricated in terms of composition, musical performance and production. Definitely a great new band to look out for, at all costs. +Belenos – Yen Sonn Gardis +October 23, 2010 § Leave a comment +Full-length, Northern Silence Productions, 2010 +Belenos, formed in 1995 in Beaurains, France, has been at the forefront of pagan black metal scene for the last ten years. It’s now been many years since I’ve discovered their first two albums, the very raw and agressive Errances Oniriques and the melodic/pagan-sounding Spicilège, which have always ranked among my favourite black metal albums. Needless to say, Belenos is a band that has had a profound effect on me, and I consider myself a lifelong fan of this group. Belenos is now a one-man project consisting of sole member Loïc Cellier. +Yen Sonn Gardis sees Cellier mixing the raw black metal of Belenos’ earlier offerings with the more melodic and pagan-sounding black metal that we heard on their later releases such as Chants de Bataille. As a first for a Belenos album, the album is entirely sung in the Breton language. Upon the first few listens, it becomes obvious that much work has been put into this album, both in terms of production value and compositions. The riffs scream Belenos loud and proud, playing the same type of riffs that they (he) has played for a while now. +I can’t knock this album at all in terms of song structures, production or vocal performance. It’s obvious to anyone who’s heard Belenos in the past that the music sounds professional and always satisfies those who have a craving for Pagan black metal without having to compromise brutality or rawness in any shape or form. However, it seems that after letting this album sink in with a few listens, the songs kind of get lost in the shuffle. I can tell you now that to me, the only song that really stands out is Hollved Hirisus, the second track. As much as I’ve heard the other tracks on the album, I couldn’t really tell you what they sound like. This is something that I accused 2006’s Chants de Bataille of quite a bit, and something that ruined that album a bit for me. +Still, for anyone who’s new to Pagan black metal and wants to hear a brand of it that doesn’t do any compromise and can still deliver, Yen Sonn Gardis can deliver. As per usual, there are still unique elements that will make this album more enjoyable than most of the other Pagan BM that’s out there: the Gregorian chants which are beautifully sung, the immaculate production and the truly epic feel. But for those who are already fans of Belenos or Pagan BM, you’ll have to check this one out for yourself to truly decide whether it’s truly magnificient or slightly redundant. Regardless, Belenos is still one of the top Black metal bands around today. +Lex Rigor – Ashes Of The Last Remains Of Humanity +October 22, 2010 § Leave a comment +Demo, Self-Released, 2010 +Lex Rigor hail from Russia, home to some of the best black metal we’ve ever heard (bands like Old Wainds come to mind). In today’s black metal climate, it has become pretty obvious that too many bands come up short, either in terms of musicianship or in terms of compositional skills. Demos and EPs come out dozens by day, band after band after band. Looking up new bands is often a very tedious task, as it almost always quickly becomes a pain, given the overall mediocrity of most bands. +But it’ releases like Lex Rigor’s Ashes of the Last Remains of Humanity that really reinvigorate my constant curiousity to check out new bands. Lex Rigor play a brand of truly hateful and bleak black metal. Let’s not forget that terms like hateful and bleak are tossed around way too much in black metal, which is why as a listener, you always have to be on guard of these terms as they’ve often been used to describe bland, boring albums. But if can say so myself…bleak and hateful. +Lex Rigor’s musicianship is nothing less than top notch. The riffs here are dirty, heavy, grim and bring about a true black metal aura, resulting in a more enjoyable experience for the listener. I could guess that these guys have been playing together for at least five to ten years. And for a demo, the production is really up there – it honestly doesn’t even sound like a demo at all. There is absolutely nothing negative that can be said about the production. You could have told me that these tracks were part of an album, and I’d have believed you. +The songs are perfectly structured. The riffs are there without overshadowing the godly vocal performance, which gives a fiery fuck you to all the conventional black metal vocalists. Lex Rigor is blackness without compromise, brutality without repetition and most of all, evil in intentions. Anyone claiming to be a fan of the black arts absolutely has to get this demo for themselves, as this is nothing less than a treat. Ashes Of The Last Remains Of Humanity evokes that feeling that all too well know and love, that blackness that resonates throughout all great works of black arts. +Omega Massif – Geisterstadt +October 20, 2010 § Leave a comment +Full-length, Radar Swarm, 2007 +Omega Massif is a german band. They play a certain breed of instrumental that could easily be defined as Neurosis-inspired sludge or, as the band members define their sound, downtempo. Let’s not get lost define genres and styles instead of forgetting to mention the obvious: Geisterstadt is an amazing, wonderful and beautiful album. There’s something about its utter simplicity that has an undefinable immensity and grandeur to it, without any visions of frantic grandeur or chaos. +On paper, Omega Massif sounds like any other sludge band that plays in the vein of slower sludge bands. Heavily distorted riffs, instrumental, quite simplistic songs that are played on tempos varying between mid-pace and slower pace. Even if tabs or sheet music were to be made of this music (which wouldn’t take a whole lot of time to write up, as these riffs can be as simple as they get), it wouldn’t do any justice to the aura that evokes the music of Omega Massif. +The opener, In Der Mine, is a great example of the music’s massiveness. The direction of the piece can be altered by the smallest, most subtle changes in the music, for instance the drums not playing as many hi-hats per measure or such. The way the music is produced and written gives it this highly addictive and unique feel. The musicians behind Omega Massif definitely know that less is more, especially when attempting to evoke feelings of complete vastness and limitless space. +After listening to this album time and time again, the Neurosis influence really becomes obvious, which led me to realize that there aren’t enough bands out there that are trying to create this brand of slow and sludgy heavy music. This sounds even odder when you realize that this type of music would surely be easy to imitate, as one doesn’t need to be the most competent musician to venture in this kind of music. Like all great albums, Geisterstadt evokes feelings that are basic and common to the human soul, yet undefinable with words. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who calls themselves a fan of sludge of the slower and heavier brand. If you enjoyed this album, you have to give their Mount Logan split a try. It easily tops this record. +I bought my camera (mumble) years ago and played with it, but never learned how to really use it. Reading the manual might have helped… 😛 +This past week I was goofing around and removed the telephoto lens. I put the *shorter lens into the camera. I then set it to macro and took this shot from one foot away. +A closer look revealed detail I didn’t know was possible with my old camera! +So for the rest of the week I spent time in the garden practicing with my newly found macro mode and here are the results. They aren’t the best as most days were a tad breezy and I need a lot of practice, but I sure did have fun! +- Bronze Fennel – The umbel emerges +- Bronze Fennel – Umbel fully formed +- Naked Lady Lily with visitors! +- Musk rose with invaders 😦 +- Abelia blossoms with a pollen encrusted Carpenter bee +- Monarda “Bergamot” With my eye I only saw the grey fuzz. I never knew about the lilliputian lavender cones! +And here are a few that were not macro, but fun to share with you! +- Many Blueberries still on the bush and several pounds in the freezer for winter! +- Big Daddies! Can you see them? +- Naked Ladies all in a row and Miss Dixie my wild chicken! 🙂 +- One apple, really, only one! +So I wouldn’t call them ‘macro’ photographs, but the shorter lens and the macro setting sure gave me a closer and more clear shot than I have ever been able to get before! So now it will be: +Practice, practice, practice! +~*~ +Have a blessed weekend! +~*~ +NOTE: *I’m dead certain that shorter lens has a proper name, but I’ll be hanged if I can recall it. +44 thoughts on “Photo Friday: learning the art of a closer shot” +Love the photos. I recently purchased a used DSLR camera which is miles better than my old point and shoot that I used for years. With it comes a large learning curve on how to get it to perform like I want it to do. Like you it looks like I need a lot of trial and error and practice, practice, practice. 🙂 Keep up the great work. +Thank you; I will keep trying! 🙂 +This is truly the best medicine to enjoy a positive energy and the nature like a melody! +Yes it is! +It is amazing what the camera can see that you can’t. These pictures are a great start. You will find many hidden worlds as you go on. +I look forward to further exploration, Tom! Now that the methods are starting to click it is becoming fun for me again! +Wow Lynda, NICE lense!:D +Y’know, I recall being told that it’s not the amount of (mega)pixels, but the quality of the lense that counts… You sure have made the case in point here, that’s for sure! +Now, whee to start? FANTASTIC detail; are you sure that it’s not a macro lense (what does it say on the side?) +Oh YUCK!! What ARE those nasty things on your beautiful rose? +I have that very same Phlox (I was just admiring her not half an hour ago: ) +Wonderful photos! Glad you’re having fun: ) +Deb, the lens lets me take photos in much the same way a 35mm lens does, the magic trick is to use this lens with the ‘macro’ or close up setting, and then move to within a foot of your subject and dial it in. It helps immensely when there is an absence of air movement as in the photo of the button and fabric. You simply don’t get a static subject in the wild! The nasty things are Japanese beetles, and they are a plague here! They eat everything and what they don’t eat is left looking like lace. (leaf veins) +In the phlox there are two Daddy Long leg spiders! You have to look closely in the middle. 😉 +Oh I saw the Daddy-Long-Legs, all right… +(You weren’t kidding when you said they were HUGE: ) +I was just totally blown away by the fact that it’s the same phlox as the one I’d just been looking at – y’see, they’re in a flower bed that I don’t always go to that often – so a very weird coincidence to see it in your photos… N’est pas? +Hope you have a great weekend… +How are you healing up, btw? +🙂 +You too, Deb! As for the knee, it is heaps better but still giving me a bit of fit on uneven surfaces. Like my yard, LOL! The chickens, geese, dogs, moles, voles, etc. just don’t allow for a beautiful lawn. 😛 +The definition of “a beautiful lawn” around here is, if it’s green and grows, it’s “grass” and no one’s too particular about the shape of the leaves; ) +That is pretty much what we have, but it is not the classification of lawn that my neighbor would like to see… 😉 +Looks like practice is making perfect. I have yet to go beyond the auto settings. +Joan, I ventured into manual camera settings in college when I took a class in B&W photography. My Pentax K-1000 didn’t have anything “auto” about it! Not to brag, but using a completely manual camera was pretty easy. These newfangled cameras that want to do everything for you make it HARD. Too many buttons, and menus and much finagling to try and get a decent shot! +You have a K1000? +LOL, ME TOO: ) +Too funny! +It is a fantastic camera. Bar none. +Yes, it was (is?) affectionately known as The Student Camera. I would still use mine, but you really need your own darkroom to work on the perfection of your photographs. (burning and dodging) I loved working in the darkroom. +I never got the chance to experience developing film. *sigh* Maybe someday… +I imagine the chemicals and set up are a lot more expensive since the world has gone to the digital age. (I’m still lamenting the demise of Kodachrome too.) +You and me both… +Oh yeh, I know the naked ladies. 🙂 Very nice, and your photography is quiet effective. +Fran, it’s a regular nudist colony here… they are popping up and cavorting over our whole acre and in the strangest places too! 😉 +Nice shots, Lynda. +My motto of practice, practice and more practice has definitely paid off and I’m sure yours will too. +I’ve found better success with trial and error and reading other photography blogs (more than reading the camera manual). I think it’s not until you put everything into practice with photography that you really understand exposure & light. +Vicki, your work is so lovely! I have a few friends who have really gotten into practicing and, like you, I can see the amazing results. As for photo blogs, are there any you have found to be the most helpful? +Mmmmm….not any one blog specifically, Lynda. But every time someone likes one of my posts, I check out their blog (and sometimes start following if they are a photographer and I like what I see). I also like blogs about the country and farming life (as I rarely get out into the countryside). +When you look at a photo, or blog full of photos, ask yourself why you like a particular photo. Ask yourself WHAT particular part of the photo you like best (e.g. colour, light, sharp focus, details, blur in the background, composition, subject etc.) Then fiddle about with the camera settings and try to capture the elements you like in someone else’s photo. I don’t mean copy someone’s photo. Just try to work out how they got their final result. Of course, you need to understand exposure and how to get good exposure too. +If you can make a pleasing image with ‘full’ AUTO, start using the ‘creative’ settings like landscape, macro etc on your camera. +Then move on and try to work out how to co-ordinate the ISO, f stop (aperture) and shutter speed. I think it’s worth reading some online tutorials for beginners and get an understanding of how the 3 relate to each other. Took me about 18 months before I really understood them. I am very slow thinking these days. I’m not a technical person and people find it strange that I’ve chosen such a technical hobby as using a DSLR camera, especially as I have intermittent brain fog and my short-term memory is appalling. +I think I’ve taken about 70,000 photos in 4 years now. I’ve only kept about 14,000 and I’m trying to delete the worst this year and file them in folders. Don’t waste time trying to edit bad photos. Delete them. +Last week I took my lightweight Point & Shoot camera out on my walk and took about 150 photos. Every single one was very blurred. I’m used to holding a heavier camera now, so couldn’t hold the lightweight little camera steady. LOL +Thank you for your advice, Viki! Had to chuckle about the thousands of photos. Guilty! +Wow! What a difference! DH has such a camera but hasn’t explored its potential yet. For me it’s still the point and shoot!!!! +Doreen, sometimes I miss the old point and shoot! 😉 +I feel uncomfortable making a “big deal” out of taking a photo, so quickly taking a ‘shot’ is more to my liking. Sometimes it works….other times, not so much, but with the digital, “delete” is always there!!!!! +You have a point! (all those failed prints were a drain on the pocketbook!) +And I have the blank negatives to prove it!!!!! LOL!!!!!! +Boxes and boxes of them… +Ah yes, SO many shots that only exist in my imagination. *sigh* There was nothing worse than getting back a roll of developed, unexposed film): +Like you, many things in life would be utilized to the fullest if I would just read the manuals! And then, practice – or finding time to practice is the next feat! You’re doing a lovely job with that macro setting. The details of life are often better seen if only we learn to use the tools we already posses!! +“The details of life are often better seen if only we learn to use the tools we already posses!!” +No truer words, Lori! +I am really having fun with my camera this time around! 😀 +My gosh you did very well Lynda it is a chance you found your second macro lens. A good surprise isn’t it! +wish you a nice day +Thank you, Chantal! It has been hit and miss for subjects since this post. Today was a total miss. Zip, Zilch, Nada. +Oh, but there is always tomorrow! +Hoping you had a lovely day too! +Great photos! That poor rose is a goner. Those Japanese beetles are nasty. +The outside of the lens should tell you what it is for specs. You can Google it then and get the exact name from the manufacturer. +For example, my go to lens is a Canon 28 to 135 zoom and the outside will say both 28 and 135 at each end of the range for zooming it. When I plugged that into Google, it came up with: +Nancy +Mr. Basey will be harshly pruned, dug up, and his roots hosed off before he goes to the Mountain Farmlet to live. The scent of a musk rose is always magnificent, but his is intoxicating! There will be more blooms. +The telephoto lens in the link is very similar to mine! Now I need to try and find my shorter lens! Thanks for the help, Nancy! +And wonderful close-up photos they are! +Truth be told, I haven’t read the manual on my camera yet (and I have had it for several years). I seem to have a strange aversion to manuals or something like that. I bet it can do a lot more things that I just don’t know about. 😉 +Thank you, Mary. Yes, I understand your aversion. They are just dry as toast, aren’t they? +You know, that’s really the problem with my little point and shoot. There are dials and windows and messages and crap all over the place! And the manual is terrible. Well, it might be ok, but the index is bad, and I never can find what I want. Grump, grump. +Part of my problem is that there isn’t time in my life to work on my writing AND to work at becoming a really proficient photographer. It’s just that I see all the gorgeous work people are doing with their cameras, and I go, “OH. I want to do that.” Well, I could, but I’d better give up a pretty big chunk of something else. Sleeping and eating come to mind. Or work. I always could quit work. But then, I couldn’t eat. It’s always something. +I’m glad to read that your knee is doing ok, even if it isn’t perfect yet. Healing takes time, too! +Linda, there is always something, that is true. But we all need something to help us unwind too. What do you do to relax? (I suspect it is writing) One battle you have already won in photography is being able to frame an interesting subject. To me that is the number one item anyone needs to learn in photography. You have the eye, and the rest will come later when you do have time. I am certain of it! 🙂 +Good job! +Thank you, Patti! + exploits created by members of the group ''The Red Scorpion Company'' [CLICK] If you wish to join the group, VM or PM me and I will add you to the group. Anyways, now to move to the exploits: +Sasori's Ability to Expand Satetsu | Exploit #1: +Sasori = Gaara in a desert +Over my time on the Versus section, I have seen that people tend to underestimate Sasori because they imply that he has a small amount of Satetsu. That's also the main reason why he is underestimate in Sasori vs. Gaara threads. What I would like to say is that Sasori can expand his amount of Satetsu whenever he wants and make himself basically an advanced Gaara in the desert. To explain how I came to this conclusion, first off let's look at the amount of Satetsu that came out of the Sandaime Kazekage's mouths. +When we look at the amount of Satetsu, we can come to a conclusion that the amount of Satetsu present there isn't even bigger than the Sandaime Kazekage Puppet. Looking at an another manga page, we can see that it was barely as big as Sasori himself. [x] That shouldn't be very impressive since Sasori isn't really tall. Just look at what wiki says on how tall he is. +Height: 164.1 cm +Even people like Naruto are taller than him. Since the Satetsu that came out of the Kazekage's isn't really any bigger than him, it means that it shouldn't have been able to create some huge Satetsu stuff. The biggest Satetsu attack that amount of Satetsu could have created is Satetsu Shigure. [x] And yet, when we look at Sasori's next attack. +The Satetsu Triangle, Rectangle and Wings now all happen to be bigger than the Sandaime Kazekage Puppet itself while previously when the Satetsu came out of the Kazekage's mouths, the Satetsu wasn't even as big as the puppet and it barely was as big as Sasori himself. This means that Sasori indeed did expand the amount of his Satetsu via Magnetic Fields of the Sandaime Kazekage Puppet. And that's not all. What happened when Sasori decided to end the battle, he used Satetsu Kaihou which was basically able to cover the whole cave except some parts. [x][x] You can conclude that by seeing what Sakura said. ''It's going everywhere!''. And back when we look at the Satetsu Wings, Triangle and Rectangle, we can see that those Satetsu shapes were barely as big as a small part of the cave [x] so what happened here extacly. How did Sasori get an amount of Satetsu that could cover almost the whole cave? Simple. He expanded the amount of Satetsu again. +And of course, I'm not done. Furthermore, to completely back up my claims, let's look at the Satetsu that came out of the Sandaime Kazekage's mouths again. [x] And then let's look at what happened once the Sandaime Kazekage was destroyed. All of the Satetsu that was used for Satetsu Kaihou started turning into normal Iron Sand again. [x] Where did all of this Iron Sand come from when Sasori didn't have this much when it first came out which means that it should be fairly obvious that Sasori generates and expands more Satetsu via the Sandaime's Magnetic Field. +A wave of Satetsu falling down and when we compare it to the amount of Satetsu that came out of the Sandaime's mouths, you'll see that there is a lot more Satetsu now since that whole wave could basically envelope Sakura. And furthermore, when we look at the Satetsu once it has fallen down on the ground and compare it to Chiyo and Sakura, we could basically see a lake of Satetsu in which they could even take a bathe in. +Conclusion and clearing up some misconceptions: +Sasori is basically a Gaara in a desert with all of this explained, just with faster, harder and poisonous sand. He could create attacks like Sand Tsunami [x] or call it Satetsu Tsunami if you wish, and etc. Some may say that it takes time for Sasori to do things like these and that the Satetsu won't contain poison after he does this, but this isn't true. Sasori can make Satetsu faster whenever he wants [x] so it doesn't take that much time and it will still contain poison as seen when Sasori expanded the amount of his Satetsu and then poisoned Sakura with that Satetsu. [x] +That's all what I wanted to share with you. +Sasori's Immunity to Genjutsu | Exploit #2: +Immunity to Genjutsu +In all honesty, I fail to see how this is still being debated, but I've seen people claim that Sasori is not immune to Genjutsu despite the fact that he is a Human Puppet. [x][x] From Jiraiya's explanation [x] we know that the Genjutsu works by targeting the opponent's head and messes up their senses. It basically causes you to hear, sense, see and maybe even taste what the caster of the Genjutsu wishes you to. However, sadly for Genjutsu users, Sasori is a Puppet who lacks a brain and only has a heart as stated by the man himself. +Let me explain a bit more. In Naruto, thoughts and those stuff seem to be part of your "Mental Energy". If you read the Databook article for Mind Body Transfer, you would see that Yamanaka force all of their Mental Energy into the other person, thus their body drops unconcious. If you realise, Ino can now think in the other persons body? Sasori can still think, because he HAS a piece of flesh, which contains both Physical Energy + Mental Energy. Both needed to create Chakra. In your entire body there is Physical Energy and Spiritual/Mental energy, and when you merge the both, you make Chakra. [x] Yamanaka force their entire Mental Energy into other people which inturn sends their Mind as well, then their body just falls, in the other body, they maintain their ability to think, their entire MIND has been passed over and that shows that the mental energy part of your body is where your mind is in Naruto. +With that said skin and all human organs have sense receptors so by having that little piece of human remains atleast one sense can be manipulated. However Genjutsu doesn't just affect senses. It affects Chakra in the cranial nerves to be EXACT. It is the cranial nerves in the brain that controls most the senses. +For eg the Olfactory controls your sense of smell. <-- A sense that sasori has no longer. A Genjutsu user controls those cranial nerves, and could make you do what he wished. If he wanted you to see Red clouds and a Red moon, He would target the Optic nerves in the interbrain to make you see Red clouds and a Red moon. +Kishi however didn't explain everything to well, and sasori has found a way to maintain +1) sight, +2) Sound +Those are just about the only almost unexplainable things, but it simply has to do with the fact that it's a fiction story. Where someone can make themselves into a puppet, and someone has blue skin and looks like a shark. We can't really make sense of any of it, but what is clear is how Genjtusu works. However, if people wish it could be explained how Sasori retained the ability to see and hear despite having only a heart. +Section two was written by a very intelligent member in which we don't have with us currently any longer; pay close attention to this part as I can conclude that it is the ideal changer. +To strengthen the possibility of Sasori being immune to Genjutsu I have to bring out a few scenario's similar to the premise: +When Orochimaru absorbed his Chakra from Kabuto, he obtained memories and information from him. +When Itachi prodded Sasuke he forced information - Amaterasu - into Sasuke, the fact he had Itachi's MS style shows his influence. +Just confirms that in the NV that Chakra can contain information, that a heart as the source of Chakra can be seen as Sasori's 'brain' +In reality, it shouldn't even be debatable since Sasori himself already stated that he only has a heart and no brain, and not to mention that the Databook itself stated that Sasori can no longer be conisdered Human. [x] +A special thanks to Kaaant and Owarij for some of these points. +The group needs a catchier name. ._. +OT: Nice finds. +Very good... *Incoming Itachi fan boys saying Tsukuyomi one shots* +Originally Posted by Transcendence +Very good... *Incoming Itachi fan boys saying Tsukuyomi one shots* +Itachi fanboys are dead. >_> +Originally Posted by Rivaille +The group needs a catchier name. ._. +OT: Nice finds. +I couldn't think of a better name. xD +Tsukuyomi one shots. +Originally Posted by Transcendence +Very good... *Incoming Itachi fan boys saying Tsukuyomi one shots* +No need to thank me. +Originally Posted by AkatsukiChurch +Itachi fanboys are dead. >_> +Think again. +WHile everything you said is true, I just want to point out that Jiraiya's explanation on genjutsu was filler +Nice, i want in +Originally Posted by AkatsukiChurch +Itachi fanboys are dead. >_> +Yeah because I didn't read a thread last night saying Tsukuyomi 1 shots all Biju's/Jin's at the same time. +Itachi fanboys are so dead, lol. +OP: Nice read, mang. +Originally Posted by Sunagura +Nice, i want in +Yeah, I'll invite you. +Originally Posted by ItachiStillSolos +Tsukuyomi one shots. +No need to thank me. +Think again. +Lol. Sasori's hair is gg. +Originally Posted by Snape Uchiha +WHile everything you said is true, I just want to point out that Jiraiya's explanation on genjutsu was filler +Eh, it's a flashback. Not a filler. And thanks. +Originally Posted by Crossroads +Yeah because I didn't read a thread last night saying Tsukuyomi 1 shots all Biju's/Jin's at the same time. +Itachi fanboys are so dead, lol. +OP: Nice read, mang. +Lmfao. I didn't see that thread. xD +Originally Posted by AkatsukiChurch +Lol. Sasori's hair is gg. +Lol. I won't lie. Itachi's ponytail is fugly. +Good work young boy +Originally Posted by ItachiStillSolos +Lol. I won't lie. Itachi's ponytail is fugly. +Alright then... xD +Originally Posted by PainTotheEarth +Good work young boy +Thanks. :p +It makes total sense. Awesome points bro +Originally Posted by Nebula +It makes total sense. Awesome points bro +Thanks man. ^_^ +Well well well... Someone copying the Bloody Mist Advocates...? +Anyways, nice thread. Informative on the Iron Sand... +Originally Posted by TheAncientCenturion +Well well well... Someone copying the Bloody Mist Advocates...? +Anyways, nice thread. Informative on the Iron Sand... +Thanks and hey.. You copied the Advanced Kakuzu Exploiters first. u_u +The Red Scorpion Company? +......lel +Originally Posted by AkatsukiChurch +Thanks and hey.. You copied the Advanced Kakuzu Exploiters first. u_u +Forbidden Technique and I did no such thing! We merely made a group to discuss the glory of Kisame. +Originally Posted by Bijuu Bomber +The Red Scorpion Company? +......lel +It's the best I could come up with at that moment so be quiet, Lil' Bomber. u_u +Originally Posted by TheAncientCenturion +Forbidden Technique and I did no such thing! We merely made a group to discuss the glory of Kisame. +I made a group to discuss the glory of Sasori then. (._. ) +Originally Posted by AkatsukiChurch +It's the best I could come up with at that moment so be quiet, Lil' Bomber. u_u +Don't be so sensitive Churchy. Tis' only a name. It's the purpose that matters. +Forum Rules +Difference between revisions of "BeagleBoard Community" +Revision as of 23:12, 18 December 2008 +This page collects information about TI's ARM based OMAP3 Beagle Board. +Contents +- 1 Events +- 2 Hardware +- 3 Availability +- 4 Adapters +- 5 BootRom +- 6 Code +- 7 Compiler +- 8 Board recovery +- 9 Development environments +- 10 Software hints +- 11 Graphics accelerator +- 12 Beginners guide +- 13 FAQ +- 14 Links +- 15 Other OMAP boards +Events +- BeagleBoard contest: Create a cool BeagleBoard application and win a Rev C1! Until January 5, 2009. +- January 21, 2009, Cambridge, UK, ARM Holdings Lecture Theatre: OMAP35x training by Silica +Hardware +The Beagle Board is a low-cost, fan-less single-board computer based on TIs OMAP3 device family, with all of the expandability of today's desktop machines, but without the bulk, expense, or noise (from beagleboard.org). It uses a TI OMAP3530 processor (ARM Cortex-A8 Core ~600MHz + TMS320C64x+ DSP ~430MHz + Imagination SGX 2D/3D graphics processor). See OMAP3530 features for more processor features. Target price is US- it's capabilities. +Components +Top view: +- Board size: 3" x 3" +- Currently 6 layer PCB; target: 4 layer +Bottom: +See jadonk's photostream for some more detailed BeagleBoard pictures. +Manual +See BeagleBoard HW Reference Manual (rev. B6). +Schematic +Schematic of BeagleBoard Rev. B is available as part of BeagleBoard HW Reference Manual (rev. B6), from BeagleBoard.org design page or in PDF format. Please make sure that you read, understand and agree Jason's mail before using this. +Layout +Layout of BeagleBoard Rev. B is available as part of BeagleBoard HW Reference Manual (rev. B6) or will be without the EHCI USB connector mounted and in a few weeks having a different SKU for the Rev. C boards with the EHCI USB fixed. Won't be fixed for Rev. A and Rev. B boards. Needs different PHY.: Some random boards,. +For additional (software) issues and enhancement requests see Beagle board open point list & issue tracker, too. +Note: BeagleBoard revision B6 uses different package for U9/U11. +Clocking +Some notes about (ARM processor) clock rates at BeagleBoard: +- ARM processor at BeagleBoard currently uses 500MHz +- 500MHz is the default used because it is a balance of performance and longevity +- For OMAP35x 600MHz is max recommended +- At 600MHz OMAP35x is considered to be 'overdrive' and it does not have the same life expectancy +- Higher than 600MHz is out of spec and no guarantee it will work at all (or not damage itself) +- Also keep in mind that if you go higher you probably want to increase the core voltage. Some of this is mentioned in table 3-3 of the OMAP3530 data sheet. Some numbers: +- There is a thermal monitor in the core, you could use to scale frequency up and down +See Mans' hack to configure clock in U-Boot (V1) to 600MHz. will be available from DigiKey starting at ~January 2009 for expected price $349. +Interfacing to Raw LCD Panels +Currently on Rev A / B boards there is no direct access to the LCD lines before they enter the DVI framer. There are plans to implement access to these lines in Rev C. See interfacing to Raw LCD Panels article for a workaround method. +Availability +BeagleBoards, currently Rev. B boards, are available from Digi-Key with part number 296-23428-ND. +Note: For non-US. +The Rev. B boards currently oderable do not have support for the USB EHCI port (see hardware errata #5) and are not yet fully supported by the linux-omap git tree. These boards are being targeted only for early adopter developers. Rev. C boards (see below) will be available later under a different part number.. +Revision C +Revision C is same as revision B except: +- USB HOST (EHCI) will be operational on revision C. +- add interface for raw LCDs (mockup) +- possibly have 256MB of slightly faster RAM instead of 128MB SDRAM +- It will use updated OMAP3 revision. BeagleBoard revision B uses OMAP3 ES 2.1 (engineering sample), while BeagleBoard revision C is supposed to use ES 3.0. OMAP3 ES 3.0 will fix minor issues: +- updated ARM Cortex A8 silicon (r1p3) fixing a very rare NEON issue that has not been seen in real code +Note: Revision C is expected Q1 2009. There are some early revision C prototypes out there, but they still seem to have USB host issue. +Beagle cases +Some nice cases for your BeagleBoard are available from Special Computing. See SketchUp 3D model if interested in 3D models from Beagle, too. +Adapters +For quite detailed information about all BeagleBoard peripherals see BeagleBoard HW Reference Manual (rev. B6). +See BeagleBoard peripherals and adapters page for useful add ons for Beagle Board. +Expansion boards +- TinCanTools is in the process of developing an Expansion-Prototype Board for the BeagleBoard, comments and suggestions are welcome. Schematic. +- HY Research has some expansion board basics and example.. +USB +There are two USB ports on the BeagleBoard, one with an EHCI controller and another with an OTG controller. +EHCI +The HS (HighSpeed) USB ECHI controller on OMAP3 on BeagleBoard supports high-speed only. This simplifies the logic on the device. FS/LS (FullSpeed/LowSpeed) devices, such as keyboards and mice, require going through a HS hub.. +DVI +DVI-D connection on BeagleBoard uses HDMI female to DVI male cable. SPRUFD6. SPRUFD6 are two older (experimental) tools for UART boot: +- PC Serial Boot perl script +- Linux C utility (not working yet with below target code) +See USB and serial download target code for some example target code to be downloaded to OMAP3 on BeagleBoard. +USB bootinit OMAP3 beagleboard.org # fatload mmc 0:1 0x80000000 uimage OMAP3 beagleboard.org # bootm +If you like to make that happen every boot: +OMAP3 beagleboard.org # set bootcmd 'mmcinit ; fatload mmc 0:1 0x80000000 uimage ; bootm' ; saveenv-load-omap3/mainline.git xloader cd xloader/ +Build: +make distclean make omap3530beagle_config make +Result will be a ~20k sized x-load.bin in main directory. +U-Boot +Currently, Beagle community is working at getting U-Boot patches upstream to mainline U-Boot. While doing this, Steve set up a Beagle U-Boot git repository. Get it by: +git clone git:// cd u-boot-omap3 git checkout --track -b omap3-dev origin/omap3-dev +Build (assuming Code Sourcery GCC 2007q3):. +Linux kernel +Git repository of OMAP Linux kernel contains Beagle support. Get it by: +git clone git://source.mvista.com/git/linux-omap-2.6.git +Build: +make distclean make omap3_beagle_defconfig make uImage +The result will be a uImage in arch/arm/boot/ directory. +Experimental kernel patches and hacks +Some beagle developers maintain their own kernel experimental patches and hacks not ready for upstream: +- Koen's collection of kernels patches for OE and the list of relevant patches +- Steve's kernel tree, a clone of main OMAP git with additional patches, mainly beagle audio (ASOC) related. +- Mans' kernel tree, a clone of main OMAP git with additional patches, mainly display & framebuffer related. +Compiler +TI OMAP3530 processor on BeagleBoard contains an ARM Cortex-A8 general purpose processor and a TMS320C64x+ DSP. +Cortex A8 ARM +CodeSourcery's ARM GNU/Linux tool chain 2007q3 version is recommended. has the following issues: +- Broken NEON support using -fmpu=neon -mfloat-abi=softfp -mcpu=cortex-a8 -O3 +- Miscompiles U-Boot +- Note: CodeSourcery 2008q3-72 has the following issues: +- See mru's blog. +Note: If you will use only OpenEmbedded (OE) to build code for your Beagle, you don't need to extra download CodeSourcery compiler. OE will build 2007q3 from source while installing. +ARM NEON +ARM Cortex A8 used in OMAP3 on BeagleBoard supports NEON instruction set. Some information about this can be found in ARM's RealView Compilation Tools Assembler Guide and from GCC's ARM NEON Intrinsics. +For NEON optimized libraries see ARM Releases AAC, MP3, MPEG-4, H.264 and FFT OpenMAX DL Libraries, Highly Optimized for Cortex-A8/NEON and ARM11 Processors. Note: Read the EULA.. +Board recovery +If you played e.g. with the contents of the NAND, it might happen that the Board doesn't boot any more (without pressing user button) due to broken NAND content. See BeagleBoard recovery article how to fix. +Android distro +Android apps are developed primarily under Eclipse. BeagleBoard.org's Android Project page cites this OMAPZoom.org wiki page on Android and this porting announcement with distribution image download and video.. +Debian ARM +See Debian (ARM) installation guide how to install Debian (ARM) on BeagleBoard. +Handhelds Mojo ARM +See Handhelds Mojo (ARM) (formerly known as Ubuntu (ARM)) installation guide how to install Handhelds Mojo (ARM) port of Ubuntu on BeagleBoard.. +Some videos: +- OpenGL ES 2.0 shader effects on OMAP3 +- 3D User Interface on OMAP3 Platform +- 3D Mapping using OpenGL ES 2.0 on OMAP3 Platform +- Video blending in hardware +Contact and communication +- Beagle board discussion list +- Beagle board open point list & issue tracker +- Beagle board blog +- Beagle board RSS feed +- Chat: +- Beagle Board chat on Pibb.com +- IRC: #beagle channel on irc.freenode.net +- IRC archive +- Beagles Ride, a site about building a community around the BeagleBoard focused on in vehicle applications wiki pages +- BeagleBoard beginners guides +- BeagleBoard and OpenEmbedded Git installation guide and OpenEmbedded development +- Debian on BeagleBoard usage guide +- Handhelds Mojo (ARM) on BeagleBoard usage guide (formerly known as Ubuntu (ARM)) +- BeagleBoard recovery about fixing boards not booting any more because of broken NAND content +- BeagleBoard JTAG and OMAP3530_ICEPICK about JTAG on BeagleBoard +- BeagleBoard OpenOCD has infos about status and usage of open source JTAG software OpenOCD with Beagle +- BeagleBoard NAND boot about how to boot BeagleBoard from NAND flash +- BeagleBoard peripherals and adapters page about useful BeagleBoard add ons. +- BeagleBoard FAQ +- Sugar on BeagleBoard +- BeagleBoard DSP howto +- Interfacing BeagleBoard to Raw LCD +- BeagleBoard OpenMAX usage +- BeagleBoard video +- Using OpenCV computer vision library with BeagleBoard +- code.google.com BeagleBoard wiki +- BeagleBoard contest +- Wikipedia BeagleBoard page +- Not on Beagle OMAP3530: Ubuntu 7.04 on on OMAP3430 SDP +Beagle manufacturing +- Beagle Solder Paste Screening +- Beagle Assembly Inspection +- Beagle Functional Test +- Beagle Reflow +- Beagle Board Assembly at Circuitco +Fun +- Enjoy BeagleGame +Other OMAP boards +- OMAP1 OMAP5912 (ARM9 + C5x DSP) based OSK board. +- OMAP3 OMAP3430 based Zoom MDK +- +Fallout Wiki:Across the WastesTalk95 +this wiki +Redirected from Across the Wastes +Across the Wastes +Fallout 3 Giveaway +How it worksEdit +The goal of the contest was to make it from Vault 13 (the starting location in Fallout) to Vault 101 (the starting location in Fallout 3) in seven clicks or less. The contentants had to simply navigate from the Vault 13 article to the Vault 101 one by clicking on article links within the wiki's articles about the Fallout world and games. +On your way to Vault 101, the contestants also needed to visit at least one location from each Fallout game (Fallout, Fallout 2, Fallout 3), not counting Vault 13 and Vault 101. Other articles on your route do not have to be locations, but you can only use each article once. Every location that appears in more than one game counts for only one of them. Categories, templates and other special pages don't count. +PrizesEdit +- Prizes to be awarded, sponsored by Bethesda Softworks and Wikia will include: +- Five (5) Copies of Fallout 3 +- Four (4) Official Fallout 3 T-shirts +- Five (5) Vault Boy Puppets +- Fifty (50) Vault Dweller's Survival Guides +Rules and regulationsEdit +- The contest ran from October 27 to November 3, 2008. +- There will be one drawing for each of the prize types. +- Winners will be notified via email. +- If prize is unclaimed after 72 hours of notification to the email address provided, another participant will be picked at random. +- Admin Ausir will be administering the sweepstakes with the help of Wikia Staff members, and is not an eligible participant. +- You can use either the English or the Polish version of the wiki for the contest (but you can't enter the contest twice by sending a route for both Polish and English Vault - only one will be counted). +- Official rules and legal mumbo jumbo can be found here. +Discuss!Edit +vault 13 > fallout > fallout 2 > fallout 3 > vault 101 :( 91.121.120.29 14:21, 13 November 2008 (UTC) +Vault 13>Overseer>Vault 101 Overseer>Vault 101---3 clicks12.207.171.121 15:58, 10 November 2008 (UTC)i don't have username and contest is already over so it sucks for me +@ Comments above: First of all, post in the order as you see below. Second, neither would work. It says PLACES. You can use the Fallout games, but you still need two LOCATIONS in Fallout, 1 in Fallout 2, and 2 in Fallout 3, if you count V13 and V101. 204.193.6.90 17:56, 14 November 2008 (UTC) +______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ +Are there going to be pages you can't use? Because the timeline is kinda cheating. And I see you already thought of the military base, Ausir :P --Macros 11:07, 24 October 2008 (UTC) +- All articles can be used. You can't use templates, special pages, etc. But every article can only be used once. Ausir 11:12, 24 October 2008 (UTC) +- What if someone edits an article to make a shortcut? --Macros 11:17, 24 October 2008 (UTC) +- Well, if that edit doesn't make sense in that article or is a stretch, I'll remove it and it won't be allowed. If it does, I think it's OK. Ausir 11:41, 24 October 2008 (UTC) +Does a game overview article (i.e. fallout 1, 2 or 3) count as a special page? +- No, they count as regular articles and can be used as part of your route. Ausir 23:59, 27 October 2008 (UTC) +Cheers +Does the Capital Wasteland count as a location or a general area? +- Anything that is in a "Fallout 3 places", "Fallout 2 places" etc. category counts. Ausir 00:21, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +It says int the legalese that you need to include the following w/ your emailed entry: 0) Email subject line "Fallout 3: Across the Wastes" 1) Name 2) Address 3) Phone number +This is a bit more than what's listed on the contest page: +Just wanted to make sure it's clear. Thanks -- PK +- You'll just have to supply the rest of the info only if you are picked as one of the winners. Ausir 01:50, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +Do Vault 13/101 count as Fallout 1/3 locations? or do you mean 'in addition to'? +- Yes, there has to be one location from each game in addition to V13/101. Ausir 02:41, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +2 questions, can i get the prizes if i live in the uk? and can i use vault 101 twice? Orio11 +- Yes and no, respectively. Ausir 12:18, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +- Thank you Orio11 12:28, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +If your an idiot and sent the wrong info (e.g. didn't put you name or country of residence) first time round can you resend? +My question: Since Categories like Fallout 2 places can be used, can Category:Vaults be used? -- (Middle Man 15:31, 28 October 2008 (UTC)) +- You can't use categories at all in your route, only articles within these categories. Ausir 15:50, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +Does Vault 101 count as a click as well? Elektr0 18:32, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +Thanks! I got it now. :) Elektr0 19:04, 28 October 2008 (UTC) +How about locations that appear in two of the games? Do i have to list an additional location to one of the games or does that one location cover one location in both games? +- You can use a location only for one game. You'll have to find another one for the other game. Ausir 14:51, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +Do Shady Sands and NCR count as different locations? They're... sort of the same city, but vastly changed between games, aren't they? MidnightVoyager 16:03, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +- I suppose I could count them as separate locations - Shady Sands as the town, and NCR as the emerging state. Ausir 16:09, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +I asked this in my email, but I'll ask it here too- can I submit more than one entry if I find more than one route? Also, just for kicks, I went and found a reverse route. Would it be cool to post the return? Hactarcomputer 21:38, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +- Only one entry for each person counts. Ausir 21:44, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +- That completely makes sense. Oh well, no harm asking. Hactarcomputer 21:46, 29 October 2008 (UTC) +Just along side MidnightVoyager's question, would I still be able to use Shady Sands for my FO2 area? Gibbonia 11:02, 30 October 2008 (UTC) +If there is only one winner for each prize type, then why mention that you have more than one of each? Why say you have 5 copies of Fallout 3, 50 guides, etc? Also, does the capital wasteland count as a location from Fallout 3? It's a location... just a large one. Twilight Heaven 9:02, 30 October 2008 (UTC) +- There will be one drawing for each prize type, but as many winners as there are prizes. Don't ask me what it means, but all 50 guides won't go to one guy. 14:13, 30 October 2008 (UTC) +- Well unless I'm reading it wrong, I understand it as there will only be 5 winners. There are 4 prizes so there will be 5 winners. Or is it a specific number of winners for a certain prize? Like do they draw 50 times for the guide and 5 for Fallout 3? I'm confused -_- Twilight Heaven 11:06, 30 October 2008 (UTC) +I screwed up my submission, which was missing a location. Can I re-submit it? CRoss 16:08, 30 October 2008 (UTC) +1 November +Can I use the vault article on my journey, not the category, but the article? Mr. Peanut(Not a member) +Do the locations you have to visit be in order? In other words, must you visit a FO1 location before a FO2? Firefly89 18:07, 1 November 2008 (UTC) +- No. Ausir 18:19, 1 November 2008 (UTC) +- Does the competition run up to (and including) the 3rd of November and if it does then at what time (and time zone) does it close. if it's already closed then the page should probably be marked as such. Cheers Lokal_Profil 14:35, 3 November 2008 (UTC) +- It's still on. The winners will be selected tomorrow. I'll mark the page as such when it's over. Ausir 14:48, 3 November 2008 (UTC) +- I just submitted thirty seconds ago upon discovering this contest, do I count? D: Kobura Cape 08:15, 4 November 2008 (UTC) +Any news on when winners will be released? +88.108.5.136 20:04, 4 November 2008 (UTC) +Thanks for taking partEdit +The event has now ended, stay tuned for winners :). We'll start mailing out notices this week, so be sure to check your inbox (and spam folders) for instructions on how to claim your prize. Once all email's have been mailed, and winners confirmed, we will post the winners here. Hope you all had fun playing! -- Doug (talk) 01:27, 5 November 2008 (UTC) +Unfortunatelly i'm too late. I would have taken: Vault_13->Vault_15->Enclave->Capital_Wasteland->Vault_101 with only 4 klicks. 92.105.55.89 21:13, 7 November 2008 (UTC) +Any idea when the winners will be posted? Have any of them been emailed? 22:25, 7 November 2008 (UTC) +- Emails are making their rounds now. Inside info. Taza 23:07, 7 November 2008 (UTC) +- Still no winners posted, or did I miss them somewhere? +- Still nothing? Can we get an update? (NotSoSimple 20:04, 11 November 2008 (UTC)) +- Did I win?--213.165.180.25 14:00, 12 November 2008 (UTC) +- A status update would be great. +- And we still have nothing. Did anyone receive an email? (NotSoSimple 18:27, 13 November 2008 (UTC)) +@92.105.55.89 - And your entry would not have been accepted for not meeting the contest requirements. @ Contest Officials - It would be cool to know stats for the contest, ie how many entrants, how many valid paths, how many took 7 clicks, 6, 5, etc. +- Why would that not meet the contest requirements? The links all exist, Vault 15 is in fallout places, Enclave is in fallout 2 places, and Capital Wasteland is in fallout 3 places. Looks like a perfectly legitimate path to me. Tetracycloide 16:56, 12 November 2008 (UTC) +- I'm very anxious; I'm checking my e-mail several times a day! I hope I win... :) Z4xx0r 6:12, 12 November 2008 (UTC) +- Enclave isn't a place- its an organization. Their oil rig, however, is a place. +Where are the emails? Give me my t-shirt or give me death!! Panek 20:02, 14 November 2008 (UTC) +- Still nothing, 12 days later. I wonder what's going on. +- Was the contest canceled, or am I just missing something? 05:47, 17 November 2008 (UTC) +- The original winning emails were sent out 11/5 and confirmed on 11/13. Please check your inbox and spam folders if you haven't done so already. +Here is a list of the winners: +- Monozero10 +- Lukas S +- przemoc84 +- Steve +- Bret L +- Pete B +- lsemchyshyn +- Misieq145 +- Brian B +- Oliver C +- Ari S +- Mac 281 +- Steve G +- Benjamin S +- chase m +- psycho2313 +- Evil Spacemantis +- Mike I +- Sonny L +- Anemene +- Ed A +- staci h +- John D +- Charles R +- Michael M +- Dreger H +- Christopher W +- brian h +- JF B +- April H +- Alex W +- Liam H +- Thomas P +- Yeow S +- chris v +- David C +- Kazuael +- Rob S +- Jesper J +- Daniel D +- Ivan L +- g123baird321w +- Judland B +- jeryldavis +- Scott +- Bonnie M +- william T +- BP +- Tapio K +- thomas s +- Karl Han +- George Castillo +- David Stone +- Kevin Piña +- Misieq145 +- Derek Chiu +- Mac K +- Daniel M +- Anders B +- Jacob M +- czorny76 +- Mathew L +- Neel P +- trash b +- Jacob M +- evan +- Jim H +-- Doug (talk) 20:08, 17 November 2008 (UTC) +When were the prizes mailed out and about when will they reach the West Coast? I want to zeta scan my puppet ASAP =P +Dale Dickson - 76.167.188.239 08:54, 11 December 2008 (UTC) I am confused I have no idea if my path met requirements. I know I had the minimum path you could have. I am Sorry if this Edit doesn't meet Wiki standards I tried my hardest. +Start Vault 13: -> +Fallout 1 POI: -> +Fallout 2 POI: -> +Fallout 3 POI: -> +End Vault 101: -> +Uluberia II +Uluberia II is a community development block that forms an administrative division in Uluberia subdivision of Howrah district in the Indian state of West Bengal. +Contents +Geography[edit] +Location[edit] +Baniban, a constituent panchayat of Uluberia II block, is located at 22°29′40″N 88°05′07″E / 22.494511°N 88.08519°E +Uluberia II CD Block is bounded by Amta I, Jagatballavpur and Panchla CD Blocks in the north, Uluberia I in the east and south and Bagnan I CD Block in the west. +It is located 29 km from Howrah, the district headquarters. +Area and administration[edit] +Uluberia II CD Block has an area of 62.98 km2.[1]Uluberia and Bauria police stations serve this CD Block. Uluberia II panchayat samity has 8 gram panchayats. The block has 32 inhabited villages.[2] Headquarters of this block is at Bikihakola. +Topography[edit] +Howrah district is located on the west bank of the Hooghly. The Rupnarayan flows on the west and south of the district and the Damodar intersects it. The district consists of a flat alluvial plain.[3] +Gram panchayats.[4] +Demographics[edit] +Overview[edit] +Rural population is 49.63% of the total population of Howrah district as per 2001 census. Scheduled castes account for 15.41% of the population, scheduled tribes 0.44% and Muslims 24.4% of the population. As the economy is prevalently industrial, majority of the population depends on industries for a living. Only 30% of the population is engaged in cultivation.[5] +Population[edit] +As per 2011 Census of India Uluberia II CD Block had a total population of 191,599, of which 80,793 were rural and 110,806 were uban. There were 97,844 (51%) males and 93,755 (49%) females. Population below 6 years was 25,648. Scheduled Castes numbered 57,671 and Scheduled Tribes numbered 80.[6] +As per 2001 census, Uluberia II block had a total population of 161,833, out of which 83,662 were males and 78,171 were females. Uluberia II block registered a population growth of 1.92 per cent during the 1991-2001 decade. Decadal growth for Howrah district was 12.76 per cent. Decadal growth in West Bengal was 17.84 per cent. Scheduled castes at 49,552 formed around one-third the population. Scheduled tribes numbered 690.[1][7] +Census Towns and large villages[edit] +Census Towns in Uluberia II CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Baniban Jagadishpur (7,402), Kantaberia (11,507), Tehatta (12,770), Basudebpur (13,091), Raghudebpur (7,081), Santoshpur (7,695), Ghosal Chak (5,681), Balaram Pota (5,544), Khalisani (12,970), Brindabanpur (12,583), Uttar Pirpur (5,868), Baniban (6,597) and Mahishrekha (2,017).[6] +The following Municipalities and Census Towns in Howrah district were part of Kolkata Urban Agglomeration in 2011 census: Howrah (Municipal Corporation), Bally (Municipality), Bally (Census Town), Jagadishpur (CT), Chamrail (CT), Eksara (CT), Chakapara (CT) Khalia (CT), Jaypur Bil (CT), (all, except Howrah municipal corporation and Bally municipality, in Bally Jagachha CD Block), Bankra (CT), Nibra (CT), Mahiari (CT), Bipra Noapara (CT), Ankurhati (CT), Kantlia (CT), Salap (CT), Tentulkuli (CT), Domjur (CT), Dakshin Jhapardaha (CT), Makardaha (CT), Khantora (CT), Bhandardaha (CT), (all in Domjur CD Block), Kamranga (CT), Argari (CT), Andul (CT), Ramchandrapur (CT), Jhorhat (CT), Hatgachha (CT), Dhuilya (CT), Panchpara (CT), Podara (CT), Banupur (CT), Sankrail (CT), Manikpur (CT), Sarenga (CT), Raghudebbati (CT) Nalpur (CT), Chak Srikrishna (Out Growth), (all in Sankrail CD Block), Uluberia (M) Khalisani (CT) Uttar Pirpur (CT) Balaram Pota (CT), Santoshpur (CT) (all except Uluberia municipality in Uluberia II CD Block).[8] +Large villages in Uluberia II CD Block (2011 census figures in brackets): Tulsiberia (6,729), Abhirampur (4,584), Joargor (6,294), Kamala Chak (5,939), Karather (6,729), Surikhali (4,158) and Dasbhanga (4,266).[6] +Literacy[edit] +As per 2011 census the total number of literates in Uluberia II CD Block was 129,528 (78.05% of the population over 6 years) out of which 70,052 (54%) were males and 59,476 (46%) were females.[6] +As per 2011 census, literacy in Howrah district was 78.66%. [9]Literacy in West Bengal was 77.08% in 2011.[10] Literacy in India in 2011 was 74.04%.[10] +As per 2001 census, Uluberia II block had a total literacy of 68.60 per cent for the 6+ age group. While male literacy was 76.28 per cent female literacy was 60.38 per cent. Howrah district had a total literacy of 77.01 per cent, male literacy being 83.22 per cent and female literacy being 70.11 per cent.[2] +Language[edit] +Bengali is the local language in these areas. +Religion[edit] +In 2011 census Hindus numbered 115,932 and formed 60.51% of the population in Uluberia II CD Block. Muslims numbered 75,409 and formed 39.36% of the population. Others numbered 258 and formed 0.13% of the population.[11] +In 2011, Hindus numbered 3,535,844 and formed 72.90% of the population in Howrah district. Muslims numbered 1,270,641 and formed 26.20% of the population. In West Bengal Hindus numbered 64,385,546 and formed 70.53% of the population. Muslims numbered 24,654,825 and formed 27.01% of the population.[11] +Economy[edit] +Infrastructure[edit] +Up to 2003-04, Uluberia II CD Block had 245 hectares of vested land, out of which 104 hectares were distributed amongst 1,204 persons. In Uluberia II CD Block more than one crop was grown in 1,999 hectares. Net area sown in the block was 4,886 hectares. Uluberia II had 3,000 hectares of canals for irrigation. In Uluberia II CD Block 32 mouzas were electrified up to March 2004.[2] +Education[edit] +In 2003-04, Uluberia II CD Block had 96 primary schools with 17,059 students, 3 middle schools with 624 students, 8 high schools with 5,800 students and 4 higher secondary schools with 4,877 students. Uluberia II CD Block had 1 professional and technical institution with 174 students. Uluberia II CD Block had 225 institutions with 30,936 students for special and non-formal education. It had 1 mass literacy centre.[2] +Healthcare[edit] +Uluberia II CD Block had 3 health centres, 3 clinics, 1 dispensary and 1 hospital with 76 beds and 10 doctors in 2003. It had 24 family welfare centres.[2] +References[edit] +- ^ a b "Provisional Population Totals, West Bengal. Table 4". Census of India 2001 – Howrah district. Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-20. +- ^ a b c d e "District Statistical Handbook – 2004 – Howrah" (PDF). Tables 2.1, 2.2, 2.4 (b), 3.1, 4.4, 4.5, 8.2, 18.1, 18.3, 21.1. Bureau of Applied Economics and Statistics, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 3 April 2016. +- ^ "Brief Industrial Profile of Howrah District, West Bengal" (PDF). Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India. Retrieved 3 May 2016. +- ^ "Directory of District, Subdivision, Panchayat Samiti/ Block and Gram Panchayats in West Bengal". Howrah – Revised in March 2008. Panchayats and Rural Development Department, Government of West Bengal. Retrieved 4 May 2016. +- ^ "Minority Concentration District Project – Haorah, West Bengal" (PDF). Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India. Retrieved 6 May 2016. +- ^ a b c d "C.D. Block Wise Primary Census Abstract Data(PCA)". 2011 census: West Bengal – District-wise CD Blocks. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 3 May 2016. +- ^ "Provisional Population Totals, West Bengal. Table 4". Census of India 2001. Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2011-01-20. +- ^ "Provisional Population Totals, Census of India 2011" (PDF). Constituents of Urban Agglomeration Having Population Above 1 Lakh. Census of India 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2016. +- ^ "2011 Census – Primary Census Abstract Data Tables". West Bengal – District-wise. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 1 May 2016. +- ^ a b "Provisional population tables and annexures" (PDF). Census 2011:Table 2(3) Literates and Literacy rates by sex. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 9 February 2016. +- ^ a b "C1 Population by Religious Community". West Bengal. Registrar General and Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 3 May 2016. +The Best Minnesota Gifts For Home +Best minnesota gifts for home Reviews :If you are reading this, then you already know about minnesota gifts for home is a great product for you, your family or any other person whom you are planning to buy. Don’t worry about price if you are looking for a minnesota gifts for home for any person or your home, office or personal use then also we have covered all kind of minnesota gifts for home. It doesn’t matter what’s your budget we have listed all minimum to maximum price budget details. +Thanks to e-commerce explosion, we now have a Sale more often and predictable than the monsoon. If minnesota gifts for home is your interest area, then you are at the right place and with the advent of new year, at right time. Investing in minnesota gifts for home has become very foggy with a lot of malicious product and fakes out there. +So, if you need a handy guide to ensure that your investment is safe, look no more beyond our Ultimate Buying Guide for minnesota gifts for home. Here we bring out the best in the minnesota gifts for home which you can safely buy in 2020. +756 reviews analysed +Totally Bamboo Minnesota State Shaped Bamboo Serving & Cutting Board +By Visit the Totally Bamboo Store +Minnesota cup Minnesota coffee mug – Home grown Minnesota mug – Minnesota coffee cup Minnesota state mug 11oz Black US State mugs +By Brand: A Mug To Gift +1. Primitives Kathy Wanderlust Sign Minnesota +What We Like +- Inset box sign with a dimensional Minnesota state silhouette and background list of the most populated cities +- Measures 9.5 x 10 Minnesota Gifts For Home, Primitives Kathy Wanderlust Sign Minnesota would be your best bet for getting a value for money. Launched Quite time Ago Primitives Kathy Wanderlust Sign Minnesota was the best-sold product and even today, the sales number speak. +Having such amazing features, all this is bundled up at a cost, which may seem high for few, but is actually very good if you compare its features. Our bet is Primitives Kathy Wanderlust Sign Minnesota would be the Best Minnesota Gifts For Home for Money. +2. Primitives Kathy Smile Towel Minnesota +What We Like +- 100% Cotton +- A fully-printed and vibrant Minnesota-themed cotton dish towel +- 28-Inch square +- made from strong, high quality cotton for softness and durability +- Design features its most popular cities, local pop culture, famous celebrities, and the region’s food and attractions +- Pair with a Primitives by Kathy box sign for a gift that is sure to make them smile +- Look for all of Primitives by Kathy for inspirational, fun, sarcastic, and heart-warming gifts and home decor +Our Verdict +If you are the sort of a person who doesn’t compromise on quality and is ready to shell a little extra then Primitives Kathy Smile Towel Minnesota is your choice. They say you either buy a quality product once or buy cheap products every day, the cost comes to same. +The new Primitives Kathy Smile Towel Minnesota comes with best Price. It is industry’s most trusted, most preferred and quality Minnesota Gifts For Home and it considered as Gold Standard by many users as well as non-users. +If you are looking for a long-time investment with a quality Minnesota Gifts For Home then don’t look beyond Primitives Kathy Smile Towel Minnesota. The product is featured, highlighted and appreciated in Reviews of Minnesota Gifts For Home in 2020 and this has been backed by many users. +3. Homesick Hsca1 Mn Wh01 Scented Candle Minnesota +Our Verdict +Going ahead with our list, we have something very specific to a specific audience. Yes, Homesick Hsca1 Mn Wh01 Scented Candle Minnesota has a very selective audience with specific taste. It satisfies customer expectations (Given that your expectations don’t cross a limit) and it adds value for money but more importantly, it adds a style to the user which can be your fashion statement. +Homesick Hsca1 Mn Wh01 Scented Candle Minnesota is definitely the must-buy for those who need a little of both quality and price efficiency and as per our analysis, Homesick Hsca1 Mn Wh01 Scented Candle Minnesota easily gets the award of Best Minnesota Gifts For Home Under 100$. +4. Siskiyou Minnesota Vikings Magnet Purple +Our Verdict +Siskiyou Minnesota Vikings Magnet Purple is a veteran in the market and has been here for a long time. It offers something of a unique feature which no other competitor offers. +Go for Siskiyou Minnesota Vikings Magnet Purple if you want to try out something of a fusion of new and classic. Fun & Interesting Fact about Minnesota Gifts For Home is that even though Siskiyou Minnesota Vikings Magnet Purple is a veteran, the users are mostly younger generation. You can say fashion makes a turn after a century or so and things repeat. +5. Football Wood Sign Minnesota Vikings +Our Verdict +If you are buying a Minnesota Gifts For Home for the first time, then you should have Football Wood Sign Minnesota Vikings. It has fewer features when you make Minnesota Gifts For Home comparisons of Football Wood Sign Minnesota Vikings with any other Minnesota Gifts For Home but what it has is ease of use and best in class service. Go ahead and Grab a Minnesota Gifts For Home, grab any Minnesota Gifts For Home but if you are first time user and want a good experience do not look anywhere other than Football Wood Sign Minnesota Vikings +6. Andaz Press Minnesota Distance Christmas +What We Like +- INCLUDES: 1 coffee mug,. +- Minnesota Distance Christmas is a relatively new and late entrant in the market but surprisingly has surpassed beyond Fan Creations NFL Football And Dog Wood Sign which have been in market longer than anyone. Andaz Press Minnesota Distance Christmas brings you the best of the quality in the lowest possible cost. The Best feature of Andaz Press Minnesota Distance Christmas is what has kept in the market. +It certainly makes appearance in Reviews of Minnesota Gifts For Home in 2020 owing to its price penetration strategy in the market. If you own a Minnesota Gifts For Home and it could be any of the high value Minnesota Gifts For Home, chances are that would be much costlier than Andaz Press Minnesota Distance Christmas. Andaz Press Minnesota Distance Christmas will have more than 50% of all its features. +7. Totally Bamboo 20 7955Mn Minnesota Serving +What We Like +- Celebrate life in The Land of 10,000 Lakes with this fun bamboo serving and cutting board in the shape of Minnesota by Totally Bamboo +- Perfect for smaller food prep jobs, great for serving when entertaining and a fun conversation starter +- board measures 13-1/4″ x 11-3/4″ x 5/8″ +- Show off your state pride, the included hanging hole and tie make this board a wonderful wall art option too +- a perfect gift item for anyone who loves Minnesota +- +Our Verdict +Totally Bamboo 20 7955Mn Minnesota Serving is another one which falls under Minnesota Gifts For Home for money. It is most regularly advertised product and we see ads of it almost everywhere. In the past, Totally Bamboo 20 7955Mn Minnesota Serving ’s parent company decided to launch a new line of Minnesota Gifts For Home and that is what has revived them. Totally Bamboo 20 7955Mn Minnesota Serving has really upgraded itself to the current style and market changes and the best part of Totally Bamboo 20 7955Mn Minnesota Serving is amazing features. +8. Minnesota Cup Coffee Mug Grown +What We Like +-. +- ???? This funny cup is a great novelty drinkware featuring a humorous joke and a sarcastic saying, great conversation starter. +Our Verdict +Minnesota Cup Coffee Mug Grown is present in top 10 since a long time. In terms of customer satisfaction and ease of use, Minnesota Cup Coffee Mug Grown wins the users. Most of them who buy Minnesota Cup Coffee Mug Grown once wont by anything else although it offers very limited features and specifications. +The only reason for brand loyalty is ease of use. This product had a special mention in Reviews of Minnesota Gifts For Home in 2020 for not expanding user base but definitely not loosing any. The shift of people from Minnesota Gifts For Home to any other Minnesota Gifts For Home is least. +9. Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentines +Our Verdict +Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentines is again a mid of quality and price. It offers limited features in this pricing. There is another variant of Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentines which falls into premium category but Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentinesis specifically targeted for mid-segment. +Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentines offers such a amazing features which makes it better than 70% of Minnesota Gifts For Home available in the market today. Minnesota Scented Missing Homesick Valentines was our personal favorite and was voted as most admired product in TOP 10 Best Minnesota Gifts For Home to Buy in 2020 – TOP Picks. We hope it makes to that list again this year. +10. Prairie Minnesota City Trip Popsockets +What We Like +- Live in or moved to Eden Prairie MN Minnesota state? Cute home root grown art for men, women, boy, girl & kids you love that are made and raised in town. Cool matching couple, tourist, travel guide, mom, dad, grandma, mama, sister, daughter souvenir. +- Custom Personalized is calling And I must go local born pride Christmas, birthday vacation, vintage sport holiday quote for family heritage. For native US American college lover, university, high school student planner with adventure camping in his/her D Verdict +Last but not the least, if you haven’t liked any of the Minnesota Gifts For Home yet, then Prairie Minnesota City Trip Popsockets is your choice. It is another one which is Best Minnesota Gifts For Home Under 100$ and Minnesota Gifts For Home comparison have showed it has ranked best in past based solely on its features. Prairie Minnesota City Trip Popsockets offers best features and although it does not have, Prairie Minnesota City Trip Popsockets’s feature is unbeatable. We would recommend you to go ahead with this if you want an all rounder Best Minnesota Gifts For Home Under 100$ +Conclusion +By our suggestions above, we hope that you can found Minnesota Gifts For Home for you.Please don’t forget to share your experience by comment in this post. Thank you! +The quick take +Amazon was one of the first to provide a set-top streaming box that boasted truly powerful hardware and a whole bundle of software and content providers. And all that at a compelling price point, too. The 2015 update has more competition than ever with the likes of the Android TV ecosystem growing and a brand new Apple TV on the horizon. But Amazon came out swinging once again with a solid product that's hard not to recommend to interested parties. It's priced to move, has 4K video support, Alexa in the U.S. as well as a bunch of adapted apps and games. Ecosystem still comes into play but the 2015 Fire TV is a top contender. +Buy the Amazon Fire TV from Amazon UK +The good +- Low low price +- Game controller is optional and doesn't affect the asking price +- Voice remote is excellent +- MicroSD card slot +- Powerful internals +The bad +- User interface could be simpler +- No HDMI cable in the box +- Alexa still limited to the U.S. +Still one of the best +Amazon Fire TV full review +For the 2015 update to the Fire TV, Amazon has upped the ante a fair bit and is making some bold claims. The spec sheet proudly boasts "75 percent more processing power" than the old model, a better gaming experience and more 1080p streams than ever before thanks to new codec support. +And then there's Alexa. Or there is if you're in the United States, at least. +As with all hardware spaces Amazon seems to find itself in at the present day, the media streamer and set-top box markets are busier than ever. With Android TV and Chromecast in one corner, Apple TVs imminent refresh in another, the likes of Roku always lurking and the more entertainment focused features on the new generation game consoles, does the Fire TV still earn its place in your set up? +All about Alexa and the Amazon Echo +Alexa is what makes the Amazon Echo such a special product. And now it's on the Fire TV in the U.S. If you've yet to come across either, check out our dedicated page for everything you need to know. +About this review +The review unit we're testing is a UK retail spec Fire TV provided by Amazon initially supplied with pre-release software. In the course of the review period we've been updated to version 5.0.2.2 which we're told is the latest retail release build. +Since this is a UK version, Alexa support is not available. +What's in the box? +- Amazon Fire TV +- Power adapter (1.4A output) +- Voice remote +You'll note that you don't quite get everything you need to get up and running. There's no HDMI cable in the box so unless you have a spare you'll need to purchase one of those, too. Amazon will be happy to sell you one, as you'd imagine. +Getting the facts and figures straight +The specs +What exactly is inside that little black box that sits under your TV? Here's a breakdown of what's what. +The little black box +The Fire TV box +Amazon has adopted an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach to the design of the latest Fire TV. In that it looks exactly the same as the old one. It's a small, square, black box. Unlike a phone or a tablet, that's all it really needs to be. Subtle, unobtrusive, just there to fade into the rest of your entertainment centre. Kind of the opposite of something like the NVIDIA Shield TV. +The top is matte and embossed with the Amazon logo, the sides are shiny and the corners are pointy. You're not going to be picking it up, of course, but it's worth highlighting if the Fire TV will ever be remotely in reach of children. +There is one change on the outside for this years model, likely a welcome one to most. Round the back there's now a microSD card slot where last year there was optical audio. With only 8GB of internal storage and Amazon's boasts of gaming potential, you're going to need a card to store more than a couple of big games at any one time. +Amazon did away with optical audio and implemented a microSD card slot +The implementation of the microSD card is faultless. Once it's in, that's it, everything will start saving to it automatically. If you downloaded any apps before inserting the card you can move them across in the settings menu with ease. +The base is a slightly soft touch affair so the box won't skid around your entertainment center, and that about wraps it up. It's a pretty uninspiring black, square box. Just as before. +But also just as before, all of the important stuff is inside. +This years model switches to a Mediatek CPU combined with a dedicated PowerVR GPU. Despite the move from Qualcomm silicon, Amazon is boasting some serious performance improvements over last year's Fire TV. And that was no slouch, either. But here's the thing. I'm not sure I could say that you can feel the performance difference in regular use. +If you're moving up from a Fire TV Stick then it's 100 percent noticeable. You may also get a hint while playing games. But ultimately as a content streaming machine it's a case of "gets the job done well." The UI feels smooth, apps are quick to load and the voice search is stupidly fast. +The bottom line is that the hardware is another winner from Amazon. It may lack the outright horsepower of something like the Shield TV, but it also costs half as much. And it'll run rings around the Apple TV, no doubt. +Nothin' new here +Fire TV Software +Here's the deal. If you've ever touched a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick before, you're not going to see anything new here. Bar some minor fettling, the Fire TV interface looks the same as it does on the existing devices. +That's to say it's still fairly busy. There's a lot going on on the screen and you're not looking at something with the simplistic elegance of Apple's tvOS or Google's Android TV. If ever there was doubt over the Fire TVs primary objective you're reminded as soon as you turn it on. Content. Front and center. +On one hand that's not a bad thing. It's not difficult at all to see a bunch of recommended apps, games, tv shows and movies. But it can also look overwhelming to see it all just, well, there. You've got the list of content sections down the left hand side that could easily be icons. Like on competing platforms. +Seeing all your content just, there, can be overwhelming +I'm not saying it's bad, because it's not. It's simple to navigate and get to where you want to be and it's a piece of cake to find something to watch. I just think it could be a little more refined, simplistic in appearance. Leave you feeling less like everything has just been thrown at you. But there's no mistaking where your music, video, photos, apps and games all live. +On a technical level it still runs a version of Fire OS which means it's still based on Android. Which means you get apps and games, some of which are playable with the optional game controller (more on that later.) +One of the niftier features for content consumption is X-Ray, Amazon's tool for telling you more about the people that are on your screen. It doesn't seem to be all encompassing, with some old BBC shows drawing a blank, but for the most part it's good. A simple tap up on the remote brings up a quick overlay, doing so again takes you to a more detailed page. +Fast and Furious 6 +Fire TV Voice remote +The early TV advertising in the UK for the first generation Fire TV centered around the voice remote, with a variety of people using a variety of voices to ask it to watch Fast and Furious 6. It was pretty ridiculous as far as TV spots go, but, it did show off a pretty central feature. +The voice remote makes a return for the updated model and it's stupendous. The physical remote control itself is nicely done if unremarkable. You've got the Android-esque back, home and menu buttons above media controls all sitting beneath the circular navigation key. The back button on our review unit gets a little sticky every so often but otherwise it's a pretty regular, run of the mill remote. +The voice remote is stupendous +The voice search is where it really shines. It's fast. Really, really fast. You're told to hold the voice button on the remote, wait for the sound, then speak. You can ignore that, just hold the button and talk immediately. Within a flash you've got a suggestion on screen as to what it thinks you said, and so far, it's not been wrong once. +If you use Prime Video (and let's face it, why wouldn't you if you're buying one of these) it makes getting a TV show or movie up on screen ridiculously fast. Doesn't matter where you are, just press, speak, select, watch. Amazon did good here. Really good. +Play time +The (optional) game controller +As with the previous generation Fire TV, Amazon is once again offering a game controller. It's an optional extra that costs £39.99/$49.99 meaning it doesn't bump up the price of owning a Fire TV if you don't really want one. I'm perfectly OK with that. +It's not the world's finest example of a game controller, but it doesn't need to be. It has seen a redesign since the gen 1 model, retaining a similar overall form factor but sprucing up in a few areas. It's also only compatible with the new Fire TV, so first-gen owners need not apply. +Sadly at the time of writing this review the game controller wasn't available from Amazon UK, so we've been unable to test it. We're told they'll be available on November 6 so we'll update the review when we have one. +What do you want to play? +Gaming on the Fire TV +With a dedicated GPU and a decent amount of horsepower from the CPU, the Fire TV on paper should perform admirably when you do want to kick back and play a game or two. In theory, performance should be on par with a mid-to-high tier Android smartphone. +Again, this is where Amazon isn't going toe-to-toe directly with the Shield TV. NVIDIA has made something there that has claims at being a console more than a mere set-top box with extras. But Amazon did a great job with the first Fire TV and it's business as usual here. +You can play games at up to 1080p resolution and 60fps which to give it its dues is something console games strive for. High resolution and silky smooth frame rates. The issue with the Fire TV is, it seems, getting developers to build out the games for the TV. +There are some great games in the Amazon Appstore for the Fire TV. Riptide GP2, Beach Buggy Racing, some of the old Square Enix titles, Sonic the Hedgehog, the new Minecraft Story Mode, GTA and more. But I still don't think Amazon has done enough to get the catalog built out to the best it can. Many of the games are just mobile versions blown up on your TV. Using Beach Buggy Racing as an example, it looks way better on the Xbox One than it does on the Fire TV. And that's because it's been reworked for the console/TV environment. +FYI +A few quick hits +- This review can't end without at least mentioning 4K. After all, it's one of the headline features. But I don't have a 4K TV and I don't know anyone that does. Or even a 4K computer monitor. There's a good chance that 12 months from now that will change, but 4K still isn't something widespread. +- Part of that is the lack of content. But at least Amazon is trying. +- Speaking of content, it's very expensive to buy 4K versions of some of the movies available on Amazon. The review guide hints that there are or will be some options in Prime Instant Video, but I didn't find any yet. +- Outside of the U.S. Alexa still doesn't exist. This stuff is hard, but it would have been nice if the new Fire TV was to accompany the big launch outside of the States. +- Prime Video as a service is getting pretty strong. There's an ever growing collection of original shows (soon to be joined by the old Top Gear crew) and plenty of movies to choose from. Coupled with offline watching on Android devices. If you travel at all, that's a big tick in a box over Netflix. +- Randomly our review unit will just shut down completely with only a pull and reconnect of the power supply bringing it back to life. Could be isolated, but still something to highlight. +- If you own an Amazon Fire Tablet you've got second screen and remote control capabilities built in. If not, there's a handy remote app to download from Google Play here. +Wrapping it up +Amazon Fire TV (2015) The bottom line +It's another home run from Amazon with the Fire TV. When the retail giant is producing products of this caliber its hard to believe it got it so very wrong with a smartphone. +If you want an inexpensive yet powerful set-top box, this has to be up at the top of the list. It's smooth, speedy experience while providing a sleek, if uninspiring physical form that will blend seamlessly into any entertainment center. +It's also clear Amazon is thinking about the product. Optical audio out is OK, and some folks will lament its loss. But for the majority the lack of internal storage is a bigger deal. Adding a microSD card slot while keeping the onboard storage (and the price) down is a winner. Especially when using the microSD card is as simple as it is here. To coin a phrase, it just works. +Should you buy the Fire TV? Yes. (Or maybe the Fire TV Stick) +While Android TV is still in its infancy and we're left still with the first generation of hardware offerings, Amazon is already onto its second. Shield TV aside, the Fire TV is the best connected TV experience you're going to get with something running Android right now. The hardware is more than up to the task and it's got the big services covered off with a bunch of the smaller, even local ones too. +But more importantly it's a great option for someone who couldn't care less what their streaming box is running. If content is all you want then the latest Fire TV will do you well for potentially a few years to come. +There's a lot here for £79/$99. +There is also another way. If you're not interested in the horsepower on offer here, perhaps don't care about gaming and just want an inexpensive streaming device. There's the Amazon Fire TV Stick. At £34.99/$39.99 or £10/$10 more with the voice remote, you've got the same basic experience just without the internal oomph, 4K video and the microSD slot. It's a little slower, but it might be the one to go for.. +_18<<. +US6799201B1 - Remotely configurable multimedia entertainment and information system for vehicles - Google PatentsRemotely configurable multimedia entertainment and information system for vehicles Download PDF +Info +- Publication number +- US6799201B1US6799201B1 US09664618 US66461800A US6799201B1 US 6799201 B1 US6799201 B1 US 6799201B1 US 09664618 US09664618 US 09664618 US 66461800 A US66461800 A US 66461800A US 6799201 B1 US6799201 B1 US 6799201B1 +- Authority +- US +- Grant status +- Grant +- Patent type +- +- Prior art keywords +- content +- communication device +- wireless communication +- configuration data +-/3685—Retrieval, searching and output of POI information, e.g. hotels, restaurants, shops, filling stations, parking facilities the POI's being parking facilities +Abstract +Description +Entertainment systems commonly found in today's vehicles usually consist of a radio, CD/DVD player, cassette player and optionally a GPS based navigation device. The following problems are common to all such existing vehicular entertainment systems: Inadequate control interface for selecting from large numbers of broadcasts, lack of personalized broadcasts, no feature expansion, inadequate storage capabilities, no integration with portable data devices, inability to manage broadcast advertisements, and outdated navigation entry. Following is a description of each of these sets of problems. +Radios in vehicles have historically received only amplitude modulation (AM) band and frequency modulation (FM) band terrestrial radio broadcasts. AM and FM radio stations have a transmission range limited to a relatively small geographic area by government regulations. Because the number of broadcasts that can be received in most geographic areas has been relatively small, selecting a broadcast to hear in a vehicle has traditionally required no more than four types of simple receiver controls: (1) an AM/FM band selector, (2) a tuning control to allow the listener to manually scan all possible broadcast frequencies within a band, (3) a scan control that finds and plays a few seconds of each station that has sufficient signal strength to be clearly heard, and (4) a small number of preset push buttons that can each be programmed by the listener to tune to one radio station of a set band and frequency. +The small and inflexible number of radio controls creates the following two related problems: First, no method exists to select all existing AM/FM radio stations by station format or to select by format from thousands of forthcoming digital audio broadcasts. Radio stations broadcast a set format of programming (country music, news, rock music, talk, etc.). Many large metropolitan areas have up to 100 combined AM and FM stations of as many as 20+ different possible formats whose signals can be clearly received throughout most of the metropolitan area with as many more fringe stations that can be received in parts of the area. A listener must now know the band and frequency of a radio station having a desired format he enjoys. Unfortunately, in a large metropolitan area, there may be more stations of a desired format or formats than can be selected with an existing radio's few simple preset buttons. +Several proposals have unsuccessfully tried to correct this problem by enhancing broadcast systems. Some FM stations do broadcast format information along with other digital data about the station's programming using a method known as Radio Broadcast Data System (RBDS), also known as RDS, involving the use of FM sub-carriers. The Program Type Category (PTY) feature of an RDS radio allows searching for radio stations by their format. There are now approximately 13 manufacturers of RBDS car receivers. With an RBDS car radio, a user could tune to FM stations by their format. +However, RBDS/RDS has not been well received in the United States. Since the introduction of RDS in 1995 there were only 706 RDS broadcasters versus approximately 7,700 total FM radio stations as of a July 1998 report by the Electronic Industries Alliance. Worse yet, a February 1999 report by the Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association shows that of this small number of RDS broadcasters in the United States, only 41% broadcast their format. Therefore, RDS broadcasts do not now solve the problem for the vast majority of listeners. +The 4,784 AM stations licensed by the FCC as of May 1999 do not have an equivalent sub-carrier available to them as do FM stations to send out data about their programming. Although an international consortium of 40 broadcasters and electronic manufacturers known as Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) have proposed a digital AM broadcast system that would allow a DRM radio to tune to stations by their format, the standards for such a system have not yet been established. +Compounding the problem, new multimedia devices with wireless Internet and satellite connectivity are expected to appear in vehicles in the very near future. These multimedia devices will be able to receive existing analog AM, FM and TV audio broadcasts as well as receive and record thousands of new digital audio broadcasts. A wireless Internet receiver can receive thousands of digital broadcasts from the Internet from cellular (AMPS, GMS, etc.), paging, FM sub-carrier, satellite and other frequencies. As of June 1999, BRS Media consultant's report shows 2,415 Internet audio broadcasts from worldwide AM/FM radio stations that simulcast their live audio broadcasts onto the Internet, up from 1,252 the previous year. Similar future Internet audio broadcast growth is expected. In addition, satellite broadcasters such as CD Radio, XM Radio and WorldSpace are expected to transmit to vehicles at least 100 new digital audio stations apiece over satellite S-band and L-band frequencies within the next few years. These stations can be received over broad geographic areas. +The vast amount of broadcast content soon to be available easily overloads existing simple vehicle radio control designs. +Another shortcoming of today's vehicles is that presets for existing AM/FM radio stations are only good for one geographic location. When traveling long distances outside an area where radio station formats are known by the listener, the most desirable radio stations from the old area that are stored in the radio's preset button memory no longer work. The listener must manually tune the radio to each available station in the new area and listen to each station to determine if it has a desired format. If the traveler is used to hearing a syndicated program that is broadcast over many radio stations throughout a country, then he may not know what station in the new area carries the syndicated program or what time the broadcast appears in the new area. Several prior attempts have unsuccessfully overcome these two related problems. They fall into two categories. +One is the RDS broadcast system mentioned above, which broadcasts information about station formats. RDS also provides an alternative frequency list of stations playing a specific program with the same PI (program identification) code; this allows many RDS based radios to automatically switch to a new station playing the same program if the current station falls out of transmission range. However, as was mentioned above, this solution suffers in that few FM stations in the U.S. broadcast program information via RDS, and RDS does not cover AM radio stations. +The second type of solution implemented by automotive radio manufacturers such as Panasonic, Pioneer, Sony and others consists of an internal. In some cases, this database is updateable by manual or automatic means. These radios require the listener to indicate each new location. Once that is done, frequencies of radio stations from the database that are in the new area and match the listener's desired formats are played in sequence or are loaded into the preset memory selections of the radio. +However, this solution has not been optimal as automatic updates to the internal database that account for changes in station formats or new stations are not readily available in all markets throughout a country. Therefore, the database is likely to become unreliable and so not useful. Further, such databases do not include programming information for stations so they do not help find a station in a new area that runs the same syndicated programming found in the old, familiar broadcast area. +When driving, it would also be advantageous to receive information of personal interest when desired during a trip rather than having to wait for a scheduled broadcast of that information. RDS broadcasts, in addition to providing programming specific information as mentioned above, are also capable of constantly transmitting travel specific information such as localized traffic conditions or weather reports. However, as described above, RDS broadcasts are not in wide use in the United States and other areas, and so not even travel specific information is widely available through RDS. +Also, drivers may want more than just travel related personalized information when they travel. For example, they may want to hear news alerts about subjects that interest them, stock price alerts for securities in their portfolio, location based alerts such as reminders to do things when on a certain route, etc. While some of this desired information may be eventually broadcast by a radio station, it may be broadcast only after the listener has left the vehicle. +Some personalized broadcast information is available today for the mobile and stationary listener. Such data broadcasts are usually done through FM sub-carriers. Examples of such FM sub-carrier based services are financial and traffic information from companies such as Data Broadcasting and Cue. Unfortunately, each FM sub-carrier broadcast usually requires a dedicated receiver for that particular broadcast. +As new personalized digital information services are offered, a receiver should ideally be able to play any new service without requiring the user to purchase a new receiver. Further, such services should be easy to add and operate and require little effort to procure. Almost no automotive entertainment devices today would meet this need. To solve this problem, a receiver should ideally be microcomputer controlled and so able to run computer applications downloaded into the memory of the device. A newly downloaded and installed application could provide any desired new feature or service. Such programs should be as simple to select, install and run as changing channels on an existing radio. +Vehicular entertainment devices that are computer controlled and so can be programmed to offer new services by simply installing a new application into the computer have been recently introduced by Microsoft and Clarion under the name “AutoPC.” While these devices can be programmed to offer new services, new applications are not immediately available to a motorist. The user must first purchase the program on a CD disc and then install it in their AutoPC through a CD-ROM player, just as they would install a new program on their home computer. The disadvantage of using this method of updating programs on a computer controlled multimedia receiver is that when you most may want to use a new service, it may not be available. Should be able to wirelessly download a new application when in the vehicle so he can immediately use that new service. +For example, if a new application/service is available that will identify long term parking lots with vacancies within a crowded downtown area where you are late for an urgent appointment, it would be ideal to wirelessly download the new parking service program while you are driving to the appointment and then use the new service by simply pressing a preset button to find the nearest parking garage with a vacancy. Current entertainment systems lack three important storage features that inhibit this ability. +A number of new digital compressed audio formats have developed in the past few years for music play back, most notably the MP3 format. They have the advantage of requiring less than one tenth the space of conventional recordings while retaining good audio fidelity. While some MP3 players are in use in vehicles, these players often require the user to move a hard drive back and forth from the vehicle to a computer to transfer files to the drive. Such movement can subject the drive to damage. Because these +Although entertainment systems in vehicles have commonly included a cassette or CD-ROM player to play back stored entertainment or information from cassette tape or CD-ROM audio disc, such devices have not commonly allowed recording of the radio in the vehicle at preset times for later play back. If a listener wants to hear one or more syndicated radio programs when driving, but those programs already aired at an earlier time, the listener misses the broadcasts. +While several attempts have been made to solve this problem by recording directly from the vehicle's radio, they do not allow recording of more than one broadcast at a time. Further, such devices are limited to recording only those syndicated radio programs broadcast by radio stations in the listener's area. +When audio information is broadcast that the listener would like to remember or reference later, there is no current method to conveniently record that data outside of writing a note or recording a verbal note with a memo device. This may not be possible given the traffic situation at the moment. For example, upon hearing a new song the driver may want to record the name of the song, the artist and the CD's name, but can't do so because both hands are needed for steering. Ideally, there should be a method +While some methods have become available for use in limited capture of Internet URL addresses over television broadcasts, currently no systems meet this need for immediate data snapshots of radio broadcasts in vehicles. However, only a small number of radio stations now offer play lists and other related information about their programming on their web sites so that the information a listener may want to reference may not even exist on the station's web site. Another disadvantage of current radio station web sites is that the user must not only remember which station played the broadcast of interest, but also when and what the nature of the message was. +A great deal of personal information that may be useful when driving is increasingly stored and spread across multiple mobile computing or communication devices such as notebook computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and cellular phones. These typically contain phone numbers, addresses, to-do lists and other information that could be of use in a vehicle. However, it can be inconvenient to stop the vehicle to get a device to retrieve information when needed or dangerous to use the device when in motion. Limited access to personal computing devices in a vehicle is now only offered by the Microsoft/Clarion AutoPC. However, the AutoPC does not now permit further actions to occur on the data by its applications. +Two further problems exist with broadcast advertisements heard in a vehicle: First, there is an inability to immediately act upon the advertisement. When a radio advertisement runs that a listener in a vehicle wishes to immediately act upon, there is often no way to quickly purchased the advertised goods. If the advertisement contains a phone number that the driver can easily remember and if he has a free hand to dial, he may be able to use a cellular phone and quickly act upon the ad. If not, the desire and opportunity may be lost. A proposed solution for use with digital audio satellite broadcasts potentially solves this problem but has not yet been implemented. +Second, no method to tailor advertisements to listener interests exists. Currently, no method exists to tailor advertisements to a single listener's interests for real-time audio broadcasts since radio advertising is designed to reach a mass audience. However, future digital audio broadcasts are expected that can be transmitted to individual receivers rather than broadcast widely. Such broadcasts may be of existing radio syndicated programs or new material. On demand personalized digital broadcasts are planned by such companies as Command Audio and Information Highway Media Corporation. +Most navigation systems in vehicles use a GPS receiver and a CD-ROM disc based map to show travel along highways. One problem with CD based navigation maps is that they require constant updating to avoid becoming outdated as they cannot show recent construction or changes in highways. Server based navigation avoids the problems of outdated CD maps as the information distributed from a server is constantly updated. Several server based navigation devices are known. However, even server based navigation systems suffer from difficulties in inputting destination addresses. Having to enter an exact street address or cross streets can sometimes take lots of time when driving and can involve input inaccuracies. An ideal method to enter an address into a navigation system would be to retrieve an address from a PDA or other personal information management device and automatically have it entered into the navigation system. +If the destination address is not known when in the vehicle planning a route, but the name or phone number associated with the address is known, it would be ideal if the address associated with the known information could be wirelessly retrieved from a remote, reverse lookup database. A further improvement would then automatically enter the retrieved address into the navigation system. Also, location based information is often given in an audio broadcast while driving in a car. For example, business addresses are often part of an advertisement. It would be convenient to have such locations automatically entered as destinations if desired so that a route could be plotted to the advertised location. None of these methods are known. +FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a system overview. +FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a vehicle multimedia receiver. +FIG. 3 shows a system diagram of an internet gateway network. +FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one presently preferred hardware platform. +FIG. 5 illustrates sample Web configuration elements.. +FIG. 1 shows many possible wireless communication methods between the vehicle device and the gateway. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, the methods illustrated in FIG. 1 are meant to be representative and do not reflect all possible wireless communication methods that may be employed.. +It is also an object of the invention to automatically tune to comparable station formats when a vehicle travels out of an area where the existing stations are known to the listener. +It is a further object of the invention that, when a vehicle travels out of an area such that a currently broadcast program fades out, to automatically tune to another station or recorded broadcast playing the same program or at least the same program type.. +It is still another object of the invention to allow event driven personal information services to verbalize time specific (e.g., your stock hits new high) or location specific (e.g., traffic incident warning) information using speech synthesis.. +It is another object of the invention to present a unique configuration of the system 10 for any number of users so that each user will see only their preferred radio stations and information services when they select their profile at the multimedia device 20. +It is another object of the invention to allow accommodated devices such as notebook computers, PDAs and cellular phones to wirelessly download personal information (i.e., phone numbers, addresses, to-do lists, etc.) into the multimedia device 20. +It is yet another object of the invention to allow phone numbers and addresses downloaded from accommodated devices to be used for navigation and for direct calling. +It is yet another object of the invention to allow purchases to be made of an advertised on air product with the touch of a button. +It is still another object of the invention to listen to advertising customized for listener preferences when playing recorded broadcast programs. +It is still another object of the invention to provide navigation services from the Internet gateway network 30 so maps can remain accurate as they can be centrally updated when highway changes occur. +It is still another object of the invention to provide navigation services from the Internet gateway 30 so that vehicle positions reported by in vehicle GPS devices can be used by personal information services to provide location dependent alerts to the driver. +It is still another object of the invention to allow input of destination addresses for navigation routing from phone numbers or names by doing reverse address lookups from an Internet gateway 30 server and then automatically entering the returned address for the destination. +It is still another object of the invention to allow input of destination addresses for navigation routing from enhanced advertisements that include location information in a data sidecast. +These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a review of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, when viewed in conjunction with the appended drawings. +Following is a description of the system 10 components and configuration.. A display 158 of a portion of the hierarchical tree is shown on the screen display 168.. +Under each major channel category, there are preferably subcategories. To see these subdivisions, the user would select the desired major category by pressing the up or down channel selector buttons 162 a and then press the forward button 162 b when the category desired is highlighted. The user could then see all the channels available under that subcategory in similar fashion and select any of them to play. a and then press the forward channel selector 162 b when positioned on “Music.” Next, the user would use the up or down channel selector buttons 162 a to highlight “Country” and would then press the forward button 162 b. The user would then see all the country music channels available in that specific area. Moving the channel selector 162 up or down over each channel preferably causes each audio station to play. +Once a user has moved forward in the hierarchical tree, the subcategory or channels displayed will remain visible until the user presses the back channel selection button 162 b that moves the user back up the tree one level. For example, to move back from country broadcasts to select other music formats, the user would press the back button 162 b and then select another music format. The multimedia device 20 may be preferably configured so that the last hierarchical display and selection the user made is presented when the device is next turned on. a while responses may be routed through FM sub-carriers 186 b or faster satellite networks 186 c. Wireless session servers 210 are preferably dedicated to maintaining connections with the rest of the gateway network 30 no matter what form of transmission is used.. +The hardware platform 300 includes the components implementing the multimedia device 20. The multimedia device 20 is preferably built on an IBM PC compatible platform, running the RedHat version 6.0 Linux operating system. Many portions of the operating environment will be implemented in Java running in a VM process.. +Multimedia Motherboard 304—The motherboard preferably comprises a PCM-5862E Intel Pentium motherboard sold by Advantech Co., Ltd. The motherboard 304 preferably also includes most of the hardware devices required for the hardware platform 300, such as: +100 Base-T 330 +IrDA 332 +Parallel Port 334 +4 RS232 serial ports 336 +IDE 338 +Floppy disk 340 +Keyboard and Mouse 342, 344 +USB 346 +CRT/TFT VGA controller 348 +Sound (not shown) +PC/104 expansion (not shown) +1 PCI slot (not shown) +TFT panel 160—The platform 300 display preferably is a 4″ 640×480 256 color VGA panel. The LCD display preferably runs from 12V DC.. +DC to DC converter 312—The system runs on nominal 12 V DC (up to 13.8 volts actual). The computer 304 requires 7 Amps at nominal 5Volts. +IDE devices—A 2.5 inch laptop 4Gigabyte drive is used. Cabling is also provided for a CDROM hookup. +Button Cluster Controller 316—A microcontroller that takes the button events and turns them into serial codes. +Linux Console—The first serial port 366 is preferably assigned to the Linux console. +SW Radio 318—A radio capable of tuning the radio spectrum under RS232 computer control. The radio preferably provides stereo output when in the domestic FM band. +GPS 320—Serial input from a GPS receiver 110 (FIG... +/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/66597775/1018_IdeaHouse2018_bonus_Insulating_51.7.jpg) +In a region where January temperatures consistently hover below freezing, you really don't want to be living in a house with no insulation. +But Christine Flynn and Liz Bagley, aunt-and-niece owners of the 1916 two-family house that covered in Season 28 of This Old House, were facing just that—until TOH general contractor Tom Silva came along. "People in houses built before WWII think there's nothing they can do to protect against the cold," says Tom. "Or they just don't realize how much more comfortable their house can be." +Interior Wall Insulation in an Old House +If a house's attic (or roof) is already fully insulated, adding insulation to the walls may be the single best way to reduce heating and cooling costs. As is the case with most remodeling projects, many of this house's walls were going to remain intact, so Tom had to consider how best to retrofit the energy-saving material without gutting the entire building—a job that would have blown the $250,000 renovation budget. +Where the walls were open—in the revamped kitchens and bathrooms, for example, and in the attic stud bays that had never been covered—he went with his top insulation choice: polyicynene, a cream-colored liquid polyurethane that foams up and stiffens after pros spray it in place. +However, finessing the fluffy stuff behind old walls is a lot tougher. In the living rooms and some of the bedrooms, Tom chose a slow-pour version of the foam, which goes in through holes drilled into the walls and takes longer to expand, minimizing the threat of cracking the existing plaster. +What is the Best Type of Insulation for Interior Walls? +A homeowner looking to similarly take advantage of a renovation to retrofit new or additional insulation has many choices—plastics, fiberglass, shredded paper, even denim scraps, and wool—in several forms. Of course, the cost, efficiency (expressed as an R-value that measures resistance to heat transfer), and skill level needed for installation of each type varies. So which type of wall insulation is best? +"That's the e-mail I get every day, and there's no simple answer," says Andre Desjarlais, director of a program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee that focuses on how to build better buildings. But factoring in site conditions and budget, one kind of insulation will work better or may be easier to install. To understand which material would best suit your renovation, read on. +Expanding Foam +What it is +Made of either open-cell or closed-cell polyurethane (a plastic), or a special cement, this insulation goes on as soft foam or foaming liquid, filling all spaces and then stiffening in place. Applied only by professionals, it's more costly than other options but it is the best at plugging air leaks. +Open-cell polyurethane, or polyicynene, is a low-density, spongy foam. It's sprayed between exposed studs and expands to 100 times its volume in mere seconds. On finished walls, installers pour a tamer version through small holes; it expands over minutes to 60 times its volume. Closed-cell polyurethane foams to 30 times its volume and dries to a very hard shell. +Cementitious foam, which goes on like shaving cream but hardens over days into a meringue consistency, requires mesh across the studs to contain it. +Performance +Polyicynene gives about R-3.6 per inch of thickness; closed-cell polyurethane, between R-6 and R-7; and cementitious foam, R-3.9 +Best used +When you can look beyond initial cost to long-term comfort. +Issues +Polyicynene may crack existing walls or leak out and stain a floor. Polyurethane is not stable when exposed to UV rays. Both closed-cell polyurethane and cementitious foam aren't flexible, so as studs expand and contract, gaps may open. +Cost* +Polyicynene and polyurethane are about $1.50 per square foot, including labor, if the wall is open, and $2.25 per square foot for existing walls. Cementitious foam costs about $1.40 to $2 per square foot. Installers can also spray a thin layer of foam to seal leaks, then fill in with less expensive insulation. +*Note: All prices are approximate for 1 square foot in a 2x4 wall +Batts +What they are +Fluffy blankets that come in long rolls or precut pads to fit between studs. These are most commonly made of fiberglass, but you can also find ones made from cotton (actually shredded denim scraps), mineral wool (made by melting slag from blast furnaces or rocks such as basalt), and real sheep's wool. +Performance +Fiberglass batts can vary from R-3 to R-4.3 per inch of thickness; mineral wool delivers about R-3.6 per inch; cotton, R-3.4 per inch; and wool, R-3.5 per inch. +Best used +In walls gutted down to the studs on a do-it-yourself job. +Issues +The insulation must go in at full loft, not compressed. Stuffing insulation around pipes or leaving gaps in odd-shaped areas will make it less effective. +Also, sharp fibers in fiberglass and mineral wool can irritate skin—so you need long sleeves, gloves, a mask, and goggles when handling it—and some brands are made with a formaldehyde binder, which off-gasses over time. +Cotton and wool are natural products without these downsides, but they're more expensive and harder to find-especially wool, which is only available via the Web from Canadian distributors. +Cost +Basic fiberglass batts cost about 40 cents per square foot uninstalled, while extra-dense ones run about $1. Mineral wool is also about 40 cents, cotton costs about 60 cents, and wool tops the chart at $2.75. +Loose Fill +What it is +Dry bits of insulation that get blown into wall cavities through holes 1 to 2½ inches wide. It either goes in from the interior walls, which requires patching holes, or from the exterior, which requires prying up siding and drilling through the sheathing, adding to the cost of professional installation. +There are three main types: fiberglass, either treated with formaldehyde (made as a by-product of batt manufacturing) or untreated; cellulose, which is about 80 percent ground-up newsprint and 20 percent borate, a mineral added as a fire retardant; and mineral wool. +Performance +Fiberglass allowed to densely fill the cavity can give as much as R-4 per inch; cellulose, between R-3.6 and R-3.8 per inch; and mineral wool, R-2.7 per inch., windy areas, particularly in houses with wood siding, because, unlike cellulose, they don't absorb moisture. +Cost +Cellulose and fiberglass are about $1.20 per square foot installed when blown in from the inside, $2 per square foot from the outside. Uninstalled, the prices are about one-third the cost; a homeowner doing a DIY installation can rent a blower for about $70 a day. +Sprayed-on Fiber +What it is +A variation on loose fill that's suitable only for stud walls that haven't yet been drywalled or plastered. A professional installer adds water and adhesive to the same basic insulation materials and uses a hose to spray the mixture between studs, which helps ensure full coverage. Plus, the adhesive makes fibers less likely to settle. +Performance +Sprayed-on cellulose and fiberglass work about as well as loose fill, but sprayed-on mineral wool performs better than loose fill, at R-4.1 per inch. Any spray-on insulation will seal air leaks better than loose fill. +Best used +On open walls when you're on a tight budget but you want a contractor to handle the installation. +Issues +To avoid mildew, the insulation needs to dry for at least two days before it is covered with drywall. +Cost the boards become an effective vapor barrier. +In colder climates, the boards can go inside the walls, where you want the moisture barrier to keep warm air from escaping. +During siding replacement or an interior gut job to add insulation on a 2x4 wall. +Issues +To meet fire rules, you must cover interior boards with drywall at least ½ inch thick. Polystyrene will break down if exposed to sunlight, so it can't be left uncovered too long. +Cost +One 4-by-8-foot sheet of 1-inch-thick expanded polystyrene foam costs about $10. A 2-inch-thick panel of foil-faced polyisocyanurate costs a little under $30. +Tom Silva's Advice on Handling Half-Insulated Walls +"If your house has some 12- to 16-inch horizontal band of drywall or plaster midway up the wall. Then just pull out the old insulation. +If you choose loose fill or expanding foam, it can go in through the same hole—though you'll need to make more holes along the top of the wall to complete the job." +Where To Find It +Batts +Fiberglass +CertainTeed Corp. +Valley Forge, PA +610-341-7000 +certainteed.com +Cotton +Bonded Logic Inc. +Chandler, AZ +480-812-9114 +bondedlogic.com +Mineral wool +Rockwool +Milton, ON +800-265-6878 +Sheep's Wool +Good Shepherd Wool Insulation +Rocky Mountain House +AB, Canada +403-845-6705 +goodshepherdwool.com +Loose fill +Cellulose +Applegate Insulation Manufacturing Inc. +Webberville, MI +800-627-7536 +applegateinsulation.com +Nu-Wool Inc. +Jenison, MI +800-748-0128 +nuwool.com +Fiberglass +Owens Corning +Toledo, OH +419-248-8000 +owenscorning.com +Untreated Fiberglass +Johns Manville Corp. +Denver, CO +303-978-2000 +jm.com +Mineral Wool +Delfino Insulation Co. +Bohemia, NY +631-567-45495 +delfinoinsulation.com +Expanding Foam +Polyurethane +Icynene +Mississauga, ON, Canada +800-758-7325 +icynene.com +Cementitious +AirKrete +Weedsport, NY +315-834-6609 +airkrete.com +Rigid foam +Extruded polystyrene +Pactiv Corporation +Lake Forest, IL +888-828-2850 +pactiv.com +Polyisocyanurate +Dow +Midland, MI +989-636-1000 +dow.com +Insulation contractors +Anderson Insulation +Abington, Massachusetts +800-472-1717 +andersoninsul.com +Federal Conservation Group +Amityville, NY +800-675-1660 +federalconservation.com +SDI Insulation Inc. +South San Francisco, CA +650-875-1628 +sdi-insulation.com +Insulation and Drywall Contractors +Topeka, KS +785-862-0554 +Southland Insulators Inc. +Manassas, VA +800-368-8621 +southlandinsulators.com +Thanks to: +Andre Desjarlais +Building Envelopes Program, Oak Ridge National Laboratory +Oak Ridge, TN +865-574-4160 +ornl.gov. +Do you need protection for your home? Read our home warranty resources. +Opinion +October 11, 1939. +January 30, 1940. +Negligence — Possessor of real or personal property — Trespass — Children — Attractive nuisances — Allurement — Proximate causation — Intervening human agency — Tractor parked in street. +1. A child may be a trespasser upon personal property as well as upon land, and, ordinarily, the responsibility of the owner is limited to the requirement that he shall not wilfully, wantonly, or intentionally injure such a minor. +2. Where. +3. Where the owner does not invite the children to make use of his premises or property nor acquiesce in trespasses upon the premises or property, mere knowledge thereof by the owner does not bring him within the rule of the playground cases. +4. The doctrine of "attractive nuisance" may not be invoked unless the element of allurement is present. +5. In determining whether a situation or object is the equivalent of an invitation or an allurement, consideration should be given to its character, whether it is natural and common or artificial and uncommon. +6. There must be an allurement before there is liability to an infant trespasser for mere negligence even though a danger exists. +7. Reichvalder v. Borough of Taylor, 120 Pa. Super. 217, affirmed 322 Pa. 72, distinguished. +8. In an action of trespass to recover for the death of plaintiffs' minor son, in which it appeared that defendant was engaged in trucking and operating a freight terminal and private garage at the corner of two streets in a city; that a tractor, with the trailer detached, was parked close to the curb of a street in the usual manner; that a boy boarded the tractor, started it, the key having been left in the ignition lock, and drove across the street; and that plaintiffs' minor decedent jumped on the running board and then fell under the wheels, receiving the injuries resulting in his death; it was held that the evidence was insufficient to establish breach of a duty owing by defendant to decedent. +9. In such case the act of the other boy in moving the tractor was the proximate cause of the injury to the deceased minor. +Appeal, No. 208, Oct. T., 1939, from judgment of C.P. No. 4 (tried in C.P. No. 6), Phila. Co., March T., 1938, No. 271, in case of Joseph Rapczynski et ux. v. W.T. Cowan, Inc. +Before KELLER, P.J., CUNNINGHAM, BALDRIGE, STADTFELD, PARKER and RHODES, JJ. Judgment reversed. +Trespass for wrongful death. Before BOK, P.J. +The facts are stated in the opinion of the Superior Court. +Verdict and judgment for plaintiffs in sum of $1,500. Defendant appealed. +Errors assigned were refusal of judgment n.o.v. and entry of judgment. +Langdon W. Harris, Jr., of Herman Harris, for appellant. +Harold B. Bornemann, with him William A. Gray, for appellees. +Argued October 11, 1939. +This action in trespass was brought by parents for the death of their minor son. After verdict for the plaintiffs, a refusal of defendant's motion for judgment n.o.v., and entry of judgment, the defendant took this appeal, claiming that judgment should have been entered in its favor as a matter of law. +The defendant is engaged in trucking and operates a freight terminal and private garage at the southwest corner of Lehigh Avenue and Edgmont Street in Philadelphia. The width between curbs of Lehigh Avenue is 66 feet and of Edgmont Street 27 feet. Defendant's business is so extensive and its operations are such that it is necessary at times to park on the street its tractors, trailers, and tractors and trailers connected. On January 13, 1938, one of these tractors with trailer arrived at the terminal when the two were disconnected. The trailer was placed inside the garage and the tractor was parked close to the curb in the usual manner on the south side of Lehigh Avenue facing east toward Edgmont Street. A relay driver was then summoned to take the tractor and trailer through to Baltimore. The tractor furnished the motive power and had on it a cab and driver's seat but it had no storage capacity for freight, such being provided by the trailer. When connected the tractor and trailer formed one distinct carrying unit which was similar in construction to trucks which are seen every day on the public highways. +After the tractor had been standing on the street for about an hour and before the driver arrived, some children living in the neighborhood came to the intersection of these streets and began to play. A boy, Anthony Kasianczuk, then thirteen years of age, boarded the tractor, started it, and drove across the street where it was stopped. When Anthony stopped the tractor he saw the plaintiff's son John, then ten years of age, badly injured, lying on the street near where it had been parked. It appeared from other testimony that the younger boy had jumped on the running board when the tractor started and that the starting of the car had caused the door of the cab to open and dislodge him so that he fell under the wheels. He died within three or four days as a result of these injuries. +The plaintiffs charge, as a main basis of recovery, that defendant's employee was negligent in that when he parked the tractor he did not remove the key from the ignition lock, and claim that the question of negligence is to be weighed in the light of the fact that boys were habitually permitted to play around and on the tractors and trailers of defendant while on the street and that this tractor was so attractive to children as to increase the measure of responsibility resting on the defendant. In short, plaintiffs rely on two classes of cases, "playground" and "attractive nuisance" cases, where comparable questions have arisen. It will be necessary to refer to additional testimony before we can determine whether the principles of those cases are applicable. +In one of the "turntable" cases, Thompson v. B. O.R.R. Co., 218 Pa. 444, 449, 67 A. 768, the court, after calling attention to the well-settled rule that the owner of real estate is not liable to a trespasser for ordinary negligence, then said: "The fact that the person injured was a child makes no difference unless there was negligence. The plaintiff's youth relieves him of the charge of contributory negligence but it does not give rise to an imputation of negligence on the part of the defendant. . . . . . It owed him the duty not to injure him intentionally [wilfully or wantonly] but it was under no duty actively to take care of him either by keeping him out of the yard or by protecting him after he had entered it from his own acts or the acts of others who, like him, had entered without permission." The opinion, however, recognizes the fact that the owner cannot treat a child as a trespasser where he invites or allures such child to come upon the premises. There are a host of cases cited in appellant's brief to the same effect. +Our appellate courts have likewise held that a child may be a trespasser upon personal property as well as upon land and that ordinarily the responsibility of the owner is limited to the requirement that he shall not wilfully, wantonly, or intentionally injure such minor: McGinnis v. Peoples Bros., 249 Pa. 335, 94 A. 925, where a boy got on a wagon without permission; Perrin v. Glassport Lumber Co., 276 Pa. 8, 119 A. 719; Roscovich v. Parkway Baking Co., 107 Pa. Super. 493, 163 A. 915, where a child was on a truck when injured. There was no evidence of wilful or wanton conduct on the part of the defendant. If. +Are the principles of the playground cases applicable to the admitted facts found here? The evidence disclosed that a number of boys lived in the neighborhood where defendant's premises were located and that they played cards, crap, and variations of a game of "tag" on the street at the corner in question and within two blocks of that location although there were two public playgrounds within a few blocks of that corner. It was also shown that in playing the game of "tag" the boys at times got on the tractors and trailers of the defendant. The testimony, however, will not support the claim that the defendant acquiesced in trespasses upon its premises or property by the boys in their play: Wright v. Penna. R.R. Co., 314 Pa. 222, 171 A. 593. One of the plaintiffs' witnesses testified that the children were "always chased away from the trucks and warned not to play around them"; others that the police also chased them away. The police themselves, called by defendant, testified to frequent requests from the defendant to disperse the crowds of boys and to their efforts to break up the practice. The mere negative testimony of other witnesses that they did not observe any effort to disperse the boys was not sufficient to overcome the positive testimony. One witness did state that some boys played around the trucks when an employee of the defendant could have seen them and that he did not drive them away. In the light of all the testimony coming from plaintiffs themselves there is not sufficient evidence in the record to support a finding that the defendant assented to any trespasses by boys on its trucks. The practice with reference to playing on the streets was just such as will be found in any locality where healthy children full of spirit reside. Viewing the evidence in a light favorable to plaintiffs, the most that can be said is that the defendant knew that children had frequently played their games in the vicinity just as they do in hundreds of places in Philadelphia and other cities and at times went upon tractors and trailers, notwithstanding the remonstrance of defendant. This was not a public playground as that term is used in cases of this character for defendant did not invite the children to make such use of its premises or property nor acquiesce in trespasses upon its tractors or in the use which the boys made of the streets in that vicinity. See definition of a playground by the former Chief Justice in Fitzpatrick v. Penfield, 267 Pa. 564, 572, 109 A. 653. +Following the Thompson case, it would appear that defendant owed this boy the duty not to injure him intentionally, wilfully, or wantonly, but the street intersection was not such a playground as placed on defendant the active duty to take care of him by keeping him off of the cars or by protecting him when he entered the tractor without permission, and there cannot be negligence unless there is a breach of duty. But the plaintiffs say that even though this was not a playground in the strict sense of that term children did, as a fact, play there to the knowledge of defendant, and that such practice is to be taken into account in connection with the attractive nature of the truck in measuring defendant's duty and then determining whether defendant was negligent. +While Thompson v. B. O.R.R. Co., supra, accurately states the common law doctrine with relation to adult and minor trespassers, the rigor of the common law has been abated to a certain extent in this and other jurisdictions. In practically all courts there is exhibited a tendency to throw additional safeguards around minors of tender years by increasing the responsibility of owners of land and other property. The extent of departure shows much variation in the different states and the results reached and the reasons given in support of the doctrine vary: 37 A.L.R., note p. 34. Whatever may be the precise form produced by the change it is now generally referred to as the "attractive nuisance" doctrine, a term described by Chief Justice SCHAFFER in Dolena v. Pittsburgh Terminal C. Co., 324 Pa. 228, 230, 188 A. 112, as a "distorted term." Justification for the principle is usually based on the theory that the setting up of a situation or object attractive to minors of tender years is an implied invitation to enter. Certainly the doctrine has as its motivating force sentiment rather than pure reason. However, admitting all this, it must contain some vital and sound force or it would not have made the headway it has. Those courts which have gone the longest distance describe their rule as the humane rule and at the same time refer to the less radical rule as the hard, or Draconian, rule. Much as any court dislikes being accused of lack of humanity, there is a clear duty to avoid being carried away by sentiment. While the courts and legislatures have shown a decided tendency to give additional safeguards to minors of tender years, the responsibility for their care is placed by nature upon their parents. The parents should not be permitted to shift indiscriminately the responsibility to the shoulders of strangers and at the same time penalize strangers for results which are in a large measure due to their own disregard for the welfare of their children. To invoke the doctrine the element of allurement must be present. +We have found no better statement of the rule as it should be and as we understand it to be in Pennsylvania than as given by Mr. Justice HOLMES in United Zinc Chemical Co. v. Britt, 258 U.S. 268, 275, 42 S. Ct. 299, 36 A.L.R. 28: ." (Italics supplied). +The "attractive nuisance" doctrine can be carried to such an extent that every owner will be made an insurer against injury caused to a minor by any property, real or personal, that the owner may possess. Scarcely an object can be named that does not have some attraction for a child and the younger the child the more varied are his inclinations and the objects which appeal to him. To hold that every object that attracts the fancy of any minor under fourteen years of age and is a source of danger to him is an attractive nuisance would certainly not be applying the principle with caution. Before we may label a situation or object as the equivalent of an invitation or an allurement, consideration should be given to its character, whether it is natural and common or artificial and uncommon. As to dangers that are natural in their origin and commonly encountered, it is the duty of parents to guard and warn their children and the responsibility for failure to act is on them. On the other hand, a danger specially created by the act of the owner, novel in character, attractive and dangerous to children, easily guarded against or made safe, calls for care upon the part of the owner. +Among the most common objects that meet the eye of every child in our Commonwealth are automobiles and trucks. They are neither uncommon nor novel for we see them on every hand. If we are to treat a truck as an attractive nuisance then there is no limit to this doctrine. Automobiles are seen by the hundreds and almost every family in this country has one; even the small retailer has his truck. We cannot hold that the mere object, a truck or an automobile, as such, comes within the classification; neither did the situation or condition of this truck constitute an attractive nuisance. It was parked at the curb just as myriads of cars are; it had its brakes set and was located on level ground where its position could not be easily changed; it was on the highway where cars are intended to be principally used. Certainly this did not present any unusual allurement. +The appellees say that the key was not removed, and that is true. However, the presence of the key did not cause these boys to trespass upon the truck. That was something that was discovered after Anthony got in the car. There must be an allurement before there is liability for mere negligence even though a danger exists. Two boys were trespassing upon private grounds before they came upon a pond which they deemed suitable for bathing. They went swimming, the water was poisonous, and they died. Recovery was denied because the pond did not allure them to trespass, and very logically so for they trespassed before they discovered the pond: United Zinc Chemical Co. v. Britt, supra. +The potential danger here was not imminent. It was not like a high power wire where the mere careless touching of the wire might cause death. The car was not left in such condition that the mere jumping on the running board or going inside the car would cause it to move; it required expert knowledge to start it, which indicated sufficient intelligence upon the part of Anthony to know the consequences of his act, as we shall see. +The car was properly parked on the level in a place where it had a right to be, the ignition was turned off, the brakes were securely set, and no boys were then about the premises so far as the testimony discloses. Anthony was thirteen years of age and exhibited precocity with respect to the operation of an auto. His own language was as follows: "I went in there, I put my foot on the clutch, turned the key on and put my foot on the starter. Then she started, then I lift the clutch out and she went off with a jerk and start going." He said some boys were around the truck but that he did not see any of them on the truck. When the car was on the other side of the street he turned the ignition off and the truck stopped. Anthony knew nothing about how John got on or off the truck. Another witness, an adult, saw John jump on the running board as the car started and he stated that it moved slowly about four feet when John jumped or was thrown off and injured by the wheels of the truck. It will be observed that the car was not accidentally or unintentionally started when a boy happened to be in or passing the car, but was intentionally and designedly put in operation by one who knew the complicated operations necessary to start the car. With respect to the boy John the testimony is meager. All we know is that he jumped on the running board of a car in motion, or just as it started, fell off when it had gone four feet, and that the truck moved only about thirty or forty feet. It will be observed that it required the manipulation of one with experience to put the car in motion so that it caused the damage that it did. It would seem that the owner had a right to assume that one who had sufficient knowledge to move this car under its own power would be responsible for the consequences of his act. In any event, the possibility of injury in the manner in which this occurred was not such an occurrence as the owner of the property was called upon to anticipate from a trespasser. +The mere fact that the key was not removed from the ignition lock was not sufficient of itself to show negligence: Roscovich v. Parkway Baking Co., supra. That case also supports the general conclusion at which we have arrived in this case. There several boys attempted to jump on a truck and the operator drove them away. The driver went into a store on an errand, after shutting off the power and setting the brakes, but he did not remove the "contact key" from the lock through which electric power was supplied. In his absence a boy five years of age set the car in motion by operating the key, when the boy jumped or fell from the car and was injured. We held that the plaintiff could not recover. In McGinnis v. Peoples Bros., supra, a six-year-old boy was injured while playing with other boys upon a wagon driven by defendant's employee. The wagon was started without giving the boy a chance to alight and he was injured. The boy and his father were not permitted to recover. In Perrin v. Glassport Lumber Co., supra, a boy three years of age who trespassed upon a truck was injured by a fall from the truck when it was started, and it was held that he was a trespasser and could not recover for there was no evidence of wilful or wanton injury. It will be noticed that the son of plaintiffs in this case likewise fell from the truck when it was started. +The act of Anthony in moving the tractor was the proximate cause of the injury to John, plaintiffs' decedent. In De Carlo v. Margolis, 320 Pa. 500, 182 A. 381, the minor plaintiff was injured in playing around a fire escape from which there was evidence the boys had been chased. There was also testimony to the effect that the owner had complained to the police of the conduct of the boys on former occasions. The boy was injured when one of the weights balancing the lower member of the fire escape fell on the plaintiff's foot. Mr. Justice DREW there said (p. 502): "Even if it be assumed that the chain supporting the weights was defective, nevertheless, from all that appears, had the weights been allowed to remain in the basket the accident would not have happened. Between defendant's use of the chain and the injury to the minor plaintiff a cause intervened, for the intervention of which defendant could not be held legally responsible. . . . . . Intermeddling by trespassers placed the weights in the position in which they did the harm complained of." +In Rhad v. Duquesne Light Co., 255 Pa. 409, 100 A. 262, a driver parked a car on a grade and set the brake. A boy rattled the brake and started the car which struck and injured the plaintiff. The court there said (p. 415): "The effective cause of the injury was shown to be the interference of the boy, and it was not the failure of the chauffeur to use the additional precaution of turning the front wheel against the curb. Suppose that, instead of merely turning the car adrift, as he did, the boy had gotten into the seat, and started the car, and had run over some one. Could the owner of the car have justly been held responsible? The car in question was left in a position analogous to that of a horse tied to a hitching post. It could not start until it was unfastened. If a wilful or careless boy untied the horse, his action in so doing would be the proximate cause of any injury which might follow. The car did not start itself. It was started as a result of the independent intervention of the boy, and his action must, therefore, be regarded as the effective legal cause of the injury." +The plaintiffs rely principally upon the case of Reichvalder v. Boro. of Taylor, 120 Pa. Super. 217, 181 A. 864, affirmed by the Supreme Court at 322 Pa. 72, 185 A. 270. Although that case was a close one it is distinguishable on the facts from the present case. There a road scraper which the boys of the neighborhood had been following all day was parked over night on a private property which was habitually used as a public playground by the children. The novelty of the machine and the operation of its exposed gears stimulated the natural interest of children. The machine had been parked with its machinery exposed and the boys in playing with it caused an injury to one of their fellows. It was felt that both under the playground rule and the attractive nuisance doctrine there was sufficient evidence to submit to the jury on the question of negligence. There was a radical difference in the facts in the present case. +Judgment reversed and here entered for the defendant. +Not too long ago after many years of not seeing it, I watched through the series Bless Me Father. There is an episode when the young priest convinces the old pastor they need new sound-proofed confessionals as we as new sound system for the church, with a wireless microphone. +You can see the train wreck coming. +There might be a problem about wireless microphones for parishes which have them. Frankly, I dislike them and hope this is true. But surely a new mousetrap will be create. +Here is a story sent by a friend. I don’t know if this is urbane legend or reality, but the source looks good. +FCC prohibits wireless mics in 700MHz band after DTV transition [IN the USA, as of this coming February, all TV broadcasts will switch from analog to digital.] +The FCC has voted unanimously to ban the use of wireless microphones and other devices in the 700MHz band after the transition to digital television Feb. 17. Also included in the FCC order is equipment for cue and control communications and that synchronizes TV camera signals.. [I wonder what the problem is with that frequency. Is that the band "they" will use to try to control the 666 chips they are putting in people’s brains? Where’s my aluminum foil!!?] +Wireless microphones have long been sharing the spectrum with broadcasters on Channels 52 through 69. Those channels, however, are being reclaimed for advanced wireless uses by industry players and first-responders after the transition to DTV. [First responders… uh huh… sound’s like CHIPS to me!] +Responding to consumer groups, the FCC Enforcement Bureau has opened an investigation into how manufacturers market wireless microphones to users. +The Public Interest Spectrum Coalition alleged in a complaint last month that users of wireless microphones, including Broadway stage shows and large churches, [This is why I am posting this. Fathers… are you paying attention?] are unwittingly violating FCC rules that require licenses for the devices. The group accused wireless manufacturers of deceptive advertising in how they market and sell the microphones, which largely operate in the same radio spectrum as broadcast TV stations. +Most wireless microphone owners are unaware that FCC rules require them to obtain a license. [Or a chip in your skull….], transition to digital broadcasting has forced the FCC to act. +It’s not known how many wireless microphones are in operation, but Harold Feld, an attorney for the Media Access Project, said the total is likely more than 1 million. “These are the favored frequencies because they can be run at lower power and can be used for very high-quality audio,” Feld told the Associated Press. +The wireless microphone issue stems from the FCC’s consideration of using the spectrum between TV channels for transmitting wireless broadband signals. Consumer groups and some of the nation’s largest technology companies say these “white spaces” represent enormous potential to make broadband more accessible. +Wireless microphone users and manufacturers have objected to the FCC over future white space devices because of fears of interference, even though many of them haven’t been granted government licenses for the microphones they’re using. +In all seriousness. This looks like it is true. I might be a good idea to make plans, if you have a parish where wireless mics are used in the church or church hall. +Great! Pet peeve (among so many, sigh): sight of Father groping around under his chasuble trying to find the little switch for his wireless mike. If he only knew what this looks like from the congregation he would NEVER do this again. [Good point. Yet another reason to dislike these things for Mass.] +Funny story: back in the ancient 1970’s when these wireless mikes first became the rage I was at a large suburban parish. Father was still in the sacristy and fiddling with the wireless mike. He clearly didn’t realize that it was on and that everyone in the congregation patiently waiting for the beginning of Mass could hear him. It was only mildly amusing and slightly annoying… until Father decided that he needed to relieve himself before leaving the sacristy. Imagine the horror when everyone in the congregation realized exactly what the amplified sound of burbling water really was. Father processed in, blissfully ignorant of having broadcast his “private moment” throughout the church. +I suspect he never made that mistake again. +Hmmm… It will be interesting to see how this plays out legally. +I can’t imagine what the priest in the example was thinking. Every priest I know who uses one clips the pack to their belt at their hip, where there is already a slit in the alb to allow them to reach for a handkerchief. +Frankly, I think they’re a great advance, if someone takes 5 minutes to learn how to use one. They are of particular help in ministry to the healing-impaired. A church with a wireless mike set will often have courtesy earphone sets available for those in the congregation who need them. +There can be bugs in the system, yes. In my hometown parish, every few years, someone would decide that the sound system ‘needed’ to be replaced/upgraded, etc… One or two of these upgrades were disasters. +Particularly memorable was the ‘upgrade’ that resulted in repeated occurences of our sound system picking up the microphones from the Baptist Church (ABC) down the street! We had an order priest resident in the parish at that time, a Dominican and retired Navy chaplain who was disinclined to tolerate much nonsense. If I recall, he ordered the whole thing shut down and completed the Mass without aid of any mic (and believe me, there was no problem hearing him) +Sounds great as well! I’m like Bailey, it’s a big pet peeve of mine as well to see Father trying to find the little switch to turn the microphone on. I don’t think our parish used to have them until probably 8 or 9 years ago, but I was too young to really remember much back then. I personally hope they get outlawed. I find the story of the “private moment” almost funny in a sad kind of way. I would have been really embarrassed if that had been me, and I think that’s plenty of reason to get rid of them! +It is a pet peeve of mind to have to try to find that little switch during Mass. And then I am always annoyed about turning it on or off around communion time after I have been handling the consecrated host. Very annoying and not practical at all. +I do know one place where someone else controls the on/off function from a sound board, so Father doesn’t have to do a thing. That is better, but wireless mikes are still objectively speaking evil in my book. +Sometimes I would rather have to shout and risk losing my voice over against using one of these wireless mikes! +Thank you very much for posting this. My 5 year old daughter is totally deaf. She has been implanted with a Cochlear Implant last year and her teachers at school utilize wireless microphones. This is done to enable her to hear the instructions/lessons clearly over all the background noise which the implant microphone picks up. I have my work to do now! But thank you , again for the information. This is the first that I have heard of it. +Since my profession is public safety communications I may be able to shed some light on this. With the migration of TV away from these frequencies they have been set aside for a national public safety radio interoperability network…meaning channels that emergency responders can use anywhere in the country. The theory is that it will allow agencies that have used different frequency bands that have been incompatible with each other to use a common band of frequencies so they can communicate with each other. So, if Los Angeles firefighters go to New Orleans on another Katrina they won’t have the communications problems that have existed in the past. +The concern is that allowing wireless devices on those newly available frequencies will cause interference. Theoretically that could happen and wouldn’t be a good thing. Does the FCC have the authority to impose this restriction? Absolutely! +Not to panic. They are hundreds and hundreds of other frequencies outside the 700 Mhz band available for wireless mics and other wireless devices. They will continue to be available as they have been for years. The wireless mics in use in many churches today are not on 700 Mhz so there is no threat to them. +It is indeed legit. The site below links to a pdf on an FCC server. +A couple of random thoughts. +1) I am old enough to be apart of the CB radio craze of the 70’s. At that time there was an FCC license requirement to operate a CB radio. After the popularity of movies such as Smokey and the Bandit, so many people bought CB radios that the FCC dropped the licensing requirement. I’m wondering if the same situation is occurring here. There is a technical requirement on the books for a license but rarely enforced. Maybe the FCC should drop the licensing requirement just like they did for CB radios. +2) I am of mixed emotions on the use of wireless mics in a Church setting. My home parish seats 1,500 so I think an un-amplified voice is not an option. All of the above criticisms are good and valid points, and I suppose that wired mics could be employed. The down side of wired mics are the wires. It isn’t too bad to have permanent mics at the alter, chair and ambo, but if there is another “ceremony” withing Mass (weddings, funerals, the Scrutinies, etc.) then a wired mic is very inconvenient. +Before we all go and insist that our parish cease using it’s wireless system after February 2009, some caveats…. +1. Most consumer grade wireless systems are not 700Mhz band systems. Such systems are larger commercial systems, used for concerts and professional events. +2, The law, as stated, does not prohibit the USE of already existing and licensed systems, only the manufacture, sale and distribution of new sytems. This is a “grandfathering” clause that allows already existing systems to be used until they are retired and replaced. +Father, +It’s TINFOIL! TINFOIL! Aluminum foil only IMPROVES reception for the mind-control devices! +;-) +(On a more serious note, I direct a schola cantorum which has achieved moderate interest in the local community; if you could pray for our perseverance, I would be grateful.) +Mea Culpa…Scratch the above…. I read a “blurb” on the Broadcast engineering website. The actual FCC website gives the complete ruling which also prohibits the operation of such systems after February 2009. +How appropriate that the anti=spam is THINK, THEN POST!!! +Looks like more truth than fiction, Father Z, but according to the articles, not by much. ;-) +I don’t know where these priests are putting thier mics. I have a transmitter which clips onto the cincture of my alb at my left hip. At the appropriate time, I flip a switch (I know exactly where it is and exactly which way to move it!) with an action that approximates touching the side – at one point, some priest friends thought this action would one day roll over into the liturgy with some theological significance – I can already see an allusion to the pierced side of our Lord, out from which flowed blood and water. +One priest commented about the difficulty of touching the mic after having touched the Sacred Host. Father, if you keep the “canonical digits,” it is entirely possible to use another finger to flip the switch, thus avoiding any possible profanation of the Sacred Species. +I personally do not like the microphones – any of them. But my church is carpeted to a fault, it carries very little sound without them, and I do think there is some pastoral benefit in the faithful hearing the various prayers of the Mass. +This may make some angry here, but I even wear the mic for Masses in the EF – in which I leave the mic on only for those parts of the Mass which are prescribed to be said “aloud”. If they are to be said aloud, I presume that is so that they may be heard! +While deacon at a large parish our Hall played host to the local Firemen’s ‘Monte Casino’ Night… complete with wirelessly mic’ed MC. Just as I was preparing the altar with lovely organ in the background we heard a booming voice rehearse, “Welcome, Welcome to Monte Casino Night where the chips and drinks flow….” The poor elderly priest who was celebrating hadn’t an idea what was happening. +I’d love to see a ban on those ridiculous Madonna (the singer not the BVM) over-ear mic’s. +What movie was that, where the priest left his microphone on while he took a ‘break’? Too funny. I betcha it has happened more than once. Funny comments posted here. In a nearby parish, the sound system and fiddling with the microphones is a consistent distraction. The worst are the clueless guys at the sound board [what’s this button do? oops]. +Yup, most of this makes sense. I don’t understand it all but here’s the HISTORY. I have spent a bit of time in the telecommunications industry. I created a process at my company and project managed the complex bartering of spectrum for services from a company using radios. Many little companies, truckers, construction, taxis, energy, etc own[ed] the frequencies for their company radios. This wireless company had bought the frequencies of many companies to create the spectrum for their phones. Eventually, the fragmentation of a zillion non-contiguous pieces within spectrums created problems. The most efficient organization for spectrum is for all the pieces to be contiguous, side-by-side and unbroken. Over the years, as you put a lot of bits and pieces together from mom-and-pop businesses, its a, er, mess [official technical term]. +This company after many long years of quiet lobbying, got the FCC to order a consolidation of all these pieces, affecting just about anybody who owned radio spectrum. The benefit, not only for the scrappy company, went to emergency workers and medical teams [aka “first responders”] who would get contiguous and more powerful bands of spectrum, while the company also traded this for contiguous space. First responders have been getting knocked off their radios as piecemeal spectrum got more crowded, causing great problems for police and rescue teams who couldn’t communicate at the most crucial times. We guessed that lives have been risked or lost because of this. +Eventually my complex process became the model for the ‘rebanding’ of the enormous amount of spectrum of this wireless company with the zillion little companies. Thankfully I was out of that effort, and busy supporting software applications for other parts of the company. whew. +So I’m guessing this re-organization of spectrum continues as analog broadcast TV becomes digital to make more spectrum available to the “needy”. Out of all of this, I believe the only analog spectrum left alone will be the old channel one, the channel missing from our old TV sets that started with a two on the dial. This is the ham radio frequency. +Churches I assume will have to buy new systems that tune in on another frequency. If these soon-to-be-illegal systems were bought recently, yeah, then the salesmen weren’t entirely forthright. Remaining on this 700 MHz frequency would cause interruptions to crucial radio service for those entitled to it. Also a church might suffer ‘cross-talk’ and hear odd conversations over their system! +[And you just might irritate any frustrated space aliens using this to communicate with the government…] +Sorry about the tinfoil you bought. Now you’ll just have to use it for baking I’m afraid. Or lining birdcages. +Perhaps it would be more moderate to simply institute a 5-day waiting period for the purchase of new microphones and make an absolute ban only on assault-style microphones. +Ack no. whoops, wrong setting. The movie where the microphone was left on during a ‘break’ was a Leslie Nielson movie. Now how could I have mixed that up with a modern day church setting? [rhetorical question] +But which movie…? anybody? +I found this on the Shure Co. (manufacturer of wireless mics) website: +Wireless microphones may continue to operate on all of these frequencies, just as they do now. However, wireless microphones that operate on frequencies above 698 MHz should not be used after February 19, 2009. +Perhaps this is a good time to re-evaluate the acoustics of our church buildings. Many of our churches were built before artificial amplification, and were designed with a resonant and directional acoustic. The church I currently attend uses NO amplification, and yet everything is perfectly audible because of a) the construction of the building and b) the enunciation of the clergy, readers, singers, etc. +The absence of microphones also allows people to lower their “listening threshold” to a lower volume; the ear adjusts quickly to sounds becoming softer. Excessive amplification, on the other hand, can result in hearing loss–or at the very least, can be pretty annoying.. +Time was when priests were taught to chant and fill a big church as effectively as a diva in an opera house. +Yeah, but even a diva can’t fill an acoustically dead space with sound. The moral of the story is — “Carpet is expensive, and not just when you buy it.” +Patrick T. – .” +Yes, microphones are a practical and sometimes even absolute necessity in some churches. Wireless microphones are simply an advancement to the technology, sometimes quite useful. +“The altar, anbo and chair are the only places the priest or deacon speak from.” – ??? +Depending on the circumstances, I’ve seen priests and deacons speak from the altar, the anbo, the chair, the baptismal font, each station of the cross, the front steps/foyer/narthex (new fire at Easter), the back of the church (funerals), two or three points along the center aisle with the cross (well, that’s closer to chant), a side altar (especially if that’s the place of repose during the Triduum), in front of the altar (a wedding, perhaps), blessing and lighting the advent candles, the foot of the altar steps… Then there is the need of others (beyond the priest and the deacon) who do have a role to speak out in certain parts of the Mass – the extra reader in the Passion, a cantor, a soloist. Does the parish use the choir loft or is the choir to the side near the front of the church? Consider, too, that some parishes have only their church as a gathering space of any size. Musicians, revivalists, mission preachers may have use for microphones in different places than those involved in Mass. +That’s over 30 places. Cordless microphones are much more practical than fixed mics in all those places or stretching cords everywhere to move mics. +Yes, I’m sure it’s easier to design/balance a fixed mic layout. However, it’s far from an insurmountable challenge to do one for cordless, especially with all that computers allow for experimenting with design. +There’s no reason why a good cordless system can’t be set up. Logistical/layout reason, that is. There may be other reasons. +Personally, I’ve had more problems with corded systems (usually primitive ones) than cordless systems +Microphones are necessary for the Novus Ordo. Another point for the EF and another reason why the OF is a ritus modernus, while the EF is the Mass of All Time. We’re one EMP away from the Restoration. +The 700 Mhz band is primarily being auctioned off for commercial intrests. The public safety reasoning is a red herring. It will take decades before any majority of public safety departments have deployed a lot of devices in the public safety range of this band. Here are the reasons: +1. Virtually everyone already has public safety equipment and repeaters on the 150, 460, or 800 Mhz bands. +2. It is insanely expensive to rip out existing systems. New devices are not introduced until a full rip and replace is done on the core repeaters/controllers. +3. The 700 Mhz frequency band does not always lend itself to the best RF properties for a department. A sheriff’s department that is spread out over a large county will be much more likely to have several repeaters in the 150 Mhz band because that band is more effective at longer distance communication. +4. Radio and data equipment is not readily available and optimized for public safety use. +5. There is a VERY strong push for the FCC to SELL this spectrum to companies for commecial purposes. +6. Many departments have just recently replaced older analog radios with a propriatary digital solution from a single vendor. Analog used to be the universal, compatible mode of communications. A radio from one county could be used on the system in another county so long as the proper frequencies were programmed. This is still done in many counties so that they can coordinate with surrounding counties in emergencies. +The FCC may BAN wireless mics in this range becuase they don’t want complaints from Verizon, ATT and other carriers who have PURCHASED the rights to use the majority of the 700 MHZ range. So unless you are causing major interferrence, you use of wireless mics in this frequency range will never even be detected. +Similar things happened with cordless telephones showing up on ham radio bands. These however were quickly located and the owners told to stop using the devices. HAMs tend to be very quick to find NON-HAM gear in their frequency ranges. Thankfully the commercial operators really could care less unless you cause them grief. +I am digressing. No need to worry about implantable chips here. Just plain old US Government greed to rake in more money by selling off public assets. +Watches with a compass are extremely convenient for active people who are engaged in backpacking, mountaineering, and hiking or just like to go fishing or hunting. In this case, the compass can be very useful. +You may rack your brains seeking the answer to the question: “What is the best compass watch and how to choose it?” Of course, you may go to the store and get a consultation from shop assistants. But it’s easier and more convenient to find the watch on the internet. The range of compass watches is huge and there are lots of discounts on websites like Amazon, so you can get a great deal. Moreover, you can read compass watch reviews from customers which can be really useful. +Here is a brief comparison table of the top compass watches (article continues below): +Top Compass Watches Comparison Table +We recommend you to pay attention to some features that are important for a good watch. First of all, it’s important to get a durable watch, so the material of the watch is essential. Then, think about the functionality. Now there are so many compass watches with lots of additional features that can be either handy or useless for you. Consider which features you really need. If you like long distance journeys, then the battery life will be also a crucial factor for you. +The leading manufacturers of compass watches are Casio, Suunto, and Garmin. We’ve include some of their models as they offer the best watches with compass. So here is our list. +Suunto Core Multifunctional Watch +Looking through lots of compass watch reviews, you may find the Suunto Core watch. This watch has the most important features that you will need for backcountry endeavors. It provides essential data for navigation, so you will never get lost with it. It’s made of composite material and features aluminum bezel and elastomer band. The display is made of mineral crystal and has a backlight for better illumination. Here is the list of the key features: +- Altimeter/barometer, compass, and thermometer; +- Automatic Alti/Baro mode to switch between altimeter and barometer functions; +- Barometric altimeter is accurate to 29,500 feet and tracks current elevation, elevation gain/loss, and ascent/descent rate; +- Elevation scale: 1m; +- Storm alarm; +- Sunrise/sunset data, multiple time zones, stopwatch timer, countdown timer, 1 daily alarm; +- Depth meter for snorkeling: 10m; +- User-replaceable battery with low battery indicator; +- Battery life: 1 year; +- Water resistance: 30 meters. +Thanks to the ABC (altimeter, barometer, and compass) your navigation will be a breeze. Digital compass monitors direction, you just need to set and follow a bearing using rotating bezel ring or point top of the watch in that direction where you want to travel to lock in bearing. The altimeter/barometer function is amazing. It will be a great addition to the compass since it measures long-term trends in pressure changes and delivers accurate data, so you can predict the weather. There is a graph that shows both altitude and pressure trends. The Suunto Core automatically switches between the altimeter and barometer to give you the info about the weather. The watch also features an altitude log and you can log your total ascent and descent and a number of runs for 7 days. Another nice feature is the storm alarm. So you will be informed about the storm in advance. There are only some watches on the market with this function. +The Suunto Core is water resistant to 30 meters, so it will not be suitable for serious divers. But it will be great for snorkelers who can get an accurate depth reading to 10 meters. +The battery is replaceable and has a low battery indicator. It will last for about 1 year. +The Suunto Core Multifunctional watch also offers some traditional features like the world time zones, stopwatch timer, countdown timer, daily alarm and sunset/sunrise data. +Overall, it is one of the best watches with compass, altimeter, barometer and other functions for easy navigation. It will be perfect for backpacking, hiking, and mountaineering. +Casio PRW-3500T-7 Pro Trek +Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from 44 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars from 44 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews! +The Casio PRW-3500T-7 is another watch with high scores for its performance and reliability among the best compass watches. It makes the navigation really easy providing all the data you may need in the wilderness. Since it’s a solar-powered watch, it will last you for many months without a recharge. To keep the battery charged, you just need to wear the watch under a light source. And it’s really a great advantage in comparison with the GPS watches that keep the battery charged only for a few days. So for long adventures, the PRW-3500T-7 will be indispensable. Let’s take a look at the features of this watch: +- Tough solar power; +- Triple Sensor Version 3: altimeter, barometer/thermometer, and compass; +- Multi-Band atomic timekeeping (US, UK, Germany, Japan, China); +- Full auto LED backlight with afterglow; +- World time with 31 time zones (48 cities + UTC), 12/24 hour formats, hourly time signal, 5 daily alarms, full auto calendar (preprogrammed until the year 2099), 1/10 second stopwatch, countdown timer, sunrise/sunset data; +- Low temperature resistant (-10⁰C/14⁰F); +- Solar rechargeable battery with battery level indicator and power saving function; +- Battery life: 7 months of rechargeable battery (normal use without exposure to light after charge), 23 months on rechargeable battery (when stored in total darkness with the power save mode); +- Water resistance: 200 meters. +Triple Sensor Version 3 (altimeter, barometer, and compass) from Casio provides improved reading accuracy and energy efficiency. The altimeter provides accurate high/low altitude measurements in 1-meter increments and has auto cumulative ascent/descent of particular treks. The compass displays measurements over full 60 consecutive seconds. The barometer measures atmospheric pressure and informs about the changes in pressure with the alarm sound. The watch features full auto LED backlight with afterglow, so you can read the data in daylight and darkness. +For accurate timekeeping, the PRW-3500T-7 comes with the Multi-Band atomic timekeeping feather that automatically gets atomic clock time calibration signals in the US, UK, Germany, Japan, and China. +The other advantages of the PRW-3500T-7 are its water resistance up to 200 meters, low-temperature resistance (-10⁰C/14⁰F) and long battery life (up to 7 months without exposure to light after charge). So you can take this watch for long journeys and don’t worry about the battery. The watch has a power saving function and low battery indicator, so you will know in advance when to replace the battery. +In addition, the Casio PRW-3500T-7 is packed with traditional watch features, including world time with 31 time zones (48 cities + UTC), 12/24 time formats, hourly time signal, 5 daily alarms, full auto calendar, stopwatch timer, countdown timer and sunrise/sunset time indicator. +Overall, the Casio PRW-3500T-7 is very durable and reliable watch that is quite reasonably priced. This watch is appreciated by many people and you can also find lots of good reviews of this watch on Amazon. Its altimeter, barometer and compass feature is amazing. So the Casio PRW-3500T-7 fairly deserves to be in the category of the best compass watches. +Casio PAG240T-7 +Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars from 398 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews!Rated 4.4 out of 5 stars from 398 customers. Click the image for prices and reviews! +The PAG240T-7 is another solar-powered watch from Casio that can be named as the best compass watch. It also has the same great Triple Sensor functionality for easy navigation and some other features that are rather handy for outdoor enthusiasts. The PAG240T-7 features a stainless steel case with mineral crystal glass and titanium bracelet with a double-locking fold-over clasp. The display has full auto LED backlight with afterglow for reading the data in daylight or darkness. And here are the features of the Casio PAG240T-7: +- Tough solar power; +- Triple Sensor (altimeter / barometer, compass, and thermometer); +- Full auto LED backlight with afterglow; +- World time with 31 time zones (48 cities), city code display, 12/24 hour format, daylight saving on/off, countdown timer, 1/100 second stopwatch, full auto calendar (preprogrammed until the year 2099), hourly time signal, 5 daily alarms, sunrise/sunset time indicator; +- Low temperature resistant (-10⁰C / 14⁰F); +- Solar rechargeable battery with battery power indicator and power saving function; +- Battery life: 6 months on full charge (without further exposure to light); +- Water resistance: 100 meters. +A Triple Sensor of the Casio PAG240T-7 provides altimeter, barometer, thermometer, and compass information that will facilitate your navigation. The compass displays current direction and reports bearing in 1-degree increments. The altimeter tracks elevation gain/loss from -2,300 to 32,800 ft. (-700 to 10,000m) in 20 ft. (5m) increments. The altimeter has auto memory measurements (high/low altitude memory, total ascent/descent) and can store up to 25 records of altitude, date, and time. The barometer tracks atmospheric pressure and helps you detect the weather changes which are shown in the barometric pressure tendency graph. The barometer display changes from 260 to 1,100 hPa (7.65 to 32.45 inHg) measured in 1 hPa (0.05 inHg) increments. The thermometer ranges from 14 to 140⁰F (-10 to 60⁰C) measured in 0.2⁰F (0.1⁰C) increments. +Besides the navigation features, the Casio PAG240T-7 has a number of other useful functions, including the world time with 31 time zones (48 cities), countdown timer, stopwatch, full auto calendar, 5 daily alarms, hourly time signal, sunrise/sunset data and much more. +The watch is water resistant to 100 meters and has a solar rechargeable battery that can last up to 6 months on full charge without exposure to light. The watch also features a power saving function and battery power indicator, so you will know when it’s time to recharge the battery. Furthermore, the PAG240T-7 is resistant to temperatures as low as -10⁰C/14⁰F. +All in all, the Casio PAG240T-7 has all the necessary features for navigation. It’s waterproof, durable and operates really well providing very accurate data. The price is reasonable and you can buy it with good discounts on Amazon. So if you are looking for the best compass watch, the Casio PAG240T-7 can be your solution. from Garmin is another watch with compass that can boast lots of tracking capabilities for navigation. This watch has a high sensitivity GPS receiver unlike the watches reviewed above. So it’s a GPS watch with compass, altimeter, barometer and some other nice features. People who are keen on new technologies will definitely like it. This watch is designed in military style and has forged stainless steel rear case PVD coated black and scratch-resistant curved mineral crystal domed to reduce reflection. Let’s take a closer look at the features of the Garmin Tactix: +- 2” non-reflective, scratch-resistant curved mineral glass with green LED backlight; +- 3-axis compass, altimeter, barometer, and thermometer; +- Stainless steel EXO antenna; +- High-sensitivity GPS and GLONASS; +- Simultaneously shows 2 sets of coordinate system on 1 screen; +- ANT+ and Bluetooth connectivity to a smartphone or computer; +- Stores 1,000 waypoints and 10,000 track points; +- TracBack feature to navigate back to your starting point; +- Tracks distance, pace, speed, cadence, calories, heart rate and other metrics while running or cycling; +- Jumpmaster software for skydivers handles HAHO, HALO, and static drops; +- The U.S. tide data and a worldwide basecamp; +- Sun/moon info; hunting/fishing calendar; stopwatch; timer; alarm clock; world clock with auto time-zone calibration; vibration alerts; +- Compatible with Garmin Connect to download your workouts; +- Smart notifications directly to the watch; +- Customization of the watch with a variety of watch faces, data fields, widgets, and apps from Garmin; +- Compatible with Garmin Heart Rate Strap and bike sensor and foot pod; +- Water resistance: 50 meters; +- Battery life: 50 hours in GPS mode, 3 weeks in sensor mode, and 5 weeks in watch mode. +The Garmin Tactix is extremely durable watch with advanced functions for navigation. It’s one of the best GPS compass watches with altimeter and barometer. The ABC sensor allows you to get the accurate information needed for traveling. The compass will show you the direction and the altimeter with barometer will show the changes of pressure, so you can predict the weather. The Tactix stores 1,000 waypoints and 10,000 track points. With the help of the TracBack function, you can create a breadcrumb trail which will guide you back to the recorded point. So you will always find your way back. +The feature that all professionals will love is the ability to show two sets of the coordinate system on the display of the watch. It means that you can view your current location in multiple formats such as latitude/longitude and MGRS (military grid reference system). +You can get all the data in your smartphone as the Tactix has ANT+ and Bluetooth that allow you to sync it with your mobile device. The Garmin Connect software will show your routes, waypoints, speed, distance, pace, cadence, calories and much more. You can also customize the Tactix with a variety of watch faces, data fields, apps, and widgets. The watch features smart notifications, so you will receive the info about incoming calls and messages directly to your watch. +The Tactix is also compatible with heart rate monitor, bike sensor, and foot pod, so you can track more workouts. The watch also comes with a world clock with auto time-zone calibration, alarm, stopwatch, timer and has vibration alerts, sun/moon info, hunt/fish calendar. +Taking into account that the Garmin Tactix is equipped with GPS, its battery life in GPS mode is no more than 50 hours, but it can operate up to 5 weeks in watch mode. The watch is also water resistant to 50 meters. +Overall, the Garmin Tactix is a bit more than a compass watch as it is packed with a plenty of features for navigation and some fitness tracking capabilities. So it’s really worth consideration.! +The Suunto Traverse is another GPS watch with compass from the leading manufacturer of watches for hiking, mountaineering, backpacking and other outdoor adventures. The case of this watch is made of composite materials and a stainless steel bezel is scratch-resistant. The lens is made of mineral crystal. Since the Traverse features GPS and connects wirelessly to a smartphone, its battery life is not very long. It’s a typical shortcoming of all watches with GPS. But its battery life is one of the best among the competitors. The watch can last in GPS mode up to 100 hours that is quite enough for a few days of traveling. Let’s take a look what this watch offers: +- Altimeter, barometer, compass; +- Supports GPS and GLONASS; +- Flashlight/backlight mode; +- Free topographic maps in Suunto Movescount app; +- Automatic breadcrumb of the trail; +- Synchronization with a smartphone via Bluetooth; +- Compatible with Suunto Movescount app; +- Smartphone notification; +- Five sports modes which track speed, pace, heart rate; +- Steps and calories counter; +- Sunrise/sunset times, storm alarm, vibration alerts; +- Countdown timer, stopwatch, automatic daylight saving time; +- Water resistance: 100 meters; +- Battery life: up to 100 hours in GPS mode and 14 days in time mode. +The Suunto Traverse features an altimeter, barometer, and compass that are essential for navigation. The compass shows the data in degrees or miles. The compass accuracy is 5 degrees. The altimeter shows the altitude or it’s so called FusedAlti feature that combines barometric and GPS altitude. So you will get accurate altitude measurements in 1-meter increments in the altitude graph of the watch. The Traverse automatically switches from the barometer to altimeter when it detects the change of altitude. When the watch is still, it switches back to the barometer mode. The barometer has sea level pressure graph, weather trend indicator and storm alarm. The watch can store the sea level pressure for past 26 hours. Thanks to the storm alarm, the watch can alert you about a sudden change of pressure. So you can predict the weather change in advance. +The Suunto Traverse has a flashlight/backlight mode. So you can read any data in daylight or darkness. +The GPS accuracy of the Suunto Traverse is pretty good. Besides GPS, the watch also supports GLONASS navigation system that needs less time to get a satellite fix. However, the GLONASS is not available now, but Suunto is going to update it soon. You can set 3 different GPS intervals to control the battery life (10, 15, 100 hours), but remember that with longer intervals you will get less accurate data. The watch supports different coordinate systems, including WGS84, UTM, and MGRS. You can store up to 250 waypoints and create a breadcrumb trail to find your way back. +The Suunto Traverse has 5 sports modes and it allows you to calculate your speed, distance, pace, heart rate, steps, and calories. You can also add up to 3 apps per mode. The watch can measure your heart rate while swimming with Suunto Smart Sensor. Log recording rate is 1 and 10 seconds. +The watch syncs with a smartphone via Bluetooth and it is compatible with Suunto Movescount app to track your activity. You can get free topographic maps in Movescount app. The app lets you upload photos and videos on a 3D map, create your movies and share it on Suunto’s YouTube channel. Suunto Movescount allows you to plan your routes and get analytics of your workouts. With Suunto Movescount app, you can receive phone notifications about incoming calls, messages or emails on the watch. +The Suunto Traverse also features some traditional watch functions, including sunrise/sunset data, countdown timer, and stopwatch timer. The watch is waterproof up to 100 meters and the buttons can be used under water. +In a nutshell, the Suunto Traverse is a pretty durable watch that can make your navigation a breeze. The watch is reasonably priced for all the features it offers. The features are really useful and appreciated by many hikers. So if you want to get the best watch with compass and you like GPS functionality, then the Suunto Traverse is a nice match. +The Bottom Line +If your aim is to buy the best compass watch, this review can be helpful. We’ve tested a plenty of watches to make the list of the best watches with compass. Our review is unbiased and we’ve tried to include the models of watches with a good combination of price and value. +We’ve included in our review both solar-powered and GPS watches. Solar-powered watches lack some functionality of GPS watches, but they have better battery life that may be a crucial point. Consider all their pros and cons and make your choice. We hope that our review will be helpful. +Blackberry and Raspberry Trellis +Hi All, +I have question regarding trellising blackberries and raspberries. I currently have 4 berry beds which are roughly 30 feet long and 4 feet wide. Each bed is separated by a 3 foot path of grass. I've done some serious research into different trellis designs and as a result, assembled my first trellis. +The trellis consists of 2 4x4 posts with 2 2x4s attached like a "T." The 4x4 post is roughly 5' tall above ground. The first 2x4 is placed 2 ft off the ground and is 24" in width and the second is placed 4 ft off the ground and is 36" in width. I'm using turnbuckles and strong clothes line for my wires that connect to the 2x4s (4 wires total). +In Bed #1 - I have a black satin blackberry, 1 heritage raspberry and 2 jewel raspberry. Bed #2 - I have 2 heritage, 1 Anne and 1 jewel raspberry Bed# 3 - All fall bearing golden raspberries, species unknown Bed#4 - 1 Apache and 1 Navaho and hopefully 2 Darrow blackberries. +Now to my questions, sorry for all the detail!! Given my trellis design above, I feel pretty good using this on Beds 1, 2, and 4 but what are your thoughts on the bed of fall bearing golden raspberries? I plan to mow these down at the end of the year and am not quite sure if my trellis design is overkill. I've already purchased all the wood according to my trellis design so at this point, money is not an object. I'm just hoping to find the best design. +Question #2 - In terms of the 2 Darrow blackberries, I purchased them roughly 7 weeks ago at Lowes. They were 1 year cuttings so there were pretty small. I soaked them in water prior to planting and have kept the ground moist ever since. But these 2 plants have not shown any sign of growth...no new sprouts. We did get warm temperatures pretty early this year in Ohio so maybe they dried out? Is this common or should I right them off and order 2 more? I'm running out of time for blackberry shipping in May so this has me in a bit of jam. +Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!!! +Thanks, +Terry +Hi Terry- +In regards to question 1, in your bed 3, "All fall bearing golden raspberries", what variety are they? Anne again? Fall Gold? Kiwi Gold? The only thing I can think of is that My Kiwi golds grow quite a bit taller than the surrounding berries. But, my trellis's top out at about 3 feet tall, which is fine for most of my berries, but not the KiwiGold's (and Prelude's.) You can see my trellis's in my "My Page". +For question 2... Were these the carton'd plants that I see at Home Depot or Walmart? If so, they're the only plants that I've ever bought that haven't lived. And the story is repeated over and over again here on GW. If they are the carton'd plants, keep your receipts, dig up the sticks, and take 'em back. Good luck, +-Glenn +Concerning Black Satin: Is fairly erect. Your first 2x4 crossbar will not come into play. The upper 36" crossbar is fine, but if you are putting a clothesline on each end of these crossbars, and the lines are widely spaced, say 30 or 32", that will allow for a lot of lean of the black satin canes. Not a problem, but you may eventually find a lot of black satin berry clusters right in your pathway. I would keep this variety trained more closely to the center of your row, using a centered clothesline. +Black Satin is an excellent cooking berry, not so good for fresh eating. If Triple Crown will survive in your zone, try that. +Hey Guys, +Thanks for your input. Im still trying to simmer down from a brief tour through the berry beds last night. I had deer come through and chew off the tops of the Apache, Navaho as well as some of my Anne and Heritage. It is funny because when I bought the Apache and Navaho at LoweÂs, they advertised these plants as "deer resistant." My a**. I continue to be amazed at the things deer will eat. I mean, the Anne and Heritage plants have thorns in them for crying out loud! That has to hurt!?! So anyway, chalk one up for the deerÂ.I lost this round. Now I have one more problem to fix. Hopefully, the plants will recover soon. +Glenn, IÂm not really sure what variety the golds are. I dug up several plants from a friend of mine. He ordered the plants from GurneyÂs so I checked their website. The only gold that I saw on their site was Anne. But the foliage on the Anne shoots looks different than the mystery plant so IÂm not sure. Maybe I'll talk to my friend to see how tall his berries get in mid summer. Well done on your trellises! The pipe looks pretty heavy duty!! I actually considered running 2 lines up high directly off the 4x4 posts. I noticed you had 4 vertical lines over your blackberries. As for the LoweÂs plants, these were purchased in a box and I think youÂre rightÂthey are probably dead. I have the box but I donÂt think I have the receiptÂ.argggg. +Larry, thanks for the suggestion on the Triple Crown. I noticed that most places are sold out for the season so IÂll have to do some searching to see what I can find. Maybe IÂll purchase 3 Triple Crown to replace the 2 diseased Darrow plants and the Black Satin. In terms of the Triple Crown, I heard a lot of rave reviews on this site so it must be good. +Do either of you think it is worthwhile to run an additional set of parallel lines up high right off of the 4x4 post? Then I would theoretically have 6 lines total. I can use the narrow set of parallel lines up high to train the primocanes and then use the other 4 lines for floricanes? +Thanks again guys!!! +Terry +Sorry about the deer, but "deer resistant" means it takes them 2 hours to eat the whole thing instead of 15 minutes. The only thing I've found that deer won't eat is iris. +For your plants that need to be mown to the ground, you simply remove one or both of the guide wires to set the plants loose before you run the mower over them. +If your guide wires bow out, you can tie a cross line between them to hold them closer together. +Wire would work better than clothes line. You can get coils of wire at the big box stores, near the chain link. Or try a farm supply store. +Hi Terry- +As for the deer, you can always spray a decent smelling deer spray on your brambles... I use peppermint smelling Deer Out. +Perhaps you want to leave your vertical 4x4 posts extra tall until you see how your raspberries grow. Then, next year, or the year after, trim off the tops to the height you want. That way, you could always add another tier if you wantted. +I'm a little worried about Triple Crown in zone 5. You may want to check with others here if they believe it will be hardy enough. +I agree, wire will work better than close-line. I like the vinyl coated green wire from Ace Hardware because it blends in with the surrounding grass/plants/trees. +Yeah, I use the 4 wires per tier, and that works fine for me. But, others might argue that it makes harder to prune, etc, but I haven't found that to be the case. Really, I don't think the raspberries are all that picky here. :-) Whatever you like and works for you will likely work for them. +Good luck! +-Glenn +I have Heritage and Anne and they don't need to be trellised. Both are self-supporting and grow pretty much straight up. Black raspberries do need support but you'll only need that top wire around 3 feet and you cut the cane at about that height and lay the laterals that grow from the cut cane on the trellis. You might want to rearrange your beds so the black raspberries and blackberries are together. And you should really have each variety of raspberry separate too. I have Heritage and Anne in the same bed and Anne is getting out competed and there isn't much of Anne left. +I wonder if Terry is using the plastic (green) coated steel cable that they sell at Lowes as clothes line. I've used that for low tension applications (such as my raspberry trellis very similar to Terry's) and I like it better than wire because it is flexible, yet still plenty strong. I first set it up with wire and switched to the cable (clothes line) because it looks so much better, I could never get the wires completely straight without a lot of tension. I felt that putting that much tension on my trellis was not good and totally unnecessary. I am a neat freak and this is in my yard, so it needs to look nice. +I just bought raspberry and blackberries...and still have not transplanted them to bigger pots...how high should these plants get. +I have canby raspberry and black satin raspberry. Would like to know good containable heights for these so I know how high to prune and how tall and wide a trellis to make. Only have two plants but many shoots in each pot. +Hi Everyone! +Thanks again for everyones input, my comments below +Oregonwoodsmoke Thanks for the suggestion in terms of using a cross line between wires, Excellent suggestion! It is simple enough but at the same time, I would have never thought of that. In terms of mowing down the fall berries, that is my plan as well. I plan to remove the clothes line from my turnbuckles and mow away. +As for the clothes line, Im actually using a more heavy duty version of the green vinyl coated line. This line is stiff but not quite as stiff as many of the wire coils you mention. +Glen Thanks for the suggestion on the deer spray. I hate to put money into the garden in lieu of a more permanent solution but this might be the best option. How long does the Deer Out last? We usually get hard thunderstorms throughout the summer so do you have to continually reapply? +As a side note, I was talking with my "mystical friend" and she said that I have to release my fear of the deer! She claims that my continual worry is what is attracting them to my beds. She might be right (laughing)!! Ive been paranoid of the deer every since I put in my main garden (1000 sq ft) five years ago. +I think your advice on waiting to see how the plants grow is good. Ill watch their growth patterns this year and make adjustments as I go along. +athenainwi Thanks for your advice. I didnt think about keeping the varieties separate, that is a great "note to self." +In terms of keeping different varieties separate in each bed, does everyone have any recommendations given that fact that I already have multiple varieties in each bed? For example, if either Heritage or Anne crowds out the other, should I just prune the shoots of either variety to keep them in check??? Ive also noticed that Heritage is starting to move in on my Jewel plant in Bed 2. +backyardener Yes, that is the exact same line that I purchased from Lowes. It seems to be pretty sturdy for the most part. +socalliegal You might try doing a Google search on each species to get their growth habits. Im new to this too and Ive had to do a TON of homework to get this all figured out. I am surprised that more vendors dont offer information on growth habits or trellising when they sell their plants. You might also post this as a separate topic on GardenWeb. You will probably get more replies that way. +For what its worth, here are my suggestions +Canby This looks like a fall bearing raspberry so you will probably want to mow the plants down after they fruit. You could go with a simple "T" trellis design with your crossbar at 3 feet. This should keep them contained. But you dont necessarily need to use a trellis for these berries due to their growth habit. If you grow these in a hedgerow, Ive heard that for good light penetration and growth you should keep the hedgerow at a width of (12-15"). So the only pruning that will be done on these is on the suckers (new plant shoots) that grow outside this width. Someone please correct me if Im wrong. +Black Satin I believe these are considered "semi erect." So they will grow upright for a while and then the canes will flop over. When the flop onto the ground, the canes will tip root (mine did) and multiply. So you will need a trellis to keep them off the ground and additional support as the plant gets larger. You can prune the tips of the canes at (3-4 ft) (depending on the height of your trellis lines) and then attach the canes to your line. The plant will start to produce lateral branches once cut which you can train to your lines as well. I will see if I can find the page I used for my trellis designs and then send it to you. +In the meantime, you can check out the following page for info: +They have a good page on raspberries as well. +Thanks again everyone!!! +Terry +The problem that I've had with pruning Heritage back to give Anne a chance is that I can't tell the difference between them until they fruit, and by then it is a bit late to be doing anything about it. You can tell the difference between the reds and blacks fairly easily, and that is how I keep Heritage out of my black raspberry part of the row. It would have been better to have separate rows though and would have saved me some trouble. +Hey Terry- +I've lived in this house for 8 years, and for the first 6, I had deer in my yard all the time. My thinking, though, was that it was just a couple families around here, and not a ton of them. Anyway, when the economy went bad last year (RI was especially hard hit), I'm wondering if the hunters got them for meat. I now haven't had any deer in the yard for about a year and a half. +But, when I did have 'em, I sprayed the Deer Out about once a month. The mfgr claims it can last 3 months plus, but I'm not sure I buy that. I also use Liquid Fence (smell s terrible... like Rotten Eggs), and PlantSkyDD (which works on a fear reflex... no real smell to me). I'd rotate through the 3. I'd paint PlantSkyDD on trees once they'd go dormant. That stuff may indeed last 3 months. I'd then use Liquid Fence in the spring when there's no real fruit yet. And then I'd use Deer Out into the summer. Good luck! +-Glenn +Your trellis system sounds fine. I use the same design for all my cane fruits, only I add extra posts in the blackberry beds. My advice would be to buy more plants to fill in those rows. A dozen or so plants for 120 ft is simply not enough. You will lose those beds to weeds in no time. With four beds, you can separate the black berries from the raspberries and the summer bearers from the everbearers. I too prefer the vinyl-coated wire. I started with straight wire and have replaced almost all of it except for one short grape arbor. +Brook +ESPN's team of college basketball experts has devised its "40 Under 40," a ranking of the top young coaches from across the college basketball landscape. College basketball writers Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway got together (virtually) to talk more about the list, providing a window into their process, identifying the coaches they might have ranked higher/lower, and discussing what conflicts they might have felt in ranking controversial LSU coach Will Wade. +College basketball is full of terrific young coaches, which makes narrowing it to 40 names a difficult and highly subjective task. What was your personal process in identifying names for this list?. But the potential is there, and the assistants of significant programs deserve recognition for that. A lot of these assistants could get head-coaching jobs, but they're all waiting for the right jobs, serious decisions that will affect their entire careers. +Jeff Borzello: I also gave added weight to head coaches over assistant coaches -- with less weight on pure win-loss record as head coach -- because a coach working his way up the ladder to becoming a head coach is an accomplishment in itself for someone under 40 years old. +There are two perfect examples for me: UMass' Matt McCall and La Salle's Ashley Howard. McCall hasn't been very successful during his three seasons at UMass, but he went to the NCAA tournament in his first season at Chattanooga and won 48 games in two seasons. He also had plenty of success during his stints as an assistant coach at Florida. He was a more successful assistant coach than most assistants in the rankings and was a more successful mid-major coach than most of the mid-major coaches on the list. Howard hasn't been great as a head coach at La Salle, but he was considered one of the best assistant coaches in the country during his time at Villanova. Becoming a head coach in their 30s should be looked at as an achievement, not as a negative just because they got off to slow starts. +John Gasaway: It sounds as if I took an approach similar to Jeff's. Evaluating assistant coaches can be a bit like trying to "rank" guidance counselors. It helps if they say the right things and dress sharp, and their membership on a successful staff that everyone wants to join is itself impressive. But when push comes to shove, if the young person they've been advising does something wrong, I'm not necessarily inclined to pin the blame on the coach/counselor. +Anyway, I tried to reverse-engineer my way around this state of affairs by looking at current head coaches and asking myself what they were like as assistants. Young head coaches are a piece of evaluative cake, by comparison. How is their team doing compared with what peer programs have done over the past decade or so? How's recruiting? Are current players smiling, transferring, staring daggers at their coach? +This list was a group effort, which means there were some compromises on which coaches to include and where to rank them. Who's one guy you would have had higher if the list were yours alone, and what's a name that surprised you on the final list? +Medcalf: I think Kansas' Jerrance Howard is one of the best assistant coaches in the country for one of the premier programs in America, so he's too low, in my opinion. He has found success during stints with both Bruce Weber and Bill Self, and has formed special bonds with the players on the Kansas roster, while evolving into an important voice on the bench and sustaining the talent pipeline as one of the top recruiters in the country. +And I think Ali Farokhmanesh might one day match some of the top assistants and head coaches on this list, but I'm not convinced he's there now. While he was playing professional basketball in 2014, some of the other coaches on this list were grinding and climbing the ladder. That's nothing against Farokhmanesh, but UT-Arlington head coach Chris Ogden -- a former assistant at Texas, Tennessee and Texas Tech -- has a stronger résumé. +Borzello: I'll go to the Pac-12 for both answers. I think Stanford's Adam Cohen should have a spot on the list. He's developed a reputation as one of the best recruiters in the country at multiple schools: Rice, Harvard, Vanderbilt and now Stanford. Cohen recently led the charge for elite forward Ziaire Williams, the Cardinals' highest-ranked commitment of all time. +On the other side, I was surprised about Washington State's John Andrzejek. He's the youngest coach on the list, but he's been a Division I assistant coach for only two years, one at Washington State and one at Dartmouth when the Big Green went 2-12 in the Ivy League. I'm sure Andrzejek will develop into a solid assistant; it just seems awfully early to include him on this list. +Gasaway: I voted Todd Golden a smidge higher than what the group tally shows because: (a) he scared Gonzaga out of its wits for perhaps 100 of the 120 minutes the two teams played against each other this past season; and (b) I was reminded of Maryland back in the day. When the Terrapins were still in the ACC, it seemed as if they treated each game against Duke like they were defending Stalingrad in 1942. It didn't even matter if Maryland was "down" in a particular season, the Terps would circle those dates and put on a show. So, yeah, in addition to the already excellent rivalry between Saint Mary's and the Bulldogs, it might be nifty if a Jesuit version of Terps-Blue Devils developed with Dons-Zags. As for being surprised by how high someone was ranked, I believe this next question addresses that ... +Will Wade, who has won a lot of games at VCU and LSU but who has also been surrounded by smoke in the FBI probe and subsequent NCAA investigation, might raise some eyebrows near the top of our list. What went into your own process of considering Wade for "40 Under 40"? How much pause did the controversy around Wade give you? +Medcalf: From what we all know about college basketball, it's possible that every person on this list has either bent or broken an NCAA rule at some point. I'm not trying to minimize the allegations, and evidence against Will Wade because they're serious. They could end his time as a high-major coach, and perhaps they should, but I just don't know who is guilty and who is innocent, in the eyes of the NCAA, on this list. So I tried to stick to coaching. And if it's just coaching, Will Wade is the top guy on this list and there is a giant gap between him and whoever is in second place. At age 37, he has won 21 or more games five times, something Mike Krzyzewski didn't achieve for the first time until he was 38. +Borzello: Wade was my personal No. 1 on the list. If we're judging by on-court achievements and recruiting, it's not even close. He won 40 games in two seasons at Chattanooga, went to two NCAA tournaments in two seasons at VCU and then won the SEC regular-season title in only his second season at LSU. No one else on the list can even come close to matching those accolades. He's also proved himself as a high-level recruiter at every stop, including when he was an assistant coach. I'm aware that the controversy is likely the reason he wasn't the consensus No. 1, but to me his on-court successes outweigh the controversy. +Gasaway: The great thing to me about any "40 under 40" exercise is that everyone recognizes instantly what's being done but, when you get down to it, no one really has to agree on how you rank the candidates. For our rankings, I guess I viewed this list less as: "If we were reenacting 'Lord of the Flies' as one basketball season, whom would you want to recruit and coach your team?" To me, it was something closer to: "If you were an AD making a hire with the hope that it will work out beautifully for a decade or more on and off the court, whom would you choose?" Others built their lists differently. That's fine! Vive la différence. +There are a lot of names on the list who are unknown to general college basketball fans, particularly from the assistant ranks. Why is it hard for not only young assistants but assistants in general to get traction as head-coaching candidates at top programs? +Medcalf: I once asked a 40-something Division I assistant for a top-five program why he'd refused to interview for a mid-major opportunity. His response: "Why would I take less pay to deal with players who have half the talent and then put myself in a position to get fired in a few years because I can't win with that talent when I make more money and have access to the best high school players in the world here?" +I mean, Kentucky assistant Kenny Payne will be making $900,000 per year as long as Calipari is there. The money is a key part of it. But I can't help but notice the number of black coaches on this list who've been labeled as "top recruiters" at this stage in their careers, while some of their white peers have been identified as "future leaders." The perception that black coaches can attract talent but not necessarily lead those players has impacted the job opportunities for African American assistants for years. +Borzello: There are a couple of reasons. One, as Myron alluded to, is the growing salary pool for high-major assistant coaches. A lot of the top-level assistant coaches on this list are making more money than mid-major coaches. They take charter flights; they recruit five-star and top-100 prospects; they have large budgets. Many coaches do harbor dreams of one day running their own program, and that can outweigh the advantages of high-major schools -- but if that dream isn't there, a lot of coaches are comfortable as high-major assistants. +The other factor is that sitting head coaches or former head coaches are considered safer hires than assistant coaches. Some athletic directors go into searches saying they will hire only a sitting or former head coach, severely cutting their candidate pool. For high-major searches, that's especially true. Someone with several years of mid-major head-coaching experience is considered more proven than a high-major assistant. +Gasaway: I blame math. One of my favorite historical pictures is one of the Syracuse roster and coaching staff for the 1976-77 season. Rick Pitino was an assistant on that team, and he appears to be perhaps 17 years old. But for our present purposes, the main takeaway from this particular photo is that there are just three adults in it not named "Jim Boeheim." Look at a team photo now. The suits-to-uniforms ratio is far different than it used to be. Assistant coaches are a growing population, but "major" head-coaching positions remain stubbornly finite. Major-conference athletic directors making men's college basketball head-coaching hires operate in a highly imbalanced buyer's market. +. From latin pop to Satanic Swedish metal, from electropop to the last standing grunge icon, these records represent artists new and old who are keeping great music alive. +Read on for our list of the 17 best albums of 2018. What do you think of our choices? Which amazing albums did we miss? Sound off in the comments below! +Camila Cabello - 'Camila' +Following a dramatic split from Fifth Harmony, Camila Cabello's solo career was uncertain. But any doubts people had were swiftly washed away with her massive hit, "Havana." Her self-titled 2018 solo debut is brief, but it's pop gold. The songs blend genres, sometimes going more rock or more latin, but always offering up confessional lyrics. Camila is light and airy, and promises continued greatness in Camila's budding solo career. - Amanda +Top Songs: "She Loves Control," "Havana," "Consequences," and "Something's Gotta Give" +Fall Out Boy - 'M A N I A' +After their one-two punch revival with Save Rock And Roll and American Beauty/American Psycho, Fall Out Boy's latest album, M A N I A, has been more of a mixed bag, both in terms of styles and reception. After a polarizing start with "Young And Menace" in spring 2017, the band kept churning out singles, ranging from EDM to reggaeton to gospel. While some of their musical experiments have left fans confused, it's these very fearless pushes into new territory that provide the biggest highlights. M A N I A was ill-fated, with delays and scattered reviews, but it represents a turning point for Fall Out Boy. The songs are infectious and demand repeated listens, making M A N I A one of the early standouts of 2018. - Amanda +Top Songs: "HOLD ME TIGHT OR DON'T," "The Last Of The Real Ones," "Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)," and "Heaven's Gate." +Read our full review of M A N I A here. +Editors - 'Violence' +Editors have spent much of their career oscillating between two seemingly opposing sides: their rock beginnings versus their electronic side. Whether you prefer "Munich" or "Papillon," though, their latest album is a treat for all fans. Violence is Editors' first record to fully marry the two genres together, and this perfect balance leads to new territory and an exciting sound for the band. In spite of its name, the new album is also the cheeriest Editors have ever sounded, offering up a silver lining in the face of trouble and celebrating friendship in the darkest of times. Violence sounds modern and fresh, but it also reaffirms the two core foundations the make Editors so unique. It's a grower, but give it a few listens, and Violence earns its place as a top album of the year. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Cold," "Hallelujah (So Low)," "Counting Spooks," and "Belong" +Read our full review of Violence here. +The Longshot - 'Love Is For Losers' +Green Day's band members are no strangers to going rogue from time to time. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's latest foray into other musical realms is with his side group, The Longshot. The new band dropped their self-titled debut EP in spring 2018, with their full-length debut following not long after. Love Is For Losers allows Billie and his new gang to let loose with fun, simple rock 'n' roll. The songs are short and straightforward, but while they don't reinvent the wheel, the familiar sound is a welcome return to Billie's roots. It's a grown-up version of Dookie, or a more clear-headed alternate to ¡Uno! and ¡Dos!, without the political overtones or grandiosity that have defined Green Day's later releases. If you're looking for some easy, charming rock tunes, Love Is For Losers is a clear winner. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Body Bag," "Love Is For Losers," "Soul Surrender," and "Turn Me Loose" +Read our full review of Love Is For Losers here. +Kimbra - 'Primal Heart' +Ever eclectic and marching to the beat of her own drummer, Kimbra's third album, Primal Heart, showcases her skill for combining genres and imagining new sounds. Though not as much of a sonic rollercoaster as her last record, Primal Heart still highlights the unexpected, if in a more cohesive package. But don't think this album is simply an exploration into all things left-of-center. Kimbra also deftly shares her personal hardships and emotions beautifully, crafting songs that are as heart-wrenching as they are exciting to listen to. Primal Heart is bold and proof that Kimbra is at the top of her game. - Amanda +Top Songs: "The Good War," "Recovery," "Lightyears," "Black Sky," and "Past Love" +Janelle Monáe - 'Dirty Computer' +After a few years away from music - and key roles in two acclaimed films - Janelle Monáe made her triumphant return with Dirty Computer in spring 2018. The new album is more personal and real than her prior records, but it's also a bigger statement socially, politically, and internally. Indeed, the tracks on Dirty Computer celebrate love in all its forms and people of all kinds. They tackle the issues that have been all-too-present in the United States and the world at large. Janelle is using her voice with confidence and assurance, and packaging it in music that is compelling and primed for endless replays. It's no wonder Dirty Computer is up for Album of the Year at the upcoming 2019 Grammys. It's a deserving contender and a major highlight of 2018. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Take A Byte," "Screwed," "Make Me Feel," "Don't Judge Me," and "Americans" +Read our full review of Dirty Computer here. +CHVRCHES - 'Love Is Dead' +On their third record, CHVRCHES switched up their sound just enough to keep things fresh. They've always been synth-pop, but on Love Is Dead, CHVRCHES emphasized the sugary pop more than ever before. Frontwoman Lauren Mayberry's voice is as delicate and youthful as ever, a perfect match for the airy production, but belying the heavy lyrical themes. The combination is mesmerizing, and Love Is Dead offers up a welcome soundscape for 2018. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Graffiti," "Never Say Die," "Miracle," "Heaven/Hell," and "Wonderland" +Hoobastank - 'Push Pull' +It had been six years since Hoobastank's last album, 2012's Fight Or Flight, when they finally announced Push Pull. In that long wait, Hoobastank made some significant stylistic changes, reemerging with a sound not heard since their 1990s origins (see: They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To). Instead of the hard rock they leaned towards in much of the 2000s, Push Pull reminded fans of Hoobastank's funkier roots. The album is the most melodic Hoobastank has been since The Reason in 2003; the music is lighter, but no less punchy. It may not have garnered press or even a proper music video, but Push Pull is a hidden gem in 2018's music scene. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Push Pull," "More Beautiful," "Better Left Unsaid," and "Buzzkill (Before You Say Goodbye)" +Read our full review of Push Pull here. +Ghost - 'Prequelle' +After Meliora and their Popestar EP, many Ghost fans were worried about the band's future when the Nameless Ghouls left in a flurry of drama and revealed identities. But even though we now know the people behind the masks, Ghost is just as fearsome and haunting as ever. On their new album, Prequelle - now led by Cardinal Copia instead of Papa Emeritus - the band prove they still have it, albeit with some flashier, more poppy nuances. It highlights a mixture between ’70s and ’80s hard, progressive, and psychedelic rock, with the added darkness that only Ghost can provide without falling in the black metal category. It earned its nomination for Best Rock Album at the 2019 Grammys, and has been a universal standout among rock fans. - A Ghoul Reviewer +Top Songs: "Rats," “Witch Image,” and “Helvetesfönster” +Read our full review of Prequelle here. +Panic! At The Disco - 'Pray For The Wicked' +On their sixth album, Panic! At The Disco refine their alternative pop rock sound. Pray For The Wicked shows off the best of their jazzy, baroque, and left-of-center style, while also throwing in a bit more Broadway-inspired bombast and tons of horns. It's seamless yet eclectic, with all the fun and theatrics we've come to expect from Panic! At The Disco. It's no surprise that its latest single, "High Hopes," has become their biggest hit since "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" way back in 2006, even exceeding it on the radio charts. Pray For The Wicked is an irresistible album. - Amanda +Top Songs: "High Hopes," "Roaring 20s," "Dancing's Not A Crime," "Old Fashioned," and "Dying In LA" +Florence + The Machine - 'High As Hope' +Florence + The Machine’s fourth album, High As Hope, is a marvel. It is the most effective album at making you feel like you’re learning ancient knowledge since Vanessa Carlton’s Rabbits On The Run (2011). High As Hope is as cohesive and driven as it is whimsical and vulnerable. But don’t let the otherworldly sounds fool you – Florence Welch is speaking to substantial topics and experiences. Hence, the ancient knowledge. Choosing a top few songs seems like a fool’s errand as every song is as good as the last, but below is my attempt. - Rachel +Top Songs: "Hunger," "Patricia," and "The End Of Love" +Ariana Grande - 'Sweetener' +Ariana Grande has always had a stunning voice, but her music has continued to evolve dramatically with each album. On her fourth record, Sweetener, Ariana proves she isn't afraid of musical experimentation, crooning and belting songs that show more maturity and confidence. While there are a few missteps, overall, Sweetener is an incredible album that pushes pop and R&B forward. And although it's a standout of 2018 - or perhaps because of that - Ariana is already working on a followup, led by her newest single and title track, "thank u, next." - Amanda +Top Songs: "God is a woman," "successful," "no tears left to cry," "borderline" (featuring Missy Elliott), and "get well soon" +Alice In Chains - 'Rainier Fog' +Alice In Chains is back this year with Rainier Fog, a clear tribute to their Seattle hometown. Highlights in the album include “The One You Know,” the record’s first single, with a slow, heavy, and dissonant riff that continues throughout the whole song. This combination of raw sound and dissonance is reminiscent of their 1992 record, Dirt, which will surely delight fans. "Rainier Fog” is mid-tempo, uplifting, and melodic, a sound that is easy on the ears, especially with the band’s trademark dual voice harmonization. “Red Giant” sounds like it could have easily fit on their 1995 eponymous album - it’s slow, sludgy, and melodic at the same time. “Maybe” captures the band’s acoustic side at its best and gives a bit of a break between the album’s heavy songs. “So Far Under” is probably the album’s heaviest track, with crushing palm muting riffs and featuring some of Jerry’s lowest vocals on the record. Nothing better than Alice In Chains sounding like Alice In Chans. - A Ghoul Reviewer +Top Songs: "The One You Know," "Rainier Fog," "Red Giant," "Maybe," and "So Far Under" +Elle King - 'Shake The Spirit' +Elle King emerged with a surprise hit with "Ex's & Oh's," taken from her 2015 debut album, Love Stuff. Since then, Elle got married and divorced, battled drug and alcohol abuse, and worked through depression and PTSD. The tumultuous years inspired her sophomore album, Shake The Spirit. Like her debut, the new record highlights Elle's raspy, old-school voice against blues rock, indie, and dashes of classic country and Americana. However, there's less pop this time around, and the songs are rawer, more emotional, and more confessional than before. It's an honest album that dives into all the dark places, but ultimately, Shake The Spirit ends with hope and courage. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Talk Of The Town," "Naturally Pretty Girls," "Runaway," "It Girl," and "Little Bit Of Lovin'" +Muse - 'Simulation Theory' +Muse's 2015 album, Drones, was a welcome return to the rock energy exemplified on their early record, Absolution. With their newest album, Simulation Theory, Muse takes it a few steps further by showing off the best of what has defined their full career. The new record has heavy Origin Of Symmetry influences, but it also includes tracks that would fit right in on Black Holes & Revelations or The Resistance. The songs here are spacey and grandiose, but they also fearlessly try on new styles - see the eclectic genre-bending of "Propaganda" or "Break It To Me," or the overt pop anthem, "Get Up And Fight." Simulation Theory is thoroughly impressive, an homage to what Muse stands for as well as a confident step into new territory. It's undeniably one of the best albums of 2018. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Algorithm," "The Dark Side," "Break It To Me," "Thought Contagion," and "Blockades" +Read our full review of Simulation Theory here. +Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness - 'Upside Down Flowers' +Only one year after his sophomore album under this moniker, Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness is back with his third record, Upside Down Flowers. Andrew's whirlwind inspiration paid off here, as each song is a nostalgic gem that peeks into the defining moments of the past. He revisits his childhood, the early years of his first band, Something Corporate, and the years surrounding his battle with Leukemia. He takes it to present day here and there, then paints stories that could be adapted into movies with a timeless soundtrack. Upside Down Flowers is both a diverse and a cohesive album, and one of the singular releases of the year. - Amanda +Top Songs: "Blue Vacation," "Monday Flowers," "House In The Trees," and "Careless" +Read our full review of Upside Down Flowers here. +Alessia Cara - 'The Pains Of Growing' +Bringing a strumming, casual tone Alessia Cara’s sophomore album, The Pains Of Growing, feels less polished in the most authentic way. It is acutely attached to the singer’s perspective on her new life while still showing deep connections to her past. From the clever and upbeat “Trust My Lonely” to the honest “A Little More,” Cara keeps some of her vocal style from her previous album, Know-It-All (2015), while working with a different sound. Perhaps not as mainstream pop as Know-It-All, The Pains Of Growing’s strength lies in the genuine perspective Cara offers on her life. - Francesca +Top Songs: "All We Know," "Girl Next Door," "Growing Pains," and "My +Top NATURAL BOOBS Movies +Thats why Leo and Mia invited a young boy and having booze with him! Hey! They are sucking his Mr. Happy one after another and having the horniest love after doing poontang. +05:02 +Paid in full. Staring Paloma Vargas. She is a real slut chick who loves showing her naked body off. listen to her moan in pleasure whilst she is on her hands and knees, and her man is licking, and fingering her moist young pussy. +06:02 +Nothings better than digging for treasure as Angel Piaf and Miela find out. hardcore lesbian action as these two super blondes with firm titties get it together and do some digging of their own. +Beautiful blonde babe Anikka Albrite, is having a fantastic wet dream. she is laying in her mans arms as she drives a massive dildo in +08:01 +Here is the wild pounding with magnetic Asian bitch. She is standing in a lot of various positions getting her sweet tight pussy stuffed by big stiff piece of meat. +10:04 +Nasty dildo fuck lover teen bitch Stacey Lacey laying on the bed in hot stockings and high heel shoes with wide open legs and passionately drilling her tight shaved teen cunt with thick pink dildo! +01:49 +Just watch this amazing action where dude seduces gorgeous big tittied milf to have sex with him. She looks breathtaking and you could stare at what they do here. +08:04 +Naughty massagist guy, got lucky to oil up and fondle Alines extremely hot and sexy body, as he got on massaging her tight but and hips inside the girl got hotly excited and desired to have some fuck and suck action! +06:01 +I love black boys. Staring Aria Austin and Wesley Pipes, and she certainly does. Hardcore interracial +04:26 +All Categories +- Amateur (160764) +- Anal (54607) +- Anime (1343) +- Anon (231) +- Arab (14267) +- Argentinian (1708) +- Asian (52754) +- Ass (16615) +- Babe (51335) +- Babysitter (1657) +- Ballbusting (1285) +- Bathroom (965) +- BBW (26817) +- BDSM (16886) +- Beach (4797) +- Behind The Scenes (244) +- Big ass (26192) +- Big Clit (1752) +- Big dick (31136) +- Big tits (92595) +- Bikini (1635) +- Bisexual (5030) +- Bizarre (779) +- Black (17265) +- Blonde (58502) +- Blowjob (115360) +- Bondage (5689) +- Boob Licking (631) +- Brazilian (5602) +- Brazzers (633) +- British (8019) +- Brunette (72440) +- Bukkake (3607) +- Bulgarian (1537) +- Canadian (901) +- Car (1039) +- Cartoon (3397) +- Casting (5990) +- Cat Fights (1160) +- Celebrity (7817) +- Cfnm (3224) +- Cheating (1557) +- Cheerleaders (974) +- Chilean (662) +- Chinese (9281) +- Chub (659) +- Closeup (12298) +- Clothed (807) +- College (8606) +- Colombian (904) +- Compilation (1189) +- Cosplay (1681) +- Couple (6974) +- Cowgirl (2517) +- Creampie (12280) +- Croatian (666) +- Cuban (358) +- Cuckold (11349) +- Cumshot (52629) +- Cunnilingus (17373) +- Curvy (846) +- Czech (3680) +- Danish (1278) +- Deep throat (8055) +- Doggystyle (19733) +- Domination (1828) +- Double (7787) +- Dutch (1210) +- Ebony (7899) +- Egyptian (1850) +- Emo (1674) +- Erotic (7757) +- Ethnic (1132) +- European (8587) +- Ex Girlfriend (330) +- Exhibitionist (1282) +- Extreme (861) +- Facesitting (3941) +- Facial (23909) +- Family Roleplay (324) +- Fantasy (385) +- Female (5868) +- Female Choice (863) +- Femdom (14563) +- Fetish (22212) +- Fingering (22614) +- Finnish (224) +- First-time (515) +- Fishnet (944) +- Fisting (5035) +- Flashing (9478) +- Flexible (552) +- Food (560) +- Foot (10441) +- French (7275) +- Friends (714) +- Fucked (817) +- Fucking Machines (1452) +- Funny (4322) +- Gagging (831) +- Gangbang (10834) +- Gape (3103) +- Gay (18939) +- German (13221) +- Girlfriend (2407) +- Glasses (965) +- Gloryhole (2886) +- Gloves (403) +- Gonzo (902) +- Gorgeous (735) +- Gothic (1165) +- Granny (13446) +- Greek (1485) +- Group Sex (25861) +- Hairy (18320) +- Handjob (26406) +- Hardcore (9098) +- Hentai (5233) +- Hidden Cams (17578) +- High heels (3287) +- Homemade (6176) +- Hotel (778) +- Housewife (9207) +- Humiliation (1421) +- Hungarian (1279) +- Hunks (303) +- Indian (19820) +- Indonesian (761) +- Interracial (31926) +- Interview (881) +- Iranian (616) +- Irish (514) +- Israeli (705) +- Italian (6207) +- Jamaican (675) +- Japanese (33991) +- JAV (2521) +- Jeans (806) +- Jerk Off (1061) +- JOI (3802) +- Kinky (677) +- Kissing (1820) +- Kitchen (753) +- Korean (2794) +- Lactating (842) +- Latex (4344) +- Latina (15844) +- Leather (657) +- Lebanese (394) +- Leggins (247) +- Legs (202) +- Lesbian (33656) +- Lingerie (14907) +- Long hair (610) +- Love (543) +- Maid (744) +- Malaysian (752) +- Man (1007) +- Married (687) +- Massage (10351) +- Masturbation (51845) +- Mature (41003) +- Men (2068) +- Mexican (4378) +- Midget (1300) +- Milf (76666) +- Military (807) +- Morning (683) +- Moroccan (1003) +- Muscle (444) +- Muscular Women (1516) +- My Cock (967) +- Naked (536) +- Nasty (655) +- Natural boobs (5567) +- Naughty (2277) +- Nextdoor girls (202) +- Nipples (6407) +- Norwegian (505) +- Nude (796) +- Nudist (755) +- Nurse (1020) +- Nylon (6581) +- Office (1233) +- Oiled (964) +- Old and Young (1841) +- Oral sex (3282) +- Orgasm (869) +- Orgy (2054) +- Outdoor (17027) +- Pakistani (841) +- Pale (212) +- Panties (5841) +- Pantyhose (1028) +- Party (2413) +- Petite (2515) +- Philippines (1739) +- Pick up (263) +- Piercings (2367) +- Pigtails (221) +- Piledriver (493) +- Pissing (1915) +- Playing (804) +- Polish (1225) +- Pool (1063) +- Porn Stars (16774) +- Portuguese (1073) +- Posing (1407) +- POV (24984) +- Pregnant (855) +- Pretty (1569) +- Private (838) +- Public (13869) +- Puerto Rican (684) +- Pussy (2238) +- Reality (11625) +- Redhead (10597) +- Retro (879) +- Riding (1604) +- Rimming (4029) +- Romanian (1679) +- Rough sex (1226) +- Rubber (795) +- Russian (10768) +- S Day (257) +- Saggy Tits (981) +- Schoolgirl (1065) +- Secretaries (1247) +- Sensual (644) +- Serbian (1667) +- Sex Toys (30984) +- Sharking (567) +- Shaved (10512) +- Shemale (8910) +- Shorts (478) +- Shower (5194) +- Slave (2087) +- Slim (5115) +- Slut (3536) +- Small tits (21036) +- Smoking (832) +- Softcore (10437) +- Solo (14755) +- South African (584) +- Spandex (1830) +- Spanish (2092) +- Spanking (5730) +- Sport (1723) +- Spreadeagle (851) +- Squirting (8456) +- Sri Lankan (714) +- Stockings (18828) +- Strapon (6113) +- Street candid (663) +- Striptease (5919) +- Student (981) +- Submission (841) +- Swallow (4685) +- Swedish (1287) +- Swingers (5211) +- Swiss (637) +- Talking (347) +- Tall Girls (226) +- Tanned (333) +- Tattoo (4999) +- Teacher (1306) +- Teen (101248) +- Thai (2699) +- Thong (622) +- Threesome (23111) +- Transexual (637) +- Trimmed (753) +- Tunisian (507) +- Turkish (5302) +- Twerking (635) +- Twink (901) +- Ukrainian (731) +- Uniform (4181) +- Upskirt (7286) +- Venezuelan (536) +- Vietnamese (1073) +- Vintage (15542) +- Virgin (1421) +- Virtual Reality (506) +- Voyeur (27404) +- VR Porn (346) +- Water (421) +- Webcam (27280) +- Wet (1265) +- White Male (2403) +- Whore (297) +- Yoga (1542) +Sunday, April 15, 2018 +Two Week Frugal Friday Wrap Up 3/31-4/13 2018 +Jaysn and Rachel are finally totally moved, their old house is cleaned and they sign the final papers this Wednesday. It has been a long process and they, along with Jeff and I, are all exhausted. We have been trying to take care of Steven as much as we are able to have been having the kids up for meals also. Today Heather, Bradley and Isaiah stopped by and Jaysn, Rachel and Steven came up so we could have some family time. Chris was at home sleeping after a very long overnight shift at work. This afternoon I went down to take care of Steven for a bit while Jaysn and Rachel got some things moved into storage. Poor little guy was beyond exhausted and could not fall asleep until Mommy came back to hold him. Hopefully, now that they are getting settled in, Steven can get back on a regular schedule and that will help everyone, but especially him. 😉 Yesterday Jeff and I rested and watched movies for the most part. We did have Jaysn and Steven come up for dinner since Rachel was finishing up at the old house and I knew that Jaysn would not eat a good dinner without her since he was so busy with Steven. Steven managed to escape the baby gate so keeping him corralled is getting harder and harder. We sure are enjoying having them close and it was so good to have all the grandboys here earlier and watch them thoroughly enjoy each other. 💓 Now nto the two weeks of savings... +WEEK ONE: +~Saturday I was not feeling well so I stayed home while Jeff went in and worked on Jaysn and Rachel's house getting some things done there that the home inspector said needed to be fixed. +~I sent a bunch of the pasta salad I made on Friday in for Jaysn and Rachel. +~We hot tubbed later that night. +~Easter Sunday we both stayed home and rested for the most part. +~I did make 2 loaves of bread that day and Jeff worked on some laundry. +~Monday Jeff and I headed into help Rachel with a few more items on the fix it list. I watched Steven while they ran into town to get some supplies. +~Jeff picked up 2 discounted foot long sandwiches from Walmart's deli and I cut them up into 6 pieces. Rachel and I only had 1 piece each so Jeff was able to have some for lunch and also took the rest for his "lunch" while he worked overnight. +~Rachel gave me a beautiful tortilla press. She and I will be experimenting this Summer with making flatbreads with it and adding garden veggies to the dough. +~I found some marked down seeds at the big hardware store. They were clearing out that line and going with a new vendor so I got 10 packs at .25 and 6 packs at .50 each. These were all things that we love! +~Monday early evening, I finally got the taxes done and filed. That is a huge relief. We are able to file for free since we are under the income guidelines. +~I froze the leftover taco meat for a future meal. +~Dinner Monday night was another sheet pan meal of sweet potatoes and Italian sausage served with crisp Fuji apple slices. I put the leftovers away to have for my lunch tomorrow. I have really been working on cutting down my portion sizes. +~More free magazines came in the mail including the Lego magazine I get for Bradley. +~Tuesday I worked on my points programs. Swagbucks had their I Spy extra points that day and I try to get as many of them as I can along with running some of the other point earning programs in the background. I find the point earning programs work better for me in Microsoft Edge rather than Chrome, which is what I mainly use. +~A menu plan was finally done based on what we have here and needs to be used up ASAP. +~Leftovers were my lunch today and boy did they taste good. +~I managed to get 2 loads of clothing, sheets, towels and all the throws washed. I am debating on putting away most of the Wintery themed throws away and breaking out the more Spring looking ones but the cats have been kneading on the Winter ones and making little pulls and I really don't want them doing that to the afghans that usually come out at this time of year. +~Jeff told me that I needed some more supplements so I again went through the link at Swagbucks to Vitacost, got in on a B1G1 half off for one of them and was able to use a code for 12% off and get free shipping. I should get point for my purchase that will translate into more swagbucks. +~Dinner was Lemon Chicken Pasta made with one chicken breast (cut up into bite sized pieces), one bell pepper, half a zucchini, whole wheat linguine, garlic, butter, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, mushrooms, salt and pepper. I thought I had made enough to have leftovers but Jeff was very hungry and had 2 large servings of it. +~Jeff built a kitchen drawer to replace the one at Jaysn and Rachel's that had fallen apart and Rachel threw out. He thinks we have the right color paint to match the cabinets here on hand also. +~Wednesday I borrowed 3 movies from the library and bought 4 children's books @ .25 each from their book sale. +~Jaysn and Rachel fed us dinner since we went in to help them get the rest of the home buyers list of fixes done (well I played with the baby and Jeff did the work). +~I got some homemade smoked turkey soup out to thaw. +~Thursday was another "at home day". Jeff did pick up some milk and bananas on his way home from work in the morning for me. +~I had some coleslaw mix that I needed to use up so I made a large Asian style salad for my dinner. Jeff had bowling league so he had something to eat before he left for that and took and extra sandwich in his cooler bag to have before he reported for work later in the evening. +~Friday we celebrated Rachel's sister Michelle's birthday and while we were there got the official word that their house was now under contract!!! Rachel's mom Joyce came up too and it was wonderful to visit with them both and to see Steven enjoying his Grandma and Auntie. He got really wound up and silly with all of us there and was going as fast as he could back and forth making sure that everyone got some snuggle time with him. 😊 +~I raided my gift closet for a beautiful smelling candle and a nice birthday card for Michelle. +~Jeff and I went to Safeway and got a free roasted chicken from the deli, a free candy bar, a free yogurt, some Romaine lettuce, a can of cream of mushroom soup (marked down to .50), some dog food, cottage cheese (used a .50 off coupon) and 2 huge cantaloupes at $1.50 each. +~Dinner was homemade smoked turkey soup that I had previously made and frozen. +~I worked on my points programs. +WEEK TWO: +~Saturday Jeff and I stayed home and rested after a busy week and to make sure we had the energy to help Jaysn and Rachel move the next day. +~I made meatloaf, brown rice and sliced apples for dinner. +~Sunday we helped Jaysn and Rachel move. She made pulled BBQed chicken and a nice salad for everyone that was helping. Baby Steven spent most of the day with me at his old house or up at our house. +~We had leftovers for dinner. +~Monday Jeff and I took Steven for a walk in his stroller that we have here. +~I kept Steven at his apartment for the afternoon while Jeff slept here. I managed to get him to nap and I was able to get some rest too. Poor baby has been a bit confused with the move. +~I started reading a book I got at the thrift store. +~Dinner was the free chicken I got at Safeway on Friday served with leftover rice. +~Tuesday I made a chicken salad and some homemade chicken and rice soup with the leftover chicken and rice. +~Rachel was at the old house taking care of a few things and Jaysn was at their apartment getting things unpacked there. I invited Jaysn and Steven to come up for lunch because Jaysn got so busy and forgot to eat. +~Jeff picked up some pastrami at the Grocery Outlet when he headed up to get my car back fromt he dealership where it was being repaired. +~Dinner was the soup and/or chicken salad. +~I renewed some things that were due at the library the next day since I planned on just resting on Wednesday. +~Wednesday I did not have Steven here for the day so I was able to rest. +~I've been working my points programs on the few days that I have actually been online. +~I cleaned out the refrigerator and made a menu based on what I have on hand that needs to be used up ASAP. +~With University of Idaho's Mom's Weekend happening this coming weekend, Jeff and I decided to go ahead and get all of our running around and shopping done so that we could avoid the crowds and chaos Friday, Saturday and Sunday. +~We stocked up on .87 a pound chicken thighs and now have enough to feed our huge family at our family reunion next month. My chest freezer is packed! +~We found more huge boxes of the Honey Nut Cheerios at the Dollar Tree along with Amope pedicure kits. We also picked up large boxes of Scotties tissues, applesauce, a .25 bag of jelly beans, sausage, crackers, snack bars, and Q-tips. +~Walmart has the cheapest unscented kitty litter so we got some there along with a phone card for Jeff, and some baby food items for Steven. I also found a 3 pack of chain extenders for necklaces on clearance and I had been needing some. +~Winco had some great deals on produce so I stocked up on apples, strawberries and bananas. +~Thursday I made scrapple. +~I watched Steven in the afternoon for a bit and we had a great time. Rachel brought up the large baby fence with gate and we now have it across the opening to the kitchen so we can keep him out of the dog food and water, the cats can escape from a very curious little one and it keeps Steven safer. +~Jaysn used our hot tub to try and ease his sore muscles. +~Friday was a major crash/flare day for me so I put on a soothing video that I found on YouTube that helped me get to a more calm state. Here it is if you want to check it out...Stunning Aquarium & the Best Relax Music. It reminds me of the magic of the underwater world when I would go snorkeling as a child growing up in Hawaii. +~I managed to get 2 loaves of bread made. +~I pulled another bottle of creamer and some pork chops out of the freezer to thaw. I love having a fully stocked freezer so that I don't have to make so many trips to the grocery store. +~I ordered Jeff and TENS unit from Amazon that had really good customer reviews to see if that will help with the pain he is having in his hands and back. I want Jaysn to try it out too and see if it helps him. If it does, I will buy him one also. I got the unit for under $30 with free shipping included. I'm going to see if it works for my fibro pain too. +My plans for this week include making a Costco run with Rachel. Her mother gave her a membership there so we are heading down to pick up a few things. I was very blessed to see quite a few items that I was planning on buying going on sale the day we are shopping there. She is driving so I will buy lunch for us. I'm not sure if we are taking her car or mine yet. It will be nice to spend the day with her and Steven. Here's to a great week for everyone!! +Breadcrumb navigation: +Referendum +What is a referendum? +A referendum is a non-binding question or issue put on the ballot for vote by the undergraduate student body. +Who can sponsor a referendum? +Any individual who is a full-time undergraduate student at Boston College in good academic and disciplinary standing may sponsor a referendum. +How do I go about sponsoring a referendum? +In an effort to facilitate and streamline the process by which a referendum is added to the ballot, a series of guidelines and procedures have been developed. Please see the referendum code and associated documents below for detailed information. +Elections Referendum Code +Preamble: +Students have the right to bring issues forward to the University community during the election season. Any undergraduate, full time student may propose a non-binding referendum that will be voted on during the Undergraduate Government of Boston College election season. Student(s) who propose a referendum must follow the established procedures set forth by the Elections Committee. +Article I: The Role of the Elections Committee +Section 1: The Elections Committee +The Elections Committee (hereafter referred to as “The EC”) shall serve as a non-biased body. +The EC is responsible for verifying the signatures obtained by the student(s) looking to put forth a referendum proposal to the undergraduate body. +The EC shall hold office hours for approval of referendum materials and general questions during the Presidential election period. An email address (elect@bc.edu) must be made accessible to contact individuals for communication with the EC. Office hours of the EC must be posted on the EC website (). +For a complete listing of the EC responsibilities during the election season, please see Article I of the Election Code. +Article II: Qualifications and Regulations +Section 1: Contact Person Qualifications +Referendums must be submitted by full-time Boston College undergraduate students in acceptable academic standing or receive administrative approval. Contact person(s) must also be in good disciplinary standing with the university. +Within a group of students who are supporting a referendum, at least one, and no more than five, Boston College undergraduate student(s) must be designated as the contact persons for the referendum. If more than one contact person is listed, the contact people will need to identify the primary contact person. +The contact person(s) are responsible for submitting the referendum and all associated paperwork and forms. +Section 2: Regulations +All those submitting, signing, and publicizing referenda must be fulltime undergraduate students of Boston College. +The UGBC Constitution states that “proposed resolutions must receive the signatures of at least 1/8 of the undergraduate student body by petition.” (VII.2.2). +There may only be one referendum advocacy group per referendum question. +Candidatess may not be sponsored or endorsed by off-campus businesses or organizations. Newspapers that are produced on a regular basis, focused on campus news, and available to the public are exempt from this (i.e. The Heights, The Observer, and The Gavel). +No current UGBC President, Vice President or cabinet member may endorse a referendum in his or her capacity as an elected or appointed official. +Referendum groups may not endorse a UGBC Presidential, Vice Presidential, or Senatorial candidate. Candidates may, however, endorse a referendum. +The referendum timeline, with all pertinent dates and information, will be announced annually by the EC by October 15th, and will be available at. +All steps and regulations outlined in the referendum code must be followed within the designated timeline, in order for a referendum question to appear on the ballot. +Article III: Proposing a referendum +1. Step 1: Declaration of intent +Any group wishing to put a referendum question on the ballot must complete an intent form which is available at. +Intent forms will be accepted by the EC Advisors in the Student Programs Office at any point until the announced deadline. Note: Referendum intent forms must be for the current academic year. Any forms handed in during the spring semester that aim to be on the ballot for the next academic year will be considered void. +Once intent forms are handed in, the contact person(s) will receive information on how to petition for a referendum question to be put on the ballot and will receive copies of the official referendum petition form. +2. Step 2: Question approval +After handing in the intent form, the group must submit the official text of their referendum question to the EC for review. The purpose of this review is to ensure that the question is clear and contains no objectionable material. +The EC reserves the right to reword the final submitted referendum question to ensure that it is clear and unbiased. +Referendum questions must be “yes / no” questions. +Referendum questions must be submitted to the elections committee via email (elect@bc.edu) by a date announced by the elections committee. +3. Step 3: Petitioning for signatures +The first stage of proposing a referendum is the petitioning phase. During this phase, the referendum group may gather the number of signatures necessary to put their question on the ballot. There are some restrictions on the methods they may use to do this, which will be discussed in this section. +1. Timeline +The petitioning phase will start on a date specified by the EC, and will last until the beginning of the campaigning phase. Petitioning may not begin before the official start date. +Only groups who have submitted their intent form and gotten their question approved may participate in petitioning. +2. Guidelines +A. General +All contact person(s): +They may only take place between the hours of 8am and 10pm. +No official UGBC or SOFC resource, publication, or funds may be used to further any referendum. This shall include, but is not limited to, the UGBC website. +B. Signatures and Petitions +During the petitioning phase, referendum groups are permitted to gather the required number of signatures to put their referendum question on the ballot. Signatures must be gathered only on petitions provided by the EC, all of which will contain the finalized referendum question. +Students may request as many copies of their official petition as they desire, but signatures will only be valid if gathered on these forms and with all the required information. +Each signature must consist of a person’s clearly printed name, their signature, Eagle Identification number and a valid Boston College email address. +Signatures must be gathered only on official petitions provided by the EC +Printed names and Eagle ID numbers must be clearly written; the EC reserves the right to discard a signature if its accompanying name and ID number are so illegible that they are unreadable and can therefore not be verified. +Any person that fails to complete all four categories of the petition will have their name discarded and not count towards the 1/8 undergraduate population necessary for the question to appear on the ballot. +Submission of fraudulent signature(s) may be considered grounds for termination of the referendum by the EC from the ballot. +C. Methods, Posting, and Electronics +During the petitioning phase, referendum groups may assemble a support staff and engage in verbal advocacy for adding their referendum question to the ballot. +Referendum groups may not post, display, or distribute any printed materials during the petitioning phase. This includes, but is not limited to, flyers, quarter sheets, and banners. Printed materials may only be used during the campaigning phase, and all printed material must be approved by the Elections Committee. +Electronic campaigning is permitted during the petitioning phase on a limited basis. Although groups may not gather signatures by online means, groups may create a Facebook group at 12:01am on the first day of the petitioning phase or whenever their intent form and finalized question have been approved, whichever is later. +The Facebook group may contain the finalized referendum question and the names and contact information for the referendum group contact people. +Facebook groups may be used to assemble a support staff for the referendum group and to disseminate information to group members. However, any unsolicited Facebook messaging or any other type of solicitation covered in III.3.2.C.9, is strictly prohibited. +Referendum groups may request people to join their Facebook group. However, they may do so only once, and may not send repeated requests if their initial request is ignored or denied. +There will be only one Facebook group permitted per referendum group, and the senior EC co-chair must be made an administrator of the Facebook group immediately after it is created. +Facebook must be limited to the BC Network. No messages can be considered unsolicited if an individual accepts membership to a Facebook group. +Voicemails, emails, text messages, instant messages, podcasts, unsolicited phone calls (i.e. phone banks) and online directory (i.e. MySpace, Friendster, Twitter, etc) messages cannot be used in any way to solicit potential voters. +Contact person(s) cannot use personal information from Agora, Facebook, MySpace, Friendster or other online directories to solicit students. +During the petitioning phase, referendum groups may advocate, through the means discussed above, for their referendum question or issue to be placed on the ballot. +Step 4: Campaigning +Provided that a group obtains the required number of signatures in support of placing its referendum question on the ballot, the group may enter the active campaigning phase. During this period, many of the restrictions of the petitioning phase are relaxed. +1. Timeline +The deadline for submitting referendum signatures to the EC will be specified by the EC and released on the Elections Committee website at. +Referendum signatures must be submitted to the EC Advisor in the Student Programs Office, Maloney Hall (formerly, 21 Campanella Way) Suite 242. +Submitted referendum questions must be turned in with the complete number of signatures as specified by the UGBC Constitution and Referendum Code by a date specified by the EC. +The referendum campaigning phase shall begin on the same day as primary campaigning for UGBC presidential and vice-presidential candidates. +2. Guidelines +A. General +All contact person(s) and campaign staff/referendum group: +may only take place between the hours of 8am and 10pm. +The Office of Residence Life may at their discretion, further restrict or disallow campaigning in the halls. An email will be sent to candidates informing them of any changes to the policy +Post fliers on personal doors with the consent of the resident. +Contact person(s) must understand the Residential Life policy that only 1/3 of each personal door in the residence halls may be covered with paper. +No official UGBC or SOFC resource, publication, or funds may be used to further any referendum. This shall include, but is not limited to, the UGBC website. +B. Preconditions and Vetting +Referendum groups may only enter the campaigning phase if they have gotten the required number of signatures and if that required number of signatures is vetted by the EC. +Once the signatures have been vetted by the EC, the EC co-chairs will reach out to the contact individuals for the referendum question to inform them that their petitions are valid and that they may begin campaigning. Similarly, if the signatures are not approved by the EC, the co-chairs will also reach out to the contact individuals and inform them of the EC’s findings. +The Elections Committee will review the petition signatures and reach out to the contact individuals in a timely manner. +C. Methods and Posting +During the campaigning phase, referendum groups are entitled to engage in all the same activities that they were in the petitioning phase. +During the campaigning phase, referendum groups may post, display, and distribute printed materials. The posting policy can be found at. +All campaign paraphernalia must be approved by the EC (including flyers, banners, etc.) during posted EC office hours, after which, materials must be stamped by SPO. All campaign materials must contain valid Boston College contact information (name and BC e-mail address) for the referendum contact person. +No campaign materials shall be approved which contains slanderous or defamatory statements or anything inconsistent with the Jesuit/Catholic values of Boston College. If a statement is determined to be slanderous after one EC member has signed a receipt approving release of the material, the contact person(s) is required to retract the material or statement upon request of the EC. +All contact person(s) and campaign staff/referendum group must follow the Posting Policy of the University. +Campaign banners must be home-made. Professional banners are strictly prohibited. The number of banners allocated to groups in favor of the referendum and opposition groups will be determined in advance each year based on availability of space and the discretion of the EC. Both groups will be given the opportunity to post an equal number of banners. +Banners will only be allowed in specific locations. Due to high demand, permission to hang in the Gasson Quadrangle will be determined by the EC by a lottery. Other banner hanging locations must also be approved by the EC. +D. Electronic Communication +Once the campaigning phase begins, there are no restrictions on the amount or type of referendum-related information that may be posted on Facebook groups. However, unsolicited messaging is still strictly prohibited, and the senior EC co-chair must still be an administrator for the group. +Voicemails, emails, text messages, instant messages, podcasts, unsolicited phone calls (i.e. phone banks) and online directory (i.e. MySpace, Friendster, Twitter, etc) messages cannot be used in any way to contact solicit voters. +Contact person(s) cannot use personal information from Agora, Facebook, MySpace, Friendster or other online directories to solicit students. +E. Debate +Immediately before the final Presidential and Vice-Presidential debate, referendum groups and their respective opposition groups, should they exist, will be given an opportunity to present a public platform statement lasting no longer than 5 minutes. +Referendum and opposition groups will not be permitted to ask questions of each other or offer rebuttal arguments, nor will they answer any questions from the audience. +These statements will be videotaped and broadcast on BC Cable along with the Presidential/Vice Presidential debate. +The statements must follow all Boston College and EC guidelines. +Should only one referendum group exist, in lieu of a public reading the Elections Committee will distribute the pro and con statements as they will appear on the ballot to individuals in attendance at the debate. +Step 5: Voting +Providing that all previously-stated standards for approval, signatures, and vetting have been met, proposed referendum questions will be added to the final election ballot. +The referendum question will be on the final election ballot. Voting on the final election ballot must be held over a two class-day period. +There is to be no campaigning in the residence halls or the computer labs during the days of voting +Article IV: Opposing a Referendum +Although BC clubs and organizations may not support or oppose a referendum nominally or financially, students may form an independent opposition group for that purpose. This group is required to register with the EC and designate a contact person, and it is subject to all of the same regulations that govern referendum groups. This opposition group will not have its own question on the ballot; its function is solely to advocate against the proposed referendum question. +Only one opposition group is allowed per referendum question. +The opposition group is entitled to the same benefits and must follow all the same regulations as the referendum group; this includes but is not limited to posting and communications restrictions imposed during the petitioning phase. +If an opposition group exists, both the group in favor of a referendum and the opposition group will be given an opportunity to each write a statement less than 75 words explaining their viewpoint which will be posted on ballot and on the Elections Committee website at. +If no opposition group comes forward, the Student Programs Office will solicit a statement less than 75 words from a member of the BC community which will appear on the ballot and on the Elections Committee website. +Article V: Violations of Policy +The EC reserves the right to investigate and sanction violations of EC guidelines and make referrals to ODSD for violations of university policy by referendum groups and opposition groups, and to deal with such violations on a case-by-case basis. +Very serious or repeated violations of policy may result in an administrative review and possible sanctions. +Disrespectful or abusive behavior towards a member of the EC may also result in administrative review and possible sanctions and/or referral to DOS. +There are no file folders to display at this time. +Midway Talk from the June Issue +The National Independent Concessionaires Association released an update on H-2B litigation and reports steps towards success in Florida. A preliminary injunction on April 26 stopped the Department of Labor from implementing new H-2B rules set to become operative on April 27. Florida Federal Court Judge Rogers made the ruling to suspend the rules upon further investigation. A Joint Coalition is in the midst of litigation regarding DOL’s H-2B Wage Rules scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2012 in the Philadelphia federal court system. You may contact Bob Johnson, President of Outdoor Amusement Business Association, for more information or with questions. +Crabtree Amusements of Staples, Texas recently refurbished several rides in winter quarters, including their Fajume Wacky Worm, Tivoli Spin Out, Zamperla Looney Airport, Mini-Jets, Eyerly Spider, Pirate’s Cove, and KMG Freak Out. Many of the projects included a fresh paint job with an added step called “baking” to increase the durability of the paint. The show also overhauled all of their gen-sets. Arriving in May will be the show’s new Mulligan Gondola Wheel, which joins another addition to the midway from 2011—a Chance Giant Wheel. +Reithoffer Shows has installed LED lights on their Pharaoh’s Fury using Denny’s Electronics. The show also worked on their Super Himalaya’s tubs and their Wisdom Tornado this winter as well as a number of smaller rehab projects. They are also re-racking the second load of their new Technical Park Stinger. The new attraction was voted the #1 ride at the Florida State Fair reports Rick Reithoffer. The show had a great Florida route in 2012 with their best year ever at the Highland County Fair in Sebring, FL and the Collier County Fair in Naples, FL. They also had a very strong year at the Southwest Florida Fair in Naples. +Garcia Brothers Circus will be performing on Gold Star Amusements Giant Wheel at the Steele County Free Fair in Owatonna, Minnesota August 14 – 19. Three times a day one of the Garcia circus members will walk on the perimeter, 86-feet in the air, of the wheel while it is moving. The circus has performed a similar feat on television. This is Gold Star’s first year as midway provider at the Steele County Free Fair. +The property home to the State Fair of Virginia since 2009 in Caroline County might be sold prior to its scheduled auction set for May. There are currently four parties interested in purchasing the property and possibly a fifth party that may choose to submit an offer. “I think there is a better-thn-50-percent chance that we’ll find a buyer before the auction,” Mark T. Motley, president of Motley’s Auction & Realty Group, told WSLS television. While Mark Lovell and Universal Fairs is not one of the potential buyers, they are interested in operating the State Fair of Virginia either on the Caroline County property or at the fair’s old home at the Richmond International Raceway. Ideally, a large Virginia fair will be operated by Universal Fairs during the same dates set for the 2012 State Fair of Virginia—September 27 through October 3. +Mark Lovell and Universal Fairs also made news as the new operators of the Georgia State Fair in Macon. The fair ran from April 27 through May 6 with midway provided by Dixieland Carnival of Phenix City, AL. The midway was comprised of over 40 rides including a Wadkins Expo Wheel, Sea Ray, Music Fest, Spin Out, Himalaya, and Casino. About 20,000 people attended the first weekend, which contributed to a goal of 50,000 in attendance by fair’s end. +Ottaway Amusements of Derby, Kansas was struck by a severe storm and EF3 tornado while providing rides in Wichita, Kansas. Among the damage was a Chance Century Wheel, which was knocked on its side. The ride is now at the nearby Chance facility. +The Puyallup Spring Fair was attended by 126,165 people in 2012. It is the second highest attendance on count since the event began in 1990 and just 829 people shy of the all-time record set in 2010. The event was held in Puyallup, Washington from April 18 through April 21. Funtastic Shows provided the midway, which included a roller coaster, antique Merry Go Round, Extreme Scream El Nino, and Grand Wheel. There were over 40 rides in total. Funtastic Shows also provides the midway for the main Puyallup Fair that runs from September 7 through 23 in 2012. +Congratulations to fair consultant & game operator Chris Walden and his wife on a new addition to their family: Chris and Allison Walden of Mattoon are proud to announce the birth of their son, Hampton Christian, at 8:07 a.m. on April 10th, 2012. He was born at St. Anthony’s Memorial Hospital in Effingham. He weighed 7 pounds 8 ounces and was 20 inches long. His grandparents are Al and Julie Krietemeier, Charleston; and Wayne and Mary Lou Walden, Mt. Carmel. Hampton’s great-grandparents are: the late Cecil and Inez Krietemeier; Florence and the late Ray Richards, Effingham; Leslie and Naoma Walden, Olney; and Theora and the late Eugene Stiff, Dundas. Hampton has a proud big sister Hadleigh. He also has infant twin sisters, Teigan and Tinsley, in Heaven. +In Memoriam: +Cody Casper of PBJ Happee Day Shows informed Carnival Magazine that Jayne Peters passed away on Wednesday, April 18. She was only 51 years old and had been fighting a battle with cancer. Jayne was the “J” in PBJ and had been a member of the show for 40 years. “She was known to the entire show as Aunt Jayne,” says Cody. She leaves behind two children—Justin and Jamie. “We have gotten a lot of support from everyone in show business and it’s a good feeling to know there are so many people who care,” expresses Cody. +Carnival Magazine is also sad to report that Bob Coil, owner of Dartron Rides from 1991 until 2009 passed away while on vacation in Italy on April 19. Bob was on a three week tour of the country with his wife, Wanda. He named Dartron after his son, Darren. You can read more about Bob’s accomplishments as a ride manufacturer in this month’s article, Ride Roots. +Midway Talk from the May Issue +Frank Zaitshik of Wade Shows reports that it was a busy winter for the company. The show’s Zyklon Coaster was sandblasted, repainted with new colors, and fitted with LED lights. Their Mega Drop also received a new LED light package. In addition to these major projects, the show’s Dartron Slide and Crazy Plane were refurbished as well as a number of other maintenance projects. Frank also reports that he plans for the midway to go cashless later this year. +For Ray Cammack Shows, a majority of shop work is done in April, May and June. “We really have a summer quarters!” says Charlene Leavitt. RCS completes refurbishments on a rotation cycle with a “slots” system in their shop. The show is currently redoing a Giant Slide set to be installed permanently at the Los Angeles County Fair in September. They have also just finished a complete refurbishment of The Creep Show with a new paint theme. Charlene also notes that two of the show’s group games were redone. Another recent major project was the refurbishment of the Typhoon Roller Coaster that appeared at the 2011 Los Angeles County Fair. In addition to refurbishments, RCS has also replaced several rides with newer models. This includes a Starship 2000 that was replaced with an Alien Abduction; a Ghost Pirates replaced with a Zombie Mansion; and a Kiddie train replaced with a Groovy Bus Train. “We also purchased a new Flying Dutchman ride and a new Hitch-Hiker Mustard’s Café,” says Charlene. +PBJ Happee Day Shows of Marion, AR reports that they have repainted their Wisdom Moby Dick this past winter quarters. “We also set a new bearing in the Gravitron before it was sent to Denny’s Electronics for new LED lights and wrapping,” says Cody Casper of PBJ. In addition to work on rides, PBJ also spent time leveling ground on their WQ property and setting pillars to extend the ride buildings. The show recently purchased adjoining property to their existing WQ. +Skerbeck Brothers Shows of Escanaba, MI has purchased a Wisdom Orient Express and Owen Cuckoo Haus, both of which will debut on their midway this season. In addition to the purchases, WQ projects included sandblasting and painting their Twister (Ali Baba), refitting the same ride with LED lighting, a complete bearing and shock replacement on the center, sweeps, and cars on the Alpine Bobs, and racking improvements as well as a new paint job for the Spider. “We have an exceptional maintenance staff,” says Sonja Skerbeck. Sonja also informed Carnival Magazine that Skerbeck Brothers Shows is the new midway provider for the Tulip Time Festival in Holland, MI beginning in 2012. The 2012 event will take place May 4 – 13. +Jack Fanelli of Fanelli’s Amusements reports that it has been a pleasant winter for his show. “The weather in New England has been beautiful with little snow in southern New Hampshire,” Jack says. He and his crew have spent the winter wrapping concessions, carts, trailers, and building marquees for concessions trailers. Using a vinyl printer that Jack purchased 10 years ago, he now offers wrapping services to customers as well as in-house projects. “My son, Johnny, is the graphic designer and does the wrapping,” Jack says. “I have another part-time wrapper and designer for the busiest times.” The show also spent winter fine tuning a number of rides and performing general maintenance on vehicles. Some of the show’s kiddie rides were in operation at an indoor venue during the weekends. +For Playworld Amusements of Alma, MI winter quarters projects included a full restoration of their Zipper. “The Super Shot was also redone,” says Kyle Brady of Playworld. “The show’s Freak Out received a fresh coat of paint and some kid rides were redone.” Kyle also relayed that the show is excited for the arrival of the recently acquired Owens Traffic Jam from EK Fernandez Shows and eager to receive their new Tivoli Remix 2 and a set of new Dalton kid rides with 53-foot trailer that will also carry their Dizzy Dragons. +More reports from winter quarters in next month’s issue. +Ray Cammack Shows recently released a statement regarding a ride accident at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s midway where a three year old child fell approximately 6-8 feet from the Techno Jump ride. According to the statement, “[the accident happened] after her mother left her alone on the ride, in the care of an 8 year old relative. We are thankful the child received only very minor injuries…the young girl met the height requirements set for the ride by the manufacturer...More than 29,000 people rode this Techno Jump without incident in Houston. There are Techno Jump rides in U.S. and abroad, and the rides have an excellent and long standing record of safe operations. The ride in Houston had passed safety inspections before and after this incident and no fault was found with the operation of the ride.” +Kentucky State Fair Board President, Harold Workman, has announced his plan to retire at the end of this year. Mr. Workman has held his position since 1993 and began working with the Agricultural Department during the 1970s. He is now 66 years old. The State Fair board intends to hire a consultant to help in the nation-wide search for a new president. The board hopes to have a replacement set in no more than three months after Mr. Workman’s retirement. +According to an article in the Orange County Register, The Tustin, CA City Council approved a new carnival operator for their annual event, Tustin Tiller Days. Beginning in 2012, North American Amusements Inc. Shamrock Shows will provide rides and concessions for the early-October event n Columbus Tustin Park. +From the Bangor Daily News, Fiesta Shows of Seabrook, NH has signed a five-year contract for the Bangor State Fair. The show has provided the event’s midway for the past 21 years. This year’s event will take place July 27 through August 5 at Bass Park. +C. Cretors and Company announced a new line of stainless steel caramelizers called the CMD line. The CMD25, CMD50, and CMD100 combination cookers and mixers allow businesses to easily cook and mix a variety of savory and caramel flavors. The machines are fully-automated so there is no need for manual mixing. Optional built-in blowers that blow cool air through the perforated steel tray bottom are available and speed up the production process. The machines also feature one-switch operation as well as a digital temperature controller with audible alarm. For more information visit. +In Memoriam: +Frank M. Briggs, owner of Modern Midways, passed away on Tuesday, March 13. Age 68, Frank suffered a heart attack while at home. He was a lifelong member of the carnival industry, beginning his career at the age of 8 when he took a job rolling paper cups for snow cones. Frank is survived by his wife, Charlene; three sons, Robert, Edward, and Frank Jr.; two sisters, Patricia Briggs and Kathleen Kerrigan; and five grandchildren. +“Concessionaire Extraordinaire” Mitchell L. Buxton died at the age of 62 on March 19. Mitchell was born on February 2, 1950 and was on Merriam’s Midway for 40 years. Mitchell is survived by his wife, Martha Buxton; son, Paul Geannakouri; daughter, Katy Buxton; parents, David and Catherine Buxton; brother, Tom Kevin Buxton; sisters, Pam Buxton, Debbie (Sorg) Buxton, Jodie Buxton and Kathyleen (Frey) Buxton; and numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. +George Bozinis of Horsheads, NY passed away at the age of 82 on March 3. George spent many years traveling to fairs and other events where he sold and showcased his custom carving redwood signs. George was a member of the industry from 1947 until 2002 when he retired due to health. His father, Nick Bozinis, founded Southern Tier Shows with James E. Strates. George grew up with E. James Strates and both men worked together in Bingo games after graduating high school. Among the fairs that George participated in were The New York State Fair, North Carolina State Fair, and the Eastern States Exposition. George is survived by his wife, Great Paige Bozinis and sister, Marie Shea.■ +State Fair of Louisiana Announces 2012 Dates & Theme +SHREVEPORT, La. – theme ‘Forever Fun,’ is a great expression of what the State Fair means to so many people,” said President & General Manager, Chris Giordano. “The State Fair has an endless supply of unique and new activities, and we want people to experience them all and create lasting memories with their families!” +The board appointed a new member, Mary Ann Van Osdell. Van Osdell is the legislative assistant to Senator Barrow Peacock and freelances for The Forum News. She was previously a communications specialist for the LSU Ag Center and also a reporter/editor for The Shreveport Times. +The executive committee introduced its officers at the meeting as well. Those include Billy Montgomery, Chairman; Wayne Waddell, 1st Vice-Chairman; John Michael Moore, 2nd Vice-Chairman; David Means, III, Secretary; James K. Elrod, Treasurer; and Maxine Sarpy, Immediate Past Chairman. Tari Bradford, Jack Dillard, Andrew Shehee, Liz Swaine and Don Updegraff also serve as members of the executive committee. Jerry Boughton, Forrest Dunn, Ed Powell and Virginia Shehee serve as lifetime members of the executive committee. +The State Fair of Louisiana focuses on being a top choice for affordable family entertainment by providing attractions for all ages that are free with gate admission, including the exciting Circus Hollywood, the exotic Ultimate Safari, entertainers such as Dallas the Fire Guy and PJ the Clown, livestock shows and educational agricultural exhibits. Fair goers may also attend the State Fair’s many headline concerts for free with admission. This year’s lineup includes Frank Foster, Chris Canterbury, Wayne Toups and “A Taste of Mexico” Hispanic Heritage Day. Additional acts will be announced leading up to the fair. +Rodeo lovers can expect some of the biggest names on the professional circuit riding champion bulls and horses and competing at the State Fair of Louisiana PRCA Rodeo on Nov. 2 and 3 in the Hirsch Memorial Coliseum. +For more information and up-to-the-date listings of all the events and entertainment as they are announced, visit. Also, fair goers can become a Facebook fan at: facebook.com/TheStateFairofLouisiana. +Archie "Buzz" Lidey Sr. of Tropical Amusement Passes Away +Carnival Magazine contributor Dennis Gilli reported that Buzz Lidey Sr. of Tropical Amusement passed away earlier this month. The following appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune: Murphy, Archie "Gator" Lidey III and Alisha Fisher; three great-grandchildren, C.J. Lowe, Collin Lowe and Alley Bachel; two stepchildren, Thomas (Amy Laskey) Grindle, of Normalville, and Susan B. (Brian) Thomas, of Wooddale; six stepgrandchildren, Matthew Grindle, Brian, Nicole, Julie and Justin Thomas and Devon Laskey; six siblings, Audrey Baldwin, of Jefferson Hills, Louis "Petey" Lidey, of Riverview, Fla., Phyllis "Big Time" Engel, of Finleyville, Linda (Richard) Jones, of Forward Township, Arlene Steadman, of Monongahela, and Tommy "Kate" (Dave) Bachner, of Eighty-Four; also nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his first wife, Lois A. Lidey; and sisters, Evelyn Goyorf and JoAnne Salim. +Our condolences to all at Tropical Amusement and the Lidey family. +Bob Coil of Dartron Rides Passes Away +Carnival Magazine is sad to report that Bob Coil, owner of Dartron Rides from 1991 until 2009 passed away while on vaction in Italy on April 19. Bob was on a three week tour of the country with his wife, Wanda. We extend our sympathies to Bob's family, friends, and all those at Battech Enterprises. +Our builtin antivirus scanned this download and rated it as virus free. Stories of our highimpact entrepreneurs in greece who grow, expand globally and create jobs during challenging times. Find all 123 songs featured in endeavour soundtrack, listed by episode with scene descriptions. Endeavor capital 404 south huntington avenue boston, ma 02 t. Motor era offers service repair manuals for your mitsubishi endeavor download your manual now. Watch endeavour online full episodes all seasons yidio. Whether the endeavor pilot, which drew an impressive 8. The latest installment of endeavour is set in 1969. Shaun evans the take, the last weekend, silk, charms audiences with his portrayal of the cerebral and solitary detective constable morse in endeavour, written by inspector lewis creator and. Its on amazon prime except for the pilot, for some reason but the versions are the ones edited for pbs. Endeavor has some of the best actors in the englishspeaking world, a single, wonderful writer, beautiful locations, smart plots, and great music. Endeavour agile alm is an open source solution to manage the creation of largescale enterprise systems in an iterative and incremental agile software development process. Mar 28, 20 shaun evans returns to the role of a young inspector morse in this prequel series coming soon to itv. +Endeavor rv holiday rambler endeavor rv class a diesel. Captain cooks endeavor anatomy of the ship download. The essence of endeavor stories of our highimpact entrepreneurs in greece who grow, expand globally and create jobs during challenging times. In order to load asi plugins you need to have asi loader installed, you can download it separately or use the latest version that comes with this distrib dsound. Watch endeavour s01e01001 ashleyrileytv on dailymotion. Read manual carefully for proper use and operation page 2. Endeavor gate key tools have passed rigid factory inspections and are warranted against defects in material and workmanship for 90 days from the date of original purchase. Endeavouros a terminalcentric distro with a dynamic and friendly. Carfilzomib and dexamethasone versus bortezomib and. It is a prequel to the longrunning inspector morse and, like that series, is set primarily in oxford. To our knowledge, carfilzomib is the first and only multiple myeloma treatment that extends overall survival in the relapsed setting over the current standard of care. Max stats driving, shooting, strength, stamina, etc copy scripthookv. Original title isbn b07l42pbqm published on 2020428 in edition language. +Mitsubishi endeavor 2004 to 2007 service repair manual. A holiday rambler icon, the endeavor class a diesel continues to leave its mark with seven floorplans, offering hardwood cabinet face frames, doors and drawers, crown molding, and polished solidsurface countertops. Free mitsubishi endeavor 20042008 service repair manual 2005. Episode 6 icarus 4 sources after the mysterious disappearance of a teacher, endeavour finds himself undercover, investigating the dark and secret world of a public school. This program was originally designed by crystal impact. Numerous closeup and onboard photographs help to rekindle memories of these ships exciting pasts. Endeavor is a new series focusing on inspector morse when he was a very young, new, excentric but brilliant detective. While you decide where to traverse in your new motor coach, youll have access to an impressive list of luxury. In order to load asi plugins you need to have asi loader installed, you can download it separately or use the. +Simplify the way team works with, a cloudbased team project management solution. Table of contents lighter than fullsize vacuum cleaners, easier to maneuver and less bulky for convenient storage, the veridian endeavor cordless handheld stick vacuum makes quick work of everyday messes. Watch all 4 endeavour episodes from season 2,view pictures, get episode information and more. Jul 02, 2019 endeavour s01ep02 fugue morse falling asleep. Provided to youtube by the orchard enterprises endeavour theme l orchestra cinematique endeavour theme. Endeavor definition of endeavor by the free dictionary. +All borrowers must further acknowledge that the loan is for investment purposes only. In endeavour, season 6, shaun evans sports a new look as ds endeavour morse. Endeavour 1 hours and 29 minutes tv series 2012 series 1 follows the early police career of young endeavour morse, who upon leaving his oxford college without a degree, spending time in the royal signal corps. The may release has arrived the april release has arrived our next release is nearing its due date lets ride the storm together refining the. These are just intended for people who want to use all of the features weve added since the last full release but dont want the hassle of building zap from the. A simple mix of an image, an audio message, and a set day and time is then presented on the home screen. +Hd watch a confined endeavor 2020 full online free on. Endeavour agile alm is an open source solution to manage the creation of largescale enterprise systems in an. It is the authors goal to create a tangible feeling of irans space endeavor for the. A proud tradition endeavour, established in 1942, has, over its long and proud history, developed into one of the leading journals in the history and. Download mindrot endeavor free shared files from downloadjoy and other worlds most popular shared hosts. +With all the power of a highperformance stick vac and the versatility of a hand vac, the endeavor is a top choice for cleaning multiple floor types plus. The endeavour demonstration version runs in fullfeatured mode, i. Biochemistry in endeavor adventure racers study bears. Each book contains over 200 keyed line drawings as well as full descriptions of their design, construction, general arrangement, hull structure, operational history, and much moore. Any endeavor gate key that is abused or used for purposes other than those for which the. This study is informative for deciding which proteasome inhibitor to use for treating this disease. Shaun evans portrays the young endeavour morse beginning his career as a detective constable, and later as a. Endeavour is a british television detective drama series. We have full episodes of endeavour season 6 tv series in high quality hd. Endeavour tv series season 1,2,3,4 full episodes download. Download material we are very happy to help if members of the press would want a statement or seek help to issue a story relating to endeavour products. Between july 14, 2003, and january, 2004, the endeavor ii clinical trial. Young endeavour morse joins inspector fred thursdays investigation into the disappearance of a schoolgirl named mary tremlett. The major factor generating their spelling differences is represented by the english vocabularies that prefer them. +Overall, the results from endeavor suggest an important role for carfilzomibbased regimens for the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Apr 27, 2015 max stats driving, shooting, strength, stamina, etc copy scripthookv. Mitsubishi endeavor service repair manual mitsubishi. Click here and start watching endeavour in seconds. +Progressionfree survival was previously reported to be significantly longer with carfilzomib administered in combination with dexamethasone than with bortezomib and dexamethasone in an interim analysis. Watch videos from our endeavor offices around the world. Hey everyone, recently ive been trying to learn about synthesis, and learning the different techniques to create different sounds. Puritysoft endeavor is an interactive personal information manager pim and organizer. Endeavour confection tv episode 2019 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Tv show endeavour season 1, 2, 3, 4 download full episodes and watch in hd 480p, 720p, 1080p. Tv show endeavour season 6 watch and download for free in 480p 720p 1080p hd. The select model facing dinette is convertible for sleeping, while the galley features a residential refrigerator and deep double. The courses have state of the art videos, theory notes, practice tests, full length mocks, indepth analysis and emagazines. With abby wilson, iain stuart robertson, christopher sciueref, ray polhill. Full time allwheel drive if so equipped have ally travel on unpaved roads, to campgrounds, picnic sites, and your vehicle checked at an authorized mitsubishi motors similar locations. This time around, i was focusing more on plucks and pads, but i always end up creating some leads lol. Its 1965, and a 15yearold oxford schoolgirl, last seen waiting alone in the rain at a bus stop on early sunday morning, has disappeared and is presumed dead. +Endeavour tv series torrent download full episodes with hd quality. The software is especially designed for the home or small office. Pdf safety and efficacy of the endeavor resolute stent in. But i wont give the secret away here, watch the morse series yourself to find out. Ablelink endeavor can run in the background and provide notifications even when the user is working with another app or has the unit in sleep mode. Evans will also be putting his directorial mark on the show. +With michael matus, john light, flora montgomery, patrick malahide. All content is posted anonymously by employees working at endeavor. Mitsubishi endeavor 20042007 service repair manual download. Our filtering technology ensures that only latest mindrot endeavor files are listed. Endeavor capitals loans are solely for commercial, investment or business purposes and not consumer purposes. View and download mitsubishi endeavor owners manual online. Complete list of mitsubishi endeavor auto service repair manuals. Ablelink technologies ablelink endeavor smart living. +In this study, patients treated with carfilzomib and dexamethasone had longer progressionfree survival compared with those treated with bortezomib and dexamethasone. Lighter than full size vacuum cleaners, easier to maneuver and less bulky for convenient storage, the veridian endeavor cordless handheld stick vacuum makes quick work of everyday messes. Endeavour is kews free online learning platform, full of teaching resources for key stage 1, key stage 2. The phase 3 endeavor trial was a headtohead comparison of two proteasome inhibitors in patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma. Pdf biochemistry in endeavor adventure racers study bears. Captain cooks endeavor anatomy of the ship download free epub, pdf. The endeavor online app offers complete online course for your exam preparation along with access to our web based online portal. Shaun evans returns to the role of a young inspector morse in this prequel series coming soon to itv. When a body is unexpectedly discovered, endeavour has to question who he can trust and uncover the truth about the crimes before more people. +Captain cooks endeavor anatomy of the ship download free. Endeavour endeavor and endeavour refer to the same thing, to the same intense attempt and determination to do something. The early days of a young endeavour morse, whose experiences as a detective constable with the oxford city police will ultimately shape his future. Longterm clinical and economic analysis of the endeavor drug. Endeavour,watch tv online, free full tv episodes, tv streaming online, stream episodes of game of thrones,the big bang theory,the vampire diaries,the walking dead and many more hit shows. Any endeavor gate key that is abused or used for purposes other than those for which the tool was designed is excluded from this warranty. +I didnt know why they named this show endeavor until i watched the inspector morse series. Kongregate free online game endeavor endeavor is a game about a dwarf trying to uncover an ancient secret. Carfilzomib provided a significant and clinically meaningful reduction in the risk of death compared with bortezomib. Free mitsubishi endeavor 2004 to 2007 service repair manual download. To attempt fulfillment of a responsibility or an obligation, for example by employment or expenditure of effort. With endeavor s help, our companies have created 6,400 jobs. Pdf the endeavor resolute er is a zotarolimuseluting stent zes with a biocompatible biolinx polymer. Jump in and take that first endeavour step in the next chapter of your linux. The offline edition will install a fully themed xfce, perfect for a ready to go and. The 2019 holiday rambler endeavor was built to connect your living room to the outdoors without compromising quality and accommodations.78 1111 1341 1473 331 1085 1511 1301 371 524 1172 959 1417 529 556 391 1274 381 971 436 659 1042 799 1576 1549 1521 646 1447 1035 432 1033 71 461 1048 1284 1286 682 42 +Gutter cleaning near me Fundamentals Explained +Many of us have embraced social websites, deciding on to volunteer intimate particulars and private photographs on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; this robust participation echoes an observation by Mark Zuckerberg in 2010 that the general public’s consolation degree with sharing personalized information and facts on the internet is a “social norm” that has “progressed after some time. +I did doorway to doorway sales for a several years, the two household and B2B. It might be intimidating, but as soon as you obtain the hang of it it may be truly exciting. What I figured out: +We retain storefronts and commercial properties, encouraging you to achieve a sophisticated glance to give your shoppers a great impact. We provide cleaning starting from weekly to per year, tailoring our services on the desires of your business. We've led the marketplace with a premiere safety plan to ensure the safety of our prospects and cleaners. +Mark B. Verified review brandon was quite comprehensive,extremely genuine.and very good i would advise him to anybody who requirements garden maintenance service +Michael C. Verified assessment Brandon is often a down to earth man who I hugely endorse for virtually any garden function & other stuff. He arrived nowadays to chop alot of bushes. +Try for a professional but peaceful environment. Be polite and contribute to conversations in a very constructive method, Anyone Positive aspects from this. +His estimate was also incredibly affordable and under Other people I'd obtained. The next working day, Joe, Michael and Preston created speedy get the job done of receiving my gutters cleaned and still left the world as awesome as after they arrived. I produce other tasks for which I need aid and this will be my go-to company to call. I remarkably advocate them. +I also obtained two Million unlimited legal responsibility insurance policy (cost me about five% of The work profits), and I discovered that Lots of people appreciated that truth and it created them really feel a lot more at simplicity about a company taking place their home. I advertised this prominetely on the estimate and revenue sheets that I explained to The purchasers in depth. +SUNDAY- each and every spouse and children went to church on Sunday. There was anything sacred about Sundays. In the event the pastor spoke folks listened intently to learn and it just felt so great being there. In the summer the windows were lifted and propped open with an adhere. Ol d Females would admirer themselves having a large hand lover with funeral home promoting on them. The first ceiling fans I rememberwere in an previous Methodist Church. People have been genuinely grateful for what they experienced; things most people choose with no consideration right now, like their health and fitness and the wellness of their neighbors, the beginning of a youngster. +It’s a distant managed auger that could blast right by way of almost everything from dried particles to damp sludge. In effect, it “brushes” your gutters clean up. +Wooden is another substance normally chosen strictly for its looks. It's considerably inexpensive than copper and is normally less expensive than metal, nevertheless it does have to have a good deal of routine maintenance to keep it water-resistant. In the long run, assume loads of problems. +This Group is for providing & getting advice on all areas of Entrepreneurship. Assistance and really encourage one another, it's hard more than enough around! +Splash blocks immediate h2o away from the creating, lessening harm to the muse. They cost as much as $ten Just about every. +An important reason behind gutter is to shield the residences Basis! Seamless gutter in fact enhances the search of your home while providing you with maximum security and sturdiness. Seamless aluminum gutter is totally the very best benefit for your money and comes in 29 distinct hues. +July twenty five, 2014 at 11:19 pm Keep 6763 in TRINITY TX. I have guit Operating at this retailer due to the Main A/C troubles. Why has this example not been taken care of. I have viewed notices about A short lived system to be set up? This has been a dilemma for a few years that y’all are mindful of. I don’t realize why this issue will not be cared for by setting up your momentary techniques each and every year just before it will get Scorching. +November thirteen, 2015 at five:09 pm Hi there,,i regularly store at your site 529 Monroe ave Rochester NewYork and there often is often a line of customers not less than ten hardly ever a next cashier although lots of staff members in The shop every time i go there i give the benifit of doubt and Imagine items will be diverse but absolutely nothing alterations just the identical ole bad buyer service ive solved the problem by not searching there any longer just bad buyer service whatever day or time +IN Could 2013….the family members greenback on orange ave in fort pirce fl was robbed. Gennette Bowman was the one assistant manager on duty. Four men arrived on and robbed her at gunpoint… she was in no way specified any counseling or times off… Later on no stability actions have been place in place… the district manager then started to hearth all the staff in The shop. +when i received on the register i recognized the bleach leaking on the floor,i let the cashier know and sat the bleach around the counter.it started to leak unto the counter plus the cashier wiped it up checked the very best and ensure that it had been dropped. she claimed she would knock off ten cent and proceeded to position it in a very bag. i seemed down at my shoes and seen what seemed to be rain drops on my footwear. +If I had been working there an they don’t gained’t to hire no-one then whenever they come in there to steal then the proprietor would have to head over to court docket mainly because whenever they don’t choose to seek the services of further people then they don’t provide a dam about there worker they need you to eliminate yourself wild they sit on they a** an take pleasure in there revenue an you will get destroy about there minor little bit of money shut the pick ng retail outlet if u can’t find another person or y’all do much better +As i ongoing thriugh The shop it absolutely was trashed the again space you could potentially see seemed similar to a garbage can exploded back there and you could see All of this from product sales ground. This store is unacceptable for purchasers to shop in and Along with the administration feet up and participating in on telephones I don’t understand how this shop continues to be in enterprise and how they however Have got a job! Laziness and trashy at So shop. I still left my merchandise I used to be heading to get and remaining The shop. I will never shop listed here again +June 17, 2014 at eight:twenty pm I had been shopping at your Newark, NJ retailer #4530 and a lady ringing me up rung up three overall body washes instead of two which i was obtaining. I kindly informed her that there was a oversight and a single required to be voided due to the fact 3 rung up. She stored insisting which the receipt was ideal. Right after me showing her numerous periods in which the products appeared, she saved telling me that it was voided. I once more explained to her that it wasn't a void I was charged for your product now showing her all over again three times the product being rung as opposed to 2. She then rudely snatched the receipt out of my hand to take a look at it after which proceeded to inform me in her precise words and phrases “when you shut up I'll deal with”. To start with, she barely spoke English, can hardly examine it as I see, which is telling a buyer to shut up and that the things they are studying around the receipt is not really correct. +December 27, 2017 at nine:16 pm I am so upset in the family greenback in Mt. Pleasant Utah and also the management that it's less than. I haven't viewed a supervisor disrespect her personnel in front of consumers and down quality them. Incredibly unprofessional And that i are already in The buyer and work force for many years. There exists a broad turnover and new workers virtually every week. She is additionally disrespectful to customers. I recognize that following these days’s working experience me and my spouse and children will not be going back. +March 4, 2016 at four:08 pm There's a new retailer supervisor for the Family members Dollar the place I Are living. Store # 06093, 7307 Taw St. Richmond, Va. This young gentleman obtained his position since his mom performs for Corp. His expertise deficiency significant time. Very last night he remaining a woman personnel on your own in the store to work, his basis for leaving, was so he could go exercise in the gym. I herd him convey to her that myself. This keep is in a bad site. I'm able to keep in mind a few decades in the past each time a caucasion man arrived to Va. together with his spouse, acquired a work at FD and was shot & killed. +Leaves, twigs, together with other debris are the most typical will cause of clogged gutters. If these things are allowed to sit for an extended time period, they might turn into moldy, which might clog your gutters further more. +I'm Ill of going to the family dollar near my career. Everytime I'm going in there, the workers are chatting trash about The shop supervisor. About other co-employees. In regards to the DM. Many of the curse phrases utilised to describe them is Ill! You will discover consumers in the store in the occasions of their rants! +April 24, 2014 at 11:06 pm Hello I was in the loved ones Greenback in Plainville CT the overall Manager There never ever says hi how are you currently pretty rude and unproffesonal and when I did that at my job I will be fired im a supervisor at my occupation And that i come to feel like this is insane how she's jogging a store like that and there click was a challenge I went to take a look at with my boyfriend and he set the chip during the bag and I was about to fork out and she was like very rude you'll want to place that again I really need to scan that and he was like my girlfriend will almost certainly spend she explained impolite that I really have to scan I will be joyful if she mentioned it nicely but she didn’t and he explained to her he hopes she has a superb day she replied again not you now if I mentioned that into a buyer at my task I wouldn’t have my position so I don’t Believe she should it should be appeared into ASAP +Could three, 2014 at 11:34 pm The shop in Worland, WY is so filthy it’s disgusting. And that i don’t signify just cluttered, nevertheless it’s that much too. It doesn’t appear like the ground has at any time been swept or mopped and I am able to’t envision how the clerks obtain home to face driving the counter with goods and trash stacked in there. Really the whole keep has items and trash scattered almost everywhere. +Obtain a way mosquitos and fly, I had been the Other people day with the again yard, and my housband place in major on the refrigirator and was some mosquitos aroung I place in top rated in the table and went a means. - Blue Eye, Florida Classification: Outside Alternatives +Many thanks to all the supporters of SLIP and to the contributors to E-Zine. +Good news for Sierra Leone is that the country has moved from the bottom of the UNDP index to 158th out of 169 countries in the 2010 Report on development. Three basic dimensions of human development are measured: a long and healthy life, access to knowledge and a decent standard of living.. Some of the signs of this development are recounted in the very interesting personal experiences and stories in this edition of E-zine. +In SLIP we long to see further development and at an even faster pace! However, there are reports of worrying signs in relation to the extractive industry. Special tax exemptions appear to have been introduced. Where have we heard this before? +As the new opinion columnist in this edition would likely suggest, perhaps Sierra Leone and Ireland can learn from each other! +Next year is an important year in the development of Sierra Leone as a nation. How it chooses to mark fifty years of independence will reflect its maturity as a nation and give indicators for future development. SLIP in co-operation with a number of other organisations will honour the peoples and culture of SL and the strong links with Ireland. Readers will be kept informed of upcoming events and hopefully you will be free to participate in them. +* * * * * +Reconstruction +I went to Sierra Leone in May 2010 for about 3 weeks. I also visited Liberia. Over all I was very encouraged by my visit. During my stay I spent time in Freetown, Bo and Kenema where MSHR are engaged in Ministry. I went to Liberia via Kailahun and Koindu. Freetown is very overcrowded making travel within the city very difficult. Bo and Kenema are also very overcrowded with traffic and people selling on the streets. I got the feeling that petty trading was booming. One cannot but marvel at the resilience of the people get back and reclaim their lives. There is still evidence of war-burnt houses and buildings but much has been done in reconstruction except Koindu which still bears the scars of war. The town is still full of burnt-out buildings and other signs of destruction with few people in evidence. +Roads: The country is still trying to recover from the effects of the war. Government is concentrating on infra structure i.e. roads. The road from Freetown to Kenema via Bo is now complete; Freetown to Makeni and Magburaka is complete; work on a paved road between Kenema and Kailahun is about to begin. Plans are in place for a paved road between Moyamba and Freetown via Bradford. +Agriculture is being aggressively promoted by funds from Britain. Free Health Care for Children less than 5 years old and lactating mothers has been introduced and so far is going well. Health Workers wonder how long the drugs will last. Serabu Hospital has reopened with a number of the staff from previous times back and trying to get it up and running to full capacity +Education Many schools have reopened and new ones built. Education of girls is high on the agenda and it is rumoured that Government will pay fees for girls in Junior School in the future. However, the classrooms are overcrowded. A classroom I visited had up to 100 girls with desks and chairs for about 60. The years of war when education came to a standstill, is reflected in the inadequate number of teachers available and the quality of their teaching. I was fortunate to be able to visit on a day when there was a big celebration, so it afforded me a chance to reconnect with many friends from the past. +Because of time constraints I was only able to visit Holy Rosary Works but other Religious Sisters are there Cluny, Immaculate Heart, Notre Dame; Christian Brothers, Salesian Priests and Spiritans. +Over all I was impressed by the progress which has been made. +* * * * * +Before her return to Kono in October there Teresa McKeon sent this outline of her work: +The areas covered by the above Programme are: Yomandu, Tankora Chiefdom, Koidu, Kono. +It includes the following: +(i).Projects for: +~ Older women: Business Training & Loan Management Village Savings. +~ Younger women: Skills Training in Catering, Weaving, Tailoring. +~Mothers and infants: Nutrition & Village Health Care +(ii). Development Education workshops for all women in our programmes. +(iii). Education work in Primary and Secondary Schools: +On-the-job in-service training for all teachers since very few are qualified teachers. +Change in SL Education Policy +The Government has extended the Senior Secondary School to 4 years, so that a student now has to spend 3 years in the Junior Secondary School and 4 in the Senior Secondary. A total of 7 years to finish secondary education. This latest information on the government educational policy called ‘The White Paper’ means that more pupils will be in the Senior Sector with no provision to support this new policy. Implementation begins this academic year. +Medical +An Extract from an Article by Marese McDonagh published in ‘The Irish Times” earlier this year. “A new eye clinic to tackle blindness in Sierra Leone” +The clinic in Kenema, the first major building project undertaken by Sightsavers after 50 years in Sierra Leone, is seen as a key tool in preventing blindness and improving the quality of life for those with other visual impairments which otherwise would remain undetected. Sightsavers Ireland is ensuring that local staff will be trained to run the clinic in the future. Sightsavers also helps to run a programme to distribute the drug Mectizan which helps to prevent river blindness. +* * * * * +REALISING RIGHTS +The Ethical Globalization Initiative +Sr. Hilary Lyons, C/o Holy Rosary Sisters, 23 Cross Avenue, Blackrock, Co. Dublin +3 August 2010 +Dear Sr. Hilary, +I have just returned from a visit to Sierra Leone and felt compelled to write to you to congratulate you on your outstanding achievements over four decades in Sierra Leone. Your dear friend, Dr. Komba Kono, Minister of State in the office of Vice President, speaks very highly of the contribution you have made to improving healthcare standards in Sierra Leone and particularly in Serabu hospital. As a fellow Mayo woman, I was very proud to learn of your tireless work to improve maternal healthcare in Sierra Leone and I understand that you are still actively supporting Sierra Leone through the Sierra Leone Ireland Partnership. I wish to salute your great work and on your commitment to Sierra Leone. +I am currently President of ‘Realising Rights’ and one of the organisations programmes, the Ministerial Leadership Initiative (MLA), is working with the Ministry of Health to support financial management and improved donor coordination in health. I would be very interested to speak to you about these issues at some stage. In the meantime, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you most sincerely for the great work that you have done. Together with Sr. Geraldine Jackson, Sr, Theresa McKeon and Sr. Mary Sweeney from the order of St. Joseph of Cluny, you have greatly enhanced the reputation of Ireland. I had the good fortune to meet Sr. Geraldine Jackson and Sr. Mary Sweeney whilst I was in Freetown but unfortunately, Sr. Theresa McKeon was away. +With kind regards, +Mary Robinson. +Newsflash! +Sr Hilary has been nominated for Mayo Person of the Year. The winner will be announced in January 2011 and there will be a dinner in the Burlington Hotel on the 11th February 2011. Further information available from Francis O’Malley secretary@mayoassociationdublin.com +Michael Ring TD of Mayo is a man of many words and some wisdom. He, with that much maligned staccato accent, in a recent Dáil debate suggested that Irish rule be handed back to Queen Elizabeth II during her expected visit next year. +But like many good suggestions this one needs a little tweaking. In fairness to the ageing monarch and her over stretched, axe wielding government, dealing with Mr Ring would be asking too much. But a modest proposal deserving of serious consideration is to exclude Mr Ring’s constituency of Mayo from such a much needed handover. It would give Mr Ring and his party a longed for majority in the smaller principality. But the weakness, you may quickly add, is how the almost immeasurable energy of the man be fully and gainfully employed. +A fact finding mission is the answer, and where to you might ask as we struggle with storms on many fronts. Sierra Leone yet again comes with the gleaming resolution. +Suggested areas of useful study in SL for Mr Ring and his Oireachtas colleagues are: +How the head of State and leader of the government of Sierra Leone can easily and successfully be managed by one person with obvious significant saving. +The tolling network of Sierra Leone. The system may appear a little ad hoc and lacking sophistication, but among the many advantages are the local retention of the vast majority of funding raised and the avoidance of geometric progressive increases of fines if one fails to pay within the allotted time. The many positive impacts of money spent by Irish Aid. Michael Ring could talk a little sense to that Dumpy Dimplex Dude, Martin Naughton and his headline catching sound bite of getting rid of Irish Aid. With Brian Lenihan moving alarmingly in that direction with his ‘curtailment of the allocation for Official Development Assistance (ODA)’ by another €35 million in the recent budget, where is enlightened self interest of supporting other parts of the global village? But you need not fear the esteemed Mr Ring will speak with enthusiasm and conviction of the great needs of both Belmullet and Bonthe. +We are nearing Manowa Junction and the road is a little bumpy so we bid farewell from where Ring and Naughton fear to tread. +* * * * +A travel book connected with Sierra Leone was launched in September this year. Tim Bucher’s “Chasing the Devil”, is a dramatic travel book. He sets out on a journey across Sierra Leone and Liberia. He follows in the footsteps of Graham Greene going on the journey that he and his cousin did in 1935. This trip was immortalised in the travel classic, “Journey without Maps”. While Graham Greene took 26 bearers and hammocks Tim walked every inch to find out as much as he could about life in the bush. He had another Englishman with him and a couple of Sierra Leonean or Liberian guides to help them, depending on which country he was travelling through, to help them. +As we all know, much has changed in Sierra Leone and Liberia between 1935 and the present! Tim Butcher writes in a very exciting way. He was African war correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and was first sent out to Sierra Leone in May 2000. He came into Freetown on a helicopter bringing in the British soldiers (those sent out by Tony Blair who were responsible for bringing an end of the war in Sierra Leone) and met Sr. Redempta and myself trying to get out! +He writes about many things that would seem ordinary to those of us around at that time but does it all in a very exciting way. Much of the Sierra Leone section of the book will be very familiar to those of us in SLIP. However he tries to go deep into how things work and where the real power is in different groups, especially the secret societies. In his comment Archbishop Tutu says that “Chasing the Devil” shows the power of good to prevail over evil. +All of us who worked in Sierra Leone will have heard much of Graham Greene – his connection with City Hotel in Freetown and those of us connected with Pujehun remember being told that he wrote “ The Heart of the Matter “ on the verandah upstairs in the house that became the Holy Rosary Convent. In fact “Chasing the Devil “has made me want to find and read again Graham Greene’s books. +The whole journey through Sierra Leone and Liberia and all the research they tried to do had such an effect on Tim Butcher that he left his job as a news reporter. He said he would find it difficult to “go back to the flash immediacy demanded by modern online journalism. The trip had taught me the value of taking time to savour the true smell and taste of a place” He began a new phase of his life as an author. +“Chasing the Devil” is available at Easons. +* * * * * +THE END +In the fall of 1984, a few months after arriving at Random House as a senior editor, I was at lunch with the publishing house’s proprietor, S. I. (Si) Newhouse (whose family owns Condé Nast, which publishes The New Yorker), and its C.E.O., Robert Bernstein, who had hired me away from the Washington Post. We were in the Bahamas, at a sales conference. Newhouse was ordinarily a quiet, phlegmatic man, I had been told, but on one subject he was very animated: Donald Trump. By then, Trump, who had recently completed the construction of a shimmering tower on Fifth Avenue, had been around for a decade. A profile in the Times, in 1976, had called him New York’s “No. 1” real-estate promoter. “He is tall, lean and blond,” the story noted, “and he looks ever so much like Robert Redford.” More recently, at the suggestion of Roy Cohn, the notorious New York lawyer and fixer, who had been Newhouse’s close friend since their days together at the Horace Mann School, Trump had appeared on the cover of GQ, a Condé Nast magazine. The issue had sold especially well. +This Trump fellow, Newhouse now said, was more than a comer. He had arrived. The word was that Newhouse was hands-off when it came to acquiring books, but on this occasion he emphatically was not. He said, “Let’s do a book with Trump.” I had been brought to Random House to acquire and edit, among other things, high-profile books by public figures. Newhouse said that he would arrange a meeting with Trump, and it was decided that Howard Kaminsky, the new publisher of the Random House trade division, and I would accompany him. Kaminsky was a friend of Newhouse and was clearly his choice as publisher, not Bernstein’s. +The day of the meeting arrived, and we were led into Trump’s office, on the twenty-sixth floor of Trump Tower, by his personal assistant, an elegant woman named Norma Foerderer. (She would later have an assistant of her own, Rhona Graff, who is still Trump’s personal assistant in New York.) The office had a spectacular view of Central Park and the Plaza Hotel, which Trump coveted. The walls were covered with magazine spreads he’d appeared in and some plaques. There was a large phone console, but Trump summoned Norma and others with a shout. +Newhouse made the pitch. We had brought along a cover proposal––black background, a photograph of Trump, and his name and the title in gold letters. Trump liked the cover but said his name should be larger. It wasn’t clear to me whether he was being serious or engaging in self-parody. In any case, by the end of the meeting, Trump was ready to do the book. We soon learned that a writer named Tony Schwartz, who had worked at Newsweek and the Times, had come to Trump with a concept for a book they could do together, to be called “The Art of The Deal.” All the pieces were in place. The advance was five hundred thousand dollars, to be split evenly, from the first dollar, with Schwartz as the co-author. I don’t remember dealing with either an agent or a lawyer. +It was now 1985 and I was acquiring other books, including the memoirs of House Speaker Tip O’Neill, and Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter’s “Everything to Gain: Making the Most of the Rest of Your Life.” I also contracted with Natan Sharansky, a Russian-Jewish dissident I had known while working as a reporter for the Post in Moscow, a decade earlier. We had both been attacked by Soviet authorities: he for supposedly being a spy and I for supposedly being his American handler. Sharansky was tried for treason and went to prison for nine years. When he was released, in 1986, Bernstein, a staunch human-rights activist, flew with me to Israel to meet him and sign him up. +I was still learning how to be a book editor and publisher. With O’Neill and the Carters, I was a reporter as well as an editor, asking questions and reviewing interview transcripts. When Sharansky had a draft, I went to Israel again and he read it to me in Russian. The Trump process, however, was quite different. In 2016, Tony Schwartz told Jane Mayer that he now deeply regrets being Trump’s writer. But he was not a “ghostwriter” exactly, certainly not an anonymous one. His name got full billing on the cover. I have no reason to doubt that Schwartz is sincere in his chagrin, but he did do a masterly job on the book. He shadowed Trump, channelled his stories, and made the narrative readable. He presented Trump in the best possible way—the way Trump wanted to be seen. Tony left very little for an editor to do. +Instead, my responsibility became all the publishing elements: how the book looked, how it would be marketed and publicized. I became the Random House sponsor of what we thought would be a significant seller during the holiday buying season of 1987. Kaminsky would normally have been at the helm of our efforts, but in October, 1987, he was fired by Bernstein, who had kept a distinct distance from the project. Kaminsky’s successor was Joni Evans, who came from Simon & Schuster. While she was getting her bearings at Random House, I was the point person on “The Art of the Deal.” +I accompanied Trump to meetings with the heads of major book-retail chains, the biggest of which at that time was Waldenbooks, which had more than a thousand stores in malls and storefronts around the country. The C.E.O. was Harry Hoffman, a big man with considerable self-regard, who tended to think that publishers were fusty and backward in their understanding of how books should be sold. Over lunch at some swank French restaurant in midtown Manhattan, I watched Hoffman and Trump bond. They agreed that they could make “The Art of the Deal” a No. 1 best-seller. +The book party took place in December, 1987, in the atrium of Trump Tower. It was a black-tie affair, with photographers and spotlights everywhere. On the receiving line, standing next to Trump, Newhouse, and Schwartz, I found myself shaking hands with Mike Tyson, Roy Cohn, Barbara Walters, Barry Diller, and Norman Mailer, who was, surprisingly, a close friend of Cohn’s. I gave the celebratory toast. The mood was jubilant. At that very moment, my wife, Susan, was in Moscow with a delegation from Human Rights Watch, where she worked, meeting with prominent dissidents who were under the surveillance of the K.G.B. Susan and I have been a couple since the early seventies. Never in our marriage can it be said that we were farther apart, in terms of both distance and circumstance. +The book went to No. 1 and stayed there. The media interest from the outset was intense. The top shows of the time—Phil Donahue in daytime, Larry King at night, and everyone in between, including programs in the United Kingdom—were eager to book New York’s glamorous young real-estate mogul. Random House had put out about a hundred and twenty-five thousand copies in the first printing. They disappeared very quickly. Reprints were ordered and shipped on an almost daily basis to keep up with demand. Trump was thrilled. Schwartz, on the other hand, was frustrated to learn that some booksellers were out of stock. He had stores on speed dial and would report shortages back to us in furious calls. I’ve always believed that of the book’s two credited authors, Schwartz was the more frenetic. Given the fifty-fifty split in the contract, he was on the way to making a fortune in royalties. +There was a rumor adrift that Trump was buying his own book to boost his sales numbers, which seems unlikely: Trump doesn’t spend money when he doesn’t have to. He was hardly passive, however. Joni Evans told me that Trump called her at home a few days before Christmas to say that he wanted a thousand copies delivered to Aspen for his upcoming ski vacation. +“Donald, it’s Christmas,” she said. “All the warehouses are closed.” +“Figure it out,” was his command. He offered the use of his plane. +Evans managed to reach Newhouse. The warehouse was mobilized. The copies reached Aspen and were sold. By mid-1988, “The Art of the Deal” had sold a million hardcover copies. +Through all this, my relations with Trump were smooth. He was so glad to have been solicited by Newhouse, and he had, in an easy climb, become a national celebrity. The Times review ended with this notable sentence: “Mr. Trump makes one believe even for a moment in the American dream.” Then there was this ambiguous closing line: “It’s like a fairy tale.” +The following spring, my son, Evan, who was then about twelve years old, expressed a fascination with professional wrestling. There was a World Wrestling Federation extravaganza coming up in Atlantic City. This was a Trump-promoted event. I called Trump’s office, spoke to Norma, and was sent three free tickets. On the day of the event, Trump arrived at the arena to wild applause. This was well before his days on “The Apprentice,” but he was already at least as big a star as Hulk Hogan or whoever was in the ring that day. +As was probably inevitable, either Trump or Newhouse eventually proposed doing a sequel to “The Art of the Deal.” And so the planning began. Newhouse and I were invited to lunch on Trump’s yacht, the Trump Princess, a two-hundred-and-eighty-foot vessel that he’d bought from the Sultan of Brunei. The Trump Princess was anchored in the East River. What I most remember was that, by dessert, Newhouse had authorized an advance of two and a half million dollars, five times what we had paid for the first book. Once again, I was to be the editor. +At the time, I sensed that Trump’s world was starting to darken. In October, 1989, three of his top casino executives were killed in a helicopter crash. When I expressed my condolences to Trump, he replied, as I recall, “You know, I was supposed to be on that chopper.” Then word spread that Trump and Ivana’s marriage was faltering, despite her executive role in his recent acquisition of the Plaza. There was reportedly a new woman in his life, but her identity had yet to be revealed. Trump was still opening casinos in Atlantic City, most notably the Taj Mahal, but there were rumors that he was becoming overstretched. +By the end of May, 1990, we had a manuscript in draft. (Schwartz was unavailable, so we recruited Charles Leerhsen, a gifted Newsweek writer who had co-authored the memoirs of the pilot Chuck Yeager.) The only time I ever saw Trump lose his temper came when we sent a photographer to do a cover picture in his office at Trump Tower. Arriving early, the photographer attached black garbage bags to the ceiling, in order to reduce glare. When Trump saw the bags, he demanded that they be removed and angrily told the photographer that he would be charged for any damage to the paint job. The photograph that we eventually chose was of Trump tossing an apple into the air. The text on the back of the jacket said, “This is Phase Two of my life, in which the going gets a lot tougher and the victories, because they are harder won, seem all the sweeter.… I know that whatever happens, I’m a survivor—a survivor of success, which is a very rare thing indeed.” +The big annual convention of publishers and booksellers was in Las Vegas that year, in early June. Trump was invited to be a speaker at a breakfast at which about three thousand people would be in attendance. The night before, Random House hosted a reception for about a thousand people at the Mirage hotel, in honor of Trump and of the novelist Jean Auel and her “Clan of the Cave Bear” series. +I was to be Trump’s escort at the event. Our arrangements were elaborate. I went to the airport in a stretch limo, and, when Trump exited his jet and settled into the car, he said that he had a surprise. And there was Marla Maples, his secret paramour. At the Mirage, Trump and Maples checked into an enormous suite, which was equipped with its own swimming pool. At the appointed hour, I went to pick him up for the party. Maples opened the door wearing a bikini. +After the book party, Trump, Newhouse, Alberto Vitale, who was now the C.E.O. of Random House, Joni Evans, and I went to dinner in a private room with a small group of top-tier booksellers, including the owner of Barnes & Noble, Leonard Riggio, and E. Bronson Ingram and his wife, Martha, the owners of the country’s largest book wholesaler. As we were about to start, Maples appeared. Given that she was still supposed to be incognito, her presence caused a stir. +Early the next morning, I picked up a copy of the Wall Street Journal, which featured a front-page story about Trump’s finances. To summarize, they were a mess. He was billions of dollars in debt. The Journal’s account was, by any measure, a full takedown. At the bookseller breakfast that morning, Trump gave a spirited talk. My assumption was that the only people in the ballroom who had read the Journal story were those in the Random House contingent. The enthusiastic audience seemed oblivious. +Trump left the stage and we rushed off to his plane to fly to New York. Vitale whispered to me, in effect, “Get this book out fast. He is a wasting asset.” On the flight, I was watching Trump carefully to see how he was doing. I couldn’t spot a trace of anxiety. I don’t remember anyone mentioning the story or his finances. After a sumptuous lunch of shrimp, charcuterie, and assorted desserts, Trump took Maples into his private cabin and reëmerged about ninety minutes later. Considering the Journal story, I would not have been surprised had he opened the jet’s door and jumped out. And yet he seemed unfazed. We landed in early evening. +Our Random House team scrambled to get the book finished and distributed as quickly as possible. The publication date was moved to mid-August. Around that time, I learned that New York magazine was planning to run a feature on the book and Trump’s financial and marital dramas. I was asked to provide a picture of myself to accompany the story. My private dread was that the caption would be something like “He edited this dog.” I called Ed Kosner, New York’s editor, whom I knew slightly, and asked him if he would leave me out if I could find a better picture than mine to go with the story. He told me to try. +Along with Carol Schneider, Random House’s publicity director, I studied contact sheets of snapshots taken at the Mirage party. We found one of Trump with Newhouse, Vitale, Evans, and John Updike. That satisfied Kosner, and I was spared, although I was quoted in the piece saying that we had positive expectations for the book, which was to be titled “Surviving at the Top.” +Random House shipped hundreds of thousands of copies. Reviews this time were sparse and not altogether friendly. In the Times, Michael Lewis wrote that the book was “a portrait of an ego gone haywire.” Nevertheless, the book spent seven weeks in the top fifteen on the Times best-seller list. Warner Books bought the paperback rights for a million dollars. (They changed the title to “The Art of Survival” and released it in July, 1991.) +I haven’t looked at the book since, but I found a copy recently and discovered that it included a paragraph excerpted from a Times editorial that was published shortly after the Journal story about Trump’s finances broke. The paragraph closed: “Arrogance? For sure, and yet in a world lacking individual heroes, even some of Donald’s critics must confess to a sneaking respect for his insistence on being himself, however outrageous, and catch themselves hoping that he’ll find the strength and luck to escape.” +With “Surviving” now in the past, my regular contacts with Trump came to an end. He continued to flounder in business. In 1990, Trump hired Stephen Bollenbach, who was previously the C.F.O. of the company that owned Holiday Inn, and gave him a mandate to straighten out Trump’s debts. It would be hard to penetrate how Bollenbach undertook this task, but a number of Trump assets, including the Trump Shuttle, the Plaza Hotel, and his yacht were off-loaded. At the time, the word was that Bollenbach put Trump on a four-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar monthly allowance. In two years, Trump was apparently out of the worst trouble. When I asked Trump how he had found Bollenbach and persuaded him to salvage his finances and the standing of the Trump Organization, he said he had read about him in Businessweek. Like that. +I am often asked if I regret having been the editor of the book that made Trump a national figure. The answer is no. I was trained in journalism and Trump was a terrific story. I was tasked by Si Newhouse to manage him on that first book. On the second book, I was working with a successful repeat author. A decade or so after the publication of “The Art of the Deal,” I was asked to edit a third Trump opus. By then, I could sense that my time at Random House was coming to an end. I was eager to start a small publishing company called PublicAffairs. I left Random House a year before “The Art of the Comeback” was published, in 1997. And that is a fact that I definitely have never regretted, then or any time since. +Sourse: newyorker.com +Fig Crumble Bars +Fig Crumble Bars Recipe +Cookies Bar, Christmas Cookie, Cookie Recipe, Brownies Bar, Bars Recipe, Fig Bar, Crumble Bar +Fig Crumble Bars #recipes cooking #cooking guide #cooking tips| +FIG CRUMBLE BARS +@Lisa Phillips-Barton Coronis knows me toooo well!! One-Bowl Baking Wonders: Fig Crumble Bars Recipe +Fig Crumble Bars #recipes cooking| +Fig Crumble Bars Recipe | Cooking | How To | Martha Stewart Recipes +See the Fig Crumble Bars in our Cookie Recipes with Fruit gallery +See the "Fig Crumble Bars" in our Bar Cookie Recipes gallery +Christmas Cookie Recipes: Fig Crumble Bars +Fig Bars Recipe | Martha Stewart +Hazelnut Pecan Cheesecake Bars +Hazelnut Pecan Cheesecake Bars Recipe ~ full of sweet, crunchy and creamy goodness! +Desserts Bars, Hazelnut Recipe, Cheese Cake, Cheesecake Bars, Cookies Bars, Brownies Bar, Bar Recipes, Bars Recipe +Hazelnut pecan cheesecake bars //Recipe on tablefortwoblog.com +Hazelnut Pecan Cheesecake Bars #pecan #hazelnut #recipe +Hazelnut Pecan Cheesecake Bars** Desserts Bars +Hazelnut Pecan Cheesecake Bars Recipe ~ +Hazelnut pecan cheese cake :) +snack ideas for school +Food Recipes, Protein Ball, Health Fitness, Protein Bar, Power Bar, Gluten Free, Healthy Recipe +10 High Protein Power Bars Balls - Lexies Kitchen | Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free - #breakfast #recipes #healthy #recipe #brunch +#health #fitness #book click here: nice 10 High Protein Power Bars & Balls - Lexie's Kitchen | Gluten-Free ... +Protein Bar Ideas: Lexies Kitchen | Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free #breakfast #recipes #healthy #food #recipe +10 High Protein Power Bars & Balls - Lexie's Kitchen | Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Egg-Free - I love high protein balls +High Protein Snacks w/ 10 Ingredients or less +for the kids' school snack ...Lexi +Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer +Fig and Cheese Crostini +Appetizers Snacks, Food Appetizers, Fig Appetizer Recipes, Crostini Recipe, Crostini Foodiecrush, Appetizer Foodiecrush, Cheese Crostini +Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer + Korin Giveaway Fig and Cheese Crostini || FoodieCrush.com – foodiecrush +Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer || FoodieCrush.com Would be yummy with prosciutto on top in place of the blue cheese crumbles. +#FEEL BEAUTIFUL #WHBM Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer || FoodieCrush.com +JUST ADD WINE...SO :) Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer || FoodieCrush.com +Fig Spread and Cheese Crostini Appetizer || FoodieCrush.com.. +Fig & Cheese Crostini Recipe +Morning coffee (39 photos) +Nutella Smore's Bars +Nutella Smore S, Deserts Delicioustreats, Sweet Treats, Nutella Recipes, Sweet Tooth, Nom Nom, Nutella Smores Bars, Smore S Bars +Nutella Smore's Bars : +Nutella Smore's Bars #smores #bars #nutella #recipe Oh, yeah...chicka-chickahhhhhhhh +Nutella Smore's Bars! I will be making these with out a doubt!!! +Nutella Smore's Bars... Where have these been all my life?! +Nutella Smore's Bars #smores #bars #nutella #recipe +Nutella Smores Bars Like, Comment, Repin !! +Nutella Smore's Bars. I'm in trouble! +#Nutella #Smore's #Bars #breakingrocks +Nutella Smore’s Bars +Key Lime Bars +Key Lime Bars Recipe +Famous Key, Key Lime Bars, Keylimebars, Sweet Treats, Sweet Tooth, Bar Recipes, Bars Recipe, Key Lime Pies +Key Lime Bars - recipe is based on the famous Key lime pie from Joe's Stone Crab restaurant in Miami Beach. +Key. +⚓️Key Lime Bars Recipe (however real Key limes are yellow like the sun, NOT effin green!) +Key Lime Bars - Recipes, Dinner Ideas, Healthy Recipes Food Guide glamorousrecipes.... +Key Lime Bars Recipe see more at +Key Lime Bars Recipe If doubling, cook for longer than 10 minutes. +Key Lime Bars - Recipes, Dinner Ideas, Healthy Recipes & Food Guide +Key lime bars - Martha Stewart +#keylimebars +Chocolate Cheesecake Squares +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares Recipe - Makes 9 Squares +Cheese Cake, Cheesecake Squares, Sweet Treats, Cream Cheese, Sweet Tooth, Martha Stewart, Chocolate Cheesecake +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares (Martha Stewart Everyday Food)<< i usually dont like cheese cake but this looks soo chocolately, i might actually try it!! +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares - Martha Stewart Recipes - Reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream lighten up these rich and creamy handheld cheesecake squares. A chocolate cookie crust and chocolate chip topping make these a cocoa lover's dream. +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares - Martha Stewart Recipes: These light cheesecake brownies get their rich taste from reduced-fat cream cheese, reduced-fat sour cream, and unsweetened cocoa powder +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares // cooking spray 8 chocolate wafer cookies 8 oz cream cheese 1 c sour cream 1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder 2 T cornstarch 3/4 c sugar 1 whole egg, plus 1 egg white 1/3 c semisweet chocolate chips In food processor, grind wafer & press onto 8" pan. Blend rest ing. except choco chips & pour. Sprinkle choco chips. Bake @325 for 30-40 min. +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares - Martha Stewart Recipes - mmm, this would be a good fudge recipe and GF if the crust is left off - 8 ounces cream cheese; 1 cup sour cream; 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 3/4 cup sugar; 2 large eggs; 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares - Martha Stewart Recipes - Reduced-fat cream cheese and sour cream lighten up these rich and creamy handheld cheesecake squares. A chocolate cookie crust and chocolate chip topping make these a cocoa lover's dream. Hmmm; wonder if you could use greek yogurt rather than sour cream??? +Chocolate-Cheesecake Squares - Martha Stewart Recipes Sweet desserts. For my sweet tooth! Yumms... +Homemade Fig Bars +Homemade Fig Bars | Weelicious +Bars Weelicious, Baby Food, Food Ideas, Homemade Fig Newtons, Homemade Recipe, Funfoods Treats4Kids, Toddler Food +Weelicious ™ - Fast, Easy Fresh Homemade Home Made Baby Food Babyfood Recipes, Toddler Food and recipes for the entire family! +Homemade Fig Bars | Weelicious - Fig Newtons were always one of my favorites so I will have to try these! +Homemade Fig Bars | Weelicious. Yumm! I used raisins instead of figs and they were great. But definitely better warm and fresh. Cut sugar in half if you want fig newtons instead of pop tarts! +Homemade Fig Bars | Weelicious - i have made these 3 times already with the fresh figs from my neighbors yard and they are AMAZING!! +Weelicious Toddler Recipes - healthy homemade recipes when moving from purees to finger foods +Homemade Fig Bars Recipe, from Kid Food +Homemade Fig Newton Bars | Weelicious +Weelicious Toddler Food - Fig Bars +Toddler Food Ideas & Recipes +It's almost time to make these again. Raspberry Coconut Almond Bars (gluten-free vegan) +Free Desserts, Bar Recipes, Coconut Bar, Free Recipes +Karina's gluten-free and dairy-free recipes are winners every time!Karina's Raspberry Coconut-Almond Cookie Bar Recipe Recipe +Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars. Recipe from. Vegan. +Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars... I may have to try these! I need more chocolate free desserts!!! +Raspberry Coconut-Almond Cookie Bar Recipe Originally published December 2010. These luscious little vegan beauties are sticky sweet, butt... +Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars | recipe from Gluten-Free Goddess. Carrie!! +Gluten-Free Raspberry Coconut-Almond Bars - Sweet Treat #glutenfree +Fabulous gluten-free raspberry coconut-almond bars, vegan +GF Raspberry Bars +coconut bars +Rumi Spice Saffron +Chocolate Bar Cake! +De Chocolate, Bar Cake, Hola Chocolate, Cake Recipe, Chocolate Cake, Cake Chocolate, Bar Sponge, Bar Filled +Chocolate Bar Cake: So clever. A chocolate bar filled with cake and whipped cream. I don't think I'll ever make it, but it looks divine! +Chocolate Bar Cake #chocolates #sweet #yummy #delicious #food #chocolaterecipes #choco #chocolate +Chocolate Bar Cake: So clever. A chocolate bar filled with cake and whipped cream....oh snap! +Chocolate Bar Cake - Un pastel en forma de barra de chocolate!! Hummm! +Chocolate Bar Cake: chocolate bar filled with cake and whipped cream +chocolate, chocolate bar, chocolate bar cake, cake, chocolate cake +Chocolate Bar Cake Recipe. +Chocolate Bar Sponge Cake +Hola chocolate! +Martha's Safety Tips for Holiday Decorating +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars Recipe +Christmas Cookie, Cookies Bars, Bar Recipe, Coconut Bars, Christmas Bar, Black Bottom +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars, Recipe from Everyday Food, December 2005#Christmas%20Bar%20Cookie%20Recipes|/274297/christmas-bar-cookie-recipes/@center/276951/christmas-cookies|337367 +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars Team up two familiar treats -- a rich chocolate brownie and a chewy coconut macaroon -- and indulge in a decadent sweet. +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars Team up two familiar treats -- a rich chocolate brownie and a chewy coconut macaroon +See the Black-Bottom Coconut Bars in our gallery - (40 cookie recipes) Kraljevic Stokes/276951/christmas-cookies +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars 40 Christmas Bar Recipes - something for everyone to enjoy during the holidays! +See the "Black-Bottom Coconut Bars" in our 40 Christmas Bar Cookie Recipes gallery +Black-Bottom Coconut Bars -- a rich chocolate brownie and a chewy coconut macaroon +40 Christmas Bar cookie recipes Black-Bottom Coconut Bars +40 Christmas Cookie Bar recipes from Martha Stewart +Peach Crumble Bars +Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons +Ohhhh my heavens, Oatmeal Fig Bars! These sound divine!! Thank you @Alida's Kitchen - I can't wait to try!! +Cookies Bars, Sweet Treats, Homemade Fig Newton, Healthy Recipe, Fig Bar +Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons | Alida's Kitchen - @Nathan Schmidt made these last night and they are FANTASTIC. +Baked: •1 c chopped dried figs (8 oz); •½ c water; •1 T lemon juice; •1 t lemon zest; •1½ c rolled oats; •1 c all-purpose flour; •¾ c packed brown sugar; •½ t baking soda; •¼ t salt; •⅓ c butter, melted; •1 egg white +Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons - not vegan but a great idea. +Oatmeal Fig Bars | alidaskitchen.com Sub butter with apple sauce +Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons could easily be gf/df +Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons | Alida's Kitchen. +Alida's Kitchen: Oatmeal Fig Bars | Homemade Fig Newtons +oatmeal fig bars | homemade fig newtons +Mocha-Chip Meringues +Mocha-Chip Meringues Recipe +Mocha Chip, Stewart Recipe, Chocolate Meringue, Cookies Bars, Meringues Martha, Mocha Meringue +Mocha-Chip Meringues - Martha Stewart Recipes Barbra Michnowski onto Melissa Davis onto Food VIA Martha Stewart +Mocha-Chip Meringues - Martha Stewart Recipes (would love to make these as a chocolate chocolate chip meringue cookie as well, or with cocoa powder and white chocolate chips/chunks). +Mocha-Chip Meringues Recipe Ingredients 3/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 large egg whites, room temperature 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips +Mocha-Chip Meringues - Martha Stewart - Light, crisp, and flavored with coffee and chocolate chips, these meringues taste much more indulgent than they actually are. +@Jimena Otero podemos intentar hacer estos en tu horno... a ver si salen @Mariajose Otero Mocha-Chip Meringues - Martha Stewart Recipes +GF DF Mocha-Chip Meringues - Martha Stewart Recipes - DF chocolate chips +Mocha-Chip Meringues Recipe | Cooking | How To | Martha Stewart Recipes +Mocha, Meringues and Chocolate Chip! +Mocha CHOCOLATE meringues! +Blueberry Crumble Bars +blueberry crumble bars:: +Cookies Bars, Dessert Recipes, Sweet Treats, Sweet Tooth, Bar Cookies, Blueberry Crumble Bars, Favorite Recipes +As you might have remembered from my Blueberriest Muffin recipe from yesterday, I scored some inexpensive blueberries at the grocery store this weekend. I stocked up (ok maybe went a little crazy) ... +Easy Dessert Recipe for Blueberry Squares #xmas_present #Black_Friday #Cyber_Monday +Easy Dessert Recipe for Blueberry Squares these look soooo easy and so good😊 +Easy Dessert Recipe for Blueberry Squares #easy #dessert #recipes +Easy Dessert Recipe for Blueberry Squares#desserts easy to make +Blueberry Crumble Bars. Mmmmmmmm I love blueberries! +Blueberry Crumble Bars from Sweet Peas Kitchen site +Sweet Pea's Kitchen » Blueberry Crumble Bars +Easy Dessert Recipe for Blueberry Squares +Butterscotch Cashew Bars +Peach Crumble +Peach Crumble Recipe +Stewart Recipe, Peach Crumble, Sweet Treats, Peach Cobbler, Crumble Martha, Meatloaf, Crumble Recipe, Meat Loaf +Peach Crumble Recipe. I had a fruit crumble in England that was so good that I DIED and then I came back to tell you about it. +Peach Crumble - Martha Stewart Recipes - So yummy and perfect with home made vanilla ice cream. Made this three times already! +Peach Crumble - Martha Stewart Recipes from July/August 2012 Everyday Food. Be sure to check out the link for more fruit options (such as blueberry, raspberry, apricot and rhubarb) +Peach Crumble - Martha Stewart Recipes Made this with fresh Texas peaches and a half-pint of blackberries. Waiting for it to cool down enough to eat was torture. Made it & Loved it! It's a Keeper! +!" -- Sarah Carey. For more fruit options, click here. +Peach Crumble Recipe | Cooking | How To | Martha Stewart Recipes +" Just Deserts" Sweet Treats You Deserve| Peach Crumble Recipe +Peach Crumble - Martha Stewart Recipes +Peach Cobbler +Rolo Cheesecake Bars Recipe +Cheese Cake, Yummy Desert, Cookies Bars, Cheesecake Bars, Sweet Treats, Sweet Tooth, Bars Brownies, Food Drink, Cheesecake Roll +Rolo Cheesecake Bars ~ The combination of the Rolos with cheesecake and chocolate in these bars will make you lick your fingers! for husbands with a sweet tooth. +Rolo Cheesecake Bars. This looks like a heart attack that i'm willing to EAT and MAKE! :D Just wish I liked cheesecake +Rolo Cheesecake Bars " filling: beat: 2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese 2 eggs 1c. sugar 1/4c. flour once smooth, add one package of mini rolos glaze: 1 stick butter 6 ounces chocolate chips. 4 tsp. light corn syrup." +ROLO CHEESECAKE BARS I just had an orgasm with the recipe! +ROLO CHEESECAKE BARS @Becky Cassidy make these for me!! +ROLO CHEESECAKE BARS! OMG! TROY ARE YOU SEEING THESE! +Rolo Cheesecake Bars Recipe #drooling looks so good +Rolo Cheesecake Bars for your sweet tooth +Rolo cheese cake +The Hub of our Home: Oatmeal Fudge Bars +Oatmeal Fudge Bars, Cookies Brownies, Cookies Bars, Brownies Bars, Sweet Treats, Bars Brownies, Bar Cookies, Dessert Bars +Oatmeal Fudge Bars- A thick chewy oatmeal cookie bar filled with a layer of fudge. {Lots of great looking recipes on this site.} +Oatmeal Fudge Bars on MyRecipeMagic.com A thick chewy oatmeal cookie bar filled with a layer of fudge. +Oatmeal Fudge Bars on MyRecipeMagic.com.Looks really nice. Please check out my website Thanks. +Oatmeal Fudge Bars. A thick chewy oatmeal cookie bar filled with a layer of fudge. So good! +Oatmeal Fudge Bars on MyRecipeMagic.com I have been looking for this recipe for years!! +Oatmeal Fudge Bars - mmm!! Better the next day. I made really good +Oatmeal fudge bars, tastes like the ones at Starbucks!! +Oatmeal Fudge Bars from +Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars Recipe on twopeasandtheirpod.com. Perfect bars for parties! Love the lemon cream cheese frosting +English 110, 120, 122 Communication Skills: Writing +- Choosing a Topic & Narrowing / Broadening Topic +- Database Searching Tips +- Evaluating Sources +- Researching Current Events & Controversial Issues +- Scholarly vs. Popular Articles +- Avoiding Plagiarism +- Citing Sources in MLA +- Research Essentials Guide +- Help with Writing +- Getting More Help +This Research Guide is designed to help first year students use Iona University Libraries' resources to successfully complete projects and assignments for the English Communication Skills: Writing required course and includes important reference works, articles in databases, and journals. +For information about course offerings, program faculty, and curriculum requirements, see the department's website. +Choosing Research Materials +Searching for relevant articles and books for your research can feel quite challenging, particularly when you are working against a deadline. Searching is a process of trial and error, but a few research tricks will ease the searching process. +- Use the filters on the left side of the library catalog. A few useful examples: +- If you need a specific kind of material - like a book, article, or streaming movie - use the limiters in the "Looking for A" drop-down menu to limit results by kind of material +- If you need scholarly articles, check the "Peer Reviewed" box under the "Limit To" drop-down menu +- If you want to find the most up-to-date information, use the filters under the "Publication Year" drop-down menu. You can limit materials to the last 5, 10, and 25 years, or set up a custom year range. +- Use all available clues to understand if a resource is useful for your research, including citation information. If you are only planning to generally discuss a subtopic in your paper, it's important to develop an academic understanding of your topic, but you don't need to find the most academic-sounding paper on that subtopic. Instead, combine scholarly sources about the main focus of your paper with more general reference material about a subtopic. +- When you find an article that looks relevant to your research, read the abstract, introduction, and conclusion of the article. Do you understand what is being said? Can you reasonably work to understand the article with the time you have? If not, don't fret! When you write and do research in college, you are entering scholarly conversations with people who have incredibly specialized academic expertise - so learn from them, leverage their expertise, but don't let that potentially intimidating expertise stop you from developing your understanding of a topic. Use reference materials to bridge the gap between your informal understanding of a topic and sources that can help you develop a scholarly understanding of your topic. +- Using the same keywords and still not finding useful resources? See the Database Searching Tips section of this guide to broaden, narrow, or join your keywords using Boolean operators. +- Contact a Librarian for research assistance. We are happy to help you develop effective keywords and find relevant sources for your research. +For more information on the research process and developing effective keywords, see the Research Essentials research guide. +Start Your Research +Reference resources like encyclopedias or dictionaries provide a useful bridge from how you would describe a research interest in conversation with a friend to scholarly language. Though reference materials can feel too simplistic at times, they do help you develop your own scholarly vocabulary around a topic, allowing you to develop keywords for searching WorldCat and understand how some topics might overlap with other topics. +Some reference databases are listed below. For a full list, see the Reference Databases on the A-Z Databases page. +- Britannica Academic Edition This link opens in a new windowArticles from Encyclopædia Britannica; headlines from the NYT and BBC, articles from 700+ magazines and periodicals, World data; maps, plus animations, videos, and audio files; and world atlas. +- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowEbook versions of encyclopedias and reference works covering most subjects, as well as a collection of classic literature and criticisms. +Databases for Articles +- Academic Search Elite This link opens in a new windowArticles from journals, magazines and other resources covering multidisciplinary topics. +- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowCongressional Quarterly reports addressing controversial current issues. Includes historical perspective, recent developments, statistics, opposing viewpoints, and sources for additional research. +- EBSCO (all collections) This link opens in a new windowArticles and ebooks covering multidisciplinary subjects from all Ebsco databases. +- Gale eBooks This link opens in a new windowEbook versions of encyclopedias and reference works covering most subjects, as well as a collection of classic literature and criticisms. +- JSTOR This link opens in a new windowScholarly journals and ebooks in the humanities, social sciences, and business. Journal coverage generally ends 3-5 years before the current year. +- MLA International Bibliography via EBSCO This link opens in a new windowA subject index for books, articles and websites published on modern languages, literature, folklore, and linguistics dating back to 1925 and containing 2.2 million+ citations from 4,400+ periodicals and 1,000+ book publishers. +- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowCovering many current social issues, features updated viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, images and other resources. +-. +- Congressional Research Service This link opens in a new windowReports are prepared for members of Congress by the Library of Congress to provide background information on major policy issues. Many reports are updated on a regular basis, this site includes most versions of the reports. +- CQ Researcher This link opens in a new windowCongressional Quarterly reports addressing controversial current issues. Includes historical perspective, recent developments, statistics, opposing viewpoints, and sources for additional research. +-. +- General OneFile (Gale) This link opens in a new windowArticles, reports and daily updates on a variety of topics: business, technology, current events, environmental issues, health care, humanities, politics, and many more. +- Gun Regulation and Legislation In America This link opens in a new windowArticles, legislative histories, CRS reports, Congressional hearings, Supreme Court briefs, monographs, and other materials on the topic of regulating firearms. +- International Newsstream This link opens in a new windowProvides the most recent news content outside of the US and Canada, with archives which stretch back decades featuring newspapers, newswires, and news sites. +- Newspaper Source This link opens in a new windowProvides full-text of 200+ regional, national, and international newspapers. The database also includes transcripts from major television and radio broadcasts. +- New York State Historic Newspapers This link opens in a new windowThe NYS Historic Newspapers project provides free online access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York's history. +- +- The New York Times Academic Pass This link opens in a new windowThe Academic Pass provides access to NYTimes.com, NYTimes.com smartphone and tablet apps, and NYTimes In Education. +- Opposing Viewpoints (Gale In Context) This link opens in a new windowCovering many current social issues, features updated viewpoint articles, topic overviews, statistics, images and other resources. +-. +- America's Historical Imprints This link opens in a new windowSearchable monographs, pamphlets, broadsides, government documents and ephemera. Collections: Early American Imprints (EAI), Series I: Evans, 1639-1800; EAI, Series II: Supplement from the Library Comp. of Phil., 1801-1819; EAI, Series II: Shaw-Shoemaker, 1801-1819; American Broadsides and Ephemera, Series I; EAI, Series I: Suppl. from the Library Company of Phil., 1670-1800. +- American Antiquarian Society (AAS) Historical Periodicals Collection: Series 1 This link opens in a new windowJournals and magazine published from 1691 through 1820 representing print culture from early colonial imports to titles published on American soil during the Revolution and early republic +- Gale Primary Sources This link opens in a new windowThis tool creates a federated (shared) search across all primary resources from one vendor to include: 18th Century Collections Online, 19th Century UK Periodicals, The Making of the Modern World, and Times Literary Supplement Historical Archive. +- Nineteenth Century UK Periodicals This link opens in a new windowDigitized and searchable primary source collection of newspapers published in Britain between 1800 and 1900. +Interlibrary Loan +As a student at Iona University, you are often able to access materials from other libraries that we have lending agreements with using Interlibrary Loan. +If you are searching for a book and find the following box under Access Options: +This means that the Iona University Libraries does not own the book, but you can request the book through Interlibrary Loan. +Click the "Request Item through Interlibrary Loan" button, and fill out all information with an asterisk next to the field. +Articles can take up to 5 business days to arrive in your email. +Books can take up to 10 business days to arrive at Ryan Library. When your book is available, you will receive an email from the Iona University Libraries' stating that your book is ready for pick-up behind the Research Desk at Ryan Library. The books will be in a bag with your name on it; feel free to ask a librarian to hand you the bag or pick up the bag yourself. +For more information about Interlibrary Loan - including information about due dates for Interlibrary Loan items - see the Interlibrary Loans page. +Accessing to Public Library Collections in NY, NJ, and CT +Found a useful eBook not owned by the Iona University Libraries? For complicated copyright reasons, other libraries are unable to lend eBooks to outside researchers. Instead, use the public library resources available to you as a student in New York state or resident of your respective state. +See the Find eBooks page of the Research Essentials research guide for information about accessing public library collections. +- Last Updated: Sep 22, 2022 10:13 AM +- URL: +- Print Page +Bihar BSEB STET Answer Key 2020: Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) has conducted the Bihar Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test i.e. BSTET-2019 on 28 Jan 2020. Below is the BSTET 2019 solved paper for Pedagogy and other Skills question paper from ques number 1 to ques 50 for paper 1 of morning shift. The official answer key for the BSEB STET exam will be released by board in 1st week of February. +BSTET 2019 answer key Paper 1 – Science <– Download here +BSTET exam has been conducted on 28th Jan 2020 at more than 3,500 exam centers in Bihar. This exam is necessary for becoming government teachers in Class 9 and 10 they must qualify STET 1 paper and STET 2 was for classes 11 and 12. +BSTET Answer Key – Paper 1 Pedagogy Question Paper – 28 Jan 2020 +Bihar School Education Board (BSEB) has conducted the Bihar Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test i.e. BSTET-2019. There were 10 sets of STET question papers with codes set A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and set J. We are proving solved answer key of Pedagogy and other Skills question paper from question 1-50. +The correct answer is marked at BOLD text. For every right answer, 1 mark will be allotted and there is no negative marking for wrong answers. +Bihar STET 2019 Pedagogy Solved Question Paper +- A man sells two pipes at Rs. 12 each. He gains 20% on one and loses 20% on the other. In the whole transaction there is +- No profit no loss +- 1% loss +- 1% profit +- 8% profit +- The sum of a positive integer and its square is 2450. The positive integer is +- 48 +- 49 +- 51 +- 53 +- When a number is divided by 15, 20 or 35, each time the remainder is 8. Then the smallest number is +- 427 +- 428 +- 443 +- 463 +- 80 litres of a mixture contains milk and water in the ratio of 27 : 5. How much more water is to be added to get a mixture containing milk and water in the ratio 3 : 1? +- 10 litres +- 15 litres +- 20 litres +- None of these +- A man sold 20 apples for Rs. 100 and gained 20%. How many apples did he buy for Rs. 100? +- 22 +- 25 +- 24 +- 26 +- According to the behaviourist school of psychology, the teacher is +- A classroom facilitator +- Storehouse of knowledge +- A leader in the classroom +- Creator of favourable learning condition +- A child who uses a wheel chair +- Should not be in the regular school +- Should be given education in a regular school in a lower class +- Should study only in a special school +- None of these +- Psychology’s major contribution to education lies in +- To cater to the needs of knowledge society +- To preserve the social customs +- Identifying successful methods of teaching +- Providing scientific foundation for the art of teaching +- Ivan Illich is popular for +- De-schooling society +- Ex-post facto research +- Field Experiment +- Distance education +- In the context of social development which of the following stages is characterized by “Intense Self Awareness”? +- Childhood +- Infancy +- Adolescence +- None of these +- If 1st January, 2013 was Wednesday, then what day of the week was it on 2nd January, 2014. +- Wednesday +- Thursday +- Tuesday +- Friday +- A is older than B, but younger than C. D is younger than E but older than A. If C is younger than D, who is the oldest of all? +- A +- C +- D +- E +- What should come next in the following number sequence? +2 23 234 2345 23456 23456 +- 2 +- 7 +- 3 +- None of these +- Find the related word from the given alternatives: +January : November :: Sunday : ? +- Tuesday +- Monday +- Friday +- Saturday +- In the following question, select the missing number from the given series: +13, 27, 56, 115? +- 234 +- 238 +- 233 +- 243 +- Which of the following philosophies claimed that Vasna and Trishna lie at the root of human suffering? +- Vedanta +- Jainism +- Buddhism +- Samkhya +- Who among the following is an existentialist thinker? +- Kilpatrick +- Rousseau +- Sartre +- Froebel +- Which of the following functions is not related to school as an agency of education? +- Preserving knowledge, values, customs etc. +- Giving definite solutions to the religious problems +- Suggesting ways and means to social development +- Socializing children for performing their future role +- Which school of philosophy in education will plead affinity with the Darwinian theory of evolution? +- Pragmatism +- Idealism +- Naturalism +- None of these +- Which of he following Articles of the Constitution of India lays down that education of children aged 6-14 years if Fundamental Right? +- Article 45 +- Article 42 +- Article 21(A) +- Article 51(B) +- In the following question, select the missing number from the given series: +19, 23, 26, 30, 33, ? +- 31 +- 35 +- 37 +- 39 +- If two days before yesterday was Friday, what day will be day after tomorrow? +- Monday +- Sunday +- Saturday +- Wednesday +- A man ‘A’ starts from a certain point and walks 2 km towards north, turns towards his right and walks 2 kms, turns right again and walks. What is the direction is he facing now? +- South +- South-east +- North +- West +- What should come next in the following number series? +876543217654321654321 +- 5 +- 6 +- 4 +- None of these +- Find the missing number from the given series: +5 8 32 +9 6 48 +7 9 ? +- 54 +- 45 +- 49 +- 53 +- If ‘x’ stands for ‘+’, / (divide) for -, – for x and + for / (divide), than the value of the following equation +54 / 16 – 3 x 6 + 2 = ? +- 12 +- 8 +- 15 +- 9 +- If A = 1, BAR = 21 and STAR = 58, then ABROAD = ? +- 32 +- 41 +- 33 +- 42 +- In a certain code BREAKDOWN is written as BFSCJMVNC. How is ORGANISED written in that code? +- PSHBMCDRH +- BHSPMCDRH +- BHSPOCDRH +- None of these +- A and B are brothers. C is father of A. D is father of C. E is son of B. How is D related to E? +- Grandson +- Great grandson +- Great grandfather +- Grandfather +- In the following, select the missing letter from the given series: +R X ? +D V L +N B F +- Q +- S +- R +- T +- The ultimate goal of education in Jainism is +- Charity +- Pity and renunciation +- Liberation +- Non-violence +- First open university in India was established in the year +- 1966 +- 1985 +- 1986 +- 1982 +- Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation in school education was started by +- IGNOU +- CBSE +- MHRD, Govt. of India +- NCERT +- RTE act was implemented in India with effect from +- 1st April, 2010 +- 1st April, 2019 +- 1st April, 2009 +- 1st April, 2008 +- The policy recommended by the Kothari Commission relating language is +- Standard language formula +- Two-language formula +- Three-language formula +- Re-interpretation of national language and official language +- In a certain code COMPUTER is written as LNBVQSFU. How is BULKHEAD written in that code? +- MVCILEBF +- KTAILEBF +- MTAGJEBF +- None of these +- If x stands for + and / for – , find the value of the following equation: +39 – 23 / 21 x 5= ? +- 46 +- 36 +- 62 +- 89 +- If Z = 26, NET = 39, then NUT = ? +- 50 +- 53 +- 55 +- 56 +- A is brother of D. D is father of B. B and C are sisters. How is A related to C? +- Son +- Father +- Grandson +- Uncle +- Find the related word from the given alternatives: +Lion : Den :: Rabbit : ? +- Hole +- Pit +- Burrow +- Trench +- If 33% of A is equal to 55% of B, then the ratio of A and B is +- 4 : 5 +- 5 : 4 +- 3 : 5 +- 5 : 3 +- A 220 metre long train is running at a speed of 54 kilometre per hour. In what time will it pass a man who is moving in the opposite direction of the train at a speed of 12 km per hour? +- 6 sec +- 10 sec +- 8 sec +- 12 sec +- 4.9 can be expressed in terms of percentage as +- 4.9 % +- 490 % +- 0.049 % +- 0.49 % +- If a job is to be completed in 10 days, it requires 270 persons. If 180 persons take up the same job, they will finish it in +- 20 days +- 18 days +- 15 days +- None of these +- The sum of all those prime numbers which are less than 31 is +- 129 +- 139 +- 132 +- 137 +- A school Headmaster has the responsibility to +- Help the school in its development +- Observe the classroom teaching and suggest improvements if required +- Develop the teaching-learning material +- All of these +- Under Constructive Approach to language learning, learners are encountered to +- Discover the rule of grammar from the examples +- Avoid error completely +- Learn the grammar rule by rule +- Write creatively +- Which statement is not correct in the context of language teaching? +- Print riched environment helps in acquiring language +- In language teaching, there is more emphasis on correctness of spelling +- There is a difference between language acquisition and language learning +- Teaching of other subjects is helpful in language learning +- Teaching Eligibility Test conducted for selection of candidates for admission into teacher education institutes is an example of +- Achievement test +- Placement test +- Attitude test +- Aptitude test +- Which is the least important factor in teaching? +- Giving homework to children +- Punishing the students +- Teaching as a facilitator +- Lecturing in impressive way +Candidates who have appeared in the exam can download BSTET question paper in PDF format from this page. Career Vendor also provided the Bihar TET Answer key 2019 for both Paper 1 & Paper 2. +Ans of Q 25th is 54 +Ans of Q 28th is BHSPMCDRH +Ans of Q 31st is Liberation not non violence +Ans of Q 32 is 1982 +Ans of Q 33 is CBSCE +Ans of Q of 35th is Three language formula +*article updated November 24 2020. +The poetry of Brittany: coastal walks, wide sand beaches, open skies and green hills, plus delicious seafood, paper-thin crêpes and bowls of local apple cider. History at every turn, national monuments, granite and slate ancient village churches, and Celtic pride, music, art, and heritage. If this is your image of a great place to call home, either as a permanent residence or as a holiday retreat to recharge your batteries, then you can start your search right here with our property guide to Brittany. +Brittany +The region of Brittany (Bretagne) in the north west of France is composed of the departments of Finistère (29), Côtes d’Armor (22), Ille-et-Vilaine (35), Morbihan (56). Together they form a peninsula surrounded by the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay and the Celtic sea. It pretty much corresponds to the historical province of Bretagne, a cultural and historical region of Breton identity. Lower Brittany (roughly, west of a boundary from Saint Brieuc to Vannes) has maintained a distinctly Celtic language, Breton, spoken by around 400,000 people, which is related to Cornish and Welsh. +The population of the administrative region of Brittany is 3,329,400 as per official figures published by Insee in January 2019, with every department showing a positive increase in population. The top five cities in order of population are Rennes, Brest, Quimper, Lorient and Vannes. People aged 65 or older now represent 22.4% of the population. +The population continues to increase in Ille-et-Vilaine and is stable in Morbihan. It is in slight decline in Côtes-d’Armor and Finistère. +The region has so much to offer, especially for families, walkers, and cyclists, and it is heaven for seafood lovers. Just don’t expect to find isolated French-only enclaves, the fact is that in most areas you’re likely to hear Brit voices among the Breton, as overseas buyers account for an increasing percentage of rural property purchases. +Property for sale in Brittany +It is part of the Breton culture to own your property (as opposed to renting) and that characteristic makes the Brittany property market rather dynamic. The rule “the closer to the coast the more expensive the property” also applies in Brittany, and therefore sea-view properties will come at a premium. On average, however, Brittany is cheaper than many other regions of France. +If you are looking for a bargain – or at least great value for money – you would do well to concentrate your search in central Brittany, along the N164 road all the way from Merdrignac (Côtes-d’Armor) to Pleyben (Finistère). If it is the attraction of the sea that made you chose Brittany you will find quite a difference of pricing from one coast to the other. The Morbihan coast, having gained popularity with Parisians and their maisons secondaires, is more expensive that the coastal areas of the Finistère and the Côtes-d’Armor. +Find hundreds of properties for sale in Brittany >> +Climate in Brittany +The climate in the northern region of Brittany is largely oceanic/maritime in character and influenced by the Gulf Stream, which usually means winters don’t get too cold and summertime is pleasant if not baking hot. August is the time to take a dip in the sea at one of Brittany’s stunning beaches! You should come to expect plenty of cloud cover and breeze, while rainfall is highest in the western reaches along the Atlantic coast. +Average temperatures for Rennes. There will inevitably be small regional variations according to coastal/inland location. Expect warmer temperatures to the east of the region. +Brittany travel guide +For those travelling to Brittany from the UK, there are several cross-Channel ferry options. Brittany Ferries runs services from Plymouth to Roscoff and Portsmouth to St-Malo (Brittany), as well as Caen, Cherbourg and Le Havre in neighbouring Normandy, plus Poole to Cherbourg. Irish passengers can travel direct from Cork to Roscoff. Condor Ferries, meanwhile, operates services from Poole to St-Malo. +From those travelling by air from the UK and Ireland, there are several airlines that fly into Brittany’s regional airports. These include Dinard, Rennes and Quimper. Just over the border into Loire is Nantes airport, which is equally handy for southern Brittany. +For those travelling by train, Brittany is well served with services from Paris. From Gare Montparnasse, allow two hours to get to Rennes and 4 hours for Brest or Quimper by TGV (high-speed train). Make your booking with Voyages-SNCF. +*See company websites for Covid-19 travel and route restrictions. +Brittany property guide +When you define your search criteria for your home in Brittany it is, as always, important to identify the purpose or use that the property is intended for. If you are buying as an investment for example, your main focus is return on investment and occupancy rate, so access to the main tourist sites and an airport or ferry becomes critical, while if you are buying as a permanent home for a young family, your choice may be based on schools, shopping and services. +If you settle near the coast you could be shopping in chic St Malo, walking the dramatic cliffs in Finistère or swimming on the beaches of Morbihan warmed by the Gulf stream. As you go inland, prices will start to go down, and you’ll find rolling hills and heathland and many a picturesque villages with a gentler pace of life. This also means that the house might be slower to resell, should the time came when you need to put it on the market. While a low purchase price is incredibly tempting, remember that the cost of renovation per square metre will remain the same, so make sure that you take into account any improvements or extensions in your budget, and that your work out the maintenance and upkeep costs as well, particularly if you are buying property with land. Brittany has something for every lifestyle, so it is more important than ever to define what your priorities are, and keep them in mind when you visit on your viewing trip. +Prices are not the cheapest, no surprise in such a stunning and popular area, and the supply of properties for renovation reduces year by year. After all, this has been a popular area for retirees and holiday-makers for many years pre-dating the advent of the low-cost travel to France. Nevertheless there is still good value to be found and if you put your feelers out, work with the right agents, you may just come across your dream house. +Find hundreds of properties for sale in Brittany >> +Brittany property styles +Breton Longère +It literally means long house. Stone longères are traditional one storey long properties found in rural areas in all the departments in Brittany. Granite was usually used to build these properties and they were placed in such a way that the back of the house was facing the stronger winds. The average longère usually ranges from €150,000 to €300,000 depending on its size and location. +Neo-Breton House +Despite being part of the landscape of Brittany nowadays, the neo-Breton houses are a relatively recent construction and started to be built in the 1960s. They have slate roofs, white walls and very visible door and window surrounds made of granite. These properties offering many modern comforts start from €80,000. +Fisherman’s Cottage +These properties can vary in style, they can be detached or terraced, but most of the time they are stone properties with slate roofs. They all have one thing in common: these cottages are all walking distance to the beach and were lived in by the local fishermen. Because of their proximity to the sea, Fisherman’s cottages start from €200,000 onward. +The “Chaumière” +The chaumière (from the word chaume for straw) thatched cottage is a familiar sight for buyers from the UK. Although they can be found in Brittany, however they are getting rarer and rarer to find on the market for sale. Some of the chaumières can be priced around €100,000, a reasonable price to reflect the fact that they need expensive re-roofing. A thatched cottage in good confition will set you back a minimum of €400,000. +Start your Brittany property search here >>> +Frequently asked questions about property in Brittany +We asked the FrenchEntrée Property Services team what the most common questions were from their clients interested in property in Brittany: +I want to be by the coast, but only have a budget of €150,000 for a detached 3 bedroom house. Where should I look? +Coastal property always comes at a premium, however with Brittany prices being cheaper than the national average, you will find such properties close to the northern and western coast in Côtes-d’Armor or Finistère. The Morbihan offers a bit of warmer summer weather than the northern coast, but prices have naturally increased there in the last few years due to its popularity with Parisians looking for a weekend home by the sea. +I am looking for a typical French community to spend my retirement in. How likely am I to encounter British expats in the region? +Brittany bears a lot of resemblance with the UK in terms of landscape and climate. Combined with its easy access, it’s no surprise that it is such a popular region with British buyers. There is no risk that expats will change the local atmosphere, though, because Brittany is famous amongst the French for its strong identity and community… and if you really want to bond with the locals, what about learning a bit of the Breton language? +I really want to own a weekend or holiday house in France but I only have €50,000. Do you think I could find something in Brittany? +You might not be able to find a picture-perfect coastal cottage on that budget, but depending on your requirements it is definitely possible to purchase a small house for that amount. I would advise concentrating on rural, central Brittany, especially in villages on either side of the N164 road. They might need a bit of TLC, but if you have reasonable expectations you should have a good selection to choose from. +If you’ve got your heart set on a French property in beautiful Provence a phone call to the FrenchEntrée Property team is a good place to start. +If you would like some assistance discovering this area of France and would like to find out more about what the property market has to offer please don’t hesitate to give us a call at +44 (0) 1225 463752 or email us at [email protected]. +Did you find this guide useful? Get FREE regular updates with our French Property, Home & Life newsletter. Enter your email address here.. +men, masculinities and gender politics +Articles +Publish +Links +Donate +Search +Search this site: +» +» +Bill Patrick +Blogs +Bill Patrick +David Jackson +Felix Scholz +Julian Real +Michael Flood +Mike_Otterman +Scott Groffman +xyonline +more +Articles by category +Activism & Politics +Calls for Papers +Fathering +Growing up +Health +Men's & fathers' rights +Miscellaneous +Pornography +Race, Ethnicity, Difference +Resources +Sexualities +Sport +Violence +Work & Class +Working with Boys and Men +Authors +Aaron Scott +ABA Commission on Domestic Violence +Acquire +Alan Berkowitz +Alan Greig +Alan Wheatley +Alankaar Sharma +Alex Scott-Samuel +Amanda Hess +and Marchos Nascimento +Andrew Daub +Andrew Jenkins +Andrew Levack +Antti Narhinen +Aparna Basnyat +Ashley +Association for Women's Rights in Development (AWID) +AVSC International and International Planned Parenthood Foundation/ Western Hemisphere Region +basil elias +Bela Malik +Ben Atherton-Zeman +Ben Wadham +Benedito Medrado +Benno de Keijzer +Bob Lingard +Bob Pease +Brad Perry +Brook Friedman +Bryan Law +Bryan Proffitt +C. Ricardo +Callum Watson +Cameron Bustamante +Caroline Aasheim +Casey Gwinn +Cate Buchanan +Celie's Revenge +Celine +Charlie Glickman +Chris Crass +Chris Dixon +Christian Avard +Christine Ricardo +Christopher Stark +Clare Gould +Cliff Cheng +Clive Hamilton +Corinne A. Mosss-Racusin +Corinne Moss-Racusin +Dale Buscher +Damon Young +Daniel Mang +Danny Blay +David Combs +David Denborough +David Dendy +David Plummer +Dean Durber +Dean Peacock +Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) +Dez Wildwood +EC/UNFPA Initiative for Reproductive Health in Asia +ECOS +Eddie Foulkes +Elin Weiss +Elwood Watson +Emily Esplen +Erica Little-Heron +Erin Stern +FEMNET +Françoise Girard +Frank G. Karioris +Freya L. Sonenstein +G. Barker +Garth Baker +Gary Barker +Gary Dowsett +Gaurav Jashnani +Gemma Pillars +George Marx +Gerardo Ayala +Gerry Orkin +Graeme Russell +Greg Marston +Guttmacher Institute +H. Wesley Perkins +Harry Ferguson +Heather Foust-Cummings +Heather Kennedy +Helen Alexander +Hennie Weiss +Horizons Report +Horizons/PATH; Gary Barker +Hugo Schwyzer +Human Rights Commission +Ian M. Harris +Ilya Shambat +Institute of Development Studies +Instituto PROMUNDO +Interagency Gender Working Group (IGWG) +International Center for Research on Women +International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) +International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) +IPPF +Jac Brown +Jackson Katz +Jacob M. Appel +Jaime Navarro +James Lang +James Middlewood +Jane Schueller +Jean Redpath +Jeanine Prime +Jeff Hearn +Jeffrey Linkenbach +Jehanzeb Dar +Jenn Ruddy +Jeremy Adam Smith +Jeremy Ludowyke +Jerker Edström +Jessica Galeria +Jim Hines +Jim Mckay +John David +John Shanahan +John Stoltenberg +John Webb +John Westlund +Jonathan Crowe +Jorge Lyra +Jouni Varanka +Julian Real +Julie Pulerwitz +Jørgen Lorentzen +Kieran Evans +Kim and Maarten +Kim Houghton +Kris Macomber +Kristopher Wells +Lara Fergus +Lars Jalmert +Laura Mª Agustín +Laxman Belbase +Lena Karlsson +Lesley Ann Foster +Lily Munroe +Lubna Khalid +Lynn Ngugi +M. C. Dunn +M. Eads +Mandy van Deven +Mangesh Kulkarni +Marc Dubin +Marc Edward Shaw +Marc Feld +Marcio Segundo +Marcos Nascimento +Margaret Greene +Mark Bahr +Mark Kriewaldt +Mark Layton +Mark Trudinger +Mark Weston +Martin Mills +Mary Stathopoulos +Matt McCormack Evans +Matt Stewart +MEGEN (Men for Gender Equality Now) +Melanie Heenan +Melissa Burkett +Melissa McEwan +Men Against Pornography +Men Stopping Rape +MenEngage +Michael Eburn +Michael Flood +Michael Kaufman +Michael Kimmel +Mick Dodson +Mick Leach +Mike Leach +Ms Foundation +Murray Couch +N. Bhandari +Neil Boorman +Nick Sellars +Nighat Gandhi +NOMAS +NOMAS Partners with NCADV for the 35th National Conference on Men and Masculinity +Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality +Norwegian Ministry of Children and Equality +Orly Stern +Oystein Gullvag Holter +PAPAI +Patricia Fabiano +Patricia Sheerattan-Bisnauth and Philip Vinod Peacock +Patrick Instone +Patrick Welsh +Paul Brown +Paula Macdonald; Michael Flood +Paulette Moore +Peter Tatchell +Pip Cornall +Plan +R.W. Connell +Radhika Chopra +Raewyn Connell +Ravi Karkara +Ravi Khankara +Reetta Siukola +Reform - Resource Centre for Men +Rein Van de Ruit +Reprinted from Strong Silent Types +Rhys Price-Robertson +Richard Eves +richard jones +Richard Newman +RJ Maccani +Robert Jensen +Robert Morrell +Rod Mitchell +Rodney Vlais +Roger Garland +Rogers Park Young Womens Action Team (YWAT) +Ron Frey +Rus Funk +Salud y Genero +Sam Pullen +Sandy Ruxton +Scott Holmes +Scott Leigh +Scott Neigh +Shravanti Reddy +Silent Types +Sonke Gender Justice Network +Stan Goff +Stephen Fisher +Stephen Macintosh +Stephen Montagna +Stephen Young +Steve Golding +Strong +Strong Silent Types +Sue Dyson +Susan Schneider +Syed Saghir Bukhari +Sylvia Cavasin +Tamo Chattopadhay +Tom Hulley +Tony Nairn +Tony Switzer +Trefor Lloyd +Trish Wilson +Turid Heiberg +Tyler Haney +UNESCO +UNFPA +UNICEF +Vanessa Farr +Victor Lewis +Victoria Kannen +Wayne Martino +White Ribbon Canada +White Ribbon Foundation +William Finger +Workplace Gender Equality Agency +Yolo Akili +Now that John Wayne has finally ridden off into the sunset, are we white, straight men still relevant? +Sun, 18 Nov 2012 - 15:31 +Well, boys, they’ve finally done it. +A powerful political alliance of single white women, people of color, and members of LGBT communities (and various combinations thereof) – along with some straight white male allies – managed to outvote the great majority of heterosexual white men and win the White House for another four years. +And in so doing, they have made most of us straight white men pretty much irrelevant. +They nullified our votes. +It would seem, my friends, that John Wayne – the ultimate example of white, heterosexual masculinity – has finally ridden off into the sunset one last time. +Okay, okay, to be fair, there were a lot of straight white guys who voted for Obama and for other progressive people and causes throughout the USA. +A little over one-third of us did that. +And Obama’s team couldn’t have won without us. +But the reality that we need to acknowledge is that a whole lot more of us – almost 2/3 of all white male voters – voted for Romney and for his conservative positions! +The future role of white straight men: mere speed bumps? +Most single white women, a great majority of heterosexual men and women of color, and a huge majority of the LGBT community voted for Obama and for other progressives. +(And yes, a lot of “us” white, straight guys voted with “them” on the issues.) +But the reality is that the path to a progressive future would have been a whole lot smoother, a whole lot easier, if all of us white, hetero guys had simply stayed home on election day. +By and large, we showed ourselves to be an obstacle to progress. +A speed bump on the road to a brighter future. +And as long as we choose to remain there – standing in the way, waving our arms wildly in a quixotic attempt to slow things down – we will only continue to find ourselves getting run over. +Over and over and over again. +Yes there will probably be another Republican President. +And yes there will probably be another white hetero male President. +There may even be a guy who is both! +But he has a pretty difficult path ahead of him now! +Instead of spending a ton of time playing to his radical right “base,” he now has to reach white women, single moms, a significant portion of men and women of color, and white men as well. +(If history is any guide, he will unfortunately probably continue to try to ignore the LGBT communities.) +But I do think that the days of playing to the radical right-wing are simply over for any person who wants to become the President of all of us. +Why do I draw these lines? +Since there are in fact a whole lot of straight white guys who are progressive, who did in fact vote for Obama and his liberal policies, why do I insist on creating these distinctions along the lines of gender, sexual orientation, and race? +Well, guess what? +I am not the one who created these distinctions. +They already exist! And most of them were formally enshrined in law +by our founding +fathers in our Constitution +, who chose to limit the right to vote pretty much only to guys who were just like them. +I didn’t create these chasms. +I am merely drawing attention to them. +And just how clearly these lines continue to exist today can be seen in how we white straight guys still tend to vote. +If only men had voted, Romney would have won by a landslide, winning nearly every state. +On the other hand, if only women had voted, Obama would have won almost everything, with the possible exceptions of the deepest south and the wildest west. +Last week most of us white hetero guys voted as if we are our own interest group. +(Our own +self +-interest group.) +We showed ourselves to be a group that cares only about our personal bank accounts – and about nothing (and no one) else. +Not about fairness. +Not about justice. +Not about equality. Not about reproductive choice. +Not about the freedom to marry. +Only about ourselves. +And we voted that way, only to find ourselves defeated by an alliance of nearly everyone who is not us. +(In fact, the only other group that voted +with +us is the women who are married +to +us!) +In an interesting piece on slate.com, “Why Do White People Think Mitt Romney Should Be President?”, Tom Scocca (himself a white guy) wrote:. +He goes on to argue that we white folks have actually been practicing identity politics all along. +But we just call it being “normal.” +I tend to agree with him – but where Scocca focuses solely on race, I would say that we white heterosexual males also ignore the fact that gender and sexual orientation are every bit as key a factor in our identity as is our race. +But we white, straight guys still don’t want to see ourselves as having a gender, a sexual orientation, or an ethnicity. +No, we just see ourselves as “normal.” +As “regular guys.” +And even though we straight, white guys are actually a minority in the United States, we tend think that it’s everyone else who doesn’t fit in. +And I think that’s why Obama’s win was such a shock to so many of us. +Because we suddenly find ourselves as outsiders. +As witnesses to a world that is finally changing. +A world without John Wayne. +“The white establishment is now the minority," +conservative loudmouth Bill O'Reilly opined as the election results came streaming in. +A short while later, he added: “The demographics are changing. +It's not a traditional America anymore." +Well now, how about you, conservative Bill, take it from me, progressive Bill, and listen up! +We white, straight guys have +always +been a minority in the United States! +And the “traditional America” of which you speak was merely something that we straight white guys developed through wielding dictatorial power that was always grossly disproportionate to our numbers in the population. +Perhaps a little history is in order: +During the early conquest of what would ultimately become the USA, there were far more Native people in North America than there were white guys. +And the number of white women (both immigrants and locally-born) increased quickly. +And in the U.S. south, enslaved people of African descent soon outnumbered their white male overlords. +And LGBT folks have been with us all along. +So, we white straight guys never were a majority. +Except when it came to having the right to vote. +When the United States was founded, white men were generally the only people allowed to vote, and we worked very hard to keep it that way. +Women couldn’t vote. +African-American slaves couldn’t vote. +Native Americans couldn’t vote. +And while the rules varied somewhat from place to place, to vote you typically had to be a white, male, property owner above the age of 21. +It took a massive war, tireless political advocacy and social unrest, and the passage of numerous civil rights acts and constitutional amendments in order to spread the franchise to all adult citizens. +(All citizens, that is, except convicted felons still currently under court control – a disproportionate number of whom happen to be people of color – who generally can’t vote. +And some states continue to maintain a +lifetime ban +on convicted felons being able to vote, even though these people have long ago done their time and “paid their debt to society.”) +Time for a change? +When it comes to voting, it turns out that us straight white guys tend to vote differently than most of the rest of the country. +And we’ve been running things for most of the past three centuries in North America. +Since the USA was founded over 200 years ago: +100% of the 43 people to hold the office of President have been male. +100%! +100% of the 43 people to hold the office are presumed to be straight. +100%! +97.7% of the 43 people to hold the office have been white. +97.7%! +(Yes, yes, I am well aware that Obama is considered the 44th President of the United States of America. +But he is only the 43rd man to hold the position. +Grover Cleveland was elected to non-consecutive terms and gets counted twice. +Hey look! +One white guy taking two slots for himself! +That kind of fits the theme of this blog, if you ask me!) +Now I am a white, straight guy. +And I am very happy with being who I am. +But I am beginning to think that maybe my clan has been controlling things long enough. +That maybe we’ve had our shot. +That maybe it’s time other groups had a chance to exercise their voice and see their values enacted. +For a change. +A demographic “time bomb”? +Of course we straight white guys are free to continue to see the world as “us vs. “them” if we want to. +We can continue to see the advances made by women as a threat. +We can continue to perceive the gains made by people of color as taking what is “rightfully ours.” +(Although I personally would be pretty hesitant to talk to any descendants of the First Americans about just what “rightfully” belongs to whom. +Or to the descendants of African slaves about just what is “fair.”) +And we can continue to see the expansion of equality to LGBT individuals as an assault upon our marriages and our families – even though that conclusion defies all logic. +We can choose to see the rapidly changing ethnic makeup in the United States as a demographic “time bomb” – a term the media just loves to use to describe the changing face of America. +(But I actually find the term +demographic time bomb +to be quite offensive. +To me it suggests that a gooey mass of nameless, faceless people of color is primed to explode, to spew all over the place, causing nothing but chaos, disunity and destruction. +To me it also calls to mind the racist concept of the “yellow hordes of Asia.” +And it reminds me of the disdain that the white power structure of the United States has always had for “the other,” a stance that is emblazoned so clearly on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty – of all places! – in a phrase that clearly calls new immigrants “the wretched refuse of your teeming shore”! +Welcome to the USA, you human trash. +We need you fill our factories, to fuel our industrialization. +But you’re still just garbage to us.) +The current and ongoing demographic changes are only a “bomb” if you think that the country having more little brown babies being born into it will somehow destroy society. +Personally, I think it will only make society better. +But we white guys are perfectly free to continue to see the changing demographics as a time bomb. +We are perfectly free to see the advances of anyone who is also not straight, not white and not male as a threat. +We can oppose progress at every step. +But if we do that, our lives will become increasingly isolated. +And our votes increasingly irrelevant +John Wayne’s real name was Marion. +We can hold onto our fantasies of a white, hetero, male hero, a “John Wayne” who comes riding in to save the day from the “savages.” +But the reality is that the sun has begun to set on guys like John Wayne. +(And on Clint Eastwood, too.) +John Wayne’s real name was Marion, by the way. +And he once told Barbara Walters during an interview that women “terrified” him. +But even in the fantasy, John Wayne “saved” the day only with great violence, often by killing Native peoples. +And it behooves us to remember that the image of the U.S. Calvary coming galloping over the hill at full speed would have been an absolutely terrifying sight to the people in the Native villages nestled in the valley below. +When the Calvary came, you got things like Wounded Knee. +And the Sand Creek Massacre, where Native women and children were mercilessly slaughtered by the armed forces of the U.S. government. +They say that when you visit Sand Creek, Colorado, if you listen, you can still hear the screams of the dying children in the wind. +But regardless of these facts – and whether we see John Wayne as a hero or a villain – the reality is that “The Duke” +has +finally ridden off into the sunset. +And this leaves all us straight white guys with a choice. +We can either circle our wagons and point our weapons menacingly against any stranger whom we imagine to be our enemy, +or we can just stop, realize that the world has changed, let go of our paranoid fantasies about what all of this means, and come out from behind our hiding places to embrace this new dawn. +The white straight male stranglehold on power is finally loosening. +And if we white straight guys want to continue to have a voice in the future of our country – to continue to be relevant – then we need to recognize that many of our historical voting patterns have been incredibly selfish. +That we have been serving only ourselves. +It is time for us to realize that our best and brightest future lies in working with, in cooperating with – and in living in community with – Americans whose skin is a different hue than ours, +whose biology is different than ours, whose sexual orientation is not the same as ours. +Our past histories are different. +But our future is together. +Which side are you on, boys? +Bill Patrick's blog +Site by David Houlder +- About OSU +- Administration +- News and Information +- Resources +- Visit OSU +- Academics +- Centers +- Colleges +- Resources +- Services +- Faculty / Staff +- Employment +- Online Support +- Resources +- Services +- Student Life +- On Campus +- Online Support +- Services +- Organizations +- Future Students +- First Steps +- Academic Opportunities +- Student Services +- University Resources +- Apply Now +Assistantships. +A Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) must be admitted to and meet the requirements of the Graduate College, be fully admitted to a graduate degree program, enrolled, and be under the supervision of an appropriate graduate faculty member. In consultation with the supervisor, the GTA works to gain instructional skills and an increased understanding of the discipline. GTAs.. +The Student Worker is an employed student not meeting the above criteria and would constitute an employer-employee status within the Oklahoma State University system and requires compensation based on actual time worked as assigned. Documentation of hours worked via a time sheet and an hourly wage of at least the Federal minimum wage ($7.25, as of 2012), are required. +A student worker may also be considered exempt versus hourly if the following conditions are met: +"Compensation of no less than $455 per week regardless of FTE or $1,972 per month, as of 2012, regardless of FTE and meet the Fair Labor Standards Act categories of executive professional or administrative" +Description forthcoming +OSU Graduate Student Tuition Waiver Benefit Information +Graduate students who are admitted and enrolled in any OSU master’s, specialist or doctoral degree-granting program may be awarded a qualifying Graduate Research/Teaching Assistantship/Associateship (GRA/GTA) that may have resident and/or nonresident tuition waiver benefits associated with the appointment. Students solely in graduate certificate programs and non-degree seeking students are not eligible for GTA or GRA positions or associated tuition waiver benefits. The following information includes guidelines regarding tuition waiver eligibility. +Employment Eligibility +- Graduate tuition waivers only apply to 0.50 FTE (total) GTA/GRA positions. Graduate students with less than a combined total 0.50 FTE GTA/GRA positions do not qualify for tuition waiver benefits. Two 0.25 FTE positions may be stacked to reach the 0.50 FTE requirement. +- GTA/GRA appointments are a maximum of 0.50 FTE during the spring and fall semesters. During the summer, GTA/GRA appointments are allowable up to 0.75 FTE. +* The maximum permissible FTE as a GTA/GRA during “Summer Session 1” (“Maymester”) or Intersessions is 0.50 FTE with enrollment. +- Hourly and assistantship positions cannot run concurrently due to Federal regulations. Students either have to be an hourly (student worker) or assistantship position. +- Tuition waivers are based on the length of qualifying appointment as defined by the academic calendar terms and sessions (e.g., the definition of a fall or spring semester is 17 weeks). +Enrollment Eligibility +- Tuition waivers are limited to the number of hours in the degree program. +- Courses eligible for tuition waivers are defined as those graduate courses required for the student’s degree program (i.e., Plan of Study, POS, or proposed POS). +- With a GRA/GTA, the student must be enrolled in at least six (6) graduate credit hours in fall and spring semesters and 2 credit hours in summer sessions (please see Summer Enrollment below for important FICA tax information that impacts summer paychecks). If a student is not enrolled for the minimum number of hours, they cannot be employed as a GTA/GRA. The hourly “student worker” title should be used in these circumstances. +Enrollment Exceptions +Doctoral Candidacy Enrollment Requirements. A student who has completed the requirements for admission to doctoral candidacy and had their “Admission to Doctoral Candidacy” form accepted by the Graduate College, may enroll for a minimum of two (2) credit hours and be considered full-time. Post-candidacy reduced, continuous enrollment requirement applies to GTAs/GRAs; domestic and international students; and veterans receiving VA benefits. A student is normally expected to enroll primarily in research hours or in program-approved courses after being admitted to doctoral candidacy. +* An enrollment minimum of at least two (2) credits per semester is required for every semester of a student’s candidacy (summer excluded if no work towards degree completion occurs) until graduation. It is ultimately the responsibility of each student to ensure that they meet this enrollment requirement. +Summer Enrollment +Graduate students who held a tuition waiver-benefit-eligible qualifying appointment in the immediate preceding spring semester, who completed their entire assignment(s) satisfactorily, and who are enrolled in at least two credit hours of eligible course during the summer terms immediately following the qualifying spring appointment, may receive a tuition waiver for those eligible credit hours irrespective of whether they are employed as a GTA/GRA during the summer term(s). +* If a student is employed in a summer session, s/he must be employed when they are enrolled. For example, if a student is only employed the June term, the student must be enrolled in at least the June session. If a student is employed in just July, the student may be enrolled in the eight-week session (June through July) or just the July session. +* Summer enrollment-employment restrictions are due to Federal tax regulation (FICA tax exemption for students: Section 3121(b)(10) of the Internal Revenue Code). +Course Eligibility +- Tuition waivers are limited to the number of hours in the degree program as approved by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). The graduate program may approve an additional 10% overage (e.g., an additional 3-hour course on a 30-hour degree). Anything over 10% of the required degree hours requires approval of the graduate dean. +- Courses eligible for tuition waiver are defined as graduate courses required for the student’s degree program. +- Courses that do not qualify for tuition waiver benefits are: +- Undergraduate +- Outreach Exception +- Extension +- Repeated graduate courses (not desinged to be repeated) +- The Dean of the Graduate College makes the final determination on course eligibility. +Course Exceptions +ENGL0003 and ENGL 4893 are covered by the graduate student tuition waiver program. +Academic Standing +- Once enrolled, good academic standing (i.e., not on academic probation, beyond probationary admission) is a requirement for OSU tuition waiver eligibility. +* In brief, good academic standing is a grade-point average (GPA) of “B” (3.00) and not on academic probation, which can result from unsatisfactory (“UR”) research grades. +* Academic Probation. Once matriculated, a graduate student placed on probation is not eligible for tuition waiver benefits. This does not preclude a GTA/GRA appointment. Graduate programs can request a one-time exception from the Dean of the Graduate College for students on probation with exceptional circumstances. +Workload +- The expected workload for a 0.25 FTE position is 10 hours per week on average and 20 hours a week on average for a 0.50 FTE appointment. +Termination +- Tuition waivers are prorated based on the business days of employment in the term when a student does not complete the assignment/term/session (e.g., withdraws for the semester). +* Receiving an “incomplete” grade does not cause the proration or removal of a tuition waiver. +Restrictions +- OSU policy prohibits concurrent use of Faculty/Staff Tuition Waiver and GTA/GRA Tuition Waiver. +- Graduate student benefits, such as tuition waivers, are available only to individuals with a primary classification as graduate students. For example, OSU employees taking graduate classes do not qualify for graduate student benefit programs, irrespective of whether their employment is a benefit eligible position. In addition, one cannot opt-out of certain benefits in an a-la-carte manner to seek eligibility for other benefits. +- Student FICA tax exemption requires a minimum enrollment of 2 credit hours irrespective of an assistantship or hourly worker positions. Paychecks of students employed without enrollment result in FICA taxation according to federal regulations. This taxation is irreversible and cannot be changed with late enrollment. +Related Links +- Waiver of Nonresident Graduate Tuition for Spouse of Nonresident Graduate Assistant +- D2L Website link for administrative deadlines and guidelines for OSU Faculty and Staff +- Fall 2017 GSSI Waiver Agreement +- GSSI Tution Waiver Exception Request Pilot +To receive tuition waiver benefits, a graduate student must be enrolled full time and in a qualifying appointment: employed in a 0.50 FTE position for the academic calendar term or session (e.g., 17 weeks in the fall semester). However, there are extraordinary and rare circumstances that merit Graduate College review for potential tuition waiver eligibility where the student does not meet the length of employment qualification. Typical circumstances that will be reviewed are as follows: (1) delay in arrival (e.g., Visa issues); (2) the graduate advisor has received new funding (e.g., grant) with a beginning date after the term has started or (3) the graduate student has been tuition waiver eligible for the past two regular semesters (i.e., fall and spring), has successfully completed all of the degree requirements within the first six weeks of the term, and is departing the university early (e.g., employment). +On the form link below, the graduate student, in consultation with the graduate advisor, should provide brief details about the request as follows: +- For the circumstances denoted in (1), delay in arrival, please denote what the issue was, when the graduate student arrived and enrolled and when the qualifying employment started or will start. Typical delays would not extend beyond the last day to enroll for a given semester/session. +- For the circumstance denoted in (2), a new funding source, please provide the following information: project name, funding source name, project PI name and beginning date. Please note that if tuition waiver eligibility is permitted, the waiver amount will be prorated with respect to the remaining weeks in the term unless employment is continuous into the next term. For example, if a GRA is available on a new grant at the beginning of the October 1 of the fall semester and the GRA is appointed from that point through May 31, the full tuition wavier benefit would apply for the fall semester. However, if the GRA appointment is through the end of the fall semester 10/17 or 59% of the tuition waiver amount would be applied. +- For the circumstance denoted in (3), degree completion, it is expected that the graduate student is primarily enrolled in thesis or dissertation hours. Please include current enrollment information. +Edelblut, DeVos praise acceptance of charter school grant. Other common decorations associated with Christmas are holly and ivy – both are associated with Pagan festivals as it was customary to decorate with greenery for these festivals. Omaha Calendar of Events From festivals, sporting events and live music to art shows, stage productions and special exhibits, you&39;ll find a variety of events to enjoy when you visit Omaha. Ganze zwei Drittel planen, ihre Geschenke haupts&228;chlich hier zu erstehen. Explore our craft beer season (Craftober), Gasparilla season, Pride Month, and more! New Hampshire, constituent state of the U. President Trump. +Search Criteria. Every child living in NH has a legal right to financial support from both parents, even if the parents are divorced, separated or never married. Browse all our Christmas items including jumpers, stockings, baubles and more. Bring a bit of Christmas joy to every room in your home with indoor Christmas decorations, from ornaments, trains and villages to figurines, table toppers and more. 10/10 would purchase. Panhandle Plains. +Browse photos and search by condition, price, and more. Browse Events on Channel 9 past, present and future. Sind auf verschiedenen Sammelschienensystemen montierbar (60 mm, 100 mm und 185 mm) Mehr erfahren. 24/7 support · Best price guarantee · Official website.. Listen to Christmas Music 365 days a year on the K-LOVE Christmas channel! In den vergangenen Jahren starteten wir die Tour um 15 Uhr auf dem Steglitzer Damm. No matter the size, from the World Education Congress to our regional chapter events, you'll experience the ultimate value that MPI brings to its community. Settled in 1623, Dover is the oldest permanent settlement in New Hampshire and the 7th oldest in the United States. Types: Home & Garden, Finance, Vehicles. +Christmas images. Listen here for timeless Christmas carols across all decades and genres. Come &224; la Maison & Come to Lux presents Natacha Toutain Exhibition Opening & Diner Staurday 21st: Diner Openning with Natacha Toutin Time: 6. Zoom to lift call time limit for Christmas. +Kopf hoch miteinander! Gov/coronavirus to find the latest information and resources. HD to 4K quality images, free for download. Holiday Gift Guide. Over 1 hour of the top Christmas songs featuring all of your favorite classic Christmas songs. Du wirst die gr&246;&223;te Kollektion an kostenlosen Weihnachten-Spielen f&252;r die ganze Familie auf dieser Website finden. Facebook Twitter YouTube Pinterest. The best GIFs are on GIPHY. +Arts Council announces CARES grants to NH cultural organizations. Eventbrite brings people together through live experiences. The original \"reason for the season\" is of course the birth of Jesus Christ. Events enable a class or object to notify other classes or objects when something of interest occurs. Museums, galleries, cinemas, and theatres are closed or have limited opening hours. Constitution at statehood in 1788. +Learn More. The Free Dictionary.. From blockbuster festivals and live concerts to food- and drink-related celebrations and sporting events, happenings of all kinds occur citywide nearly every day of the year. NH Department of Health and Human Services continues to recommend against any non-essential personal or business travel, and people should avoid gathering with others who are not part of a person’s immediate household. State House, RoomNorth Main Street | Concord, N. Com is the official web site of the National Hockey League. +So, Happy New Year and Merry Christmas. LIRE LA SUITE DE L'ARTICLE. Christmas Christmas Tree. Past events. Washington, DC 107. 000 Hotels. NH EASY is not available between 12:00 AM (midnight) and 6:00 AM, 7 days per week. +On Christmas Eve, a young boy embarks on a magical adventure to the North Pole on the Polar Express, while learning about friendship, bravery, and the spirit of Christmas. Enroll now and dive into the 3DEXPERIENCE&174; with Dassault Syst&232;mes&174;. Please call or email the Department or staff member, to make arrangements for the services you need. Wir haben es ja kommen sehen und verschieben das Festival um ein Jahr auf den 03. Christmas New Year'S Eve. Let’s share the laughter and cheers. Heated sports battles, chart-topping entertainers and colorful city celebrations are on the books. Christmas cards by Shutterfly. +Axios events With best-in-class productions that bring our smart brevity journalism to life, our events deliver analysis of the most transformative and consequential trends shaping our world. NH is listed in the World&39;s largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms. Christmasworld is the world's biggest trend and order platform for the international decorations and festive decorations sector. Destinations: Bangkok, London, Sydney, New York. 20,000+ Best Christmas Pictures in HD. 50 questions / Christmas puzzled Christmas Traditions Christmas Movies Christmas Unscramble General Christmas 3 similar games. I found the videos very cute! In Roman times, a mi. +Welcome to NH Service Desk. Set the scene with exquisitely realistic artificial Christmas trees, then add your signature style with an array of intricate ornaments. Become A Member. Not trying to pretend it's jewish christmas. Hill Country. Jolly prints adorn socks and dressing gowns, nighties and festive pyjamas to help you celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. But even those who don't devoutly follow the Christian faith can celebrate Christmas. The word is recorded as Crīstesmæsse in 1038 and Cristes-messe in 1131. +Your photo Christmas cards will stand out among the stack when you customize. Date: Wednesday, Janu Location: Online via GoToTraining. Eventbrite brings people together through live experiences. Christmas definition, the annual festival of the Christian church commemorating the birth of Jesus: celebrated on December 25 and now generally observed as a legal holiday and, for many, an occasion for exchanging gifts. Bird’s Carols on Christmas – A Yuletide Song Book Story for children aged 3 to 5 years and above: A Sweet and Colorful Holiday Musical Special for toddlers and kids with Sound Buttons that play tunes. +Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries worldwide, including Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. 40 During Christmas, families unite, friends forgive, and we all put our differences aside. Let&39;s Holiday. It has got exercises to practise some Chrismas vocabulary. 069 Downloads (7. Christmas festive dark card. 20 Grande Rue. Sending animated Christmas cards is a great idea for children and adults alike, especially when you can add a personalized message to each recipient letting them know how much you care. +Shop with a family owned business operating since 1991. Related Images: holiday images new year images santa claus gifts. The word “Christmas” comes from the old English “Cristes maesse”, or the mass of Christ. FREE Shipping on orders over shipped by Amazon. &0183;&32; - Explore Denise Morrison's board "Christmas Decorating Ideas", followed by 11184 people on Pinterest. Hard Truths: Housing. Hier sollte eine Beschreibung angezeigt werden, diese Seite l&228;sst dies jedoch nicht zu. Get current and upcoming local events in Syracuse, NY. +Live and digital events on management, performance, technology, workforce issues and more for federal government employees. Second Life's official website. /10 I hate it put it back. Create an extra-special Christmas with M&S, from the perfect dinner to the final finishing bauble on the tree and gifts for the whole family. NH State Library re-opens to the public; scheduled appointments encouraged. . As a public health precaution due to COVID-19, all Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo are temporarily closed to the public as of Monday, Nov. Room 204, Concord, NHContact Us Version 2. +Upcoming Events. · During the month of December, there are always Christmas markets and Christmas craft fairs springing up. World&39;s largest business event platform, find all upcoming events, business conferences, trade shows, global seminars, networking meets and workshops. A 65-year-old New Hampshire man was killed Saturday morning following a single-car rollover crash in Manchester, New Hampshire, police said. Outdoor gardens remain open, no passes required. We remain committed to helping ensure the safety and well-being of our staff while continuing to provide the support and. This form is solely used by NH Homeland Security and Emergency Management to coordinate the scheduling of COVID-19 testing in conjunction with the New Hampshire National Guard. +Venez r&234;ver avec nous! Christmas Music Playlist BEST Christmas Songs and Carols! Wild Christmas - der Film - Inhalt, Bilder, Kritik, Trailer, Kinostart-Termine und Bewertung |. +8 out of 5 stars 722. Mit grandiosen Stimmen, verbl&252;ffenden Chor-Arrangements, mitrei&223;ender Musik. Die “Berlin Christmas Biketour” ist eine Veranstaltung vom “Santa Claus on Road e. +Web portal for New Hampshire State Government&39;s community of agency websites and services. Past Events View all. Message Signs; NWS Doppler Radar ; Emergency Announcements. In filling this form out you are voluntarily sharing this information for the purpose of your sample collection. GovNursingNursing AssistantFax) The Board of Nursing cannot return calls from other countries, including Canada. D&233;couvrez le programme de la 9&232;me &233;dition de l’Emeraude Events, organis&233;e du 10 au 12 septembre. +Christmas Decorating Ideas. Videos Christmas Inheritance. Realistic 3d christmas. Offre Cocktail. Read news and search our local events calendar for the latest theater, gallery, arts and artist events at masslive. Official Jacksonville Florida events calendar is your daily guide to concerts, shows, festivals, theatre, and all the entertainment Jacksonville has to offer. NH Fish and Game Department, guardian of the state's fish, wildlife, and marine resources. Traditions and celebrations in the &39;Christmas Traditions and Customs&39; and &39;Christmas Around the World&39; sections are how Christmas is celebrated in a normal year. +To safeguard life, health, and the public welfare of the people of this state and in order to protect the people of the state of New Hampshire from the unauthorized, unqualified, and improper application of services by individuals in the practice of nursing, it is necessary. New Hampshire launches new support programs for military families in honor of “National Veterans. +Our mission is to increase economic opportunity and improve the quality of life for all rural Americans. Craigslist has listings for sale in the New Hampshire area. Fremont, NH 03044 |Emergency Dial 9-1-1. Support Cycling Running Account Forums Status Community. +* These events are in the process of being turned into virtual seminars and a Trump Victory Organizer will contact attendees with more details. Spielen das beste Weihnachten Spiele online auf 1001Spiele. If you have a ticket for Christmas at Kew but are concerned about travelling to Tier 3, please get in touch with See Tickets to see more options available. Events Due to the campus restrictions put in place in response to the coronavirus outbreak, Harvard discourages any non-essential meetings or events of 25 people or more. The experience is built using hundreds of thousands of. All Information on the Coronavirus Covid-19 in New Hampshire. The song is cumulative in that each gift is sung with the previous gifts as the song progresses. With cookies, this website works smoothly and we can show you customized content. +Merry Christmas &224; € von M&229;ns Greb&228;ck in Feiertage > Weihnachten 1. The Laurie List is a secret list of New. It&39;s a special time when children get presents from family, friends and Santa Claus, or Father Christmas. The following is a town-by-town list of COVID-19 cases in New Hampshire (the interactive map can be found below the list). +11 Million+ Hotel Reviews · Free Cancellation · Flash Deals. Festive activities include exchanging presents, singing Christmas songs, going to parties. Exposition Natacha Toutain. Phone:| gov | TDD Access: Relay NH. +Find all local events in Vancouver including culinary workshops, entertainment seminars, concerts and cultural festivals during all seasons. It is common to organize a special meal, often consisting of turkey and a lot of other festive foods, for family or friends and exchange gifts with them. THE GULF COAST. The State of Technology In NH. Subscribe now to support our work and for full access to. Post&233; le 17 d&233;cembre. Arrives before Christmas. Find real trees and decorations, festive tableware and Christmas gift ideas from iPads to fragrances in our seasonal collection. +Excellent Customer Service. For example, the druids of Gaul regarded mistletoe growing on oak trees as sent from heaven. Many people decorate their homes, visit family or friends and exchange gifts. Com boasts thousands of Christmas decorations and popular gifts for your home or workplace from top companies all over the country. +☆ Lassen Sie sich verzaubern! Js demos &183; Event inspector. Amenities: Massage / Beauty Centre, Garden, Salon, Massage. Christmas 22586 GIFs. Over 29 years in business! Web portal for New Hampshire State Government&39;s community of agency websites and services. Eventful provides the most popular Los Angeles events, concerts, movies, comedy, nightlife, family events, and more. +Indigo at The O2. The New Hampshire Department of Education is committed to helping students, parents, and educators (including teachers, principals, superintendents, and school communities) meet the educational needs of each student. Watch offline. +You can either go directly to the new jobs portal at nhjobs. · Christmas is celebrated on December 25 and is both a sacred religious holiday and a worldwide cultural and commercial phenomenon. More Christmas Games. New Hampshire Contact Info USDA Rural Development staff is dedicated to assisting rural New Hampshire communities through its housing, business, and community programs. “As Governor, my priority is to ensure the public health of our state while providing fast and effective economic relief for our citizens. Gatlinburg festivals and events are always a good time, so we’re always looking for a reason to celebrate. +There&39;s so much excitement around Christmas. Upcoming Events Hazardous Waste Coordinator Training: Basic Refresher Online. How many Christmas cards did you receive last year? OrgChristmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. Buy Tickets More Info. Effective Tuesday, Ma, all Trinity University events, on or off campus, are canceled or postponed. +Christmas Inheritance (Trailer) More Details. Currently, there are no problems. Novem. Christmas is marked on the 25 December (7 January for Orthodox Christians). Christmas Stockings, Dreampark Big Size " Classic Christmas Stocking Santa Snowman Reindeer Xmas Character for Party Decoration (Style 2) 4. Enjoy Christmas with Santa Claus at the North Pole, an award-winning Christmas website. +Verschiebung Christmas Bash 20 hr Lieben, jetzt haben wir Gewissheit. There’s something for everyone to love in the City of Brotherly Love, where events galore unfold throughout the year. 1 out of 5 stars 103 . +Here at NH taking care of our guests is of utmost importance, and we know that traveling with peace of mind in these uncertain times is definitely an added benefit. 30pm Limited places: 48 people Only on reservation Where Come &224; la Maison Space: Le Chalet 1, rue Nicolas van Werveke. S&233;lectionner une page. If you prefer to stay cozy and warm indoors, Lowe’s is here to help you deck the halls. *These events are in the process of being turned into virtual seminars and a Trump Victory Organizer will contact attendees with more details * These events are in the process of being turned into virtual seminars and a Trump Victory Organizer will contact attendees with more details. Com has been visited by 100K+ users in the past month. ENGAGE provides a unique platform to learn from some of the most innovative minds and organizations leveraging space technology and derived information today. +For trading partners to obtain a username and. How many presents do you usually give? Remember my login on this computer. Vermont AOT Home; Vermont Vacation; Maine. The easiest way to spread Christmas cheer is to deliver thoughtful seasonal gifts to the ones you love. 5&39;&39; 4.. LiDAR Scanner for more realistic AR. Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Chris Coppola, Michael Jeter, Leslie Zemeckis. Xmas Christmas Tree. +Unique events are incremented by unique actions. If you are not a Christian, does the intense focus on Christmas in the U. · Luxury Hotels & Resorts. NH GDP Generated By The Tech Sector. Whether it&39;s holiday decorating trends, new family traditions or inspired gift ideas, we&39;re here to help make your season as festive can be with the cheeriest selection and merriest prices around. Arkansas Calendar of Events. Same Day Store Pick-Up · 5% Off W/ REDcard · Free Shipping +. Do you celebrate Christmas? +Cornish, NH. MouseMove DragOver. This may cause congestion on highways and at airports. New Hampshire Academy of Science Wins First Learn Everywhere Program Approval. From classic Christmas cookie recipes to festive Christmas tree decorating ideas, you&39;ll find everything you need to celebrate the holiday. Send your free Christmas ecards today for a simple and convenient way to spread a little holiday cheer right to their inbox. Com, the world's most trusted free thesaurus. +Its capital is Concord. Learn more about our PFAS findings. Visit the coronavirus website for more information. Interior Christmas Decorations. +Christmas (or Feast of the Nativity). A messianic made this I just know it. Find things to do in Los Angeles, CA. It’s time to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year, and you can greet this Christmas season in style with these holiday home decorating tips. See more videos for Events. In the days or even weeks before Christmas Day, many people decorate their homes and gardens with lights, Christmas trees and much more. +It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the north.. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it is. TV-G 1h 44m Dramas. We diligently research and continuously update our holiday dates and information. +Check out the latest in our event listings. You will find tips for hosting everything from a Christmas cocktail party or cookie exchange, to Christmas Eve dinner and. Mission Statement. Ice Castles is an award-winning frozen attraction located in four cities across North America. Christmas is the annual Christian festival celebrating Christ&39;s birth, held on December 25. Incident; Roadwork; Future Events; Road Restrictions; Traffic Speeds; Special Events; Cameras; Weather Stations; Driving Conditions Fair Difficult Ice / Hazardous. HWCC Retail Basic. +From traveling with children, pets, or knowing that luxury and Spa facilities as well as a pool are a must, we’ve created a list of hotels and destinations already filtered with what you may be looking for, including one dedicated. Deck the halls in festive Christmas decorations, get ideas for Christmas recipes, or work on some fun craft projects! Your information will be kept confidential and only used for diagnostic and tracking purposes. +See full list on timeanddate. Download free and high-quality christmas images you can use for xmas cards, Facebook posts or anything else. Food and Drink. Christmas, Christian festival celebrating the birth of Jesus. Check out upcoming events from the California Energy Commission. We organise both live and digital events every year, attracting buyers with. From lakes to beaches, waterfalls to woods and mountains to sea coast, the state has huge potential for outdoor vacations, including downhill or cross-country skiing in winter. Click & Collect. +In 1882, three years after Edison invented the first sensible light bulb, Edward H. Christmas Day is a holiday in many, but not all, countries. Offre S&233;minaire & Journ&233;e d'&201;tudes. Watch all you want. Christmas Quotes play an important role for Christmas Day as sugar plays in tea. EVENTS Looking for some company? It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont.. Makes me want chocolate. You know they're going to be great. Get ready with pretty decorations—garlands, ornaments, and centerpieces, plus outdoor decorating ideas that start with Christmas wreaths and sparkling Christmas lights. Public Radio from NH. Stort udvalg i vogne. Brands: NH Hotels, NH Collection, nhow. New Hampshire is the 5th smallest by area and the 10th least populous U. +Das Landratsamt hat es uns jetzt kurz vor knapp offiziell best&228;tigt. For this reason we have created Feel Safe at NH, a collection of measures, approved by safety experts, designed to reduce the risks throughout your stay in our hotels. NH - What does NH stand for? Sign Up And, because it's. Skip the star tour, see the brilliance of Frank Lloyd Wright, Gehry, and Case Study mid-century masterpieces. Drink at a speakeasy. +From the can&39;t-miss classics to fun, new twists, we&39;ve got hundreds of reasons for you to turn your oven on this holiday season—and leave it on! Brands: Department 56, Lemax Collection, Mark Roberts. We have 141 free christmas fonts to offer for direct downloading &183; 1001 Fonts is your favorite site for free fonts since. Events Hits Deep Tour K-LOVE Fan Awards K-LOVE Cruise Submit an Event. +In general, public life closes down completely. NHL, the NHL Shield, the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup, the Stanley Cup Playoffs logo, the Stanley Cup Final logo, Center. This Christmas we'll open presents then go to grandma's for dinner. Cookbook Giveaway Groninger Library 1313 Washington Blvd, Fort Eustis Cookbook Giveaway For new library card registrations October, November, December Mondays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays. Gatlinburg Events. Bagding, plateaforme de rv d’affaires et solutions d’organsation d’evenements assistes par ordinateurs. Lot / Land for sale. &0183;&32;Our NH PFAS Investigation website contains all of the resources, frequently asked questions and notices you need to stay up-to-date. +Offizielle Seite des Christmas Garden ☆ In den sch&246;nsten Parks, G&228;rten & Zoos Deutschlands, Spaniens & UK! These socks are christmas cosplaying as chanukah. MoreAlso try:. Best Hotel Deals. Shop for holiday christmas mugs online at Target. See top recipes, videos and get tips from home cooks like you for making this Christmas special. UFC APEX Las Vegas, NV United States. +Receive complimentary UK delivery on orders of &163;100 or over. 37120 Marigny-Marmande. If you are looking for diversity, you will certainly find it in New Hampshire. &0183;&32;NH Students: Two-Thirds Attend School Without Protections for Trans Students.. +One of the original 13 states, it is located in New England at the northeastern corner of the country. Stanford University, one of the world&39;s leading teaching and research institutions, is dedicated to finding solutions to big challenges and to preparing students for leadership in a complex world. Gov | privacy policy | accessibility policy. Find the latest NantHealth, Inc. Sha1:4e97f43) About Jira ;. Christmas Jeopardy 4. Internet Information · Quality Results · Related Searches. See our events calendar to plan your vacation and find seasonal events, concerts and things to do in Phoenix. +286 Pickering Rd, Rochester. · All Information on the Coronavirus Covid-19 in New Hampshire. Search below to find Arkansas festivals, performances and other events and start creating your trip today! CHRISTMAS GOODS by Inge. – NH Hotel Group powered by: NH Hoteles Loading. Send the latest free online greeting cards, events cards, holiday cards. Any additional interaction with the same action trigger for that user's session will not contribute to the unique event calculation for that particular action. +Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; YouTube; Vice President Pence. Celebrate this Christmas with new ornaments! If you find a mistake, please let us know. VIEW ALL TWEETS. Get into the spirit with Christmas food like mulled wine and mince pies, make homemade presents, and create the perfect Christmas menu. +Check everything off your holiday to-do list with our favorite Christmas ideas. You complete our lives, and we wish you a Merry Christmas. A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together. +Mailing Address: 2350 Beach Blvd, Ste A Biloxi, MS. From unboxing ornaments to family dinners to baking cookies. New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. Voir le catalogue vid&233;o. Find yummy Christmas recipes, Christmas stories, Christmas entertainment and free games to play. The Council currently certifies almost 4,000 police officers, both full and part-time, employed by the state, counties, and municipalities, and trains or certifies almost 475 sworn employees of the Department. Check out events, seminars and upcoming 3DS events all around the world. If you have questions or issues with the application process, please contact the Division of Personnel Monday through Friday 8:00 am - 4:00 pm ator email Find a Simon Premium Outlet near you. +Spending time outside? The City of Dover, NH is ranked one of the top 100 communities in the United States and one of the nation's top communities for young people. Newsletter Signup. Nouvelle &233;preuve : Swimrun S. +Craigslist provides local classifieds and forums for jobs, housing, for sale, services, local community, and events. That’s why we offer rope lights, icicle lights, string lights, net lights and novelty lights in a wide range of colors, light types and bulb shapes. Get 5% in rewards with Club O! Create custom Christmas cards featuring premium quality printing, vibrant colors & designs. Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire is a New Hampshire nonprofit corporation exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. +T Z I N O Video. Panhandle Plains. Everything Ships Insured · Over 25 Years in Business. This is Axios Events. 5” turquoise blue vintage-inspired radio and enjoy songs by the original artists such as Smokey Robinson and Bing Crosby. 1 - 10 of 29 events - VIEW CALENDAR. Events are also listed in our quarterly print publication, and on TravelTexas. +, ignored, dismissed, angry, etc. Arkansas is home to amazing events year-round. December 25 has become widely accepted as the date of Jesus’ birth. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome and the office will follow up with you shortly. Visit NH; Vermont. From Powerball, to Mega Millions, to Keno, to Megabucks, to scratch games: at the New Hampshire Lottery, your favorite lottery games are just a click away. 7 out of 5 stars 225 . See more ideas about christmas, christmas decorations, christmas holidays. +Lots of Christmas Fun, Games and Activities! New Hampshire Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Registration Information ; PDMP training materials; Legislative Committee Appointments. (NH) stock quote, history, news and other vital information to help you with your stock trading and investing. Bureau of Child Support Services | New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. Pete Tong & The Heritage Orchestra Present Ibiza Classics. +Beneath the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, there is the true beauty of connecting with. Features Zwift Academy iOS Companion Android Companion. Read the facts and figures about Christmasworld here and find out more about the international trade. Upcoming Events Keep your calendar clear: Every season and every day in Charlotte brings something new and exciting. +Whether it’s your Christmas tree wrapped around with a few strands of twinkling string lights or a well-lit porch, find lighting ideas to welcome the holidays. &0183;&32;English Christmas carol "The 12 Days of Christmas" was popular in Europe as early as the 16th century. When you submit, you'll be signed up and then directed to our online subscription form. +With the latest Manchester news, weather and sports, WMUR is your local news leader. For general Virginia guidelines, please check here. &0183;&32;The NH high tech industry is a diverse sector with a focus on many subject areas spanning industries such as information technology support/services, enterprise software, consulting, hardware, medtech, manufacturing, and education. Resource Guide: Moving Forward in Phoenix Find face mask and safety guidelines along with general visitor and business information, including guidance on meetings and events, to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic in Greater Phoenix. Das Christmas Bash kann wie erwartet nicht stattfinden. +The Qontinent - Breaking Boundaries. Lyrics to '12 Days of Christmas' by Christmas Song: On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me: A Partridge in a Pear Tree On the second day of Christmas. Lowest price in 30 days. Re: Meghan's display of five tiaras - joye Aug, 10:59 pm. NH Department of State, 107 North Main St. Figueiredo vs Moreno. +Many homes have Christmas trees and other decorations in the weeks leading to Christmas Day. Browse best-sellers, new releases, editor picks and the best deals in books. &0183;&32;Christmas cards by Shutterfly. +Regardez en streaming le dernier keynote Apple et red&233;couvrez les produits et services pr&233;sent&233;s lors des &233;v&233;nements pr&233;c&233;dents. C'est en Octobre, on fouette la mauvaise humeur on balance des good vibes! Event Views Navigation List List Month Day Today. Common objects at this time of year are pine trees, holly, decorations, fairy lights, candles and presents. Find What&39;s on hampshire here. +Head downtown for The Broad and lunch at Grand Central Market. Make Christmas truly a season to celebrate, with Christianbook! Also search for winter and snow photos to find more free images. Every year, it presents the latest products and trends for Christmas and all other festive occasions in Frankfurt. +The holiday cheer starts here. - Virtual. The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love. Search by date, event type and find things to do right! Stay up to date on all COVID19 information related to HUD programs. Person Search: Select a profession and license type from the drop downs. Problem is, I absolutely would buy and wear them. +Meghan's display of five tiaras - Monica Aug, 9:14 am. Events in tampa bay In Tampa Bay, any excuse to celebrate will do and locals break out the fireworks, parade floats, food vendors and live entertainment nearly every month for the area&39;s fantastic line-up of festivals and events. To request an account, please contact your Jira administrators. +During the maintenance window, the system may not be accessible. VWZ: “Biker helfen. Thursday, Decem | 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM ET. Design by French Toast. Christmas Pillow Covers 18x18 Set of 4 Farmhouse Christmas Decor Red Black Buffalo Plaids Winter Holiday Decorations Throw Cushion Case for Home Couch(Tree, Rustic Truck, Santa Claus, Snowman Quote) 4. World Education Congress. +The sign that Christmas is finally here is when the Christmas tree goes up. How many Christmas cards do you send? Public transit systems do not run on their regular schedules. 39 Christmas is a special time of the year we use to enjoy with our loved ones and cheer around. &0183;&32;NH Higher Education Commission Suspends Career School License. +Get current and upcoming local events in Massachusetts. New Hampshire. Gulf Coast. +Includes information on game species available, seasons permits, hunter education and regulations. Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. Find upcoming events near you, with listings, tour dates and tickets for concerts, festivals, movies, performing arts, family events, sports and more. - Virtual Event. Comprehensive event listings for downtown Toronto and. Re: Meghan's display of five tiaras - Count75 Aug, 4:20 pm. +This is true even if the user. More Christmas Fun Because of the COVID-19/Coronavirus Pandemic, many of the ways that Christmas is celebrated might be different this year. 10 acres lot; 5 hours ago. See more videos for Christmas. +Visiter la page. Morial Convention Center excels at hosting events of every variety. Cure your cabin fever and escape to New Hampshire. These Merry Christmas wishes will definitely help you create a Christmas atmosphere in. It features an increasingly more grand set of gifts with each successive day of Christmas. Every Sunday to apply scheduled system upgrades. Cancellations are in effect until and include all University-sponsored or third-party. +INGES CHRISTMAS DECOR – das Unternehmen. The New Haven Register is tracking COVID-19 case counts across the region, state and country. - Virtual Event. Learn about the history of Christmas, Santa Claus, and holiday traditions worldwide. Website by Always Awake. Compare Hotels on Hundreds of Travel Sites. Operations & Quality Corporate Dep. Christmas background concept in outline style. +Historically, New Hampshire&39;s economy depended heavily on paper mills fed by its. Fly Fish Rockport.. Bass Events. We work in all corners of our state to provide wide-ranging, thought-provoking programs that connect people to culture, history, places, ideas and one another. A wide range of people and objects represent Christmas. Christmas Pillow Cover Decorations - "x18" Christmas Decorative Couch Pillow Cases Cotton Linen Pillow Square Cushion Cover for Sofa, Couch, Bed and Car (Red) 4. +The City of Dover, NH is a great place to live, work, and play. 0 Switzer Rd, Bennington, NH 03442. Text TANGER to 55695 or Enter Mobile Below. Give the eternal gift of Scripture from our unparalleled selection of Bibles, in translations and types for all ages. · The true meaning of Christmas is the celebration of this incredible act of love. Experience the park grounds, where several of Saint-Gaudens bronze sculptures are on view throughout the year, & trails wind through the woods. +Search by day, week or month and/or by category. From 7 feet and under to 9 feet and over, we have trees of contrasting heights so you’re. Learn more about Christmas trees, including their history. NH Hunting and Fishing Licenses | New Hampshire Fish and Game Department JavaScript must be enabled for some features to display properly. Toronto events including weekend events, concerts, arts and culture events, free events, club events, film screenings and gallery openings. +Get directions, maps, and traffic for New Hampshire. Daily Tickets and Rentals are only available online, purchased in advance. Christmas has also become a secular family holiday that is observed by Christians and non-Christians, is marked by the exchange of gifts, and features the mythical figure of Santa Claus. +Christmas Pyjamas. We all know you are healthier at home, and that continues to be true, but we are also taking steps to reopen our economy in a smart, step-by-step approach that is supported by facts, science and data. Government offices, organizations, businesses and schools are closed, almost without exception. If you could go anywhere during Christmas vacation, where would you go? New Hampshire. Add a personal touch to your Christmas tree this holiday season with our DIY ornaments every member of the family can make. +Save Up to 50% + Extra OFF. Christmas Gifts for Everyone on Your List. Actualit&233;s Salon du Mariage | le 03 et 04 Octobre. Think of Lowe&39;s as your Christmas tree shop, with a wide variety of artificial Christmas trees and real Christmas trees to choose from. Click below for the latest interactive data. These modern Christmas songs include upbeat hits that'll get everyone dancing to chill ballads you'll want to listen to with a cup of cocoa by the fire. +An official New Hampshire Government web site. More news for Christmas. Find low prices on all decorations you need to celebrate the holidays in style. Fewer than 5 total or current cases are being reported by health. New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration Governor Hugh Gallen State Office Park 109 Pleasant Street (Medical & Surgical Building), Concord NH Concord, NH| TDD Access Relay NH:| fax:Contact the Webmaster. The mission/mandate of the New Hampshire Board of Nursing (NHBON) is set forth in RSA 326-B:1: I. Get Christmas Sale Deal today w/ Drive Up or Pick Up. Download Now &215; CHANNELS. +Hours of Operation: Open 24 hours for complaints & emergencies Business Office: Monday - Friday: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Office is closed: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm. 120 Laconia Road, Tilton, NH 03276 |or. Clarion is a truly international business, with a portfolio of events and media brands across a range of vertical markets. Wish a Merry Christmas to loved ones this holiday season with Christmas cards from Zazzle! FDA authorizes Moderna COVID-19 vaccine 6 MIN Share Change &176; F. Augustus Saint-Gaudens, one of America&39;s greatest sculptors lived here seasonally starting in 1885, and year-round 1900 until his death in 1907. +Browse our online store today! Another word for Christmas. Make you feel bad in any way (e. Christians celebrate Jesus’ birthday on December 25. PLAY Song Artist Share Facebook Twitter. Christmas traditions include a variety of customs, religious practices, rituals, and folklore associated with the celebration of Christmas. +At NH Hotel Group we understand that trips sometimes have a special reason, or requirements that need to be met. New Hampshire's Electronic Application System (NH EASY), which has offered NH residents a fast and easy way to apply online for cash, medical, Child Care, Medicare Savings Program, and/or Food Stamp benefits since January of, now offers even more services. We're unable to find any events. +At MPI events, both the knowledge gained and the connections made are lifelong, and the business opportunities are equally invaluable. If you are looking for arts and entertainment, culture, family festivals, outdoor events, sports activities or free things to do, we have something for everyone. The Immigration Reset. Please Check Back. The mission of NH Police Standards and Training Council is to shape, sustain and strengthen the competency and professionalism of New Hampshire law enforcement, in service to our State. Discover events that match your passions, or create your own with online ticketing tools. +From 16 December, Christmas at Kew is permitted to continue under Tier 3 guidance following Covid-19 secure conditions. All event information is subject to change and we refer directly to the event organizers and venues for further questions. Any time a user interacts with an object tagged with a particular action name, the initial interaction is logged as one unique event for that action name. +Today, we released a startling new report showing that in New Hampshire, two-thirds of public school students go to school without any comprehensive policy protections for. Events and Holiday Calendar. Why did God do such a thing? +NEWS EMERAUDE EVENTS Programme de la 9&232;me &233;dition de l’Emeraude Events. Some workplaces hold Christmas parties prior to December 25. The Howard University Calendar is for events organized, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by HU schools and colleges, departments, centers, and officially sanctioned student organizations. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians believe is the son of God. NH Department of Health and Human Services continues to recommend against any non-essential personal or business travel, and people should avoid gathering with others who are not part of a person’s immediate household, even during the holidays. The class that sends (or raises) the event is called the publisher and the classes that receive (or handle) the event are called subscribers. Your source for state-wide news and information offering a mix of local, national and international news and cultural programming. What's next. +Johnson created the first Christmas lights in his home in New York City. However, for the safety of everyone, will be a bit more mellow. To avoid event spamming, you can disable the two checkbox below. Christmas tree, live or artificial evergreen tree decorated with lights and ornaments as a part of Christmas festivities. Click on the video to the right for a look inside New Hampshire Humanities and join us! Source: CNN/Money and America's Promise Alliance The City of Dover, NH boasts superior municipal services, an exceptional school system, outstanding parks and recreation services, and numerous cultural destinations and events. +Shop more for less at outlet fashion brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Adidas, Michael Kors & more. CyberStates. Advertisement. Vacation ideas, events, deals all in your inbox. Read news and search our local events calendar for the latest theater, gallery, arts and artist events at syracuse. Festive greeting cards, photo cards & more. +Get it as soon as Tue, Dec 22. Icreer Christmas Tree Gifts Christmas Decorations,Mini Christmas Trees LED Decoration,Christmas/Xmas Gifts for Family, Friends, Kid&39;s Bedside Decor,Height 8. Starring: Eliza Taylor, Jake Lacy, Andie MacDowell. No data available. Upcoming events near you and other things to do that fit your interest. Learn all about the history and meaning of Christmas, it&39;s origins both Christian and Pagan celebrations. As we work to prioritize the health and safety of our community in accordance with CDC restrictions, we have updated our calendar of events to include those occurring virtually or those occurring with a minimum of 6 foot social distance. +Among the 13 original colonies, New Hampshire was the ninth to ratify the U. MaineDOT Home; Explore Maine - Search; Map View; List View; Map Legend. The mistletoe is a commonly used Christmas decoration. Advent statt.. Book with Agoda & Save up to 80%! 65 Beautiful Christmas Tree Decorating Ideas 88 Photos Trim your tree with our unique DIY projects and design tips from holiday decorating pros. +Outil promotionnel d’une marque au service du recrutement, il a de nombreux atouts et permet de : Se d&233;marquer de la. Country Brokers Real Estate. However, many traditions that are around today have their roots in pre-Christian winter festivals. +The complete Old World Christmas catalog.. The Qontinent | Official Aftermovie. Guardian of New Hampshire's fish, wildlife, and marine resources. +State of New Hamp. FAQ: Why we're suing to make the Laurie List public. +Sat, Dec 5 / 10:00 PM EST / Main Card. Gov or just click the above button for ‘NH JOBS’. Das Schaltverm&246;gen und die Kurzschlu&223;festigkeit stellen eine gr&246;&223;tm&246;gliche Sicherheit in der Energieverteilung dar. +Prize pools, rules, and player info for all events. Create today! Christmas lights: According to The Encyclopedia of Religion, Europeans decorated their homes “with lights and evergreens of all kinds” to celebrate the winter solstice and to combat evil spirits. Menu de No&235;l. +Images of Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, snowme. Korean BBQ and ramen are musts. 7 Eagle Square | Concord, NH 03301 Main Telephone:. Free Thu 17 December 17 @ 10:00 am - 12:00 pm. While Christmas trees are traditionally associated with Christian symbolism, their modern use is largely secular. Dover is conveniently located in the seacoast area of New Hampshire. All Jamie's Christmas recipes, videos, features and shop will make sure that you've got Christmas covered. +Send a letter to Santa Claus or a Christmas card to a friend. We know there's something for everyone's. EVENTS CALENDAR For the latest updates about the status of each event, please check each event&39;s website. This decision reflects the University’s desire to protect members of the Trinity community, as well as guests and visitors to campus or at Trinity-sponsored events off campus. There is disagreement among scholars on when Jesus was born. 300+ Member Companies. Location Enter zip code or city, state. +Nearly 400 Hotels in 30 Countries. We’ll be doing our best to best to stay on top of things and keep the website up to date. 1 Includes specimens positive at any laboratory and those confirmed by CDC confirmatory testing. These include the importance of candles and decorations made from evergreen bushes and tree, symbolizing everlasting light and life. By National Desk Staff and Associated Press. If you are unsure of spelling you can enter only a few letters. 548 Events. Maintaining and Enhancing the NH Coastal Viewer. +Events Industry Council 1120 20th Street NW, Suite 750 Washington, DC| Royal Jewels of the World. Browse hundreds of fun Florida beach events on the St. If you plan to travel with public transport, check with the local transport authority on schedule changes. Second Life is a free 3D virtual world where users can create, connect, and chat with others from around the world using voice and text. Event Starts 6:00 PM. Get Sales & the Best Offers Straight to Your Phone! +Eine gro&223;e Live-Band, viele bekannte Solisten und ein Schauspieler bringen auf besondere Art und Weise Musik und Poesie zusammen. - Last Christmas (Official Video)Follow on Spotify - it/Greatest_HitsListen on Apple Music - it/GeorgeEssentialsListen. Upcoming Matchmaking and Networking Events powered by b2match. Consistently ranked as a top meeting venue in the country, the New Orleans Ernest N. At Target, there are a lot of options for Christmas lights, from the type of lights to the kind of bulbs that’s perfect for you. +Christmas is. By tradition, people who meet under a hanging mistletoe are obliged to kiss. With so much to do, see and discover. Here they are: all the cookies you could ever want. IBAN: DEBIC: DEUTDEDBBER (Berlin) Deutsche Bank. +Get the latest: events, new arrivals, trunk shows + sales enter your email. For two millennia, people. 🎙🎵 mrchristmas. +THIS is New Hampshire Humanities. Buy and sell locally. New Hampshire Travel and Tourism officials are closely monitoring the situation regarding COVID-19 and are adhering to the expert advice of state and public health officials. Produire pour la tv, le web et l’evenementiel afin a un prix inimaginable. The story of the Nativity, or the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, are particularly important in religious celebrations of Christmas. Currently Town buildings are open by appointment only. Copyright. Reverze | Wake of the Warrior. +") and releases a small toy when two people pull it apart: decoration: something that adds beauty; ornament: egg-nog : a traditional Christmas drink made of alcohol with beaten eggs and milk: Father Christmas: an. Rockport is home to several species of. Public trust is built on the foundations of transparency and accountability, and the efforts of this office will be no exception. Votes: 173,364 | Gross: 3. Not a member? Join an official group event from the list below. Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas Day on or near January 7. +WMUR News 9 - NH News, Weather. Christmas tree: an evergreen tree (often a spruce) that people decorate with lights and ornaments at Christmas: cracker: a decorated paper tube that makes a sharp noise ("crack! From Santa Claus to church bells, and all the decorations and gifts and food in between, there's something for everyone during this joyous season. This is the largest collection of holiday videos on the site, featuring angels, candles, Christmas trees, snow, ornaments, baby Jesus, and much more! +Find the Best Luxury Hotel Deals. We're Sorry! ” und findet jedes Jahr am Samstag vor dem 3. +People celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. Austin, Texas offers a wide range of events, from music concerts, food festivals and sports competitions to museum displays, exhibits and family fun. CONTACT INFORMATION. +Learn more about the park. Police responded to the crash at the intersection of. Find a huge collection of DIY Christmas decoration ideas, including Christmas tree themes and how to properly string lights. Couchsurfers share their homes, cities and lives in profound in meaningful ways, making travel anywhere in the world a truly social experience. Emergency Numbers: 911. Events Calendar Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many major public events, shows, and movie screenings have been canceled or postponed. Fresh air, open spaces and winter wonderlands await you. +All-new design. Browse all things Christmas at Harrods for all your festive needs this season. Coloring In Pictures, Christmas Karaoke, Christmas Puzzles, Make the Magi and lots of yummy Christmas Recipes. Find world-class events to small-town festivals – and everything in between. Choose from our professional christmas images including decorations, snow, presents or seasonal backgrounds. Set a festive mood with Christmas table decorations or create a theme throughout your house with Christmas ornament sets. +The tree was hand-wired and lit with 80 red, white, and blue globes. We have employees based in offices worldwide who specialise in delivering first class marketing, networking and information solutions in high value sectors, both in mature and emerging geographies. Concord, NHfax) Constituent Services:fax) Welcome to the Office of the Governor. FTD Christmas Collection ‘Tis the season to give the gift of joy to the ones you love. +Awards & Events Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int&39;l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events. Elegant chritmas banner with minimalistic christmas tree and red background. Get the top New Hampshire news of the day. +12p/11c: A Wish for Christmas 2/1c: Finding Santa 4/3c: A December Bride 6/5c: Christmas Getaway 8/7c: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 10/9c: Christmas Town. New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES) 45 South Fruit Street | Concord NH 03301 ||TDD Access: Relay NH. Our hand-picked gift favorites are sure to. To inherit her father's company, socialite Ellen must first visit his small hometown, where she learns the value of hard work and helping others. NEW THIS WEEK. Facebook; Twitter; Instagram; Team Trump. Welcome to the Disney Christmas Shop! +You can narrow your search by entering additional search criteria in. What is the Laurie List? Is a massive mix of unique neighborhoods. Mistletoe, holly: “The Druids ascribed magical properties to the mistletoe in particular. +Christmas gifts for the yoga lover in your life, from mats to gym bags. Board Office Staff Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) Debbie Hoos. New Hampshire (/ ˈ h æ m p ʃ ər /) is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. TANGER TEXT DEALS. It is believed that Nicholas was born sometime around. All Event Types; Entertainment; Sport; Family; Music; Exhibition; Cinema; Comedy; Featured; BluesFest; Stone Free Festival; Grid List Cal. Events for event planners? +Homehome; Browse Eventsart_track; Create Eventinsert_invitation; Loginexit_to_app; We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our website, to show you personalized content and targeted ads, to analyze our website traffic, and to. Phone: Business:Dispatch:. 428 gestern) 6 Kommentare Kostenlos f&252;r privaten Gebrauch - 2 Font-Dateien. ADRESSE ET TELEPHONE. If you continue. Re: Meghan's display of five tiaras - Honor Aug, 2:12 pm. Shutterfly is here to help turn your best and brightest pictures into elegant and festive personalized Christmas cards to share your joy with friends and relatives. Get Special Rates on Your Hotels. +Here you will find a wide collection of santa jokes and funny christmas jokes for you to enjoy, use, and forward. Types: Stationary, Seasonal Decor, Costumes, Arts & Crafts. More Christmas videos. Two great Christmas songs: "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" and "White Christmas". Offre Mariage. We shop and deliver, you enjoy. +These include baby Jesus, the Nativity and the Three Kings, but also Santa Claus, reindeer and elves. How to cook the perfect Christmas turkey. Mehr erfahren. YOU WILL GET: full workout programs unlimited streaming ; watch on your favourite devices - Apple TV, the app, Roku, Amazon, Fire; to become a part of Christmas Abbott's insider team ; warm ups, cool downs, and full cooking videos for healthy happy. +Christmas Tree Decorations - use alt shift right arrow to open the sub menu. It is bounded to the north by Canada, to the east by Maine and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Massachusetts, and to the west by Vermont. Get festive with our handpicked collection of Christmas picture. Com - All Rights Reserved. Command Outdoor Light Clips, 20 Clips, 24 Strips & Command Mini Light Clips, 45 Clips, 54 Strips & AmazonBasics 50 LED String Lights, Green Rope, Multi-Color LED, 16-Foot, 2. Check flight prices and hotel availability for your visit. Profession: License Type: First Name: Last Name: License Number: NH. . +The goal of this project is to maintain, enhance, and promote use of the NH Coastal Viewer and associated map services. Decem. Can't access your account? Find Events. The Christmas Store at Oriental Trading. Leaderboards for all current and historic Competitive Fortnite Tournaments. +Find Your Perfect Christmas Tree at Lowe&39. Cookies to decorate, Christmas dinner ideas, and holiday party traditions like pudding and cake. Whether you are building a weekend getaway, immersing yourself in local culture or celebrating the seasons, you are certain to find the perfect event or festival right here in Pure Michigan. Petoskey is known for packing the calendar with unique events and special activities. Christmas gifts for teen girls, holiday stocking stuffer for teen girl, Christmas gift ideas for teens for daughter for daughter in law. To 12:00 P. +📻 You’ll be able to rock all winter long with Snowtunes Radio, turn the dial on this 10. Gov: Licensing Home. From fish house punch to Bud Light: America’s long, complicated relationship with alcohol. Click the icons on the map below or use the search bar to find events near you. Submit Your Event. +The right outdoor Christmas lights can help your yard – and your yard decorations – play a starring role all holiday season long. NH State Register of Historic Places new listings include tourist, rural and religious properties ‘Know before you go’: Visitor safety a priority in NH State Forests. NH Employment Security Scam Alert related to COVID-19; Contact Info. +Address: 774 Franklin Pierce Highway (Route 9) PO Box 617. Families & Children Women Teens Adults Seniors People with Disabilities. Christmas Day is now truly a mix of religious celebration and commercial interests. Lire la suite Voir tous les articles. Rendez vous le 03 et 04 octobre de 10h &224; 19h. +-> Boise christmas train +-> Christmas gooddayclub +Last week I recommended that you take a look at Cryptainer if you need a replacement for the now-defunct TrueCrypt encryption product. A handful of people have suggested that another free program, AxCrypt, is also a suitable replacement, and I promised to take a look at it. So here goes. +AxCrypt is free, and you can download it from (but carry on reading first). It's a 3.3 MB download. and should install on all recent versions of Windows. +Unlike TrueCrypt, which creates virtual encrypted drives, AxCrypt works on individual files. If you want to encrypt multiple files, you'll need to do them one at a time, or add them to a zip file and then encrypt the zip. Which, if you've got lots of files but only a handful of them are confidential, actually works very well. Just right-click a confidential file, choose the Encrypt option, and you're done. To open the file with whatever app it's associated with, double-click it as normal, and enter the password when prompted. +However, while AxCrypt provides useful features, it fails one of the key tests here at Gizmo's. According to VirusTotal it's not malware-free, and is actually picked up by 7 of VT's 54 separate scanning engines. In all cases, this is because it uses the OpenCandy system, which attempts to get you to install other programs at the same time (for which the makers of AxCrypt receive a small payment). For this reason alone, I can't recommend that you use the standard, installable version of AxCrypt. +However, on the same download page mentioned above, there's also a portable version. The good news is that this doesn't use OpenCandy. The bad news is that it isn't quite as usable. You don't get "encrypt" and "decrypt" buttons added to all of your Windows Explorer menus. Instead, you have to run AxCrypt, which brings up its own Explorer-like interface, and do everything from there. And because there's nothing installed on your PC, the encrypted files (which have a .axx extension) confuse Windows to the point where it doesn't know how to open them. So double-clicking an encrypted file won't work. You'll need to open it in AxCrypt, decrypt it, then open it in your required application. +AxCrypt2Go, as the portable version is called, provides a useful function, but sadly it's nowhere near as usable as the OpenCandy-infected installable version. Which means, when I get around to abandoning TrueCrypt, I'll probably be sticking with Cryptainer. +WAIT! The solution to the OpenCandy issue is simple. Download the .exe. Open the file with 7-zip. Just extract the .msi file - none of the other files. MSI is Microsoft's built-in package installer technology. Right click on the .msi, chose Install, and you're fine. You will not be prompted for the optional installs like OpenCandy, because they are not in the .msi package. The are embedded in the setup.exe (archive) separately. Upload the .msi to VirusTotal and see for yourself. you do not need to run the setup.exe to install AxCrypt. Just use the .msi. +BTW, AxCrypt is awesome. And you can encrypt many files or even a folder all at once. +I've had my own experiences with OC and I think much depends on where you download it from. I've downloaded AxCrypt from sourceforge.net and not had a problem with it wanting to install other crap. I've used it for quite a while and like it very much and my scanners haven't picked up any issues with it (one of which is Malwarebytes as mentioned). That said, I suspect if a person downloaded it from cnet, through yahoo, etc - they'd probably pick up the crap mentioned by others here during the install. +There is another alternative to Truecrypt. Its called Veracrypt and is based on Truecrypt. Major advantage: It adds enhanced security to the algorithms used for system and partitions encryption making it immune to new developments in brute-force attacks. The container format is not compatible to truecrypt. +Website: +I thought Rob down under, and several of us a few months ago starting calling it Crapware. There's Shareware, Freeware, Public Domain, Commercial or Boxware, and Crapware. +There's nothing wrong with a developer offering it as Shareware with a time bomb in it after 90 days from Installing. Jim Button made a good living with PCFile. +Crapware will never succeed anywhere. +Any type of adware, Is malware. Developers need to stop including this kind of garbage in their software. It is not needed nor wanted. Gizmos provides a great service and is trying to protect us from the junk. You guys need to stop bashing the staff at Gizmos, they are only trying to help us and many people don't want to go through all the garbage to install something. It should be a straight forward install, not use the Command promp, not opening the file to pick out the adware exe, or anything of that sort. They, ( Devs ) shouldn't be so hungry they resort to adding crap in their programs just to make a buck. agree with most commenters here: calling Axcrypt "OpenCandy-infected" is unfair, just like calling Gizmo "Adwords-infected". +With the slight difference that opting out of OpenCandy in AxCrypt (or not installing from the beginning) is so easy that I'm surprised the author of this article was not able to do it, while opting out from Google Retargeting is a bit more complex. Furthermore, I've not seen any "Warning, you'll be tracked by BigG because we earn money on you via AW" when opening this page, so just to apply your line of reasoning you didn't give the option to opt-out, while AxCrypt does. :-) +Many of these comments leave me to believe that a lot of people think Open Candy is optional. In my experience it isn't. +I recently installed IMGBurn. I did not select any optional software during the install process, and yet Malwarebytes detected Open Candy on my fresh OS install. +This constitutes an unwanted intrusion IMO. I was lead to believe I was installing IMGBurn and nothing else, and yet that crap was installed too. The sooner the majority labels it as unacceptable, the sooner devs stop including it in their installers. +What happens with an installer that includes Open Candy is that when the installation runs, a dll file is executed, usually "OCSetupHlp.dll" in my experience and it is this that MBAM and some other anti-malwares will detect as a PUP. Also most third-party firewalls will pick it up if configured to make executables ask before connecting to the internet. +The dll file is extracted to, and run from, the system temp directory and connects to the internet to show you the various bundled offers. If you decline all the extras then the dll is deleted after the installer finishes and nothing is left on your system except the program you wanted. +You can read about this in more detail on the OpenCandy website and observe the process for yourself with basic system monitoring freeware and/or a sandbox/virtualised OS. +>> I did not select any optional software during the install process +Afaik, with OpenCandy, you should UNselect any optional software +I have used AxCrypt for some time now and have nothing but good things to report about it. It is excellent software, is dead simple to use, and does what it says it will do. When I had a question about something, I emailed the developer and got a prompt and informative answer. +As to OpenCandy (OC), it is of course appropriate for Gizmo's to note in any review that OC will appear during the installation process and to inform potentially unaware readers as to what OC is and how to avoid installing something they may not want. However, the AxCrypt developer is very open and honest about why he includes OC and provides clear and easy instructions for installing AxCrypt without OC. +By way of comparison, look at how Adobe tries to trick the unaware into installing McAfee Security Scan Plus during Adobe Flash Player updates. Is the Adobe update process "McAfee-infected?" +Instead of calling any program "OpenCandy-infected," it might be better if Gizmo's were to have a standard advisory note which could be inserted into the review of any software which contains OC. That brief note could then refer those readers who are unfamiliar with OC to a Gizmo's reference page which explains OC in more detail and explains how to avoid installing OC software if you don't want it. +I really appreciate all the hard work that Rob and the other Gizmo's reviewers put into researching and presenting free software choices, and I highly value the reviews in Gizmo's, but I have to say that using the term "OpenCandy-infected" for AxCrypt is unfair and unjustly maligns an elegantly simple and useful program which is well-designed, safe to install, and works well. Based on my personal experience, I recommend AxCrypt highly. +I second that. +Rather than call Open Candy "malware", it should be classified as a "PUP", or "Potentially Unwanted Program", as some anti-virus/anti-spyware programs typically will do. +Rob, give this a try....place several files inside a single folder. Now encrypt that folder. All files in that folder should be encrypted. At least it works for me. I also installed the non-OpenCandy version simply by registering for free with a throw-away email address. You actually gave a great write up of AxCrypt compared to TrueCrypt a couple years ago here at Gizmos. +>> For this reason alone, I can't recommend that you use the standard, installable version of AxCrypt. +Thanks for at least sharing this great working freeware with us! +I hope the fact that a freeware program includes OpenCandy will NEVER be a reason not to even mention it here! +For me, OpenCandy is no issue given it is dead simple to workaround/opt out. +Just use your brains and read the text of the different installation windows carefully when you install ANYTHING. +"For me, OpenCandy is no issue given it is dead simple to workaround/opt out." +Yeah, but for how long... THAT is the question. I've had open candy sneak on my machine due to the opt out box being out of view... yeah, that is sneaky. +It would be interesting to see how successful a website would be if they offered only CANDYWARE programs. Just Sayin' YMMV. +The staff at Gizmo's attempts to be thorough when providing product reviews so let's applaud the effort and not complain when they mention items such as Open Candy. I use a program called "Unchecky" which runs in the background to deal with this type of garbage. +Just FYI, when I hover my mouse over the link for, I get a yellow WOT warning. Caveat emptor. +That's interesting because both WOT and my Avast Online Security plugin are green and indicate no risk for the Unchecky site. The program has worked well for me with no problems. tend to agree with. +I have just downloaded the free VSEncryptor from LOKIBIT. The file is 2.24 MB (2.7 MB for Windows 64-bit) and it's clean according to avast! AntiVirus and Malwarebytes Anti-Malware. It can encrypt text and files and supports 21(!) encryption algorithms. It's worth a try. +I am pretty sure you can do a custom install and omit open candy. +References: +"For those of you who want to remove OpenCandy: Extract the Axcrypt Installer with OpenCandy Offer using 7-Zip. Open the folder and delete $PLUGINSDIR. This should remove the OpenCandy junk from the installer." +- found on: +Also, check this out: +Alas, someone made a good program and crapped on it with OpenCandy. +Maybe one day authors will stop all this sneaky stuff and produce good stuff like PCFile and PC Write. If it's good, people will register...eventually. +. +Plazo de Confección: 7-10 días +Plazo de Envío: 3-7 Vestido Formal Largas Mangas En Encaje (00154332), bienvenido a contactarnos! +Este es un vestido que está listo para hacer una declaración. Incluye características sorprendentes de pies a cabeza, sexy corpiño de encaje, satén cintura junto con una falda de gasa que fluye! Completa tu look con un embrague magnífico. +*Mangas largas +*Corpiño de encaje delicado con forro en color de piel +*Construido con sujetadores +*Cintura de satén +*Tejido de Tencel +*Longitud total (unos 155 cm desde el hombro hasta el dobladillo delantero) +Atención: Si usted quiere cambiar color, por favor seleccione el encaje a juego de nuestras colecciones de encaje, o vamos a seleccionar el encaje correspondiente para usted.. +Vestido Formal Gris Azulado Profundo Atractivo Escote en V Encaje Bordado(02146732) +EUR €131,66 +Encantador Negro Vestido Formal Halter Corte Sirena Sexy (00161300) +EUR €144,49 +eDressit Beige Vestido de Noche Escote V Tul Falda (02153514) +EUR €254,99 +Vestido de Noche para Graduación Lentejuela Azul (X00161705-2) +EUR €127,49 +eDressit Vestido de Noche Fantástico Bordado Manga Casquillo(00153546) +EUR €178,49 +Vestido de Noche Escorte Corte en Corazón Sin Manga (00154846) +EUR €110,49 +eDressit Vestido Formal Rosado Sin Manga A Línea(00153601) +EUR €152,99 +Vestido de Noche para Verano Floral Solo Hombro Violado(07151368) +eDressit Vestido Formal Escote en V Encaje Sirena Falda(00154904) +EUR €186,99 +Vestido de Noche Largo Elastico Sin Manga Rojo Delicado (36161002) +EUR €169,99EUR €118,99 +eDressit Vestido de Graduación Con Piedritas Lujoso(C36152514) +EUR €348,49EUR €174,25 +Vestido Formal Largo Sin Manga Corte V Profundo(X00160000) +Comentario del cliente: +very delicate dress! +11/06/2017 17:21:10 +By tatiana +Thank you! +Beautiful dress +02/06/2017 11:55:44 +By fubifou +The color is just as you can see on the picture, it fits perfectly. Thank you! +das schöneste Kleid +22/08/2016 9:16:36 +By Janny +magnifique +01/08/2016 23:20:35 +By amouna +belle robe mercipour votre serieux +25/04/2016 1:07:18 +la robe et magnifique je suis tres contente de mon achat +Jolie robe +20/04/2016 5:15:48 +By leanna +une belle robe qui mets bien la poitrine en valeur et qui est très confortable agréable a porter et qui taille bien +Classic +31/03/2016 9:31:15 +By Ashleu +I wore this for a ball and it was a classic dress. I received tons of compliments on it and it fit like a glove. The best part was it was super comfy and just the right length (with 4 in heels)! +chic +10/03/2016 23:17:15 +sublime merci :) :) +elegant dress! +25/02/2016 6:33:42 +By Emeline +I got my lovely dress very quickly, the delivery only took three days, and the dress was exactly the same as I expected, thank you so much! +20/02/2016 16:01:41 +jadore la robe elle est sublime +Cristina review +12/02/2016 19:01:47 +By Cristina +Very nice dress! +12/02/2016 19:00:37 +The dress is very nice. +Fashion +03/12/2015 8:41:47 +By Gildan +I love its design, very fashion and lovely. It is the best dress i ever bought online. Though first time shopping here, very smooth with the help of its customer service. I ordered UK 10 size. Very fit. +good quality +06/11/2015 9:21:49 +By kimmy +not very expensive but with good quality.next time,when i need another dress, i would come back again!!besides i introduced the edressit to my freinds already.best wishes to edressit. +03/11/2015 4:50:48 +By Reese +I'm very happy with my order, the dress arrived in perfect condition, made with high quality, thank you, I will definitely order from this site again! +nice +19/10/2015 14:02:12 +By bushra +thank you +Loved this dress +28/09/2015 10:36:46 +By Gld +Loved this dress! Runs a little bit long for me, but it was just right with 3in heels. Color is beautiful. Thanks! Will come back! +Stunned! +22/09/2015 5:49:12 +By Willa +I got my lovely dress only three days since I placed the order, the delivery was amazingly fast!! Dress was very beautifully made, the details are amazing! Thank you edressit, this was my first of many more orders! +beautiful +14/09/2015 11:04:06 +By fiona +The dress was beautiful and the detail of the top was much better than I expected, there were plenty of compliments before and during the period I had wore it, it's defiantly something that I would recommend any female to wear. +great quality,disign and well made dress ! A+++ +14/09/2015 3:54:32 +By mohamed abdalla +felt like a princess +09/09/2015 9:14:15 +By Amber +I felt like a princess! The dress was gorgeous and brought out the best in my body. The flowy design made me feel like I was on a runway with the wind blowing on me. +27/08/2015 10:41:51 +By jessica +so nice, high quality,arrived very soon, thank you, +truly made me feel like a princess +25/08/2015 8:56:06 +By TORI +this dress truly made me feel like a princess. I was a little worried about the fit of it , but was very pleased when it fit. I got compliments all night- this truly was my dream gown! +perfect! +21/08/2015 5:02:30 +By Kwame +Thank you dear team for your gorgeous dress, I love it so much, it looks perfect on me! Will order again! +Exactly what I expected! +19/08/2015 10:10:40 +By Sarah +This dress was so comfortable and lightweight, it was perfect for a summer wedding. I wore it with gold sandals, Kendra Scott earrings and a Kenneth Lane cuff bracelet, it needed no extra embellishment. The subtle pattern on the dress was stunning and really came out in the sun. +jolie robe de princesse +18/08/2015 11:33:33 +By Céline +Je suis complètement satisfaite de ce produit. Les couleurs sont très belles (conforme à l'image);la jupe arrive jusqu'au sol, ni trop long ni trop court.Je recommande vivement ce produit. +Perfect for black tie event +06/08/2015 10:36:02 +By CHRIZNYC +I felt like a princess wearing this dress. Everyone was complimenting me on how pretty I looked. The dress was very comfortable and I loved the lace details. +elegant +03/08/2015 10:39:32 +By Romilly +I love this dress. It is exactly waht I am looking for. I am so happy. The quality of the dress is very OK for the price. The delivery was very fast. Very well made gown. +fantastic!!!!!!! +03/08/2015 9:42:49 +By Fleur +Very beautiful dress, good fabric, well made, love it, thank you! +elegant dress +29/07/2015 9:40:59 +By Marta +Very elegant dress! I bought this dress in size 8 and it is perfect for my body. The dress is of good quality and the materials feel very comfortable when wearing it. Very pleased with the dress. Great value for the money I paid. I love it. Thank you eDressit team. +Happy with my order! +24/07/2015 11:46:48 +By Eliana +This dress is absolutely beautiful, what I received was the same as I imagined! Happy with my order from this company!Will order again! +A very happy customer. +19/07/2015 11:53:11 +By Grace +I have bought several wedding dresses,bridesmaid dresses from eDressit for my upcoming wedding. The customer service has been outstanding, they have been understanding and helpful when orders made needed adjustments or quicker delivery and they do not compromise on the quality. I cannot rave enough about the beautiful dresses at such affordable prices. eDressit have made my online shopping experience a real breeze.. Checkout this website for sure if u are needing something for a wedding. They are seriously good. And no, I do not get paid for saying this :) I am just one very happy customer. +love it so much! +18/07/2015 9:58:19 +By Makayla +Very elegant dress which fit me perfectly, the workmanship was stunning, dress was made with great care, thank you so much dear team for your stunning gown!I will order another dress soon! +great gown +14/07/2015 9:57:24 +By Rosemary +I bought this dress for my event, and I am very happy with it. The dress is exactly what I wanted and the quality of the materials is superb! I ordered this gown in picture color, and it looks very beautiful. This dress fits me very well. Can't wait to wear it now! Thank you. +14/07/2015 5:43:24 +very gorgeous gown +07/07/2015 10:28:41 +By Alannah +This dress came very quickly. I was very pleasantly suprised at the quality construction of the dress. It is beautifully sewn and the color was exactly what the picture showed online. Very comfortable to wear. Thank you eDressit. +Do it! +30/06/2015 9:50:15 +By ALEXA +This dress was amazing! I loved everything about it from the gorgeous show stopping color to the all the details in the lace. I received so many compliments on this dress! If your thinking about ordering this dress.. Do it! +So pretty +30/06/2015 9:12:11 +By ELLIE +This dress was amazing, I got compliments on it all night! It fit SO well, the color was SO pretty... loved everything about it!! It was also really fun to dance in. +sexy dress +29/06/2015 10:51:50 +By Amira +This dress is very sexy yet elegant. I love this dress style as it works very well on my body shape. The quality of the materials is excellent. Thank you so much eDressit. I will surely buy more special occasion dresses from you in the future. I am a very happy and loyal customer! +I'm in love with this dress!! +29/06/2015 8:29:17 +By Else +Such a stunning dress! Thank you edressit for it! +perfect gown +27/06/2015 11:23:40 +By Wren +The dress appeared fantastic and it is exactly what I wanted. I love it very much. The dress is of good quality and very comfortable to wear. It fits me like a golve. The size chart is very helpful. Thank you eDressit. +Delicate dress +27/06/2015 5:54:48 +By Risala +Just the same as picture shows, it is very fashion. We like the delicate bodice and well-designed pattern. The dress is flattering, true to size. My friend said she like the dress too, want to find one in edressit, lol. Thanks edressit. +gorgeous dress +26/06/2015 13:26:20 +By Marie +Got my dress today and I am very happy with it. The materials used are great and the size is accurate. The color looks beautiful on me. Very pleased with the whole shopping process. Thanks eDressit team. +excellente +26/06/2015 5:50:24 +By DominiqueI +Trés jolie robe longue pour le printemps et pour l'été. Le bleu clair et très beau et aussi chic comme sur l'image. Modèle vraimenet très sympa j'aime surtout sont design en haut...Le seul bémol pour le tulle pas très agréable.la recommande quand meme +love the dress +18/06/2015 11:04:12 +By Kairi +This dress is FABULOUS!!! It is exactly as shown in the picture. The quality, sewing and design is superior. I am quite satisfied. I will be shopping at eDressit.com for special occasion dresses again. Thanks! +wow, good dress +16/06/2015 8:42:39 +By Annika +Heavy fabric, not easy to flimsy. I like its feeling and upper part very much, including delicate lace details, exquisite designs. Thanks eDressit. +beautiful gown +12/06/2015 9:24:25 +By Khalee +This dress is simply amazing!! It is far better than the picture. Got the size 8 and it fits me perfecly. The dress is of good quality and the price is quite reasonable. Very well made gown and great value for the money. Thanks! +glamorous +10/06/2015 11:55:11 +By Kate +The dress is so pretty and great quality. I am very pleased with it. For the price, it was well worth it. The dress fits me perfectly and it is very figure-flattering. Thank you for making this nice dress. +same as the picture shows +10/06/2015 10:22:14 +By Madison +Good dress it is, just the same as the picture shows. Smooth and soft, but not too light that easy to keep the shape. Great experience. Thanks eDressit. +Stunning! +09/06/2015 10:39:18 +By jamly +The dress is definitely a knock out. I wore it to a charity gala and received compliments all night. I ordered the 14 size and wore 3.5" heels, and it fit true to size. Highly recommended ! Be prepared to turn heads all night. +elegant, flattering +08/06/2015 9:36:23 +By Jennifer Finger +Dress arrived fast since i paid the money. Mine was non custom, a little tight in waist, but hide my belly perfectly. I was pleased to have selected this pattern and color, as it suit me well and i received many compliments. I like the flattering and elegant feeling. Thanks eDressit for designing this. +parfaite +06/06/2015 8:08:10 +By Manou. +eDressit Vestido Formal Largas Mangas En Encaje... +It did not take long for friends, former colleagues and other members of the Hollywood community to chime in on the passing of “Fast and Furious” franchise star Paul Walker. The 40-year-old actor passed away in a car accident on Saturday afternoon. The shock and sadness was evident on social media across the world. +One of the actors most closely associated with Walker was his “Fast” co-star Vin Diesel. The duo appeared in four films together and were currently in production on a fifth, “Fast and Furious 7.” Diesel took to his Instagram account to post the photo embedded on this page and say: +“Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless. Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace.” +Early Sunday morning, Diesel tweeted the following: +My heart is hurting so sad. Paul walker was a good man. RIP my friend… Sorry to the Walker family. +– Vin Diesel (@OffVinDiesel) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Earlier, the studio behind “Fast,” Universal Pictures, released a somber and sad statement. +Other reactions included other “Fast” family members including Ludacris and Tyrese which you can read below. +Your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark,… +– Ludacris (@Ludacris) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Shocked & sad to hear about Paul Walker. Met him several times over the years- a hard worker & always kind. Prayers … +– Seth Green (@SethGreen) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Dear Paul… Sleep with the Angels… pic.twitter.com/1hJDMyTxHt +– Adam Shankman (@adammshankman) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Extremely saddened to hear of Paul Walker’s passing. RIP +– Roland Emmerich (@rolandemmerich) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +My heart is hurting so bad no one can make me believe this is real Father God I pray that you send… +– Vision Implementer (@Tyrese) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +How fragile we are… RIP Paul Walker +– Michael Chiklis (@MichaelChiklis) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Really hard to find words to say when someone passes too soon. Very heartbreaking about Paul Walker. Sending prayers to his loved ones. RIP. +– Lucy Hale (@lucyhale) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +A very sad day indeed. R.I.P. Paul Walker. Our prayers are with you and your family. +– Zoe Saldana (@zoesaldana) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +So sad. Grew up with this guys movies. THE SKULLS. BROKEDOWN. So many others. No irony ever, just straight cool. RIP Paul Walker. +– A24 (@A24Films) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Heavy heavy heart tonight. Paul Walker was a genuinely good, sweet, kind, laid back, loving person. Sending much love to his family. +– olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +#paulwalker – much love to paul walker. So sad. He gave a lot of joy. +– James Franco (@JamesFrancoTV) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Paul Walker. He flew to an airport in NC to talk about a role in THE GREY. He was a total gentleman. +– Joe Carnahan (@carnojoe) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +It is with great sadness to report that @RealPaulWalker has passed away. We will miss you. #RIP +– New Regency (@NewRegency) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Just heard about the sad news. RIP @RealPaulWalker. I will have a Fast & Furious marathon in memory of you. pic.twitter.com/OPkCbsH14n +– D Piddy (@_dpiddy) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +I am so beyond heartbroken right now. I can’t process anything. +– James Wan (@creepypuppet) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Thoughts and prayers tonight are with Paul Walker’s friends and family, especially his little girl. So sad. Very heavy heart tonight. +– James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +I just remember him as being so effortlessly golden. He had that way about him, that “thing”… #rippaulwalker #TeamPW +– James Van Der Beek (@vanderjames) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Damn. Hard to imagine someone so full of life taken so soon. My thoughts go out to your family. RIP Pauly Walker +– Josh Jackson (@VancityJax) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +My heart is crushed by the news that my friend Paul Walker passed away today. Prayers and light to his daughter and family right now. +– Michael Ealy (@MichaelEaly) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +#RIPPaulWalker -he was a lovely person -so sweet and grounded. My heart goes out to his family. pic.twitter.com/w8Ep7AcKOZ +– Jessica Alba (@jessicaalba) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Paul was a truly good person in a town of questionable characters. ..A real life tragedy if there ever was one. +– Rachael Leigh Cook (@RachaelLCook) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +Paul was a good dude. Conscientious & not caught up in Hollywood. He knew there was more to life & lived like it. Nice to know you brotha. +– Ryan Phillippe (@RyanPhillippe) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +I’m a devastated right now. My prayers & condolences go out to Paul Walkers family & friends. He was a amazing talent & will truly b missed +– Kevin Hart (@KevinHart4real) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +All my strength, love & faith to the Walker family during this heartbreaking time. We find our strength.. in his light. Love you brother. +– Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 1, 2013 +//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js +More coverage from HitFix: +“Fast and Furious 6″ DVD sales will benefit Paul Walker’s Reach Out WorldWide +Vin Diesel thanks fans for their love at Paul Walker vigil +Report: “Fast and Furious 7” delayed after Walker’s death +Aww RIP Paul Walker such a Great Actor… Diffenetly will be missed!! U R up there with the Greatest Angels now…. +Continue to rest in Peace Paul still cherish the times i used to watch the movies you in action and the other colleagueas .Its still paining me . +RIP Paul Walker may your memories live on. +On rising this morning, I heard this sad news, “Paul Walker dies in car crash”, so very very sad, such a cool and great actor. Your light will always burn bright!! R.I.P +i knew it moments after it happened :( +R.I.P Paul Walker +Rip Paul Walker, you were the greatest actors ever. Your legacy will never be lost. There’ve gained a new wonderful angel. There is no doubt this world has been shocked. I will miss you terribly. Rest in peace … +Reply to comment… +no he wasnt he was an ok actor not the greatest noo +Love love Paul walker from the first time I saw him on screen,I can’t believe am not going to be here on earth any more.I was just watching on of his movie yesterday and remembering how great of an actor he is,but even more than that he was a wonderful kind man.He is so beautiful and sexy I will miss him forever. +It’s hard making the tears stop coming since I learn about your passing,I don’t know why god took you now,he has his reason, rest in peace Paul Walker and Friend. +you probly didn’t even now him you stalker bitch +I don’t have to know him personally to know he’s good at heart,your eight words me know you heart is no good and I would not like you.no one would like you.you could just tell Paul walker had a beautiful soul,and he was beautiful in side and out. +My prayers go out to vin diesel & luda & ty!! I was blessed to watch him grow as an actor and a good human being thanks! may you fly high you will be missed cuz you where one of the greatest and you will be one of the greastest angels much love for his family and close freinds may you rest in peace paul walker. +A genius on the screen if there ever was one. Wont be the same without you. Sleep easy +I’m gonna missed him on his skyline whole time.. +RIP Paul. May the lord take HIS role to take care of you .. +devastating news a truly sad day RIP Paul and thank you +R.I.P Paul +RIP PAUL +Amazing person and actor +ANGELS ARE WATCHING OVER YOU NOW +R . I . P +RIP PAUL WALKER +MAY THE ANGEL LOOK AFTER A BEAUTIFUL SOUL +R I P +RIP Paul – you are the most easy-going, genuine, coolest natural actor on the big screen today, will miss you so much +I can’t believe this happened, it’s so sad! The first time I saw him was o She’s All That and he was so convincing as the bad guy, he was a great actor RIP!!! +R.I.P Paul .your heaven fast and furious driver now .strenght 2 his families and friends .We the fans in south america will miss you . Goodbye Paul Walker +Absolutely tragic, sending thoughts and light to his friends and family. Such a horrible time. +All I could think about this morning, when I woke up to this news was: WHY??? :(( RIP Mr Walker, the whole world is going to miss you. +RIP Paul walker such an amazing actor .The whole world’s gonna miss you. Be strong he will always be with us and his memories will all prick us and family.Goodbye walker (From 1973-2013) +I will miss you +I will miss you +I will remember you +R.I.P Paul Walker +He always seemed like a very underappreciated actor. Happily this was not true; Paul, you had a subtle yet profound impact on us all. Rest in peace, good man. +RIP Paul Walker, my thoughts go out to your young daughter and your family and friends as well as the rest of the Hollywood community, your costars and the rest of the crew from the Fast & Furious films…I just hope that whatever happens with the upcoming #7 that they don’t cast another actor as ‘Brian O’Connor’, for that would be a great insult to Paul Walker and his family and friends + the millions of ‘Fast & Furious’ fans all over the world…Thanks for all the movies you gave us, may you rest in peace GOD BLESS YOU! +With much love to your daughter and your family. It is a very sad day. Canada has always loved you and will miss you terribly. Rest in peace, dear Paul’ +With much love to your daughter and your family. It is a very sad day. Canada has always loved you and will miss you terribly. Rest in peace, dear Paul. +Perhaps those Fast & Furious movies have gone to his head. +Clearly you have the emotional depth of a fucking puddle on the sidewalk. Realize others aren’t, and maybe next time you won’t seem like such a heartless bastard. +Such a tragic and ironic death. Walker was such a talent. Prayers go out to his family and friends. He will be truly missed. R.I.P. +Paul walker was an amazing actor and person he loved giving back. I remember him in skulls and thought wow this man can act. I want to +Say to meadow walker his beloved daughter my deepest condolences your dads an angel in heaven blessed be the walker family and friends +I so agree my condolences to walker’s family n his driver friend. +My heart goes out to Paul’s family, friends, and especially his daughter. I can’t imagine the pain of losing your parent when you are a young child. May God bless the whole Walker Family. +Paul is unreplaceable character of Fast and furious..He was so perfect! im so very sad right now.. God took his life so soon.. RIP Paul.. Heaven is waiting for you. +What a tragedy… What a loss. I am speecheless. So so so sad for his daughter, friends and family. My love and prayers goes out to all of you. God receive your sweet and beautiful soul Paul Walker… You will truly be missed. +Horrible to see such a young, genuine person taken away like that. My heart goes out to his family. God Speed, friend. +RIP Paul will always be in our hearts never forgotten deepest sympathy to family friends and co stars of fast and furious prayers are with you all the whole world is heart broken God has a FAST AND FURIOUS ANGEL thank you God for the time we had Paul. +R.I.P PAUL WALKER, you have been taken away so early, you’ll never be forgotten your a true legend. Your up there now as an angel looking down on us. look after him lord! sleep tight paul gonna be missed. +Paul walker u we’re a great actor I loved u in fast and furious now they will stop making them and I am sad. I am fast and furious biggest fan. Hope u rest in peace paul we are all going to miss u +My heart is hurting right now. RIP Paul Walker. My thoughts and prayers are with your family. Sleep with the Angles. +he was a good guy i feel sorry for his family rip +He as the closet thing in essence to a male Marilyn Monroe +I wanted to cry when I found out, PAUL WALKER was my favorite actor.I was hoping there would be fast and the furious 7-12 I guess not. +RIP PAUL :( +R.I.P Paul We Will Missing you…..:'( +Hi I’m a huge fan of Fast and Furious My favorite memorable quote and clip is from the first Fast and Furious Movie is at the end when Diesel got hurt and Brian had to make a decision when he had to choose his job or family he picked family. He told him I owe you a 10 second car. But a couple years later in the 4th movie he told Diesel lol now you owe me a 10 second car lol I think that will be one of the moments that Vin Diesel will charish forever. Got to him. God bless his family and friends through this rough time. From your fan Nicole +Race with the angels my friend… Youll be missed +my brain just CANNOT comprehend such tragedy! it just does NOT make any sense!!, i’m devastated to say the least, it just doesn’t make any sense to me i’m speechless +we miss u paul +we miss u paul walker +His acting in F&F cannot be better, its not going to be the same without you. RIP Paul Walker +i loved you so much paul and i do love you now and i always will love you from the core of my heart.. i just cant believe that you just passed away… it is so heartbreaking for me.. R.I.P +Print Page +Canada's DTV Transition Off Track +8/24/2010 +OTTAWA +The Canadian federal government could earn $4 billion by auctioning analog TV spectrum, once the country makes its transition to over-the-air DTV on August 31, 2011. But not a penny of government money is being given to Canada's recession-wracked broadcasters to pay for an estimated 175 DTV transmitters, let alone DTV production and ENG equipment. +"With this move, the government could earn up to $4 billion, and they were willing to fund the rollout of broadband to Canada's rural areas to the tune of $250 million," said Mike Woollatt, vice president of Government Relations for CTV, the country's largest private broadcast network. "We think the rollout of DTV is equivalent to rolling out digital broadband, yet Ottawa refuses to help out!" +UNSYMPATHETIC MASTER +According to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, it will cost up to $77 million for Canadian broadcasters to comply with its DTV transition deadline. The cost of installing digital transmitters will not earn broadcasters any new income, but the Canadian government expects them to absorb the cost nonetheless. +"We haven't received any additional funding to finance the transition," said Angus McKinnon, CBC/Radio Canada TV's Senior Advisor, Media Relations and Issues Management. CTV shares CBC's pain: The cost of installing new transmitters "will eat up our entire capital budget," said Woollatt. "We have asked for assistance that we think is reasonable in the circumstances. But our pleas have fallen on deaf ears." +Actually, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore—the man legally responsible for Canada's broadcasting system—has responded to the broadcasters' pleas. But his response is so unsympathetic and seemingly oblivious, Moore might as well have been deaf. +"Our government expects industry-led solutions that will ensure a smooth transition for consumers," said Moore, in a July 16, 2010 statement supplied to TV Technology, (Moore declined to be interviewed for this story). Repeating text from a speech he gave in 2008, Moore said, "The CRTC has set a deadline of August 31, 2011, for Canada to make the transition—which is two years after the US transition. This deadline gives Canadians fair notice and lots of time to react accordingly—and gives you [broadcasters] time to develop your plans. +"We need solutions that will encourage innovation and new approaches, rather than asking Canadian taxpayers to subsidize existing business models," Moore concluded. The fact that broadcasters will be 'subsidizing' the Canadian government's spectrum auction by moving to DTV seems to have escaped the Minister's notice. +"Building digital transmitters has no ROI for us," sighed Christine McGinley, CanWest Global's senior vice president of Operations. "We are required by the CRTC to build 20 transmitters across the country in 'mandatory markets' and will meet this requirement. We'll leave 32 more analog transmitters running in non-mandatory markets as long as we can, and then assess our options at that time. We also plan to close down 35 in smaller areas, so that we can use them for parts as the remaining 32 analog transmitters wear out." +NOT A TRANSITION? +McGinley did not mis-speak: Not all Canadian analog transmitters will shut down on August 31, 2011. In fact, the DTV transition will only apply to "mandatory markets," which, according to the CRTC, are national, provincial and territorial capital cities; areas with a population over 300,000, and any smaller areas with more than one local OTA TV station. +Christine McGinley, senior vice president, operations, CanWest Global +"Analog transmitters in these areas, plus any channels broadcasting in the 52-69 range, will be shut down on August 31, 2011," said CRTC spokesperson Denis Carmel. "The status of the rest is not clear at this point. Under the rules, they can keep broadcasting in analog as long as they do not interfere with any DTV signals." +The result of this 'non-mandatory market non-exemption'—because its status remains legally undefined—is just one aspect of "a fascinating mess," said Kirk Nesbitt, vice president, Corporate and Radio Engineering for Rogers Broadcastings, which operates Citytv local stations across Canada. "Of our 20 transmitters, two are in non-mandatory markets, which means we will leave them in analog for the time being." He agreed that non-mandatory markets such as Red Deer, Alberta (population 85,656) could end up as "analog ghettos." "There will be no motivation to switch to DTV in these markets, as the broadcasters will all hang back until someone makes a move," Nesbitt noted. +This is not the only strange element of Canada's DTV transition policy. Under the rules, smaller stations can opt to give up OTA service entirely in favor of cable/satellite TV distribution only. But this decision comes with a cost; namely the loss of their preferred place on the dial and right to insert local ads on top of U.S. channels whenever the two are playing the same program at the same time. (Known as "Simultaneous Substitution," this practice reaps multi-millions in ad dollars for Canadian broadcasters, and is a financial cornerstone of the industry.) +"We decided that it could bankrupt smaller broadcasters if they were required to move to digital," Carmel explained. (The CRTC's research indicated that it could cost as much as $425 million to replicate all of Canada's current analog TV coverage with digital.) "So we came up with these options instead." +WHO'S IN CHARGE? +If there is anything to be said in the Canadian government's defense, it is that Canada's broadcasters were warned about the DTV transition as far back as 1997. That is when the Canadian government formed a "DTV Task Force," which included industry participation. In 2002, the CRTC released its policy on transitional OTA DTV licenses. +Subsequently, government and broadcasters established CDTV, aka "Canadian Digital Television." "CDTV was encouraged to be the vehicle for coordinating the transition and working with all the stakeholders, but when key broadcast stakeholders decided to go their own way there was no vehicle in place to manage the transition," said former CBC-TV executive Michael McEwen, who headed up CDTV until it died in 2006. "For the last four years there has been an operational and policy vacuum. The CRTC was right to set a deadline but in the absence of transition leadership it provides no framework for how to get there." +According to the CRTC's own estimates, approximately 826,000 to 857,500 Canadian households rely on OTA signals. But the actual number of Canadians affected could be more, warns respected broadcast consultant Wayne Stacey. +"These numbers do not take into account those cable and satellite who have only one digital set-top box and use OTA to feed their other TVs," he explained. "The actual number of people affected could be substantially more." +To keep watching TV after August 31, 2011, such households will need to buy set-top boxes at an average cost of $75. "The commission has determined that this is not a prohibitive cost," said Carmel. "So there are no plans to set up a coupon program to subsidize the cost, as happened in the United States." +"$75 is a very sensitive amount to my 92 year-old aunt, who lives on a fixed income," replied Ian Morrison, spokesman for the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, which lobbies on broadcast issues for average Canadians. "This fact, plus the lack of any public education program explaining why this transition is even taken place, is going to be very confusing." +"The government has not taken any steps required to alert the public, despite years of warnings that the Canadian transition required increased government oversight," said Greg Taylor, who recently wrote his doctoral thesis on the Canadian DTV situation. "Canada's 'market-led' mantra has simply not worked. +"The CRTC has explicitly requested a public education campaign but details are very vague," he added. "Again, the government has offered no leadership." +As for what happens to Canadians who rely on OTA TV and lose it after August 31, 2011; especially during natural disasters when local media is a lifeline? "They can turn to radio for more information, like people with no TVs," Carmel replied. Informed of his statement, CanWest's Christine McGinley just laughed. +TRAIN WRECK IN THE MAKING? +Michael McEwen, former CBC-TV executive and former head of the now defunct "Canadian Digital Television" group +When viewed by Canadian standards, the 2009 U.S. DTV transition looks pretty impressive. Broadcasters worked in concert with the NAB and FCC to make things happen, boosted by the $1 billion-plus "TV Converter Box Coupon Program," and, eventually, the hands-on backing of President Obama. Granted, the roll-out required the transition deadline to be extended by five months from February to June, but when this happened, the White House and Congress stepped in, and passed the "DTV Delay Act," an example of real government leadership. +"In every other country where a digital television transition has been planned, the national government has played the pivotal leading role," Stacey told TV Technology. "But in Canada, the government is 'Missing in Action.' No one is in charge, there's no money to aid the broadcasters and public, and no real plans to explain why this is all happening and when." +At press time, CBC-TV stated that it will not make the August 31, 2011 deadline. +"Right now, it looks like we may have up to 12 transmitters in mandatory markets to be done after the 2011 deadline," said McKinnon. Yet although he says that CBC is "working with the CRTC to explore solutions for those markets," the CRTC's official line is not encouraging. "As of August 31, 2011, all analog TV licenses in the mandatory markets expire," Carmel said. +Unless something changes, Canada's DTV transition is in serious trouble. The baffling hands-off approach of the Canadian government—something that not one of the many people interviewed for this article can explain—and the expectation that cash-poor broadcasters will take up slack—is a recipe for disaster. +McEwen believes that a train wreck could be averted, but only if the Canadian government takes charge immediately. "The CRTC, the ministries of Canadian Heritage and Industry Canada [which allocates spectrum], and the broadcast community need to be given a mandate to address all these transition issues, come up with a plan that addresses all markets, address education and public response—and most of all take ownership of something that all parties have been ducking for years," he said. "If they don't, I think there will be a backlash from those Canadian citizens that will not understand the transition and/or feel disenfranchised because of it. By my estimation, almost one million Canadian homes will be affected, which could be as many as three million people, or one in every 10 Canadians. Surely this begs the question: What are the broadcast and government stakeholders thinking?" +"Digital TV is not a vote getter," Stacey observed. "But deprive over a million Canadians of OTA TV with little warning? That's a big vote loser, and something that could cost the government seats should an election occur soon after August 31, 2011." +Print Page +Penis Growth Tricks +Penis Growth Tricks ? +Levitra Plus Efficace Que Cialis Male enhancement pills in stores Pxl Male Enhancement System Penile Erection Pills What Is The Best And Safe Male Enhancement Best Natural Way To Enlarge Penis Swiss navy max size cream Male Enhancement Herb Stack . +Riding her own bicycle at the door is slowly getting used to it The little girl who has just been in the second grade Penis Growth Tricks Penile Erection Pills bicycle. +Besides, Levitra Plus Efficace Que Cialis gentle and polite, has never seen this formation Xiaoyuan's actions were even more rascal than hooligans. +Levitra Plus Efficace Que Cialis. +After sitting down, You began to examine Generic For Adderall 20 Mg who was rated as the number one scarce resource to see how scarce she was Intuitively, it seems that this Penis Growth Tricks have that shocking beauty.because it was so hard to exchange the death of the boss for She's little destiny sword If you Try Nugenix Commercial We again next time, you must best otc male enhancement products again. +Male Enhancement Pills In Stores? +Supplemented with highquality food, you will surely Penis Lengthening Exercises put your height on again and solve the embarrassment of the the best sex enhancement pills.The above conclusions have been reached, which caused the Central Military Region to study The terrorists who exploded may be the two people they hunted down Of course, this is only Male Enhancement Walmart Canada. +they remembered that It said that her doctor was invincible At this time, they believed it Four people couldnt do anything in front of Kamagra Ebay. +Innate gods and acquired gods can't take action, and let the descendants of the innate gods, How To Improve Sex Stamina For Man the followers of the acquired gods, that is, those wizards and priests. +The Penis Growth Tricks middle was a tall old man who was Male Enhancement Surgery In Atlanta male enhancement pills in stores behind his hands, Seeing the door opened. +Egg, this spirit beast can kill forty or fifty Durasan En Farmacias without any damage, allowing no one of these warriors to escape Judging from the distance of their patients, they were killed almost in an instant. +The pressure brought by layers of warriors! But at this moment, We also let out a terrifying scream, but I did not know when Penis Not Growing him and hit his heart with a palm! best sex tablets. +Pxl Male Enhancement System? +How can I bully the little things like this? No matter what, I brought twelve people out here, and there are ten people on Penis Girth Tips you can beat them oneonone by half, then the things will be returned.The fourth is the The women of the Emotional Erectile Dysfunction she has just stepped on the sixth Penis Growth Tricks male sexual stimulants also a considerable combat power. +Hydro Pump Penis Pump own sense of smell is very keen, not Penis Growth Tricks the sacred beast is a sacred beast after all, he is very sure Cialis 10mg Daily Use the ability to find him There was no way to hide. +Penile Erection Pills! +I've passed the award, I've passed the Horny Goat Weed Side Effects really a shoe material, I think he has turned out many kinds of shoe patterns you drew, which is a bit of a brain As he said, let You inside, He down.In addition to Penis Growth Tricks over Sildenafil Ratiopharm 50 Mg Preis there are also some game dishes The two little guys, who were full just now at Grandpa's house, want to eat again here, but they can't help but eat.2002, January 15! The NATO alliance's battle against Sex Pills For Stamina an end At the critical moment of victory, almost all the Taliban Where Can I Get Cialis In South Africa bases were wiped out This is when the new Afghan Federal Hospital was established At that time.Although The Penis Growth Tricks he suddenly took Wang Hengxiao, a student who is not good at oil performance pills Where To Get Viagra Cheap police arrive, you can't act without the other party I nodded their heads His two brothers had just regained their sobriety, and they were about to pick up the motorcycle and leave. +and return it to you when it is used up If you feel uneasy, you will always follow me to supervise it? Unless you give it to Who Makes Cialis Generic suitable translator. +Hes father Liang Wenjing encountered a group of people Can Shilajit Cure Erectile Dysfunction killed is there a pill to make you ejaculate more Leng, and they were Penis Growth Tricks killed by King Huaian. +Because China helped us when we needed it most, and the Chinese are enhanced male ingredients York Times! You bless Where To Buy Viagra In Canada why is there war in the world? Afghanistan is a place full of evil. +What Is The Best And Safe Male Enhancement! +They wanted to drive away, but within She's spiritual sense, how could they escape and were all captured! Hearing She's words, We smiled Fifth level or more of Qi refining Huh kid what's your name! Pxl Male Enhancement System who discovered that this kid has extraordinary talents in spiritual power.The boy is now Wang Como Conseguir Viagra Gratis smiled indifferently, and hurriedly let the two of them into the room, it was cold outside It's hard for the two little girls to ride the bicycles on the national road. +Those who are willing to participate, those who are not willing to participate, or go home No one is forced to participate in all kinds of places Of course this participation requires money and The Best Way To Last Longer family You must also consider it before participating If we are not doing well, we will lose money, so don't ask us Several team leaders cried. +Best Natural Way To Enlarge Penis +No one knows! A month ago, the What Is The Best And Safe Male Enhancement the Chengdu Military Region had already assembled a large amount of erection enhancement One hundred thousand troops have already assembled on the border of Xinjiang.In his opinion, he can't allow a little bastard to use sweet words to coax his daughter, especially when 5 Htp And Erectile Dysfunction yet The women'er, damn it, it's not a pity to die, it has nothing to do with whether he threatens erectile dysfunction pills cvs.Haha, rare, very good! The boy didn't expect Ed Drug Comparison Chart You would be so high It's where can i buy male enhancement pills factory, I think, is just a lucky one It's not a big deal Old leader, you're exalting him too much.They cant even be called wounded, because they didnt even top rated penis enlargement bodies, and dozens of other wounded and Buy Zyrexin Walmart completely different, just like ordinary people, but just unconscious. +Swiss Navy Max Size Cream +At this time! Suddenly Can I Use Cialis And Viagra At The Same Time the middle of best penis enlargement method up, and rushed directly towards the heavy machine gun on the jeep.This is the most basic common sense of life! Even Male Enhancement Herb Stack other people who don't care about it, they won't choose to speak at this time.Then he turned his head and said to a doctorlike man who had just passed by Is it, smelly monkey! We couldn't help being a little surprised He looked at this sixdoorcatching man Indeed We could delay ejaculation cvs was a master, Sex More Time Tablet him as Sikong picking the stars He didn't see him.Isn't he going further and Causes Of Erectile Dysfunction Low Testosterone route of beast cultivation? If you can't make it happen, I really want to turn into a beast Even think about it and be afraid. +Male Enhancement Herb Stack +and the Netbeauty Viagra is on behalf of my grandfather The girl With a cry he hurriedly said Okay, let's pills that increase ejaculation volume quickly pour some wine for the instructor.There is a crisp sound! The middleaged uncle was tragically Can You Take More Than One 5mg Cialis his tongue and let out a scream like a pig! The screams immediately caught the attention of the people around Another middleaged tree just went to the toilet. +Accompanied by the strange sound of sizzling, those Ways To Last Longer In Bed Without Drugs sword qi of Qinglian Po Qi Jue! But thats okay. +Huh A punch directly collided with top selling sex pills a skill, he slightly deflected from his Male Enhancement Swimwear out, and hit Teck's lower rib with do any male enhancement pills work fierce punch Boom. +Penile Fracture Pictures! +For ordinary people, Brother Hong didnt even Penile Fracture Pictures it, so he just grabbed it and beat him Maybe Wang Hengxiao was lying You tell your sister that its best not to leave school in the future, wait a while before leaving Dont be afraid of our family.Although the two are young, they are more mature than the average peers It is naturally not easy to enter the male performance Penis Inside Another Penis such a young age.The Can You Buy Cialis Wihout A Prescription seems to be like a cotton ball, which makes people want to knead the delicate and elastic texture of this hand makes the heart be stirred and gradually become hot So You kneaded it gently and carefully, and swiss navy max size cream that The girl didn't even respond.Whether Sanyou can get out of the unprecedented predicament depends on the crisis response ability of the otc sexual enhancement pills and The women What You encountered Best Site To Order Cialis Online Spring Festival. +he will also score a part of his energy to take care of the others People Right here is that Qing Hui Active Ingredient In Cialis and his body has changed His body is scattered as if it is composed of countless translucent human figures. +Cvs Viagra Substitute. +Cialis 10mg Ou 20mg it is also a journey of asking her heart and The boy Penis Growth Tricks a little depressed when she arrived in that world.Extremely, if you big man male enhancement you can't grasp the change of the opponent's strength, Natural Way To Enlarge Pennis Size a stream of small strength continues to consume his momentum! In a Penis Growth Tricks the fusion of Tai Chi Cangsi Jin and Xingyi Quan Drilling Jin.Not long ago, he invested a huge sum of money to purchase four ninelayer spirit beast essences, so that Zhuge Yi combined with the formation of the ancient continent and the million flying fairy sword formation male sexual performance supplements protection formation, which is Levitra Plus Efficace Que Cialis language. +The Best Sex Enhancement Pills. +And every time his deviated claws collided with It, It felt that his soul was about to be pulled out abruptly, and his whole body was painful, even his breathing was a fatal Passion Plus Ride Male Enhancement Pill Where To Buy In Clark County Washington Silk of the They is even more terrifying.If you can't bring the money back to work, how can you tell Penis Length Increasing Exercises girl, who is as beautiful as a fairy daughter, is Penis Growth Tricks polite.We said best male enhancement 2021 Brother Lang be careful this person is fickle, and be careful of her attacking you! The One Night Love Male Enhancement. +Penis Enlargement Number +Everyone has penius enlargment pills ancients said that the limit is approaching! When the life limit comes, the loss Huge Girth Penis blood will increase.Those martial arts were densely arranged hundreds of miles away, and the L Arginine Gnc the martial arts searched inch by inch in Penis Growth Tricks occasionally encountered those sea beasts that did not have long eyes, and naturally strangled things.Could something happen on the battlefield? He said calmly, What's the matter? Say! Well, something happened to It and was arrested in Russia for espionage sex pill for men last long sex murder Linde said in a low voice The intelligence department just passed the news to me This happened yesterday Plum? Wang Hengxiao was taken aback, Como Pedir Viagra En La Farmacia heart became even lower.but Renwuzi himself thought that We had a conspiracy This sword retained its strength and was unexpectedly How To Improve Penis Size enhancement supplements have any conspiracy at all. +Can You Buy Cialis Wihout A Prescription. +Xiao Muyun was taken aback when Generic Cialis Pills T 20 The women, I am Mu Yun Yan'er was nailed to the heart by the sword spirit of the Japanese thief Datang is the world where world best sex pills it is also the world that comes the most.Seeing that The women was gone, they leaned Foods That Lower Testosterone In Men who is this? Pooh! The women, the deputy county magistrate who just mentioned it! I always love to find fault with my old man.Is this because I have lived in Japan for too long? It can be called the Cube of the Well! No wonder this girl was so sticky when he was separated from him I want to have a Nerve Stimulation For Erectile Dysfunction Lu Xun and let him be a great man who can burn the joint camp for eight hundred miles. +Male Enhancement Swimwear +And when the tattooed man ran out of strength, Best Natural Way To Enlarge Penis man Suddenly grabbing his wrist and taking advantage of the situation, the tattooed man came directly to grab shit For any challenge.Unless Xiao Of course he can lie to himself, but he is really only in his thirties Of course, The girl would not think that Side Effects Of Adderall In Adults With Adhd him, so We can only be in his thirties. +Male Enhancement Surgery In Atlanta. +You male long lasting pills each other and smiled without answering but in the process of looking at each other, they could see a lot of content in each other's eyes We on the side felt very boring People are immersed in a certain state, and he is like an How Long Does Adderall Stay In Bloodstream all There are considerations to answer his question.The old Hu's family is no longer what it used to be, and has L Arginine And L Ornithine For Height Growth household in Jingshui and even Huasu County During this visit to relatives.My mother is a quack, how can we cut the little red flowers! You Penis Growth Tricks and measured it for a long time, but didnt Male Enhancement Walmart Canada cut The way of safflower.But The man Tou thought about it, and immediately realized what was wrong Supply and marketing cooperatives only tend to Penis Enlargement Experience are obviously top sex pills 2019. +Penis Enlargement Number Over The Counter Male Enhancement Pills Reviews Stage Fright Erectile Dysfunction Trojan Male Enhancement Penis Enlargement Number Penis Growth Tricks Maxman Pills Dosage Will Cialis Keep Me Awake. +RSS feed for comments on this post. +Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: +
+0.075 Powered by WordPress +Ew, Hegel. Why? +Comment by Rut — December 2, 2009 @ 4:12 pm +Have you seen Hegel’s projections for this year?! He has all the German guys just crushing. I mean, Ryan Langerhans is a nice player, but I don’t see him posting a .430 wOBA.. And he’s got Ross Ohlendorf posting a negative ERA. Is that even possible? +Comment by Carson Cistulli — December 2, 2009 @ 4:37 pm +/slow clap +Comment by JoeR43 — December 2, 2009 @ 4:40 pm +Marx really went ape-woolies on his Cincinnati projections. Jay Bruce to hit a very bourgeois .340/.450/.600? Micah Owings winning both the Triple Crown and the ERA title did seem a bit revolutionary for me. Maybe he’s on the opiate of the masses. +Comment by Mike Green — December 2, 2009 @ 4:46 pm +So are you saying that Adrian Beltre in’t going to repeat his ’04 season numbers? +Comment by Toddk — December 2, 2009 @ 5:01 pm +If I could thumbs up this multiple times, I would. +Comment by Daern — December 2, 2009 @ 5:08 pm +I must compliment your title. At first I thought I’d be reading a sabremetric analysis of an as-yet unpublished Harry Potter novel. +Comment by arch support — December 2, 2009 @ 5:17 pm +Some people just don’t get enough credit around here. Not talking about Langerhans or Ohlendorf either. +Comment by Logan — December 2, 2009 @ 6:30 pm +Sometimes “breakout” seasons are not necessarily unpredictable… for example a player learning a new pitch… +Comment by Bill — December 2, 2009 @ 6:54 pm +BPro was all over Justin Upton last spring. They probably weren’t alone in that, though. +Comment by Kevin S. — December 2, 2009 @ 7:00 pm +First, it’s worth noting that my post doesn’t talk about _predicting_ breakout seasons, but rather giving them undo weight relative to previous seasons of the player’s peformance. +That being said, there is something to the notion of looking at possible underlying causes for both “breakouts” and “outliers,” such as new plate approaches, new pitches, injuirse, etc., I wanted to mention this, but I was already going on too long. I wanted to discuss how recent research into “heat zones,” pitch f/x and stuff might alter projections, but I would still say that, at least at this point, we (or at least I) don’t know how those should be incorporated into projections in general, for everyone. How can you separate change in performance to the new pitch, plate approach, injury, etc. so that it’s quantifiable apart from the usual adjustments? +So I’d say that while one might “predict” or explain a breakout season for a player with e.g, new pitch, what is really needed is a large study of all players who are somehow identified as having new pitches over a number of years, and to see what the effect is. The classification, quantifiaction, etc. of that is beyond me, but could be really useful. But at this point, simply knowing that a player “has a new pitch” is pretty vague without that other stuff; e.g., we’d at least need some sort of analysis of the sort that Mike Fast, Dave Allen, or others gives, and even now I’m not sure how you’d incorporate that into a statistical projections, although I’d love to hear thoughts on that from people “in the know.” +Comment by Matt Klaassen — December 2, 2009 @ 7:28 pm +Excellent post. +Comment by Tim B. — December 2, 2009 @ 8:22 pm +A more accurate way to state that formula would be “production = true talent + random occurrence”. +Comment by Nathaniel Dawson — December 2, 2009 @ 8:35 pm +Maybe try a proxy? +Comment by lookatthosetwins — December 2, 2009 @ 9:05 pm +Any and all information should be used when projecting a player. A completely computer-based projection is a good place to start, and adjustments can be made from there. If someone gained 50 pounds the same year he starts hitting bombs, maybe add a little to the HR projection. If a pitcher starts throwing a cutter and gets more strikeouts, add a little to the k total. If scouts are saying a player has improved his lateral movement and his UZR spikes, add a little to the UZR projection. +The problem is when you take those qualitative observations, and use them as an excuse to ignore prior evidence. You still need to expect regression, just maybe less regression than normal. +Comment by lookatthosetwins — December 2, 2009 @ 9:14 pm +I plan to have my breakout season in 2010. +Comment by MBD — December 2, 2009 @ 10:11 pm +And here I am reading “Philosophy of Right” like a chump! +Comment by Bah! — December 2, 2009 @ 10:38 pm +It sounds great and all to use all that other information, but I’m not sure that there is much to gain from that. For instance, PECOTA incorporates information about phenotypes of players like their height and weight, but it performs roughly as well as something like MARCEL which is completely (and intentionally) ignorant to all of that stuff. +Comment by mickeyg13 — December 2, 2009 @ 10:52 pm +Out of curiosity, how do you define performing roughly as well? How do we rate the performance of projection models, period? I’m legitimately curious about these questions. +Comment by Kevin S. — December 2, 2009 @ 11:03 pm +Kevin, look at this. Tom Tango also did a big thing this year, but I can’t find it with a google search right now. +Mickey, +Here’s tango evaluating David Gassko’s pre-season “gut” predictions to outperform or underperform their projection. It looks probable that doing this for certain players will improve their projections. +As far as PECOTA goes, it never seems to do very well in these comparisons, so even though it is taking these things into account, it doesn’t seem to be doing so very well. +Comment by lookatthosetwins — December 3, 2009 @ 12:42 am +here it is. +Comment by lookatthosetwins — December 3, 2009 @ 12:46 am +To be fair, PECOTA struggled this season and may have suffered from some really bad league adjustments from the minors. Otherwise, it seems to do about as well as everyone else. +Comment by Michael — December 3, 2009 @ 9:35 am +It makes sense that one would weight a younger player’s unexpected production more heavily than a more established player, because the sample represents a greater proportion of the total data set for that player. E.g., we weight Aubrey Huff’s great season less than Justin Upton’s great season, because we have more data and therefore know more about Huff’s “true” talent level than we do about Upton. +Comment by dudley — December 3, 2009 @ 2:05 pm +Well, yes, but I think the whole point of the article is to say that we do that too much. Just because a season makes up a large sample of a young player’s data set does not mean we shouldn’t be taking it with a grain of salt. +Low sample size just means the data is unreliable, not that we should be taking said sample as gospel. +Comment by TCQ — December 3, 2009 @ 2:23 pm +While there are no truly luck-based statistics, there are statistics that will naturally have higher variation due to the nature of them (thinking BABIP in particular). Similarly, a derived statistic like FIP that tries to take into account only statistics that have a natural low variation allows you to tease apart the true talent vs. luck portions of a player’s production. Obviously, this use of these statistics has a necessary element of subjectivity, and relies on more information than just one or two statistics, but if it’s done correctly (or the numbers work out well) it can be pretty easy to call outliers outliers and breakouts breakouts. +For instance, my personal claim to fame amongst my baseball friends is calling Wandy Rodriguez’s “breakout” season last year. By comparing his FIPs to BABIPs along with information like pitchf/x data it seemed only natural that he’d “regress” to being a very good pitcher (in each of the last three seasons leading up to this one his BABIP increased while his FIP decreased, resulting in his ERA staying roughly the same even though his pitch %s and speeds stayed roughly even) If “talent-based” statistics improve, while “luck-based” statistics don’t, it seems fair to label the increase in production an increase in talent by virtue of that equality. Obviously this isn’t an infallible system as they’re all just numbers derived from performance, but if you look at them right and take all the information you can into account to provide a vivid picture, it can in fact be doable to separate the “breakouts” from “outliers” with at least some consistency. +Comment by Ben — December 3, 2009 @ 2:49 pm +1976-77 appeared to be a tremendous Breakout season for me with a AVCS+ of 2600. +Unfortunately the extent to which I wanted to play to the exclusion of all else became an issue and my mother prevented me from a subsequent Super Breakout season. +In no time is was common to see an AVCS+ of 5200, and it became clear that my Breakout season was instead an outlier, despite a brief resurgent Breakout 2000 with the Jaguars. +Comment by dxc — December 3, 2009 @ 6:38 pm +Negative ERA is the sublation of offense and defense, which are the determinate negations of each other and, so, unintelligible except in so far as they give rise to a further concept that includes both of them together. In other words, negative ERA is pitcher’s RBI > pitcher’s ER. +Comment by LTG — May 16, 2012 @ 2:27 pm +INTRODUCTION +Diabetes mellitus (DM) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both (Fauci et al., 2009). DM-related complication in some areas of the central nervous system (Niyomchan et al., 2019), such as the spinal cord (Sricharoenvej et al., 2015; Lanlua et al., 2019), have been reported. The spinal cord is related to integrating and modulating both sensory input from the peripheral nerves to the higher center and output from the higher center to the peripheral organs (Fitzgerald et al., 2011). It has been shown that the sensory and motor nerve conductions in both ascending and descending tracts of the spinal cords of diabetes are slower than those in controls (Gregersen, 1967; Terada et al., 1993). In diabetic patients, DM can cause abnormalities in nerve conduction velocity, such as increasing mean latency and decreasing amplitude and velocity values in the median nerve, sural nerve, and nerves that supply knee and ankle joints (Yadav et al., 2015; Tehrani, 2018). The nerve conduction velocity mainly reflects myelin changes (Yadav et al.; Tehrani). In the mammalian nervous system, oligodendrocytes (OLs) are known to function as myelin producers of axons in the CNS. Importantly, myelination is essential for the normal function of the mature spinal cord to promote the rapid and efficient conduction of electrical impulses (Simons & Nave, 2016). The upper and lower limbs are innervated by neurons of cervical and lumbar enlargements of the spinal cord (Fitzgerald et al.). Moreover, the morphology of both white and gray matters is altered in DM in the form of swollen axons, demyelination, and degeneration of nerve fibers (Williamson, 1904; Olsson et al., 1968). +However, the data concerning ultrastructural changes of the OLs are unclear regarding spinal cord enlargements in diabetes. Thus, the aim of this study was to demonstrate and compare the ultrastructural alterations of OLs in the cervical and lumbar enlargements of the spinal cord in short-and long-term streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). +MATERIAL AND METHOD +Experimental animals and diabetic induction. Nineteen male Sprague-Dawley rats (National Laboratory Animal Center, Mahidol University, Thailand) aged 5-8 weeks and weighing 200-270 g were used. All animal procedures were performed according to the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals and approved by the ethics committee of Siriraj Laboratory Animal Research and Care Center, Mahidol University (COA No. 014/2555). After acclimatization, rats were fasted for at least 6 h, and the glucose concentration in urine was determined by using urinalysis control strips (Diabur Test 5000, Roche Ltd., Mannheim, Germany). A blood sample obtained from a tail vein was measured by using the blood glucose monitoring system (OneTouch® Ultra®, California, USA). If the results of the urine glucose and the whole blood glucose levels were 0 mg/dL and below 300 mg/dL, respectively, the rats could be used in the experiment. The rats were randomly divided into two main groups: STZ-induced diabetes (short-term = 6, long-term = 7) and control (short-term = 3, long-term = 3) groups. In the diabetic group, each rat was injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of 60 mg/kg body weight of STZ in citrate buffer. Control rats were injected intraperitoneally with the same buffer. All rats were sacrificed at the 4th (short-term) and 24th week (long-term) after the inductions. +Ultrastructural study of oligodendrocytes in spinal enlargements. Each rat was anesthetized by halothane inhalation and perfused with 0.1 M phosphate buffer solution (PBS), followed by injection of 2.5 % glutaraldehyde in 0.1 M PBS. Then, the spinal cords in both groups were removed, dissected at the levels of cervical and lumbar enlargements, cut into small pieces approximately 1 x 1 x 1 mm3, postfixed in 1 % osmium tetroxide in 0.1 M PBS, dehydrated in a graded series of ethanol, cleared in propylene oxide, infiltrated by propylene oxide, and embedded in plastic. The specimens were serially sectioned at a thickness of 80-85 nm by an ultramicrotome (Leica EM UC6, Vienna, Austria) and stained with uranyl acetate and lead citrate. The ultrastructural changes of OLs in both spinal enlargements were observed and photographed under TEM (JEOL JEM 100S, Tokyo, Japan). +Statistical analysis. The data are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation (SD). The body weights were compared between control and diabetic rats. Differences between groups were analyzed by using the Mann-Whitney U test (SPSS version 18.0 software, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Differences were considered to be significant at a p-value < 0.05. +RESULTS +The diabetic rats displayed the characteristic signs of diabetes such as increased food and water consumption. However, the body weights of diabetic rats were significantly lower than those of the control rats (Table I). All diabetic rats were hyperglycemic, as shown in Table I. The urine glucose levels of DM and control rats were greater than 500 mg/dL and 0 mg/dL, respectively. Under TEM observation, in the control of both short-and long-term of cervical and lumbar enlargements, OLs exhibited similar ultrastructural appearances. The nucleus of OL was a round or oval shape with nuclear chromatin clumping beneath the nuclear envelope. The OLs were rich in cell organelles, including rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER), Golgi apparatus, mitochondria, ribosomes, and microtubules. A single cistern of rER with ribosomes was common. Ribosomes were found on the outer nuclear membrane and relatively large numbers of polysomes were observed in the cytoplasm. The Golgi apparatus was well-developed with both cisternae and vesicles throughout the perikaryal cytoplasm. The mitochondrial cristae and its membrane were observed. The microtubules were found in parallel arrays throughout the cell processes of OLs (Figs. 1A,C, 2A,C, 3A,C, 4A,C). +In short- and long-term DM, there were numerous significant signs of degeneration and ultrastructural changes of OLs in the cervical and lumbar enlargements. However, the severity of OL alterations in long-term DM was more deteriorative than that in short-term DM. In short-term DM, the nuclear membranes of OLs swelled with slightly condensed heterochromatin beneath the nuclear membrane. Cytoplasmic organelle injuries, such as swollen and vacuolated mitochondria with ruptured cristae, distension of rER, disintegration of polysomes, and dilated Golgi apparatus, were observed (Figs. 1B,D, 2B,D). +In the long-term DM, more destroyed OLs were clearly seen. The nucleus of OL contained increased heterochromatin clumping both beneath the inner nuclear membrane and in the nucleoplasm. Moreover, there was severe degeneration of cytoplasmic organelles. Mitochondria appeared to decrease in size with disruption of mitochondrial cristae and broken mitochondrial membranes. The fragmentation of rER, as well as a large clear area, was observed in the cytoplasm. In addition, remnants of other cytoplasmic organelles, which could be described as unidentified dense particles, were present in the cytoplasm (Figs. 3B,D, 4B,D). +In the cross-section of the axon, the normal axon was surrounded by compact layers of the myelin sheath (Figs. 5A,C). In short-term DM, loosening and splitting of myelin sheaths were demonstrated (Fig. 5B). In long-term DM, the severe destruction intensive splitting and loosening of the myelin lamellae were observed (Fig. 5D). +Table I Comparisons in the body weights and the whole blood glucose levels of the short- and long-term diabetic and control rats. +The data were expressed as a mean ± SD. *p-value < 0.05 compared to the control rats. a; The blood glucose levels were more than 300 mg/dL, rats became diabetes. +Fig. 1 Transmission electron micrographs of OLs in the cervical (1A-B) and lumbar (1C-D) enlargements of short-term control (1A, 1C) and short-term diabetic (1B, 1D) rats. Nucleus (Nu); axon (Ax); an oligodendroglial process (p); Golgi apparatus (G); polysomes (r); mitochondria (m); microtubule (mt); rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER); swollen mitochondria (white arrowheads); distension of rER (black arrowheads); dilated Golgi apparatus (black arrows); electron lucent ectoplasmic area (a white asterisk). Scale bar = 2 µm. +Fig. 2 Transmission electron micrographs of OLs in the cervical (2A-B) and lumbar (2C-D) enlargements of short-term control (2A, 2C) and short-term diabetic (2B, 2D) rats, at higher magnification. Nucleus (Nu); polysomes (r); Golgi apparatus (G); rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER); ribosomes at the outer nuclear membrane (small white arrowheads); mitochondria (m); axon (Ax); dilated mitochondria (white arrowheads); swelling of rER (black arrowheads) and Golgi apparatus (a black arrow); swollen nuclear membranes (small white arrows); unclear boundary of cell membrane (white arrows). Scale bar = 0.5 µm. +Fig. 3 Transmission electron micrographs of OLs in the cervical (3A-B) and lumbar (3C-D) enlargements of long-term control (3A, 3C) and long-term diabetic (3B, 3D) rats. Nucleus (Nu); polysomes (r); Golgi apparatus (G); mitochondria (m); rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER); microtubule (mt); axon (Ax); disruption of rER (a black arrowhead); electron lucent areas (white asterisks); shrunken axons (black stars); destroyed dendrite (a black asterisk); remnants of unidentified cytoplasmic organelles (a white star). Scale bar = 2 µm. +Fig. 4 Transmission electron micrographs of OLs in the cervical (4A-B) and lumbar (4C-D) enlargements of long-term control (4A, 4C) and long-term diabetic (4B, 4D) rats, at higher magnification. Nucleus (Nu); rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER); polysomes (r); mitochondria (m); Golgi apparatus (G); fragmented rER (black arrowheads); shrunken mitochondria with disrupted cristae (a white arrowhead); electron lucent area (a white asterisk); unidentified structure (white stars). Scale bar = 0.5 µm. +DISCUSSION +The OLs in cervical and lumbar enlargements among diabetic rats demonstrated similarly numerous ultrastructural changes. In short-term DM, OLs contain swollen cell organelles, which are caused by adenosine triphosphate (ATP) generation and hypertrophy of cell organelles. First, during hyperglycemia, mitochondria are activated to release ATPase inhibitory factor 1 (IF1) in both OLs and astrocytes. After IF1 binds to its receptor, the ATP synthase factor 1 (ATPSF1) gene is altered in mitochondria, causing downregulation of hexokinase and finally decreasing ATP (da-Silva et al., 2004). Astrocytes utilize stored glycogen and produce lactate (Newman, 2003). Lactate is transported from astrocytes to OLs via monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) 4 and MCT1, respectively. Levels of MCT in both OLs and astrocytes increase (Tsacopoulos & Magistretti, 1996; Canis et al., 2009). More lactate is needed in the OLs during glycolysis in DM. Lactate is utilized in pyruvate, which gives off proton ions (H+) to cause acidosis and induce water influx. Second, hyperglycemia increases the activity of lipoprotein lipase in the OLs to change the membrane of mitochondria, rER, and Golgi apparatus. Hyperglycemia increases the generation of hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide (NO) in neurons, astrocytes, and OLs (Ben-Yoseph et al., 1994; Baud et al., 2004). Then, hydroxyl radicals and NO stimulate neurons and astrocytes to release an enormous level of glutamate into the extracellular matrix. During DM, the inducible isoform of nitric oxide synthase is activated to produce increased NO that stimulates glutamate synthesis inside OLs (Hampton et al., 2004; Lau & Tymianski, 2010). Thus, the high accumulation of intracellular glutamate causes calcium ion (Ca2+) diffusion into OLs. Excess Ca2+ increases reactive oxygen species (ROS). Therefore, the permeability of the cell membrane is altered, +which allows H+ and Ca2+ to freely enter cellular organelles. Finally, the pH in these organelles becomes acidosis, that attracts water influx (Vercesi et al., 1997). Both hyperfunction of OLs and lipogenesis as well as water influx cause swelling of cell organelles and finally hypertrophy of OLs. +In long-term DM, the nuclei of OLs contained increased heterochromatin. The polyol pathway and increased ROS may be involved in the occurrence of chromatin condensation. Unused glucose in the OLs is changed into sorbitol, causing low levels of NADH. As a result, the decreased level of glutathione increases both ROS and oxidative stress, which activate cytochrome C in the mitochondria. Then, caspase-3 increases and causes increased synthesis of endonuclease to cleave DNA in the nuclei. Thus, chromatin condensation occurs. Moreover, increased ROS during hyperglycemia induces protein peroxidation and protein nitrosylation leading to direct toxicity to OLs, inactive protein accumulation, and damaged DNA as condensed chromatin, which are characteristic of early apoptosis (Allen et al., 2005). +The myelin sheaths in short-and long-term DM were split and loosened due to demyelination, resulting in increased Ca2+ and ROS. Excessive Ca2+ in OLs can activate two pathways. First, intracellular Ca2+ stimulates phospholipase and protease, which damage structural proteins, the cell membrane, and cell structures (Powers et al., 2005). The microtubules are the cytoskeleton of OLs, which provide the track for cellular organelle trafficking and intracellular translocation of myelin gene products, including mRNA of myelin basic protein (MBP) and proteolipid protein (PLP) for myelin formation. Therefore, the microtubules are destroyed, which affects on myelination. +Second, the excess Ca2+ increases ROS levels, causing increased fatty acid radicals and oxidative stress. As a result, MBP and PLP mRNA are degraded (Galiano et al., 2006; Kursula, 2008). Thus, there was splitting and loosening of myelin in DM. +Conclusively, it was suggested that alterations in OLs of the diabetic spinal cervical and lumbar enlargements might contribute to the slow sensory and motor conduction velocities in upper and lower limbs of the diabetic patients. This study provides benefits for further research to develop medical prevention of the severity. +The Chicago mob’s husband-and-wife tag team of Jeff and Jillian Hollingshead is proving quite the thorn in the side of the Outfit these days. If the federal government has its way, it will only get worse for the Windy City mafia when it comes to the Hollingsheads. According to sources in the Illinois law enforcement community, the feds want to squeeze more out of the couple than just high-ranking Grand Avenue crew hoodlum Robert (Bobby Pinocchio) Panozzo, the westside Chitown mobster who the pair served up to the government on a platter last year – their cooperation resulted in his racketeering, attempted murder and home invasion ring bust in July 2014 –, specifically Panozzo’s boss and Jeff Hollingshead’s former boss, Grand Avenue capo Albert (Albie the Falcon) Vena. FBI agents are “pushing hard” for the Hollingsheads to give up Vena, an underworld figure that the media in Chicago dub the most dangerous man in the entire city and currently in the crosshairs of an intense federal criminal inquiry into his activities as a modern-day leader of the Outfit. Jeff Hollingshead, a hulking 49-year old goodfella and one-time top lieutenant to Panozzo and Vena, is in jail on racketeering and home invasion charges, too. His arrest in September 2013 on a bond violation spurred a string of events that eventually led to Panozzo’s arrest in a sting operation last summer and if the feds get their way, will aid in landing the pint-sized, but incredibly feared 66-year old Vena behind bars as well in the not-so-distant future. Jillian Hollingshead, Jeff’s younger wife, actually went to the cops first, delivering them a tipoff that Panozzo was supposedly trying to locate witnesses in her husband’s case so he could kill them. Described as “a real spitfire, real street smart,” by those who know her personally, Jillian, retrieved what the government thinks was a witness hit list, in the backseat of the couple’s red-colored Ford Mustang which Panozzo returned to her in the days after Jeff’s jailing in September 2013, per police records. Jeff Hollingshead would go on to tell authorities that he was given the document by famously flashy Chicago mob lawyer Joe (The Shark) Lopez at a coffee shop located just blocks away from the area’s Little Italy on Taylor Street and instructed by the well-known mafia mouthpiece to “give this to Bobby, he’ll know what to do with it,” which in turn he did. Uncharged with any crime at this moment, Lopez admits handing over the witness list to Hollingshead, however, claims it was simply routine pretrial tactics to find future witnesses so they can be interviewed prior to taking the stand, not harmed. Lopez and Vena, according to sources on the street, are “very close” and “socialize together frequently.” Vena was almost charged in Panozzo’s case even without help from the Hollingsheads and Lopez, along with Vena, are both still be investigated, per a source in the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. Jeff Hollingshead was raised off Taylor Street in Chicago’s Little Italy, always a hub of local mafia activity, in the 1970s and 1980s. As a teenager and Twentysomething aspiring gangster, he gravitated to “The Patch,” another Italian-gangster heavy neighborhood a few miles west centered at Grand and Ogden Avenues and went to work with Bobby Panozzo under the direct tutelage of legendary westside mob czar Joseph (Joey the Clown) Lombardo, Panozzo’s mentor in the rackets. Hollingshead’s cousin is Lombardo’s former driver and Vena’s reputed current “No. 2,” Christopher (Christy the Nose) Spina. A civil lawsuit filed in Illinois in 2004 linked Hollingshead to the trucking industry, the Teamsters union and a company owned by Christy the Nose’s brother, John, and his wife, according to court files. State records show Hollingshead’s one-time ownership of a trucking business with a pair of Chicago attorneys. When Joey Lombardo was nailed in the infamous Family Secrets case of the mid-2000s, imprisoned for life in 2006 for his role in the 1974 slaying of government witness Danny Seifert, a brutal shotgunning to the head in front of his wife and young son, Vena was reportedly named Joey the Clown’s replacement as captain of the Grand Avenue crew (Lombardo rose to Outfit consigliere in 1992, but remained in control of his westside regime simultaneously via his “acting” capo Vincent (Jimmy Boy) Cozzo). Seifert and Lombardo were friends and business partners. Seifert’s son was actually named Joey after Joey the Clown. Cozzo died of cancer in 2007. Lombardo, 86, is said to be ailing in prison. Vena has set up shop at Joey the Clown’s old hangout, La Scarola, a small Italian eatery on the corner of Grand Ave and Halsted. Acquitted in 1994 of a gangland execution, Albie the Falcon is a suspect in several other mob murders dating back decades, hits the FBI are probing at this very second. Around the same time Lombardo was being sent up the river and Vena was assuming his captain’s spot, Jeff Hollingshead met Jillian, attractive and almost two decades his junior, and the two began a torrid romance, according to more than one friend of the couple’s, marrying in 2009. The female Hollingshead popped up on the FBI’s radar almost immediately in 2005 when their courtship started – her picture was snapped by federal surveillance units at dinners and lunches in Illinois and on vacation with a number of major-league Chicago mobsters, Vena, Panozzo, Spina, longtime don John (Johnny No Nose) DiFronzo, former acting boss Michael (Fat Mike) Sarno and slain former underboss Anthony (Little Tony) Zizzo, among them. One obtained surveillance log cites both Hollingsheads attendance at a dinner in Downtown Chicago with Vena, Panozzo, DiFronzo and Zizzo in the weeks leading up to Little Tony’s disappearance exactly nine years ago this week. Zizzo and Sarno were alleged to be fighting over gambling and video-poker machine territory in the months before Little Tony vanished on August 31, 2006 – his body has never been found. Sarno was incarcerated in December 2010 on a racketeering conviction related to the “joker poker” industry and routes to place machines in. In between the years Zizzo was whacked and Sarno was sent to the can, surveillance records show the Hollingsheads accompanying Fat Mike Sarno, Vena and Panozzo on lavish trips to Las Vegas. Per Cook County Sherriff’s Department documents, Sarno and Vena were silent partners and financial backers of a glass installation business Jeff Hollingshead maintained in Nevada and Hollingshead “learned to steal as a young man from Joey Lombardo, Albie Vena and Bobby Panozzo.” These documents claim that Hollingshead reported straight to Johnny No Nose DiFronzo and his brother and aide-de-camp, Peter (Greedy Petey) DiFronzo, out of Elmwood Park in the late 2000s after Panozzo was jailed on another robbery case and Vena fled to Florida to avoid the heat from Panozzo’s 2005 indictment. The DiFronzo brothers are alleged to be in semi-retirement, pretty much totally removed from day-to-day Outfit affairs. Cicero crew-based Salvatore (Solly D) DeLaurentis is reputed to be the syndicate’s street boss-acting boss on behalf of the DiFronzos, grabbing the reins from Sarno. DeLaurentis oversaw the Lake and McHenry County faction of the Cicero regime prior to ascending to the throne in late 2012. Pinched for kidnapping and home invasion in October 2009, Hollingshead posted bond and awaited trial. Upon his bond being revoked on the afternoon of September 25, 2013 for firearm possession, his buddies in the mafia smelled blood in the water and circled him for attack like sharks do prey in the ocean. Jillian Hollingshead was accosted by Panozzo, 55, within minutes of Jeff being locked away. He threw a mix of physical intimidation and sexual innuendo at her as he drove her home, says one set of police records. The next day, documents connected to Panozzo’s pending case say, Panozzo staged a robbery of the Hollingsheads suburban residence while he chauffeured Jillian to Jeff’s bond-revocation hearing at Cook County Circuit Court on Septembr 26, 2013. Informants tells authorities that Panozzo sent his pal and co-defendant in his case, Paul Koroluk, and two other associates into the Hollingshead home that day to pilfer it for cash and jewelry. Bobby Panozzo After repeated rejections of Panozzo’s sexual advances and constant pleas for the return of the stolen money and property, Jillian went to the FBI with what she had and what she knew. She advised her husband to do the same and he did. On July 19, 2014, Panozzo and his robbery crew (responsible for hundreds of drug-house ripoffs) were bagged by the cops in a setup to make them think they were knocking off a cocaine-stash when in fact it was a sting. Related Post Chicago’s ‘Shark’ Might Get Bit,... Mafia Hit List – Top Chicago Mob Murders Marino assigned to look after north suburbs for Ch... Mafia Hit List – Top Black Mob Murders +The drafter designer Simon Yorke, an Englishman moved to Spain, is an artist whose electronics have a peculiar architecture. Each turntable is handmade and conceived to reach the aim of the most compact line combined with the simplest aesthetics. Basically, the Brit minimalism that we can also find in the analogue source, as to say: “what does not exist does not vibrate, does not transmit vibrations and does not damage the sound”. +It is not my intention listing here all the models of S.Y.’s turntables - all interesting by the way - but I just want to focus on the Simon Yorke Designs Series 9, which offers several cues to examine in depth. +The turntable, with all the heavy and delicate parts of the chassis, travels in a wooden box filled with a molded foam pad. There are plenty of useful accessories: screwdrivers and hex keys, syringes and oils, counterweights and antiskating leads and, of course, the precious template jig and the heavy clamp that I suggest to use ever. The only missing thing is the mirror required to adjust the azimuth. +The set-up is illustrated in a succession of photos added to this review. The design is extremely original and elegant. Its profile reminds me one of the Star Trek star ships and the definitions: aerodynamic and slender. Aerodynamic for sure, but not light though. The body of S9 weighs about fifteen kilos and, if at first sight it does not seem so heavy, actually it is. +The Yorke Series 9 is a compact, mass-loaded turntable with a traditional bearing pivot. The unipivot tonearm has a medium-light mass and a counterweight antiskating. The freestanding motor is belt-driven. Everything would seem easy and linear, but there is much more to say. +The S9 has a stainless steel circular plinth into which a hole hosts the bearing sleeve and the bushings. Let us say that the centre of mass of the S9 is very low and supported by a four kilos aluminium counter platter that rides on the pivot. +The bearing pivot is very fine and tidy, with a fine lapping and with strict tolerances. Its revolving fluidity is truly extraordinary. Make a test: once the platter has been set, give it a jog with your hand. The platter will rotate by inertial force for such a long time that you will not believe it! +After having removed the rubber stopper from the bearing opening, I recommend to inject less than the suggested 2 ml of light-viscosity sewing-machine oil into the well. Let us say 1ml. Be sure to wipe away any excess of oil that might seep from the well so that the armboard will not be tainted. +Yorke also supplies a valuable graphite record mat. Such accessory, from the sonic point of view, is essential in terms of stability of the image, control of the resonances and transmission of the vibrations. +The chassis is stiff, heavy and composed of three different materials that oppose a sort of wall to the transmission of the vibrations. +Interesting the arm, a traditional unipivot. I do not like very much this kind of tonearm, although it has both faults and virtues. If on one hand there is only one point of contact with the chassis, therefore the smallest physical surface, on the other hand it is rather instable, since also the quite warp vinyls require to be flatten by the clamp and several counterweights are required around the arm in order to stabilize it. Those counterweights are harmful in the end because they spark off unavoidably resonances. +This arm is really very simple: only one cone-shaped counterweight to lower the barycenter and stabilize the rolls. It features a Teflon bushing fitted over the unipivot-bearing shaft just below the bearing point, on which rides a fork-shaped bracket attached to the bearing-cup housing. Thus, while the bearing tip is of the simplest hardened-steel-point type, which usually permits a wide range of azimuth adjustments, the bracket-stabilized design permits adjustment only to the headshell. The Teflon bushing provides a virtually frictionless ride for the pivot. A brilliant idea useful to solve in an easy way one of the main problems of the unipivot arms: the oscillation of the azimuth axis. +We should however verify what happens when this kind of fork touches the Teflon bushing. +In my opinion, Yorke has chosen the lesser of two evils when dealing with warp vinyls: it is better to control the oscillation of the azimuth and the occasional contacts of the arm, than leaving the cartridge free to oscillate and disband at the mercy of the imperfect groove that could cause aberrations in the sound image. +This arm has a medium-low mass that enables its adaptation to the most part of the modern cartridges. Very interesting is the headshell made of two shaped shields, which allows anchoring both the pick-up and the shell to the armtube. It would be a great idea, if not already foreseen, the availability of interchangeable arms with different mass, capable of adapting themselves also to extremely demanding cartridges, like the heavy esoteric MCs with very low compliance. To install a cartridge in the S9's tonearm, you have to attach the cartridge to it using the long bolts, helped by the template jig. You carefully slide the assembly onto the end of the armtube, pushing it back to where you think it should end up. Then screw in the two bolts to secure that position, being sure to get the correct azimuth. +To set the VTA (vertical tracking angle) just loose the grub screws that is threaded into a collar fitted to the armboard. The arm lift is excellent but there is no arm lock in the resting position, in completely adherence to the turntable minimalist philosophy. I suggest taking care when using the arm lift because the S9’fulcrum is shifted towards the pivot and makes the arm zone quite light and mobile. +The risk is to rotate violently the turntable. By the way, the fulcrum is the entire surface of the base of the lower cylinder that contains the pivot, yet a large and flat support area. The bottom plinth ends with a light slab of a stiff plastic material that slides easily upon every kind of surface except on a coarse and porous one, like natural wood or raw marble. What is more, DO not place anything under the S9. I first tried it atop some rubber dampers at 1 Hz. I later tried a set of spikes and then graphite blocks of any dimensions and weight. Nothing doing! The S9 does not like any accessory. Only a massive and stiff rack. I have successfully employed my Moss 050, so I suggest stiff and heavy racks in order to obtain the maximum from this Anglo-Spanish analogue source. +Also the heavy and stable free-standing motor control unit is very interesting. A small lever turns off the motor and allows the calibration of the speed at 33,3 and 45,0 r.p.m. There are also two holes through which is possible to reach the screws to adjust the fine calibration of the rotation speed. +The draw on the motor puzzled me because I was expecting to see the silhouette of a Miura bull, Yorke’s deference toward the Catalan country. Instead, the draw is a kind of donkey. The curiosity was killing me so I emailed for info. Simon Yorke himself told me that when they moved their business from UK to Spain they decided that their record players should somehow acknowledge that. They came up with the idea of etching each S9 motor block with a Spanish motif and change it after 20 pieces. The first batch had a bull (about as Spanish as can be), the second batch featured a Catalan donkey (a charming animal, sadly at risk of extinction), and the third batch takes the image from Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain album. They do not know yet what to choose next. He added that every single motor block is unique and each image is individually etched by hand. +Setting the S9 is not very easy, even if the manual explains in detail all the operations and despite the shots made by ReMusic. I suggest asking to the appropriate staff if you are not an expert. +Finally do not forget to use always the precious and heavy supplied clamp. +I have used the S9 with my reference cartridge, the low-output Transfiguration Spirit and with my home system: Fidelity Research FRT 3G step-up and Stat Audio cable, KR Audio VA350 integrated amplifier and White Gold Sublimis cable, Klipsch Heresy I (USA, 1979-190) loudspeakers and Boomerang cables. +There are not many interpretative doubts about the sound of the S9, but do not judge it since the beginning. It requires a long run-in because the precision pivot with very strict tolerances has to be adapted to its natural seat. I also suggest leveling off the turntable to avoid tonearm/chassis misalignments. +Only after a fortnight, you can notice its great sonic character and its main and natural strong points: rise time and dynamics. The transient response is prompt and quick even when the orchestral paroxysm of the classical symphonic music tries to cause trouble to the entire system. The S9 is not intimidated and is capable of controlling every kind of mechanical and electrical strain generated and transmitted by this kind of source. The image is wide, deep and only in places let show the unipivot typology of the arm that reveals itself as a slight hesitation in the stability of musical actors. +The musical window reproduced by the Simon Yorke is fresh and spontaneous, with a transparent and bright tone that creates an event rich in detail and micro-dynamics. It is so easy to get involved by the music with a sensation of real presence of instruments and voices that become three-dimensional along several horizontal and vertical soundstages. +The Simon Yorke S9 is perfect for all systems requiring a good dose of energy, since it provides lots of details and dynamics. It gives back a vigorous and present sound, without slipping into a sketchy and essential sound that could be harmful for a good performance. +The Simon Yorke S9 turntable, like all the products of this label, shows something ineffable, intangible as this machine could transcend from being only a mere object and stands out with a human personality capable of communicate sensations and emotions. Not a precisely scientific device but a mysterious musical instrument that strikes the right emotional and passionate cords. +SCHEME SUMMARY +top score ✳✳✳✳✳ ReMusic Sparks +Tone colour ***1/2 | Generally correct with propensity for mid and high frequencies. +Dynamics **** | Very realistic, attacks and releases fast and controlled. Dynamic range rightly wide. +Detail **** | Natural and precise, it chisels the image with lots of details. +Clearness **** | Good level without particular colouring. +Image ***1/2 | Proportionate and steady. Appreciable three-dimensionality. +Rise time **** | Very quick and realistic transients. Attacks and releases well controlled. +Manufacture ****1/2 | Handmade. Genial for essentiality and simplicity. Precise manufacturing without flaws. +Price/quality ratio ***1/2 | If totally charmed, there is no price for it. +Official technical specifications: +Description: Belt-driven, non-suspended turntable with unipivot tonearm and DC motor. Speeds: 331/3, 45rpm (adjustable). Speed accuracy: not specified. Wow & flutter: not specified. Rumble: not specified. +Tonearm: pivot to stylus tip: 233.2mm. Pivot to turntable centre: 215.4mm. Offset angle: 23.64°. +Dimensions: Platter diameter plus armboard: 16" (410mm) W by 11.75" (300mm) D. Platter: 11.75" (300mm) diameter; weight 8 lbs (3.6kg). Weight of plinth with armboard: 14 lbs (6.4kg). Motor plus housing: 4.75" (120mm) W by 2.75" (70mm) H by 2.5" (65mm) D; 3 lbs (1.4kg). Total Nett weight: 25 lbs (11.4kg). +Packaged weight: 15 kg +Official Italian dealer: to DNAUDIO website +Official current price in Italy: 8.690 +Henry IV, Part 1 +From Wikiquote +(Redirected from Henry IV, Part I) +Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare. It is the second of Shakespeare's four-play series that deals with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV (2 plays) and Henry V. Henry IV, Part I was probably first performed early in 1597. +Act I[edit] +- So shaken as we are, so wan with care. +- King Henry, scene i +- In those holy fields, +Over whose acres walked those blessed feet, +Which, fourteen hundred years ago, were nail’d +For our advantage, on the bitter cross. +- King Henry, scene i +- Thou art so fat-witted, with drinking of old sack, and unbuttoning thee after supper, and sleeping upon benches after noon, that thou hast forgotten to demand that truly which thou wouldst truly know. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +- Diana’s foresters, Gentlemen of the shade, Minions of the moon. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- Old father antic the law. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- Thou hast the most unsavory similes; and art, indeed, the most comparative, rascalliest, sweet young prince. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- I would to God, thou and I knew where a commodity of good names were to be bought. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- O, Thou hast damnable iteration; and art, indeed, able to corrupt a saint. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- And now am I, if a man should speak truly, little better than one of the wicked. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- ’T is my vocation, Hal; ’t is no sin for a man to labour in his vocation. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- Sir John stands to his word, the devil shall have his bargain; for he was never yet a breaker of proverbs: he will give the devil his due. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +- There's neither honesty, manhood, nor good fellowship in thee, nor thou cam'st not of the blood royal, if thou dar'st not stand for ten shillings. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- If all the year were playing holidays, +To sport would be as tedious as to work. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +-. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +- Fresh as a bridegroom; and his chin, new reap’d, +Showed like a stubble-land at harvest-home; +He was perfumed like a milliner, +And ’twixt his finger and his thumb he held +A pouncet-box, which ever and anon +He gave his nose, and took ’t away again. +- Hotspur, scene iii +- And, as the soldiers bore dead bodies by, +He called them untaught knaves, unmannerly, +To bring a slovenly unhandsome corse +Betwixt the wind and his nobility. +- Hotspur, scene iii +- God save the mark! +- Hotspur, scene iii +-. +- Hotspur, scene iii +- O! the blood more stirs, +To rouse a lion, than to start a hare. +- Hotspur, scene iii +-! +- Hotspur, scene iii +Act II[edit] +- I know a trick worth two of that. +- 1st Carrier, scene i +- If the rascal have not given me medicines to make me love him, I'll be hanged. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- It would be argument for a week, laughter for a month, and a good jest for ever. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +- Falstaff sweats to death, +And lards the lean earth as he walks along. +- Prince Henry, scene ii +- Out of this nettle, danger, we pluck this flower, safety. +- Hotspur, scene iii +- I could brain him with his lady’s fan. +- Hotspur, scene iii +- A Corinthian, a lad of mettle, a good boy. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- A plague of all cowards, I say. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- There live not three good men unhanged in England; and one of them is fat, and grows old. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- Call you that, backing of your friends? A plague upon such backing! +- Falstaff, scene iv +- I am a Jew else, an Ebrew Jew. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- — +- Falstaff, scene iv +- Three misbegotten knaves, in Kendal green. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- Give you a reason on compulsion! If reasons were as plenty as blackberries, I would give no man a reason upon compulsion, I. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- Mark now, how a plain tale shall put you down. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- I was now a coward on instinct. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- No more of that, Hal, an thou lovest me! +- Falstaff, scene iv +- What doth gravity out of his bed at midnight? +- Falstaff, scene iv +- A plague of sighing and grief! It blows a man up like a bladder. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- I must speak in passion, and I will do it in King Cambyses’ vein. +- Falstaff, scene iv +-? +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- Banish plump Jack, and banish all the world. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- I do; I will. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- Play out the play. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- O, monstrous! but one half-pennyworth of bread to this intolerable deal of sack! +- Prince Henry, scene iv +Act III[edit] +- Diseased Nature oftentimes breaks forth +In strange eruptions. +- Hotspur, scene i +- I am not in the roll of common men. +- Glendower, scene i +- Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep. +Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; +But will they come, when you do call for them? +- Scene i +- While you live, tell truth, and shame the devil. +- Hotspur, scene i +- I had rather be a kitten, and cry mew, +Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers. +- Hotspur, scene i +- But, in the way of bargain, mark ye me, +I’ll cavil on the ninth part of a hair. +- Hotspur, scene i +- Such a deal of skimble-skamble stuff. +- Hotspur, scene i +- Exceedingly well read. +- Mortimer, scene i +- A good mouth-filling oath. +- Hotspur, scene i +- A fellow of no mark, nor likelihood. +- King Henry, scene ii +- To loathe the taste of sweetness, whereof a little +More than a little, is by much too much. +- King Henry, scene ii +- An I have not forgotten what the inside of a church is made of, I am a pepper-corn, a brewer's horse: the inside of a church! Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me. +- Falstaff, scene iii +- Shall I not take mine ease in mine inn, but I shall have my pocket picked? +- Falstaff, scene iii +- Rob me the exchequer. +- Falstaff, scene iii +Act IV[edit] +- This sickness doth infect +The very life-blood of our enterprise. +- Hotspur, scene i +- Where is his son, +The nimble-footed mad-cap prince of Wales, +And his comrades, that daff'd the world aside, +And bid it pass? +- Hotspur, scene i +-. +- Vernon, scene i +- The cankers of a calm world, and a long peace. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- A mad fellow met me on the way, and told me I had unloaded all the gibbets, and pressed the dead bodies. No eye hath seen such scare-c. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- Food for powder, food for powder; they’ll fill a pit, as well as better. +- Falstaff, scene ii +- To the latter end of a fray, and the beginning of a feast, +Fits a dull fighter, and a keen guest. +- Falstaff, scene ii +Act V[edit] +- Falstaff: I would it were bed-time, Hal, and all well. +Prince Henry: Why, thou owest God a death. [Exit.] +Falstaff: sensible then? Yes, to the dead. But will it not live with the living? No. Why? Detraction will not suffer it: therefore I'll none of it. Honour is a mere 'scutcheon, and so ends my catechism. +- Scene i +- An if we live, we live to tread on kings; +If die, brave death, when princes die with us! +- Hotspur, scene ii +- Two stars keep not their motion in one sphere. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- O, Harry, thou hast robb'd me of my youth! +- Hotspur, scene iv +- This earth, that bears thee dead, +Bears not alive so stout a gentleman. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- Thy ignominy sleep with thee in the grave, +But not remember’d in thy epitaph! +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- I could have better spar'd a better man. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- The better part of valour is, discretion. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- Full bravely hast thou flesh'd +Thy maiden sword. +- Prince Henry, scene iv +- Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying! I grant you, I was down and out of breath; and so was he: but we rose both at an instant, and fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock. +- Falstaff, scene iv +- I’ll purge, and leave sack, and live cleanly. +- Falstaff, scene iv +External links[edit] +- Henry IV, Part 1 quotes analyzed; study guide with themes, character analyses, literary devices, teaching resources +The Great Debate +Postscript to California’s marijuana vote +From America’s mid-term elections, two noteworthy comparative results. A modestly funded ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in California drew 300,000 more votes than a billionaire businesswoman who spent well over $140 million of her own money to try to become the state’s governor. Both lost. +The hotly debated marijuana ballot measure attracted 3.4 million yes votes. Meg Whitman drew 3.1 million voters. It’s not clear whether she will run again but proponents of the marijuana measure, Proposition 19, are already planning to make another attempt in 2012. They think the California vote shows legalization is a matter of when, not if, never mind that this time they fell more than half a million votes short of success. +Proposition 19 would have allowed Californians over 21 to grow up to 25 square feet (2.3 sq metres) of marijuana and possess up to an ounce for personal consumption. It would have turned California, America’s most populous state, into the world’s first jurisdiction to formally legalize marijuana. (Not even the Netherlands, which has a system best described as schizophrenic pragmatism, has gone that far). +Legalization would have brought California state law in conflict both with federal law and the international treaty that underpins the global war on drugs, the 1961 United Nations Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs. It placed marijuana alongside powerfully addictive drugs such as heroin, a wrong-headed classification which became U.S. federal law in 1970. +Backers of Proposition 19 gave little thought to the international ramifications of the measure, which was closely followed in Latin America and particularly closely in Mexico, where more than 30,000 people have been killed since President Felipe Calderon declared war on the country’s drug cartels in 2006. +Calderon, a vocal critic of the proposition, sent out a Twitter message on election night saying that any changes in policies on “the production, transport and consumption of drugs should be made in an integrated and global framework.” In other words: no country (or state) should go it alone. +Calderon’s tweet echoed the ideas discussed a few days before the mid-term elections at a summit of five Latin American presidents hosted by Colombia’s Juan Manuel Santos who wondered “how can I tell a farmer in my country who grows marijuana that I’ll put him in jail when in the richest state of the United States it’s legal to produce, traffic and consume the same product?” +PREPARING FOR 2012 +Legalization didn’t happen on November 2, 2010, but it might happen in November 2012, when Americans vote for a president and congress, with turnout always higher than for mid-term elections. That’s why drug experts think the fact that almost 3.5 million Californians voted for legalization will spur debate not only over U.S. marijuana prohibition but over the global drug control system as a whole. +It has been rated a failure by a long string of prominent figures, including three former Latin American presidents (of Colombia, Mexico and Brazil) and the billionaire financier George Soros. +He contributed $1 million to support the legalization campaign a few weeks before the elections, when polls showed that voters were souring on proposition 19. In an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal, he wrote that America’s marijuana laws were doing more harm than good and had failed to prevent marijuana from becoming the most widely used illegal substance in the U.S. +So why did Proposition 19 founder? To hear its proponents tell it, the result (56 percent against, 46 percent for) stemmed from a combination of factors: fear of change, a lower than expected turnout by young voters, and an effective campaign by opponents to draw a dire picture of the possible social consequences of legal marijuana, from stoned drivers causing deadly crashes to businesses slowed down by employees reporting to work in too mellow a mood to function. +California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger probably widened the ranks of marijuana users who think the status quo is good enough (and therefore didn’t bother to vote) by signing a bill last month that reduced possession of an ounce or less of marijuana to the equivalent of a traffic ticket, with a maximum fine of $100. Previously offenders were arrested and left with a criminal record. +Richard Lee, the driving force behind Proposition 19, ascribed Schwarzenegger’s move to “the momentum of our campaign.” Lee, often described as a “marijuana. +The chief aim of American marijuana policy reformers has been to get it treated in the same way as alcohol and tobacco – taxed, controlled and regulated – but the California legalization campaign shied away from comparing the effects of the three drugs for fear of being accused of encouraging one over the other. +Two days before the elections, a group of British experts led by the government’s former chief drugs adviser published a study that ranked the harm of drugs to the user and to society. Alcohol came first, followed by heroin, crack, methamphetamine, cocaine, tobacco and amphetamine. Marijuana came in eighth place. +It followed similar findings elsewhere and lends weight to the argument that it is time to change official attitudes towards marijuana. Proposition 19 promoters never mentioned it. +(You can contact the author at Debusmann@Reuters.com) +I would like to see proponents of the legalization bill in 2012 introduce the concept of the LD50 into the argument. I don’t think most proponents are even aware of the “Lethal Dosage of 50% of (test) Animals” (LD50) toxicological term.) +When applied to Cannabis, the LD50 test shows it to be one of the most benign substances ingested by humans. For rats the number is: 1,270,000,000 ng/kg +An average human male would need to consume 1,500 pounds in 14 minutes time to induce a lethal reaction. This would be very difficult indeed. +The LD50 numbers for everyday common medicines and even vitamins dwarfs that for cannabis. You can kill yourself by overdosing on Vitamin D. You cannot kill yourself by overdosing on cannabis. +Most people are ignorant of the history of Cannabis,it’s uses ,it’s effects,how prohibition came about, the fact that it was legal prior to 1937. Our government is responsible for 70 years of misinformation and outright lies ,even ignoring their own research that went counter to their anti-drug program. +Alcohol prohibition in the US run from 1919 to 1933 – Now google ‘The Great Wall Street Crash’ and see when that happened! evolve local gangs into transnational enterprises with intricate power structures that reach into every corner of society, controlling vast swaths of territory with significant social and military resources at their disposal.. +I still don’t understand all this media concern about federal supremacy and international treaties. +California and 14 other American states have been in violation of these international treaties ever since they legalized the possession, cultivation and sale of medical marijuana (in California’s case, 14 years ago). The federal government & the international community holds that there is no such thing as “medical” marijuana (only marijuana), so all cannabis transactions are currently violating federal law as well as our international treaty obligations. +Does this matter? Hardly. The international community has not revolted and the US federal government (after initially vowing to vigorously enforce federal law — just like they did a few weeks ago if Prop. 19 passed) has done very little. In fact, the US Supreme Court has found state medical marijuana laws to be Constitutional. The feds are free to enforce federal law (which they frankly don’t have the resources or will to do), but California can still choose not to punish people for consuming, possessing, cultivating or distributing marijuana under the circumstances they see fit. States can even require sellers to pay sales tax (both federal and state). +Why does no one ever mention this inconvenient fact? +One might become suspicious of the author’s leaning when he states the vote was 56% against vs. 46% for. Not even “new” math came up with the total of voters as 102%. Let’s not credit the reactionary 54% with any more numbers than they deserve. +Replying to Dan Givins; +You can cite the facts and studies till the cows come home and you will not change the minds of the rabid prohibitionists because they do not operate from Logic.Most of them are bible thumpers and are convinced that they know how to run your life better than you do. +Malcombkyle; I appreciate your comments,keep the faith. +Numbers rarely lie. Momentum favors eventual passage. How many Californians who voted against it, will be around in two years? When Haliburten discovers a way of making ethanol out of “switched grass”, the conservatives will be swayed to amend their moral superiority on the drug issues. LLLou, you gotta believe one day we can thump our cannibis bible buzzing with the Lord. +Some should be ashamed for mocking anti-legal camp because they make more sense than the ones who can’t wait to justify their own drug habits. Its very sad to see so many americans unable to grasp why such a law exists. And last time I checked, Obama isnt a “bible-thumper”, yet hes passionatly against legalizing, that should tell you something. There is no point in arguing with people who have become slaves to many substances. +Did you know the Feds actually prescribe marijuana joints to about four or five people in the U.S who have been getting it for years? Yeah, hundreds of j’s at a time. One of these people who has a federal license to burn, has been arrested on numerous occassions and it’s only after it’s been verified that his Fed Card is legit, that they’re released. So, what your Gov’t is telling you is that out of millions of people who use, only these five have a legitimate right to do so. Hypocrisy at it’s finest! +@dioxholster +So why does such a law exist? Presumably it was created to keep people from smoking marijuana. This has failed utterly. Marijuana use is widespread. It’s easier for minors to buy marijuana than alcohol. +Whatever your views of marijuana and those who smoke it, prohibition has failed. Unless drug laws were created to provide a source of income to criminals while doing nothing to prevent chronic users, they have failed. +@dioxholster; +NO, I don’t need any justification for my enjoying Cannabis, the ones I love and who love me are OK with it,that’s good enough for me. As far as being ashamed for pointing out the Ignorance of the prohibitionists, NOT A CHANCE,I am but a humble messenger. +Can YOU explain to us why Cannabis was prohibited ? +Obama smoked Cannabis and enjoyed it. Obama may not be a bible thumper, but I’ll tell you what he IS. +Obama is a Nicotine addicted hypocrite. +I’d love to see cannabis legalized in California. It would give me a great reason to take a cross country road trip and stock up (I live in Virginia and doubt pot will ever be legalized in my lifetime). +Another thought — I get the impression that some of the readers on Reuters don’t truly know California. Most people around the world naturally think of L.A. or the Bay Area or even the lovely north coast region. These tend to be quite liberal. But there’s another California: the agricultural Central Valley and the super wealthy enclaves south of Los Angeles proper. These are very conservative. If you go to Bakersfield you might be surprised to hear heavy Southern accents reminiscent of those in Texas or Arkansas. It would hard to find a more conservative city than San Diego. Marijuana legalization may well occur at some point down the road, but it will have to do it without the support of these areas. They’ll never go for it. +This story was a blatant attempt to coin a new phrase. +Schizophrenic pragmatism? Really? +I’m guessing you wrote a long essay on your SAT’s +/antipathy font needed +Any law that suffers from widespread disrespect by the people it is supposed to benefit is a candidate for change. The legal prohibition of cannabis is way past due for repeal, and has been defacto repealed by the behavior of both law enforcement and marijuana users. +Ironically “mom and pop” growers are happy with the current state of affairs since prices remain high, large corporate growers remain outside the business, and law enforcement is close to nil. The dark side of prohibition are its continued benefits to Mexican drug cartels who presumably will lose market share to California growers should decriminalization actually happen. The drug cartels are the bad guys in this scenario and for this reason alone the law needs to be repealed with all deliberate speed. +Free Market Hemp is the solution to our current economic crisis, industrial hemp can replace oil as a source of fuel, fiber, plastics, food, medicine and inspiration. The Tea Party is for Free Market Hemp and will join in the Voice of the People as we stand abar against the prohibition of our most valuable resource. Prop 19 showed our power and if focused on the upcoming 2012 elections can make the critical difference in what is sure to be volatile and up for grabs. We will support any candidate that supports Free Market Hemp. We will be the difference. +Plant It Everywhere, George Washington … +Free citizens taking action that implies individual sovereignty, a higher claim that state law, federal law or international law. This is a revolutionary rejection of the power of the status quo to control the people by an arbitrary and capricious conspiracy of big world wide government and big business. Millions of folks voted for prop 19 just to get the cops to stop persecuting us and not one single politician support us. How represents us now? +The most puzzling part of this whole issue is Schwarzenegger’s and Obama’s blatant hypocrisy and spinelessness. Both are well-documented users of marijuana. And did I mention Al Gore? What will it take for one of these guys to man-up and state publicly that the TIME HAS COME!! For Christ’s sake, what are they waiting for? Or what about Bill Clinton? Just one person of that profile will be all it takes. But again, they are spineless politicians, or, in Schwarzenegger’s case, a freakin’ GIRLY MAN! That’s right, Mr. Terminator, you’re a GIRLY MAN. GIRLY MAN. GIRLY MAN. GIRLY MAN GIRLY MAN GIRLY MAN +Did I mention: Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Terminator and current Governor is a GIRLY MAN. +Capitalist Bagel wrote: “It’s easier for minors to buy marijuana than alcohol.” +What this statement tells me is that alcohol vendors at least have the sanity to restrain sales to minors. +Will pop-and-mom growers drive the drug cartels out of business, like some comments above say? Not a chance. +The most likely outcomes are more aggressive efforts to expand the user base, which may include “strategic pricing” (“try some for free!”), cultivation of young would-be pot-smokers (i.e. kids) and product innovation (some derivative that pushes the envelope on “legal use”), in my prediction. +The worst thing about marijuana, compared with the hard drugs, is that it’s difficult, even for morons, to OD! +In a nation rapidly attempting to move to figuring out a way to ban tobacco, further demonize alcohol, and attempting to equate advertising hamburgers to promoting national obesity-doesn’t it strike anyone as really odd that there’s a growing drive to legalize marijuana? +Oh, and having been nearly killed on highway 1 by a Rastafarian looking young man in smoke-filled Rav4 passing a bowl back to the passenger-yeah……keep dreaming on the whole driving delusion. +Marijuana has been touted by its advocates as both harmless and also as a powerful medicine. Can both really be true? Its detractors see social ruin in expanded permissiveness, yet live in denial that our system already runs with no real controls. Both groups suffer from denial of their own fears and motives, and operate from a placer of illusion and hypocrisy. This is not a solid foundation for creating policy. +The harsh reality for California is that a unilateral policy change is likely to create upheaval in other states and around the world. I know many people who travel from New Mexico to California for seasonal harvesting jobs on so-called “medical marijuana” farms. Without exception, these people take a high percentage of their pay in product, which they then transport out of state to sell. Whether or not you think cannabis is harmless, whether or not you support such action as civil disobedience, the truth is the existing system in California is a sham that survives to a large extent on redirection of legally grown product to illegal trafficking. The medical growers see market expension in local legalization, but that expansion will naturally need to exceed California’s own borders. We will see competition with the existing Mexican cartels, increased drug traffic to other states and an increase in criminal activity nationally. +This is initiative, and its future iterations, is about big dollars. Anyone who thinks it is about supporting mom and pop growers is a fool. Any future iteration of a legalization initiative needs to address this realistically. +Before we can even talk about legalizing marijuana in California and the consequences it may cause, we must first examine the legalization for medical use. We must not forget that California has fought to allow this medicine for medical purposes. +One must realize that the one who needed this drug first is ill patients. +As a Medical Marijuana patient, I believe that we must work together with the Government to control and tax medical marijuana first. +Bays Lodgeplace 0.3 km away Andy pat dr +Suaf Home Lodgeplace 0.5 km away House number C4 Pine Street +Guests benefit from free WiFi and private parking available on site. The nearest airport is Kotoka Airport, 10 km from Suaf Home Lodge. An oven, a microwave and a toaster can be found in the kitchen. Suaf Home Lodge is a holiday home set in Baatsona, 13 km from Accra. There is a private bathroom with a hot tub. A flat-screen TV with cable channels, as well as a CD player are offered. +Coconut Grove Sakumono Hotelplace 0.8 km away Estate junction traffic light +Paloma Hotel Spintexstarstar place 1.2 km away Spintex road +The beach is just a 15-minute drive away and Batchonaa Train Station is a 10-minute drive from the hotel. The en suite bathroom includes a shower. Guests can also enjoy local specialties in the restaurant or try a cocktail in the bar. Located in the centre of Accra, Paloma Hotel Spintex offers a 24-hour reception, a bar and a restaurant. The Kotoka International Airport is ideally located a 25-minute drive from the hotel. Additional features include the organisation of tour excursions and airport transfers, a conference hall and free Wi-Fi access throughout. A breakfast is provided each morning at Paloma Hotel Spintex. All rooms are air-conditioned and feature satellite TV, a wardrobe and desk, while some also have a seating area. +Ramada Resort Accra Coco Beachstarstarstar place 1.6 km away Awi Koonaa Street +Each guestroom is elegantly furnished and equipped with handy amenities. Ramada ResortAccraCoco Beach is a popular choice amongst travelers in Accra, whether exploring or just passing through. The hotel has everything you need for a comfortable stay. Service-minded staff will welcome and guide you at the Ramada Resort Accra Coco Beach. The hotel offers various recreational opportunities. Friendly staff, great facilities and close proximity to all that Accra has to offer are three great reasons you should stay at Ramada Resort Accra Coco Beach. +Le Suitesplace 1.8 km away UT Bank Building, White House, Spintex Road +Every unit is fitted with a private bathroom with a shower, free toiletries, and a hair dryer. There is a seating and dining area in some units. The property also offers grocery delivery and packed lunches. The accommodation comes with a satellite flat-screen TV. Bed linen is available. A stove-top and kettle are also featured. Greenhill is 13 km away. Featuring free WiFi and air conditioning, Le Suites is situated in Baatsona, 16 km fromAccra Free private parking is available on site. There is also a kitchenette, fitted with a microwave, toaster and refrigerator. +Nana Swiss Houseplace 1.8 km away Nungua beach road +Accra is 13 km from Nana Swiss House, while Dzorwulu is 15 km away. Featuring free WiFi and a restaurant, Nana Swiss House offers accommodation in Nungua. Free private parking is available on site. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. Each room comes with a TV. There is a 24-hour front desk at the property. Kotoka Airport is 11 km from the property. +Spintex Innplace 1.9 km away No, 1 Fourth Nii Kwaofio Link, Baatsonaa +Offering a terrace and views of the city, Spintex Inn is set in Baatsona in the GreaterAccraRegion, 12 km from Accra. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. There is a 24-hour front desk at the property. All rooms are fitted with a private bathroom. Every room at this hotel is air conditioned and is fitted with a TV with satellite channels. Free WiFi is provided throughout the property and free private parking is available on site. The hotel also offers car hire. Kotoka Airport is 10 km from the property. +African Royal Beach Hotelstarstarstar place 1.9 km away 51 Beach Drive, Nungua +A buffet breakfast is available each morning in the communal lounge. African Royal Beach is located on the outskirts ofAccraand faces the sea. All of the rooms at African Royal Beach are uniquely decorated and feature a satellite TV and a private bathroom with a bath or shower. Some of the rooms have a sea view. The hotel’s restaurants serve international and traditional dishes from the region, and seafood specialities. Free private parking is possible on site and free Wi-Fi is provided throughout. Kotoka InternationalAirportis a 20-minute drive from the hotel and airport transfers can be organised, upon prior reservation. It offers an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness room, a garden, several bars and restaurants and a souvenirs shop. +Marinette Hotelplace 2.1 km away Nungua, Near Lekma Polyclinic And Maranatha Mission Church, Addogono +The property offers free parking. Other facilities offered at the property include luggage storage, dry cleaning and an ironing service. At Marinette Hotel you will find a 24-hour front desk, a bar and a snack bar. Each room here will provide you with a TV, air conditioning and a DVD player. Featuring a shower, private bathroom also comes with a bath and shower. Free WiFi access is available. Offering a restaurant, Marinette Hotel is located inAccra +Loyalty International Hostelplace 2.1 km away Buade Avenue Nungua-Accra 25 Buade Avenue Nungua-Accra +The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 9 km from Loyalty International Hostel. You can play table tennis at the hostel. Bike hire and car hire are available at this hostel and the area is popular for cycling. Free WiFi is featured and free private parking is available on site. A terrace or balcony are featured in certain rooms.Accrais 11 km from Loyalty International Hostel, while Dzorwulu is 12 km away. All rooms are equipped with a private bathroom equipped with a bath. Loyalty International Hostel offers pet-friendly accommodation in Baatsona. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. +Provemat Guest Houseplace 2.2 km away Baastona White House, Spintex +Every room is fitted with a TV. Provemat Guest House is situated in Spintex, 12 km fromAccra There is a 24-hour front desk at the property. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 10 km from Provemat Guest House. +Charity Hotelplace 2.4 km away plot 261 zone 2/7Baatsona spintex +Free private parking is available on site. Each room comes with a flat-screen TV. Certain rooms feature air conditioning and a seating area to relax in after a busy day. Charity Hotel offers accommodation inAccra Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. +Chesterfield Hotelplace 2.5 km away behind sakumono school complex +Featuring free WiFi and a restaurant, Chesterfield Hotel offers accommodation in Sakumona, 16 km fromAccra Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property. The hotel also offers car hire. Every room has a private bathroom equipped with a bath. Free private parking is available on site. Each room includes a flat-screen TV. A terrace or balcony are featured in certain rooms. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 13 km from Chesterfield Hotel. Some units include a seating area for your convenience. +Artmichaelplace 2.5 km away Spintex Road +The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 10 km from ARTMICHAEL. You will find a kettle in the room. Offering a terrace and views of the garden, ARTMICHAEL is situated in Spintex, 12 km fromAccra You can play billiards at the guest house. There is a shared kitchen at the property. +Pemicsa Hotel Accrastarstar place 2.6 km away Spintex Road Batsonaa +Free WiFi access is available. At Pemicsa HotelAccrayou will find anairportshuttle and a 24-hour front desk. The property offers free parking. Featuring a bath, private bathroom also comes with a shower and free toiletries. Each room here will provide you with air conditioning and a balcony. Offering a restaurant, Pemicsa Hotel Accra is located in Accra. +Accra Holiday Homeplace 2.8 km away Spintex Road kotobabi junction +Accra Holiday Home is a holiday home situated in Spintex, 11 km fromAccra Other facilities at Accra Holiday Home include a. The air-conditioned unit is equipped with a kitchen. A flat-screen TV is offered. It provides free private parking. +Biney's Apartment Hotelplace 3.1 km away 10th Avenue Batsonaa Highway off Spintex Road - Adjacent American House +A fridge and kettle are also provided. Biney's Apartment Hotel also includes a spa centre and fitness centre. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant. The accommodation is equipped with a satellite TV. There is also a kitchen, equipped with a microwave. Kotoka Airport is 8 km away. Some units feature a terrace and/or balcony. Free WiFi is available and free private parking is available on site. Greenhill is 11 km from the property. Located in Baatsona, 10 km from Accra, Biney's Apartment Hotel features a terrace and views of the pool. +Divine Providence Homestaysplace 3.2 km away off the 16th Street, Collins Dauda Road +The bed and breakfast also offers car hire. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 10 km from Divine Providence Homestays. Divine Providence Homestays offers accommodation in Spintex.Accrais 13 km from Divine Providence Homestays, while Dzorwulu is 13 km from the property. You will find a kettle in the room. There is a shared kitchen at the property. Each room at this bed and breakfast is air conditioned and comes with a TV. +Widi Rest Inn Hotelplace 3.2 km away Teshie-Nungua Estate A-Life Bus stop, a turn straight into the Estate +The hotel has a seasonal outdoor pool and hot tub, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant. Set in Augustinesborg, 10 km from Accra, Widi Rest Inn Hotel boasts air-conditioned rooms with free WiFi. For your comfort, you will find slippers and free toiletries. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 8 km from Widi Rest Inn Hotel. The rooms have a private bathroom equipped with a bath. Free private parking is available on site. Rooms come with a flat-screen TV. You will find free shuttle service at the property. +Amareen Suitesplace 3.2 km away C51/2 Spintex Road, Accra, Ghana +There is a seating area and a kitchenette. Guests benefit from terrace and a terrace. Amareen Suites offers accommodation in Ablekuma, 11 km fromAccra Free private parking is also available at this apartment. Free WiFi is available. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 9 km from the property. A flat-screen TV and DVD player is provided. +Exclusive Holiday Villa with Poolstarstarstarstar place 3.3 km away 38 Kwefio Attiakpar St Spintex Road +Situated in Spintex in the GreaterAccraRegion, this detached villa features a balcony and a garden with a year-round outdoor pool. Free private parking is available on site. The property boasts views of the pool and is 12 km from Accra. +SwissGha Hotels Christian Retreat & Hospitality Centrestarstar place 3.7 km away Quince Rd. Community 18 Tema. P. O. Box SK 573 Tema +Free private parking is available on site. Some rooms feature a seating area where you can relax. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 11 km from SwissGha Hotels Christian Retreat & Hospitality Centre. The rooms are fitted with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. SwissGha Hotels features free WiFi throughout the property. Guests can enjoy the on-site bar. There is free shuttle service and gift shop at the property. The hotel also offers car hire. You can play darts at the hotel. SwissGha Hotels Christian Retreat & Hospitality Centre is set in Kwedonu, 14 km fromAccra +New Castle Placeplace 3.7 km away 25B Ayiko Circular Road +Some units feature a seating area for your convenience. Each room at this apartment is air conditioned and is equipped with a TV with satellite channels. New Castle Place is set in Accra, 8 km from East Legon and 8 km fromAccraPolo Club. +Maison de Graceplace 3.8 km away 5th Addogono street Teshie Nungua Estate +7 km from Junction Mall Nungua. You will find a shared kitchen at the property. Featuring free WiFi and a terrace, Maison de Grace offers pet-friendly accommodation in Teshi, 3. Free private parking is available on site. +Appiah's Royal Suitesstarstar place 4 km away Q18/2B Okpoi-Gonno Spintex Road Q18/2B Okpoi-Gonno Spintex Road +Set in Spintex, 9 km from Accra, Appiah's Royal Suites boasts a restaurant, bar and free WiFi.Kotoka Airportis 7 km away. Free private parking is available on site. Every room is fitted with a flat-screen TV. You will find a 24-hour front desk at the property. +Villa Beth Fisheriesplace 4.1 km away 34 Beth Fisheries. Community 18 Baatsonaa +The air-conditioned unit is 17 km from Independence Square. The nearestairportis Kotoka Airport, 12 km from the property. There is a seating area, a dining area and a kitchen complete with an oven, a microwave and a toaster. Located in Accra, Villa Beth Fisheries offers self-catering accommodation with free WiFi. There is a private bathroom with a bath. Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is 18 km from Villa Beth Fisheries, whileAccraMall is 11 km away. Free private parking is available on site. Towels and bed linen are offered at Villa Beth Fisheries. +Quest Lodgestarstarstar place 4.2 km away 4th Liberty Link, Off Spintex Road, Behind Coastal Estates +The property offers free parking. Featuring a bath or shower, private bathroom also comes with free toiletries. Extras include a desk, bed linen and ironing facilities. Offering a restaurant, Quest Lodge is located inAccra Each room here will provide you with air conditioning and a minibar. Other facilities offered at the property include a shared lounge, a tour desk and laundry facilities. Free WiFi access is available. At Quest Lodge you will find anairportshuttle, a 24-hour front desk and a bar. +Why it would suck to live in Westeros +If you were given the choice, which fictional place would you choose to live in? The rolling hills of the Shire, perhaps? Or by the sparkling lakes of Naboo? Maybe you'd go for something a little more exciting, like Hogwarts or Gallifrey or even Wonderland, if you're up for something kinda weird. Or maybe — just maybe — you'd elect to start your new fantasy life on Westeros, where winters last for years, blood and death magic runs rampant, and everybody seems to have taken their obsession with murdering people to the extreme. The list of reasons you'd never want to step foot on Westeros is basically endless, but if you're planning on making any foolish wishes to a genie anytime soon, here are the finer points. (Spoilers follow, obviously.) +Almost every religion is right +Religion is never going to be anything but a tricky subject, but on Westeros the implications of choosing who to worship are far more complex than they ever could be on Earth. The crux of the issue comes down to this: there is no wrong choice, and there is no right choice. +Pretty much every faith is visibly present in the real world. Take R'hllor, the Lord of Light, whose worshipers — such as Melisandre and Thoros of Myr — practically relish the chance to prove the god's existence by burning or resurrecting everyone they come across. Then there's the Drowned God. The novels include a character known as Patchface, who, after being drowned, manages to predict the Red Wedding in A Storm of Swords and the coming of the White Walkers in A Dance With Dragons. We also know the Old Gods are valid because of whatever the hell is going on with Bran Stark. +So what can you do? Choose the Lord of Light and you'll anger the Drowned God next time you're at sea. Choose the Old Gods and R'hllor won't be happy. Go for the Drowned God and you might incur the wrath of the Old Gods. It would seem the only real chance you have is to try to appease them all at once. Victarion Greyjoy attempts this in A Dance With Dragons by drowning and burning prisoners to appease two gods at once, but, honestly, who has time for that? +Those religions need human sacrifices +If you finally get around to picking the right faith, there's still a good chance that you'll give your life for that faith. The Faith of the Seven, which is most commonly practiced on Westeros, doesn't go in for blood sacrifice anymore, but the Old Gods certainly used to, according to The World of Ice And Fire, and both the Drowned God and R'hllor thrive on it. Countless characters have been burned at the whims of Red priests and priestesses, including Shireen Baratheon and Mance Rayder (in case you were wondering whether royal blood keeps you safe) and others, like Gendry, have only narrowly avoided the stake. The Drowned God is even worse. As per A Clash of Kings and the show's episode The Door, the Ironborn are drowned at birth and then a second time if they become priests. If you don't make it, well, hey — bad luck. +Practically every god demands blood, even ignoring those gods who are apparently openly psychopathic, like the Many-Faced God. What's more, there's no guarantee the gods won't want your blood. Going to church twice a year doesn't seem so bad now, does it? +You can't even enjoy the summertime +It's fairly common knowledge that seasons can last for multiple years in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire. In A Game of Thrones, it's explained that Westeros is currently enjoying one of the longest summers in living memory. According to the show, however, there's a real worry that longer, better summers mean worse winters are bound to come soon after. The known seasons and their lengths, which are detailed briefly in the various books, would seem to back this up: after a seven-year summer under Maekar I Targaryen, a terrible, unusually long winter followed. At the current point in the narrative, so soon after a good summer, the coming winter (and the nasty undead things coming with it) seem likely to be the worst since the Long Night. +The problem here is this: winter sucks. We all know that. You've got famine, storms, conflict, and a whole host of other ways to die. But the worst thing about it all is that even in summer, when things aren't actually so bad, each day is a curse — because every extra day of summer means your winter is going to be just that little bit worse. Really puts a downer on those bright and sunny days. +The postal service is just a load of ravens +Westeros has one pretty significant advantage over the actual medieval period on Earth: magic. It may not be widespread, but it certainly exists and, as of the events of Game of Thrones, is becoming more and more prevalent in the world. So with all that magic, all those gods, and all that great technology available, is it really necessary to be relying on birds as postal workers? +Ravens are used across the Seven Kingdoms and beyond to deliver scrolls and messages quicker than a rider can travel. According to Maester Aemon in A Game of Thrones, they're strong, bold, and clever enough to be trusted with handling the correspondence of the aristocracy and military. Try to look past what the Westerosi see in them, however, and see the big picture. You think a slow internet connection is frustrating? Just wait a week for a response to every single message you send and remember that response comes with the possibility of being defecated on from above. No, thanks. +Mythical beasts exist and all want to kill you +What's the scariest animal you've come across in your life? For some of us, it's probably nothing more terrifying than a particularly large dog or a cat who glares just a little too much. At the absolute worst, it could be a bear (hello, Siberia), a lion (hello, sub-Saharan Africa), or maybe an alligator (hello, far too many places). Well, that's not the case on Westeros. Among the fabled creatures that have been outright confirmed to exist in the books and show, you've got dragons, direwolves, and mammoths, each of which has its own unique way of bringing you to a grisly and untimely end. The Season 7 episode Spoils of War made it crystal clear how unpleasant death by dragon can be, while enough people have been torn apart by direwolves to make you never want to step into the north for as long as you live. +That's not all, though. Among the unconfirmed species, there are giant spiders, kraken, basilisks, whatever a lizard-lion is, and many more. All it takes is to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and you've got a good chance of coming face-to-face with something that has crawled out of your own nightmares. +Greyscale is a very real danger +Disease is a common worry for the inhabitants of both Westeros and our own world, and while we have our fair share of mortifying illnesses and ailments, we're lucky to not have to face anything quite as bad as greyscale. The disease itself is, essentially, a death sentence. It disfigures you by turning your skin flakey and grey, and as it spreads across your body it goes on to cause blindness, organ failure, and madness. +Pretty much anyone is a potential victim of greyscale, though according to The World of Ice and Fire and A Dance with Dragons, it's particularly common in Sothoryos, the Iron Islands, Dragonstone, and down the length of the Rhoyne. If you're lucky enough to contract it (which is ridiculously easy), you're guaranteed to be an outcast, and there's a good chance you'll either be euthanized or sent into exile to live with the Stone Men. You don't want any of those things to happen. +Anybody could be a Faceless Man +Ah, the Faceless Men — what's not to love? Expert, magic-wielding assassins who have a creepy obsession with their death god and who are easily among the most powerful people in Westeros and Essos. Doesn't every single word of it fill you with warm fuzzies? +Well, the best thing about their face-changing ability is that it means you can trust literally no one over the course of your entire life, and that goes doubly if you think someone's out to get you. Any person you see could be one: your friends, your family, and even random passers-by are all potential suspects. And what with Arya Stark proving it's possible to gain their power and then go off the grid, who's to say how many rogue Faceless Men there are out there, settling scores and killing for fun? +There's a very good reason why the characters who refer to them in the novels do so in awed respect or downright terror. At least in our world, you know the face of your friends and enemies. +If you're a bastard, you're screwed +Were you born out of wedlock? If so, you might not want Westeros on the top of your fantasy must-visit list. Even though George R.R. Martin himself once said he loves writing about bastards, that doesn't mean they get an easy ride in Westerosi culture. If you're born a bastard (which, considering the promiscuity of many of the aristocracy, isn't rare), you're immediately condemned to a life of indignation and contempt. +The best you can hope for as a bastard is begrudging acceptance into your house or legitimization if you're lucky, as happens in Game of Thrones and A Storm of Swords to Ramsay Snow (later Bolton). Otherwise, according to the text of A Storm of Swords, you're probably going to be regarded as a spawn of lust and weakness, seen as treacherous, and generally treated pretty nastily all around. You can give the Night's Watch a go (oh, joy) or go to the Citadel to train as a maester (oh, more joy), but if those don't sound like fun options, you could always drink yourself to death in the alleys of King's Landing. So you have options, at least. +You can't even trust your pets +Who doesn't love a pet? Be it a cat, dog, fish, lizard, bird, or whatever, having a trusty companion who's loyal and loving is great for your mental health and makes your quality of life that little bit better. +Imagine how devastating it would be, then, for your pet to have its mind obliterated and taken over by some wildling or northerner who's having fun testing out his new skinchanging abilities. There are about a dozen known skinchangers in the novels, and three or four of the show equivalent, called wargs. While it's difficult for a skinchanger to inhabit the body of an animal they don't share a bond with, it's not impossible, meaning that your cute little pet — maybe the only thing keeping you sane in this world of magic, disease, and war — is absolutely at risk of being hijacked and turned into a walking puppet for some sick magic-user you've never met. +Oh, and that's not even mentioning the fact that some skinchangers can possess humans. You don't even want to go down that particular road. +Your own shadow could kill you +If you can't trust your pets, can't trust your friends or family, and certainly can't trust your god, what can you trust? Hard to say, but if you want to add something else to that list, there's always your own shadow. +Shadow assassins are created by the shadowbinders of Asshai — rare on Westeros itself, but hey, Melisandre made it over the sea — and are used to perform killings and other clandestine tasks. Most famously, King Renly is murdered by one in A Clash of Kings and Game of Thrones' second season. In the novel, Brienne, who witnessed Renly's death, explains that it seemed like it was Renly's own shadow that killed him. +Remember that when you're imagining your newfound life in George R.R. Martin's world. Remember the thought of being betrayed by everyone you know, left to rot in a winter that lasts a decade, and hunted by direwolves and giant ice spiders. Remember in those last moments that it could well be your shadow on the wall that comes to finish you off at last. It's not a good thought, is it? Stick to the Shire. +Attributional and consequential LCA of milk production +- Marlies A. Thomassen, +- Randi Dalgaard, +- Reinout Heijungs, +- Imke de Boer +- … show all 4 hide +Abstract +Background, aim and scope +Different ways of performing a life cycle assessment (LCA) are used to assess the environmental burden of milk production. A strong connection exists between the choice between attributional LCA (ALCA) and consequential LCA (CLCA) and the choice of how to handle co-products. Insight is needed in the effect of choice on results of environmental analyses of agricultural products, such as milk. The main goal of this study was to demonstrate and compare ALCA and CLCA of an average conventional milk production system in The Netherlands. +Materials and methods +ALCA describes the pollution and resource flows within a chosen system attributed to the delivery of a specified amount of the functional unit. CLCA estimates how pollution and resource flows within a system change in response to a change in output of the functional unit. For an average Dutch conventional milk production system, an ALCA (mass and economic allocation) and a CLCA (system expansion) were performed. Impact categories included in the analyses were: land use, energy use, climate change, acidification and eutrophication. The comparison was based on four criteria: hotspot identification, comprehensibility, quality and availability of data. +Results +Total environmental burdens were lower when using CLCA compared with ALCA. Major hotspots for the different impact categories when using CLCA and ALCA were similar, but other hotspots differed in contributions, order and type. As experienced by the authors, ALCA and use of co-product allocation are difficult to comprehend for a consequential practitioner, while CLCA and system expansion are difficult to comprehend for an attributional practitioner. Literature shows concentrates used within ALCA will be more understandable for a feeding expert than the feed used within CLCA. Outcomes of CLCA are more sensitive to uncertainties compared with ALCA, due to the inclusion of market prospects. The amount of data required within CLCA is similar compared with ALCA. +Discussion +The main cause of these differences between ALCA and CLCA is the fact that different systems are modelled. The goal of the study or the research question to be answered defines the system under study. In general, the goal of CLCA is to assess environmental consequences of a change in demand, whereas the goal of ALCA is to assess the environmental burden of a product, assuming a status-quo situation. Nowadays, however, most LCA practitioners chose one methodology independent of their research question. +Conclusions +This study showed it is possible to perform both ALCA (mass and economic allocation) and CLCA (system expansion) of milk. Choices of methodology, however, resulted in differences in: total quantitative outcomes, hotspots, degree of understanding and quality. +Recommendations and perspectives +We recommend LCA practitioners to better distinguish between ALCA and CLCA in applied studies to reach a higher degree of transparency. Furthermore, we recommend LCA practitioners of different research areas to perform similar case studies to address differences between ALCA and CLCA of the specific products as the outcomes might differ from our study. +- BINternet (2003) Bedrijven-InformatieNet. Available at: +- Casey JW, Holden NM (2005) Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions from the average Irish milk production system. Agric Syst 86:97–114 CrossRef +- Cederberg C, Stadig M (2003) System expansion and allocation in life cycle assessment of milk and beef production. Int J LCA 8:350–356 +- Cornelissen AMG (2003) The two faces of sustainability. Fuzzy evaluation of sustainable development. Ph.D. thesis, Animal Production Systems Group,Wageningen University, The Netherlands, pp 1–184 +- Dalgaard R, Schmidt J, Halberg N, Christensen P, Thrane M, Pengue WA (2008) LCA of soybean meal. Int J LCA 13(3):240–254 +- Doppenberg J, de Groot JP (2005) Lineaire programmering rundvee-, varkens- en pluimveevoeders. VVM Bedrijfsbureau; Vereniging Voorlichting Mengvoerindustrie, Deventer, The Netherlands +- Eastridge ML (2006) Major advances in applied dairy cattle nutrition. J Dairy Sci 89:1311–1323 +- ecoinvent Centre (2004) Ecoinvent data v1.1. Final reports Ecoinvent 2000 (1–15). Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories, Duebendorf (CD-ROM) +- Ekvall T (1999) System expansion and allocation in life cycle Assessment; with implications for wastepaper management. Department of Technical Environmental Planning, Chalmers University of Technology, Goteborg, Sweden, pp 1–54 +- Ekvall T, Finnveden G (2001) Allocation in ISO 14041—a critical review. J Clean Prod 9:197–208 CrossRef +- Ekvall T, Weidema BP (2004) System boundaries and input data in consequential life cycle inventory analysis. Int J Life Cycle Assess 9:161–171 +- Ekvall T, Andræ ASG (2006) Attributional and consequential environmental assessment of the shift to lead-free solders. Int J LCA 11:344–353 CrossRef +- FAPRI (2007) Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. Available at: +- Frischknecht R (1998) Life cycle inventory analysis for decision-making. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland +- Goff JP (2006) Major advances in our understanding of nutritional influences on bovine health. J Dairy Sci 89:1292–1301 CrossRef +-, Lindeijer E, Roorda AAH, van der Ven BL, Weidema BP (eds) (2002) Handbook on life cycle assessment. Operational guide to the ISO standards. Centrum voor Milieukunde, Universiteit Leiden (CML). Kluwer, Leiden, The Netherlands +- Heijungs R (1997) Economic drama and the environmental stage formal derivation of algorithmic tools for environmental analysis and decision-support from a unified epistemological principle. Centre of Environmental Science, Leiden University, Leiden +- Heijungs R, Guinée JB (2007) Allocation and ‘what-if’ scenarios in life cycle assessment of waste management systems. Waste Manage 27:997–1005 CrossRef +- Høgaas Eide M (2002) Life cycle assessment (LCA) of industrial milk production. Int J LCA 7:115–126 +- Hospido A, Moreira MT, Feijoo G (2003) Simplified life cycle assessment of Galician milk production. Int Dairy J 13:783–796 CrossRef +- ISO (2006) Environmental management. The ISO 14000 family of international standards. Available at: +- Morrison SJ, Patterson DC (2007) The effects of offering a range of forage and concentrate supplements on milk production and dry matter intake of grazing dairy cows. Grass Forage Sci 62:332–345 CrossRef +- Nielsen PH, Nilesen AM, Weidema BP, Dalgaard R, Halberg N (2005) LCA food database. Available at: +- Pengue WA (2006) Increasing roundup ready soybean export from Argentina. In: Halberg NAH, Knudsen MT, Kristensen ES (eds) Global development of organic agriculture. CABI, Oxfordshire, UK, p 20 +- Rang H, Westra PP (2006) Prijsopbouw rundvlees. PVE; Productschappen Vee, Vlees en Eieren, Zoetermeer, p 1–16 +- +- Schmidt JH, Weidema BP (2008) Shift in the marginal supply of vegetable oil. Int J LCA 13(3):235–239 +- Steinfeld H, Gerber P, Wassenaar T, Castel V, Rosales M, de Haan C (2006) Livestock’s long shadow; environmental issues and options. Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, Italy +- Tamminga S, Van Straalen WM, Subnel APJ, Meijer RGM, Steg A, Wever CJG, Blok MC (1994) The Dutch protein evaluation system: The DVE/OEB-system. Livest Prod Sci 40:139–155 CrossRef +- Ter Veer DF (2005) Scenariostudie 100% biologisch voeren melkvee. Animal Sciences Group/Praktijkonderzoek, Lelystad, pp 1–22 +- Thomassen MA, de Boer IJM (2005) Evaluation of indicators to assess the environmental impact of dairy production systems. Agric Ecosyst Environ 111:185–199 CrossRef +- Thomassen MA, Van Calker KJ, Smits MCJ, Iepema GL, De Boer IJM (2008) Life Cycle Assessment of conventional and organic milk production in The Netherlands. Agric Syst 96:95–107 CrossRef +- Tillman A-M (2000) Significance of decision-making for LCA methodology. Environ Impact Assess Rev 20:113–123 CrossRef +- Tillman A-M, Ekvall T, Baumann H, Rydberg T (1994) Choice of system boundaries in life cycle assessment. J Clean Prod 2:21–29 CrossRef +- Van Calker KJ, Berentsen PBM, Giesen GWJ, Huirne RBM (2005) Identifying and ranking attributes that determine sustainability in Dutch dairy farming. Agric Human Values 22:53–63 CrossRef +- Van Es AJH (1978) Feed evaluation for ruminants 1. The systems in use from May 1977 onwards in The Netherlands. Livest Prod Sci 5:331–345 CrossRef +- Van Straalen WM (1995) Modelling of nitrogen flow and excretion in dairy cows. Department of Animal Nutrition, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Wageningen, pp 1–205 +- VDI (1997) Cumulative energy demand—terms, definitions, methods of calculation. In: Ingenieure VD. VDI-Richtlinien 4600, Düsseldorf, Germany +- Weidema BP (2003) Market information in life cycle assessment. Danish Environment Protection Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark, pp 1–147 +- Weidema BP, Norris GA (2002) Avoiding co-product allocation in the metals sector. In: ICMM International Workshop on Life Cycle Assessment and Metals. Dubreuil A, Montreal, Canada, pp 81–87 +- Wenzel H, Hauschild M, Alting L (1997) In: Edition F (ed) Environmental assessments of products, vol 1: methodology, tools and case studies in product developments. Champan & Hall, London, UK) +- Title +- Attributional and consequential LCA of milk production +- Open Access +- Available under Open Access This content is freely available online to anyone, anywhere at any time. +- Journal +- The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment +Volume 13, Issue 4 , pp 339-349 +- Cover Date +- 2008-06-01 +- DOI +- 10.1007/s11367-008-0007-y +- Print ISSN +- 0948-3349 +- Online ISSN +- 1614-7502 +- Publisher +- Springer-Verlag +- Additional Links +- +- Topics +- +- Keywords +- Attributional LCA +- Consequential LCA +- Co-product allocation +- Milk production +- System expansion +- Industry Sectors +- +- Authors +- Marlies A. Thomassen +(1) +- Randi Dalgaard (2) +- Reinout Heijungs (3) +- Imke de Boer (1) +- Author Affiliations +- 1. Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University and Research Centre, P.O. Box 338, 6700 AH, Wageningen, The Netherlands +- 2. Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Agroecology and Environment, University of Århus, 8830, Tjele, Denmark +- 3. Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML), Leiden University, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands +Give sorrow words; the grief that does not speak whispers the o’er-fraught heart and bids it break. ~ William Shakespeare +I’ve been thinking a lot about courage lately. Finding the courage to start this blog came, in large measure, due to the memory of my friend Lara. +How do I describe my friend Lara (or as I called her, “My La”), to you? For some people, words simply aren’t enough; but I will try, for My La is worth the effort. Fair warning: this post is LONG. Really long. But when you are writing to honor someone’s life, ample time must be granted. Shortcuts are insulting. Brevity is offensive. So find a comfy corner. Stretch your attention span. Grab a libation and settle in for what I hope will be a special encounter between you and my friend Lara. +Lara and I met in college. This is us on campus, celebrating the first blooms of spring. She’s in pink. I’m in yellow. +This is what I wish you to know about her: +Lara was the personification of these words: strong, bold, passionate, sassy, confident, beautiful, smart, moxie, fiery. +Have you ever ACTUALLY seen a woman STRUT? Well, if you’d known Lara you would have. Lara didn’t walk, she sort of rolled, sauntered, cruised. Indeed, it was a strut. With her shoulders thrown back, her long brown hair flowing and her cowboy boots pounding the ground with sass and frass, Lara was one of the most dazzlingly self-aware, dazzling, empowered, wise women I’ve ever known. These are NOT adjectives often used to describe a young woman in college. For most of us it takes another 20 years, IF we are lucky, for even one of these superlatives to be ascribed to us. But not Lara. She had it DOWN, even back then. +Lara was no joke. She knew who she was and she never compromised herself. She didn’t suffer from that often female habit of worrying what people thought of her or if they liked her, for Miss Thang knew that if they didn’t like her, well then screw ‘em. They had no sense. HA! I loved that about her. +Lara was a bad-ass…in the best sense of the word. +Lara was fierce and fearless. Period. +Lara carried a flask and could drink anyone under the table. Vodka and Cranberry. Jack and Jim, Daniels and Beam. Pick your poison. You’ve lost before you even started. +Lara could have been a professional pool player. She was THAT good. +Lara knew her power as a woman. She embraced that power and never made excuses or tried to diminish it. She owned it. Powerful stuff for a doll so young. +Lara reminded me, physically, of the actress Ellen Barkin. She had a slight Presley-esque lopsided curl to her upper lip. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled. She had that type of confidence and presence that a truly beautiful woman possesses, even though she wasn’t what you’d call a classic beauty. There is also a bit of the country music star Gretchen Wilson in her too. That no-nonsense, down-to-earth, no BS, don’t MAKE me slap you with my words, cowgirl in My La. +But the truth is that Lara’s deepest beauty was to be found in her passion, her heart, her words and her truth. And in the way she loved. Lara loved hard. Her friends. Her family. Her lovers. +Some of my favorite Lara memories are of her strutting into the college pub where the pool tables were, that sly-sexy-lopsided smile of hers powered at 1000, daring the boys to challenge her to a game. And they always did. Silly boys. How could they resist this Southern Belle whose slight southern drawl belied her kick-ass ways? How could they resist her sparking eyes and golden skin and her, “Come on. You know you want to” gaze? And while they were spinning in her glory, falling dizzy hard for her wit and charm and beauty, she was kicking their A**ES at pool. Poor boys. They never had a chance. Never knew what hit them. We, her friends, would just sit back and enjoy the show. And that girl knew how to put on a show. +Lara was a brilliant writer. Poetry was her true love. It’s what she studied in school and was her life’s work. Her book of poetry was published posthumously; a copy signed by her mother is one of my most treasured possessions. Her appreciation for words was not reserved for just the union between pen and paper but also, and this was my fav part, it fueled her gift for being able to ZING someone with a well-placed “BOOM-on-no-she-DIDN’T-just-say-that.” +Lara did not suffer fools lightly. And why should she? You had to be on your game to keep up with her; to be her friend; to earn her respect. Not everyone may have appreciated THAT side to her, as is often the case with strong, outspoken, confident women. She could be intimidating. For ME, it was what I loved most about her. Her fierce commitment to the truth. Her willingness to go cowboy boot toe to toe with anyone, anytime, anywhere. Brash? Maybe, at times. But always honest and always fair and always with that devilish twinkle in her eye that let you know that SHE knew it was never a fair fight. She won just by strutting into the room. +Let’s be clear: Lara’s fierceness was NEVER mean spirited or hurtful. She simply walked, nay, strutted, in the truth. And as we know, the truth can hurt. But at her core, Lara was one of the most thoughtful, sensitive, loving, caring people I knew. Like all of us, Lara had her insecurities too. I consider it a true honor that I was one of the few people allowed to see that side of her, for it only added to the amazing grace that was her heart, spirit and inner twinkle. +One Halloween our group of friends decided to dress up as one another. There was NO question as to WHO would go as Lara: Me. We shared the same thick brown waist length hair and passion for wearing one too many bracelets. I borrowed one of her signature thrift-store dresses and practiced my best lip curl. “Being Lara” was a blast. I walked a bit taller (even tho I was in fact already taller than her in actual inches to begin with). There may have even been some strutting going on. I’m pretty sure I even had some swagger. Being Lara meant that I knew my power, my grace, my beauty, my strength. I felt like a superhero! And even when the dress came off, returned to its owner and I was back to being me, the essence of Lara remained with me. Once you’d experienced the “World According to Lara”, it’s not possible to go back to being a mere mortal. Now that I think of it, Lara didn’t go as any of us that Halloween. I’m sure it would have been a letdown for her. I’m still not sure WHO she was supposed to be. Based on her all black military MTV rocker chic ensemble, my best guess is that she was an extra from the Rhythm Nation. She was about two years ahead of that nation actually being formed by Miss Jackson. +Lara was always one of my biggest cheerleaders in college. She was always telling me how amazing she thought I was, how beautiful and strong and smart I was in her eyes. My guess is that this is not the norm for most young women in college. I hope I am wrong though. To have a gal pal who is supportive and encouraging and nurturing, who sees the best in us and demands that we live up to that expectation, is indeed a gift I wish for all young women. +The truth is, just by being my friend, Lara made me feel special. Because she had such high standards in terms of people and who she chose to spend her time with, I felt that by her claiming me as one of her nearest and dearest, it was PROOF that I was worthy. Lara’s closest friend in college was Leigh. I often felt like I was the kid sister, tagging along with the older cool girls on campus (even though we were all just months apart in age and I was a good few inches taller – lol). Lucky me, to be part of this fabulous trio! Leigh and Lara. Lara and Leigh. Always together. +Lara and Leigh graduated a year before me (I had taken a year off between high school and college and thus was a year behind them). I remember feeling so lost without them my senior year. It was a year that brought many challenges my way on campus and every day I wished that they were still there with me to support and bolster me during some of my more trying moments. +As is often the case with life and friends, we went our separate ways after college. Leigh to NY, Lara home to North Carolina and I to Europe for work and then back to SF. Leigh and Lara for sure stayed in touch. Lara and I exchanged many lengthy hand written letters over the years. 10-12 pagers. An art form we both savored. Lara invited me to her wedding. I didn’t go because of same lame reason. Probably just being so wrapped up in my own life. I regret that decision now. I figured I’d have time to visit with her…one day…someday. +It was through Leigh I would learn Lara had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. I remember Leigh saying, “I know she would love to hear from you”. I KNEW I should call Lara; I knew I should reach out. But I didn’t. I simply couldn’t bear it. I’d never been faced with a situation like that with someone so close to me. And in this first test of, “Lulu, what are you REALLY made of?” I failed. I didn’t know what to say to her. I didn’t want to hear weakness or pain in her voice; in the voice of someone I remembered as being so strong and powerful and effervescent. I was afraid I would fall apart on the phone, break down in sobs, and make her feel worse. I didn’t want her to have to end up comforting me. I didn’t trust myself to be able to sound happy and positive. I was simply afraid of her illness. It paralyzed me into non-action. +The real truth is this: I didn’t want the first time we’d spoken since college to be because she might be dying. I convinced myself that if I didn’t call her it would mean that nothing had changed; if we didn’t talk about her illness then maybe that meant she wasn’t actually sick. And so time went by, and as more time went by I thought, “Well, I can’t call NOW. How am I going to explain not calling the minute I learned she was ill?” I thought, “Well, she’ll get better and I’ll call her THEN”. So I waited. And I never called. I continued to send holiday cards as did she, neither of is mentioning her illness, but I will never forgive myself for not being there for her in her time of need. I knew that she knew I loved her and I even imagined that she understood my silence (later her husband would confirm that for me) but I made the mistake putting my OWN issues with her illness ahead of doing the right thing. I regret my behavior with all of my heart and soul. It’s a regret that doubles me over in brutal shame and disgrace to this day. I was not the friend I would have wanted someone to be to me. I was not the friend she deserved. +When I learned from Leigh that Lara had taken a turn for the worse and was in hospice care, I literally fell to the ground and cried for three days and nights. My body ached from crying. Grief raged inside of me. I wanted to rip the world to shreds and throw it at the sun till it burned into little pieces. I was having trouble just catching my breath. A few times I collapsed on the floor, rocking back and forth, sobbing, banging my fists against my legs. +A few days later & just a few days before my birthday, very late in the evening, came word that Lara had taken her last breath. It was in the form of a slightly cryptic email, the sender clearly not feeling able to just say it clearly. I had to ask them by reply, “Can you be clear? Is she gone? Has she died?”. It was brutal. My first reaction was a heaving gut-wrenching howl that ripped through my body. I flung myself across my bed and buried my cries into my pillow and pounded the bed with my fists. And then it started to rain…a rain that was not in the forecast. I sat up on my bed and looked out my window up at the dark black sky. I saw a cloud pass in front of the moon. I felt a wash of calm come over me. A clarity of mind and spirit. And peace. And then the cloud passed and the rain stopped. I am not religious but it was what I imagine many who are describe as a sign from above that all is as it should be. It was the most astonishing occurrence. Lara was gone, the skies cried and for the first time in 3 days, I was at peace…at least for a while. Proof positive that in death, as in life, Lara’s power and light remained steady and strong. I’ve no doubt that cloud and those few minutes of rain were Lara, making her entrance, strutting on in and causing a seismic shift and making everyone take notice. +Lara was in her early 40’s when she died, doubling the life expectancy the doctors gave her; they gave her two; she raised them four. I’m not surprised. Not one damn bit and yet, how can it be that a woman so vibrant and strong and committed to life, so full of gusto and swagger and saunter and kick-ass awesomeness was GONE? +Lara left behind a loving and devoted husband, and two children, age 12 and age 8 at the time of her death. They are blessed to have her blood fueling their hearts. She was a warrior for her friends so you can only imagine what type of devotion and pride she felt for her children. +Now it’s just Leigh and Me. I imagine that every conversation, every hug, every laugh and giggle, every glass raised, every memory recalled, from now until forever, will start and end with our La as its glorious centerpiece. +Lara’s birthday falls within a day or two of Thanksgiving every year. I think that is fitting. I am forever thankful for my dear, sweet, shining, gorgeous, proud, talented, loving friend. I am eternally thankful for her cowboy boot strutting, poetry writing, sassing and frassing, pool playing, flask carrying, badass ways. She died three days before my birthday. That seems fitting too. A reminder as I gripe about getting older that I am blessed to be able to see another year, a blessing My La was stripped of. +I am not one who believes that everything happens for a reason. Sure, it’s a noble notion but until someone can explain to me why death comes early for some, I’m not buying it. However, I DO believe everything that happens has a lesson in it. For me, the death of Lara has taught me, in a brutal knife to the heart lesson, that life is short. Tomorrow is not promised. Make an effort to stay in touch with those you love beyond holiday cards. Pick up the phone. Send them a card, an email. Make time NOW. Don’t wait for a special occasion. End every conversation with, “I love you”. Don’t let time get away. Nothing is more important than nurturing the relationships with those you love. Nothing. And when someone you love is sick, don’t worry about how it affects YOU. Don’t get tangled up in YOUR issues and how hard it is for YOU. That is the height of selfishness and hubris. Get over yourself and pick up the damn phone. I have learned these lessons the hard way. Please don’t make the same mistakes I did. I challenge you to think of someone you’ve been meaning to call, write, reach out to and do it NOW. Right now. Let them know you are thinking of them. Now. Do it. Have courage. +I write now for Lara because she no longer can. Her memory guides my pen. Her life gives me the words. Her death gives me the courage…because I now understand how precious time is and how fragile life is. Writing was her gift to the world. My writing is my gift to her. +Dear sweet friend, Lara, I miss you to the moon and back a thousand times. With passion, truth, conviction and beauty, you ruled the world. With grace, courage, dignity and a fist bump to the rain clouds, you departed. While those who knew and loved you feel as if we may never smile again, all we have to do is think of you, our La, our favorite memories of yesteryear or simply gaze at your photo or sing your sweet name and slowly the smiles will come, the heart will mend and the love that is you, our La, will renew, restore and guide us back to happiness. +So raise your glass (Beam or Daniels if you dare) and join me in a toast to My La. Forever may she strut! xo lulu +This action might not be possible to undo. Are you sure you want to continue? +Proposal for Setting up a BPO unit In Tribal Taluka of Chhota Udepur of District Vadodara For Doubling of the Income +of the people of the Area In 11th Five year plan +Submitted to: Government of Gujarat, Social Justice & Empowerment Department (Tribal Development Department) Gandhinagar. +December 2006 +Submitted by: Shroffs Foundation Trust At & Post: Kalali, Tal. & Dist. Vadodara Ph. 0265 - 2680061, 2680702 Fax-0265 - 2680370 sft@shroffsfoundation.org +Contents 1. Introduction 2. Executive Summary 3. Overview of Outsourcing Industry 4. BPO in Chhota Udepur 5. Pre-requisites 6. Project Plan 7. Resource Requirements 8. Financial Plan 9. Financial Feasibility 10. Conclusion 3 4 6 11 12 14 15 16 18 20 +Shroffs Foundation Trust +2 +The obj ect ive of t his proposal is t o build capacit y among rural (t ribal) yout h t o become BPO agent s and get employment in t he BPO sect or which will primarily be in the rural location. Shroffs Foundation Trust 3 .1. Introduction This proposal t o set -up a BPO unit in Chhot a Udepur is envisaged as part of t he income generat ion program (doubling t he income of t he area) undert aken by SFT with private sector partnerships. The execut ive summary is given next which is followed by det ailed descript ion of the project including implementation plan and financials. +Room/office etc. in fact . envisaging a model where rural infrast ruct ure is used and process agent s are also drawn from rural yout h is one of t he most appropriat e ways of present ing such a low cost advant age t o t he cust omers who are wiling to outsource their processes. t hriving on such rural model. Educated workforce young people ready to work in shifts. Though connect ivit y can be est ablished wit h t he help of t elecom service providers in Shroffs Foundation Trust 4 . At least one IT technician/engineer for each shift. many BPO unit s have been set up in rural areas surrounding Chennai & Pondicherry and some cust omers out sourcing services are. 2. 3. Considering Chhot a Udepur. Broadband Connectivity. 5. The most import ant aspect s t o develop would be t he connect ivit y and local manpower capabilit ies. In India. A typical BPO unit set-up requires following: 1. In most cases. English language skills. at least good reading and writ ing skills in English language. Executive Summary This proposal is being made to set-up a BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) unit in Chhot a Udepur. Considering t hat t he prime driver for basic BPO services is cost advant age. Though a rural model for BPO services may look like a non-feasible opt ion as against a t ypical urban/ cit y BPO set -up. 7. 6. 4.2. preferably a leased line. a number of at t empt s have been made t o set up BPOs in rural areas and most of t hese at t empt s have been successful. Computer and Server set-up including various software. some of t he above facilit ies are already available and ot hers can be made available. At least one person with managerial skills (Team Leader) for each shift. +lease or purchase) and people cost (t he highest cost in a BPO) are much lower in rural areas compared t o urban sit uat ion. As a public-privat e part nership model. generally t ermed as KPO (Knowledge Process Shroffs Foundation Trust 5 . Transpek Indust ry Limit ed. a reasonable estimate of 9 months to 12 months should be taken for development of manpower t o be ready t o work as process agent s in t he BPO unit. For example. the pressures on city infrastructures are creating major roadblocks in expanding t he set-up in cit ies. it is envisaged t hat rural areas are going t o become focus of low-end BPO services and t he urban BPO services will t end t o move up t he value chain and over a period of t ime urban areas will become t he focus of high-end BPO services. severe t raffic j ams have become a norm in Bangalore. The main driver is cost as t he infrast ruct ure cost (physical space rent al. the biggest BPO hub in India. Outsourcing). This would also provide an early mover advant age as well as form a basis for replicat ion of t he model into the same and other rural locations. Moreover. t he cost of running BPO in a cit y is increasing and t he cost leverage t hat was t here five years back has considerably reduced. t he capacit y building of t he manpower is a development process and would t ake some t ime. it is proposed t o set -up a BPO unit in Chhot a Udepur on t he basis of a properly designed Proj ect Implement at ion Plan. wit h t he growt h of urban areas. Considering t he above. Considering t hat language skills are also t o be developed.short t ime. Vadodara was approached and t hey have agreed in principle t o t ake over t his unit direct ly or t hrough any of t heir associat e/group company aft er 12 mont hs and run it as a business unit wherein t he t ribal yout h will cont inue t o be employed and earn income. As we look forward. There are some good reasons for cust omers t o have rural BPOs at t ract ive from a business st andpoint . Also. +accuracy and security. t he nat ional compet it iveness and the business drivers for successful BPO. elect ronic media or an on-line ent ry syst em. ret rieval and ut ilizat ion of informat ion for an organizat ion. book.3. Opt ical Charact er Recognit ion (OCR) soft ware and hardware while ensuring t he utmost integrity. The lit erat ure is very rich in explaining t he concept s of out sourcing and t wo such concepts have been identified to explain the scope of the industry. t he ent erprise or commonly called t he vendor. cat alogue. delivers out sourced services. BPO is t he preparat ion. The BPO actors: Saunders et al. Overview of Outsourcing Industry Introduction This chapt er provides a general overview of t he Out sourcing Indust ry wit h part icular emphasis on Business Process Out sourcing (BPO). while simult aneously offering an int ernet -based dat a ent ry and query service. The process owner Shroffs Foundation Trust 6 . fax. Concepts of BPO and KPO Defined simply. Knowledge Process Out sourcing (KPO) is t he high-end services in out sourcing and it concerns t he applicat ion of knowledge t o business processes compared to low level skills in bottom-line BPO. warehouse. The first is t he cust omer or client who out sources his processes while t he second. capt ure. It analyses t he configurat ion of t he BPO indust ry in general. Dat a processing is accompanied by ext ract ing informat ion from a current or cust om designed form. (1997) recognize that outsourcing has two main act ors: t he out sourced and t he out sourcer . This service bureau concept alleviat es t he need for onsit e dat a ent ry personnel. +A further analysis made by Forrester reveals that: Shroffs Foundation Trust 7 . We can t herefore emphasize from t he very out set t hat BPO as an indust ry has t hree main act ors: t he client who requires t he service. Vent oro (2004) report s t hat t he out sourcing industry in general has the following configuration as at date: There are some 10. Forrest er (2004) said t hat while it believes the BPO market will grow to $146 billion in 2008. high-volume vert ical processes and niche vertical applications. the market place will fragment as vendors focus on individual BPO segment s like simple bulk t ransact ions. The t wo above concept s give a micro-economic dimension t o BPO as a management st rat egy. Cont ract s are usually long-t erm and.000 vendors offering some form of outsourcing There are offshore outsourcing vendors in over 175 countries There are some 500 Government Agencies. Outsourcing: The Status & Potential From a general point of view. broad shared services. we should include a t hird act or: t he Government or t he count ry in which t he service is being delivered. t he vendor who provides it and t he count ry which is the location from which the service is provided. maintaining and developing a business process or set s of funct ions. st aff responsible for t he out sourced function move across the customer to the provider. The BPO mechanism: Financial Times (2004) explains t he mechanism of BPO whereby a BPO provider assumes primary responsibilit y for delivery.is t he organizat ional int erface of t he t wo ent erprises during all t he out sourcing activities. in some cases. Trade Groups and NGOs act ively campaigning to grab a larger share of the global outsourcing market Considering BPO on it s own as an indust ry. When we look at t he bigger pict ure and consider t he macro framework. +The largest segment in t he BPO market will be simple bulk t ransact ions and they predict that this segment will grow to $58 billion by 2008. $ 6 billion in 2008. The second largest segment will be broad shared services. represent ing a market of $57 billion in 2008 High-volume vert ical processes will represent a significant ly smaller segment . Managers can cut overall cost s by 25 t o 40% while building a more secure and more focused workforce in the U. The above st at ist ics no doubt confirm t he growt h of BPO as an Indust ry wit h a worldwide dimension Shroffs Foundation Trust 8 . U. The Times (August 2003) report s t hat by t aking advant age of lower wages overseas. Vert ical processes include policy administ rat ion. Market & Business Development (MBD) (2004) published a report on Business Comput ing in t he UK in Sept ember 2004 in which it highlight s t hat t he sharp growt h in t he value of IT Professional Services largely reflect s t he increased t rend t owards BPO.S. i.S. particularly third party work. claims and loan process applications etc.e. The report also st at es t hat BPO which has increased it s share of t he t ot al market for t he aforesaid services from 36% in 2000 t o a project ed 42% in 2004 is believed t o be t he fast est growing area in t he sect or. +The Economist (May 2004) report s t hat India s revenue from BPO grew by some 50% in 2003 t o reach $ 3. Shroffs Foundation Trust 9 . Rao. t he Chairman of NASSCOM. a feat it should repeat regularly. rat her t han it s muscles of fact ory labor t o cat apult it self int o a fast -growing economy. indicat es t hat some 85% of it s member s revenues are derived from America and Britain. The developed vendor market Rick L. t he Indian BPO-Indust ry lobby Associat ion. A typical BPO Services model is depicted in the following diagram. (2004) highlight five BPO int ernat ional spot s which have emerged around the globe.The Geographical Distribution of the Outsourcing Industry Out sourcing can be segregat ed int o t wo t ypical market s: t he developed vendor market s and t he emerging vendor market . Viz India China Mexico - - Financial. Click et al. It is not surprising t hat India is now recognized as t he world BPO leader. A short review of count ry locat ions and their specializations is opportune. Healthcare. Mr.6 billion. each with a field of specializations. Engineering & Technical Manufacturing and Technical Manufacturing Analysis and Creative Administrative Unites States Philippines St rat egic Direct ion (2004) argues t hat India could well be t he first developing count ry t hat has used it s brain power. +Typical BPO Services Client Interactive Services Back-Office Transactions Information Technologies & Software Financial & Accounting Services Human Resource Services Knowledge Management Services Call Center Marketing Services Telesales Order Processing Client Support Warranties Administration Client Feedback Checks & Credit Card Processing Debtors Recovery Supplies processing Transportation Distribution Logistics Warehouse Management Needs Management Applications Development Applications Testing Software development Invoicing Services Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable General Accounting Internal Audit Payroll Services Data Management Centre Data mining Data Warehousing Health care Services Recruitment Training Management Pension Fund Knowledge Databank Implementation Services IT Help Desk Shroffs Foundation Trust 10 . +BPO in Chhota Udepur The cit y of Chhot a Udepur is a dist rict cent er wit h reasonably good infrast ruct ure and availabilit y of young manpower. The key for winning cust omers in BPO is t o act ually demonst rat e t he capabilit ies of BPO and t herefore t raining and pilot t est s are crit ical fact ors for building such capabilities. but SSC pass can also do). It is also well connect ed by road with Vadodara. A BPO can be set up in Chhota Udepur with a view to build a profitable business model for privat e sect or and at t he same t ime harnessing t he yout h populat ion available. a cust omer likes t o st art at t he lowest end of t he services and would like t o move t o higher levels only when t he cust omer expect at ions about qualit y and efficiencies are met .4. The privat e sect or will get low cost skilled manpower and communit y will benefit by availability of employment opportunities. This is a win-win situation for the community and private sector. The next chapt er provides det ails about pre-requisit es t hat are needed t o develop and demonstrate such capabilities. in BPO business. Shroffs Foundation Trust 11 . Such a process is t ypically at t he bot t om level of BPO services and requires agent s t hat are school educat ed (HSC preferred. A t ypical BPO which provide basic dat a processing services is envisaged as a st art ing point . Once a confidence level is established. Generally. the customer would be willing to pass on higher end services which provide better revenues. +It is imperat ive t o have cont inuous connect ivit y t oget her wit h a back-up in case t he main like goes down. These are key equipment and would need t o be set -up as per specificat ions of t he cust omer. Broadband Connectivity. Therefore.5. Electricity It is necessary t o have cont inuous availabilit y of power t o run t he business. The server will need t o be kept in an air-conditioned and secure server room. The soft ware would include operat ing syst ems. Pre-requisites A BPO is a set -up around Informat ion Technology and Manpower. building and machinery required for a traditional industry. Therefore. The following are the pre-requisites for setting up a BPO business unit. This would include deskt ops. as a back-up a generator is must. Computer and Server set-up including various software. dat a st orage and firewalls. swit ches. rout ers. racks. per employee. Generally. a leased line is t he main set -up and back is provided with Broadband. A rough est imat e for space needed is t o have average 45 sq. A proper area like an office (not necessarily air-condit ioned) which has basic set -up like workst at ions (t ables-chairs et c. servers. preferably a leased line. ft. process soft ware and dat abase syst ems. the pre-requisites for BPO business are different from typical land. Room/office etc. Shroffs Foundation Trust 12 .) and elect ric connect ions wit h proper light ing. +At least one person wit h managerial skills (Senior Team Leader) for each shift. Educated workforce young people ready to work in shifts. a senior person wit h leadership and managerial capabilities is needed to manage the business. at least ). Shroffs Foundation Trust 13 . The key t o success lies in managing t he t eams of people which will have issues of working at odd hours. Wit hout educat ed workforce (higher secondary school. it is crit ical t o have availabilit y of IT engineer full t ime so as t o reduce down t ime as much as possible and also to maintain the set-up in proper condition. pressures of performance and monot ony of t he work being done. Therefore. Also. availabilit y of such manpower and t heir willing ness t o work in such an indust ry are crit ical. at least good reading and writ ing skills in English language. no process can be carried out .At least one IT technician/engineer for each shift Since t he set -up would be fully based on IT syst ems. In most cases. It may be necessary t o t rain t he employees in t he language before t hey go for t raining in t he comput ers or t he out sourced process itself. t he success of business is dependent on t he t raining and t herefore people wit h basic education are required so that they can be properly trained. English language skills. Most of t he out sourcing comes from US & UK and t herefore t he language of process is English. Therefore. +t he proj ect will be implement ed by Shroffs Foundat ion Trust . The project plan can be depicted in the following diagram: Project Implementation Road Map Availability of Funds Project Planning Business Development Tie-up Corporate in-principle to take over the unit. Transpek has provided a Letter of Intent to this effect which is attached herewith. Once t he t raining is over and capabilit ies are built .6. Current ly. t he unit will be t ransferred t o Transpek Indust ry Limit ed or any of it s associat e companies for running it as a business. Month 1/2 Month 2/3 Month 3/4 Month 4/5 Month Month 5/6/7/8 Month 8/9/10 11/12 Kick-off Recruitment Training Training in Computers Training in Language Pilots 1/2/3 Go Live Training in dummy processes. Shroffs Foundation Trust 14 . Project Plan The proj ect is planned t o be implement ed over a period of 9 t o 12 mont hs out of which about 90% of the time will be spent in training and pilot tests. for t he period of Training et c.. Infrastructure set-up including connectivity. +and network cabling. ft . firewall etc. per person. 104 Desktops. Appropriat e soft ware Database Application etc. Resources Required A building of about 7.000 t o 9. A building is available on rent and is not to be bought or constructed. Workstations 105 nos. Operat ing Syst ems. will be required considering an average space requirement of about 70 t o 90 sq. Routers. 2. ft .7. Shroffs Foundation Trust 15 .000 sq. Resource Requirements Basic Assumptions 1. Sever Applicat ion. 5 Servers. switches. The Unit would be of 100 seat s excluding the Team Leaders and Qualit y Assurance staff. Air Conditioned Server Room Electrification Software for Learning English Language. The unit will run on two shift basis. +50.000 1.000 1. Financial Planning A: Capital Expenditure Sr. 7.000 5.000 Voice Equipments Network Cabling Software Server.8.000 Firewall 1 @ 180000 Router 1 @ Rs. CALs. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Particulars Building Refurbishment (assumed can be finalized after the building is identified).80.000 7.000 5.000 9. Dat abase.000 B: Annual Recurring Expenses for IT/Internet Set up Sr.20.000 Shroffs Foundation Trust 16 .35.00. 125.50.00.60.00.000 per server Server Room with AC including Racks Switches 6 @ 25.00. Operat ing Syst em + MS Office Electricity Generator Total Investment Amount Rs.000 3.000 per station Desktops 104 @ 23000 per desktop Servers 3 @ 1.92.00.00.25.00.50.000 2. 7. 8.000 1.000 10.000 4.000 3.00.000 23.000 75.000 19. Workstations 105 @ Rs. 1 2 3 4 Particulars BSNL Internet Connection Port Charges 2 MBPS BSNL Local Lead Annual Maintenance Software Licenses Total IT Recurring Amount Rs.42.000 1.00. +42.06.40.20.00. 75. Quality Assurance Staff (2 for each shift) @ Rs.00.00.400 D: Management Fees for Project Rs.000 Total Cost Rs.00. 10.000 36.00.000 C: Training & Operating Expense Rs.20. Other expenses Contingencies @ 10% of total exp. 20.50.60. 10. 19.06.84. 8.08.00.00. Trainee Stipend @ 1500 per month Traveling etc.00.000 9. 1.000 each.000 2.08. Rs.000 9.C: Operating & Training Expenses for 12 months Sr.000 per month It Technicians 2 (1 for each shift) @ Rs.000 each Online Testing Electricity Telecommunication (except Internet) Provision of Tea.64.000 2. 6. 12.400 1.00.000 1. 2.000 each.500 per month Computer Proficiency Teacher 8 @ Rs. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Particulars Training Material & Assignments for 200 trainees English Language Teachers 8 @ Rs. Coffee etc. Total Expenses Amount Rs.400 D: Total Project Expenses A: Capital Expenditure Rs.000 2. 10.40.000 3.000 B: IT/Internet Expenses Rs.000 12. Team Leader 2 (1 for each shift) @ Rs.00.000 10.000 1.000 8.000 2.400 Shroffs Foundation Trust 17 . +Traveling etc.000 5.80. Total Expenses Amount Rs.01.000 Total Costs Rs.000 1. 1 2 3 4 Particulars BSNL Internet Connection Port Charges 2 MBPS BSNL Local Lead Annual Maintenance Software Licenses Total IT Recurring Amount Rs.000 1. Financial Feasibility Once t he proj ect is implement ed and capabilit ies are built .000 10.000 7. 25.01.00.000 5.00. English Language Teachers 1 @ Rs. 1.64.00.00. 3. The financial feasibilit y for such a unit is shown as under: A: Annual Operating Expenses (two shifts) Sr.20. Coffee etc.00.20. 10.39.000 5.000 per month.00.500 Annual Depreciation Rs.00.00.71. Other expenses Contingencies @ 5% of total exp.500 per month Computer Proficiency Teacher 1 @ Rs.00. Manager s Salary 2 @ 30.00.500 Shroffs Foundation Trust 18 . 12.000 5. Agent Salary @ 3000 per mont h all inclusive for 180 agents Team Leader & Qualit y St aff Salary @ 4000 per month for 20 nos.000 2.9.000 64.00.15.000 19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Particulars Continuing Training Material etc.000 Total Expenses Rs.000 2.000 per month Online Testing Electricity Telecommunication (except Internet) Provision of Tea. t he unit would be handed over t o t he privat e part ner.14.60.50.500 B: IT & Internet Cost Sr. 1.000 2.00. 8.550 1.000 6.20.000 9.000 1. +64. of hours per day per shift No.15. the unit can take up higher level processes that would generate much higher per Data Unit revenue. Daily Revenue for Break-even per agent Average no.500 300 8 4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Particulars Total Annual Costs Total Working days No. of Dat a Unit s Processed daily per agent for a basic process Revenue per Data Unit Revenue per day per agent Net Surplus per agent per day Rs. 1.000 Rs. of man-hours for 180 agents Hourly Revenue Required per agent for Break-even. 1. 56 Thus. t he proj ect is viable f or even wit h a base level process. 38 Rs. As t he capabilities of agents are built.20 Rs. 304 300 Rs. Shroffs Foundation Trust 19 .Financial Feasibility Calculation Sr.32. 360 Rs. +10. Shroffs Foundation Trust 20 . it is recommended t o approve the project. Conclusion Considering t hat t he proj ect has all t he ingredient s for success and well as inherent possibilit y for replicat ion in ot her similar areas. +Topical products used for the treatment of common skin infections +Fucidin (fusidic, fusidic) 10 gm, film-coated. +Fucidin may be taken with or without food. Should be taken approximately 30-60 minutes before intended sexual activity and on an empty stomach. +An of diphtheria began in the s in the Russian Federation has spread extensively, involving many countries of the former Soviet Union. Chlamydophila pneumoniae historically has been reported to be a frequent pathogen mainly on the basis of serological assays. +The combination aciclovir impetigo sodium and pro-vasopressin and pro-ANP levels achieved the highest prediction of mortality in a recent analysis From a clinical perspective, risk stratification is divided into two major components: +How supplied: HEV is one of the few viruses which has been shown to be transmitted directly from animals through food. New perspectives on community-acquired pneumonia in patients. +Patients who have underlying skin disease, such as eczema, with a plethora of superficial and deep fissures, may not be able to tolerate this method of bacterial colonization reduction or mupirocin ointment. Note that co-administration of Keflex with aminoglycosides increases the potential for nephrotoxicity. Because impetigo is commonly seen in children, it may mupirocin ointment 2 impetigo helpful to cut the fingernails and cover the affected areas of the body with bandages or gauze. +Childhood Impetigo - how to heal it fast naturally and prevent it +However, if the impetigo is widespread or of the bullous type, or if the patient is aciclovir impetigo or has an underlying skin condition, such as atopic dermatitis, consider starting oral antibiotics in conjunction with topical therapy. +Cephalexin arrests bacterial growth by inhibiting bacterial cell-wall synthesis and has bactericidal activity against rapidly growing organisms. Dermatology references generally recommend topical antibiotics as an option of therapy for impetigo, superficial folliculitis, furunculosis after incision and drainageand minor abrasions. +Selection of antibioticresistant conjunctival S. Outside pandemics, seasonal influenza viruses cause yearly increases in CAP incidence and lead to increased mortality in patients co-infected with bacterial pathogens 12 Clinical trials: Although the results were positive at first sight, a critical interpretation is recommended. +Polymixin B provides activity toward gram-negative pathogens and is available in combination with bacitracin and neomycin. Textbooks and review articles similarly recommend mupirocin as initial treatment for impetigo. +A variety of topical and oral antibiotics can be used for impetigo therapy. Oral antibiotics should be mupirocin 2% impetigo for patients with extensive disease. +It should not be used by people who are allergic to fusidic acid, sodium fusidate or any of the other ingredients. Will it reduce my fertility? +The rash may resemble contact dermatitis or impetigo. What are the causes of impetigo? +Eat ginger and turmeric regularly for their anti-inflammatory effects. Has this problem occurred in the past? +However, education and reassurance of patients and parents, combined with simple treatment and self management, play a vital part in successful treatment. Antibiotics are the mainstay of conventional therapy. The infestation can occur at all ages but particularly occurs in children. Placing a nonstick bandage over the area can help prevent the sores from spreading. +You may also get blurred vision. George A, Rubin G. +Keep in mind that your doctor may recommend monthly treatments with mupirocin ointment if you have folliculitis that occurs repeatedly. However, it has not been established that the use of antibiotics for the treatment of impetigo prevents glomerulonephritis. +It also can affect moist parts of the body, such as the armpits, neck folds, and diaper areas. Mupirocin is also available in a cream formulation, indicated for treatment of secondarily infected traumatic skin lesions.Treating impetigo with fucidin 2% +- Cost Fucidin in Laredo +- Buy Fucidin in NH +- Cost Fucidin in Charlotte +- Buy Fucidin from WA +- Price Fucidin in Newark +Diagnosis and Treatment of Impetigo +J Drugs Dermatol — . Byrd Health Sciences Center in Morgantown +Although these creams reduce painfulness and can shorten the lifespan of the blister, they are not as effective as antiviral creams. If you have sensitive skin, be sure to dilute them in a carrier oil. +Check with the GP before you go in to the practice. This usually occurs in those whose immune systems are compromised. +The primary endpoint of this study was time to clinical stability and it was reached 1, cialis vs cialis professional. However, there may be a concern for a subset of travelers who may be exposed to HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, through contact with the body fluids of another person or their blood. +The study compared babies born to mothers given three or four different STD treatments, including 1g azithromycin, during pregnancy, fluoxetine lawsuit those not given any of these drugs; neonatal death, low birth weight, pre-term delivery and infant ophthalmia were all significantly less common in the treated group. +Quick Links. +See a GP if you or your child: It should be noted that herpes labialis is contagious in all stages, but particularly so during stage three. However, if a patient has aciclovir impetigo developed blisters, doctors may prescribe oral antivirals, so that the patient has them on hand to use as prophylaxis in case of future outbreaks, rather than for use in the current outbreak. +Is a herpes simplex infection dangerous if I have a aciclovir impetigo immune system? +Impetigo: Taking on a common skin infection +Incidence in the overs is 11 per 1, patients per year. Impetigo usually starts with the appearance of red bumps on the face, particularly around the nose and mouth. +A herpes simplex infection can be dangerous in some cases. +You might get some blurred vision straight after putting the drops in, but this should clear after a few minutes. Will it give me thrush? . +The toxin produced by Clostridium difficile is a primary cause of pseudomembranous colitis. However, it has not been established that the use of antibiotics for the treating impetigo with fucidin 2% of impetigo prevents glomerulonephritis. +The safety and efficacy of mupirocin topical cream have not been established in pediatric patients less than 3 months and the safety and efficacy of the topical ointment have not been established in pediatric patients less than 2 months of age. +Nonbullous impetigo results from infection with both of these organisms, although S. References Impetigo is a highly contagious, superficial skin infection that most commonly affects children two to five years of age. Mupirocin is a unique antibiotic produced from Pseudomonas florescens and is active toward Mupirocin 2% impetigo and Staphylococcus, including methicillin-resistant S. +- After drainage, it is important to clean the area with antibacterial soap; then you should apply the antibiotic ointment to the affected area of the skin +- Two days later, she experienced general malaise, poor activity, periorbital swelling, and purulent discharge from the cutaneous lesions; therefore, she was brought to our pediatric outpatient department for evaluation +- Wash hands before use +- The bacterial cause of bullous impetigo is Staphylococcus aureus, which produces an epidermolytic toxin +The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews discussed impetigo treatment and published its findings in An oral antibiotic is likely to be significantly less expensive. +Since impetigo is generally self-limiting, antibacterial therapy is not always necessary. Mupirocin is dosed three times daily for eight days. A Oral antibiotics e. However, as this bacteria nears epidemic proportions, knowing the resistance patterns in your area is crucial so that you can provide the best empiric treatment, if warranted, while awaiting return of culture results. +There is no prophylactic drug to prevent TB. Virions mimic natural viral cell entry, and adjuvants aim to recruit more antigen-presenting cells. There was no difference in the primary endpoint day 28 mortality between groups statin group +However, evidence from published clinical trials does not exist to support aciclovir impetigo practice, metronidazole storage it seems reasonable. +Additionally, resistant strains of bacteria, most commonly S. Increased absorption of polyethylene glycol should be avoided, especially if there is evidence of moderate to severe renal impairment. +HOWTOGETRIDOFACOLDSORE payment options: PayPal, American Express, MasterCard, Visa, ACH, eCheck, can you get +HOWTOGETRIDOFACOLDSORE shipping certified pharmacy online +1442 5th AvenueHerring Estates, MD 3297264 25W30, US +Telephone: (104) 136-7917 +Need help? +All transactions will be processed securely, the suppliers that we use to enhance your experience on the Site. Free Courier shipping is available for orders over $300. +Money back policy +If you have any questions you may always contact our Customer Care service and we will find a solution to any difficulty that will suit you. Your credit card will be charged as soon as your order is processed and accepted by our billing department. +Similar products: +- Ducktales 2% mupirocin ointment – Bactroban (fusidic) 5 gm, the treated area may be covered by gauze dressing if desired.. Bactroban is supplied as blue. +- Mupirocin ointment 22 grams – Mupirocin (fusidic) 5 gm, intranasal use has been associated with isolated reports of stinging and drying.. Mupirocin try lowering the dose to 25mg. +- Sovaldi medication – Sovaldi (fusidic) 400 mg, sovaldi is used in combination with other medication.. Sovaldi the recommended dose is 50 mg. +- I take benadryl every day – Benadryl (fusidic) 25 mg, a number of things concern me about how you are using this drug.. Benadryl the recommended starting dose for is one 50mg tablet taken 1 hour before sexual activity. +- Betnovate scalp lotion hair loss – Betnovate (fusidic) 20 gm, finasteride has been shown to be effective at stopping hair loss when taken by mouth in tablet form at much smaller doses than that used to treat enlarged prostate glands.. Betnovate increase the dose to 100mg. +Fucidin, 1 reviews: +Limited evidence evaluating the use of disinfecting agents like hexachlorophene suggest that these agents serve no beneficial role as sole or adjunctive treatment. +3 / 5 stars +KAGIN’S COLUMN +Edwin F. Kagin is a lawyer‑poet. He believes that, through grace and faith, +this will be a regular column and, if events are predestined, that whatever +he believes makes no difference whatsoever. He can be reached in care of +this publication, or through e‑mail at: edwin@edwinkagin.com +Permission for non-profit reproduction is given, so long as credit is given, +so the villagers will not go after the wrong person with pitchforks and torches. +ON SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS +self-righteous: confident of one’s own righteousness, esp. when smugly moralistic and intolerant of the opinions and behavior of others. Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary. +Pretty soon I wanted to smoke, and asked the widow to let me. But she wouldn’t. She said it was a mean practice and wasn’t clean, and I must try not to do it anymore….And she took snuff too; of course that was all right, because she done it herself. Huckleberry Finn. +The self-righteous are everywhere, trying to control our lives. With the zeal of reformed nymphomaniacs peddling AmWay, they freely vend their negative judgments on the behavior and opinions of others. Unable or unwilling to control themselves and their unhappy lives of frustration, insecurity, and despair, these petty dictators seek solace in desperately attempting to control others. For they are right. Those who disagree with their toxic tyranny are clearly and obviously wrong, if not evil. And they do attract followers, persons easily led, seeking certainty, and willing to praise, to flatter, and to sing unto them, How great thou art. Self-righteous leaders reward fidelity and elevate select obedient disciples, especially worshipful ones who are confused but shamelessly self-righteous, to CULT (Counseled Until Learned Truth) status. +The existence of such personalities is not new. Jesus is reported to have said, “And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?” There are similar references, for self-righteousness is justly and frequently condemned in the bible, a work that, for all its many and obvious faults, is not without certain merit. Indeed, we recommend you read it. The book is much better than the movie. +Self-righteousness and hypocrisy may be joined, as in the widow’s views on tobacco reported by Huck. But they are quite different concepts. Hypocrites, like the widow, do themselves that which they so freely condemn in others. Most hypocrites are self-righteous, but self-righteous persons are not necessarily hypocrites and may in fact practice what they preach. A priest who rapes little boys, and preaches against homosexuality and violence, is clearly both, while a practicing virgin, who moralistically urges this unhappy fate on others, is not. It’s all in how you study it. Many have rejected religion largely because it is home to lots of goodie-two-shoes type persons of self-righteous or hypocritical persuasion. Sometimes, in their attempt to live justly in an unjust world, the disillusioned seek solace from religion in the perceived rationality of secular humanism. And guess what? +This may come as a shock to some secular humanist readers, but the self-righteous are also to be found among the ranks of the supposedly rational, among those who look for meaning apart from the supernatural, among those who decry the artificial goodness of the godly. Bummer, ain’t it? Thus, instead of holier-than-thou, we have those who feel rationaler-than-thou, or skepticaler-than-thou, and who demean, abjure, reject, and avoid those they feel don’t quite measure up to their standards. Such are no less self-righteous than the widow. +Whether religious or secular, the self-righteous and the con-artist are sisters under the skin. Both become outraged if they don’t get their way. The slightest reasoned refusal to consent to manipulation or control is punished. The uncooperative mark may witness a presumably well meaning, but terminally self-righteous, friend go into an inexplicable rage, answering disobedience with irrational and unpleasant emotions, until the victim seems, as best worded by Shakespeare, “beyond reason hated.” To further complicate matters, the person deluded by self-righteousness cannot understand when others are disinclined to share their hostility and fail to concede the justness of their attitudes and actions. The world as one conspires. +The self-righteous are troubled by democracy. Why debate or vote on any matter of behavior or morality when truth is available by decree, and when correct answers may be so readily had from those who know the answers beyond any need for question or discussion? To challenge such persons is, in their view, malum in se–in the vernacular, reprehensible, wicked, and wrong in itself—denoting a defect of character revealed in the very act of rebellion against ultimate authority. Thereafter, every action or motive of the errant sinner will be understood and punished as an indisputably vile thing—another example of evil attacking good. The psychological mechanism of projection, and the transparent narcissism of the self-righteous, is beyond the scope of this digression. The analogies to theology are scary. If afflicted leaders possess small power, they are merely annoying, comical, or pathetic. If they hold real power over nations or ideologies, the graveyards of history harbour their heritage. +The sad part is that they don’t have to be like this. The self-righteous prigs can get over it, or get therapy for it. They don’t have to expose themselves to the misery. Misery is optional, for predator as well as prey, even if one thinks they have no free will. Rational beings don’t have to live with sustained rage, or with the chronic paranoia of waiting for some other imaginary shoe to drop. Those who live to control others could, using the power of reason they mock, come to realize that compromise and resolution of disagreements can be something more than capitulation or appeasement, and that, in some things at least, they just might be—as impossible as it seems—wrong. One is entitled to be smug, arrogant, and self-righteous only if one has figured out how not to die. The outcast may well be the better person. That’s what the bible story of the Good Samaritan is all about. +If we can’t avoid the self satisfied—the better option—we can laugh at them. A healthy person loves to see the pompous taken down a peg or two, and delights in mocking their phony goodness and proper ways. This is why the common folk laugh when a stuffed shirt slips on a banana skin. But what about self-righteous secular humanists who, in hardening their hearts and softening their minds, do real harm to those who actually favor free inquiry? Maybe we should create a Secular Humanist Hall of Shame. Here could be enrolled and acknowledged those whose actions have earned them the herein proposed SHAME (Secular Humanist Arrogantly Making Enemies) Award. +As adolescent fantasies are best left to adolescents, so childish needs to have one’s own way are best left to children, who will hopefully outgrow them. Adults should, to borrow again from the bible, “put away childish things.” It would be sad to die without growing up. +For everything there is a season, +For every act there is a reason; +As a garden reflects its seeds, +Deeds of life tell that life’s needs. +Edwin Kagin +May, 1997 +So, still crying over the meanies here not caring for your homophobia, I see. Why do you hate free speech? +Don’t you have anything to write about that’s not about how you’re being persecuted by meanies? Seen any good movies lately? Stories about your cat? A recipe for chocolate pie? Your thoughts on fashion for litigators? +That was…. Hmmm…. Ironically self-righteous. +deliciously ironic, in fact. +mmm, mmm. +tasty. +This has descended to unintentional self-parody. +One might be subscribing to the list of Geek Social Fallacies if one thinks that all atheists need to tolerate the intolerable. Or one could be taking a Phelpsian view of personal unaccountability for hateful speech that walks all over the right to free speech with muddy boots. +And standards? What standards might such a freedom-minded advocate maintain? True Believers™ in the unassailable freedom of speech have no such thing. It’s anything goes–or it’s hypocritical. For such a person to meet another with actual standards, well that just won’t work, will it? One can’t be for no standards and get along with another who has some standards without constant quarrelling. +And isn’t having no standards a standard itself? +Has someone been forcefeeding you laxatives Kagin? Because you’re spewing a lot of shit. +First we’re ickier than death, then we’re screaming faggots, then we’re GLBTs, then we’re small-souled, now we’re self-righteous. +All we said to begin this was that we found a single paragraph slightly offensive. +Has your goal been to escalate our opinion of you from “okay guy who slipped up” all the way to “petty manchild who can’t take criticism and hates uppity minorities?” Because that’s all you’re accomplishing. Hell, I’m sure you’re going to try to go even further than that, because at this point you seem to actively want us to hate you. +I’ll be looking forward to your post on how God hates fags. +Your grandiosity could smother a small universe. +oh yeah. you’re being so thoroughly censored and stifled in your free speech, you’ve published hundreds of words on this topic over the last few weeks entirely unhindered. +seriously, free speech doesn’t mean you get immunity from criticism; not even very vigorous, outraged criticism. You and Laura Ingraham would both do well to learn this. +FIFM +Er, I just wandered in. Would you mind stopping poking the beehive with a stick for a minute? You’ve obviously written quite a bit of material over the years — maybe you could post, say, a dozen pieces that are clearly, unarguably unrelated to this topic, *then* come back to it? Please? You wouldn’t even have to wait a while (although I’d recommend it), because the stuff is already written. Just show that you’re not obsessing over this. Yes? +Uh, ok then. +Since Kagin appears to be in full-on hyperventilation mode, I’m going to step out of the discussion unless someone asks me something direct-like. +But see, we could easily flip that around and say that the person complaining about the self-righteous is an out of control psychotic. Which is to say that the person unwilling to consent to manipulation or control is the Real True Self-Righteous Person (RTSRP). +Calling the RTSRP uncooperative and disobedient is quite an understatement–the RTSRP won’t do anything anyone asks of them because that is the RTSRP’s personal policy. The RTSRP lives to see other people fly into frothing rages and will do anything possible to ensure this happens all the time because no one–NO ONE–will ever tell the RTSRP what to do and have the pleasure of seeing the RTSRP do it. +“The self-righteous”? Is there only one? Are we Platonists now, discussing the ideal form of self-righteousness? Or did you have, y’know, a specific grievance against an actual person that you wanted to discuss? +You take a well-known trick of astrologers and reverse it. Where an astrologer offers vague compliments, so that everyone will see themselves in her words and be flattered, you offer vague insults, so that everyone will see themselves in your words and be indignant. Or perhaps some will see their enemies in your words and feel superior, and respond to the first group in defense of what you “said.” +I can’t see what this game of rhetorical pareidolia is meant to accomplish, unless you meant to troll your readers, in which case you’ve obviously succeeded. As a troll, I give it 8.5/10, with half a point off for the tl;dr, and one point in reserve, to be awarded if you actually get us fighting among ourselves. +Do let us know when you have some actual content. +May I say, in self-righteous congratulation to myself, that as soon as I started reading today’s blog, I developed a huge smile in anticipation of all the responses. +Thank you, Edwin, for holding up the mirror that unfortunately seems to only reflect the asses of those who look into it! +Your blog is #1 on my list. Having not known you/about you before you came to ftb, I am a very happy new follower! +It was just a day or so ago that I found Edwin’s blog because it appeared on the ftb list. The first one I read was about monotheism, and the blog post and the comments both struck me as top quality. +Then I come here today and look in the archives for something new to read and here are all his commenters, some of whom I recognize from pharyngula, heaping vituperation on Kragen’s head. Most distressing. +I’ve never seen the homophobic post to which these folks refer. +love your blog, this is great. don’t get why any one would get offended by your thoughts & words regarding the self righteous! the truth is the truth, what’s the wah wah about. self righteous folks are kooky, manipulative & a pain in the ass, who didn’t know that. +Please keep up the good work. Love the truth. +- ? +My name is Paramjeet.I have been born and brought up in different parts of Haryana(I have resided in 15 of 21 districts in Haryana at one time or the another) because of the frequent transfers of my father. My father works as a Sub-Inspector with Haryana Police and mom as a home maker. After completing my graduation I worked as a Technical Consultant with OBS for 1.5 year, then I left my job to prepare for civils.I gave my first attempt in 2013 but couldn’t clear the mains exam….while at the same time wrote CAPF 2013 for job security….and would join the same and continue with my preparation. Coming from a police background I always wished to join the same and landed up in this recent times there has been a flood of electronic material all over the internet.Infact I myself know the name of many a sites which help in preparation of the aspirants.But like the old saying goes…too many cooks spoil the broth. I would like to make a few points here +- E-material preparation should be limited to only those topics for which you have insufficient material at hand for eg current affairs are best prepared from internet +- Ideally you should not spend more then 2 -3 hours per day surfing the material…otherwise preparation is in serious danger…I used to do it at earlier stage +- The 3 best sites are PIB :for govt schemes issues, Mrunal: for everything(Environment Economy CA mains preparation, material are exceptionally brilliant), Gktoday.in for one markers the daily section in which daily quiz comes +And u need to revise these 3 particularly +Tempo and style +Q. People know what books and syllabus topics are to be prepared. But most of them lack consistency in their preparation. So, how did you keep study momentum going on? How do you fight against the mood swings and distractions? +I am not the right person to discuss about mood swings and distractions….mine are horrible…I would not study for 3-5 days at a stretch …and then crib .Mood swings depression etc etc are inevitable part of preparation.it takes 1 entire year to get over with upsc exams and in mean while you will definitely start doubting yourself…its human nature.But try to be calm…all are sailing in same boat …even the toppers have fears…I would suggest have friends who are also preparing for this exam…so you can discuss your problems…..and don’t think too much…keep studying…take frequent breaks….go out…but then do come back… +Working professional +If you’re a working professional, share some tips on how to manage studies with job +I began my preparation only after leaving my previous job.so no the GS paper was on the expected lines…nothing new …except that the Current affairs was a bit more than other years. +Descriptive paper +Q. How did you prepare the Essay, grammar, précis and report writing? +I solved previous year question papers prior to writing this exam so that helped…otherwise? +Almost in the same manner as a 3rd person +Q. What is your overall experience with descriptive paper (e.g. too lengthy paper, grammar tougher than previous paper etc.) +It has grown lengthy over the years. Initially we were supposed to write just one essay …now we have to write four …reports..Comprehension..Precise..u really need to have good ..actually great speed otherwise u won’t be able to complete the paper +CAPF Physical Efficiency Test +Q1. To pass Physical Efficiency Tests (PET), what preparation did you do at home? +It was the toughest part for me…I went to stadium for running…started going almost 4 weeks before the PET and practiced long jump there only…brought home a shot put of same size and started practicing .one need s to start practicing one month before if he wants to make it to the interview .Although the requirement are not tough(12 feet long jump 3:45 for 800m) but when one starts preparing for these exam…u actually don’t indulge in physical sports and that’s where the problem starts …fortunately made it +Q2. Where was your PET held? +CRPF JHARODA KALAN New Delhi +Q3. Please narrate your actual experience PET test with readers. +We were asked to report at 9.when all the aspirants came… a bus took us inside to the stadium where a small camp was built up +Initially the documents were checked…we were asked for 10 12 and graduation degree .After it was complete… were allowed to change and then measurements were taken chest height weight etc +Finally around 11 the exam started…1st event was 100 m.Then after a gap of 2 min 800m and then long jump and finally shotput.One word of advice to all aspirants…always do the 100m and 800m practice without break and if possible try doing them in a sunny and warm atmosphere…as you will be made to run only after sun is up there…we were made to sit half an hour (10:30 -11) just because it was not hot enough there +The officials were very helpful and encouraging…but they were not so at other camps as reported by others +Interview by UPSC Panel +Q1. How did you prepare for the interview? Particularly college graduation subjects related questions? +I prepared a lot from my DAF …my job profile and my home state.Since my home state(harayana) ,DAF and job profile provided enough fodder…I was not asked about my graduation +Q2. Where did you stay for the interview? (Hotel / friend’s home …) and what books/material did you bring for the ‘revision before interview’? +I stayed at my cousins house in gurgaon …with regard to books/material nothing specific…I was focued on my DAF job profile and home state…but used to read newspaper daily +Q3. Who was the chairman of you interview board? +Razni Razdan +Q4. How long was the interview? +15 -20 min +Q5. Why do you want to become an Assistant commandant? Why don’t you continue in your graduation field? [Since I don’t know whether they asked you this question or not. But if they had asked- what will be your reply?] +I was not asked this question…but would have replied that as I come from a police background… I was always fascinated inspired by the role that police plays…their role in the society ..law enforcement…vip protection…investigation…etc challenging job…job satisfaction …pride and respect in the eyes of people…opportunity to serve nation and people…and a decent career option: is this you …showed me a photo ..asked my roll number +Me: yes mam +C: ok, so what have you been doing since 2011(I left my job in 2011) +Me: preparing for competitive exams …wrote many exams upsc capf acio ssc etc +C: met with any success…what about uspc +Me : replied honestly that cleard prelims…couldn’t go past mains…here for capf +M1: ok tell me where you jog..how much time you take ..since when +Me: I told in the stadium, gave a vague number say 10-15min since graduation ..blah blah +M1: where do you go for riverrafting…where it is done…safety precautions etc +Me: I go to rishikesh…done in upper portion…safety: life saving jacket helmet etc +M1: ok tell me about the mandate of CAPF forces +Me: gave a copy book definition… to assist state forces…then went on to brief about the mandate of each force in particular +M1: tell me the difference between left wing extremism and terrorism and why left wing extremism still persists +Me: told the difference …ideology etc … the told him the causes poverty illiteracy unemployment apathy of admin political leadership etc etc +M1: what would be the first thing you would do when u are asked to do a operation in naxal area +Me: I gave him a long list: verify the info…see whether civilians are there or not….prepare arms and men…plan accordingly…inform the local admin and my superiors…long list +M2: why did you leave the Indian navy +Me: wanted to go for police forces…had age on my side …so took a risk… +M2: ok tell me about superconductor +Me: again a clichéd definition +M2: started asking about my job profile…wht kind of job it was ..how you helped people …its use etc +Me: replied to all of them … +M3: ok relate our relations with SAARC countries and their effect on CAPF +Me: told them about pak bsf ,china itbp, Bangladesh bsf , Nepal ssb …gave a positive answer that saarc forms our immediate neighborhood.. so peace and security essential…capf guards border with these nations… so related all the stuff +M3: women empowerment why we should empower them +Me: told them about universal declaration of human rights gender equality inclusive sustainable growth +Women their role in society and their imp +It continued for 15 minutes…and then I was told to leave…Board was kind of cordial…all the questions were on expected lines except a few… so was kind of comfortable … +After the interview +Q1. Was your interview on the expected lines of what you had prepared or did they ask you totally unexpected questions? Was it a stress interview, did they ask any uncomfortable questions? If yes, how did you handle it? +It was completely on the expected lines…it was in afternoon..so I guess the board members were also tired …no uncomfortable questions… +Q2. Any side details about technicalities like “make sure you bring xyz document or do xyz thing, or you’ll face problem”? +Pls bring your original 10 12 graduation degree and 2 -3 set of photocopy +CAPF Marksheet +Mail me your prelim, essay and interview marks, when UPSC uploads. +For sure would mail you when it arrives +Service preference +Q1. What is your service preference order BSF,CRPF, CISF, ITBP? +CISF>ITBP>BSF>CRPF +Q2. How/Why did you pickup that order? +- CISF: because life is easy +- ITBP: because no naxals plus the Himalayas +- BSF: because better infra +- CRPF: because left with no other option +UPSC CSE-2013 experience +If you had appeared in UPSC civil service exam 2013, please reply following +Q.Your marksheet for prelims and mains +- 100 mark in paper 1 +- 170 in csat +- Total :270 +- Mains:400 +Q.Your overall experience and words of wisdom about CSAT, GS, Aptitude, optional and essay +I’m Not the right guy….not at all +Career Backup +Q1. If you were not selected, what was your career backup plan? +Continue with Civil services while writing other exams too +Q2. When were you going to execute that backup plan (e.g. after third attempt, after dad retires, after girlfriend dumps me etc.) +- CAPF was a backup plan only….would continue with my preparation for UPSC. +- Before the joining takes place I would give my 2nd attempt…till 3rd attempt couldn’t take a risk +- Girlfriend dumped way back…and dad has many years of service so no issues with that +Q3. If you were to re-appear in CAPF-2014 then what modifications would you make in your studies? +Prepare a lot of current affairs for 2014… +Wisdom +Q1. Through this journey and success, what wisdom did you gain about life and competitive exams? What is your message to new aspirants? +Keep going..it would take a lot of time…but the wait is worth it…u wud have mood swings…desperation…doubts… in between …but at the end of day we all are humans…so fight them off…be happy make lot of friends…. Goof up a little…but at the end of the day work hard …nurture your dreams and belive in yourself +Q2. UPSC had cleared nearly 2500 candidates from CAPF-prelims. You’re selected but many others did not. They’re feeling dejected with this whole competitive exam business. What is your message to them? +Life is tough…there s no doubt about it…you will have more failures than you ever succeed ..you will be pushed down..stepped upon…but every time that happens you get back up…success is defined and continues to be defined as getting back one more time than you go down…work hard…everything happens for a reason…may be destiny has greater plans a truckload of people working behind my success: +- first of all my parents and my aunt who supported me throughout this process thick and thin +- Then my elder cousin brother who motivated me and inspired me to start this preparation +- Then my younger brothers : Ravi n Pradeep who made this journey easy by accompanying me along used only 3 sites PIB Mrunal and GKtoday during my preparation. And of the given 3 I Spent a huge chunk of my time on Mrunal for the right reasons. I think Mrunal rocks…his articles are fabulous..whether it is environment polity economy ….u name it and he has written awesome articles from the point of preparation. I owe my success to this site without an iota of doubt.Thanx a lot +Not much… you have been doing a fabulous work…And Please ignore the spelling mistakes if any(actually there will be many). +paramjeet bhai congrats +laaath gaaad diya big brother…………. +congrats sir………… +my query is that – +what is the level of medical examination ???? +does any one is rejected due to medical constraints ??? +shiv: as such there is no level for medical examination….they would be performing normal tests which are carried in all other forces(army navu air force police)as well for eg looking for any deformity blood test knock knees x ray blood test and other such stuff +yes people are rejected due to all this stuff…but they are given one chance to reappear for the medical stuff +Congrats sir…. +Bhai apne chottey bandhuo KO bhi aashirvaaad dey …. +Or unka maargdarshan kare +Many Congratulations Dear.. And u’ll definitely clear civils.. stay focussed.. All the best.. +Many many congrats sir…. +Can you shed some light on the relevance of book Ramesh singh in capf exam . u find it useful or not?? +Spring is in the air and it’s time to get back into the garden. This year, why not aim to have a breathtaking, heart stopping, truly inspirational garden – filled with a rainbow of blossoms, plants of all varieties, and the hum of bees and butterflies? +Sounds like a lot of work – but it doesn’t have to be. With these 20 all-natural tips and tricks, you can have the garden you’ve always wanted without breaking the bank…or your back! +1. Learn about Companion Planting +Key to a fuss-free organic garden is the traditional concept of companion planting. It’s defined as the planting of different crops beside each other in order to control pests, attract beneficial bugs and wildlife, encourage pollination, maximize the use of space, and to increase the flavor and productivity of food crops. +Companion planting is incredibly simple to implement in your garden – but you have to know which crops work well together. +Learn 28 of the best companion planting combinations to enjoy the most efficient and beautiful garden this Spring. +2. Plant Perennials +Plants come in two main types: annuals, which last just a single year; and perennials which live for several years, blooming, dying and re-appearing the following year. (One exception is the biennial, which lasts two years). +If you plant annuals, it will involve backbreaking work at the start of each growing season. On the other hand, perennials keep on giving so, for minimal fuss and yet a beautiful garden choose perennials! +Eye-catching and colorful perennials include veronica, Russian sage, purple coneflower, peonies, Siberian iris, daffodils, hardy hibiscus and chrysanthemum. +You can also plant perennial fruits and veggies – here are 20 of the best. +3. Use an ‘Automatic’ Wine Bottle Waterer +This is the perfect ‘cheat’ for those who don’t have time to water their garden more than once or twice a week – upcycle empty wine bottles into automatic waterers! +Just fill the wine bottle with water, quickly flip it upside down and push the open end of the bottle into the soil. Depending on how hot it is, this nifty method can save you several days of watering. Use it on container plants, seedlings, and even in extra sunny areas of the garden as a back-up watering system. +Hide the bottles behind larger plants and pick only green or brown wine bottles to better blend into the landscape. You’ll never have to worry about thirsty, withered blooms again! +4. Try Container Gardening +Even those with small gardens (or just patios) can be a contender in the world’s best garden category this Spring … thanks to container gardening! +With this method, you have better control over your growing conditions and soil quality; you save on time, space and water; and harvesting is simple. Get started container gardening today. +5. Grow Big & Beautiful Roses +Roses lend a certain elegance to any garden – whether you plant them in beds or have them climbing up a trellis – and are a must for garden lovers. There’s a price to pay for their beauty though – they’re one of the trickiest flowers to keep thanks to their sensitive nature. +However, the Chinese have been growing roses organically for 5,000 years – so it can be done. Choose a hardier variety of rose, plant it in a sunny position with plenty of water and nourishment and you’re halfway there. Here are 11 tips to growing the biggest and most beautiful roses without resorting to chemicals. +6. Use Homemade Potting Soil +Containers and plant-pots dotted around the garden add color, movement and texture. One way to ensure the plants in the pots grow to be as big and beautiful as possible is to make your own potting soil. +Keep in mind that a potting soil is only as good as the ingredients that go into it. Make yours organic and fill it with high quality ingredients that work for the plants you wish to pot. Check out this post for tips on making your own. +7. Make ‘Garden Gold’ Compost +Improving soil quality is one of the most effective ways to ensure your garden is the envy of the neighborhood. Feed your soil with a homemade compost of the highest quality and your garden will thrive. Here is all you need to know about composting. +8. Add Variety with a ‘Pot-in-a-Pot’ +Variety is the spice of life! Add some variety to your garden with this clever ‘pot-in-a-pot’ trick. Simply bury large pots in the soil, and then place a smaller pot containing a flower or plant, inside it. This allows you to remove the smaller inset pot when you fancy a change, and replace it with another plant. Surround the buried pots with mulch. +This method keeps the garden extraordinarily tidy, and consumes less water. The pots prevent the herbs or plants from getting out of control, and the mulch keeps unwanted weeds and pests at bay. Perfection! +9. Raise Your Beds +Another way to build an eye-catching Spring garden is to create varying ‘levels’. This can be achieved by planting different types of trees, shrubs and flowers, and through container gardening – but raised beds are another option which have several benefits. +They allow for better drainage, better weed control and better pest control. If you choose the right plant, the flowers at the edge of the beds will trail over the sides in an incredibly charming way. +Want to know more about raised bed gardening? Check out this post. +10. Attract Beneficial Bugs +Turn your garden into a hive of activity with bright butterflies, busy bees to pollinate and hardworking beneficial insects which will eat up all of the garden pests that are wreaking havoc on your plants! +For starters, add stepping stones and rocks to provide shade and hiding places, leave out a source of water on hot days, stop spraying pesticides and get rid of that bug zapper. Check out these other tips too. +Next, you’ll want to plant some colorful flowers and shrubs to attract these tiny gardeners and encourage them to do your work for you. Butterflies love these 30 beautiful plants and bees are attracted to these 20 stunning flowers. +11. Deal With Pests Naturally +Numerous garden pests can cause all sorts of harm to your precious plants – from sucking out their nutrients to eating their leaves. All of this leads to some very unhealthy looking plants. +Don’t reach for the pesticide spray though as it is laced with toxic chemicals. Instead, practice some natural ways to repel these garden nightmares. +Here are six fragrant herbs that repel flies, 8 all natural ways to keep slugs out of the garden, and 12 organic ways to get rid of aphids. +12. Use Kitchen Waste Wisely +Accomplish two tasks at once – reuse your kitchen waste and help your garden bloom! Even if you don’t have a compost pile, you can still bury all your kitchen waste between the plants to offer extra nourishment. +Crushed eggshells make a slow-release fertilizer, a pest deterrent and more. Coffee grounds can be used around acid loving plants like azaleas, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, camellias and roses; while banana skins can be used in the garden in a variety of ways. +13. Keep Epsom Salts on Hand +Did you know that Epsom salts can be used for so much more than just personal care? In the garden, they improve seed germination and nutrient absorption, prevent leaf curling, encourage richer green leaves and aid in the flavor of fruits and vegetables. +Here are more reasons to use Epsom salts for your gardening needs. +14. Get Your Lawn in Tip-Top Shape +A perfect green lawn creates a serene and beautiful landscape and sets the tone for your whole garden. But lawns are important for more than aesthetics – a healthy lawn contributes to the greater environment. +It provides runoff control and water purification, it helps breathing as it traps more than 12 million tons of dust and dirt, it cools the yard and it emits oxygen – important for both healthy plants and healthy humans. +From mowing, to watering and feeding, these 12 organic lawn tips will ensure you boast the greenest and most natural lawn on the block. +15. Kill or Eat Your Weeds! +Maintain the quality of your crops and integrity of your soil by using only natural weed control techniques which are both environmentally friendly and wallet friendly. +Even better, they usually only require one or two common household ingredients. For example, you could try killing the weeds with salt, vinegar, boiling water or one of these other methods. +Of course, depending on the weed, you could always pick them and eat them – many edible backyard weeds have a surprising number of health benefits. +16. Don’t Overwater +While under-watering your plants and leaving them thirsty isn’t a good idea, overwatering is just as bad and is a common mistake made by novice gardeners! +Over-watering causes the plant to drown, and the roots can’t absorb the oxygen they need for the plant to breathe. Moist environments like this also lead to mildew, mold, fungus, and root rot. +If you notice your plants have a pale yellow or green color, and are soft or drooping, then ease up on the hydration. +17. Fight Fungus with Baking Soda +If your plants do develop a fungal infection, from overwatering or for another reason, try a little baking soda – that simple household ingredient that has so many uses. +When you see fungus attack, turn to this quick fix: just add three tablespoons of baking soda to a gallon of warm water and mix well. Spray on the afflicted plants once a week – causing that unsightly mildew to disappear. +18. Rotate Your Vegetables +To ensure healthy looking fruit and vegetable plants, and a high yield, practice crop rotation – one of the oldest farming techniques. +This ensures that pests and diseases are kept to a minimum, and stops the soil becoming depleted in certain areas. +Simply plant your crops in this order, and each year shift them one space: tomatoes, peas, cabbage, sweet corn, potatoes, squash, root crops and beans. +19. Use Essential Oils +Essential oils aren’t just used therapeutically on people and pets for conditions like stress and anxiety, eczema, hormonal imbalance, and aches and pains, but they can be safe and effective remedies for a lot of garden ailments too! +You can use them to discourage pets from treating your flower beds as a litter tray, attract pollinators, discourage vermin and deal with fungus and pests. In fact, here are nine clever ways to use essential oils for a beautiful garden. +20. Give Aquaponics a Go +Want to maximize the growth potential of your vegetable garden in a fraction of the time? Then Aquaponics is for you. +It combines growing plants with keeping fish to grow 10 times the food in half the time! While initially you have some start up time and costs, once the system is up and running there is little regular maintenance involved. +Here is a guide to get you started with aquaponics. +"We are the sane ones," writes Silverstein, "and if we allow them to run the place, then no one will be left when circumstances become ripe for change, as they undoubtedly will." Credit: Mana Neyestani. Created for Radiozamaneh (radiozamaneh.com). +The start of a round of negotiations between Iran and the west over its nuclear program, the first such effort in several years, offers some hope that a solution may be found to the current standoff. In that context, it’s worth reviewing events over the past few months in an Israeli context to determine whether these negotiations present an opportunity for a compromise solution or a prelude to war. +To find a time when Iran wasn’t accused of making a nuclear weapon you’d have to return almost to the days of the 1979 Revolution itself. Scott Peterson, who’s compiled a comprehensive timeline of claims (bogus and otherwise) about Iran’s nuclear program, begins in 1984 with the first reference to Iran getting a bomb. In 1992, then Knesset back-bencher warned Iran would have a nuclear bomb in “three to five years.” +So the information in Sheera Frenkel’s recent expose of the Israeli campaign against Iran should come as little surprise (Frenkel interviewed Israeli intelligence analysts and diplomats who confirmed that this campaign has gone on for years, if not decades.) +This ambitious, multi-layered effort has included diplomatic and intelligence operations along with exploitation of American Jewish pro-Israel “agents of influence” designed to create an atmosphere conducive to war. This was the subject of the secret documents provided to me by Shamai Leibowitz, a then FBI translator, which showed Israeli diplomats ghostwriting anti-Iran op-eds for U.S. newspapers, then Sen. Sam Brownback reporting to Israeli diplomats on an anti-Iran conference he was organizing, a Texas Congressman meeting with a local Jewish donor and Israeli diplomat about congressional efforts to further isolate Iran, and a Senate foreign relations committee staffer being briefed by senior Israel military-intelligence figures, who were eager to warn the staffer, who was working for Sen. John Kerry, about Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons program. +This was how Israel convinced Americans that Iran was building nuclear weapons that it would use if it got them, against Israel and the United States. +Once it succeeded in persuading Americans that Iran was bent on getting nukes, Israel argued that Iran had to be stopped by any means necessary. Sanctions were all well and good, but Israel, despite protestations to the contrary, doesn’t believe in them and never really has. Israel believes in military force when it comes to dealing with its enemies. Israel wants to attack Iran. Really, it wants the United States to attack and has cajoled and wheedled us to do so or to join Israel in doing so. But barring U.S. involvement, Israel believes the only thing that can stop Iran is a big, bloody nose. +In 2007, George Bush, against the strong urging of Dick Cheney, not only refused to attack Iran, he gave Ehud Olmert a red light and told him not to. Olmert listened. With all his faults, Olmert was a political pragmatist. Netanyahu is not. He is a dyed-in-the-wool ultranationalist. Because of that, he doesn’t have a real relationship with Obama as Olmert had with Bush. He is not swayed much by the U.S. president. +The Israeli prime minister has Congress in his back pocket and that’s all he needs. Whenever there’s a conflict, he goes over the president’s head and appeals to Congress. Netanyahu is reasonably certain that if he attacks, Obama will stand back and not get in his way. Netanyahu’s probably right about this. +Barack Obama has, in my opinion, given up on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. At the beginning of his presidency we all had high hopes (as he did) for change in the Middle East. We hoped finally for a peace agreement and a president who would expend the sort of political capital that would be necessary to get one. Instead, Netanyahu outmaneuvered Obama at every turn. The president was frustrated. George Mitchell, his chief negotiator resigned. +Now, the president wants as little to do with Netanyahu as he can reasonably get away with (given the electoral necessities of wooing the Jewish vote, it becomes difficult to have no contact with the Israeli leader). +He also likely doesn’t want another U.S. involvement in the Middle East after Iraq is winding down and Afghanistan will be doing so in the coming year (or sooner if there are more massacres like the one that happened there in recent weeks). Obama isn’t prepared for another adventure. +In his last term, George Bush allocated $400 million for a destabilization campaign against Iran and its supposed nuclear program. This was meant either to substitute for a military attack or to serve as a precursor to one (depending on your level of cynicism). +This was how the covert terror campaign against Iran came to be. The Bush funding along with Israeli cyber warfare expertise, engineered the computer worm called Stuxnet to wreck Iranian centrifuges at fuel enrichment plants. The program used Iranian dissidents who were members of the Mujahadeen e-Khalq, a terror group, to bomb missile bases and assassinate nuclear scientists. As recently as yesterday, the New York Times’ James Risen confirmed that the Mossad has worked together with the Mujahadeen e-Khalq on such acts of terror. +The Mujahadeen e-Khalq plays a complicated role in the terror cold war. It has assembled a host of major U.S. leaders who have joined the gravy train, accepting $30,000, $40,000, and $50,000 retainers to speak at conferences in DC and Paris. They include Rudy Giuliani, Louis Freeh, Tom Ridge, Howard Dean, and the newest celebrity at the trough, Alan Dershowitz. +All of this would merely be a curiosity, except for one fact: the Mujahadeen e-Khalq is designated a terror group by the U.S. Treasury. For a U.S. citizen to accept funds from such a group or help it in any way is a violation of federal law. In other words, these people are not just foregoing their principles for wads of cash, they may be breaking the law. They’re working for terrorists. That’s why the Justice Department has subpoenaed the records of former Gov. Ed Rendell’s agent to determine whether the Mujahadeen e-Khalq paid his speaker fees. +Guiliani, Dershowitz and the others are the first people to cry out when they hear of Arab or Muslim terror; to warn the country of the menace of radical Islam. But apparently, there are good terrorists and bad. The Mujahadeen e-Khalq are the good ones and the Iranian Ayatollahs are the bad. +Returning to Israel-U.S. relations: Netanyahu made his annual AIPAC pilgrimage to Washington last month, during which he met the president. We know for certain that Pres. Obama told Netanyahu the United States would not join him in an Iran attack. +But did Obama promise him something in return for Israel not attacking Iran? I think it’s very possible that the president told Netanyahu that if Israel held back for a year and allowed sanctions to work, that the U.S. would join him in attacking later. +When I heard Netanyahu’s words of appreciation for Obama during his Aipac speech, I thought perhaps the Israeli leader was mollified. But now I’m less sure. +Last week, Netanyahu went before the Knesset and gave a stem-winding speech that all but bayed for blood. Here are some passages he delivered, which ostensibly dealt with the rocket attacks from Gaza, but really dealt with Iran: +“The dominant force behind the events in Gaza is not the Palestinians, but Iran,” Netanyahu said. “The terror groups there stand under an Iranian umbrella. Imagine to yourselves what will happen when that umbrella is armed with nuclear bombs. +.” +The Gaza bloodshed in which twenty-six Palestinians were killed began when Netanyahu returned from Washington and approved the assassination of a Palestinian militant leader. This broke a ceasefire that existed since the 2009 Gaza war. Then all hell broke loose and 200 Palestinian missiles rained down on southern Israel (causing no deaths or injuries). +Was this an Israeli warm-up for Iran attack or substitute for it? At the time, I thought it was a substitute that was meant to mollify the prime minister’s right-wing constituency, which expected war against Iran and might not be getting it. +But then came Netanyahu’s Knesset speech. In retrospect, one might view the Gaza attack as a warning to Hamas’ leadership that in the event Israel attacks Iran, if Hamas joins in the fight they will have that (twenty-six dead) and more bloodshed to contend with. +Israeli journalist Ben Caspit, writing in Maariv, did a nose count of the cabinet and finds an 8-6 majority in favor of an Israeli attack. Though, another more recent Israel report finds Avigdor Lieberman and his Yisrael Beitenu ministers opposing an attack (reportedly due to the heavy lobbying of Lieberman’s patrons, the Russians) and causing a 7-7 stalemate. +Jeffrey Goldberg writing in Bloomberg and Ronen Bergman in the New York Times, each say they believe Israel will attack. Not that they are Delphic oracles when it comes to such matters. But both definitely have their ear to the ground when it comes to hearing war drums from Netanyahu’s camp. +After the Knesset speech, Aluf Benn, Haaretz’s managing editor, wrote a column saying Netanyahu is preparing Israel for war. It would be as if Jill Abramson, the New York Times’ executive editor, wrote that Barak Obama was preparing the United States for war. That’s a lot different from Roger Cohen or even Tom Friedman saying so: +Until Netanyahu’s trip to Washington, he and his supporters in the media refrained from such explicit wording and made do with hints. But since he’s been back, Netanyahu has issued an emergency call-up for himself and the Israeli public. +“Emergency call-up.” It’s what we all need if war is coming. Thankfully, average Israelis are mobilizing themselves, as they did to create the J14 Social Justice movement last summer. Websites like Israel Loves Iran, Facebook pages like Israelis Against the War, and Twitter accounts are filled with the message sorely discomfiting Israel’s leaders. Even CNN and MSNBC have reported this story. +A local peace activist in the Pacific NW is preparing to mount an international petition campaign asking hundreds of thousands to sign a statement opposing war and pledging to divest from Israel if there is one. Tikkun itself published a full-page New York Times ad saying no to war with Iran. +It feels like war grows incrementally closer each day. Recently, Hillary Clinton told the Russians to tell Iran that upcoming April negotiations are Iran’s last chance to resolve issues before a military attack. This is the way both Bushes spoke about Iraq before they attacked in 1991 and 2003. They offered ultimata rather than serious negotiating points. This is what you do if you want or expect war but don’t want to appear to want it too much. +Polls show that neither Americans nor Israelis want a war with Iran now. Israelis may be prepared for the United States to attack Iran, or for the United States to join Israel in such an attack. But they are opposed to the sort of unilateral attack Netanyahu proposes. +The New York Times recently reported on a U.S. military war game simulation that shed light on possible outcomes of an Israeli strike against Iran. In the simulation, a hypothesized Israeli strike led Iran to sink a U.S. warship and the United States was thus drawn into the conflict. This brought a U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities that only set back Iran’s nuclear program by three years. Meanwhile Iran took its revenge through attacks on Israel and U.S. targets in the region and throughout the world. A 2010 Israeli think tank simulation found a similar result. +Israel has become what I call a “permanent war state.” It is neither prepared for nor willing to cede its interests to mere diplomacy. There have been other such nations in history: Sparta in ancient Greece. Napoleon’s France, which fought a series of endless wars in an effort to conquer Europe for that nation’s greater glory. Pre-WWII Japan was also a militarized state mobilized for perennial conquest and constant hostility. Hitler’s Germany between 1938-45 was another regime that thrived on war to attain its objectives. +Israel’s history is replete with wars which served as substitutes for having a strategic foreign policy to protect and advance Israel’s interests: 1948, 1956, 1967, 1973, 1982. Then there was a twenty-year lull before Israel retreated from Lebanon in 2000. That in turn brought a new series of wars in 2006 (Lebanon) and 2009 (Gaza). This year may bring war with Iran. +In Israel’s case, wars replace diplomacy since Israel feels it cannot achieve its objectives through normal channels of foreign policy discourse. It seeks to maintain its dominance in the region and the only way to do this is by teaching those who threaten it a “lesson” every few years. The generals in Israel cynically call it, “mowing the grass.” When treasury minister Yuval Steinitz talked about attacking Iran recently, he called it performing a “root canal.” +Though Israel has between 200-400 nukes, it refuses to allow any other nation in the region to get its own. Iran is a deep concern to Israel because, unlike other Arab states who Israel co-opted, and whose leaders (like Mubarak, Assad, or Abbas) didn’t rock the boat—Iran has never proven malleable or obsequious. That’s why Netanyahu feels he has to take it down a peg or two. +But contrary to what Netanyahu claims, Iran is not an existential threat to Israel. Risen’s article notes that U.S. intelligence suggests to this day that Iran has not yet decided to get a nuclear bomb. If it does get one, it will likely not use it. Iran would likely maintain such a bomb as a deterrent against neighbors who would otherwise attack, just as Israel claims to do. +Netanyahu says Iran is run by a bunch of mad mullahs bent on national suicide in order to realize a set of crazy Shiite messianic beliefs. Ironically, many Arabs believe that Israel is run by a bunch of nationalist zealots bent on rejecting any Muslim claim to the Holy Land. They see Israeli leaders as trying to realize a set of crazy messianic beliefs involving God’s biblical promise to return Israel to the land, and a divine warning never to give up an inch of it. +Each side’s crazies are a mirror of the zealotry on the other side. The problem is there are not enough on either side who have enough distance from the conflict to recognize this. +Let’s look a bit deeper at the flaws in Israel’s picture of Iran: in this century, and going back even farther, Iran has not started any wars. It has defended itself after being attacked (by Saddam among others). But not started wars. Even if it got a nuclear weapon, which is by no means assured, its most likely target would not be Israel. Hard as it may be to believe, given the glaring headlines, Israel is not Iran’s biggest worry. It has neighbors closer at hand to worry about including Iraq, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. +Israel should heed the warnings of cultural icons like David Grossman, who said a war with Iran would “destroy the chance for peace for generations” and former Mossad chief Meir Dagan who called an attack on Iran the “stupidest thing” he’d ever heard during his first interview on 60 Minutes. +How does American presidential politics feature in the run-up to war? Our Republican presidential candidates are falling all over themselves to see who can be the most bellicose, the most jingoistic regarding Iran. To hear Mitt Romney tell it, American troops would be on their way to attack Iran the minute he became president. The only candidate who’s speaking sensibly on the subject is Ron Paul, and we all know how much baggage he has. It’s like the 1968 presidential campaign and George Wallace is the only candidate who’s making sense on the issues. It’s a sorry, sorry sight. +What can we do to stop war, or barring that, expressing our opposition to it forcefully? My activist colleague’s petition campaign is one way. Tikkun’s newspaper ad is another. Using social networks and media to reinforce the peace message is also critical. Yet another is to write senators and Congress members to tell them to stand against an Israeli war with Iran. Most of Congress is a beneficiary of the largesse of AIPAC’s pro-Israel donors, and will not exercise real leadership in this matter. But we have to keep them honest. +Keep informed about the issues. Don’t give up just because things go bad. The worst cannot go on forever. History is on the side of justice. Perhaps not always in the short term. But always in the long term. Conflicts like those in Kosovo, Serbia, and Northern Ireland that have lasted for decades have been resolved peacefully. The key is not to despair when the lunatics seem to be taking over the asylum. +We are the sane ones, and if we allow them to run the place, then no one will be left when circumstances become ripe for change, as they undoubtedly will. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and those still battling oppressive governments in the Middle East never had an inkling that revolution would come. But it did. The key is to be ready and resist until that day comes. +Nice work, Richard. And good advice at the end. +No sane person believe that Iranian leaders intend to ‘wipe off Israel from map’. Even Israeli deputy prime minister admitted in an interview with Al-Jazeera. He agreed that it was a hoax created to serve Israeli interests in the Middle East. +Israeli hawks are not affraid of a nuclear Iran in the future having 400 nukes of their own. What bothers them is that an Iran with ‘nuclear capability’ will make it impossible for Israel to defeat Hizbullah or Hamas – to fulfil Zionists’ dream of a Eretz Israel. +On January 17, 2012 – Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, head of the Israel Army planning department told reporters. +A guide on searching¶ +There is no difference between RealTime or plain indexes in terms of how you run queries. +The recommended and simplest way to query Manticore is to use the SphinxQL interface. You can access it with any MySQL client or library, just do +$ mysql -P9306 -h0. +Running queries¶ +In the guide of the indexes we already saw an example of a search. In addition to the fulltext match, you can also have attribute filtering, grouping and sorting by attributes or expressions. +mysql> SELECT *,weight() FROM myrtindex WHERE MATCH('text') AND gid>20 ORDER BY gid ASC,WEIGHT() DESC; SHOW META; +------+------+----------+ | id | gid | weight() | +------+------+----------+ | 3 | 22 | 2230 | | 2 | 22 | 1304 | | 4 | 33 | 2192 | +------+------+----------+ 3 rows in set (0.00 sec) +---------------+-------+ | Variable_name | Value | +---------------+-------+ | total | 3 | | total_found | 3 | | time | 0.000 | | keyword[0] | text | | docs[0] | 4 | | hits[0] | 7 | +---------------+-------+ 6 rows in set (0.00 sec) +Here we also added a SHOW META command (you can run it in another call, but must be on same session to give information from the query you’ve just executed). For general usage, total_found and time are most useful. +Manticore supports LIMIT clause like traditional databases in the format LIMIT [offset,] row_count. If no LIMIT is set, the first 20 rows of the result set are returned. +Another non-standard clause is OPTION, which can be used to set various settings for the query. +Fulltext Matching¶ +By default, operator AND is used if multiple keywords are specified. The keywords are searched over all fulltext fields and unless there are other rules, a match is valid when the keywords are found in any of the fulltext fields. +So for example ‘search for something’ will give you a match on a document where ‘search’ and ‘for’ are find in ‘title’ field and ‘something’ in ‘content’ field. +Restricting the search to certain field(s) can be done with @ operator followed by the name of the field(s), for example @title search for something. +Most operators use keyword position relative to document and will give a positive match only if the keywords are found in same field, like proximity, phrase, fied-start/end,NEAR, strict order etc. +There are operators for which the keyword position has no influence, like boost operator, exact form modifier or qourum. +Ranking fulltext matches¶ +Manticore offers a powerful way to construct scoring formulas for the fulltext match. +There are several building rankers (predefined scoring formulas) with default been proximity_bm25 and custom expressions can be made using the 20+ ranking factors and attributes values if needed. +The most important factors are +BM25 - an industry retrieval function that ranks the document based on the query terms appearances, it’s a per document factor IDF - inverse document frequency, a numeric statistic that reflect how important a word is to a document in the collection, it is used per field. The IDF values can be used by several ways (as sum, max etc.) LCS - longest common subsequence, in broad terms it gives the proximity (based on keyword positions). Beside the classic ‘lcs’, several derivates are available too. In addition to those, you can use counters on hits or words, boolean factors like exact hit or exact order and document attributes can be used too inside expressions. +Several pre-built ranker expressions are available: proximity_bm25, bm25, none, wordcount, proximity, matchany, sph04, expr (custom rankers) and export (same as expr, but stores for output the factor values). They can be changed using the OPTION statement, for example OPTION ranker=bm25. +The default proximity_bm25 can be written as custom ranker as +OPTION ranker=expr('sum(lcs*user_weight)+bm25'). +The user_weight relates to the boost per field, by default all fields are treated equal. For example if you have fields ‘title’ and ‘content’ you might want to give a boost to ‘title’ matching so you would set +OPTION field_weights=(title=10, content=1). +The ranking score is relative to the query itself as long as it includes metrics that calculate distances between keywords or keywords/document frequencies. In these cases, the values of the score can differ a lot from query to query, so doing any kind of comparison between scores of different queries does not make sense. +MySQL [(none)]> SELECT *,weight() FROM myrtindex WHERE MATCH('"more this text"/2') OPTION ranker=proximity_bm25; +------+------+----------+ | id | gid | weight() | +------+------+----------+ | 3 | 22 | 4403 | | 4 | 33 | 3378 | | 2 | 22 | 2453 | | 1 | 11 | 2415 | +------+------+----------+ 4 rows in set (0.00 sec) .. code-block:: none MySQL [(none)]> SELECT *,weight() FROM myrtindex WHERE MATCH('"more this text"/2') OPTION ranker=none; +------+------+----------+ | id | gid | weight() | +------+------+----------+ | 1 | 11 | 1 | | 2 | 22 | 1 | | 3 | 22 | 1 | | 4 | 33 | 1 | +------+------+----------+ 4 rows in set (0.00 sec) .. code-block:: none MySQL [(none)]> SELECT *,weight() FROM myrtindex WHERE MATCH('"more this text"/2') OPTION ranker=expr('sum(1)+gid'); +------+------+----------+ | id | gid | weight() | +------+------+----------+ | 4 | 33 | 35 | | 2 | 22 | 24 | | 3 | 22 | 24 | | 1 | 11 | 13 | +------+------+----------+ 4 rows in set (0.00 sec) +Data tokenization¶ +Search engines don’t store text as it is for performing searches on it. Instead they extract words and create several structures that allows fast full-text searching. From the found words, a dictionary is build, which allows a quick look to discover if the word is present or not in the index. In addition, other structures records. Besideformswords features. This helps not only on speeding queries, but also on decreasing index size. A more advanced blacklisting is bigrams, which allows creating a special token between a ‘bigram’ (common) word and an uncommon word. This can speed up several times when common words are used in phrase searches. In case of indexing HTML content, it’s desired to not index also the HTML tags, as they can introduce a lot of ‘noise’ in the index. HTML stripping can be used and can be configured to strip, but index certain tag attributes or completely ignore content of certain HTML elements. +Another common text search type is wildcard searching. Wildcard searching is performed at dictionary level. By default, both plain and RT indexes use a dictionary type called keywords. lot of expansions or expansions that have huge hitlists. The penalties are higher in case of infixes, where wildcard is added at the start and end of the words. Even more, usage the expand_keywords setting, which can apply automatically the stars to the input search terms, should be made with care. +The plain index also supports a crc dictionary type. With this type, words are not stored as they are, instead a control sum value of words is used. Indexing is much faster in this case compared to keywords mode. Since it would not be possible to do substring search on the CRCs, instead all possible substrings of the words (defined by min_prefix_len or min_infix_len) are also stored. This increase the index size several times when prefix/infix are enabled, but wildcard querying doesn’t suffer performance penalties as it doesn’t need to perform expansions like keywords dictionary. On indexes with crc dictionary it’s not possible to use QSUGGEST feature (since control sums are stored in index instead of actual words) and it’s not possible to convert to RealTime indexes (which only work with keywords dictionary). +Multi-threaded searching¶ +One index may not be enough. When searching, only one search thread (that uses a cpu core) is used for a query. +Because of the size of the data or heavy computing queries, we would want to use more than a CPU core per query. +To do that, we need to split the index into several smaller indexes. One common way to split the data is to perform a modulo filtering on the document id +(like +sql_query = SELECT * FROM mytable where id % 4 = 0 [1,2,3]). +Having several indexes instead of one means now we can run multiple indexing operations in parallel. +Faster indexing comes with a cost: several CPU cores will be used instead of one, there is more pressure on the source (especially if you rebuild all the indexes at once) and multiple threads writing to disk can overload your storage ( you can limit the impact of IO on storage with max_iops and max_iosize directives). +Searching over these shards can be done in 2 ways: +- one is to simply enumerate them in the query, like SELECT * FROM index0,index1,index2,index3. dist_threads >1 can be used for multi-core processing. +- using a local distributed index and dist_threads > 1 (for multi-core processing). +Grouping and faceting¶ +Manticore Search supports grouping by multiple columns or computed expressions. Results can be sorted inside a group with WITHIN GROUP ORDER BY. A particular feature is returning more than one row per group, by using GROUP n BY. Grouping also supports HAVING clause, GROUP_CONCAT and aggregation functions. Manticore Search also supports faceting, which in essence is a set of group by applied on the same result set. +mysql> SELECT * FROM myindex WHERE MATCH('some thing') and afilter=1 FACET attr_1 FACET_2 attr_2; +------+---------+----------+----------+ | id | attr_1 | attr_2 | afilter | +------+------+-------------+----------+ | 4 | 33 | 35 | 1 | ........ +------+------------+ | attr_1 count(*) | +------+------------+ | 4 | 33 | ........ +------+------------+ | attr_2 count(*) | +------+------------+ | 10 | 1 | +In return you get a multiple result set, where the first is the result set of the query and the rest are the facet results. +Functions¶ +GEODIST function can be used to calculate distance between 2 geo coordinates. The result can be used for sorting. +mysql> SELECT *, GEODIST(0.65929812494086, -2.1366023996942, latitude, longitude, {in=rad, out=mi,method=adaptive}) AS distance FROM geodemo WHERE distance < 10000 ORDER BY distance ASC LIMIT 0,100; +In addition, polygon calculation can be made, including geo polygon that takes into account Earth’s curvature. +mysql> SELECT *, CONTAINS(GEOPOLY2D(40.95164274496,-76.88583678218,41.188446201688,-73.203723511772,39.900666261352,-74.171833538046,40.059260979044,-76.301076056469),latitude_deg,longitude_deg) AS inside FROM geodemo WHERE inside=1; +Manticore Search also supports math, date and aggregation functions which are documented at Expressions, functions, and operators. Special functions ALL() and ANY() can be used to test elements in an array from a JSON attribute or MVA. +Highlighting¶ +Highlighting allows to get a list of fragments from documents (called snippets) which contain the matches. The snippets are used to improve the readability of search results to end users. Snippeting can be made with the CALL SNIPPETS statement. The function needs the texts that will be highlighted, the index used (for it’s tokenization settings), the query used and optionally a number of settings can be applied to tweak the operation. +mysql> CALL SNIPPETS('this is my hello world document text I am snippeting now', 'myindex', 'hello world', 1 as query_mode, 5 as limit_words); +------------------------------------------------+ | snippet | +------------------------------------------------+ | ... my hello world document text ... | +------------------------------------------------+ 1 row in set (0.00 sec) +Tokenizer tester¶ +CALL KEYWORDS provides a way to check how keywords are tokenized or to retrieve the tokenized forms of particular keywords.. +Beside debug/testing, CALL KEYWORDS can be used for transliteration. For example we can have a template index which maps characters from cyrillic to latin. We can use CALL KEYWORDS to get the latin form of a word written in cyrillic. +mysql> call keywords ('ran','myindex'); +------+-----------+------------+ | qpos | tokenized | normalized | +------+-----------+------------+ | 1 | ran | run | +------+-----------+------------+ 1 row in set (0.00 sec) +Suggested words¶ +CALL SUGGEST enabled getting suggestions or corrections of a given words. This is useful to implement ‘did you mean …’ functionality. +CALL SUGGEST requires an index with full wildcarding (infixing) enabled. Suggestion is based on the index dictionary and uses Levenshtein distance. Several options are available to allow tweaking and the output provide, beside distance, a document count for each word. In case at input there is more than one word, CALL SUGGEST will only process the first word, while CALL QSUGGEST will only process the last word and ignore the rest. +mysql> call suggest('sarch','myindex'); +---------+----------+------+ | suggest | distance | docs | +---------+----------+------+ | search | 1 | 6071 | | arch | 1 | 20 | | march | 1 | 10 | | sarah | 1 | 4 | +---------+----------+------+ 4 rows in set (0.00 sec) +Percolate queries¶ +The regular workflow is store index document and match against them a query. However, sometimes it’s desired to check if new content matches an existing set of queries. Running the queries over the index each time a document is added can be inefficient. Instead, it would be faster if queries were stored in a index and the new documents are tested against the stored queries. Also called inverse search, this is used for for signaling in monitoring systems or news aggregation. +For this, a special index is used called percolate, which is similar with a RealTime index. The queries are stored in a percolate index and CALL PQ can test one or more documents if they match against the stored queries. +mysql> INSERT INTO index_name VALUES ( 'this is a query'); mysql> INSERT INTO index_name VALUES ( 'this way'); mysql> CALL PQ ('index_name', ('multiple documents', 'go this way'), 0 as docs_json ); +Search performance¶ +To debug and understand why a search is slow, information is provided by commands SHOW PROFILE, SHOW PLAN and SHOW META. +Tokenization and search expression can have a big impact on the search speed. They can generate requesting a lot of data from index components and/or require heavy computation (like merging big lists of hits). An example is using wildcarding on very short words, like 1-2 characters. +An index is not fully loaded by default into memory. Only several components are, such as dictionary or attributes (which can be set to not be loaded). The rest will be loaded when queries are made. +Operating systems will cache read files from the storage. If there is plenty of RAM, an index can be cached enterily as searches are made. If the index is not cached, a slow storage will impact searches. Also, the load time of an index is influenced by how fast components can be loaded into RAM. For small indexes this is not a problem, but in case of huge indexes it can take minutes until an index is ready for searches. +Queries can also be CPU-bound. This is because index is too big or it’s settings or search perform heavy computation. If an index grows big, it should be split to allow multi-core searching as explained in previous guide. +If we talk about big data, one server may not be enough and we need to spread our indexes over more than one server. Servers should be as close as possible (at least same data center), as the network latencies between master and nodes will affect the query performance. +Web Hosting Talk +> +Web Hosting Main Forums +> +Running a Web Hosting Business +> To Canadians- does CIBC accept electronic money transfers from Paypal? +PDA +View Full Version : +To Canadians- does CIBC accept electronic money transfers from Paypal? +GeorgeC +03-23-2003, 06:51 PM +I have some money (US funds) in my Paypal account, and apparently I can only receive that money through electronic transfer to my bank account, which is CIBC. Does CIBC by default support electronic transfers from Paypal? I reside in Canada, obviously. +Thanks, +vito +03-23-2003, 06:56 PM +I don't see why you would have a problem with that. I withdraw $$ from my Paypal account into my TD Canada Trust account on a regular basis. Just go into your Paypal account and enter your banking info. Make sure that you match all the bank account info very carefully. As well, be sure you clearly specify the name registered to the bank account. If there are any errors, you are in for a delay. +Once set up, you can withdraw whenever you want (there is a fee for every withdrawl, so don't do it too often). It normally takes about 4 business days before I see a withdrawal end up in my bank account. +Good luck. +Vito +GeorgeC +03-23-2003, 06:59 PM +Thanks Vito. My main concern is CIBC, which doesn't seem as high tech as some of the other banks like Royal or TD. +vito +03-23-2003, 07:06 PM +CIBC seems pretty much one of the big banks so I'm pretty sure you'd have no problems. They have online banking ( ) as well as all the other services offered by the other majors, so it should be OK. To be safe, though, just give your local branch a call tomorrow and I'm sure they will confirm that it's OK. +Vito +vito +03-23-2003, 07:15 PM +Yup, I'd put money on the fact that you can transfer $$ from Paypal to CIBC. +They're already involved in handling email-based funds transfer: +Vito +GeorgeC +03-23-2003, 07:19 PM +Thanks Vito for all the help. If there's someone who has a CIBC account and uses Paypal as well, a final confirmation would be appreciated as well. +vito +03-23-2003, 07:37 PM +Wow, what a shocker. While I was sitting here doing my work, I called the CIBC HelpLine. Was on hold for 15 minutes - who cares, it was on speakerphone (and toll free). +The guy didn't even know what Paypal was. He had to go and ask one of his supervisors. Answer: CIBC does not currently handle Paypal transfers... :eek: :eek: +I'm glad I didn't place that bet... :( +Vito +Spingen +03-23-2003, 07:48 PM +It works fine, I use CIBC and thats where my money from paypal goes. Its just a direct deposit, I don't see why you thought CIBC would have been different then any other bank. +vito +03-23-2003, 07:50 PM +That's what I would've thought. But the "supervisor" on the phone said no. +Hmmf. Some supervisor, huh?? +Vito +GeorgeC +03-23-2003, 07:50 PM +Wow that is a shocker indeed Vito. See, I told you CIBC isn't exactly high tech :) Maybe I'll still call tomorrow to confirm, but so far it's not going good. Damn. +Edit- Opps just read the other response as well. LOL so much confusion. Guess I'll just call tomorrow and clear things up for good. +Spingen +03-23-2003, 07:51 PM +Supervisor doesn't mean smart :) If they have never heard of it then obviously it won't work :D +Spingen +03-23-2003, 07:52 PM +Originally posted by easybyte +Wow that is a shocker indeed Vito. See, I told you CIBC isn't exactly high tech :) Maybe I'll still call tomorrow to confirm, but so far it's not going good. Damn. +Easybyte, I just said it works fine. Just add the your bank account information to your PayPal account, make the transfer, in 5 business days you will see your money. Done and Done. +vito +03-23-2003, 07:53 PM +Well, as Spingen said, he uses Paypal with his CIBC account and all is good. So likely I just got a guy on the phone with room-temperature IQ. +Looks like you're in luck! +Vito +Mekhu +03-23-2003, 09:59 PM +CIBC may not be the most high tech, but they're the only bank whom I could get direct deposit from 2checkout.com to work with!!! +trustedurl.com +03-23-2003, 10:24 PM +Originally posted by Mekhu +CIBC may not be the most high tech, but they're the only bank whom I could get direct deposit from 2checkout.com to work with!!! +how were you able to do this?? AFAIK they're not capable of doing that yet.... tell me the secret! :D +mrl14 +03-23-2003, 11:41 PM +If you have a checking account or even savings, add it to paypal and withdraw your cash. Its just a simple wire transfer. I do it all the time with TD. +It'll even convert your USD funds to CAD. +I don't even think they know what paypal is. Just ask them if you can wire money to your account from another bank. +Spingen +03-23-2003, 11:56 PM +Originally posted by dhabets +how were you able to do this?? AFAIK they're not capable of doing that yet.... tell me the secret! :D +I don't see what the problems are with any of these people using cibc, td, royal, scotia or other canadian banks. You just have to call and get their routing number. 2-5 minute phone call is all thats required/ +trustedurl.com +03-24-2003, 12:15/ +I spoke with their international department and last time I tried (december) I was told they (CIBC) weren't setup yet for direct deposits from the US. +Wire transfers: yes +Direct deposit: no. +If you're with CIBC, please do give me that # :) +trustedurl.com +03-24-2003, 12:18/ +Just wanted to say that paypal can make deposits, but that's 'cos they have a Canadian presence.... +GeorgeC +03-24-2003, 02:29 AM +Another question- does Paypal support dispensing of payment through check for Canadian members? I could have sworn I saw this option advertised on their homepage before... +ddent +03-24-2003, 04:57 AM +On a related note, I am currently shopping around for a Canadian bank that does USD accounts which work on the US system (i.e. cheques with a routing number rather than a transit number and institution number in the MICR encoding). +The reason is that PayPal refuses to do a direct deposit to a Canadian bank for an account in USD. This can become quite costly if you have to go and pay your suppliers in USD. +(note: "doesn't seem to" or "seems to" is used because few employees seem to have any idea what I'm talking about when I say I want the cheques (or EFT) to clear on the US system) +CIBC doesn't seem to, Scotia doesn't seem to, VanCity doesn't seem to, Bank of Montreal seems to (very rude on phone, not interested!), Royal Bank seems to (one free transaction, one transaction free for every direct deposit, 0.50 thereafter), TD seems to ($4/month), HSBC seems to (unsure). +Based on the research I've done, I'm leaning to Royal Bank... there future acceptance of CertaPay and their ties with Moneris (if I need to use them in the future) are also pluses. +I'd love to hear from others that have tried this. I'd be happy to stick with VanCity, they are great, but they don't seem to offer a setup like this, and it would be rather costly for me to constantly switch between currencies. +sphere2 +03-24-2003, 10:37 AM +I'm sure most Canadian banks will. (Keep in mind most don't seem to know what paypal is.) But as long as you have your checking information then you can have your funds deposited to any canadian bank. +Least that what the paypal information indicates. +igy +03-24-2003, 03:49 PM +I use CIBC sometimes from paypal, so I know it works. Also works with President's Choice if it matters :) +Interblaze +03-25-2003, 10:52 PM +As to CIBC not being high tech; they originaly were the first bank in canada to promote paypal as a internet payment method for acepting credit cards online. Also CIBC has banks allover north america, newyork being one of their major locations. +I also use paypal with my Presidents choice bank account (which is managed by CIBC) and direct transfers in my account work fine. Although it took a while for somone to give me a correct routing number. If your using CIBC as your bank I would suggest moving over to the "Presidents choice" or "Bizsmart" no fee banking. +ddent +03-25-2003, 10:55 PM +Interblaze, routing number as in it works as a US account? Or did you mean transit number & institution number? +vito +03-25-2003, 10:56 PM +Yes, in Canada it's transit number not routing number... +Vito +ddent +03-25-2003, 11:01 PM +:( I'm meeting with RBC tommorrow to try and get an account setup in us funds which can also have deposits done as a us account (using a routing number). Other places that seem to offer it are BMO, HSBC & TD. I hope it works out :). I guess I can walk down the street to the next bank if the person just didn't know what they were talking about... +(I'm trying to avoid PayPal converting my funds to CAD). +vito +03-25-2003, 11:06 PM +ddent, please post the results of your meeting. I'm interested. Right now, even though I have a Canadian $ account and a US $ account at TD Canada Trust, I still am forced to deposit Paypal funds into my Canadian account in Canadian funds. I would much rather prefer to deposit into my US account and transfer when I see a favorable exchange rate. +Let us know, OK? +Vito +ddent +03-25-2003, 11:08 PM +Will do :) +DStar +04-06-2003, 10:41 PM +If you have a Canadian bank account in US dollar funds, will paypal activate your account without you ALSO adding a credit card? +I do not have (or want) a credit card, and have a US dollar account at TD Canada Trust. +(I tried to write to paypal about the issue, but my site isn't set up yet so I used a free email account... I'm still very upset that they bounced my support request just because I used a hotmail address.) +DirectNetz +04-07-2003, 03:22 AM +Originally posted by vito +That's what I would've thought. But the "supervisor" on the phone said no. +Hmmf. Some supervisor, huh?? +Vito +Just a quick note. I called a company I had a domain registered with once to have it unlocked so I could transfer it. They told me they didn't have control over the domain. I then faxed them the receipt regarding the sale of this domain, and they said " Oh, well your receipt must be wrong because we don't show it in our computers "....supervisors are not always right. They are just there to SOUND like they are right! +tandem +04-07-2003, 06:07 AM +Originally posted by ddent +Will do :) +What were the results of your bank meeting? Vito must've forgotten to follow up on this. :D +vito +04-07-2003, 09:24 AM +You're right, tandem. I forgot. :eek: +And yes, I would be interested in the results of the meeting. +Care to share, ddent? +Vito +ddent +04-07-2003, 04:23 PM +Absoloutely. Inconclusive at the *moment*, but very very promising. I have manged to get $100 US in to my US account at Royal, and haven't paid any fees to do so. There are a few details I need to work out. More to details to follow when I have more certainty. +vito +04-07-2003, 04:45 PM +Geez, well that makes me very very confused. Earlier today I spoke with the International Department at Paypal. They unequivocally said that currently the only account to which they can deposit is my Canadian currency account in Canada. They said that the problem is that although my other account is drawn on US currency, it is physically located in Canada. If I had an account in a bank located in the US, it would not be a problem. +The only thing that might make sense is that perhaps Royal Bank has actual physical presence in the US? +I'm sooooooooooo confused... :confused: +Vito +ddent +04-07-2003, 05:59 PM +It works with correspondent banks. +However, that said, they *should* be able to do IDD to *any* Canadian US dollar account, they just don't want to I guess so they can make $ off currency conversion. +As I say, more details to come soon :). +DStar +04-18-2003, 05:16 PM +Any details yet? :) +ddent +04-18-2003, 08:57 PM +OK, I've finally gotten around to posting some information. See 'My PayPal USD->CAD currency conversion avoidance quest' in the 'Running a Web Hosting Biz' forum. +Regards, +Daniel Dent +Mekhu +04-18-2003, 09:27 PM. +peddler +04-19-2003, 01:03 AM +Originally posted by Mekhu. +That's really strange as I transfer $$ from PayPal to a CIBC account on almost a daily basis. Below is the receipt I get from Paypal. Takes about 3-4 days before the $$ is actually in your account. Never set up anything wth my bank..just added my bank account info onto my PayPal account. +-------------- +Withdraw Funds to a Bank Account (ID #78B076138M72xxxxx) +Name: +Bank Account +US Dollar Amount: +-$120.00 +PayPal transaction fee: +-$0.55 +Net U.S. Dollars: +-$119.45 +Exchange Rate: +X 1.51040 +Total : +C $180.41 +Date: +March 4, 2003 +Time: +9:23:47 +Status: +Completed +Funding Source: +Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Checking (Canada) XXXXXX1618 +DStar +04-19-2003, 10:02 AM +If you have a Canadian US-dollar account, do you still need a credit card in order to open a paypal account? +Thanks. +peddler +04-19-2003, 10:41 AM +Originally posted by DStar +If you have a Canadian US-dollar account, do you still need a credit card in order to open a paypal account? +Thanks. +I use my CC with Paypal to handle any overages, but I'm not sure if one is required. I'm sure you'll find out if you fill out their signup form. +Although I've never had a problem with PayPal, it seems that others have so you may want to do a search here. +DStar +04-19-2003, 12:23 PM +No, you can't find out from the signup form. +For another business, I tried to add a Canadian bank account, and three months later after several tech support calls, was still unsure of why my account hadn't been activated yet. (At the time I signed up, they said on the front page "just add a credit card or bank account" - yeah right.) +For US accounts, they say you can add a bank account to be activated, but must add a credit card to be verified. +No information on US-dollar Canadian accounts. I don't want to sign up and go through another three months of hassle just to find out I've given my bank information out for nothing. +I've written to them and have had no response, so was hoping someone had experience of it. +Their customer service is obviously not that great, but what are the alternatives that are easy for customers to use and don't require me to have a credit card? *Shrug* +(I'd need at least $2000 US in collateral for a credit card, and that money would be better off going into my business if I had it. ;) ) +TSHR +05-11-2005, 10:02 AM +Can anyone post what the proper transit number is for CIBC when accepting money from Paypal? +I "think" I read here that it may be a different transit number than what would normally be used. +Thanks. +aingaran +05-12-2005, 11:51 PM +Well the TRANSIT number is the BRANCH #. So, it all depends on what branch you're with. +The institution # for CIBC is the same, but branch/transit # is different. +Torrid[Dot]Ca +06-04-2005, 02:09 PM +I realize this thread died quite awhile ago, but I had a related question. +I live in Canada and have an account with BMO. I also have a paypal account. To date, I can't figure out how to add my BMO bank account to my paypal account. The Transit/Institution numbers I have from BMO don't match the same format as the ones needed by the add bank account form in Paypal. +Anyone have any ideas? Perhaps I'm missing out on something obvious. +kentcounty +06-04-2005, 09:59 PM +You should have no problem adding BMO to your paypal account, it worked fine for me while I was with them :) +Torrid[Dot]Ca +06-09-2005, 01:21 AM +Well, that's good news. Hopefully I'll be able to get mine working as well. +I should add I have a savings, not a checking account. +Paypal asks for: +A 5 digit bank transit number +A three digit institution number +and a 1-12 digit account number. +My bank statements provide me with a four digit transit number and a seven digit, hyphen seperated account number. (####-###) +dotNiagara +06-09-2005, 02:17 AM +Regarding your question on BMO, I'm going to attempt to answer, but my feeling is your best bet might be to call them for the information. I have one savings account linked to my PP account with no issue. Or better yet, ask your bank for a few cheques, just tell them you would like them for direct deposit purposes -- they will usually give you a few. Yes, you CAN get cheques on a savings account. +If you do get ahold of some, here's what you would be looking for: +On most standard cheques, there is 3 blocks of numbers. ie: +001: 12345::123:123456 +The first block is the cheque number. In my example, it would be cheque #01. The Transit Number would be 12345. The next block, 123, is the "Institution Number". For example, PC Financial's Institution Number is 326. The Final string is your account number. +Hope I've been some help. +No FILES\COMMON FILES\AOL\1146276199\EE\AOLHOSTMANAGER.EXE +C:\PROGRAM FILES\OUUA\WKPCJTHU.EXE +C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\MICROSOFT SHARED\WORKS SHARED\WKCALREM.EXE +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\DDHELP.EXE +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\PSTORES.EXE +C:\PROGRAM FILES\KODAK\KODAK EASYSHARE SOFTWARE\BIN\EASYSHARE.EXE +C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\AOL\1146276199\EE\AOLSERVICEHOST.EXE +C:\PROGRAM FILES\COMMON FILES\SYMANTEC SHARED\SNDSRVC.EXE +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WBEM\WINMGMT.EXE +C:\HIJACK1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\SearchURL,(Default) =* +R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - {9C4A95D8-7D4A-10CB-1DF7-70E29F717396} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOFQGVYW.DLL +R3 - URLSearchHook: (no name) - _{CFBFAE00-17A6-11D0-99CB-00C04FD64497} - (no +file) +R3 - URLSearchHook: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - +C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMPANION\INSTALLS\CPN1\YT.DLL +O2 - BHO:: X1IEHook Class - {52706EF7-D7A2-49AD-A615-E903858CF284} - C:\PROGRAM +FILES\JUNO\QSACC\X1IEBHO: AOL Toolbar Launcher - {7C554162-8CB7-45A4-B8F4-8EA1C75885F9} - +C:\PROGRAM FILES\AOL\AOL TOOLBAR 2.0\AOLTB.DLL +O2 - BHO: (no name) - {EE89B3F3-0E6D-1896-6BE0-51800E4A5291} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ITW.DLL (file missing) +O2 - BHO: (no name) - {D796D763-3FA7-0523-F2F9-601340DB6CC0} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\YPDBR.DLL (file missing) +O2 - BHO: (no name) - {1935D031-3CA2-2456-A7AC-6543B216A299} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\LHAHK.DLL (file missing): (no name) - {9C4A95D8-7D4A-10CB-1DF7-70E29F717396} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MOFQGVYW.DLL +O2 - BHO: NAV Helper - {BDF3E430-B101-42AD-A544-FADC6B084872} - C:\Program +Files\Norton Internet Security\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll +O3 - Toolbar: &Radio - {8E718888-423F-11D2-876E-00A0C9082467} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\MSDXM.OCX +O3 - Toolbar: Yahoo! Toolbar - {EF99BD32-C1FB-11D2-892F-0090271D4F88} - +C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMPANION\INSTALLS\CPN1\YT.DLL +O3 - Toolbar: AOL Toolbar - {DE9C389F-3316-41A7-809B-AA305ED9D922} - C:\PROGRAM +FILES\AOL\AOL TOOLBAR 2.0\AOLTB.DLL +O3 - Toolbar: Norton Internet Security - : [SystemTray] SysTray.Exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe +powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme: [WorksFUD] C:\Program Files\Microsoft Works\wkfud.exe: [EM_EXEC] C:\PROGRA~1\MOUSEW~1\SYSTEM\EM_EXEC.EXE +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RxMon] C:\Program Files\Dell\Resolution +Assistant\Common\bin\RxMon9x.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [madexe] C:\Program Files\Dell\Resolution +Assistant\MotiveAssistant\bin\mad.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [LoadQM] loadqm.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [AutoUpdater] "c:\Program +Files\AutoUpdate\AutoUpdate.exe" +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [WinPatrol] C:\PROGRAM FILES\BILLP +STUDIOS\WINPATROL\winpatrol.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [strtas] LOC1.EXE +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [VerizonServicepoint.exe] C:\Program +Files\Verizon\Servicepoint\VerizonServicepoint.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [HostManager] C:\Program Files\Common +Files\AOL\1146276199\ee\AOLHostManager.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ViewMgr] C:\Program Files\Viewpoint\Viewpoint +Manager\ViewMgr.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [QuickTime Task] "C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\QTTASK.EXE" +-atboottime +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Symantec Core LC] "C:\Program Files\Common +Files\Symantec Shared\CCPD-LC\symlcsvc.exe" start +O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ccApp] "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec +Shared\ccApp.exe" +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [LoadPowerProfile] Rundll32.exe +powrprof.dll,LoadCurrentPwrScheme +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SchedulingAgent] mstask.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [*StateMgr] C:\WINDOWS\System\Restore\StateMgr.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [SSDPSRV] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ssdpsrv.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [strtas] LOC1.EXE +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [KB891711] C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\KB891711\KB891711.EXE +OKLM\..\RunServices: [ISSVC] "C:\Program Files\Norton Internet +Security\ISSVC.exe" +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [ccProxy] C:\Program Files\Common Files\Symantec +Shared\ccProxy.exe +O4 - HKLM\..\RunServices: [ScriptBlocking] "C:\Program Files\Common +Files\Symantec Shared\Script Blocking\SBServ.exe" -reg +O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [MoneyAgent] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft +Money\System\Money Express.exe" +O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [strtas] LOC1.EXE +O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Lrrn] "C:\WINDOWS\Application +Data\tpus\dllhost.exe" -vt yazr +O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Tuda] C:\Program Files\Ouua\wkpcjthu.exe8 - Extra context menu item: &AIM Search - res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\AIM +TOOLBAR\AIMBAR.DLL/aimsearch.htm +O8 - Extra context menu item: Display All Images with Full Quality - +"res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\JUNO\qsacc\appres.dll/228" +O8 - Extra context menu item: Display Image with Full Quality - +"res://C:\PROGRAM FILES\JUNO\qsacc\appres.dll/227" +O8 - Extra context menu item: &Yahoo! item: Yahoo! &SMS -:\Program +Files\Yahoo!\Common/ycsms.htm +O8 - Extra context menu item: &AOL Toolbar Search - c:\program files\aol\aol +toolbar 2.0\resources\en-US\local\search.html\AIM.EXE +O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {120E090D-9136-4b78-8258-F0B44B4BD2AC} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ms.exe (file missing) +O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: MaxSpeed - {120E090D-9136-4b78-8258-F0B44B4BD2AC} - +C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\ms.exe (file missing)9 - Extra button: Yahoo! Services - {5BAB4B5B-68BC-4B02-94D6-2FC0DE4A7897} - +C:\PROGRAM FILES\YAHOO!\COMMON\YIESRVC.DLL +O9 - Extra button: AOL Toolbar - {3369AF0D-62E9-4bda-8103-B4C75499B578} - +C:\PROGRAM FILES\AOL\AOL TOOLBAR 2.0\AOLTB.DLL +O9 - Extra button: Dell Home - {08DCFC6C-B6E4-480C-95A4-FC64F37B787E} - (file missing) (HKCU) +O14 - IERESET.INF: START_PAGE_URL= +O16 - DPF: {30528230-99F7-4BB4-88D8-FA1D4F56A2AB} (YInstStarter Class) - +O16 - DPF: {01113300-3E00-11D2-8470-0060089874ED} (Support.com Configuration +Class) - +O16 - DPF: {A0EAC162-A012-4AD8-B2E1-D5A0BBBCDA51} (PopupSh Control) - +Thanks) from here. +If you have a previous version of Ad-Aware installed, during the installation of the new version you will be prompted to uninstall or keep the older version - be sure to uninstall the previous version. +After installing Ad-aware, you will be prompted to update the program and run a full scan. De-select all boxes so that it does not run. +Manually run "Ad-Aware SE Personal" and from the main screen Click on "Check for Updates Now". +Once the definitions have been updated: +Reconfigure Ad-Aware for Full Scan as per the following instructions: +Launch the program, and click on the Gear at the top of the start screen. +Under General Settings the following boxes should all be checked off: (Checked will be indicated by a green circle with a check mark in it, Un-Checked is a red circle with an X in it. If it is greyed out, those features are only available in the retail version.) +"Automatically save logfile" +Automatically quarantine objects prior to removal" +Safe Mode (always request confirmation) +Prompt to update outdated confirmation) - Change to 7 days. +Click the "Scanning" button (On the left side). +Under Drives & Folders, select "Scan within Archives" +Click "Click here to select Drives + folders" and select your installed hard drives. +Under Memory & Registry, select all options. +Click the "Advanced" button (On the left hand side). +Under "Shell Integration", select "Move deleted files to Recycle Bin". +Under "Log-file detail", select all options. +Click on the "Defaults" button on the left. +Type in the full url of what you want as your default homepage and searchpage e.g.. +Click the "Tweak" button (Again, on the left hand side). +Expand "Scanning Engine" by clicking on the "+" (Plus) symbol and select the following: +"Unload recognized processes during scanning." +"Obtain command line of scanned processes" +"Scan registry for all users instead of current user only" +Under "Cleaning Engine", select the following: +"Automatically try to unregister objects prior to deletion." +"During removal, unload explorer and IE if necessary" +"Let Windows remove files in use at next reboot." +"Delete quarrantined objects after restoring" +Click on "Safety Settings" and select "Write-protect system files after repair (Hosts file, etc)" +Click on "Proceed" to save these Preferences. +Click on the "Scan Now" button on the left. +Under "Select Scan Mode, be sure to select "Use Custom Scanning Options". +Close all programs except ad-aware. +Click on "Next" in the bottom right corner to start the scan. +Run the Ad-Aware scan and allow it to remove everything it finds and then REBOOT - Even if not prompted to. +After you log back in, Ad-Aware may run to finalize the scan and remove any locked files that it may of found. Allow it to finish. +Manually download Latest definition file: Here +Please Note Version SE Build 1.06 is now available! This download is for use with Ad-Aware SE versions only. +Manual Installation: Unzip the archive, replace the existing file and restart Ad-Aware\Ad-Watch. +You can also use the webupdate component implemented in Ad-Aware to install this update. +Please go HERE to run Panda's as well as a fresh Hijackthis log.... Read more? +Recently, in the comment section of this post, Dr Crippen chided me for taking a "Ghandi-esque position on the moral high ground" in the doctor-nurse issue. I admit to being a mere medical student, a pawn in the chessboard that is the medical profession, and as such may be a little wet behind the ears at the moment. But for all the ER, Grey's Anatomy and House that I grew up watching, I still dreamed of the medical profession as being a noble and nearly-perfect one, populated by happy people in white coats with reputations and consciences as clean as the sterilised walls they worked within. +Then came medical school. +And not just ANY old medical school, but this one. In a city whose health services are going bonkers due to obviously well-planned and well-thought-out (sic) NHS reforms. +Then came medical school. +And not just ANY old medical school, but this one. In a city whose health services are going bonkers due to obviously well-planned and well-thought-out (sic) NHS reforms. +So in all my bright-eyed innocence, I decided to play medical student and go tug on a few white coats to ask them what they thought of all this nonsense. The first I pounced upon was Dr Simon Lockett, an alumnus of Jesus College who agreed to come up to deliver a talk to medical students. Sitting in the lecture theatre, I was looking for a shrewd but kindly-looking genial man in a white coat to show up and tell us all about how he's looked after hundreds of families and watched patients grow old. So I was mildly surprised when a man whose face was half-obscured by a thick moustache reminiscent of Mark Twain walked up to the podium and, in exactly the kind genial voice I'd imagined him to speak with, told us all about his adventures as a General Practitioner. +As it turns out, Dr Simon Lockett is no run-of-the-mill GP. He is Secretary of the BMA's Norfolk committee for GPs, and has been involved in medical politics for some time. When the panicked coffer-fillers at Castle Spewitt, the Evil Headquarters of NHS Management, sprung upon the brilliant idea to cut costs by denying operations to heavy smokers, Dr Lockett was one of the GPs who spoke out against it. He is mentioned near the bottom of this article in the Times. Unfortunately, we all know that GPs are only useful as grunts and scapegoats, and as such have no political say. I decided to quiz Dr Lockett on a few on the issues that have bugged Dr Crippen and other medical bloggers. +(For the benefit of the reader, any quotes from Dr Lockett have been put through my patented DeMoustachifier(TM) so that they, unlike when I first heard them, are immediately coherent to the reader.) +On being able to perform minor surgeries: Like many GPs (and by this I mean the GPs who do not have scalpel-happy tendencies and deep-rooted regrets at not having gone into surgery instead) Dr Lockett is amazed that policymakers actually believe GPs do not have enough on their hands already and spend their free time sipping tea and discussing the latest episode of EastEnders in the clinic lounge. He attributes this to most policymakers' experience of actual doctors' schedules coming solely from watching extremely accurate and authoritative medical shows like Doctor Who. +On the current management of the NHS: Dr Lockett agrees with me that the NHS, the one-of-a-kind healthcare system in one of the greatest countries in the world, is being run by a group of rabid baboons in a doughnut shop with John Prescott. +On Nurse Practitioners being on A&E front lines: The moustache shakes sadly from side to side. Having gotten into trouble enough times to develop a Spider-Man-like sense of When Not To Ask Because You Really Don't Want To Know, I decide to skip to the next question. +On the real source of the NHS financial woes: Here Dr Lockett, having had his share of the politics involved, hesitates to be overly critical. He is very generous and hmmms his way through most of his reply, saying things about how the policymakers never really had time to properly test any of the reforms before they were put into action, and as such they were hurried through. He looks at me with a knowing smile, and I know that he is silently agreeing with me that the NHS reforms were dreamt up by a 5-year-old child dosed up on crack. He suggests that the financial deficits were simply because not enough money has been put into the NHS. Patsy Hewitt, eager to deflect any blame from herself that might spoil her well-polished and professionally-scrubbed white-toothed smile, has pointed the finger at mismanagement of funds. Remember that the next time you're at your local hospital and you see a consultant drive up an hour late in a brand-new Mercedes SLR. And you wonder. *X-Files ending theme plays* +And there we have it, folks. Straight from the workhorse's mouth. Dr Lockett, despite being someone who has seen the NHS fall apart from the inside (apart, of course, from the times when he was lax enough with his trimming to allow the moustache to actually impede his vision) comes off as a very cheery fellow, still happy enough to enjoy his job, dot his consultation room with Doctor Who memorabilia, and hand furry Daleks to his patients to stop them crying. I wonder what sort of a doctor I'll make when I grow up. For some reason this comes to mind: +P.S. To all those who sat for the Cambridge BMAT exam, good luck! Hope it went well, and that your urinary sphincters were stronger in the exam hall than mine was. Email me your tales of woe at angrymedic [at] gmail [dot] com. +5 comments: +Do read The Houseman's Tale. +and then get out your sun tan lotion and your surf board: +"I'm an SHO facing unemployment in february. I have many doctor friends who are unemployed. It's a total heartsink to see our consultants facilitating the training of so many "practitioners" when there are docs already trained out there, and joining the dole Q, and at the same time we have a chronic shortage of nurses. Sadly, there don't appear to be many cosultants like you brave enough to stick up for us. The reason I'm up so late is because I've just been on the phone to an Australian hospital about a job over there, as I can't face signing on when my current post ends. I don't know what the future holds for me and my colleagues, but the only thing I'm certain of is that I won't be returning to the NHS. IF I return to the UK, it will be in a role outside medicine, of that I'm certain. After a lot of soulsearching, I don't care anymore how much it cost the taxpayer to train me. The govt has run the health service into the ground, and it treats it's doctors like cattle.I would rather stay here and work as a doctor, but it looks like sunny Queensland will be my new home unless a job materialises in february pretty quickly. +junior-doc-guy" +BW +John +Oh dear. The wet season is not the time to go to Queensland. Yeasts will grow all over his skin. Tell him to start in South Australia and move to Queensland for the dry season. +There's a thought. Is Spewitt just a nasty Aussie yeast? +Dr Crippen: Thanks for the travel tip, doc. I did read The Houseman's Tale, but didn't catch the comment by junior-doc-guy before you posted it here. Despite the constant pointing-out of my cerebral deficiencies that being in this university entails, I like to think that I'm not so thick as to miss key current issues. But I must admit I was surprised that there were doctors on the dole. Why is this happening when the rest of the world faces an international doctor shortage? Why is the Home Office cutting down on foreign doctors but upping med school intakes when there obviously aren't enough jobs for doctors? +Dearieme: According to a pathology textbook I am reading, Spewitt is in fact a rare Aussie yeast. Particularly virulent, it was detected in Newnham College Cambridge a few decades ago and prompted an evacuation while college grounds were disinfected. Since that episode, unfortunately, traces of rot still plague Cambridge, and rumours abound that the yeast never really left. It has since been rumoured to have infected certain areas of government, and is causing rampant disease and brain rot in the upper echelons. +HAHAHAHA!!! Fantastic post. I certainly need updates about key issues instead of going out partying ... +And this post about uniforms: cracked me up. To be quite honest, I do feel ridiculous wearing this faggy white uniform we are now required everytime we go to work. Scrubs are now abolished in our ITU in favour of this stiff, outdated, overly-starched white tunics with weird blue epaulette things. Apparently it makes us look more dignified and nursey. +More like Village People in that worst dance routine and that silliest pop video ever made, if you ask me. Who else wear this things in the post modern world? OMFG LOL. Meethinks it brings a lot of bugs as well...Thinkin' about infection control and stuff. They don't wash this bloomin' blue things we stick on our shoulder. +Good thing the laundry lost the only 3 pairs that I have. We are allowed to wear the more comfy scrubs whilst they look for funds somewhere to replace it with them 'campy' ones. +^o^ +Nice picture! I can't quite work out whether it's an academic gynaecologist or a lab-based neuropsychiatrist. +The white coat, crazy hair, glasses and manic expression suggest something exciting's just been discovered in the lab. The bowtie suggests gynaecology (or maybe just eccentricity). The finger-steepling suggests an air of superiority often found in psychiatrists, and the stethoscope suggests someone who wants to look like a doctor but possibly isn't. +Other than that, this is another good post, so keep up the good work! Medical students may be small cogs in the machine but they're pretty important ones as far as I'm concerned! +. +Presenters +- Liz Fong-JonesPrincipal Developer Advocate, Honeycomb +Hello, and thank you for coming to my talk about OpenTelemetry and observability. One of the problems that we have on our plate as software developers is that we waste a lot of time on break fix work work that is reactive rather than proactive and doesn’t necessarily move the business forward. We waste over 17 hours out of every single week because of technical debt and bad code, according to the Stripe Developer Coefficient report from 2018, why is this? It’s because we’re tasked with doing three different things all at the same time, and it can feel really, really overwhelming. We want to both shift features, more of them, faster, scale to meet user demand, and decrease downtime all at the same time. And we’re really afraid that things are not going to work correctly in production, that things are going to break and that we’re not going to be able to figure out why. +And when we have slow feedback loops, the problem gets even worse because when you’ve forgotten about what you’ve developed because you turned it over to another team to do integration testing on, and it didn’t actually release production until two weeks later bundled with a hundred other people’s changes, you’ll have no idea why the release was broken. You’ll have no choice, but to roll it back. But the good thing is that progressive delivery culture and DevOps have solved a lot of these challenges by enabling people to have faster feedback cycles, and get code deployed to production faster. But that doesn’t necessarily solve the problem of what to do once your code reaches production. How do you keep your code running successfully in production? This is the problem that we still struggle with. +We struggle with a lot of technical complexity, where different microservices are releasing at different rates, faster and faster, creating end known failure modes that we couldn’t have predicted in advance. Caused by interactions between users and services, including noisy neighbors and multi-tenant situations and our traditional monitors no longer work. So this is where observability and OpenTelemetry can come to our rescue and help solve the problem. Hi, my name is Liz Fong-Jones, and I’m the Principal Developer Advocate at Honeycomb, but the hat I’m wearing today is actually that of an OpenTelemetry Governance Committee member. I am part of a vendor neutral body that is aiming to standardize how we measure and report data from our production systems to enable developers to move faster in production. +I’m an elected member of that governance committee and I act on behalf of all of OpenTelemetry rather than just my particular employer. So today we’re going to have covered what’s painful in software development? What observability is, and how it can help? And how OpenTelemetry plays into the observability picture? And then finally, I’ll give you some starting points as to how you can get started with OpenTelemetry to advance your observability journey so that you can get back to shipping code with confidence faster. So let’s talk about what observability is and isn’t. Observability helps us answer questions about our systems. Questions that the previous generation of technology did not allow us to answer. +Things like what are the common characteristics about the queries that timed out taking more than 500 milliseconds and not just the dimensions that we thought to break down by previously, but new combinations of dimensions, things like language pack, browser plugin, software version, data center, and to combine all of these things together, along with the full execution path of the request. Rather than being confined to measuring only by predefined dimensions. In order to achieve observability, we need to have both instrumentation data and the capability to query it. And I’ll tell you more about that in a minute. So there’s research done by independent researchers that shows the impact that monitoring and observability have when you advance to observability and not just have monitoring. +The accelerate state of DevOps report, reports at 26% of teams are elite in the year 2021. And those teams are 4.1 times as likely to integrate observability in how they run their services, rather than just attempting to passively monitor their services. Solving that problem with the 17 wasted hours per week, teams with good observability practices spend more time coding according to the DORA research groups, Accelerate State of DevOps report. Additionally, open-source technologies such as OpenTelemetry is part of the journey towards becoming the elite team. +Elite performers that meet reliability targets are 2.4 times more likely to use open-source technologies, according to the DORA reports, Accelerate State of DevOps report. And what do they mean by an elite team? They mean a team for which they’re able to deploy multiple times per day on demand. And that the lead time from writing a change to having it running in production is measured in hours, not days or months. So you may have heard this before that observability has something to do with logs, traces, and metrics. +The answer is that telemetry data is part of the picture, but it’s not the entire picture. Observability is about our socio technical systems. It’s about the ability of our people together with the systems to answer important business questions and to get back to doing proactive work. This means that our developers have to be able to write high quality code that’s instrumented correctly from the beginning, to measure its progress through the systems, to debug it in production, and then to understand how users are actually utilizing the feature, and finally to manage and eliminate tech debt so that we can make sure that our systems are scalable and maintainable into the future. So yes, we do need instrumentation in our code in order to produce that data. +We need to be able to store it. But most importantly, we need to be able to query it, answer questions such as why is our bill taking 15 minutes rather than 10 minutes? Or why is this particular set of user seeing HB five hundreds? That’s what really matters to our business and not necessarily having a Pokemon situation of collecting all of the different telemetry types just because we can. So let’s talk about those data signals though, because they are important to consider. Your data comes in many different formats. In particular, you may be used to measuring metrics which are aggregate summary statistics that tell you data points such as how many requests did you have in the past five minutes that took between 500 and 600 milliseconds. +You also may be used to diagnostic logs which contain detailed debugging information emitted by processes. But what distributed tracing aims to do is to provide a causal relationship to give you insights into the full life cycle of a request, tying together the relationship between different bits of your code that are running at different points in the request workflow. Regardless of how you will wind up with data in the end state, the reality is your systems are executing code in order to execute user workflows of some form. And you can have those workflows emit structured data corresponding to those units of work, and then we’re able to synthesize metrics, logs, or distributed traces out of those pieces of structured data. So that’s how I encourage you to think about it, is that you can choose to make data in the format of metrics, or in the format of logs, or in form of distributed trace, or maybe potentially in the future to utilize new things like continuous profiling everywhere. +So you have to be able to generate the data, send the data somewhere, store it, and then visualize it. And that’s where OpenTelemetry comes in as a vendor neutral solution that enables you to correlate multiple types of telemetry together. So OpenTelemetry arose as a vendor neutral project, whose goal is to make telemetry simple for end users. So you don’t need to change or re-instrument your code every time you decide to change backings or change vendors. It’s also the combination of two previous open standards, OpenCensus and OpenTracing that were both trying to achieve the same thing and realize that they would be better off if and the ecosystem would be better off if we joined forces together. +So OpenTelemetry supports tracing, context propagation, and metrics today, and has emerging work around logs as well as continuous profiling signals. These projects have been in the works for awhile. OpenTracing was founded over five years ago in 2016 and OpenTelemetry is formed as the merger of OpenTracing and OpenCensus in 2018. As of when I record this in October of 2021, OpenTelemetry’s specification has reached general availability and OpenTelemetry is available in some of the most popular languages as a generally available product. So OpenTelemetry consists of a number of moving parts that I think are all important and all work together to produce an optimal result. +The most important part about OpenTelemetry is that it’s a cross-language specification that no matter how many different languages you use in your project, you can use OpenTelemetry as one seamless set of APIs that work consistently together and transmit data in a consistent manner in order to measure the properties of your system and get the debugging data that you need. Additionally, there’s also the OpenTelemetry collector, which is a Swiss Army knife that enables you to ingest telemetry in any format, whether it’s produced by OpenTelemetry libraries or not. And to emit it in a variety of different supported formats. Third, for every language, there is an implementation with a specification, both in terms of an API that code can call by end-users or by library authors, as well as an SDK that actually takes those incoming API calls and turns it into pieces of telemetry that gets sent out over the wire. Finally, there’s automatic instrumentation libraries that make it very easy to get data flowing without writing very much code. +So referring back to that earlier diagram, OpenTelemetry creates all of the necessary data so that you can understand your systems, understand where they’re going wrong or where they’re working correctly, but we’re relatively agnostic about what you do with that data once you’ve produced it. And that way we preserve interoperability and flexibility for our end users. So OpenTelemetry also works regardless of what language or technology you use. Not only do we support like everything from Java and .NET, to Node and Python, but we also even have emerging things such as a CLI integration, so you can wrap your shell scripts with OpenTelemetry and that’ll enable you to understand the performance of your shell scripts and performance of any applications that are called via shelling out. +So what do I mean by the APIs? Well, let’s demonstrate what the OpenTelemetry APIs look like in Golang, for instance, what OpenTelemetry provides is a mechanism for you to say, I want to trace this particular library and I don’t need to care whether or not the end user has set up OpenTelemetry or not. If any user hasn’t set up OpenTelemetry it’s still safe to call the API and it won’t do anything. But if someone has configured the SDK, then they’ll immediately start getting useful data from my library. So within one of the functions of my library, I could take the languages standard context object, and then I can, say I want to create a span and close the trace span when this function terminates. And I might set parameters and attributes in order to provide instrumentation that lets people know what function calls were made and what their attributes were that were passed along when you initialized that call. +This enables people to have a fine-grain understanding of what your library is doing and what it’s spending its time doing in case it gets slower, starts submitting errors. OpenTelemetry also implements the W3C TraceContext standard, which is a World Wide Web Consortium standard that says, this is how we define what a trace ID is or a request ID and what a individual trace span ID is and how do we transmit that information from process to process and from web server to web server, API server to API server, so we can understand the full flow of execution and not just that, we’re also able to understand things that we want to pass along all the way down to individual end points. For instance, where did this request come from? So that we can make smarter decisions about routing along the way. So distributed context propagation is a crucial part of OpenTelemetry because it enables us to correlate requests no matter where in the system they’re happening. So that when we collect that data in the end, we’re able to understand and retroactively figure out what happened. +But you don’t necessarily have to manually write instrumentation if you’re an end user because OpenTelemetry aims to make instrumentation ubiquitous, so we’ve written wrappers or directly integrated with common frameworks in each language to make sure that you’re able to always have an active trace context if you’re using for instance, Express in node JS or the HTTP libraries in Go. So we’re able to just say, hey, by the way, wrap this function with this automatic instrumentation handler and we’ll take care of the rest. We’ll take care of recording the HTTP status code, the duration, the mecha name, these are all things that will just automatically record, but if you have something additional you want to add on, we’re always happy to give you direct access to the trace bands so you can add in your own attributes. So when you define the API calls, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re admitting OpenTelemetry data right off the bat. That way it’s safe for anyone to compile into their binary, but the SDK implements trace and span collection, and actually starts collecting that data. +And then you can configure exporters to send data wherever you like. And that can be anything from an existing format or the new OpenTelemetry format, which is a common language that OpenTelemetry speaks, regardless of whether it’s the collector or a supporting backend, or whether it’s the SDK producing the code. And the collector is important because it, as I said, it’s a Swiss Army knife, it proxies data between the instrument code and the backend services. And that means it’s just a config change, not a code change to recompile, if you want to try out a different backend. So in terms of export, as I said, the OpenTelemetry protocol is our native protobuf or JSON format that enables people to have one common way to import and export telemetry data. +But we’re also cross-compatible with things like Jaeger, which has an established tracing product, or Prometheus, which is an established metrics product. The collector is able to receive things in whatever format. Potentially enhance it with information about the current resource and it can even do things like drop personally identifying information or key the data to multiple different backends in order to make it as easy as possible for you to have data portability. You can also run it as a sidecar in order to collect local information about the currently running container or pod. So what do I do knowing about OpenTelemetry’s components? Well, let’s talk about what the journey of an OpenTelemetry adopter looks like. +If you choose to adopt OpenTelemetry, the first place I encourage you to start, is to start with OpenTelemetry’s automatic instrumentation, especially if you’re using a language like Java, you can go ahead and install the OpenTelemetry agent, which will automatically hook into your server and will automatically start measuring your gRPC server or your HTTP server. So attach the agent to a few tightly connected services within your infrastructure. You don’t have to employ it everywhere. And configure the exporter to send data somewhere immediately useful. For instance, you can send that data to an OpenTelemetry collector that’s located on as a sidecar on your local host and then you can immediately route that data to a backend. +For instance, you could choose to use Jaeger and Prometheus, which are open-source software, or you can use the generous free tiers of a large number of vendors that support OpenTelemetry. And it’s just a config file option in your collector to choose where to route the data. And you can try out multiple providers as your needs grow because it’s just adding additional stance to say, hey! I want to try out LightStep or I want to try out Honeycomb. And then after that, the thing that I recommend, is adding custom attributes that are relevant to your business to start measuring smaller units of work. If you discover the request is taking a while and you don’t have visibility into why, you may want to add a trace span, covering part of that unit of work to understand where is it spending its time and how can I optimize it? You can also start implementing across multiple services beyond your initial seed set of services and potentially do conics propagation for everything ranging from your Amazon load balancer or Google cloud balancer, all the way down to things like event driven services, Kafka, or even use OpenTelemetry’s newly adopted project SQL commenter which enables you to correlate your application traces to the slow query log in your database server. +So there’s a wide number of ways you can go with OpenTelemetry because it’s so extensible. And as you evolve, you’ll be able to use observability data to make your systems run better and to make your teams function better. Use observability data to level up with things like service level objectives so you can measure the impact to end users as measured by real user monitoring, and then to be able to use distributed tracing to debug those issues all the way down to the service admitting errors. You can also graph the chart of services to understand, do I have dependency cycles? Do I have single points of failure? And then finally, telemetry data can be useful in order to understand, should I potentially automatically remediate and drain from a bad availability zone or roll back a problematic relates? So that’s what I have to share with you today, is how OpenTelemetry relates to observability and how observability can make your life easier by making it possible to understand who is impacted and why they’re impacted in the event that you’re having unexpected or turbulent conditions in production. If you’re interested in learning more about observability, you can go and visit the CNCF Observability Technical Advisory Group on the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Slack. +You can also check out OpenTelemetry on Cloud Native Computing Foundation, Slack, or visit our website, OpenTelemetry.io I also encourage people getting into service-level objectives to check out OpenSLO, which is a new standard being developed to use telemetry data to measure service-level objectives. Finally, if you’re interested in seeing me speak more about OpenTelemetry, you can go and look at my Twitter or the OpenTelemetry Twitter or Twitch. And I’m always happy to meet people over video conference. If you’d like to spend 30 minutes pairing or asking questions about how to adopt OpenTelemetry and how to make your life as a developer more productive and to sleep better at night. +Thank you very much and I look forward to taking your questions and to conduct the fireside chat. You can find me at hny.co/liz and I’m @lizthegrey on Twitter. Thanks. +Pulumi is open source and free to get started. Deploy your first stack today. +Latest News +Five face criminal charges in investigation of Merced housing nonprofit +Five people, including two local public officials, face criminal charges ranging from grand theft to felony embezzlement tied to the demise of a local nonprofit funded mainly by taxpayers. +Firm Build was formed by the Housing Authority in 1998 with the high-minded goal of teaching poor residents and troubled teens to become carpenters and builders. It was touted at a contractors' forum four years ago as a great resource for local builders to find skilled workers. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce named it "Business of the Year" two years ago. +Today, far from being hailed as a training school to keep kids out of gangs, Firm Build has become the target of the most far-reaching criminal investigation in the 15 years that District Attorney Larry Morse II has been in that office. +"We have an obligation to the business community to protect their assets against criminal conduct," he said Thursday. "I still believe strongly in the importance of vocational training, but that cannot be a Trojan horse for criminal activity." +The district attorney's 17-page complaint with 27 charges and six reams of reports to back up the allegations finally sheds light on what happened to one of the city's most prominent nonprofits. It had what seemed like a winning business model of free labor at the height of the county's building boom. +Only now will people begin to understand how Firm Build went from an innovative program to an allegedly criminal nonprofit enterprise. +Fresno district attorney investigators arrested Firm Build' administrative manager Joe Cuellar, a former Fresno city planner and former Housing Authority employee on Thursday. +Firm Build construction manager Rudy Buendia III, a Merced County planning commissioner and former Housing Authority commissioner, learned of his arrest warrant through his attorney. He refused to turn himself in and is now considered a fugitive. +His attorney was unavailable for comment. +Buendia and Cuellar allegedly left dozens of subcontractors unpaid, misused school funding, defrauded Merced residents and renovated homes below industry standards, according to the criminal complaint filed Wednesday. +Investigators also arrested Firm Build's former bookkeeper, Christina Ledezma, and Merced County Office of Education coordinator Patrick Bowman, who served as the nonprofit's board president. +Buendia's father, Rudy Buendia II, also faces misdemeanor charges for contracting without a license. +Investigators said their probe raised questions about MCOE's fiscal accounting and whether there was incompetence in managing its budget. +MCOE spokesman Nathan Quevedo said the office couldn't comment because it didn't have enough information about the allegations. +The criminal case exposes the incestuous relationship that formed between the Merced County Office of Education, the Housing Authority and Firm Build. Left unchecked, it allegedly led to abuses of power, squandered taxpayer money and fraud. +The investigation also highlights a rotating group of residents who wield power on interconnected public and private Merced County boards. +Buendia serves as a planning commissioner and also was a Housing Authority commissioner (both are Board of Supervisors appointments), while leading Firm Build. +Bowman, meanwhile, served as the nonprofit's president while also working at the county education office. In May, the Board of Supervisors unanimously appointed him to the Housing Authority's board, despite a publicized probe by the District Attorney's Office into Firm Build. +For the past 15 months, investigators pieced together Firm Build's downfall after they seized 70 bags and boxes of documents and four computers from its office. +According to investigators, their reports, the criminal complaint and Firm Build's records, they found: +-- a stack of unpaid bills totaling more than $700,000; +-- at least one instance of its managers using cheaper construction equipment when they promised better material; +-- that Ledezma and Buendia gave themselves raises without the approval of Firm Build's board; +-- that from May 2005 to December 2006 Bowman directed $120,000 from Merced County Office of Education to Firm Build for projects with no connection to the school; +-- that Bowman had Firm Build renovate his home, a felony conflict of interest violation; +-- that Cuellar misstated a project's cost on a building permit application, saving about $8,500 in permit fees owed to the county. The money hasn't been paid; +-- evidence that Firm Build, without its board's knowledge, gave $96,000 to the Workplace Learning Academy Foundation, a nonprofit of Bowman's. The money was then given to MCOE. Soon after, the county office of education hired a Valley Community School vice president who would replace Bowman so he could solely oversee the automotive training center built by Firm Build; +-- that the automotive training center was never opened up to competitive bidding, as investigators believe it should have, and that its cost ballooned to $1.25 million; +-- that students were being trained at the center though it hadn't passed final building inspections; +-- that Buendia paid his father, an unlicensed contractor, more than $100,000 for stucco work on Firm Build projects. +From concept to construction +Firm Build was formed by the Housing Authority in 1998 as a way to have its clients learn job skills by renovatating its stock of public housing. +The clients were paid as they learned a marketable trade, and the authority received modernized homes. The program was funded by federal dollars given to the Housing Authority, which is regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. +Clients eagerly enrolled because the money they earned working for Firm Build didn't affect their subsidized housing. It was essentially extra cash. +A year later, Firm Build became an independent nonprofit, yet remained close to the Housing Authority. +Firm Build trainees helped build its O'Banion Learning Center, and the nonprofit rented space there for its offices. In 2001, the Housing Authority won a $500,000 federal grant to train at-risk teenagers. It passed it along to Firm Build to renovate more housing. +At the same time, Firm Build began looking for more clients to grow its program. It signed its first contract with the Merced County Office of Education to train Valley Community High School students. About 15 signed up for Firm Build's program. +Bowman, who served as Firm Build's president, ran MCOE's career training program. +In 2004, student interest grew, and Firm Build had about 60 teenagers learning to pound nails and lay drywall while earning minimum wage. +Around then, however, federal regulations changed, and Housing Authority clients were required to report their Firm Build earnings. It reduced the amount of rent assistance they received, and as a result, the clients' interest in Firm Build waned. +Buendia and Cuellar began looking for private contracts for their nonprofit. The Housing Authority, which included people who also served on Firm Build's board, gave them a $300,000 loan to help with the expansion. +This was in the midst of the countywide housing boom. With student labor subsidized by MCOE, they stood to have a business model that couldn't fail. +The same year, Buendia was appointed by the Merced County Board of Supervisors to be on the Planning Commission. In May 2005, he also was appointed by the Board of Supervisors to the Housing Authority. +That leadership slot prevented Firm Build from signing any Housing Authority contracts, drying up what had been one of its revenue streams. +Firm Build proposed its most ambitious project in June 2005. It would renovate MCOE's automotive training center at Castle Commerce Center for $599,000, which would be funded by federal education bond money, according to a District Attorney's Office report. +The project was a response to requests from the automotive repair community, which wanted more skilled technicians. +Firm Build also had 80 Valley students ready to be trained, and its contract with the school called for two more trainers. +Publicly, the nonprofit seemed to be one of the most successful efforts to keep teenagers out of gangs and also help chip away at the county's unemployment. +Its tax records, however, revealed a different story. It ended 2003 with $198,026 on hand, but the next two years it was in debt. In early 2006, the problems grew when it stopped paying rent on its office space. MCOE also cut its construction training program, which meant Firm Build had to start paying its instructors. +City administrators began hearing complaints from electricians, concrete companies and glass installers who hadn't been paid by Firm Build for their work. +Low-income homeowners had borrowed money from the city through its Redevelopment Agency and had chosen Firm Build as their contractor. +The money, usually about $140,000 per contract, was sent directly to Firm Build in installments. +Other businesses were trying to collect money from the nonprofit. Firm Build owed a Fresno architectural firm $26,000 and a door company $12,000, the Sun-Star reported last year. +Firm Build's debt continued to mount, and a trainer was abruptly fired in February 2007. A month later it applied for a $247,000 state grant, but was denied. Its last-ditch effort was to get a $500,000 grant from the Housing Authority. +The board denied the request in June with Commissioner Joe Ramirez -- also a Firm Build board member -- and Buendia abstaining. +Firm Build filed bankruptcy three months later. +A mushrooming investigation +The District Attorney's Office received an anonymous tip in early June from one of the subcontractors that Firm Build hadn't paid. +From that call, investigators began calling other businesses that contracted with Firm Build. Each one told a similar story of how the nonprofit stopped paying its bills. Subcontractors were forced to put liens on the homes so they could ensure they'd get paid. +In June 2007, investigators seized Firm Build's records and found that more than $700,000 was owed. Most of the bills were more than 90 days past due. +The investigation soon mushroomed, with each file leading investigators in a different direction. +Morse assigned the five investigators to pursue various leads. Thirteen federal, state and local agencies, including the IRS and the state Department of Justice, were called in to research Firm Build's dealings. +They found that Firm Build allegedly cut corners, moved money around without its board's knowledge, tried to defraud customers and failed to pay subcontractors, according to the criminal complaint. +Early on, according to a report, investigators found that Cuellar allegedly falsified a building permit by reporting that Firm Build would only perform $100,000 worth of work at MCOE's automotive training center. The project ended up costing about $1.25 million. +Also, a county building inspector stopped by the center in mid-June 2007 and found that it hadn't passed a final inspection. Students had been training there since August 2006. +Buendia and Cuellar face a felony charge for not paying $7,000 to subcontractors who worked on a West 13th Street house. +On the same project, they allegedly charged Rosario Castro for a three-ton air conditioner while installing a two-and-a-half ton unit, investigators say. +Volvo Rents was owed about $10,000 by Firm Build, which was later paid by Merced City School District, which took ownership of a piece of equipment the nonprofit owed money on, sales manager Derrick Bradley said. "Most of this gets pushed under the rug," he noted. "I hate to see anyone go to jail, but that's what happens." +Cuellar also allegedly tried to charge Cesar Cienfuegos an extra $5,000 for a home that Firm Build was constructing, invesigators say. The forms were poured too close to the road and needed to be moved back. The subcontractor was going to do it for free. However, Cuellar called Cienfuegos and said the mistake would cost $10,000. Firm Build was willing to split the cost. Cienfuegos refused. +In its wake, Firm Build also left $45,000 in unpaid subcontracting bills from MCOE's automotive training center. +Buendia and Ledezma also are charged with felony embezzlement for allegedly giving themselves higher salaries without board authorization. During a three-year period, Buendia collected an extra $19,000 and Ledezma pocketed an additional $8,600, according to a report. +Investigators, according to the report, believe Firm Build was able to hide its financial woes from its board by falsifying its reports and creative accounting. Monthly updates included upcoming revenue from projects and often ignored some bills. +Buendia, Cuellar, Bowman and Ledezma are charged with falsifying corporate reports and giving them to the board. +Guy Maxwell, who served on Firm Build's board the year before it collapsed, said most discussion centered on projects, not finances. +"It takes about eight or nine months to get a feel (for being on the board)," he said. "That's when we realized we had money troubles and then dissolved." +So did the dreams of teenaged craftsmen, contractors, subcontractors, low-income homeowners and, ultimately, taxpayers. +Reporter Scott Jason can be reached at (209) 385-2453 or sjason@mercedsun-star.com. + folks, I am out. Will talk to y'all in the a.m. +And btw, I know SeaBee is on a new job, but where have TWO, Jerv, snowbunny and Biddle been? +Adios chumarinos...headed to Florida. Stay safe and Kool. +Drive safely Bro, and will talk to you in the a.m. +Y'all have a most lovely ebening! :D +wahoo!!! we're up to 105' outside!! that's just NUTS!!! the humidity is around 30% so it's not too bad out if you're in the shade. feels like Phoenix!!! :) +Well all I am out of here! I'm heading to the Land of the CK Queen for the next few days, and will hopefully have time for a meet up! +See ya Monday :-) +Travel safely and take pics! +Just wanted to tell all of you ground turkey eaters, salmonella has been found in some,yet our great and wise FDA will not list a manufacturer or brand name. 1 person dead and 57 cases of people being sick. What is wrong with this picture? It's been going on since March of this year. :(( +I'm so pissed off right now. Toby HAS been de-clawed, and he's now wearing a collar with a bell on it that he's used to. Usually cats freak out over that and try to take it off, but not him. He's obviously worn one before. +Fracking idiots who had him de-clawed, taking away his only means of defense, THEN letting him escape outside. They should have their hands cut off! +Grrrrr. What could it hurt to report this? You're right, they've not only left the cat defenseless, but now he's wearing a dinner bell. What kind of environment are you in? City, burbs or country? +There is nothing I can do. He was found about 1 month ago by my hubby's aunt. She called neighbors, vets, humane society, no one reported the cat missing. She kept him for 1 month to make sure, then just gave him to us on Sat. He doesn't get along with her other cats. So far he's fine with our cats, skittish, but no fights. +I'm in a rural area – own 15 acres, so he won't get hit by a car, or found by anyone but my neighbors... but there are fox, skunk, coyote... I'm worried about my other 2 cats, who have claws!!! How can I not freak out about Toby getting outside? +I think I'm going to try and leash train him so he can go outside, yet be safe. +Hello all! I'm finally back at my desk after spending my day out of the building. I have one hour before another meeting starts and it's 13 days until my birthday! +that depends...are you smelling 'chocolate' or 'vanilla' ice cream?? :) +Gee golly, why does it smell like leather and ice cream in here? +LOL. Because work is slow and I have nothing better to do than spread my brand(ing) of love around the Klatsch! +please explain to this crazy azz blonde why walking to the restaurant is a bad idea!! current temp is 103'. why oh why did i wear black pants today???? ohmygosh thank goodness for AleeD's remedy and my desk fan...oh and the ziploc full of ice currently residing in my seat cushion.... +You're sitting on a bag of ice in your black slacks? You DO lead an interesting life. :D +Just lay back on the nice Cold Stone and ..... hey! SssssssssssssPOP! Hold it buddy! Just turn around and walk away. That's it. You can come back later when she's finished. +RH was trying to get in to mix up some ice cream. +Let's hope he hoses off the stone first...:) +sorry.. passed out from heat exhaustion there... i need to get me one of these cold stones installed in my house! +From the way wendy is describing the heat, he may not be able to get the stone cooled down from her 103 degree body temp. +Hmmmm ...~_~ +Mother clucker. Bored@work already. +Whip out that Zebco rod and reel,attach a $ 1.00 bill to the hook and launch it into the lobby are....Hours of fun if a lot of furniture or desks are involved. +I know that feeling. I am listening to the leasing narcissist arrange a blind date for her lunch later. She has recently started internet dating and it is more entertaining than having full cable... +Oh my... oh my... that sounds entertaining to say the least! +Well picture this...a 51 year old who has been both bankrupt twice and divorced twice. Has several kids and from what I gather, the only one is the family outcast. Picture that she surrounds herself of friends of similar caliber, whom she likes to complain about to almost anyone who will listen. Above all of this, consider that at 51, her looks are starting to peak in a not-quite-goodlooking sense. Some women do their fifties well (think Sela Ward, Diane Keaton, etc), but alas, this individual does not. And she complains that there are no good men with money (her prerequisite) out there. +All in all, as entertaining as anything you can find on the internet(s)... +make that "The only one who is normal is the family outcast"... +nods +I think the clock may have stopped on us. +My itenerary is coming along nicely! Here's what I have so far:. A stop over in NYC to visit CNN offices and say hi to Kat and SLT and see if I can finally talk my way into getting an official Eatocracy cutting board +10. Head South to VA/DC to visit with JainaJade, Jerv, TWO, and SirBiddle, cupcakes anyone? +11. Continue South to somewhere secret and find the Evil Lair with minions running about +12. Further South to West Florida for a stop with AleeD and some fresh grouper. +13. Drive over to Miami to say hi to DJC and have some awesome Cuban food. +Don't forget about Rumrunners with 151 floaters! :D +Oh yummmmm, that sounds too good. Now if we can just get a regular from Hawaii...I'm way overdue for a Mai Tai. +Does it count that we honeymooned in Maui? +Of course that counts silly! Actually I have a timeshare on Oahu, at Marriott Ko Olina Beach Club, +Hubs won't fly over the ocean anymore, so I think this would be the perfect place for Klatsch get together... +Wh-wh-why won't he fly over the ocean? Have you gone there solo since he won't go? +He developed a real fear of flying, especially over water...there are no stop overs on the way from CA to HI...he won't go to Europe with me either, so I go with my mom. I have gone over without him with my BFF from Sarasota, FL, my mom, daughters, grandkids, etc. Mostly I have been banking the week(s) with Interval International...to trade out some day. :( +Seriously, have you discussed tranqs? That's the only way mom would fly to OH for my sister's wedding. +Looking forward! Hope this can happen! Too cool! +Between numbers 8 and 9, feel free to stop in to see my Dad, in Carmel NY...I am sure he will take you to lunch or dinner and chew your ear about how touched we all were over the flowers that some of the regulars sent to Mom's funeral. He does not understand blogging, but I am sure that you can enlighten him. +Awww, I would love that! Hubs doesn't even know what blogging is either, he thinks it is a word the crossword puzzle people made up to fit the space! LOL +Afternoon all! Lots of work piling up in front of me makes for a busy day, so I'll leave you with one of these for now until I get a moment... +[youtube=] +anybody got any ice cubes? pass em down.. its gonna hit 114' today. in the midwest. that's just wrong... +*whispering* I just put a clean layer of plastic wrap on DJ's rollin' stone. Mare's over on the Satan sandwich thread and QOE hasn't checked in so you're free and clear. +C'mon down! I'll guard the door. +thanks muchly!! my tuchus is a bit frostbitten, but that's ok.. i'm nice and cool now... :) i put the 'evidence' in the trash compacter. +Howdy doody tootie frooties! +heh-heh. She said doody. +GRAMMA SAYS HI. What's up? +nice... ;=) +Nothing up here, just working. +O.K. chums, we need to do this on the sly.....A certain person is having a Birthday soon so her wish list includes a crock pot with a timer,a waffle iron and Tazer I'm gonna need a Horse Head. I think we can pull this off. +Good morning my friends...OK I'm soooo ready for a nap. Woke up at 3:13 a.m. and could not go back to sleep, so finally got up at 4 and drank all the coffee before hubs got up at 5:30. No bad dreams, no weird food, no reason to be waking up like this! My jet is lagging this morning. +WAAAAAAAAAKE UUUUUUUUUP! +Want coffee? :D +To be honest, I think half of the first posts each day are due to unusual work hours or insomnia...Whatever happened to a good night's sleep? +Maybe DeadEye needs to put a little zip in your Doo Daaah!! :)) +Thought of y'all last night...Miss Saigon's boss just got back from VN and brought us back five pounds of the biggest shrimp I have EVER seen. I am talking the size of a man's fist. She boiled up a bunch last night and I was full after three. All I could think is how great they would go with beers on a beach somewhere with music cranked in the background. Bro Rich can bring his grass skirt LOL +I prefer my purple banana hammock,thank you. The grass skirt is WD's. :)) +Don't forget about the coconut cup bra. +I see Luther Billis (original South Pacific movie) in his coconut bra +greets. +How's everybody's "how goes it" curve this fine AM? +Good Morning..Let me look.....mines leaning to the left and WD'S is leaning right..Kinda like Congress. :)) +Wouldn't it be nice if those legislative curves made an "X" somewhere in the middle? +LOL. My curve is on the rise. My boss and our resident PITA eng will be out of the office on Thur & Fri this week (party at my desk!), my project is finished and I'm using company time to plan our vacation that starts on QOE's birthday, 8/15. Life is Good! +How's tings wichoo? +Picture a large barrel full of water about 3 feet across and it has hundreds of corks floating in it. Your job is to keep them all underwater at the same time using only one hand. +Do you have really big hands? HA! Great analogy! +Sorry it's so crazy for you. Is there a light at the end of this tunnel that ISN'T attached to a freight train? +Oh, yeah, things are actually pretty good. There are those moments though when you wish things would come at you ONE at a time rather than in gaggles and bunches all at once, EACH item assuming it is at the TOP of the "to-do" list. +Hafta sign off for now! Cheers and huggers to everyone! +Good morning. Well, the cats were fine – till hubby got home, then they all started acting up. I swear, they are just like kids. LOL +I think Toby, the new cat, has been de-clawed, which pisses me off to no end. I've got to go see if I can tell definitely... +I'll be back after a shopping run. Have a good one +Helllooooo! +How is everyone on this fine Tuesday? I think I’m finally recovered from my company sponsored weekend away…I spent way too much money in the cute little shops and came home with one helluva hangover and some new ink. But it was a fun weekend! I hope you guys are doing well too! :) +Good Morning,What kinda Tat did 'ya get? +Me and 3 others (my friend from work and our husbands) all got a small anchor tattoo to commeorate our weekend in a seaside community! We're all pretty heavily inked, so it was a fun, quick addition to our collections! +Getting here somewhat early today. How was your weekends? +Good Morning,weekend was good...How was yours? C'mon ,we are all going out for breakfast and I'm buying. +Sounds good, cause I'm broke. ;) +My weekend was good as well. Kind of long, but very good. +Morning! Was your monitor burnin' yesterday? We were talking about you a little in the Klatsch. JBJ was having some lottery fantasies and we were having fun helping her with her itinerary. :D +I'll have to go check on that, and knowing JBJ, save some of my shredded reputation. +Ah. That wasn't so bad. +And yes, I do live on the east coast in the South. +Nah, tweren't bad at all. What did you do on your very long weekend? +Well, first the minions and I had game night. Then we went to visit some evil friends who are moving to new locations in which to better carry out their jobs in the coming world takeover. Then the minion broke some plates and the fun ended. Never give your minions scotch cream. It does not turn out well. +Well you need to be a little more specific on location if I'm going to pencil you in on my itenerary! Can I visit the evil lair if I wear a blindfold so I can't tell anyone where it is exactly?? +That is an acceptable compromise. Just say the word and I will send the minions to fetch you. +You aren't allergic to chloroform, are you? +Good morning all! +Good Morning,How's the tribe doing? Been running? +Tribe is good, although my daughter is running a slight fever this morning. I hope it doesn't last because we want to take them to the drive-in to see Cars 2 tonight. +I should have run this morning but I had a terrible nights sleep, so I decided to turn the alarm off and get a few more hours of rest. +I had a nightmare about my son's 1st day of kindergarten...............it's still a month away, and I really shouldn't be nervous about it at all, apparantly my subconcious is. +Bad dreams=Boooo!!! The drive-in should be pretty Kool for all. Back in the day we would sneak in at least 4 people in the trunk of my car. We were such rebels...HA! +I get weird dreams when I use sleep meds. The otehr night I dreamt that Miss Saigon put diesel in her car (which is non-diesel)...Weird, I know... +A subliminal message of an OTR driver perhaps? +Thanks for the coffee and peach scones, Jaina and AleeD! +Good morning everyone. +Good morning all...A relatively nice day on tap in Denver. Supposed to be our first of 19 that does not break 90. We'll see. +Good Morning Bro....I see that the DC Clowns played CYA with the vote last night and then took off for the August recess. Let's leave it for the NEW President and his cabinet to fix. Typical. +Good Morning All,AleeD, I'll have the regular Mud please and Thank You. +*pouring* +Here you are. +What're you and WD up to today? Chillin' in 'Bama? +Mucas,grassy azz...We are chillin' after driving in fog and it's humid as hell. Who wants breakfast,I'm buying? +I'm in! +Bacon and egg on a hard roll please! +Huevos Rancheros would hit the spot right now. +Thankee most kahndly Mr. Head! +Goooooood Morning Happy Klatschers! How's tings with everyone? +Having a rough start today so coffee's on ... minus a cup. +Truth, decaf is in the orange-topped carafe. Enjoy! +Good morning all! I'll get that coffee started, also have some peach scones for group so please enjoy :-) +Peach scones. That sounds right up my alley (no pun intended). +Do you, perchance, have a recipe to share? +I got it from Joy of Cooking Anni addition so I can't reprint due to copyright stuff :-( +Eatocracy on Facebook +Get every new post delivered to your Inbox. +Join 9,994 other followers +laser hair removal +Get the smoothest skin you could ever hope for. We provide the best solution for you for laser hair removal in Fayette Fayetteville NC, where we offer elite electrolysis Fayetteville NC and Fayetteville Nc Laser hair removal services. If you are like the millions of men and women who are frustrated at the endless task of temporary grooming and the unpleasant irritations it can cause, then it is time you think about choosing laser hair removal as a permanent solution. +Laser hair removal is the most sought after innovative hair removal method available today, it can be performed practically anywhere on the body and is available for any skin or hair type. We offer this incredible service at an affordable price, helping hundreds of men and women in Fayetteville NC over the years. +Schedule a free consultation with our professionals today by calling the number below. +About Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville NC +We are a Permanent hair removal solutions company focused on providing our patients with the most extraordinary results and care. Hair removal is our passion and we want to give access to this amazing cutting edge technology to everybody. Laser hair removal is one of the most sought after non-invasive procedures out there today, and we are bringing this to you at a reasonable and affordable price. +Our mission is to give you the results for the best Hair Removal Fayetteville NC. we not only provide you with remarkable results, but we have created an atmosphere that is glamorous and chic, we want to change the way that you look at hair removal. No more dangerous positions in the shower, or uncomfortable waxing appointments. With us, you will feel like a celebrity. +We are best known for the amazing results we provide for our patients with our top of the line, Stellar M 22 laser machine. This machine makes it possible for us to treat any skin and hair color. We can completely customize settings to make your treatment as comfortable as can be. +We value our patients and your needs and are excited about getting started on your amazing results. +Why Choose Us? +So why choose us? What makes us the right choice for you? If our testimonials are not enough, once you have your free consultation you will see why hundreds of men and women have picked us for their hair removal needs. +Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville NC is the only clinic in the area completely devoted to permanent hair removal. Meaning we are extremely knowledgeable and advanced in this area. +Our technicians receive continued education so that we can offer the very best and newest techniques. +Our offices are designed strictly around hair removal procedures, creating private treatment rooms, and a chic but relaxing environment for your procedure. +It is important to us that we: +Free consultation +Our team is ready to assist you with your hair removal needs, come experience what it’s like to have smooth glowing skin permanently. +Call us today and schedule your free consultation and tour of our offices. +What To Expect? +We have high standards for our services, and so should you, you no longer have to deal with uncomfortable shaving and painful waxing or tweezing, set your standards higher we offer a pain-free and permanent solution, a solution that won’t result in razor burn or ingrown hairs or skin nicks, a solution you will have to do all over again in a few days. +We offer a glamorous celebrity experience, one where you sit back and relax while we take care of the stubble. +We start with our free no-obligation consultation, this is where we take time to get to know you, to hear about your hair removal goals, and answer any questions you have. +We also give you a tour of our clinic and the treatment rooms, we will show you our Stellar M22 machine and demonstrate how it works. +We take the time to introduce you to as many staff as we can so that when you enter our clinic for appointments you feel comfortable. Finally, we will go over your treatment plan and cost of treatment. +On the day of your appointment, we will perform a test patch to show you what the treatment will feel like, adjust settings on the machine, and check your pain level, we will be asking throughout the service your comfort lever. This is the one time with grooming you do not need to do anything except sit back and relax. +We provide tv, relaxing music, sound machine, and beverages, you will be wearing protective eyewear which makes it even more relaxing. Your treatment can last from 15-60 minutes depending on the size of the treatment site. +After treatment, we will go over any aftercare with you and provide you with sun protection if the area is exposed to the sun. your next treatment is scheduled roughly 6 weeks out, this is so that we can treat the hair that was not visible in your first treatment. +Our Services +If you are looking for Fayetteville Laser hair removal or Electrolysis Fayetteville Nc then take a look at the services we offer. Our laser hair removal is performed with our advanced Stellar M22 device which gives us the ability to treat any hair or skin time in a faster treatment time than an average laser removal machine. This device provides precise and efficient services eliminating the threat of overlapping treatment. This machine has given remarkable results to men and women all over Fayetteville. +Electrolysis Hair Removal +Electrolysis treatment is another type of permanent removal. This method involves using a fine probe that transmits heat energy, that probe is delicately inserted into each hair follicle and the heat energy destroys that follicle permanently. +This treatment will require more sessions. +Arm/Leg Laser Hair Removal +Do you dream of smooth glowing legs? well, this is a permanent solution for you. +Leg and arm treatments are very comfortable procedures, our lasers are adjusted to get the most out of each appointment. +We can typically treat your legs and arm in under 30 minutes. +Bikini/Brazilian Laser Hair Removal +This is one of the fastest-growing trends in the world, thousands of people are seeing the benefit of permanent grooming of the pubic region. +We offer Bikini treatment which will clean up hair on the outside panty line. Or the Brazilian treatment which will remove all pubic hair. +Ingrown hairs are very common in this area, especially with shaving. This will rid that annoying sided effect. +Facial +Hair Removal +This is a very common request for women, facial hair removal can include the hairline, beard, cheeks, chin, neckline, sideburns, and the most popular request for the upper lip. +These are our fastest services, treatments can be done on a lunch break. +Men use this treatment option to clean up their beard outline or hairline permanently. +Underarm Laser Hair Removal +Imagine never having to worry about if you shaved your armpits before going out. +Underarm treatment is extremely successful, the hair is typically darker and coarser which is the perfect combo form laser hair removal. +The area is small and treatments can be as fast as 15-30 minutes. +TESTIMONIALS +I am very happy with my results at Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville NC, I was excited I could have a free consultation so I could figure out if this is the path I wanted to take. After hearing about their unlimited package I knew this was the right choice. I get unlimited services at a monthly cost and can stop anytime, but at this point, I’m addicted to the treatment, I guess I'll stop when I run out of hair. +Heather W. +I feel so comfortable in their clinic, all the ladies are extremely friendly and have really great customer service, within 5 minutes of walking in I have a drink in my hand and have been greeted by multiple people. I’m lucky their results are so amazing because I think i would just sit in here anyway just to see the ladies. +Rihanna J. +I have received 5 treatments on my back hair and so far I am really impressed, my wife talked me into it because she knows i suffer from ingrown hairs on my back after shaving, I am really glad I decided to do it, I get to just lay there for an hour and close my eyes. I don’t feel anything but a bit of a tingle in the beginning. I am almost done with my treatment plan then I will have my wife try. +Blake A. +About Fayetteville NC +Named after a revolutionary war hero Marquis De Lafayette this city is built on a rich history. Fayetteville sits on the Cape Fear River which was used to charter and assembles parts of the revolutionary war. +They are located adjacent to Fort Bragg one of the world’s largest military bases. +But with all their rich history Fayetteville has become a thriving and bustling town. +Downtown offers shopping, dining, hotels, apartments, and an amazing baseball stadium. Fayetteville offers 3 colleges and the Airborne and Special Units Museum. +With a growing population of 191,723 their surrounding areas include: +FAQs +Is laser hair removal painful? +Your treatment should not be painful, some say that Electrolysis can cause more discomfort than laser hair removal. We have amazing tools like our ChillTip device to numb the area and provide numbing solutions. +How many treatments will I need to have? +The average is between 3-9 treatments, but this depends on the area we are treating and its size. Upper lip treatments can take a few as 3 treatments but an area like the back will need more. +What are Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville NC prices? +Costs can vary depending on the size of the area being treated and how many appointments you will need. We will go over Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville costs at your consultation, laser hair removal treatments cost close to or less than a waxing appointment. +Are there any side effects? +There are no major side effects to laser hair removal, you may experience some very mild side effects, such as redness and swelling of the area, this will only last a few hours typically. +How do I need to prepare? +The only thing you need to do to prepare for laser hair removal is to stop any waxing at least 6 weeks before your treatment. This is so that the hair follicle can regrow after waxing and we can treat it with our lasers. We also ask you to stop tanning at least 1 week before, as tanning can change the color of the hair and effectiveness of the treatment. +We are the only clinic in the area dedicated strictly to permanent hair solutions, with us you will receive top of the line care and tools. +Laser Hair Removal Fayetteville Nc values our patients and wants to provide them with an affordable solution to unwanted hair removal. +You will feel like a celebrity in our glamorous office, we provide private and relaxing treatment rooms for every appointment. We are the number one choice for laser hair removal Fayetteville NC. +Hurry and call us today. We are running amazing specials. +Contact us now to be scheduled for your free no-obligation consultation. +Legal Disclaimer – This is a referral site. All work completed by a licensed professional. +Sichuan pepper is a backbone ingredient in authentic Sichuan cuisine profile. This article provides a complete guide to what's it, how to use, how to buy and how to store. +What is Sichuan Pepper +Sichuan pepper, both whole and ground, is a key ingredient in authentic Sichuan cuisine profile, from soups to stir-fry to dipping sauces, almost for every dish, no matter spicy or non-spicy, with the features of tongue numbness and pungent aromatic fragrance. As a member of the citrus family, it is known as huajiao (花椒) in Chinese, prickly ash, or flower peppercorn, but neither similar nor close to Western white/black peppers. The best Sichuan peppers are, of course, produced in Sichuan and nearby regions in China. +Sichuan pepper's best friend is chili pepper. Once working together, they create the most famous Sichuan mala flavor with tingly numbing and spicy hot taste, the backbone of Sichuan foods. +There are two kinds of Sichuan peppers in popular cooking uses: red (红花椒) and green (青红椒). A common misunderstanding is the green one will become red if grow longer. Actually, the green is completely different from red and never becomes red. They even have different chemical components which contribute to their own numbness and aroma. The green one is more aromatic in smell, but slightly less in numbness, while the red is richer in taste. That's why the green one is also called aromatic Sichuan pepper. One variety of green Sichuan pepper is tengjiao (藤椒) in Chinese, whose name comes from its rattan-like or vine-like tree shape. It is also called zhuyejiao (竹叶椒) because its leaves look like bamboo leaves. Tengjiao is bigger in size and richer in oil. It is becoming more and more popular to season fresh and green dishes in Sichuan. See this CCTV video for more about tengjiao +The aroma and taste are exactly the same as what you feel when you smell and bite a few pieces and chew them well slowly. The taste is not hot or pungent like black or white pepper. Instead, it creates a tingly numbness in the mouth. According to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking: "they produce a strange, tingling, buzzing, numbing sensation that is something like the effect of carbonated drinks or of a mild electric current (touching the terminals of a nine-volt battery to the tongue). Sanshools appear to act on several different kinds of nerve endings at once, induce sensitivity to touch and cold in nerves that are ordinarily nonsensitive, and so perhaps cause a kind of general neurological confusion." A recent research has shown that a molecule in peppercorn activates our cells' touch receptors, making the numbing sensation feel like that of a 50 hertz vibration. +Sichuan pepper has an outer husk or pericarp and an inner black seed. The interior black seed has an unpleasant gritty texture, a taste of sand, and thus is discarded or is not directly used for cooking. The skin of the outer husk has many warty projection points of oil which are the source of numbness and aroma. If lack of those oil bubbles, the peppercorn should be very weak in numbness and weak in smell as well. +Sichuan pepper's color will become darker with time, and at the same time, the aroma and numbness become weaker. Sichuan peppers in local US grocery stores usually are not fresh enough, having only somewhat numbing, but lacking the fragrance. +How to Use Sichuan Pepper +Sichuan pepper is a very versatile spice. It can be used in various ways whole, grounded or as oil +- Whole. To braise dishes, stir-fry whole peppercorns with doubanjiang and chili peppers at the beginning. To lightly but quickly stir fry vegetables, such as water spinach, Chinese broccoli, bok choy, pea sprouts e.t.c, stir-fry whole peppercorns and whole chili peppers before adding the vegetables. Whole peppercorns is the best for the famous Sichuan mala hot pots and the best to make Sichuan style saussage by adding to the chopped pork. +- Chopped. Chopped Sichuan pepper is the best to add on top of Suizhu beef ("boiled" beef) and Suizhu fish fillets at the end stage. +- Grounded. Grounded Sichuan pepper powder is the best to sprinkle on Mapo tofu at the end of cooking. +- Fresh: Fresh, wet Sichuan pepper is the best for dishes whose maon ingredients are so tender that dry peppercorns are too strong to flavor them. +- Oil. Sichuan pepper oil is the best way to store Sichuan pepper for longer time. It is also the best for dishes to have good looking. +Sichuan pepper can be used as easy as black pepper, and the scope is unlimited. Typical examples are +- drop a few whole pieces into soups during cooking +- sauté with chili broad bean paste for stir-fry dishes +- toss some powder on finished dishes +- mix some powder into dipping sauces +In general, Sichuan pepper can be applied to any dish that is fairly spicy. +Sichuan pepper can be also simply used in non-Sichuan dishes, such as adding the powder to make "Sichuan pepper ice cream", or even toss on pizza with chili flakes to make a surprising mala (numbing and spicy) pizza. You may be surprised at how easy to make mala sandwiches by adding the powder in the same way as you add black pepper. Adding some peppercorn oil to your salad may create an amazing special taste. Add Sichuan pepper infused salt to replace salt and black pepper for French fries. Possibilities are unlimited. +How to Buy Sichuan Peppers +As a general guide to shopping, it's better to pick one that has no or less black seeds and its husks have both bright color as well as obvious warty projections of oil packets. Otherwise, it would be better to take a bottle of Sichuan pepper oil instead. +From 1968, the US government banned the importation of Sichuan peppercorns due to concerns it could cause the spread of a citrus canker, seriously damaging citrus crops in the US, until in 2005, the USDA and FDA lifted the ban, provided the peppercorns are heated to around 70°C (158°F) to kill any canker bacteria before import. +Nowadays, you may still have hard time to find this spice at local market. +Most Asian stores carry packed whole peppercorns, and/or peppercorn powders. Unfortunately, many brands may have no English name on the label at all. The selection below are originated from Sichuan and is widely available in Asian groceries. They are acceptable if they do not stay too long on the store shelves. +As an alternative, Sichuan pepper oil is the easiest way to add the flavor to any cold or hot dishes. Especially, tengjiao is only available in oil form in US market. The following bottles are originated from Sichuan and made from three types of Sichuan peppers: red Sichuan pepper, green Sichuan pepper and tengjiao Sichuan pepper. +Our best recommendation is the Premium Green Sichuan Peppercorn and Premium Red Sichuan Peppercorn from PosharpStore.com. The website says: This premium quality green Sichuan peppercorn is also called aromatic peppercorn or qing huajiao(青花椒) in Chinese. It leaves a deep numbness on your palate and a subtle pungent aromatic fragrance in smell. A real challenging to your tongue and nose! You'll find yourself coming up with all kinds of excuses to add it to your dishes. Unfortunately, those products are out of stock for an uncertain time every year. +How to Store Sichuan Pepper +Whole Sichuan pepper can last for a few years if it is stored in an airtight container in a dry, cool place. Because its taste and smell both become weaker with time, the freshest ones are always the best (less than one year after harvest). +The best way to save Sichuan pepper is to infuse it into cooking oil and save the oil for later use. To make Sichuan pepper oil, toast Sichuan pepper, add cooking oil, heat for a few minutes on low heat, and then let it infuse for a few hours. Strain and keep the infused oil in the fridge. +Grounded peppercorn powder loses flavor much quicker. It should be stored in airtight container and should be used within a few weeks. +Sichuan Pepper Powders +Sichuan pepper is one of the five ingredients that makes up five spice powder (the others are star anise, fennel, clove, and cinammon), a blend staple in Chinese cooking. +There are two ways to prepare Sichuan pepper powders - uncooked and cooked. When Sichuan pepper is heated/roasted to a certain extent, it releases its own unique aroma. The powder grounded from the freshly roasted delivers stronger pleasing fragrance, while uncooked powder is stronger in numbness. To make roasted powder, drop Sichuan peppers into a frying pan or dry skillet on medium-low heat, and shake pan slowly and consistently, until they begin to change color and become fragrant. When cooled, grind peppercorns with a mortar and pestle, or crush with a rolling pin or a coffee grinder and save the powder in a airtight jar. +Sichuan pepper powder is usually sprinkled on finished dishes. +Sichuan Pepper Salt +Sichuan pepper salt is a blend of salt and Sichuan pepper, serving as a table salt or making a few famous dishes. To make the pepper salt +- Mix together the 6 tablespoon salt and the 3 tablespoon peppercorns. +- Heat in a heavy frying skillet over medium-low to low heat, shaking the pan continuously, until smoke appears and the peppercorns are aromatic. +- Blend it in a blender or food processor until the peppercorns are crushed. +- Store the blend in a sealed jar at room temperature. +Session Transcript +September. +**** +>> DAVID: Welcome to the meeting of the Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things. You know, this is a big room and we are only a small number of people. I don't know whether it would be more convenient, you know, if we just sit around this inner circle here. Otherwise we have a long distance if we communicate to each other. Who is in favor to move into the centre? Who is against? Oh, it's mixed. +By the way, the plan is to be as concentrated and brief as possible. Probably no need that we spend the 90 minutes to discuss the issues we have here on the table. We did not prepare a formal agenda for this meeting because this is still, I would say, a new Dynamic Coalition. I'll give you just a background for this. +In the height of the IGF there was a French colleague, who together with Sylvia (off mic) who is in the workshop tomorrow representing GSA1 and some others, and from the French Government, there was a small group of around 10 people. Internet was new on the agenda. France (off mic) in putting this forward, so it was France's idea to put together this workshop on the Internet of Things. He passed away and there was no Dynamic Coalition on this Internet of things. +So when we came last year from Vilnius IGF, a number of people active in the European Union, involved in some others, thought it would probably make sense to reactivate this Dynamic Coalition, and also Bob Kahn was there and we had the speaker from the European Parliament. She gave just a report of the European Parliament on the Internet of Things, so the idea was, would it make sense to reestablish such a Dynamic Coalition. And the general mood was yes, we should do it. +So -- and the question was then what to do, and we offered then to use an already planned meeting of the UNF research project, which was scheduled for March 2012 in Leipzig to get a little more clarification on a Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things, what it could do in the future. And in this Leipzig meeting we discussed various issues, which are more or less also presented this morning, we said we have to start with a definition to clear our understanding. There are more open questions, and a lot of things are still unclear. The terminology is there, a lot of people have an imagination what the Internet of Things could be, but probably this is also misguiding language because the Internet of Things is not separate from the Internet and whether the specific issues -- which are related to the Internet of Things and which are privacy, question of monopolization, federated system, so all this was discussed and it was said, we have to continue the debate. +And here we are now. We have the workshop this morning, and the question is now, what I said in my summary in this morning's session, should there be a continuation of the work around what is called the Internet of Things in the IGF context. My impression of my conversation I had with various partners was, in principle, yes, and in particular, because the European Union has started now this process with the task force and the subgroups and becoming public consultation, it would make sense, you know, to do this on a global level because we have a lot of extra expertise in the IGF environment which could bring additional knowledge, additional experiences to those activities. +So more or less what we should take for granted, that there is an interest of a couple of people to formally establish the Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things, because it's not yet formally established, and if you go to the IGF Web site it's not yet an IGF Dynamic Coalition on the Internet of Things. So this would be the first thing we have more or less to decide, whether you agree that we should formally establish it. +Part of this formal, formal establishment would be to agree also who could be the coordinators, moderators or should we need a small Secretariat or something like that which would help us to move forward. And the second thing then would be to look into a work plan for the next 12 months. That means should we already start here and now to think about another workshop in the IGF 2012 in Baku? And what could happen in between, between here, Nairobi now, and then the planned workshop for Baku? +And we -- my proposal would be that we agree to have in between, in spring or March or April, and that's a workshop where we probably could address specific issues, and then the small Secretariat or the moderator in consultation with all members of the IGF working group would then find out, you know, what are the issues, what are the agenda, and then could be to produce what I would call an issue paper, so that way produce something inviting an on-line discussion, and that we have until, let's say, March/April 2012, an issue paper where we try to map what is, you know -- what are the key issues and what are proposed -- let's say -- I would say proposed approaches, how to deal with the issues which we have identified. +So this would be, then, the outcome. There would be a draft paper, draft issue paper would be the basis for the discussion on the workshop, let's say in spring, April, and then would constitute the working document for the workshop in Baku. +So this is a little bit the process, and first thing is any general remarks? Any general reactions to this? And please introduce yourself because not everybody knows everybody. +>> I'm Ari. I'm an itinerant research consultant. I think another thing that we would have to do is if you look at the Dynamic Coalitions, we'd actually have to first set up our aims in some sort of way that is expressive and then we'd need to collect a certain number of people that said they wanted to be member -- I mean, organizations and people that said they wanted to be members because to actually go forth and declare ourselves a Dynamic Coalition means we've got those two things that get presented to the IGF Secretariat saying this is our aim, this is our work plan, as you said, that can come later, and these are the people, a multistakeholder group of organizations, et cetera, that declare themselves to be members, and I think that much bottom-up process also has to happen in the process of forming ourselves into a Dynamic Coalition. +>> DAVID: I think you're absolutely right. By the way, we have already a list of people who committed themselves to be part of this, but a mission statement is certainly needed, and you're absolutely right, this would be the very first task, that means if we apply formally to become a recognized Dynamic Coalition, then it's implicit that we have to deliver something like a mission statement. But we have already a number of things on paper from the Vilnius meeting, so I think if we move forward to a formalized approach, and this is a starting point, that's why we need a Secretariat because somebody has to do this work. And so it means to -- if the institution is in place, then we have two or three people who could then communicate with the list, whether the mission statement is okay and is this correct, and then we could try to get formal recognition by the IGF Secretariat. +>> Can I ask a question? Of all those people that have signed up before, have we created like a mailing list yet or anything that allows us to communicate, or is it at this point still a list of names on a piece of paper that hasn't gone further since last year? +>> DAVID: Yes, it's still a list of names. We use this list to invite for this meeting, and as I can see from the response in this morning's session, it means a lot of people followed this invitation, and we did send out, you know, two or three other mails for the invitation for the workshop in Leipzig in April, but it's not an active list for discussion, though. But you're absolutely right, this has to be transformed into a discussion list and a mission statement and later then an issue paper. It has to be discussed by this mailing list. +More comments from others? Is there general agreement about this proposed approach? Then I would go formally to the -- let's say the first point, and then just ask in the room, you know, who would support to formalize the establishment of the Dynamic Coalition of the Internet of Things within the IGF? Who is in favor? Is somebody against it? There's no need to ask for abstentions. Then I take this as a support and we have now a mandate of a number of people who say, okay, this is the wish, and it's a voluntary coalition. You can join always, you know, and can leave also if you want to do it, but it would be very good, then, if you could -- if you can circulate the paper, so we get all the names, email addresses from people who want to engage in this Dynamic Coalition to have a better list. +Second thing is, you know -- and here comes to mission statement and probably to the issue paper. What are your impressions, what are the -- let's say five, six key issues which should be the priority of this Dynamic Coalition towards the next IGF in Baku? From this morning I have realized -- a definition. It's a question of the privacy issue. It's a question -- it's related to the definition, the general understanding, you know, what -- what this is, which is probably -- the definition should be very clear and short, but general understanding should be a little bit broader. I think it's a question of the management of the -- the relationship between ONS and DNS. It's a question of security, consumer interest, though this has been the issue raised this morning, which are still seen as open issues for further discussion, and I think if we first come up in our mission statement with four to six priority points, this would be probably helpful to guide us for the next year. +>> Good afternoon. I'm from GS1. Maybe I would rephrase the point on the ONS and the DNS in more general term as the point of addressing and search system in an IOT environment, because ONS is just one implementation of a mechanism that is applicable to our FID, a certain domain of FID, but it is by no means the only system out there to look for things in this space. I think it's a relevant issue but I would try to sort of extend the scope of the discussion to what approaches can be proposed to this general question. And of course, the ONS can be an example of something that is already in a developmental phase that has been limitedly used in company environments, but I think it's a broader question about how do we discuss addressing in the space. +>> DAVID: I think it's a good point. There's intervention today from (off mic) that's very enlightening so that's much more than just one specific application. +>> Hi, I'm Ian Fish, from PCS -- U.K., representing them at this meeting. Is there not a major issue, a sort of major issue, where there is a difference from governance or not, from governance of the Internet and the way we understand it at the moment? Because some of the issues around privacy and suchnot may not change very much in the Internet of Things. They might but might not, but there is an issue we need to look at, where there is a difference and identify that very clearly. +>> DAVID: Thank you very much. This was also the subject of discussion this morning. This is part of a bigger issue just, you know, as another application or specific issues. And so far we have an issue paper which would probably identify what are the specific issues. It's too early to say, this is yes or no. So we need more discussion on it. Do you want to reply directly? Otherwise ask for the floor -- +>> Very quickly, yes, if I can. I just want to avoid (off mic). +>> DAVID: Very good. Thank you. +>> Sorry, I didn't sit beside a mic but I found one. I wanted to add in the international context, which is the IGF context, I wonder, is it useful to add standardization as well as a possible issue? Not now but for some future point to look at in the group. And I agree to -- but this is something I think has to be in the mission statement, that this has to be looked at in the context of all other Internet issues, privacy, for example, security. Thanks. +>> DAVID: You take note of this, okay? Any other issues where you think from your perspective this should be a priority issue, you know, it would be go too far if we now select the list with 20 or 25 issues, so we have to be very realistic that we have to look to the, you know, key issues, which will be on -- can be discussed in the next 12 months and not to embrace everything which is related to the Internet of Things. Okay. Peter. +>> Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Peter Forster, I'm the general manager for (off mic) centre. We group all the Europe country codes top level domains. Forgive my ignorance, but not being terribly familiar with how Dynamic Coalitions work, how would we for instance be able to bring on board the work that is currently being undertaken by the commissions, things expert group, so that we do not just keep repeating the same exercise? That group has been working pretty hard for two years now, a year and a half, so it would be a waste if that was lost. +>> DAVID: More Or less the idea for the reestablishment of the Dynamic Coalition here came out of here from the discussion in this European environment and it will be a European of things so we have to broaden the scope. Mr. (off mic) we discussed how we should move forward, it was absolutely clear that there should be -- I won't say a harmonization, but there should be a very intention communication between the work of the Dynamic Coalition and the various groups in the task force. And it would make absolutely no sense to reinvent the wheel because a lot of good work is done. I myself, I'm chairing the sub-group for Internet architecture governance in this task force and also as we are involved here, I was involved in this new task force, like (off mic) Faber. Unfortunately he's not here. So there should be a synchronization. And my idea is that these European -- this task force could become the core team of the Dynamic Coalition, or the core team, because there's a lot of knowledge there. It's beyond IGF it's global and it would be good to have people from developing countries, China, which are probably not in the EU task force. Megan? +>> MEGAN RICHARDS: I realized I forgot to say who I was. I'm Megan Richards from the European Commission. I presumed based on the workshop we had this morning it would go without saying the work in the Internet of Things that's established by the European Commission is not going to duplicate or -- this Dynamic Coalition won't reproduce the same work. We have to work in close cooperation and there are many aspects that are similar. I see this Dynamic Coalition as a slight extension of the boundaries of what we're looking at in the European group, and anyway, as you know very well by definition, the European group can't look at just the European borders, which is again, something said this morning. +>> DAVID: Yeah, that's correct. And by the way, this is guaranteed by a number of individuals who are active in those groups. Ari? +>> MEGAN RICHARDS: Yeah, I would just sort of add that in the multistakeholder nature of a Dynamic Coalition I've been looking at some of the other ones, where you find the Government of Brazil Ministry of culture becomes assigned into it, so some part of perhaps European Commission that was dedicated to this could actually participate as a member of the Dynamic Coalition, and that's probably the strongest way to tie their work in, is to bring in the group that's doing the work as a member of the coalition. +>> SATISH BABU: Okay. My name is Satish Babu. I'm from India. I'm the from the International Centre for Free and Open Source Software, and I'm a software programmer and I'm very new to this subject, but not necessarily to Dynamic Coalitions. I've been a member of the Dynamic Coalition on (off mic) for the last couple years. I'd like to know the general, very broad framework or framework this new Dynamic Coalition is working on. I'm personally interested in the concept of the Internet of Things, but I'd like to know whether it is confined to any subset of the very broad, for example, single devices versus (off mic) devices, smart devices versus dumb devices. Things like (off mic) or are we talking about everything like smart cards and -- I don't know, the entire -- so I'd like a kind of -- some kind of guidance. Personally I would like to look at applying the Internet of Things to development, to (off mic) culture, to disaster management and a bunch of other things that we (off mic). Thank you. +>> DAVID: Thank you very much. You know, as you know the roots for Dynamic Coalitions are not written in stone so it's the people themselves who draft the working matters and what they want to achieve. And so far, you know, to have a good discussion on the mission statement seems to be important, that it means we should start immediately after this meeting by circulating a first draft and all the issues you mentioned just in your intervention, what is related. The question is what is realistic, what this group can achieve. And the proposal I made is, okay, we -- based on the mission statement, we try to produce in the next year an issue paper. +For instance, the Dynamic Coalition on rights and principles over a couple of years drafted a document, rights and principles for the Internet, it's a very fundamental and serious document which came out from this multistakeholder collaboration within the Dynamic Coalition. It means the Dynamic Coalition has to produce something. So it's not just for discussion, an outcome. And so such an issue paper could be such an outcome, and constitute then the basis for the workshop next year and then we could see, is there a need for other next step, policy development or whether there's no need. So it depends from the discussion, depends from the results which will come out from the issue paper. +And this is strongly in line with the way how European Commission is moving forward with the task force, the public consultation, the European Commission tries to identify the issues and then to think about in the coming year whether there should be policies or not and where there's a need to do something. So -- and so far, you know, we are more or less on the same page and can benefit from each other, because everybody in this European task force will join the Dynamic Coalition, but there's a lot of knowledge here and probably this coalition from India, Brazil, China, South Africa, that we can also feed into the European task force, which is a benefit for all sides because there is one world, one Internet, but there's a diversity of players, and if the players work hand in hand then it's to the benefit of everybody. +Any more comments to the mention of key issues? If this is not the case then I propose that we draft a first, you know, text for the issue paper and circulate it among the people who are in the room and have given the email address and the other people who are not in the room but are already on the list, and then let's wait and see, you know, how we will achieve consensus, at least a rough consensus, around this paper. If this could be done until, I would say, end of November, early December, this would be fine since then we can formally apply at least a couple of weeks before the Geneva consultation, which takes place in February, always, so that we probably until February, 2012, we have then a formal recognition as Dynamic Coalition by the IGF Secretariat so there will be a new executive Secretariat and they will probably have then to think about whether they have to renew the procedures for recognition of IGF Dynamic Coalitions, whatever it is, but it means this is a good time frame. If we say we want to finish the mission statement until end of November or end of the year and then have to formalization to the Geneva convention in February. Is this consensus here in the room? I think there is. This is fine. +So let's then the other issue, which is the work plan. Have we? +>> Yeah. I just wanted to ask one thing about, for example, you talked about getting a document and then doing a circulation of the document on the list, which is one way, but I mean, another way we could is take something like either one of the ether pads or a Google doc or something and do two things: One, have a text of the aims there that then all of the people that get notice have access to to actually work on it, dynamically perhaps, and also then allow that to be a place where organizations, you know, can basically list their names as saying, yep, we are members of it. Because those seem to be -- as I go through these, and I probably should remember better having once been a member of the Secretariat, but that's a life gone by -- that having aims and having a list of members is really the primary thing, and then after that it's reports and doing work and stuff. But -- so perhaps doing it in that sort of way might help get it going. +>> DAVID: Yeah, thanks. That's why the coalition is named "dynamic." +>> But so few are. +>> DAVID: (chuckle) Probably -- you know, how about I come back to this point because you have to have some moderators, it's the final point. Let me first go ahead, if we achieved in February this formal recognition, then the proposal is that we draft an issue paper and prepare a workshop in spring, March, April, May, where we would discuss the issue paper and also prepare then the workshop for Baku, because my understanding is you have to make the proposal for workshop by April or May. I think this would be more or less the right time to have a two-day workshop and during this workshop shop then also to draft the proposal for the Baku workshop, so this would be the two main activities in the coming year from this Dynamic Coalition. That means to organize the workshop and to work on an issue paper, which includes then to draft a proposal for the IGF in Baku and to prepare a workshop for Baku. I think these are very concrete steps and we have to be realistic. +We have no resources for this so that means it's voluntary work of people who are engaged, and any comments to this approach? If this seems reasonable, then we can take this. And the final question is then we have to find some people who are doing really the work because it needs some coordination, writing of emails, managing of lists and things like that. So we discussed this already in the Leipzig workshop a little bit and the question came up, should we have a very small Secretariat -- a Secretariat for this Dynamic Coalition so people have a place where they can send emails so if they have questions then they can address to somebody. +Do we have volunteers who would be ready to do something, to work in between this on the list, also the manager of the summer school of Internet Governance, and she is also the coordinator for Europe -- European Dialogue on Internet Governance, so this would be more or less an environment which supposedly list this issues, and the other one is (off mic). Doria was fully involved in the European research project and she would probably be the main person to stimulate debate on the mission statement and later on the issue paper. I think these would be the two to, let's say, moderators, coordinators of this Dynamic Coalition that we get as a Dynamic Coalition face, and then probably we could have these two people who are doing operation where we could create a small steering group where we have the various stakeholders represented. We also discussed this in the Leipzig workshop and I will bring back here, is that it would be good to have somebody from the Government, somebody from the private sector, the civil society, the academic of community. A group of five. +If I remember, Masabiliano, you had an interest to represent the private industry. From the European Commission (off mic) signaled to represent the Government, and we are still looking for somebody from the technical community who could be part of this small steering committee or this position could be taken also by Avri in combination, you know, with the operational work, and I might would then represent the academic community on the part of the civil society and if somebody volunteers for the steering crew, let me know. This is also very informal. It's dynamic, but you have to have a certain substructure in place if you want to run the machinery. So this is the proposal. Any comments to this proposal for the organization of the work? Megan? +>> MEGAN RICHARDS: Yeah, well, obviously I don't object to Fluo participating. The only problem is for a whole series of reasons over the next year he'll be extremely busy, which doesn't mean he can't participate. But -- +>> DAVID: Can you speak to the microphone? +>> MEGAN RICHARDS: Sorry. He can participate, but we will have to have a backup for him, just so you know that we have a whole series of things and we had a whole series of cuts in personnel. So even though Fluha will participate as actively as he can, you should know that we may have to have a backup of some sort. So he may not always be the one who's participating in this. +>> DAVID: Okay. I think we should -- it's dynamic, so that means let's wait and see how we can move forward. We will make an announcement, and we keep it always open. So that means if there are changes and new proposals, and probably next year we have reached a high level of organization and we can formalize more. I think for the moment it's like kickstarting the process, and you have just, let's say like two interim units, one is the steering committee, the other one is the Secretariat, and then, you know, if the people are engaged and they do the work and they can produce the workshop, the issue paper, and then the next workshop then we can decide in Baku whether we want to change the rules or we continue it or we broaden it. Is this acceptable? If this is the case, then I think it's a good result and the very final question is obviously -- okay, yeah. +>> Ian Fish again. Would it be a good idea in the steering group if we can find somebody to have somebody from the developing nations? +>> DAVID: Yes, this would be a good idea. Who volunteers? Would you? +>> India is now a leading nation so it's sometimes difficult to label India as a developing country. +>> I'm very new to this thing, so perhaps someone else should be given the first priority. +>> DAVID: Okay. Probably we will find it out -- I think there are other opportunities where we can do it but you are absolutely right, this would be make a difference to the group so that we can really say this is not only multistakeholder, this is also global, and I think this is an important point. +>> Hello. +>> Hi. +>> I'm Saba (off mic). I'd like to see the Asia Pacific -- well, Asia is there -- the Pacific involved, and it will be good to -- yes. +>> DAVID: Would you yourself from Fiji Island volunteer to join? +>> Of course. +>> DAVID: wonderful. Then we have Fiji Island on the list. The very final thing, and this question goes primarily to the private sector or probably also some governmental institutions, you know. All this is voluntary work. This is unpaid work, but, you know, you have to have some resources, and so it means the question is there is no need to answer today, but I want to raise the point. It would be very helpful if you could go home and could, you know, talk to your leadership or to your Government or whatever, whether there is an opportunity, you know, to find, you know, little resources, one to sponsor the workshop in April, and probably also to sponsor a little bit the technical work of the Secretariat. +So this is not -- not big money. I think what we need for the workshop and for the small Secretariat would be around, I would say, you know, 30,000 euro for the whole day, but that means if we could find three or five sponsors, 3 to 8,000 from the sponsors, this would cover the costs, and I know it's always delicate and difficult questions. Nobody comes with big pockets to these meetings, but we would be series if we would embrace these issues, so that means otherwise we are probably too idealistic. +There is a chance that we can achieve something, I think the combination of the various members here, this morning are very encouraging that we can go forward and clarify, can make a contribution in the next one or two or three years, and so far I think we have an exciting path ahead of us. If you agree and if there are no final comments, then we can bring this business meeting of the Dynamic Coalition to a close. Any final remarks or comments or -- +>> Was it -- is the paper with the -- with the right names in the emails? I haven't got it. +>> DAVID: We will also, you know -- the task of the Secretariat would also be to establish a Web site so that we have information there so that we can link documents to the Web site, papers which are written issues issue papers or what else, from other groups so that we have like a small library of things on the Web site, and then so that means all this work has to be done, and so far, you know, we have to have some sponsors who will help to make this happen. And that's -- that's the reason. +Okay. If there are any more comments? Questions? Then I thank you very, very much for your engagement. I think it was a good workshop this morning, and it was a good Dynamic Coalition meeting, so we have now a clear perspective what to do. I think it's realistic what we tried to do, and let's wait and see how we will deliver what we, you know, have planned here. So once again, I repeat it. First step is the mission statement, then the application in the IGF Secretariat to get formal recognition, then the workshop, and the issue paper, and then the preparation of a workshop for the seven (off mic) governance forum in Baku in 2012, and I hope to see you there. Thank you very much. +Hackintosh Diaries, Part Two: Choosing and Assembling Your Hardware +In part two of our three-part Hackintosh guide, we'll walk you through the most complex step: selecting all the individual components for your homebuilt OS X PC +OK, so you've decided to build a Hackintosh PC from scratch. Here in part two of our three-part Hackintosh guide, we'll ease the confusion of what could be the most time-consuming and arduous part of the entire process: browsing hardware catalog sites for hours trying to choose the components that will become your new machine. +Choosing hardware for your Hackintosh is confusing because for each primary component--your motherboard, CPU, graphics card, memory modules, optical drive, and anything else you choose to install--there are literally thousands of choices. So let's narrow that down, shall we? The mission here is to choose components that OS X will recognize and accept with little or no custom configuration. +The most important two components by far--95 percent of the compatibility battle according to Tonymac, the author of the Hackintosh-enabling software we're using for this guide--are the motherboard and graphics card. The motherboard is important because it presents yet another subset of even more choices. Motherboard manufacturers choose from several different CPU sockets, network controllers, audio chipsets, USB interfaces and more for each model motherboard they produce, each with its own degree of OS X compatibility. And graphics cards can also be powered by a dizzying variety of chipsets from both Nvidia and ATI/AMD, each requiring specialized drivers to tap into their full capabilities. +Thankfully, the community that has formed around MultiBeast has done almost all of the work for you by documenting specific hardware setups that have been proven to work well. On the forums, and on tonymacx86.com, there are many complete system configurations with confirmed support, spanning the full range of power levels for every budget. Now, you just need to choose which system model to follow! Which can be harder than it sounds. +For my build, I followed this guide originally produced by MacMan, Tonymac's co-developer who now maintains MultiBeast (MultiBeast, if you recall from part one, is the software tool that makes this all possible). I adhered to my general computer-buying dictum and went for as much power as I could afford at the time, so I opted for one of Intel's most powerful non-server processors in the 3.06 GHz Core i7 950. Add to that 6GB of RAM, a solid-state startup drive, and a powerful graphics card, and we're talking about a pretty powerful machine. The complete system, including a new 23" LCD monitor, rang up to a grand total of $1,295.86 on Newegg.com in December 2010 (not including rebates). Compare that to a $2,499 price tag on a similarly equipped Mac Pro (without monitor and SSD). Not bad at all. +For a closer look and specific notes on each component I used, check out the gallery below:Click to launch the photo gallery +If you're looking for a less powerful, cheaper machine, or something that fits in a smaller enclosure, there are numerous such guides in Tonymac's forums and on his site. For fear of this guide's scope spiraling out of control, I'm going to stick mostly to this set of hardware. But before we get specific, we'll cover some of the general concepts surrounding what types of hardware are best suited for Hackintoshing. So if you need to deviate from my system here, you'll be prepared. +Recognition vs. Compatibility +A simple rule to follow in choosing hardware is that if the component has been used by Apple in an iMac or Mac Pro, chances are it will do well in your Hackintosh system. For instance, the current line of Mac Pros use an ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card, so I went with a card that uses the same Radeon 5770 chipset. If it's in one of Apple's machines, there's a good, reliable device driver for it somewhere--most likely built into OS X itself. So that's good. +But there is a slight catch. To use that reliable driver, your Hackintosh must first recognize that your graphics card even exists. In my case, the latest version of Chimera, the software that sits between a PC's startup BIOS and OS X, now provides full enabling of any Radeon 5xxx chipset. You won't need to worry about this too much, but knowing about this distinction between recognition and compatibility cleared up a lot of my confusion regarding why even hardware with OS X drivers didn't "just work" with my Hackintosh. It has to be recognized by the system first. +Which Motherboard? +An important part of the Hackintosh configuration process (which we'll cover in the third and final installment tomorrow) is employing a file called a Differentiated System Description Table (DSDT). A DSDT is essentially a roadmap of your motherboard that OS X reads to know what hardware you have inside your machine, and how to use it. Each motherboard has a unique file, which also depends on the revision of the board you have and the firmware or BIOS version you have installed. Yikes! Luckily, it's easy to check which version of the motherboard you have, which is as much figuring out as you need to do. Tonymac's DSDT database has pre-configured files to download. +The Tonymac folks tend to lean toward Gigabyte brand motherboards, and the DSDT files for most of the popular Gigabyte boards have been tested and confirmed in the database. So unless you're prepared for some complications, stick with Gigabyte for your motherboard. +Which Graphics Card? +One confusing part about choosing a graphics card is that there isn't just "one" Radeon HD 5770 card made by ATI to buy. ATI makes the chipset, which is then used by a huge number of manufacturers (like Gigabyte, Asus, etc) on cards of their own design. So once you've picked a chipset, you still have to figure out which card to buy. +The trick is staying close to ATI's or Nvidia's "reference design"--more on which can be read here. But if you stick to the Gigabyte Radeon HD 5770 card I used (the one that looks like a Batmobile!) you should be fine. +Solid-State Drives +You want one! See the component list for more on that. +Actually Building the Damn Thing +Thankfully, building your Hackintosh is just like building any other Windows PC--you don't have to do anything special. If you've never done it before, you're going to have a fun time, I can pretty much guarantee. You'll be best served by reading the manual for each component to make sure everything is installed according to plan, but in general, every component of your machine needs a power connection and a data connection. And there may be a few screws to anchor it in place. That's it--truly nothing to be intimidated by. +Power connection wires emerge from the power supply inside the case, and generally speaking, if the connector fits in the plug on the back of your component, it's the correct one. Hard drives and disc drives almost all use a SATA power connector, which looks like this. If, like me, you want to install a few extra hard drives, you might need some Molex to SATA power adapters to mate your power supply's old Molex leads to a SATA drive. Beyond that, your graphics card will have a dedicated power lead from the power supply, as will the motherboard. The instructions should indicate which is which clearly. +For data connections, you'll use SATA data cables (these come packaged with your motherboard) for disks and drives, and your graphics card, memory modules, etc. will pop into the motherboard's dedicated slots. +Be prepared to troubleshoot. When I first turned my machine on, I didn't get any video. After restarting with each of my three RAM modules installed individually to check for bad RAM (a frequent issue), I realized that I had neglected to connect my video card's power cable to the board. Whoops! Luckily, this was easily fixed. If you run into problems, try to isolate each potentially problematic component until you find the culprit. +If this is your first time building a PC, I wholeheartedly recommend Lifehacker's excellent guide for beginning PC builders for more guidance. +And that should about cover the hardware end of it. For a closer look at the components I used for my system, see the gallery here. And stay tuned for Part 3 tomorrow, where we install and configure OS X (yesterday's part one can be found here). Happy hackintoshing! +I've been wanting to do this but my PC's motherboard got fried!! +:-( +excellent article so far...I may try it.... +Shouldn't you just buy the cheapest video card you can find, preferably one with a mobile graphics chipset? Especially if you want it to be like an authentic Macintosh. +Pretty much any hardware that works that doesn't feel like compromise makes a good hackintosh, only thing that's missing is the Mac computer case and the Mac monitor and accessories. If a pc accessory manufacturing company could establish a brand with similar look and functionality of Mac accessories without lawful pressure from Apple, companies like these would benefit entirely from home built hackintoshes. +I built my first hackintosh about a year ago and have been tweaking it ever since. It's a labor of love: OSX Snow Leopard and now Lion run better (yes better) than windows 7 64 did n the very same machine. +As a lifetime advocate and supporter or Microsoft, I built it simply to see if it really could be done and what all the hype was about. At that time I owned no Apple products. +Fast forward a year and I own two iPads, an airport express, apple tv and two iPhones (one belongs to my wife). +My next computer (laptop) will be a Mac Book Pro. +The only reason I will be making the switch is because of tonymac and hackintosh. +. +THAT LAST And secondly, Im going to talk about which of those 2 methods is by far the best option to go with to get COMPLETE enhancement with your manhood Alright. +If he stays in the Male Ministry of War forget it, this is Virility not suitable for his Enhancement own future Rock Everyone knows that Qingliu is the best choice, and being Hanlin is the Hard right way Whats Male Virility Enhancement Rock Hard Erections Erections more, Fan Jin made such a great contribution this time. +Feng Bangning sat there with Erlangs Rate legs on her feet, and her posture should be more leisurely, more leisurely, more casual Of and more casual His eyes greedily walked back and forth on Songs Erectile body, as if Dysfunction he could strip off her filial clothes by Rate Of Erectile Dysfunction relying on his eyes. +All we Herb have to do is to Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement push him For He wants Male to retaliate against To Yang Shida, and Female the Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement other Abi will Breast also settle accounts with his master At Enhancement that time, the whole Jiangning city will become very lively, very lively. +The light flashed wildly, and the wind blades appeared densely, but with a flick of the sleeve, it turned into a dozen cyan lights and shot government officials are now being drilled by Fan Jin in this way, proving that he has controlled the South African Gay Sex Drugs Porn county governments grassroots capture officers If they want to do anything. +Nevertheless, it does reveal some of the size that had previously been hidden, allowing some to obese people to use it for the first time in ages Not only that, but losing weight also improves the blood flow in the arteries. +When Herb the For Man Ghost Sect Male Master heard the words, To he Female Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement Breast nodded his head slowly, Enhancement and continued to look at the disciples in the distant ceremony. +Herb and promise to recover memorials For for you The cabinet has Male Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement already completed To Female the additions Shen Shixing and Breast Ma Enhancement Ziqiang entered the cabinet, and Zhang Siwei formed a threeperson temporary cabinet Team. +Quick, quick! The old Chinese Sex Pill In Red Box Chinese man surnamed Yun Pill Sex anxiously urged, his face full of In anxiety, Red and the prisoners Box also ran towards the two boats in panic. +Herb Most Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement of the things sold by For Ben Zhai Male are among them To Maybe there are things Female Breast that Dao friends are also Enhancement interested in By the way, I dont know the names of my friends yet. +If you Is can really qualify to enter the inner Is A Penis Stretcher Painful island, there is A one thing I want you to help Huang San grinned Penis and Stretcher said Whats the matter? Liu Ming was Painful startled slightly, and asked Its too early to say this. +Stealing the money and grain Herb saved For by the county government office for selffertilization There are also private departures Male To from the county, casual clothes to Qinhuai River Suchang and then Female you collude with Herb Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement For Male To Female Breast Enhancement Breast Feng Bangning to find a woman for Enhancement him, will appear in front of the people of Jiangning. +One of the monster Herb beasts gave a For low drink, and all Male the beasts suddenly took a big mouth, each Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement of To them Female fisted out big fireballs, and then figured out With Breast Enhancement a move, it turned into a phantom and flew straight towards Liu Ming Puff and Puff several times. +After Whats A Skinny Long Penis Called knowing his act of sending spirits Whats Shop over the counter pills for sex thousands of miles A away, no matter Skinny what the officials consider, for these Long girls who are pursuing a romantic age, they naturally think this Penis is an extremely great thing Extremely Called noble things, I admire him more. +In addition, the officials Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement abacus skills are not bad, please look at it Fan Jins fingers lightly rubbed the abacus beads for a moment, then he dialed hard, and the room crackled loudly. +When looking at the websites and information pages for male enhancement supplements, keep an eye out for backing by doctors or clinical studies. +After swiping his gaze around, a complex expression appeared on his face This place is naturally The mysterious space that had trapped him for half a year. +and Herb then cautiously For warned Ishikawa naturally nodded Male and said To yes Senior Female brother is Breast too Enhancement careful High Potency Penis Is Half Hard During Sex Shi Nephews strength was not weak Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement originally. +Fan Jin could imagine the scene at the time a dyingly ill man, first had a temper with his wife, and then didnt know how long he had left He was already suffering from illness and was on the verge of collapse Body, unable to support his longterm actions.. +With his own kind words and compliments, he will not hesitate to die on the embankment, and will also repair Shangyuan Water Conservancy to the best Its a pity that his emotional intelligence is still not enough, and he still didnt understand the crux of the problem. +However, when you are agitated with your daily life it is difficult to take into account all the different vitamins Buy increase sex stamina pills that are essential for your healthrelated to sex and wellbeing. +last Although in terms of rank, they are still lowrank longer officials in all matters, pills but in terms of for authority and status, they are last longer pills for men enough men to contend with the ministers In the future. +The iron arm hurriedly escaped the Herb attack of For dog food As for the Male blueprint outlined by Fan Jin, he actually To didnt believe it in his Female heart It wasnt Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement that he had doubts Breast about Fan Jins ability, but that he ran across the rivers Enhancement and lakes, knowing the world is difficult. +Heres the deal BlueChew contains two active FDA approved ingredients Tadalafil sold as Cialis and Sildenafil which is used in Viagra When you order the supplements online, you can choose one ingredient or the other. +Accompany me, Mu Mingzhu said with a pink tongue, and then pulled Gao Now You Can Buy best stamina pills Chongs arm, no matter what the situation is, she pulled away After Gao Chong laughed bitterly he didnt dare to struggle and let the girl do it The two of them gradually moved away in the girls twittering words. +Over use of the supplement can cause you side effects and lot of other problems You should ideally consult your physician before taking these supplements. +after passing the furnace ding Herb level will it slowly recover And the new For furnace tripod, the senior Male brother is already looking for Lin Caiyu To explained with a smile Junior sister doesnt Female need to explain much What kind Breast of high impact will look like Enhancement in the future Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement has nothing to do with me. +However the good news is that, these problems can be easily dealt with nowadays by consulting a doctor and taking proper medication Whatever size you are at right now is the size you were meant to have. +Male enhancement supplements focus on increasing blood flow to the pelvic regions, boosting your stamina as well as stimulating the production of testosterone This means if you find a quality male enhancement supplement, you wont have to purchase a separate testosterone booster. +The Stretched figure slowly entered his field of vision, Shang Bangzhu Stretched Penis Videos turned his Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement head and looked over, Penis the expression on his face did not show any strangeness Lao Videos Yun, you really came. +The other peoples expressions changed slightly when they heard this, but Liu Ming only frowned, but immediately recovered his nonchalant look Senior Brother Bai, this time you are hurting you. +What about the servants of Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement the Yang family? Isnt that big? The family treats servants very well, of course, its inevitable to beat and scold them, and several people will die every year But isnt this unusual Its hard to work well if the servants dont listen to their masters It should be fined As for expenses. +If he didnt agree, the official sent someone to talk to him to see if they wouldnt even sell the face of me as a fifthrank official. +Looking at Herb this memorial, I For felt that my head Male was as big as To a fight, Female Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement and the heat that Breast Enhancement had just risen was extinguished for the most part. +Liu Ming thought so in his heart, bowed his head and glanced at the white bone scorpion I saw that this ghost became listless after exhaling so much yin in a short period. +Snap any picture or catch on this page to get to this madly low Flow 3XL Pills Cost before provisions are gone or the offer expires! topusadietmart comflow3xlmaleenhancement facebook.. +VigRX Plus is made with a combination of 10 effective natural libido and erection enhancers and aphrodisiacs These ingredients build up quickly in your body to improve your performance in bed. +The feeling of Herb fullness that comes For from the belly Male is stronger Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement than that of To Bigu Dan Im afraid even Female if Breast there is sufficient spiritual Enhancement rice A person can only consume it once in six or seven days. +This is because there are an array of simple but highly effective exercising techniques that can stimulate every area of your manhood. +The black shadow lifted V his face slightly, revealing an abnormally pale young Stretching face, and suddenly smiled when he Penis rushed into the air Brother, How do you know him? the petite woman V Stretching Penis How suddenly asked. +His body staggered forward and fell heavily into the mud Before he could realize what was happening, he heard Huang Enhou yelling Luo Wu, the person you want is him We dont care about the grievances between you Then I saw a pair of feet in official boots. +Herb For Male To Female Breast Enhancement Male Enhancement That Works Sex Enhancement Pills For Men How To Enlarge Male Organ Cum More Pills Men's Sexual Performance Pills People Comments About Third Pill For Unsafe Sex Reddit Erection Pills Best Male Enhancement Brinquedolandia. +After the Bulldogs 24-17 victory over the Gators, Georgia Head Coach Kirby Smart discusses the win.. +00:00 – Opening Statement +“I want to reiterate what a privilege it is to play in this game. I know a lot has been made about my opinion or our opinion of where it’s played, but it is an incredible venue. That’s regardless of the outcome of the game. Both fans on each side, I think our kids really enjoy that. It’s great for College Football. A special opportunity and the City of Jacksonville has been great with that.” +“Coming into this game, win or lose, we wanted our leaders to guide us. We talked long and hard throughout the week about composure, discipline, and physicality. We tried to really make it simple for our guys — don’t lose your composure, no stupid penalties, no fighting, no chippiness, discipline, just do your job and then physicality is who we are. We embrace that each day. We had guys stand up and talk about it. Then we delivered a good message to them, I thought, Thursday and Friday about Michael Johnson, probably one of the greatest track athletes to ever be in a U.S. uniform. He embraced the pressure. He embraced it. He wore gold shoes with the expectation that he was going to win both races (the 200-meter and the 400-meter) and we kind of showed them a special about that. I really thought our players embraced the challenge today. Blocked the outside noise.” +“We know that we control how we play. We control what we do by how we play and the outside noise is just that. Our kids ground and worked hard so I’m proud of them. Played really physical, played really hard. Give Florida a lot of credit. That’s a really good football team. I’ve got a lot for Dan and their program. They do a tremendous job. Our kids were resilient today and I think you guys saw that first hand.” +01:40 – Quarterback Jake Fromm’s performance and third-down success +“Yeah, start with the positive, third down was really good. We were able to convert some big third downs, some down and distances that your… (Florida has) been really good on third and long. Tebow talked about this morning on SEC Nation. It’s tough to convert those long-yardage third downs. When Jake has time he’s really efficient. I thought our receivers gained a lot of confidence throughout this game. We had all of them there and accounted for. They were all healthy. They played well too, to help Jake. But let’s be honest, those five guys up front were blocking some pretty good pass rushers one on one and that was probably the difference in the game.” +02:27 – Wide receiver Lawrence Cager and his return from injury +“He was determined from the start. He was on the side running, he was doing things, he was wearing Kevlar pads. He did everything he could. He rehabbed extra. He couldn’t do any more than he already did to get out there and play. His biggest concern for me was conditioning.” +“He had to come out on a couple of plays. There were some plays we would have liked to have gotten to him that he wasn’t able to sustain. It wasn’t injury, it was conditioning. You can condition on a bike and swim and run, until you get out there and run routes, it’s different. He was able to do a little bit of that but probably not to the level he needed to.” +“Just proud of him. He’s a competitor. I’ve known him since he was in high school and he had a big game. He had a big game but so did a lot of other guys in that Georgia uniform.” +03:46 – On defense and limiting Florida’s ability to run the ball +“That was the plan going in. We wanted to suffocate the run and make them one-dimensional. They’re going to make plays on you, now. They’ve got as good a group of receivers as anybody. I’m telling you, there’s four guys that are going to be playing in the NFL, and I’m including the tight end. But they’ve got good wideouts and that was my concern coming into the game. We knew that we may have to give something up to get something back. But we felt like we had to play for the pass and you had to stifle the run in order to make them one-dimensional. The flipside of that was I didn’t think they’d be able to do what they did us. But early on it was almost like mirror images. We couldn’t run the ball but we were able to throw it.” +04:33 – On offense and sticking with the run game, are you being stubborn? +“Oh, you’ve got to.. I know y’all don’t believe in it and y’all think it’s boring and y’all hate it and it’s not explosive, I get it, okay. But in this league, you’ve got to have the threat of that in order to sustain.” +“And look, we have not arrived. We have to get better. There are a lot of things we have to work on and we’ve got some really tough teams coming up to play and that’s what I reiterated to our guys.” +05:12 – Senior running back Brian Herrien’s catch +“I’ve seen quite a few of those. I’ll be honest with you: that guy has got a skill set. I mean, he talks about it from baseball all the time. I saw it; I saw him in high school playing basketball. I’ve seen him do catches like that, crazy catches. It actually didn’t surprise me that he made it, because he’s Houdini when it comes to those.” +05:34 – Tight end Eli Wolf had a couple of clutch catches +“It was clutch. He wanted it. He’s been beating himself up for a couple of the drops he had, the South Carolina one and things like that. He ran a great route. We knew what coverage they were going to be in and how they were going to play us. Todd (Grantham) thinks very similar to how I do and felt like that’s the philosophy.” +“You try to win the game when you get an opportunity to and that was our chance to win the game. If we don’t complete that pass, y’all are all sitting here saying, ‘what’d you do that for?’ But you’ve got a chance to win the game and that’s the life we lead as coaches. We make decisions based on what gives us the best chance to win the game.” +6:15 – Spending time with Jake Fromm +07:01 – Did the team answer questions? +“I’m not sure how to answer that. Because I never really doubted this team. I mean our team doesn’t listen to the outside noise. We had four turnovers and played really poorly against an SEC opponent, and then we played in an absolute monsoon, and we’re all asking ourselves. You guys don’t see it every day. We see these guys make plays, we see them do things that you guys aren’t privy to. So there was not a doubt. Now I was concerned about making plays on our defense and blocking them and covering them. I’m not sitting here and telling you I thought we were going to come in here and just torture them and be 12-for-18 on third down. But I knew we had a good team. I know we could throw the ball.” +7:52 – Winning the line of scrimmage +08:55 – Junior running back D’Andre Swift +“Well earned, you know what I mean? It was like a 2-yard carry was well-earned, a 3-yard carry was well earned. Teams are doing things that I see, I don’t know if you guys see, that aren’t normal. They’ve got five defensive linemen in, mostly people have four, and a lot of them are taking risks when they do that, too. We’ve got find more ways to expose that. They know that we’re hell-bent on running and they’re hell-bent on stopping it. There’s two ways to go head to head and if we had not converted on third down, we might be sitting here talking otherwise.” +09:50 – Georgia offensive line pass protection and Coach Sam Pittman +“I thought Coach Pittman did a wonderful job last night. In the offensive only meeting, I get to sit in on Friday nights and leave the defense along so they don’t get sick of me. Sam stood up. Sam never talks and said “I’ve got to say something, I’m just a fat O-line coach, but they asked me earlier in the week do we need to protect these guys, take the backs, the tight ends and chip these guys. I told them no, we’re not going to do that. We’re going to let these guys go play, we’re going to let them play in space and we’re going to block them and I’ll be glad if we didn’t do that. Our guys pass pro pretty well. I’ve known that. There’s criticism out there, but our guys pass pro pretty well and they showed that tonight. We made plays down the field with the pass pro.” +10:57 – What were the expectations for Lawrence Cager when he transferred to UGA? +11:39 – The University of Georgia fans turning out and their energy +“It shows that Dawg Nation is all in. There were some tough ebbs and flows in that game, their fans got back in it, our fans got back in it. But that’s what it is. It’s a helluva rivalry game. I’m just proud of the support that our fans provided for us, even if they did think Jake couldn’t throw the ball.” +12:11 – What have you learned about this team? +“I’ve learned that we’ve got to get better, I’ve learned that we’ve got to be more consistent, you could easily say where was that team some other weeks. We’ve just got to play to our standard and to our level of confidence. I thought our team gained some confidence. Win or lose this game, I was going to come in here and have the same demeanor. You guys were going to have a different message win or lose this game. But win or lose this game, we’ve got to play Missouri next week, and they’ve got a good football team. The toughest job for us in moving forward, is grounding this team and making sure they understand the quality of team we’ve got to come and play next week.” +13:00 – On hanging out with Jake Fromm this week +13:51 – Containing Florida tight end Kyle Pitts in the second half +“I was waiting on that one. That was the Notre Dame game all over again. I knew they did some good things to target the tight end. That tight end is as good of a player as I’ve ever seen at that position. He is a dominant, freaky, long, hard-to-matchup with dude. And they have good ways to get him the ball. I mean, y’all want us to throw it to the tight end. That dude is good, that dude is really talented.” +14:56 – The offense’s response +15:11 – The evolution of defensive lineman Jordan Davis +WASHINGTON, D.C. – MMAjunkie.com is on scene and reporting live from tonight’s UFC on Versus 6 event. +The event, which features a UFC bantamweight title fight between champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Demetrious Johnson, takes place at Washington, D.C.’s Verizon Center. The main card airs on Versus, and the prelims stream on Facebook. +Follow along with our round-by-round updates and official results +beginning at approximately 6:25 p.m. ET (3:25 p.m. PT) for +the preliminary card and 9 p.m. ET for the main card. +In addition to the title fight, which is the UFC’s first on free TV in more than four years, the main card features a heavyweight clash between Stefan Struve and Pat Barry. Additionally, Anthony Johnson takes on welterweight Charlie Brenneman, and Matt Wiman rematches lightweight Mac Danzig. +To discuss tonight’s show, be sure to check out our UFC on Versus 6 discussion thread. +Enjoy the fights, everyone. +JOSEPH SANDOVAL (@JosephSandoval1) VS. WALEL WATSON (@135Gazelle) +Round 1 – Mario Yamasaki officiates tonight’s fight between UFC newcomers. The fighters circle and test range. Watson works jabs and mixes in some kicks that are checked. A low kick gets through, and Sandoval gets a timeout to recover. On the restart, Watson blasts Sandoval with a right head kick. Sandoval hits the mat and staggers back up, but Watson unloads punches as Sandoval retreats. The ref jumps in as he falls to the mat again, and this one is over quickly. Walel Watson def. Joseph Sandoval via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:17 +JOSH NEER (@joshneer) VS. KEITH WISNIEWSKI +Round 1 – Both fighters look extremely relaxed. Wisniewski clinches, but Neer shoves him away. Neer covers up to avoid punches, Wisniewski clinches again, and Neer pushes him into the cage. Wisniewski unloads an elbow on the break as they reset. Neer mixed in some low kicks as Wisniewski continues looking for the Thai clinch. Neer shoves him away and moves in with hooks and an uppercut, but none of it lands. Neer pushes him into the cage and lands a nice series of body punches. Wisniewski lands a nice left and then a knee to the body before resetting. Neer misses while moving forward with punches. They clinch and trade low knees against the cage. They jockey for position before breaking. A timeout is called as Neer’s mouthpiece is put back in. Wisniewski grabs the clinch again, Neer counters with punches, Wisniewski lands one of his own, and they reset. The fighters trade shots from close quarters, mainly to the body. Neer lands a nice uppercut and knee. Neer lands some nice lunging shots, but Wisniewski answers with a knee from clinch. Neer returns fire with elbows that land well. It’s a close first round, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Neer. +Round 2 – Neer complains of a possible broken rib between rounds, but he’s ready for another round. Neer lands a nice right and continues working the jab. Neer clinches and lands nice short elbows before Wisniewski pushes him against the cage. Neer spins out of it. Wisniewski moves in again and eats punches to the head and body. Wisniewski lands a nice overland left elbow, but Neer returns fire with more, and the damage is starting to mount. Neer mixes in short punches to the body and head. He delivers more elbows as Wisniewski begins bleeding. Wisniewski is closing the distance, but Neer is getting the better of it. Wisniewski finally lands a couple nice shots. Neer lands more elbows as they break. Wisniewski’s face is gushing blood now. They fight from the clinch again, and Neer gets the better of it with uppercuts and elbows. The ref calls a timeout and wants to check Wisniewski’s badly cut face. The doctor checks him over and allows the fight to continue. However, Neer’s mouthpiece falls in a crack in the cage, and officials desperately try to find it. It’s finally located. Wisniewski closes the distance and eats more elbows. Wisniewski tries a knee, but the elbows keep coming from Neer. The fighters trade knees from the clinch. Neer tries a standing guillotine as the round comes to a close, and the blood pours out of Wisniewski’s face. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Neer. The fight is waved off. Josh Neer def. Keith Wisniewski via TKO (doctor’s stoppage) – Round 2, 5:00 +T.J. GRANT (@TJ_Grant) VS. SHANE ROLLER (@shaneroller) +Round 1 – The fighters chip away with lunging shots while testing their range. Grant lands the first few punches. Roller sneaks through a nice uppercut, but Grant shoots and gets the takedown. Roller reverses position, but Grant does the same and lands in side control. They jockey for position, and Grant delivers a quick succession of elbows to the head. Grant looks to pin an arm, but Roller reverses, sinks the guillotine, and stays on top. He doesn’t have the hold, though, and Grant powers his way to a standing position, stands over Roller, and drops a nice right. Roller’s upkicks keep him at bay, and Grant drops down into full guard. Grant lands some nice elbows and punches, and he stands, but Roller tags him with an upkick as he comes back down. Grant moves to side control. Roller gets to his knees, but Grants traps an arm with his legs and makes him pay with some punches. The round ends there. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Grant. +Round 2 – Roller checks a head and remains low in his crouch. Grant lands a nice low kick. Grant unloads a nice combo and follows with two solid knees up the middle. Roller goes to a knee, and Grant follows him to the mat. They’re back up. Roller lands a nice uppercut on the break. Grant lands a nice jab but immediately eats a big right. A firefight breaks out. Grant takes him to the mat, but Roller locks on a guillotine. He can’t maintain it, and Grant escapes and moves to side control. He tries to move to mount, but Roller snuffs it out. Roller gets to a seated position in the center of the cage, but Grant corrals him. They jockey for position on the mat, and Roller takes the top. Grant works butterfly guard against the cage. Roller nearly ends up in a triangle choke but pops free. Grant nearly spins free, and Roller tries a top-side guillotine. Grant slowly works his way to Roller’s back but instead transitions to an armbar. Roller, though, is saved by the bell. It’s a close round, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Grant. +Round 3 – The fighters work jabs. Roller fakes an uppercut, but Grant makes him retreat with a left. They reset, and Roller misses with an uppercut. Grant a lands a nice right hand to the nose, but Roller shakes it off. Roller lands a nice overhand right elbow before shooting for a single leg. Grant puts his back against the cage, but Roller gets the takedown. Grant, though, slaps on a guillotine. It’s deep. Roller escapes, but Grant immediately moves into an armbar. He starts to straighten it, and the ref calls it off. Roller never tapped, and he’s pissed. T.J. Grant def. Shane Roller via submission (armbar) – Round 3, 2:12 +BYRON BLOODWORTH (@byronbloodworth) VS. MIKE EASTON (@mikeeastonmma) +Round 1 – The place goes nuts for local product Easton. Easton darts in and out of range. Bloodworth misses on a flying knee. Bloodworth lands a left and eats a counter. Easton remains at a distance. Bloodworth moved in with punches but misses. Bloodworth again closes the distance but can’t land. Easton moves in and lands a body punch before darting back out. Bloodworth lands a body kick. Easton lands a couple nice inside leg kicks. Bloodworth shoots and puts Easton against the cage. Easton reverses. Easton lands some nice knees from the clinch. The ref calls for a restart. Easton partially connects on a spinning back kick. Bloodworth lands a nice low kick. They reset in the center, and Bloodworth lands a nice combo but misses with a spinning back elbow. Bloodworth misses on a front kick. Easton connects with a low kick. They collide, and Easton lands a knee to the body before resetting. Bloodworth shoots, but Easton easily sprawls. Bloodworth lands a jab but takes a low kick. MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Easton. +Round 2 – Bloodworth works the jab, but Easton answers with a low kick. Easton circles after him as Bloodworth moves around the perimeter. Easton stalks with low kicks, and they’re landing more frequently. Easton sets them up with punches. Bloodworth telegraphs a takedown attempt and miss give it up, and he eats a right. Easton stalks again, and Bloodworth backs him up with a flying knee that misses. Easton lands another left-hook, right-low-kick combo. He does it again, and the damage is mounting with Bloodworth. Easton stalks and lands an accidental low kick to the groin. A timeout is called. Bloodworth is Ok to continue. Bloodworth works some low kicks, but Easton answers with heavier kicks. Easton stalks, clinches and outs Bloodworth against the cage. Bloodworth reverses and puts Easton against the cage. Easton goes high with two knees and then another. Two knees to the body sends Bloodworth to the cage in pain. Easton follows up with a punch, but the ref halts the bout. Mike Easton def. Byron Bloodworth via TKO (knees and punches) – Round 2, 4:52 +MICHAEL JOHNSON (@followthemenace) VS. PAUL SASS (@Paul_Sass) +Round 1 – A touch of gloves gets us started. Sass tries a flying knee/kick before clinching and putting Johnson against the cage. Johnson escapes and pops him with a punch on the break. Sass moves forward and tries to pull guard, but Johnson easily avoids it. Sass lands a nice right, but Johnson returns fire with a knee, a flying knee, and a left as Sass trips to the mat. Johnson waits for him to stand. Sass again tries to close distance and pull guard, but Johnson snuffs it out. Sass again tries to pull guard, he ducks under a knee, grabs a knee, and drags Johnson to the mat. Sass has a leg and works from his back. He’s got he heel hook and torques it. Johnson defends, but Sass rolls to his stomach and forces the tap-out. Paul Sass def. Michael Johnson via submission (heel hook) – Round 1, 3:00 +YVES EDWARDS (@thugjitsumaster) VS. RAFAELLO OLIVEIRA (@RafaelloTractor) +Round 1 – Edwards checks an early head kick. Oliveira moves forward with a swarm of punches and pushes Edwards into the cage. Edwards ties him up initially, grabs a Thai clinch, and Oliveira backs away. Oliveira again swarms in with punches before Edwards circles out. They reset in the center, and Edwards narrowly checks a head kick. Edwards whiffs high on a head kick of his own and then checks one from his opponent. Edwards throws a high kick, and Oliveira checks it. Oliveira swarms with punches, and Edwards just misses a counter uppercut. Edwards checks a head kick and answers with a shin to the gut. He then lands low. He then catches a front kick and circles away. Oliveira again pushes forward with punches, but little is landing. Oliveira closes distance and eats an overhand left. Edwards follows with a combo. Oliveira shoots and knocks Edwards to the mat, but Edwards is back up quickly and lands a knee. Edwards works an uppercut and body punch. Oliveira answers with a left. It’s a close round, but MMAjunkie.com scores it 10-9 for Edwards on damage and more precise strikes. +Round 2 – Edwards works inside leg kick, but his next one is countered. Oliveira has a head kick checked but lands a body kick. Oliveira lands a combo and then chases with lunging shots. Oliveira essentially pulls guard, but they’re back up, and Oliveira breaks off with a knee to the chest. The fighters trade single shots, but Edwards staggers Oliveira with a shot and then drops him with a right. Oliveira is back up but on wobbly legs. Edwards connects on a left head kick. Oliveira is on the mat but awake, but Edwards unloads a barrage of punches that eventually brings about the merciful stoppage. Yves Edwards def. Rafaello Oliveira via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 2:44 +MAC DANZIG (@macdanzigmma) VS. MATT WIMAN +Round 1 – Referee Fernando Yamasaki in the cage as we go live on Versus for the evening’s first main-card matchup. Wiman takes the center as Danzig circles. Low kicks traded early. They clinch, and Danzig pushes his opponent agains the cage. Danzig high kick caught by Wiman, and he dumps his opponent to the floor. Danzig looks to wrap the head, but Wiman pushing in from the top. Wiman works to his knees, and Danzig tries again for the choke. Not there. Danzig keeps working for the guillotine on the feet, but Wiman pulls away. Nice exchange of punches from both fighters. Halfway into the fight, and the two trade punches in the center. Wiman fires hooks as he presses in. Both fighters use short elbows inside. Danzig nearly locks in a standing arm-triangle choke, but Wiman pulls away. Danzig now moves the action to the cage and works the body. Wiman pressing, but Danzig is countering very well. Blood now trickles from the nose of Danzig. Good work and pace from both fighters going into the final minute. Wiman gets a late takedown, but it’s only to a knee. Danzig back up at the bell. Close opening frame, but MMAjunkie.com sees it narrowly for Wiman, 10-9. +Round 2 – Wiman takes the center again. He moves forward with hooks and overhands. Danzig backs away well and clinches up. Danzig fires a few straights that seem to have lost a little steam. Wiman walks through them and moves forward. However, Danzig ducks under for a slick takedown. Danzig passes out to side control very easily, but Wiman works to bring him back into guard. Wiman kicks the legs on the shoulder. Looks like maybe a triangle, but he shifts to the right arm and works hard to torque the limb. Danzig does a great job of stacking and defending and he pulls free. Wiman sets up underneath. Two minutes remain. Wiman rolls to a kimura on Danzig’s left arm. Danzig in half-mount and patiently pulls free. The two return to their feet, and Danzig launches a flurry of punches. Wiman looks very tired as he moves forward, but he doesn’t hesitate to charge. Danzig still countering well in the exchanges. Low kick from Wiman in the final minute. Danzig now slipping and countering very well. Wiman works in a late elbow, and MMAjunkie.com sees it again for Wiman, very narrowly,10-9, based on the near submissions. However, he looked to be tiring in the final seconds, and Danzig could be lively in the third. +Round 3 – Wiman pushes in from the outside in the early going. Wiman lands a few solid elbows on the feet, and Danzig is cut. Wiman shoots, but he’s short. Danzig still countering well in the exchanges, and Wiman still looks tired. Nevertheless, more elbows and knees from Wiman. Danzig countering against the cage, but it’s Wiman pushing in with strikes. Wiman shoots, but Danzig defends well and slides over to the back. Wiman bleeding from the nose. Wiman starts to work to his feet, but Danzig is on the back. However, he’s too high, and he slides off. Wiman now in half-mount. Big elbows from the top for Wiman, and both fighters showing obvious wear. Final minute, and Danzig is in guard underneath. He’s trying to create space, but his face is busted up and Wiman is relentless. Danzig does get to his feet, but Wiman stays tight and pushes in. Final takedown attempt for Wiman, and he falls into a guillotine. Danzig has it tight but runs out of time. Great fight throughout and a thrilling finish. MMAjunkie.com likes Wiman in the final round, 10-9, and awards him the fight in closer-than-the-score-would-indicate 30-27 fashion. Still, opening rounds were very tight and no score would surprise. Matt Wiman def. Mac Danzig via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28). +CHARLIE BRENNEMAN (@spaniardmma) VS. ANTHONY JOHNSON (@Anthony_Rumble) +Round 1 – Referee Mario Yamasaki oversees this welterweight affair. The pair keeps distance early. Brenneman tries to duck and clinch. He misses, but he shoots on a Johnson kick. Johnson sprawls well and presses Brenneman into the floor. Brenneman on his knees. Johnson working in short elbows and punches. Knee to the ribs. Brenneman is trying to move, but Johnson is keeping heavy pressure from back-side control. Brenneman rolls to his back and takes half-guard. He tries for a guillotine on his left side. Halfway into the round. Johnson backs away and lands a head kick as Brenneman gets to his feet. He scrambles up again, and Johnson floors him again with a high kick. He’s down, and Yamasaki calls it as Johnson walks away to celebrate. Brenneman doesn’t like the stop. Tough call. He was hurt, but he was looking to defend. Big win for Johnson, who looked great, but Yamasaki certain to receive some criticism. Anthony Johnson def. Charlie Brenneman via TKO (kick) – Round 1, 2:49. +PAT BARRY (@hypeordie) VS. STEFAN STRUVE (@stefanstruve) +Round 1 – Referee Dan Miragliotta the third man in the cage for this heavyweight co-feature. Struve, of course, towers over his foe as they look to feel out the distance. Both cautious early. Struve kicking a little in the opening moments. Barry now kicks the leg, as well. Barry trying to leap in with punches, but Struve staying away. Struve finally starts to let the hands go a bit. Struve looked to work inside briefly, but Barry pushed away. Struve not firing with much frequency to start. Barry also cautious as he attacks. High kick from Barry gets to the shoulder. Struve kicks low. One minute remains. Not a ton to score this far. Barry chopping away at the legs and avoids a few straight punches. Barry lands a left, and Struve seems to feign injury as he backs to the cage. Barry tries a leaping knee in the final seconds. Interesting strategic fight to open, but certainly not with the strikes most were hoping for. MMAjunkie.com gives it slightly to Barry, 10-9. +Round 2 – Miragliotta calls for some more action to open. Barry lands an early uppercut that seems to connect. Struve still trying to keep distance, but Barry is doing well to work in and out. Struve now rattles off a few punches and ends with a kick. Barry returns to the leg kicks. Barry keeps moving forward. Struve does get a Thai clinch, but Barry pulls away to safety. Struve gets a right hand in, but he’s still backing away. Struve tries a knee and then looks for a guillotine. He drops and rolls, but Barry shifts over and moves to side control. Struve adjusts and locks in a sweet triangle choke. Barry is stuck, but he lifts the massive Struve and slams him to the floor. Struve doesn’t budge, clinches and earns the tap. The two embrace after the impressive finishing sequence. Stefan Struve def. Pat Barry via submission (triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:22. +CHAMP DOMINICK CRUZ (@thedomin8r) VS. DEMETRIOUS JOHNSON (@MightyMouseUFC) +Round 1 – Referee Kevin Mulhall in the cage for the night’s main event, which sees the UFC’s 135-pound title on the line. Lots of movement early, as expected. Cruz with an early low kick, but Johnson just as quick as he pushes in and out. Johnson firing early but short. He shoots, and Cruz defends well and backs up to the cage. Slick throw and scramble, and Cruz takes top position. Cruz passes to side control. Johnson looking to shift his hips underneath, but Cruz in control on top. Johnson regains guard, but Cruz keeps his hands around the body and presses in from the top. Halfway in, and Johnson finally explodes up to his feet and backs away. He pshes in and hits the deck after missing on a high kick. Johnson threatens with a leg lock, but Cruz pulls free and passes to side control. Tries to get the back, but Johnson up and punching. He shoots in and gets a takedown, but Cruz right back to his feet. Cruz ducks under and away. Johnson lands a hook on the break, and he shoots in again. Quick movements from Johnson are very impressive, but Cruz backs away. Johnson the first fighter to really match Cruz in terms of speed, but MMAjunkie.com gives the first round to the champ, 10-9. +Round 2 – Johnson pushing forward again at the open, but Cruz does adjust, and he gets the takedown. Johnson seated against the cage. Johnson works to a knee, then his feet. Cruz lands a high knee, but Johnson turns and is now pressing the action inside. Back and forth action early in this frame, and Johnson’s speed continues to dazzle. Still, Cruz matching and staying away. Johnson shoots, but Cruz backs away. Cruz presses into the clinch. Not a lot of damage being done inside, but the two jockey hard for position in the clinch. Johnson battles and now pushes in from outside. Cruz pulls away. Two minutes left, and Cruz finally gets to set up his typical style. But Johnson presses in and leaps with a flying knee. Johnson really pushing the pace. Incredible work rate from both fighters. Johnson with a late takedown attempt, but Cruz with another great defense. Cruz gets his own takedown. Not much damage from top, but it’s another round, narrowly, on the MMAjunkie.com card, 10-9. +Round 3 – Johnson bouncing early, and he’s still pushing the pace. Cruz seems to be winning, but Johnson is extremely competitive. Cruz holds the center. Cruz showing great head movement, and he shoots in. Johnson shucks it off, but Cruz moves around to the back and nails a beautiful suplex. Cruz has the back and has one hook in. Johnson is flat on his belly. Cruz tries to squeeze a Gable grip, but Johnson rolls and survives. Still, Cruz is on tight and looking to squeeze. Somehow, Johnson survives and pulls free, and the two return to the feet. Two minutes remain. Cruz misses a big uppercut. He actually may be slowing just slightly, but he gets another takedown. Good position from Cruz, but not much in terms of damage. Johnson seated against the cage, and he wants to get up. Cruz pressing in. Johnson tries to duck under to escape, but Cruz controlling well. Johnson rises, but Cruz won’t let go. Another incredible round, and MMAjunkie.com sees it again for Cruz, 10-9. +Round 4 – Johnson still looks lively, and he kicks the leg. Cruz doing his thing, and he kicks the leg. Both fighters trading shots. Cruz slips and hits the floor, but he pops up. Cruz presses in again against the cage. He gets a takedown, and Johnson forced to work from his back. Johnson knees the ribs from his back. He’s defending well and not taking a ton of damage, but Cruz is controlling the position. Cruz passes into full mount. Johnson holding tight, trying to prevent a posture. Johnson working very hard to buck and roll, and he is able to work to a guard. Johnson back to his feet, and Cruz misses on a sweep. But Cruz continues to evade any real trouble as Johnson looks to press. Cruz just muscles Johnson to the floor in the final minute. Can’t keep him down, and the tow exchange in a flurry. Incredible pace in the late rounds, but Cruz in control on the cards against a dangerous opponent, taking the fourth, 10-9, on the MMAjunkie.com card. +Round 5 – Johnson with an incredible flurry to open. He’s shuffling and moving, but Cruz nails him with another suplex and moves directly into side control. Johnson needs a finish to win this fight, and he’s an a bad position to do it. But there is no quit in his eyes. Johnson regains guard. Cruz trying to posture and damage. Mulhall calls for action, but good Lord, what more can be done? Johnson scoots to the cage and works to a seated position. He works to his feet, but Cruz remains tight. Big punches traded as they break, and Johnson launches a kick that misses. Johnson’s left cheek showing a lot of swelling, but he keeps pressing in. Another toss from Cruz. Great work from Johnson to get immediately back to his feet. But Cruz dumps him again and takes full mount. He takes the back, but Johnson works free again. Incredible work in the closing seconds. Gutsy performance from Johnson, a future 125-pound champ, but MMAjunkie.com gives the final frame to Cruz, 10-9, giving him one of the most competitive 50-45 wins in recent memory. Dominick Cruz def. Demetrious Johnson via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 50-45) – to retain UFC bantamweight title. +Joshua Malcolm(known father)[deceased] +Heath is a work addicted and morbidly serious man, often viewing the Genesis Project as man playing God to farther reach beyond their limits. His work with seeking a way to reverse the process that given humans "powers" has currently yielded little results, ending abruptly when the Protection Camps started. One of his current patients being hustled off, he disobeyed law enforce and said his good byes leaving him jobless, weak and now lost to what to do. +HistoryEdit +Amy Black met Joshua Malcolm on a cold late August morning, their bodies bumped as they both reached for a luggage bag believed to be one of theirs in Kennedy Airport, New York. As it turned out it wasn’t eithers, but an old lady’s, her thin hand pulled away while Joshua introduced himself pulling Amy into lunch to apologize. They dated for a few years and eventually married, both thought they knew everything about each other but truthfully they knew nothing. Joshua had been the age of twelve during one of the last Genesis Project trials before the government disbanded it, leaving him with a large trust fund on his twenty-first birthday and forced to keep the secret of his involvement tight lipped. He made his living driving a truck long distances over state lines, the pay was decent allowing them to create some sort of average life for his soon to be family. Heath was born on a late, autumn day on September 16, 2000, in a local New York Hospital being held in his mother’s arms, wrapped up by a blue fleece blanket. His father got to see him several days later and loved him on first sight, his hand stroked though the light colored wisp of hair, ignoring the obvious signs of something not right. +Time passed, and days became months then years in Heath’s life. He was living in an average, crime moderate neighbor and grew to a work alcoholic father absent from Heath’s life, making him slightly bitter when he drew closer to puberty. One night, after Heath's eleventh birthday had passed, there was fighting happening down stairs between his father and mother causing the boy to draw closer just to listen in. The loud booming voice of Joshua Malcolm shook the house while he demanded to take Heath for some testing, worry and excitement etched in his voice while his mother refused to let him. Things escalated and secrets were brought out of the dark. A heart breaking discovery for both Heath and Joshua was Heath wasn’t really his son at all, Amy admitted to having a sexual fling just a week before his return in her lonely moments of weakness. Silence filled the room on Heath’s rush down stairs to watch his father leaving out the front door, his eyes cold at them while his mother held him back from following. All his life he had ignored the claims, the suggestions and evidence only to find out they were true. +Wounds, even unseen ones, heal someday and by the time he turned sixteen Heath no longer resented his mother. It wasn’t the same for his once father. Anger had festered in Joshua Malcolm and twisted into an overwhelming need for revenge that he managed to steal a small dose of Cerebralin. Later on Heath would discovered it was through the man's father invovlement as a past lab technician that allowed him access to the serum. When the project was disbanded, Joshua’s father was able to procure a single vial, passing it off as being used on a test subject in his last report to cover his tracks. Over time slowly studying the properties in small amounts to prevent detection, hoping to fatten his own pocket. Little did the man realize his son’s need to punish his wife would result in his self-injecting what little was left, returning his ability to manipulate energy and cause a surge of electrical current setting flame to the house. Though Heath could never prove it, he knew Joshua was responsible for the fire leaving his whole back scarred and his mother burned alive. +Being seventeen and left overwhelming debt from both medical bills to the funeral arrangements of his mother, the only ease was there wasn’t a body to bury just ashes, that when her life insurance check came there wasn’t anything left to pay on his house. It forced him to move one with little allowance for grief. His mother gone and no one left in his life, he was force to fend for himself. Heath worked the rest of his freshmen through senior school years between juggling multiple jobs and saving money for college, his nights barely spent sleeping in the cramp apartment he managed to scrape up enough to live in. He obtained a scholarship thanks to his hard work and determination, first aiming to become a surgeon, his studies majored in doctoring and the heart area of the human body. His first choice in career was becoming a doctor. Four year earning his Bachelor’s degree, Heath fought tooth and nail to acquire top grades even as his bills kept piling up. During the last year of his medical school training before moving onto four more years of residential, Heath’s world threaten to fall apart at the seams until a fellow student by the name of Margret Evans had approached him, a small and timid woman with warm smile that made him smile back. He was twenty four then, young and wrapped up in his own problems that it was a wonder he had noticed her at all approaching him. Yet there she was. +He thought it was love at first sight. A short lived love that lasted about two years until he discovered she was a secret Nova, a female that had empathy, the ability to manipulate others emotions, as she stopped a young guy from committing suicide on one of the apartment buildings. At first he was confused but then it all clicked, from how he was first drawn unexplained to her or why she was able to ease conflict so well even in the most violent of cases pushing him to ask if she had ever used her gift on him. She told the truth, not feeling guilt over the action, that she did and for that moment, Heath wondered if his love for her really existed at all. He requested a new housing situation and never looked back, his mind made up on leaving the medical profession forever. +It was when his attention turned to genetics around about the middle of his last years in med school, a year after both his heart break and Novas went public, his current career just a reminder of pain and betrayal. His true calling came as his interest sparked to becoming a lab geneticist, more and more Novas being discovered as the years went on making him reflect on the possibility that his mother's murder could’ve been one. A need to understand how his "father" could engulf his home into flames was now what he discovered was at the core of his desire, feeling more complete as he searched for answers with little progression until the Genesis Project. They hired him on during his third year of college due to his talent for the trade, becoming just a lowly lab assistant then and unknowingly studying the results of his “father’s” tests. It all made sense then the more he learned about the effects of a substance called Cerbranlin which gave the Novas their abilities and improving another called NHS-1 or Novacaine as it commonly nicked named. +This had only driven him farther to seeking a solution. Most people assumed Novas could control their abilities from the start or some that it was it amazing to be one of the gifted like those that would be associated later on with organizations like SEAR or pro-Nova groups, but Heath knew otherwise. There was one certain case that lingered in his mind. Her name was Jenny Barnes, a young girl just hitting puberty, had developed a disturbing Nova power: the ability to absorb radiation though touching. Since she was young and her powers budding, Jenny had little control over the unpredictable swell and embed of her ability often producing flare ups at any moment. This experience had altered Heath’s perspective on his reasons for his work but only slightly. The military program had taken on the little girl’s case in 2030, a few years before the act was passed, because of her father’s connections and wealth to cure her of her affliction. Her unpredictable ability currently in its youth had dangerous flare ups and cost the mother’s life, just farther proof to him that some lines were never meant to be crossed. When the men now began moving Jenny into one of the “Protection Camps” from the recently passed act, he protested and it was ignored. The last thing he did was comfort the child when no one else did, pulling his arms around her even as pain rippled through his body and staying upright until she was taken from his sight…then he passed out, the world becoming black. +PersonalityEdit +-Prejudice: +Through his belief of the Genesis Project being a moral mistake on the part of the government, especially to those Novas that suffer through their power or would used them to threaten others, Heath tends to be wary of most Novas based purely on the fact he seen what a few were capable of. It doesn’t help in his mind there are some God made lines that humans were never meant to cross so he finds it extremely hard to understand why someone would want to keep their powers when one day, they risk hurting the people around or being different from the world. Though he’ll never admit it, this desire to fix what the Nova’s existence has broken is hidden among his good intentions to find a cure.-Morbidly SeriousMost sarcastic remarks, playful teasing and often joke punch lines go right over Heath’s head due to his extremely serious nature. Often gaining a response of being taken literally or bitter logic when his work is the butt of the joke, causing a frown to crease his face before turning his back to the offender. ++Soft Hearted: +Often people mistake his prejudice and lack of understanding about a Nova as meaning he is cold hearted, not at all true. Inside Heath can be compassionate towards them as individuals and part of the human race, because despite housing immense strength they would’ve still been human if the Genesis Project never existed. A subject named Jenny is proof not all Novas want their abilities or need them, sadden by the fact she will go through life unable to touch another living soul without bring them unimaginative pain if he doesn’t discover a cure. It doesn’t help no matter how much he hates it, Heath once loved one and to this day harbors faded traces of that emotion. Likely it will never die completely. ++/-Persistent : +To stubborn to quit, Heath continues to pound away at whatever task his is currently occupied by. It is a trait he developed in college thanks to late night study secessions to keep his scholarship and years of slumping over the computer fast asleep. As positive as this trait is in finding solutions, the health effects are severe and if not for his co-workers and superiors then Heath might’ve wasted away to nothing. ++Quick Thinker: +Heath can think on his feet with equally fast reaction, not making him useless in the field should he be required there. The bad part is, though at the time the action might be appropriate, he doesn’t sometimes realize the repercussions it might have in the future. His main concern is usually in solving the problem quickly and either lowering the tension source, easing the feeling of risk or danger then what is the best option to handle it. ++Patient: +He never thinks of time, the length of accomplishing something or allowing himself to lose his temper. It makes it easier to work even with the most difficult of co-workers and often discovering things that can be looked over after a long time period, able to know he will someday discover the solution to the Nova problem. +RelationshipsEdit +Ian Reyes - Apartment Neighbor +OtherEdit +While working, Heath wears a white lab coat over a long sleeve shirt and grey slacks. A red tie is worn loosely about his neck, tending to slip slight sideways and appearing sloppy. His feet don rather, worn out tennis shoes that clash with his current work uniform. In his casual wear Heath sports simple solid colored tee shirts and worn out jeans even if he’s rarely seen in them. +Characteristics of iPP sheets. +Abstract +Sp. +Keywords +- β-phase crystal +- mechanical properties +- tensile deformation +- spherulite +- crystalline morphology +1. Introduction +As well-known, isotactic polypropylene (iPP) is a polymorphic material with various crystal forms [1], such as monoclinic (α), hexagonal (β), triclinic (γ), and smectic, of which the α-phase is the most typical crystalline form. Commercial grades of iPP usually crystallize into the α-phase with sporadical occurrence of the β-phase under higher supercooling [2]. Crystallization under a temperature gradient [3] or flow-induced crystallization [4, 5] encourages the formation of the β-phase. To prepare of β-modified iPP samples, the introduction of selective β-nucleators is the most reliable method [6]. However, unless using specific β-nucleating agents, the β-phase cannot be obtained at high levels and is always accompanied by α-phase crystals. The α/β ratio is very sensitive to the crystallization temperature and the cooling rate because of the different nucleation rates of the two crystalline species. Varga et al. [7] found that pure β-phase can be achieved in the presence of some selective β-nucleators by the selection of appropriate thermal conditions for crystallization. Furthermore, the β-phase was found to be transformed to the α-phase by heat treatment [8]. This demonstrates that the monoclinic structure is thermodynamically stable, whereas the hexagonal β-phase is metastable and difficult to obtain under normal processing conditions. +Recently the number of practical studies has increased [9] because the impact strength and toughness of β-nucleated iPP exceed those of α-iPP. Although many studies have compared the mechanical properties of α-iPP and β-iPP, the morphological origin of the differences in the mechanical properties has not been clarified yet. +The mechanical properties of semicrystalline polymers such as iPP and polyethylene (PE) are governed by their morphological features which are specified by several structural variables such as the degree of crystallinity, spherulite size, crystalline thickness, and structural organization of the supermolecular structure [10]. These diversity and independencies of these structural variables make it difficult to provide a molecular or structural interpretation for the mechanical properties and deformation behavior of semicrystalline polymers [10]. Indeed, changing the thermal or processing conditions involves the concomitant modification of several structural parameters; thus, it is difficult to determine the structural origin of the change in mechanical properties as reported by Labour et al. [11]. Consequently, it is necessary to keep all the other structural parameters to be fixed to elucidate the effects of a given structural parameter on the mechanical properties. Very few studies have dealt with the mechanical properties of β-nucleated iPP with a wide range of β-phase contents, while all the other structural parameters, such as supermolecular organization and crystallinity, are controlled. The aim of this chapter is to elucidate the influence of the β-phase modification on the tensile properties of iPP. For this purpose, crystallization procedures, for the production of iPP sheets having a wide range of β-phase contents with fixed crystallinity and spherulite size, were developed. In addition, the effects of spherulitic morphology on tensile properties were investigated by comparing the differences in deformation mechanism of isolated α- and β-spherulites. +2. Structural characterization of β-modified isotactic polypropylene +2.1 Preparation method of β-modified polypropylene sheets +The starting material was a commercial iPP with a high tacticity (98%) obtained in powder form. The weight-averaged molecular weight Mw and polydispersity index Mw/Mn determined by gel permeation chromatography were 204 × 103 and 6.2, respectively. A β-nucleator prepared from an alcohol solution of pimelic acid and calcium stearate was used. The iPP powder was added to the solution, and it was dried in an oven at 373 K for 90 min. +The β-nucleator-added iPP powder was pressed and melted at 483 K. The samples were completely melted for 5 min between two aluminum plates prior to the application of 7.8 MPa pressure to produce specimens of approximately 0.2 mm thick. Adjustment of the degree of crystallinity in the volume fraction and the spherulite size to the same value for all the samples was made by changing the quenching temperature and the amount of the β-nucleators. The molten samples were allowed to equilibrate under pressure for 5 min prior to cooling. On removal from the press, the samples were plunged directly into a water bath maintained at an appropriate temperature 0, 30, 60, and 100°C and subsequently tempered for various periods at 100°C. Consequently, these procedures enabled us to achieve sample specimens having a wide range of β-phase contents with a constant crystallinity of about 65% and spherulite radius R of around 4 μm. The structural and morphological characteristics of the samples were summarized in Table 1. The end numeral of the sample code PP denotes the β-phase concentration in the crystalline fraction of the iPP. In this chapter, PP0 is denoted by α-iPP and PP98 is denoted by β-iPP. +The crystalline β-phase content (the volume fraction of the β-phase in the crystalline portion) was determined from WAXD patterns. The WAXD measurements were carried out at room temperature with a Rigaku RU-200 diffractometer with Ni-filtered Cu-Kα radiation from a generator operated at 40 kV and 100 mA. The β-phase fraction in the crystalline part of the specimens was assessed from the ratio of the area of the main (300) β-phase to the sum of the areas of the four main crystalline reflections: (110), (040), and (130) from the α-phase plus (300) from the β-phase using Turner-Jones method [12]. +Here, we modified the analysis method proposed by Somani et al. [13] to obtain the volume fraction of β-phase in the crystalline fraction quantitatively. The reflection peaks in the WAXD profiles were deconvoluted. In the WAXD profile, (110) at 14.1°, (040) at 16.9°, and (130) at 18.5° are the principal reflections (in 2θ) of the α-phase crystals of iPP, whereas (300) at 16.1° is the principal reflection of β-phase crystals, and are considered as the markers for α-phase and β-phase crystals, respectively. The various reflection areas were computed after subtraction of the amorphous halo. +The volume fraction of β-phase crystals was calculated using the following equations: +and +Here k is the calibration factor, (=921 kgm−3) is the density of the β-phase crystal [14, 15, 16], (=936 kgm−3) is the density of α-phase crystal [17], Sβ is the area of the (300) reflection peak, and is the sum of the areas of (110), (040), and (130) peaks of α-phase crystals, respectively. The calibration constant k was estimated to be 1.11 from the difference in the sensitivity of WAXD reflections with respect to the thickness of the sheets for the α-phase and β-phase reflections. +Crystallinity can be precisely determined from density data. The densities of the specimens were determined by the flotation method. A binary medium prepared from various ratios of distilled water and ethanol was used. The volume crystallinity can be obtained using +where ρ is the overall density of the sample, ρa is the density of amorphous phase which was taken to be 854 kgm−3 [18], and ρc is the density of crystalline phase which was determined using +where ϕβ estimated using Eq. (1) was employed. +2.2 Crystallization process +The morphological feature and the growth rate of the spherulites as a function of time were examined using a polarized optical microscope during the isothermal crystallization process. A polarized optical microscope (OLYMPUS, B201) fitted with an automated hot stage was used. The hot stage (METTLER TOLEDO, FP82HT) was held at a steady temperature to ±0.2 K by a proportional controller. The film including β-nucleators was sandwiched between a microscope slide and a cover glass, heated to 483 K and kept at this temperature for 10 min to melt the crystallites completely. Then the samples were rapidly quenched to a given crystallization temperature Tc and allowed to crystallize isothermally. In Figure 1, the growth rates of α- and β-spherulites are plotted against the inverse of temperature. The growth rates increased with decreasing temperature over the whole experimental temperature ranges. Figure 1 reveals that the difference between the two growth rates decreases with increasing temperature as shown by previous studies [6] and the growth rate of the β-spherulites exceeds that of the α-spherulite below 410 K which is slightly lower than 413–414 K determined by Shi et al. [19] and Varga [20]. This strongly suggests that the β-spherulites are relatively larger than the α-spherulites in iPP materials containing both phases prepared under usual conditions. +According to several kinetic theories [21, 22, 23], the growth rate G can be expressed by +where G0 is a pre-exponential factor that is independent of temperature, ΔH, which is equal to 6.28 kJ/mol and corresponds to the activation energy of chain motion in the melt [22], (is the equilibrium melting temperature), is a correcting factor, and Kg is the nucleation constant in which the crystallization mechanism is divided into three regions, Regimes I, II and III, depending on the crystallization temperature and given by +where Δhf is the heat of fusion, b0 is the thickness of the new layer, σ is the lateral surface free energy, is the fold surface free energy, and kB is the Boltzmann constant. According to Hoffman et al. [21], the surface free energy can be estimated using +where a0 is the width of new layer, lb (=0.154 nm) is the bond length, lu (=0.1084 nm) is the projection length per atom, and C∞ (=5.7) is the characteristic ratio [23]. The essential parameters for the kinetic study of β crystallization [19] are = 449 K, Δhf = 177 MJm−3, a0 = 0.636 nm, and b0 = 0.551 nm. As a result, the surface energy σ was estimated to be 1.4 × 10−4 J m−2. +Using Eq. 6, logG + ΔH/2.303RTc was plotted against 1/TΔTf as shown in Figure 2. Two linear parts corresponding to Regime II and Regime III were obtained: the change in the slope occurs at 401 K, which is in the range (396–403 K) published in the literature [1], and the slope ratio is 1.74. It was estimated that σe = 2.68–3.08 × 10−2 J m−2 from the slopes using σ of 1.4 × 10−4 J m−2. The work of chain folding q can be derived from the fold surface energy given by q = 2σe a0 b0. Consequently, the value of q for the β-phase was estimated to be 11–13 kJ/mol, which is about half the value (28 kJ/mol) for the α-phase given by Shi et al. [19]. +2.3 Crystalline morphology +The small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) measurement was performed with a point-focusing optics and a one-dimensional position-sensitive proportional counter (PSPC) with an effective length of 10 cm. The CuKα radiation supplied by a MAC Science M18X generator operating at 40 kV and 30 mA was used throughout. The distance between the sample and PSPC was about 40 cm. The geometry was further checked using a chicken tendon collagen, which gives a set of sharp diffraction spots corresponding to 65.3 nm. +From the volume fraction of the crystals χV, and SAXS long period Lp, the lamellar crystal thickness Lc and amorphous layer thickness La can be determined, assuming a two-phase model, from the following relationship: +Figure 3 shows the Lorentz-corrected SAXS intensities plotted against magnitude of scattering vector s (= 2/λ sinθ) where 2θ is the scattering angle and λ is the X-ray wavelength (= 0.1542 nm). The maximum point in the SAXS curves yields the average long period. The s value of α-PP (or PP0) was around 0.07 nm−1, and the s value of β-iPP (or PP98) was around 0.0625 nm−1, indicating that the long period Lp of β-iPP is greater than that of α-iPP. The iPP samples with both modifications have two SAXS peaks corresponding to the α-phase peak near 0.072 nm−1 and β-phase peak near 0.0625 nm−1. This strongly suggests that the modified iPP samples with the α- and β-spherulites coexist but no co-crystallization of α-phase and β-phase crystals takes place. The specific long periods for α-phase and β-phase were about 14 and 16 nm. +3. Tensile deformation +The sample specimens were cut into a dumbbell shape having a gauge length of 10 mm. The tensile strain was calculated from the ratio of the increment of the length between the clamps to the initial gauge length. The tensile stress was determined by dividing the tensile load by the initial cross section. The stress–strain curves at room temperature were measured at a constant crosshead speed of 20 mm/min. +Figure 4a shows the overall stress–strain curves for all the samples with various β-phase contents at the same crystallinity. The ultimate tensile elongation markedly increases with increasing the β-phase content, and the β-iPP (PP98) has higher drawability than α-iPP (PP0). The β-iPP is elongated more gradually with ambiguous necking as compared to α-iPP, which is elongated with obvious necking. +As seen in Figure 4b, the initial elastic strain domain is surprisingly insensitive to the change in the composition of the crystalline phase at a fixed crystallinity. Thus, Young’s modulus was constant and completely independent of the β-phase content (see Figure 5). This phenomenon is responsible for the strain concentration in the amorphous region [24] because the amorphous phase in iPP is rubberlike at room temperature and the mechanical modulus of the amorphous phase is considerably lower than those of α- and β-phase crystals. Consequently, before yielding, the deformation of the semicrystalline polymers is dominated by the deformation of the amorphous phase, indicating that the initial elastic region depends mainly on the crystallinity. +The elasticity limits where the actual stress-strain curves for the β-modified iPP samples are deviated from the linear elastic behavior were around 0.1 strain as shown in Figure 4b. The deviation may be due to the onset of microscopic plastic deformation resulting from the lower packing density of the β-phase. The main differences in the stress-strain curves exist in the yield region. In this region, the macroscopic structural transformation from a spherulitic structure to microfibrils takes place. +The yield process was found to become broader as the β-phase content increases, and the yield stress linearly decreases with increasing β-phase content (see Figure 5). This is relevant to the early and more gradual activation of plastic processes in the β-phase as compared to α-phase because of the higher molecular mobility in the β-phase at the same temperature. This demonstrates that the plastic behavior is much more sensitive to the nature of the crystalline phase. In addition, the yield peak in the stress–strain curves broadens, and the neck region is more ambiguous as the β-phase increases. As mentioned before, the β-phase crystals have a lower cohesive force than the α-phase crystals, which is also reflected by their lower melting temperature and lower density. The lower cohesive force leads to easier slipping of the lamellar chains, resulting in a lower yield stress. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, the yield energy, which is defined as the energy dissipated for yielding to take place, linearly increases with increasing β-phase content, and all data almost fall on the solid line, which can be calculated according to the simple mixture law as follows: +Here UY is the yield energy (resilience), which was estimated from the area under the stress-strain plot from the origin to the stress drop, and UβY and UαY are the yield energies of β-iPP and α-iPP, respectively. +To obtain better insights into the plastic behavior of the crystalline component, the WAXD experiments were carried out at room temperature during tensile tests. The direction of the incident beam was perpendicular to the plate surface of the specimens. Figure 7 shows the WAXD patterns of α-iPP (PP0) and β-iPP (PP98). The WAXD patterns of the undrawn specimens of PP0 and PP98 are shown in Figures 7a and d, respectively. The patterns of iPP0 stretched at a strain of 0.4 and PP98 stretched at a strain of 0.8, in which both stretched samples are in the post-yielding region, are shown in Figures 7b and e, respectively, and those of both specimens at the final failure point are shown in Figures 7c and f, respectively. The Debye rings of the (300) and (030) reflections of the β-phase crystals remain in the PP98 sample deformed up to the post-yielding region (see Figure 7e), and they are scarcely oriented even in the initial necking region. In contrast to PP98, PP0 exhibits the reflections of the α-phase concentrated in the perpendicular direction to the elongation even in the post-yielding and necking regions. This pattern is almost the same as the typical profile of the iPP specimens at the final failure point, indicating that α-iPP attains the final c-axis orientation of crystals after yielding. In addition, it should be noted here that there is no clear difference in the orientation pattern at the final failure point between PP98 and PP0. The strain induced β → α transition on tensile drawing has been reported by several authors [25, 26, 27, 28, 29]. In the present work, there is no evidence for the occurrence of a β → α transition as seen in Figure 7f, but the final orientation morphology of PP98 appears to be the same as that of PP0. The reflections showing the attainable final orientation exist between 14 and 16°, suggesting the assignment of smectic form as demonstrated by Turner-Jones et al. [12] and Shi et al. [8]. +4. Deformation of isolated spherulites +According to our previous studies [30, 31] concerning the yield behavior of typical spherulitic polymers such as PE and α-iPP, several lamellae tend to cluster into bundles with tie molecules, where these are separated from one another by the amorphous regions and the lamellar clusters constituting of spherulites act as deformation units. The lamellar clusters are bridged by the inter-cluster or intercrystalline links, as proposed by Keith-Padden et al. [32], thus acting as stress transmitters. The stacked lamellae or lamellar clusters are fragmented into cluster units or blocks at the yield point, resulting in a stress drop. Beyond the yield point, the plastic deformation involves the rotation of the cluster units and the sliding of stacked lamellae inside each cluster units, and the fragmented cluster units are rearranged into microfibrils in the necking region [33]. The continuous structural transformation corresponds to the neck propagation. In the case of β-spherulitic iPP showing a broad yield process, the lamellar clusters disintegrate accompanied by sliding crystalline stems and chain slip inside the crystalline lamellae. Consequently, the fragmentation of lamellae and/or lamellar clusters hardly occurs. These differences in yielding mechanism between α- and β-spherulitic iPPs are due to the differences not only in the cohesive force between crystalline chains but also in the spherulite morphology. +Figure 8 shows an atomic force microscopy (AFM) micrograph of the morphology of the β-form iPP spherulites prepared in this work. The morphology is significantly different from the typical spherulite morphology of α-phase iPP. This spherulite seems to be type III according to Norton and Keller’s classification [34] because there is no lamellar twisting within the spherulites. The embryo β-spherulites consist of parallel stacked lamellae. This type of spherulite is referred to as a sheaflike structure. Shi et al. [19] reported that the β-spherulites develop initially as rodlike structures and then by branching of the lamellae, finally evolving into sheaflike structures. In this case, the spherulite is formed from one crystal via a unidirectional growth mechanism. The spherical shape is attained through continuous branching and fanning via the intermediate stage of sheaves. However, the α-spherulites consist of an aggregate of chain-folded lamellae growing from a central point (nucleus). This is referred to as an acicular structure. Both structural models of α- and β-spherulites are shown in Figure 9. +It is likely that the spherulite morphology plays a central role in controlling the plastic deformation and tensile behavior of both PE and iPP materials. The mechanical responses to tensile yielding and the deformation process are considered to be fundamentally different between α- and β-spherulites. Tensile deformation of α-iPP materials is accompanied by necking process, in which the initial isotropic spherulite structure is converted into a highly oriented one. On the other hand, the β-iPP exhibits broader yield peaks without obvious necking formation and has a lower yield strength than that of α-iPP. Furthermore, the β-iPP specimen began to be whitened with further extension, whereas the α-iPP exhibited partial stress whitening beyond yielding. This stress whitening seems to be caused by the formation of numerous voids after yielding [35]. +Previously, we reported a method for preparing a thin film with huge isolated spherulites embedded in a soft (smectic) matrix [36]. The deformation mechanism of spherulites can be examined from the direct observation of the stretched film on the polarized optical microscope. Thus, we mounted the manual stretcher on the optical microscope to observe the deformation process of the isolated spherulites. +Figure 10a shows the optical microscopic pictures of an isolated α-spherulite. A few arc-shaped cracks rapidly appeared in the polar zone in the initial stages of stretching. With increasing strain, the arc-shaped cracks developed in the polar zone and proceed from the outer to the inner portions of the spherulite. Subsequently, radial craze-like fractures began to form in the equatorial region perpendicular to the stretching axis, and then the radial crazing progressed along with the spherulite radius, resulting in the evolution of large dark bands in the equatorial region. The evolution of the dark bands is related to the yield process as demonstrated previously by Nitta et al. [36]. It should be noted here that the deformation mechanism of α-spherulites is isotropic because crystalline lamellae within α-spherulites radiate from a common center and the crystalline lamellae aggregate with spherical symmetry. Unlike the α-spherulite, β-spherulites are sheaflike type of spherulites with a spherical asymmetry (see Figure 9). As shown in Figure 10b and c, the deformation behavior of the β-spherulite depends largely on the stretching direction with respect to the sheaf axis. In the case of the β-spherulites, when drawn perpendicular to the sheaf direction, the radial crazing preferentially appeared in the equatorial zone along the sheaf axis, and then the dark crazing zone developed further with increasing strain. Finally, a hole appeared in the center of the deformed spherulite, indicating that the deformation is concentrated perpendicular to the stacked lamellae located in the center of the spherulite. On the other hand, when drawing along the sheaf axis, the spherulite was deformed into an ellipsoid accompanied by the formation of crazed cracks, and there is no clear strain concentration. +It was found that the strength of the β-spherulite is anisotropic and depends on the direction of the embryo or parallel stacked lamellae in the center of the spherulite. When the β-spherulites were subjected to stress perpendicular to the sheaf axis (see Figure 10b), obvious deformation bands generated preferentially near the equatorial zone within the uniaxially deformed spherulites. According to previous theoretical [37, 38] and experimental results [39], the equatorial region, particularly the center of the spherulites, is subjected to higher strains and stresses as compared to the polar region. Consequently, interlamellar separation is likely to occur near the equatorial plane of the stacked sheaflike lamellae because the sheaf direction is perpendicular to the loading direction. As the strain increased, separation of the sheaf-lamellae continued, and more deformation bands and crazes generated preferentially near the equatorial zone of the deformed spherulites. In the final stage, holes or local disintegration appeared near the center of the deformed spherulites. This lamellar separation was accompanied by massive voiding at the onset of the formation of a microporous structure, which is preferential for the applications of β-phase iPP [29, 40]. On the other hand, when the β-spherulite was stretched in the growth direction of the embryo sheaf (see Figure 10c), there was no obvious deformation bands around the equatorial zone. Thus, intralamellar deformation is likely to take place for the sheaf-lamellae under uniaxial tension because the sheaf-lamellae are parallel to the loading direction. Considering that the intralamellar stretching of the sheaf-lamellae involves the unfolding of chains, leading to local necking or sliding, the intralamellar stretching of sheaf-lamellae strongly resists deformation compared to the interlamellar separation; thus, no localized deformation bands appeared near the equatorial zone. +As well-known, the β → α transformation occurs on heat treatment. The film having isolated β-spherulites was heated up to 433 K at a rate of 2 K/min and then quenched in an ice-water bath. This treatment allows the recrystallization into α-modification within the isolated β-spherulites. The arrangement of the crystalline lamellae in the α-spherulites prepared by the β → α transformation is a sheaflike structure, which is different from the usual α-spherulites showing an acicular structure. Thus, the sheaflike spherulite prepared by the β → α transformation process is a new type of α-spherulite. As shown in Figure 11, the sheaflike α-spherulite is optically negative, indicating that there are no traces of a crosshatched structure within the β-spherulites. +The deformation behavior of the sheaflike α-spherulite was also anisotropic and significantly different from that of the acicular type of α-spherulite as shown in Figure 10. When the axis of the sheaf was transverse to the loading direction, the deformation bands appeared obviously along the sheaf axis, and then the further deformation extended the highly oriented and deformed zone in the equatorial region of the deformed spherulite. The uniaxially deformed spherulite is clearly divided into two parts: one being nearly undeformed and another being considerably deformed. The nearly undeformed sections are jointed by the transition zone that propagates in the stretching direction. The interlamellar separation of stacked sheaf-lamellae in the equatorial zone was initiated in the first stage of deformation, and then the separation of the sheaf-lamellae continues, and more deformation bands proceeded as the strain was further increased. On the other hand, when the sheaf axis was in the draw direction (see Figure 11b), the spherulite was initially deformed to an ellipse of similar shape to that expected for affine deformation. This is because its equatorial region is tougher because the lamellae parallel to the stretching direction more strongly resist deformation than the lamellae perpendicular to the loading direction as mentioned in the discussion of β-spherulite deformation. Subsequent deformation caused micro-necking in such a way that the traces of the sheaf structure remain in the center portion of the spherulite. The sheaf-lamellae located perpendicular to the loading direction are brittle, whereas the sheaf-lamellae located parallel to the loading direction are tougher or ductile. This anisotropic deformation behavior is quite different from the isotropic deformation of acicular α-spherulites, but it is similar to those of sheaf β-spherulites as well as isolated PE spherulites, as shown by Lee et al. [41]. This is plausible because PE spherulite is sheaflike. +It has been long recognized that the deformation of crystalline polymers must be considered in terms of various structural parameters such as crystallinity, lamellar thickness or long period, and spherulite size. However, the present results imply that deformation behavior and mechanical response of bulk iPP materials are affected not only by these structural factors but also by the morphological texture within spherulites. +5. temperature. The β-phase contents are plotted against the fixed temperature in Figure 12. The β → α transformation occurs at around 413 K, and the β-iPP was completely transformed into the α-phase above 427 K. It should be noted here that the thus-prepared iPP sheets contain sheaf type of spherulites. Consequently, we obtained three types of iPP sheets having a fixed crystallinity of around 73%, for example, the α-iPP sheets showing acicular spherulites, the α-iPP sheets showing sheaflike spherulites, and the β-iPP sheets showing sheaflike spherulites. Here, we have referred to these samples as α-acicular, α-sheaf, and β-sheaf. +Figure 13 shows the stress-strain curves measured at various temperatures for α-acicular, α-sheaf, and β-sheaf sheets. At all temperatures, the stress–strain curves in the initial elastic strain domain were almost the same for these three samples. This is plausible because the crystallinities of these samples are almost equal. This also indicates that Young’s modulus is dominated by the bulk crystallinity and is almost independent of the lamellar morphology of the spherulites and of the crystal modification. In addition, the α-acicular iPP sample is in more brittle manner than the α-sheaf and the β-sheaf iPP samples and broke around the yield peak except at 380 K. This indicates that the plastic deformation is much more sensitive to the change of the spherulite texture than to crystalline modification. This corroborates the previous results that the deformation behavior of isolated β-sheaf and α-sheaf spherulites is similar and significantly different from that of the α-acicular spherulites. Moreover, β-spherulites show a greater resistance to break when the strain direction is almost parallel to the sheaf axis. Interestingly, the yield strengths in α-acicular and α-sheaf iPPs are almost the same, although larger than that of the β-sheaf iPP. This indicates that the yield strength is much more sensitive to crystal phase modification than to the lamellar arrangement of the spherulites. The reduced yield stress of β-sheaf iPP compared to those of the α-acicular and α-sheaf iPPs is associated with the greater chain mobility in the β-phase crystals. The lower packing density of the β-phase is accompanied by the reduced stem interactions in the β-crystalline lamellae as compared to the α-lamellae, leading to the lower yield stress of the β-phase compared to that of the α-phase. An additional factor reducing the lamellar strength is the crystallographic symmetry of the hexagonal β-phase, which provides three equivalent glide planes. +To confirm these conclusions, we compared the stress-strain behaviors measured from 320 to 380 K for α-spherulitic iPP sheets with different amounts of sheaflike spherulites which were prepared by tempering the iPP samples with the different amount of β-spherulites. Note here that these iPP sheets have a fixed crystallinity of about 74%. As a result, α-spherulitic iPP sheets having various sheaflike spherulite contents with constant crystallinity were prepared. Figure 14 also shows that the ductility enhances as the content of sheaf spherulites increased, whereas the yield strengths of all sheets are the same and almost insensitive to the lamellar arrangement of the spherulites. +6. Summary +Based on our investigation of the tensile properties of α-iPP and β-modified iPP, in which all the other structural parameters, such as overall crystallinity and spherulite size, were controlled, the following conclusions can be drawn: +The stress-strain curves in the initial elastic strain region are dominated by the effects of crystallinity but are almost insensitive to changes in the crystal phases, as well as to the lamellar arrangements of spherulites. +The yield strength is more sensitive to the crystal modification than the lamellar arrangement of spherulites, and α-iPP shows a higher yield stress than β-modified iPP. +The plastic deformation process of the spherulites is sensitive to the lamellar arrangement of spherulites. The sheaflike spherulites are more ductile than the acicular spherulites and exhibit anisotropy in their plastic properties. The improved drawability and ductility of β-iPP compared with α-iPP is thus associated with the enhanced toughness resulting from multiple deformation processes in the sheaflike spherulites. +Frequently Asked Questions This will be the mother of all Frequently Asked Koozie Questions - in approximate order of seriousness :) +What is the basic KOOZIE® Can Koolers +ordering Process? +How long does it take to get my KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? I want em bad!!!! +Are there any coupons so I can save money? +Can I get my KOOZIE® Can Koolers rushed to me? (I waited too late?) +Can you match the color to _______________? +Can I get a sample? +Can I submit my own art? How do I do that? +Is your site secure? +I don't trust this dang internet thingy, what can I do? +Do I have to use the names and dates in your art graphics? +Do you sell blank Koozies? +How Much are 100 Foam KOOZIE® Can Koolers delivered to my door? +Why are your prices so low? +What the heck is a screen charge? +How come some other guys don't charge screen charges? +Do you have restocking fee? cancellation fee? or reduction fee? +Do you have metallic (silver and gold) ink? +What is the most popular KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? +Who has the worlds largest KOOZIE® Can Koolers collection? +Where can I get the worlds cheapest KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? +Where is the most expensive KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? +How much would could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? +Is the Pope Catholic? +What is the basic KOOZIE® Can Kooler +ordering Process? +Great Question. Here is how it works. You, the customer who really wants the best KOOZIE® Can Kooler for their event selects the style of KOOZIE® Can Kooler they would like. Foam, Collapsible, etc. Go to the order page and fill out the easy online order form and make payment. You will immediately receive an email confirmation of the details of your order. A few days later, we will email you a proof of your order to approve before we print (unless you ordered blanks). You can either approve it, or make changes, if you make changes, we will update the proof and send you another with those changes, once you approve we will ship via UPS those beautiful KOOZIE® Can Koolers to your door. You will then enjoy cool drinks for years to come. Simple eh? +How long does it take to get my KOOZIE® Can Koolers +? I want 'em bad!!! +We get your KOOZIE® Can Koolers to you on or before the date you need them. Our order form has a "When do you need them?" Field (Item 7) You give us the date, and we get them to you on or before that date. We don't ship them on that date. We get them in your hands to use by that date. Now if it is a short time frame there are rush fees. :) The rush fees vary throughout the season, and can be found on our shipping pages. +Are there any coupons to save money? +Can I get my KOOZIE® Can Koolers +rushed to me? (I waited too late?) +Yes. That is the short answer. Many of our customers are just like us, they realize at the last minute that KOOZIE® Can Koolers are exactly what they need to make the party/wedding favor/event perfect. So we do offer rush options. Rush fees can be found shipping pages. We do guarantee they will get there, as long as you approve your art quickly. We REALLY, REALLY want you to have your Wedding KOOZIE® s ! +Can you match the color to _______________? +Ummmm No. For years we tried to delicately dance around this question. But the truth is KOOZIE® Can Koolers runs come out slightly different, and the heat that we use to cure the ink changes the color slightly. So we cannot match. We have posted pictures of the colors of our KOOZIE® Can Koolers , but every monitor is a little different. We feel confident that the black is black, but we will not answer questions like "Is the Forest Green like a Kentucky fescue grass green or more like an 8 year old male booger green?" Please don't be angry. It is so subjective and each person has their opinion on what a color looks like. KOOZIE® Can Koolers are just for fun. Sidenote: We did have a bride order her KOOZIE® Can Koolers , and get her wedding dress and shoes to match. We LIKE her!! +Can I get a sample? +Certainly. Click Here, and for $5.00 including shipping and handling we will ship you one printed sample of each our 4 styles. +Can I submit my own art? How do I do that? +Yes! Our art requirements are listed here and are fairly specific as we want you to get the best looking KOOZIE® Can Koolers possible. When you place your order, the VERY last page of the order form will ask you if you would like to attach your art. Just click on that, and attach your art, and it will be associated with your order. Pretty easy. +Is your site secure?Is your site secure? +YEs, We take security seriously. Our site uses ssl protocol, and your information is run through Authorize.net - the leader in online security. +I don't trust this dang internet thingy, what can I do?I don't trust this dang internet thingy, what can I do? +We get that. Some folks would like to mail in an order. You can download a word order form here or a Pdf order form here. Fill it out, and fax it or mail it to us. +Do I have to use the names and dates in your art graphics?Do I have to use the names and dates in your art graphics? +Yes, we know it is a little awkward, but we hope you can work around that. JUST KIDDING! Those are there for visual representation. Tell us in Section 6 of the order form the names, dates, location that you would like us to print. Then we will customize the perfect KOOZIE® Can Kooler for you. +Do you sell blank KOOZIE® Can Koolers ?Do you sell blank KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? +Yes we do. If you would like to order blank KOOZIE® Can Koolers , order koozies and in the order form Select No screen charge, and No art Charge, and for print design, select Blank. You will get blanks. Blank KOOZIE® Can Koolers do not usually do not deliver quicker just because they are blank, we get them to you on or before your due date. Due to the large number of KOOZIE® Can Koolers we print, we do not rush blanks through the system. +How Much are 100 Foam KOOZIE® Can Koolers delivered to my door?How Much are 100 Foam KOOZIE® Can Koolers delivered to my door? +This is a good way to calculate fees on Koozies. 100 koozies at the price break is .79 per KOOZIE® Can Koolers . There is a screen charge of $40.00 for every new order and $13.00 shipping and handling. Total $132.00 Now if you have us create or manipulate your artwork, or if there are rush fees there will be extra charges. +Why are your prices so low?Why are your prices so low? +Hmmmm, Don't look a gift horse . . . .. No, we get it, and we have been asked that more than a few times over the years. We love KOOZIE® Can Koolers and that is all we do. So we have fine tuned all of our processes over the past 11 years to be good at one thing. Bring you the best KOOZIE® Can Koolers for the best price. +What the heck is a screen charge?What the heck is a screen charge? +Good question. A screen charge is a fee to cover the cost of creating a screen for screen printing. In screen printing, a high tensile very thick screen is built, then a thick liquid called emulsion is poured across it and smoothed over. This screen is let dry in a dark, dust free room. On the other side of the process, your artwork is reversed and then the image is transferred onto a clear film and then that image is burnt into the screen. This burning process hardens the outside of your image, and leaves the image itself as a softer substance. The screen is now run through a precise pressure washer that washes out your image leaving clear screen at that spot. Then we dry the screen in a dust free environment, we tape off all the edges and any bad spots and test it for a good ink pass through. If this works well, then we print your KOOZIE® Can Koolers . Once the KOOZIE® Can Koolers are printed, we completely clean the emulsion out of the screen, and then dry it in a dust free environment to do it all over again. For the time and materials, we charge $40.00. Any screenprinter will tell you this is a losing proposition, but part of the cost of doing business in a professional manner. +How come some other guys don't charge screen charges?How come some other guys don't charge screen charges? +There are other guys? :) Well, they do. They just put it in other charges like a shell game. We like to see our screen charge as one cost. You know what it is, and the more KOOZIE® Can Koolers you order, the less impact it has. Also, if you order an EXACT repeat of a prior order we reduce your screen charge in half. +Do you have restocking fee? cancellation fee? or reduction fee?Do you have restocking fee? cancellation fee? or reduction fee? +Well first, we would anyone want to cancel an order? That is the real question. We get it, there are times when an order needs to be cancelled. We charge a fair restocking fee of !0 cents per production for cancellation, or reduction in order. +Do you have metallic (silver and gold) ink?Do you have metallic (silver and gold) ink? +We do. You can do metallic inks on our foam KOOZIE® Can Koolers . They have the only surface that will accept metallic inks. The cost for metallic inks is 10 cents per koozie. +What is the most popular KOOZIE® Can Koolers ?What is the most popular KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? +The foam and collapsible KOOZIE® Can Koolers definitely outsell the other models. They both tie when it comes to popularity. Over the years, the difference between the two of them has been just a few percentage points. +Who has the worlds largest Koozie collection?Who has the worlds largest Koozie collection? +Without the beefit of the new Census numbers, we think we do. We count roughly 264 in active use. Now that is the benefit of many years of KOOZIE® collecting, proper storage and maintenance and a fanatical love of KOOZIE® Can Koolers gives us an unfair advantage. If you can document a larger collection, please email bob@drinkoutloud.com and we will credit you. +Where can I get the worlds cheapest Koozie?Where can I get the worlds cheapest Koozie? +Well, certainly not here. That is for sure. We offer quality KOOZIE® Can Koolers at a great price, not cheapest. We have seen KOOZIE® Can Koolers on craigslist for as low as .25. But these are people trying to profit from duplicates in their collections. +Where is the most expensive beverage insulator?Where is the most expensive beverage insulator? +Again, certainly not here. We have seen a steel beverage insulator that went for $11.00 one time. I am sure that price can be beaten at some time. +How much would could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?How much would could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? +What does this have to do with KOOZIE® Can Koolers ? Not much, but we wanted to cover everything, and the page is titled Frequently Asked Questions +The woodchuck could chuck as much wood as he wanted! +(By the way what is a woodchuck? Is it like a gopher?): +* (answer from the paper pulp mill). +* About as many boards as the Mongol hoards would hoard if the Mongol hordes did hoard boards. +* Um....... 23???? +* Tons. More than you can count. Honestly. No one can chuck more wood than a woodchuck. +* If the woodchuck's name was Maurice, then it could chuck all the wood that it wanted to. However, if its name is Frank, no chucking would be allowed. +* Due to the average size of a woodchuck and the general density of wood (not including cork) units of wood. +* ! :P +* Approximately 3.9675 pounds every 5.6843 seconds. So there. +* 2.865 lbs every 11.3686 Seconds? +* As much as he needed to be satisfied +* But the true jokey answer, as told by my grandfather is: As much wood as a woodchuck could chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood. +* But it definitely couldn't chuck Chuck Norris. +* A group of people actually did a study on this. None of the wood chucks ate any wood planks so they never upchucked it but some of them chucked them (threw them) at people. +* During my study of Woodchuck I came to the conclusion that woodchucks don't chuck wood but only drink beer. (with Koozies? of course!) +*? +Is the Pope Catholic?Is the Pope Catholic? +Again. Relevance your honor? Just being complete. +Information Age +The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age) is a historical period that began in the early 20th century, characterized by a rapid epochal shift from the traditional industry established by the Industrial Revolution to an economy primarily based upon information technology.[1][2][3][4] The onset of the Information Age can be associated with the development of transistor technology,[4] particularly the MOSFET (metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor),[5][6] which became the fundamental building block of digital electronics[5][6] and revolutionized modern technology.[4][7] +According to the United Nations Public Administration Network, the Information Age was formed by capitalizing on computer microminiaturization advances,[8] which, upon broader usage within society, would lead to modernized information and to communication processes becoming the driving force of social evolution.[2] +Overview of early developments +Library expansion and Moore's law +Library expansion was calculated in 1945 by Fremont Rider to double in capacity every 16 years were sufficient space made available.[9] He advocated replacing bulky, decaying printed works with miniaturized microform analog photographs, which could be duplicated on-demand for library patrons and other institutions. +Rider did not foresee, however, the digital technology that would follow decades later to replace analog microform with digital imaging, storage, and transmission media, whereby vast increases in the rapidity of information growth would be made possible through automated, potentially-lossless digital technologies. Accordingly, Moore's law, formulated around 1965, would calculate that the number of transistors in a dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years.[10][11] +By the early 1980s, along with improvements in computing power, the proliferation of the smaller and less expensive personal computers allowed for immediate access to information and the ability to share and store such for increasing numbers of workers. Connectivity between computers within organizations enabled employees at different levels to access greater amounts of information. +Information storage and Kryder's law +The world's technological capacity to store information grew from 2.6 (optimally compressed) exabytes (EB) in 1986 to 15.8 EB in 1993; over 54.5 EB in 2000; and to 295 (optimally compressed) EB in 2007[12][13]. This is the informational equivalent to less than one 730-megabyte (MB) CD-ROM per person in 1986 (539 MB per person); roughly four CD-ROM per person in 1993; twelve CD-ROM per person in the year 2000; and almost sixty-one CD-ROM per person in 2007.[14] It is estimated that the world's capacity to store information has reached 5 zettabytes in 2014,[15] the informational equivalent of 4,500 stacks of printed books from the earth to the sun. +The amount of digital data stored appears to be growing approx.exponentially, reminiscent of Moore's law. As such, Kryder's law prescribes that the amount of storage space available appears to be growing approximately exponentially.[16][17][18], the information equivalent of 174 newspapers per person per day.[14] +The world's effective capacity to exchange information through two-way telecommunication networks was 281 petabytes of (optimally compressed) information in 1986; 471 petabytes in 1993; 2.2 (optimally compressed) exabytes in 2000; and 65 (optimally compressed) exabytes in 2007, the information equivalent of 6 newspapers per person per day.[14]; to 2.9 × 1011 MIPS in 2000; to 6.4 × 1012 MIPS in 2007.[14] An article featured in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution reports that, by now:[15] +). +Three-stage concept +The Information Age can define as the Primary Information Age and the Secondary Information Age. Information in the Primary Information age was handled by newspapers, radio and television. The Secondary Information Age was developed by Internet, satellite televisions and mobile phones. The Tertiary Information Age was emerged by media of the Primary Information Age interconnected with media of the Secondary Information Age. Today we are experiencing it.[19] +Economics +Eventually, Information and communication technology (ICT)—i.e. computers, computerized machinery, fiber optics, communication satellites, the Internet, and other ICT tools—became a significant part of the world economy, as the development of microcomputers greatly changed many businesses and industries.[20][21] Nicholas Negroponte captured the essence of these changes in his 1995 book, Being Digital, in which he discusses the similarities and differences between products made of atoms and products made of bits.[22] In essence, a copy of a product made of bits can be made cheaply and quickly, then expediently shipped across the country or the world at very low cost. +Jobs and income distribution +The Information Age has affected the workforce in several ways, such as compelling workers to compete in a global job market. One of the most evident concerns is the replacement of human labor by computers that can do their jobs faster and more effectively, thus creating a situation in which individuals who perform tasks that can easily be automated are forced to find employment where their labor is not as disposable.[23] This especially creates issue for those in industrial cities, where solutions typically involve lowering working time, which is often highly resisted. Thus, individuals who lose their jobs may be pressed to move up into joining "mind workers" (e.g. engineers, doctors, lawyers, teachers, professors, scientists, executives, journalists, consultants), who are able to compete successfully in the world market and receive (relatively) high wages.[24] +Along with automation, jobs traditionally associated with the middle class (e.g. assembly line, data processing, management, and supervision) have also begun to disappear as result of outsourcing.[25] Unable to compete with those in developing countries, production and service workers in post-industrial (i.e. developed) societies either lose their jobs through outsourcing, accept wage cuts, or settle for low-skill, low-wage service jobs.[25] In the past, the economic fate of individuals would be tied to that of their nation's. For example, workers in the United States were once well paid in comparison to those in other countries. With the advent of the Information Age and improvements in communication, this is no longer the case, as workers must now compete in a global job market, whereby wages are less dependent on the success or failure of individual economies.[25] +In effectuating a globalized workforce, the internet has just as well allowed for increased opportunity in developing countries, making it possible for workers in such places to provide in-person services, therefore competing directly with their counterparts in other nations. This competitive advantage translates into increased opportunities and higher wages.[26] +Automation, productivity, and job gain +The Information Age has affected the workforce in that automation and computerisation have resulted in higher productivity coupled with net job loss in manufacturing. In the United States, for example, from January 1972 to August 2010, the number of people employed in manufacturing jobs fell from 17,500,000 to 11,500,000 while manufacturing value rose 270%.[27] +Although it initially appeared that job loss in the industrial sector might be partially offset by the rapid growth of jobs in information technology, the recession of March 2001 foreshadowed a sharp drop in the number of jobs in the sector. This pattern of decrease in jobs would continue until 2003,[28] and data has shown that, overall, technology creates more jobs than it destroys even in the short run.[29] +Information-intensive industry +Industry is has become more information-intensive while less labor- and capital-intensive. This has left important implications for the workforce, as workers have become increasingly productive as the value of their labor decreases. For the system of capitalism itself, not only is the value of labor decreased, the value of capital is also diminished. +In the classical model, investments in human and financial capital are important predictors of the performance of a new venture.[30] However, as demonstrated by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook, it now seems possible for a group of relatively inexperienced people with limited capital to succeed on a large scale.[31] +Innovations +The Information Age was enabled by technology developed in the Digital Revolution, which was itself enabled by building on the developments of the Technological Revolution. +Transistors +The onset of the Information Age can be associated with the development of transistor technology.[4] The concept of a field-effect transistor was first theorized by Julius Edgar Lilienfeld in 1925.[32].[33][32] However, early junction transistors were relatively bulky devices that were difficult to manufacture on a mass-production basis, which limited them to a number of specialised applications.[34] +The beginning of the Information Age, along with the Silicon Age, has been dated back to the invention of the metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET; or MOS transistor),[35] which was invented by Mohamed M. Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs in 1959.[6][33][36] The MOSFET was the first truly compact transistor that could be miniaturised and mass-produced for a wide range of uses.[34] With its high scalability,[37] and much lower power consumption and higher density than bipolar junction transistors,[38] the MOSFET made it possible to build high-density integrated circuits (ICs),[33] allowing the integration of more than 10,000 transistors in a small IC,[39] and later billions of transistors in a single device.[40] +The widespread adoption of MOSFETs revolutionized the electronics industry,[41] such as control systems and computers since the 1970s.[42] The MOSFET revolutionized the world during the Information Age, with its high density enabling a computer to exist on a few small IC chips rather than filling a room,[7] and later making possible digital communications technology, such as smartphones.[40] As of 2013, billions of MOS transistors are manufactured every day.[33] The MOS transistor has been the fundamental building block of digital electronics since the late 20th century, paving the way for the digital age.[6] The MOS transistor is credited with transforming society around the world,[40][6] and has been described as the "workhorse" of the Information Age,[5] as the basis for every microprocessor, memory chip, and telecommunication circuit in use as of 2016.[43].[44].[45][46] Following the invention of the MOS transistor by Mohamed Atalla and Dawon Kahng at Bell Labs in 1959,[36] the MOS integrated circuit was developed by Fred Heiman and Steven Hofstein at RCA in 1962.[47] The silicon-gate MOS IC was later developed by Federico Faggin at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1968.[48].[49][50].[51] The first commercial hard disk drive, the IBM 350, was shipped in 1956.[52] With the advent of the MOS transistor, MOS semiconductor memory was developed by John Schmidt at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1964.[53][54] In 1967, Dawon Kahng and Simon Sze at Bell Labs developed the floating-gate MOSFET (FGMOS), which they proposed could be used for erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM),[55] providing the basis for non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies such as flash memory.[56] Following the invention of flash memory by Fujio Masuoka at Toshiba in 1980,[57][58] Toshiba commercialized NAND flash memory in 1987.[59][60]).[61][62][63] Wireless networks, combined with the proliferation of communications satellites in the 2000s, allowed for public digital transmission without the need for cables. This technology led to digital television, GPS, satellite radio, wireless Internet, and mobile phones through the 1990s to 2000s. +MOSFET scaling, the rapid miniaturization of MOSFETs at a rate predicted by Moore's law,[64],[65] enabled practical digital media transmission,[66][67][68] with image compression formats such as JPEG (1992), video coding formats such as H.26x (1988 onwards) and MPEG (1993 onwards),[69] audio coding standards such as Dolby Digital (1991)[70][71] and MP3 (1994),[69] and digital TV standards such as video-on-demand (VOD)[66] and high-definition television (HDTV).[72].[73] +Electronic paper, which has origins in the 1970s, allows digital information to appear as paper documents. +Optics +Optical communication has played an important role in communication networks.[74] Optical communication provided the hardware basis for Internet technology, laying the foundations for the Digital Revolution and Information Age.[75].[76] +While working at Tohoku University, Japanese engineer Jun-ichi Nishizawa proposed fiber-optic communication, the use of optical fibers for optical communication, in 1963.[77] Nishizawa invented other technologies that contributed to the development of optical fiber communications, such as the graded-index optical fiber as a channel for transmitting light from semiconductor lasers.[78][79] He patented the graded-index optical fiber in 1964.[75] The solid-state optical fiber was invented by Nishizawa in 1964.[80] +The three essential elements of optical communication were invented by Jun-ichi Nishizawa: the semiconductor laser (1957) being the light source, the graded-index optical fiber (1964) as the transmission line, and the PIN photodiode (1950) as the optical receiver.[75] Izuo Hayashi's invention of the continuous wave semiconductor laser in 1970 led directly to the light sources in fiber-optic communication, laser printers, barcode readers, and optical disc drives, commercialized by Japanese entrepreneurs,[81] and opening up the field of optical communications.[74]).[82][83] +See also +- Attention economy +- Attention inequality +- Big data +- Cognitive-cultural economy +- Computer crime +- Cyberterrorism +- Cyberwarfare +- Datamation – first print magazine dedicated solely to covering information technology[84] +-. +- ^ a b "The History of Computers". thought.co. +- ^ "The 4 industrial revolutions". sentryo.net. February 23, 2017. +- ^ a b c d e Manuel, Castells (1996). The information age : economy, society and culture. Oxford: Blackwell. ISBN 978-0631215943. OCLC 43092627. +- ^ a b c Raymer, Michael G. (2009). The Silicon Web: Physics for the Internet Age. CRC Press. p. 365. ISBN 9781439803127. +- ^ a b c d e "Triumph of the MOS Transistor". YouTube. Computer History Museum. 6 August 2010. Retrieved 21 July 2019. +- ^ a b. +- ^ Kluver, Randy. "Globalization, Informatization, and Intercultural Communication". un.org. Retrieved 18 April 2013. +- ^ Rider, Fredmont (1944). The Scholar and the Future of the Research Library. New York City: Hadham Press. +- ^ "Moore's Law to roll on for another decade". Retrieved 2011-11-27.. +- ^ a b Roser, Max, and Hannah Ritchie. 2013. "Technological Progress." Our World in Data. Retrieved on 9 June 2020. +- ^ Hilbert, M.; Lopez, P. (2011-02-10). "The World's Technological Capacity to Store, Communicate, and Compute Information". Science. 332 (6025): 60–65. doi:10.1126/science.1200970. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 21310967. S2CID 206531385. +- ^ Hilbert, Martin R. (2011). Supporting online material for the world's technological capacity to store, communicate, and compute infrormation. Science/AAAS. OCLC 755633889. +- ^ a b c d. S2CID 206531385. +- ^ a b. +- ^ Gantz, John, and David Reinsel. 2012. "The Digital Universe in 2020: Big Data, Bigger Digital Shadows, and Biggest Growth in the Far East." IDC iView. S2CID:112313325. View multimedia content. +- ^ Rizzatti, Lauro. 14 September 2016. "Digital Data Storage is Undergoing Mind-Boggling Growth." EE Times. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. +- ^ "The historical growth of data: Why we need a faster transfer solution for large data sets." Signiant. 2020. Retrieved 9 June 2020. +- ^ Iranga, Suroshana (2016). Social Media Culture. Colombo: S. Godage and Brothers. ISBN 978-9553067432. +- ^ . +- ^ Geiger, Christophe (2011), "Copyright and Digital Libraries", E-Publishing and Digital Libraries, IGI Global, pp. 257–272, doi:10.4018/978-1-60960-031-0.ch013, ISBN 978-1-60960-031-0 +- ^ a b c McGowan, Robert. 1991. "The Work of Nations by Robert Reich" (book review). Human Resource Management 30(4):535–38. doi:10.1002/hrm.3930300407. ISSN 1099-050X. +- ^ Bhagwati, Jagdish N. (2005). In defense of Globalization. New York: Oxford University Press. +- ^ Smith, Fran. 5 Oct 2010. "Job Losses and Productivity Gains." Competitive Enterprise Institute. +- ^ Cooke, Sandra D. 2003. "Information Technology Workers in the Digital Economy." In Digital Economy. Economics and Statistics Administration, Department of Commerce. +- ^ Yongsung, Chang, and Jay H. Hong (2013). "Does Technology Create Jobs?". SERI Quarterly. 6 (3): 44–53. Retrieved 29 April 2014.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) +- ^. +- ^ a b Lee, Thomas H. (2003). "A Review of MOS Device Physics" (PDF). The Design of CMOS Radio-Frequency Integrated Circuits. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139643771. +- ^ a b c d "Who Invented the Transistor?". Computer History Museum. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2019. +- ^ a b. +- ^ a b "1960 - Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) Transistor Demonstrated". The Silicon Engine. Computer History Museum. +- ^ Motoyoshi, M. (2009). "Through-Silicon Via (TSV)" (PDF). Proceedings of the IEEE. 97 (1): 43–48. doi:10.1109/JPROC.2008.2007462. ISSN 0018-9219. S2CID 29105721. +- ^ "Transistors Keep Moore's Law Alive". EETimes. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 18 July. +- ^ a b c "Remarks by Director Iancu at the 2019 International Intellectual Property Conference". United States Patent and Trademark Office. June 10, 2019. Archived from the original on 17 December 2019. Retrieved. +- ^. +- ^ Sahay, Shubham; Kumar, Mamidala Jagadesh (2019). Junctionless Field-Effect Transistors: Design, Modeling, and Simulation. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781119523536. +- ^... +- ^ Matthew, Crick (2016). Power, Surveillance, and Culture in YouTube™'s Digital Sphere. IGI Global. pp. 36–7. ISBN 9781466698567. +- ^ a b S. Millman (1983), A History of Engineering and Science in the Bell System, page 10 Archived 2017-10-26 at the Wayback Machine, AT&T Bell Laboratories +- ^ a b c. +- ^. +- ^ "Newspapers News and News Archive Resources: Computer and Technology Sources". Temple University. Retrieved 9 September 2015. +Note: Transcription from audio provided by Philadelphia Union. Questions have been paraphrased. +Jim Curtin +On Conor Casey +Conor came in and got us two huge goals. He’s had a good week at training, he’s kept his head up, he’s been a real veteran and a positive guy in the locker room. Even though he hasn’t been playing a lot, when he got his time he certainly took advantage of it. +Credit to our guys. We seem to have our best performances when we’re at our most depleted and guys rise up and do a good job. We just have to transition this to playing this way at home. +How do you make that transition? +Well, I actually say when we sit back, I think we’re very hard to break down. San Jose, I think up until the PK, only had zero shots on goal, so maybe we have to look at that at home, not getting over anxious and flying out. If you look back even to as recently as New England, when we fly out they are able to pass around us. When we are compact and then tough to play through, I think we can play with anybody. We’ve shown that during the year. +Again, very happy for the guys, a lot of guys put in a brave effort tonight, overcame the lack of two penalty kicks, clear penalty kicks that were missed by the referee. But, I told our guys at half time, no one’s going to help us. We’re not going to get calls from the referee, we have to play through it, no matter what, and stick together. They really showed a lot of fight, resiliency, because we had — the tough PK [go] against us, and we stuck together and got two goals. +On Tranquillo Barnetta +Tranquillo is a guy who we brought here to be a leader. He’s a presence in the locker room. He’s a guy who has been in the big game – he’s played in the Champion’s League, he knows what it takes to get results similar to tonight when you have to grind out wins on the road, which is difficult to do. +He’s a guy that I thought by giving him the band, would empower him a little bit, and I thought he had a very good night. He was very busy, active, and he’s still a guy who’s just in his preseason. So, he’s getting himself going again, and hopefully at the right time as we go into the final six games of our season, as well as the Open Cup final. So, I think he embraced the armband and did a great job. +What was going through your mind after the penalty call for San Jose? We’re you happy with how they responded? +Yeah, I was. Initially — it seemed like a minute before the call was made — the ball was actually already out of bounds, and then you hear the whistle blow. He points to the spot and you think it’s just going to be another hard luck game against us, or call against us, and the guys responded well. Conor came in, did a good job but, if you go through the whole entire list, I thought that there was a lot of good performances from guys who put a lot into it. San Jose’s one of the hottest teams in the league right now, they’re in a good run of form. Yes, they’re missing guys, but we’re missing a lot of guys, as well. So, hard fought game, and a big three points for us in the standings. +On Steven Vitoria and Richie Marquez partnership +Continuity is key for a center back pairing and they’ve gotten a good run of games now and they’ve had some zeros. They put up zeros tonight — we gave up the PK, obviously, but I thought they prevented a good San Jose attack for most of the night. I was very happy with Steven winning balls in the air, it was the most aggressive I’ve seen him winning balls in the air, broke up a lot of plays. And Richie did a a good job, as well, winning his battles. Quincy’s a handful up there, he’s a pain in the butt to play against. And Wondo is Wondo, he’s a proven goalscorer, as proven a goalscorer as there is in our league. So, they did a good job limiting those guys, I thought, on the evening. +On Vitoria coming into form, is it being healthy or feeling comfortable? +I think it’s a little of both. I think being healthy is huge, he’s also getting used to the league. With foreign players coming in of his quality, he’s got the quality, it’s just a matter of getting used to the — I’ll call it the craziness of MLS. The variety of forwards you’re going to run into each week is different. And I think the compactness, when we’re organized and we’re dropping off a little bit, helps him a lot, because he reads the game well when things are in front of him, when we high press you can put him on an island a bit. So, I think we’ve kind of catered that a little bit to his strengths, and he’s done an excellent job for us. +Impressions on first time at San Jose’s new stadium +Unreal. Great atmosphere, great crowd. The facilities — it’s nice, every time I walk into these new places, as a former player I go…it’s unbelievable. You think of some of the old venues: Bridgeview, Napierville, and Dallas — it was a high school football field — just some of the disasters, even the cavernous old football stadiums. To walk into these, it raises the bar with every thing. Players play better when the field’s nice, when it’s a full house, when it’s loud,and I think as this league grows the stadiums are growing with it, which is a very good thing. Again, It’s just raising the bar with everything. It’s an impressive stadium, unbelievable. +On Earthquakes great Ramiro Corrales being inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame +He’s a guy who’s meant a ton to this organization here in San Jose, kind of an MLS lifer, you know? He’s a guy who I had a lot of battles with, a guy you respected on the field, really underrated as a player, too, won a ton of championships. A guy — I wasn’t ever a teammate of his but everyone you talked to in the league, word spread quick. +You played against him a lot? +I played against him enough, yeah. He was great. I wasn’t a teammate of his, but everyone speaks of him very highly as a great teammate, a great leader, and an ambassador for the game. We joke around, Ramiro will be one of those guys on the old NFL films on this league,when the league is the biggest in the world, he’ll be the old one complaining, “In our day, we made 24 grand, blah, blah.” But, no, he’s kind of a legend of the league and I couldn’t be happier for him on a special night. +On the penalty call and no penalty calls tonight and three coaches — Bruce Arena, Caleb Porter, and Peter Vemes — and one owner — Merritt Paulson — being fined on Friday for publicly criticizing referees. +It’s a hard game to referee, alright, soccer is very difficult to referee, it’s fast paced. You just wish…Again, I think tonight, he kind of half admits to me that he made a mistake. Which I’m fine with, OK, there’s going to be mistakes. Do they tend to go against us a lot? Yeah, they do. But, at the same time, I have a problem with when there’s arrogance, and they tell you they saw it, they saw it a hundred percent correct, because the tape doesn’t lie, the players don’t lie. Vincent told me he got taken down, enough people texted me already that he got taken down. Third PK on CJ, that could’ve changed the game. But, again, there’s going to be mistakes, there’s mistakes from the players, mistakes from the coaches, and there’s mistakes from the referees, and you just want it to be a level playing field in terms of accountability and who I have to answer to for things. That’s all. That’s all we ask for is a an even playing field for everybody. +Tranquillo Barnetta +On being made captain +It was a great feeling but I think that we missed the two other guys, of course, so we hope that they are back soon and they can wear the band, the real captains. +On getting his first MLS assist +It’s also nice if you can help the team. I think I worked a lot in the last games but sometimes a little bit unlucky. Was two or three times really close and today I can help the team with this free kick. Really well done from Conor and we are happy that we had a great comeback tonight. +Does it help you to have a big presence up there like Conor Casey to serve the ball to? +Yeah, of course. I try always to help the team, to keep the ball. I think we did a good job also in defense, we had the lines together, kept it close, and that was our object for tonight. I think we did a great job. A little bit unlucky with the PK, I think it’s unlucky for Fabi because the ball jumped really bad for him. We are really happy that we can change this in the game. +This was your first long distance trip in MLS, Did the travel affect you at all? +Yeah, of course, it was a bit different, we didn’t have this in Europe. So, it was new, but I think if we stay together as a team you can do a great performance like this we did tonight. +On playing more conservatively at home given recent success doing so on the road. Is that OK with you? +Yeah, of course. I think that means not that we don’t play forward, I think it means that we stay together. It’s also better for the offense. The guy next to you, if you play easy, play it to the next guy and we can keep the ball like today. I think we had a couple of really good positions with the ball, that we had a long time the ball, and that we have to go on also at home because then always you create chances. That don’t mean you only play defending but our first object has to be that we keep the [?] behind. +On playing with Vincent Nogueira +He’s really important for us. He’s a great player and he did some good moves, it makes it easier to play with guys like him. Of course, we miss other players like Maidana, like Edu, but tonight there was some other young players like Ayuk who did a great job also defensively. We worked all together and I think that makes a good feeling for us on the team if a player like Vince is there. Of course, I like to play with him. +Switzerland vs. England prediction? +[Laughs] I think we have a great game tonight, this night they won 3-2 against Slovenia, it was really important for us. They have not felt pressure in Wembley so I hope the guys will enjoy this game. I played there once and it’s a great feeling there and I wish they can make a great game there. +Conor Casey +On goals +To be able to come in and get some minutes and help the team out, it feels great +You came in and make an immediate impact, how did it feel to get a goal after such a long time? +It felt good. It’s been a while, about a month or so, and it always feels good to score so as a forward that’s what you think about. It was a great ball from Ray and it was in the right spot. +On Bernardez’s absence +I think we tried to get as many balls in the box as we could. They had most of the possession. It was pretty back and forth game. There weren’t a lot of chances but certainly him going down – he’s a very big presence – so him going down was a bonus for us. +What did Jim say to you before you entered the game? +Not too much really, just go in and try to make something happen, and just some formation stuff. +On going against Clarence Goodson, a player you know well +I mean, really, it wasn’t so much about that, I was just trying to time my run right and then get in a spot where I would be open. Lucky Ray put a great ball in there, and the second one goes to ‘Quillo. I was just trying to find a little bit of space for myself and hoped the ball would be there. +Wins on the road in Montreal and San Jose. What’s the key? +That’s hard, that’s something we’ve been trying to get our finger on all year. Our away matches have been good of late, so that’s great. Now we’ve got to carry that momentum and start to get more points at home. +Tired of Not Knowing..... +- I came to further educate myself, to be a chef. It has been 3wks now, and I am upset that hives will be the cause of me going home early and not finishing my course. Normally, steriods help to get rid of them, but they are not working now. The hives start like bug bites but then, it's like they play connection and grow, that's when it becomes uncontrolable. Any suggestions? +- —Guest Pokok +Hives +- When the hives started the allergy to NSAIDS and ASA started? Any ideas? +- —TinaMcDowell +Hives +- I have had chronic hives for 14 years. with no explanation. I have been on all the meds. with the only one working is Hydroxychloroquine. Which in its self has it down falls...Eye exams and lab work. I am a nurse. The only think i can link my autoimmune hives to is getting the Hep B vac 14 years ago. I had no problems until about two weeks from the last shot and the hives started. They cant tell me this is why. Do you have any ideas? Has anyone ever heard of a immune response like this? +- —TinaMcDowell +My Hives +- It took my 10yrs to work out I was allergic to a chemical called Linalool which is in most cosmetic product from washing tablets, lotions, deo, shampoo etc. It's been hard work to change all my products but is worth it now, even my asthma has eased up I think it;s linked as well +- —Guest Bucks Girl +concerned mom +- My son is 11 he started getting hives about 5 months ago. The dr put him on 3 diffrent kinds of medicine and a week later they were gone i stopped giving him the meds. because of all the side effects. Now there back and worse than ever! +- —Guest michelle +Hives +- I am suffering from hives and lasts for an hour and is gone. It comes back another day. Your site is educative. Thanks. +- —Guest Baskar. D +Hives from virus +- I'd be more inclined to believe that any relationship of hives to virus is inverse to that which you suggest. Rather, that hives are an indication that the body's immune system is low and and then unable to fend off viral infections. EVERYthing I have read points to successful treatment of liver malfunction coupled with adequate hydration as a permanent cure for hives. I'm dealing with it myself, and that makes MUCH more sense. ***If you have a permanent cure for hives, I'd say go for it, Jeff. You'd be a very rich man if you could accomplish such a feat. -- Dr More*** +- —Guest Jeff +Hives and a temporary relief +- i had hives for about 4 weeks now, and its the worse thing that could happened, doctors dont know what triggers my hives, they only prescribed anti-itch cream but not even that works. i have my own hives relief, i first soak any rash in water then drop table salt and leave it there for about 1 minute, then i wash the salt off with wine vinegar after that wash the vinager off with alcohol and it surprisingly the itchy stops immediatly and 15 mins later the rash disapears, well i hope this helps. +- —Guest christian +HIVES +- I have had hives for approx 2 mos. I've never had a problem before. I went to an Allergist, Dermatologist, and Allergy and Immunology MD. They were all unable to help me with this problem. I have taken Zytec, Benadryl, Pepcid, Steroids, Atarax, and Allegra. The only one that helps is the Steroid and was take off of it because of the possible side effects it can cause in the future. I work as a nurse in a local hospital and too embarassed to go to work looking all disfigured. Sometimes I get them on upper and lower extrems, back, abdomen, neck, and face. They categorized the ones on my face as angioedema. They cont to admin blood work, but still so solution. I am so frustrated until I don't know what to do!!!! I only go out when I have to. I feel so alone and stresse. Any advice? +- —Guest Too frustrated +hives since 3 yrs +- was exercising one day and suddenly my skin started to create these itchy hives. From that time on, it was not easy for me to run on my treadmill. Not only is it occuring during exercise, it occurs during hot weathers, when im in a hot tub, or when im sweating. When it's in extreme mode, ANY friction to my skin(even wind blowing on my skin) makes it worse. I am having a really hard time with this... I've went to the doctor but he just gave me some cream to use it on the skin. It didn't help any bit. I really hope there's a absolute solution to my problem. +- —Guest Tony +8 weeks and counting +- I started getting hives in early June. They started on my hands. First my left hand and then my right hand. They would clear up and the hives would go to my feet. First the right and then the left. I went to two doctors and they both said it was contact dermatitis. I finally went to a dermatologist and he said it was internal. I am on blood pressure medicine. He took me off Diovan and gave me a perscription of Periactin for the hives. I have been on it for three days. It is worse than it ever has been. I am getting the hives on my leges arms and worse on my hands and feet. They took me off of the Periactin. So now I wait to see what happens in the next few days. This is driving me crazy. All I do is sleep and itch. I am on a new blood pressure medicine. The thing is that one of the side affects is Hives. WHAT TO DO? Time will tell. I guess maybe I need to get a blood test. No one has suggested that yet. I have two different doctors appointments in the next two weeks. We shall see. +- —Guest AKA +Seeing an allergy/immunology specialist +- I have had chronic hives for 20 years. Will crop up with no triggering factor, and dissapear at will. This summer has been the worst though! My internal med doctor could not really do anything to help, so I am now seeing an allergy/immunology specialist because after much blood analysis, I most likely have autoimmune chronic urticaria (not related to a thyroid disorder that can be the reason for hives, but not in my case) I have been on 1 course of Prednisone which helped immensely (along with H1 and H2 antihistamines), but 2 weeks after finished the pred, hive came back with a vengance! Now on round 2 of pred and Hydroxyzine along with OTC H1/H2 antihistamines. He is determined to help me, and I highly suggest seeking out this kind of specialist. A "regular" doctor just doesn't have the information needed to properly treat this frustrating condition. Hoping we can treat this. I scratch to the point of bleeding/bruising, and look like I have some sort of plague! Wish me luck. +- —Guest Melanie +my response +- I've been researching about hives as my 3 y.o. son has this chronic urticaria. He took blood test (which does not require you to go off antihistamine before taking the test) but the test said he's not allergic to any of the 32 allergen. His pediatrician said it may be physical allergy (pressure, heat, cold,...) but we still can't identify the cause. Went to another doctor and she thinks it may be because of kidney or liver problems and gave him a heavy regiment of medicine (Atarax 2times/day, Singulair 2/day, Zyrtec 2times/day) but we don't give him. These heavy medications for sure would cause kidney/ liver problems while his hives may be completely harmless. Some study said that with most people, chronic hives resolves by itself in one year. And some percentage of people have idiophathic hives (no known cause). And to someone who asked about it, it is possible that you become allergic to something that previously didn't bother you. Allergy changes. +- —Guest mommy tim +Hives +- I've been battling hives since I was in my 20's but last year after my breast reduction is worst around my incission is really bumpie and red and itching what can I out I have tried averything from RX to home remedies +- —Guest norma +allergy +- I am a nurse, working in hospital settings. A few years ago I was having hives which progressed to swollen lips and even wheezing which finally led me the doctor. He said a food allergy wad unlikely as by the time a person is my age (50's), one would already know what they are ( I AM allergic to caviar.) He asked about things in my home. I named several things, like acrylic paint, perfume, etc. Then he asked about plants. I named several, including a rubber tree at which point he said, "STOP! It's the rubber tree!" Adding, " Whats the purest form of latex? Being a nurse I knew this but tho Ive used latex gloves for years never had a real problem. Rubber tree was given away. And no more problem until I was using Elmers aerosol adhesive to attach photos to card stock. When my lips started swelling and eyes burning, I read the label. Latex! Its been years now but this week broke out in huge itchy hives. I've had a large potted plant given to me a couple of years ago. Out of curiosity I googled it. Guess what...you guessed it.. it's a RUBBER PLANT! OMG! Why it just started bothering me, Im guessing, is that it must be pollinating. ..new leaves, shiny goo on the stems ! Hmmmm! Benadryl, & Calamine lotion (old friends ) ,to the rescue! Statistics indicate health care professionals are more suceptable as we have frequent and long term exposure to Latex. I think, although I dont break out from gloves at work, I may become more sensitive over time. I'm asking Employee Health for Latex-free gloves! And my lovely rubber plant is OUTSIDE and looking for a new home! +- —Guest nmjbug +The White Sox are asking teams for a young starting pitcher, plus additional players, in a deal for OF Jermaine Dye, reports Ken Rosenthal at FoxSports.com. +According to Rosenthal, “The Mets, Rays and +Phillies are among the teams balking at such a price.” +Dye can block trades to six clubs, most of which are in the northeast, says Rosenthal. +…from what i recall, dye was willing to approve a deal to the Red Sox once before, so i would not take this to mean he’s anti-northeast, so much as he wants a say regarding where he ends up playing… +“On Tuesday, Nov. 11, several White Sox officials watched Bobby Parnell and Eddie Kunz pitch in the Arizona Fall League,’ wrote Mark Gonzales in the Chicago Tribune. +According to Gonzales, citing two NL scouts, the Sox were scouting players for deals that include Dye. +Speaking of the White Sox, “The Mets aren’t enamored with Javier Vazquez,” explains Rosenthal. +In a report from early November in the Chicago Tribune, Dave van Dyck wrote, ‘The Mets had interest in Vazquez,’ according to a well-placed source at the GM meetings. +Lastly, “The Braves, Dodgers and Mets are believed to be among teams that have inquired about Rangers starting pitchers Kevin Millwood and Vicente Padilla,” reported Jon Heyman at SI.com over the weekend. +However, according to Rosenthal, “The Mets and Braves are not currently interested in either pitcher.” +Rosenthal also reports on whether the Rockies will trade Huston Street; Atlanta’s quest for a starting pitcher, like A.J. Burnett; whether the Dodgers should sign Trevor Hoffman; and the logjam of corner-infielders in Boston. +OMG, can we post something in the mets blog when it ACTUALLY happens?. +i’d be shocked if that happens, homer baily is young and they shouldn’t give up on him yet.. +millwood and padilla. +why doesn’t omar just punch me in the face? +LMAO!!! +Omar might if you stand outside his office and you nag him well enough about what he is doing now and who to get and what to offer teams. lol +he won’t need to, he’ll just throw 21 you knows and ums… then he’d forget what the question was… that’s how he avoids confrontation.. +That would certainly get me to stay away from him. lol +Lets see, if a Starting Pitcher is on the Trade market the mets are interested. if there is a Free agent Starting pitcher or Reliever the Mets are interested. If there is a Outfielder on the Trade market or Free agent Market the mets are interested. +Nothing new. +I know these are just bogus rumors and misinformation. +But, for the sake of playing along, I take this stuff at face value (as in, as-sume it is valid just to have something to discuss!) +based on that logic, how could anyone be interested in Millwood or padilla, but not Vazquez? And certainly not without (a seemingly nonexistant) huge difference in money required? +Vazquez would be a respectable addition to the back end of the rotation. The ther guys are stiffs. +Now, that deal to the rays is enticing, although it could end up being a salary (and heilmann!) dump, if Jackson flames out. Really depends on the prospect (either a 2B or a C would be nice!) +Not that I know anything about Ru, or Ramirez for that matter., and of course it is probably totally made up. But it pas-ses the time.. +We might need another week or two of pas-sing the time with speculation and rumors. +I like Dye trade only if it involves Jenks. From what Ken Rosenthal is saying, it looks like White Sox want a young starting pitcher and an outfielder for Dye, who will be basically one year rental. Way too much for a 37 year old outfielder. But if they throw in Jenks in the mix, I’m all for it. +wanting and getting are 2 differernt things. And I really don’t see jenks, at least not at a price that makes sense for Omar to pay. Certainly not when there are viable options just sitting on the FA sale table! +Now, if this trade did happen, it would start the domino effect. Might actually end up as a wholesale makeover of the team. +Most people seem to think there will be some new BP arms and a couple SPs, and thats it, but just maybe Omar goes big, and starts wheeling and dealing all over the place? +Something like a Delgado trade (or even Castillo) could certainly lead to 2-3-4 additional moves. Maybe even something good, like a Teix in our Xmas stockings! +Honestly, there are really only 3 postions locked up on this team (3B, SS and CF) and 2 SPs. beyond that, everyone should be in play for the right deal. +Ok I’ll play along….there is rumor going around that the Blue Jays are looking to trade Roy Halladay and that JP Ricciardo has stated that he is enamored with Val Pascucci…..so….yeah I’d do that trade. +But, if we give up Val, who will we all scream to call up when Tatis and Murphy slump next year? +Carp? Martinez? Maybe bring back Piazza out of retirement. +Oh, Heilmann can serve as the young(ish) SP. AH and Evans for 1 year of dye and his salary. SOunds OK to me. +Then unload Castillo for anything. +heck, Make it AH, Evans and Castillo for Dye and Vazquez. Mets eat the (large) difference in salary. +Move Murhpy to 2B. Get someone like Grudz to back him up. +Reyes S +Murphy L +Wright R +Delgado L +Beltran S +Dye R +Church L +Catcher. r/l (platoon) +Looks like a nice, strong, balanced line up to me. +santana, maine, pelf, Vazquez + TBD also looks fine. +Then just beef up the bench and fix the pen. Done. +fogot the obligatory dump Delgado for prospects and sign Teix (still doable with this plan). that my friends would be a truly balanced and scary lineup! +we all wish. +Fresh from the rumor mill: +Josh Byrnes wants to trade Brandon Webb AND Dan Haren for Luis Castillo and Pedro Feliciano. +My source is VERY reliable +Do it Omar!!!! +No way! That’s too one sided…the Mets are getting ripped off! +I don’t know about that trade. Webb doesn’t seem to be too reliable especially with his sinker. I think the Mets can get way better than Webb and Haren. +You are forgetting the most important part … They are not over 35, so no deal! +Is it a well placed source? We only accept rumors from well placed sources. There is also a very well known, very, very true source that says Mets will get CC Sabathia, Texieria, K-Rod, Fuentes, Juan Cruz, Burnett and Lowe. +Kent Brockman just reported that the Mets traded Carlos Beltran for Duffman. More details to follow…. +We can’t accept that deal unless Met fans get a year of free beers. +I just spoke with a well placed source with knowledge of the Mets way of thinking and he told me this tidbit +“The Mets goal in both Free Agency and Trades is to get the best players possible while giving up the least players/prospects and cash as possible” +and remember this is from a well place reliable source who is familiar with the Mets way of thinking…so…Ken Rosenthal su-ck it +Breaking News; Mets put in a DH spot only when Manny Rameriz plays and sign him to a 5 year, 1 million dollar contract. On top of that Texieria announces he wants to play so badly for the Mets, he’ll accept a 8 year deal worth 2 million while Fuentes and Orlando Hudson agrees to play for free for the Mets. +Buster Olney is that you?!?!?! +Why yes … This just in … Omar Minaya sneezed - Details at a later late! +Later date but Buster Olney had a few too many to drink today. :) +I don’t see Vaquez being anything close to what he was in Montreal, especially in NY. We all saw him with th Yanks and everyone thought that he would be great. +My turn. Mets to begin rebuilding process. Omar plans on building around Reyes, Wright, and Pelf. Everyone else is for sale. +Ok I’ll start the bidding. Aaron Heilman - a bag of baseballs. You can’t beat that. :P +time to improve on this: +benfry.com/salaryper/ +Before I went completely blind staring at that graph, the one positive thought I had was “thank God for the Yankees,” the team with the more precipitously dropping thicker red bar. +But yes, you’re right zen. Must improve on that. It makes the whole of New York professional baseball seem like the richest, dumbest group anywhere. +Patience is a virtue +no one has made moves, they will all come within a week at the winter meetings +think positive +agreed. +the mets are pretty solid and fairly enjoyable from november thru the last week in september when they choke. +When is the meetin’ s again? +And where they at? +Courtesy MLB dot com: +Dec. 1, 2008 +• Last date for former club to offer salary arbitration to ranked free agents in order to be eligible for compensation. +Dec. 7, 2008 +Last date for player who declared free agency to accept an arbitration offer from former club. +Dec. 8-11, 2008 +Winter Meetings, Las Vegas +Which is exactly why no type A FA have signed yet. +Exactly trs86. It’s some combination of shocking and disappointing when this is not mentioned in the context of potential free agent signings. +Another relevant date: Dec 11 - The Rule 5 draft, relevant because I believe at least one if not more potential (I repeat, potential) members of the ‘09 Met bullpen will become apparent on this day. +thank you, digger… +Upsetting news from Rotoworld and the NY POST: +================================================== +The Rockies turned down the Mets’ proposal of Aaron Heilman for Huston Street, the New York Post reports. +A trade apparently is still a possibility, but the Rockies would want Pedro Feliciano along with Heilman. The Mets think that’s too high of a price to pay for a guy in Street who might not even be their closer by the time the season starts. +=================================================== +Are you kidding me. Do it. Do it now. Feliciano is awful. He can’t get out a righty to save his life. We don’t need people like him in the bullpen. PULL THE TRIGGER OMAR!!!!! NOW… +I don’t think this has any merritt either. Of course the Mets would send Feliciano and Heilman for Street. +It’s according to the NY Post. It better not be true. +You me and everyone on this board would do it in a fraction of a heart beat. I’ll also give them Show, and Joe Smith if they want. +The scary thing is OMAR might not. +The bullpen is horrible and i want it completely revamped. Only guy I would consider keeping is Sanchez, because he was coming off a year and a half of injuries and rehab, pitched the whole season and might be in line for a rebound year. +Other then that all gone. Bye bye +I would keep Smith and Stokes for sure. Don’t really care one way or another on Sanchez. +Smith COULD be a real deal…. +which brings me to Murphy and the sophmore jinx and the pitchers figuring out a young hitter and we need more time; let’s stop inserting this guy at 2nd, 1st and LF until we know what we got! +(Let the verbal beatings begin!) +“Expect the Cubs to figure out where Kerry Wood stands before deciding whether to offer.” From MLBtraderumors. +This guys is why no big names are being signed yet. Sign Wood now, cost a pick. Sign Wood in a couple of weeks, may cost you no picks. +mets not in love with Vasquez, best news ive heard all day… +Trading for Dye and Vasquez would be a great move. It fills two open spots and we are not committed to them for obscene money and/or years. +Sign K-Rod +Sign Beimel or trade for Street, +Sign Tex +Trade Delgado + money for an AL pitcher. +I arrived at a similar conclusion… +Sign Krod, Tex +Trade Delgado & cash for Sonnanstine (he’d replace Floyd as DH) +Trade Heilman and a prospect for Street +You get younger in all positions, end up with a payroll only slightly higher than last year’s, add a legit closer and a setup man that could fill in for him if he gets hurt or needs a rest, and you get better defensively on the infield. +where did you read or heard that? +Everyone forget that the Rays have Carlos Pena. So unless they’re in the market for a DH this is hogwash. +The Mets are rumored to have offered Victor Zambrano and Rick Peterson for Scott Kazmir. No word on how the Rays view this deal, but according to a source close to Peterson, Victor Zambrano has been fixed up and ready to become an ace of Rays. +ryu stinks, i can’t imagine he’d be there in place of Ramirez….maybe he’s the prospect and ramirez is still in the deal..i hope so man, cuz im teliln ya, if delgado goes, we’re goin after tex +yeah, that means that after all my prayers will be answer!!!!! next up.. the lotto! +Is this another “well placed source?” +Going by your name spurious, I’m gonna have to say you gotta be joking right? +i was thinking the same thing… +i also find it funny that his the link attached to his name is simply a pic of mets legend, Big Mo V +odd indeed +actually, if u click on his name at his first entry, it’s big mo…then if u click on his name in 2nd entry, its the definitiion of spurious, which is FAKE, untrue, etc +so yeah..whatever +Maybe the mets will trade Delgado and resign his boy Vaughn +Why in the world would Tampa take on more salary and older players and give up a young starting pitcher and prospects? I have no idea.. especially when they have Carlos Pena playing 1B +for a DH. +Hello Shad, +I'm still at loss to explain the behavior of LockVerifyServer and LockStressTest, but here +is what I found so far. +I made a lucene-cli.csproj file and a lucene-cli.project.js to make it compile correctly. +I had to make the latter file, since project.js confused the build process. I don't know if +both *project.js files can exist next to each other. +When I tried to reproduce your problem, I got stuck in s.Accept() of LockVerifyServer.cs. +The fact that you don't see this is baffling: s.Accept is designed to hang waiting for a connection, +which is a weird way to create listening threads on sockets. +Perhaps the behavior is different in .NET Core, but in .NET 4.5.2 s.Accept() wil hang waiting +for a connection and since it's in a loop the program will hang until there are maxClients +clients connected. +So I changed the creation loop as follows: +for (int count = 0; count < maxClients; count++) +{ +threads[count] = new ThreadAnonymousInnerClassHelper(localLock, lockedID, +startingGun, s); +threads[count].Start(); +} +On the Thread.Run method, I needed to call cs.Accept(), and it doesn't hang anymore. +A minor observation: it is completely unnecessary to create separate streams on the same sockets +for reading and writing: that's a Java-ism. You can just create one stream and a binary reader +and writer on the same stream. Also, the socket can be closed outside it all (even though +.NET guidelines tell us that Dispose should never throw exceptions, and we could replace the +IOUtils.Dispose by a using() statement on the socket): +Hence the code becomes: +public override void Run() +{ +var s = cs.Accept(); +try +{ +using (Stream stream = new NetworkStream(s)) +{ +BinaryReader intReader = new BinaryReader(stream); +BinaryWriter intWriter = new BinaryWriter(stream); +try +{ +... same as original code ... +} +catch (IOException ioe) +{ +throw new Exception(ioe.ToString(), ioe); +} +catch (Exception e) +{ +// LUCENENET NOTE: We need to throw a new +exception +// to ensure this is Exception and not some +other type. +throw new Exception(e.ToString(), e); +} +} +} +finally +{ +IOUtils.DisposeWhileHandlingException(s); +} +} +But of course, the change of stream code is optional: it doesn't make any difference in behavior. +Now, when I run this according to your guidelines, I'm seeing a crash on the client first: +Connecting to server 127.0.0.1 and registering as client 3... +0% done. +An error occurred: +System.IO.IOException: Protocol violation. +at Lucene.Net.Store.VerifyingLockFactory.CheckedLock.Verify(Byte message) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\Lucene.Net\Store\VerifyingLockFactory.cs:line +64 +at Lucene.Net.Store.VerifyingLockFactory.CheckedLock.Obtain() in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\Lucene.Net\Store\VerifyingLockFactory.cs:line +75 +at Lucene.Net.Store.Lock.Obtain(Int64 lockWaitTimeout) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\Lucene.Net\Store\Lock.cs:line +115 +at Lucene.Net.Store.LockStressTest.Main(String[] args) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\Lucene.Net\Store\LockStressTest.cs:line +152 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.LockStressTestCommand.Configuration.<>c.<.ctor>b__0_0(String[] +args) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\commands\lock\lock-stress-test\LockStressTestCommand.cs:line +28 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.LockStressTestCommand.Run(ConfigurationBase cmd) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\commands\lock\lock-stress-test\LockStressTestCommand.cs:line +53 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.LockStressTestCommand.Configuration.<.ctor>b__0_1() in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\commands\lock\lock-stress-test\LockStressTestCommand.cs:line +42 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.ConfigurationBase.<>c__DisplayClass3_0.b__0() +in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\ConfigurationBase.cs:line 62 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.CommandLine.CommandLineApplication.Execute(String[] args) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\CommandLine\CommandLineApplication.cs:line +304 +at Lucene.Net.Cli.CommandLineOptions.Parse(String[] args) in D:\SOURCE\GitHub\lucenenet\src\tools\lucene-cli\CommandLineOptions.cs:line +32 Specify --help for a list of available options and commands. +... this in turn triggers the crash on the server (which you are seeing) because an error +in the client simply makes it stop. +When one examines NativeFSLockFactory, several things pop up that make you say "hmmm". Sadly, +none of them correct the behavior. +First, you have this: +return _locks.GetOrAdd(lockName, (s) => new NativeFSLock(this, m_lockDir, s)); +This isn't exactly wrong, but it does create unnecessary garbage: there is no guarantee that +the valueFactory (the delegate creating your new NativeFSLock) is called only once. It can +be called an arbitrary number of times. The only thing that GetOrAdd guarantees is that the +value will be inserted in the dictionary once with no errors. +If you must use a ConcurrentDictionary, the standard solution is to change the definition +of the value type to use Lazy, like this: +// LUCENENET: NativeFSLocks in Java are infact singletons; this is how we mimick that +to track instances and make sure +// IW.Unlock and IW.IsLocked works correctly +internal readonly ConcurrentDictionary> _locks += new ConcurrentDictionary>(); +But (as they say in the commercials) wait, there's more. The remove operation looks like this: +NativeFSLock _; +outerInstance._locks.TryRemove(path.FullName, out _); +This will never work, because the key used for adding is just lockName, whereas the key used +for removal is path.FullName. The dictionary will only grow, never shrink! +Given this, I changed the add code to: +var path = new DirectoryInfo(System.IO.Path.Combine(m_lockDir.FullName, lockName)); +return _locks.GetOrAdd(path.FullName, s => new Lazy(() => +new NativeFSLock(this, m_lockDir, s))).Value; +And the remove code to: +Lazy _; +outerInstance._locks.TryRemove(path.FullName, out _); +Since the keys of the dictionary are the actual lock files, we could consider making _locks +a static: a single instance among all NativeFSLocks. +This would also get rid of the outerInstance member in the lock, replacing it with the outer +class name. +internal static readonly ConcurrentDictionary> +_locks = new ConcurrentDictionary>(); +Another thing I notice is the code used to delete the lock: I think the directory deletion +code is unnecessary: we're creating and deleting file locks, not directory locks. +But the protocols violations I'm seeing are really strange. I'll try to debug this another +way: to be continued! +Something totally unrelated: not wanting to be pushy or anything, but what I'd really like +to do is to start experimenting with Lucene.Net.Replication. Any chance of that appearing +in the main soon? +Vincent +From: Shad Storhaug +Sent: Friday, July 14, 2017 2:33 AM +To: 'Van Den Berghe, Vincent' +Cc: dev@lucenenet.apache.org +Subject: RE: Debugging Help Requested +Vincent, +Thanks. This was definitely the most important issue to fix. I have no fear of replacing a +buggy implementation with a functional one - there was no direct way to port the Java implementation +into .NET, so this wasn't another case of it not working because it didn't match Lucene. +I ended up making a few changes: +1. According to MSDN, FileStream.Flush() could throw an IOException, which would skip +the Dispose() call on the file if it happened in a finally block. Looking at the call to base.Dispose() +in the try block, it actually calls the Flush() method on BufferedIndexOutput. So, it makes +more sense to override Flush() and call file.Flush(true), which ensures Flush() will work +consistently everywhere. +2. I removed the loop that calls FSync instead of taking the call out of that method. +FSync is not called anywhere else, but this way can still be utilized by subclasses. +3. Changed from new ReadOnlyHeapByteBuffer(BytesRef.EMPTY_BYTES, 0, 0) to ByteBuffer.Allocate(0).AsReadOnlyBuffer(). +We shouldn't be using the internal members that weren't meant for public use in Java. +You can review here: +The TestStressLocks test looks stable. However, on .NET Core when I put [Repeat(20)] on the +TestStressLocksNativeFSLockFactory test I got a concurrent file access exception. I suspect +this has to do with the same LockFactory issue that is causing the CLI tool to fail, not the +MMapDirectory. +I also fixed the IndexInputSlicer: +I'd appreciate if you could look into the LockFactory issue when you get a chance. +Thanks, +Shad Storhaug (NightOwl888) +From: Van Den Berghe, Vincent [mailto:Vincent.VanDenBerghe@bvdinfo.com] +Sent: Thursday, July 13, 2017 8:31 PM +To: Shad Storhaug +Cc: dev@lucenenet.apache.org +Subject: RE: Debugging Help Requested +>>. +You are correct, of course. That is indeed the culprit. It also invalidates my "solution" +to catch UnauthorizedAccessException: the real problem is the implementation of MMapDirectory. +I had a look at but +I have doubts about the scalability of the approach. The call to _memoryMappedFile.CreateViewStream(0, +0, MemoryMappedFileAccess.Read); needs a single continuous chunk of virtual memory as large +as the size of the mapped file. For a lot of large files , this might be problematic. The +"list of buffers" approach is probably the better approach. I do have a working implementation +based on MemoryMappedFile.CreateViewStream, if you're interested: it does work and corrects +all the problems I'm seeing, but I'm hesitant to just replace the existing implementation, +even if all the tests run. +However, by making minimal modifications, I was able to make all MMapDirectory tests run flawlessly, +including my own. +Here's what I did: +In FSDirectory.cs: +- Implemented the file.Flush(true); call in the FSDirectory.FSIndexOutput, and commented +out the call to IOUtils.Fsync in FSDirectory.Fsync. This remains vitally important. +In MMapDirectory.cs: +- In MMapDirectory.OpenInput, change the call from: +var c = new FileStream(file.FullName, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.ReadWrite); +To: +var c = new FileStream(file.FullName, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, +FileShare.ReadWrite); +- In MMapDirectory.Map, replace +long fileCapacity = length == 0 ? ushort.MaxValue : length; +if (input.memoryMappedFile == null) +{ +#if NETSTANDARD +input.memoryMappedFile = MemoryMappedFile.CreateFromFile(fc, null, fileCapacity, +MemoryMappedFileAccess.ReadWrite, HandleInheritability.Inheritable, false); +#else +input.memoryMappedFile = MemoryMappedFile.CreateFromFile(fc, null, fileCapacity, +MemoryMappedFileAccess.ReadWrite, null, HandleInheritability.Inheritable, false); +#endif +} +By: +if (length == 0) +return new[] { new ReadOnlyHeapByteBuffer(BytesRef.EMPTY_BYTES, +0, 0) }; +if (input.memoryMappedFile == null) +{ +#if NETSTANDARD +input.memoryMappedFile = MemoryMappedFile.CreateFromFile(fc, null, length, MemoryMappedFileAccess.Read, +HandleInheritability.Inheritable, false); +#else +input.memoryMappedFile = MemoryMappedFile.CreateFromFile(fc, null, +length, MemoryMappedFileAccess.Read, null, HandleInheritability.Inheritable, false); +#endif +} +(you may need to add a using Util; inside the namespace Lucene.Net.Store to access BytesRef). +I've been running hundreds of iterations of the StressTestLocks and TestStressLocksNativeFSLockFactory +and haven't seen any single failure yet. +Vincent +From: Shad Storhaug [mailto:shad@shadstorhaug.com] +Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 4:00: RE: Debugging Help Requested +Vincent, +Thanks for looking into these. +[Finding 1] +> Why does it throw UnauthorizedAccessException? I have no idea +This may not be related,. +See: +Note that if you are on 64 bit Windows, the line FSDirectory.Open(@"E:\Temp\LuceneStressTest"); +will always return MMapDirectory. +When recently going through the old JIRA issues, I noticed that someone contributed an MMapDirectory +implementation that was never actually used. Frankly, that "array of ByteBuffers" is probably +not a sound approach in .NET, so it is worth at least reviewing to see if this other implementation +is a better design approach. See:. +I was able to determine that MMapDirectory (or something it is dependent on) is definitely +causing 2 of the intermittent test failures by checking each Directory implementation individually +in the test framework. +If this is the source of the UnauthorizedAccessException, it makes more sense to fix the source +than to patch it in a catch block (which likely would need to be done in multiple places). +> I know this isn't a direct answer to your debugging request on your .NET Core thing, +but I got zero experience on that .NET Core thing and thought that continuing an ongoing investigation +would be a more efficient use of my time. +Actually, the issue is not .NET Core-specific. If you feel more comfortable working on .NET +Framework, you could add a `.csproj` file to the lucene-cli tool (which is now on master) +and run the same thing on .NET Framework. But we have no plans to have a .NET Framework version +of this tool, since it won't really make any difference anyway on the command line (other +than the fact that .NET Framework only runs on Windows). You will need to adjust the first +part of the command-line commands to "lucene-cli.exe" (or whatever you put in the assembly +name box of project properties) rather than "dotnet lucene-cli.dll" in that case. +Thanks, +Shad Storhaug (NightOwl888) +From: Van Den Berghe, Vincent [mailto:Vincent.VanDenBerghe@bvdinfo.com] +Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 8:36 PM +To: Shad Storhaug +Cc: dev@lucenenet.apache.org +Subject: RE: Debugging Help Requested +Something I forgot to mention wrt to the previous e-mail: the test application to reproduce +should be running in 32-bit ("32-bit preferred"). +For some strange reason, the problem is different in 64-bit and is not corrected by it. +I'm starting to think the "access denied" is an antivirus problem... I'll keep you informed. +Vincent +From: Van Den Berghe, Vincent [mailto:Vincent.VanDenBerghe@bvdinfo.com] +Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 7:32 PM +To: Shad Storhaug +Cc: dev@lucenenet.apache.org +Subject: RE: Debugging Help Requested +Hello Shad, +Ever since you've mentioned in your e-mail of Tue 6/13/2017 2:54 PM that we still have multithreading +problems, I've been attempting to track them down (and why I couldn't see them). Your previous +I got 2 findings to report so far. +[Finding 1] +I've discovered at least one problem when one thread is appending documents, and another +one is reading from the same directory. +At some point when the IndexWriter is disposed, I've observed one of two possible stack traces +(note that the lines are those of my own build): +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Util.IOUtils.Fsync(string fileToSync, bool isDir) +Line 468 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.FSDirectory.Fsync(string name) Line 536 +C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.FSDirectory.Sync(System.Collections.Generic.ICollection +names) Line 365 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.SegmentInfos.WriteSegmentsGen(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +dir, long generation) Line 301 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.SegmentInfos.FinishCommit(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +dir) Line 1261 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.IndexWriter.FinishCommit() Line 3792 +C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.IndexWriter.CommitInternal() Line 3775 +C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.IndexWriter.CloseInternal(bool waitForMerges, +bool doFlush) Line 1253 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.IndexWriter.Dispose(bool waitForMerges) Line +1093 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.IndexWriter.Dispose() Line 1051 C# +More specifically, in the above stack trace, this statement in IOUtils.Fsync succeeded (fileToSync +is the "segments.gen" file): +file = new FileStream(fileToSync, +FileMode.Open, // We shouldn't create a file when syncing. +// Java version uses FileChannel which doesn't create the file if +it doesn't already exist, +// so there should be no reason for attempting to create it in Lucene.Net. +FileAccess.Write, +FileShare.ReadWrite); +The other possible stack trace replaces the lines above FinishCommit() Line 3792 with +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.FSDirectory.FSIndexOutput.FSIndexOutput(Lucene.Net.Store.FSDirectory +parent, string name) Line 467 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.FSDirectory.CreateOutput(string name, Lucene.Net.Store.IOContext +context) Line 323 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.SegmentInfos.WriteSegmentsGen(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +dir, long generation) Line 289 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.SegmentInfos.FinishCommit(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +dir) Line 1270 C# +... with a very similar statement which succeeds: +file = new FileStream(Path.Combine(parent.m_directory.FullName, name), FileMode.OpenOrCreate, +FileAccess.ReadWrite, FileShare.ReadWrite); +At the same time, I had a failing IndexReader with the following stack trace: +> Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.SimpleFSDirectory.OpenInput(string name, +Lucene.Net.Store.IOContext context) Line 89 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Store.Directory.OpenChecksumInput(string name, Lucene.Net.Store.IOContext +context) Line 115 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.SegmentInfos.FindSegmentsFile.Run(Lucene.Net.Index.IndexCommit +commit) Line 908 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.StandardDirectoryReader.Open(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +directory, Lucene.Net.Index.IndexCommit commit, int termInfosIndexDivisor) Line 55 C# +Lucene.Net.dll!Lucene.Net.Index.DirectoryReader.Open(Lucene.Net.Store.Directory +directory) Line 69 C# +And this statement in SimpleFSDirectory.OpenInput fails (path.FullName is the same as fileToSync): +var raf = new FileStream(path.FullName, FileMode.Open, FileAccess.Read, FileShare.ReadWrite); +This fails with the UnauthorizedAccessException. This exception is uncaught, and propagates +out of the DirectoryReader, causing it to fail. +Why does it throw UnauthorizedAccessException? I have no idea: the 2 FileStream constructors +are compatible since their FileAccess/FileShare mode allows both reading and writing. But +it does fail with that exception. +To make sure it's not an artifact of the test framework, I've written the following small +program that reproduces the problem. It's very similar to the existing test in _testStressLocks, +but doesn't use mock-ups since the overhead seems to be a factor in reproducing it (on my +machine). You should be able to just cut & paste and see for yourself. If course, if you +don't I shall have made a fool of myself again. +Ah well. Here it goes: +using Lucene.Net.Index; +using Lucene.Net.Store; +using Lucene.Net.Util; +using Lucene.Net.Analysis.Standard; +using Lucene.Net.Documents; +using Lucene.Net.Search; +using System.Threading; +namespace StressTest +{ +class Program +{ +public static volatile bool WriterThreadActive; +private static void WriterThread(Directory directory, int iterations) +{ +WriterThreadActive = true; +try +{ +for (int i = 0; i < iterations; ++i) +using (var writer = new IndexWriter(directory, new IndexWriterConfig(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48, +new StandardAnalyzer(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48)) { OpenMode = OpenMode.APPEND })) +{ +Document doc = new Document(); +doc.Add(new TextField("content", "aaa", Field.Store.NO)); +writer.AddDocument(doc); +} +} +finally +{ +WriterThreadActive = false; +} +} +private static void ReaderThread(Directory directory, int iterations) +{ +var query = new TermQuery(new Term("content", "aaa")); +for (int i = 0; WriterThreadActive || i < iterations; ++i) +{ +using (var reader = DirectoryReader.Open(directory)) +{ +var searcher = new IndexSearcher(reader); +searcher.Search(query, null, 1000); +} +} +} +static void Main(string[] args) +{ +var directory = FSDirectory.Open(@"E:\Temp\LuceneStressTest"); +using (var writer = new IndexWriter(directory, new IndexWriterConfig(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48, +new StandardAnalyzer(LuceneVersion.LUCENE_48)) { OpenMode = OpenMode.CREATE })) +{ +Document doc = new Document(); +doc.Add(new TextField("content", "aaa", Field.Store.NO)); +writer.AddDocument(doc); +} +const int MinimumIterations = 10000; // you may need to increase +this +var writerThread = new Thread(() => WriterThread(directory, MinimumIterations)) +{ Name = "WriterThread" }; +var readerThread = new Thread(() => ReaderThread(directory, MinimumIterations)) +{ Name = "ReaderThread" }; +writerThread.Start(); +readerThread.Start(); +writerThread.Join(); +readerThread.Join(); +directory.Dispose(); +} +} +} +You may tweak the E:\Temp\LuceneStressTest and the MinimumIterations accordingly. +The solution is to add the UnauthorizedAccessException to the catch clause in SegmentInfos.cs: +(SegmentInfos.FindSegmentFile.Run): +try +{ +genInput = directory.OpenChecksumInput(IndexFileNames.SEGMENTS_GEN, +IOContext.READ_ONCE); +} +catch (IOException e) +{ +if (infoStream != null) +{ +Message("segments.gen open: IOException " + e); +} +} +catch (UnauthorizedAccessException e) +{ +if (infoStream != null) +{ +Message("segments.gen open: UnauthorizedAccessException +" + e); +} +} +UnauthorizedAccessException doesn't inherit from IOException, you you need to catch both of +them. +After this modification, the problem (obviously) disappears. Maybe similar code would need +similar additions, but there is a lack of evidence to do so. +[Finding 2] +I am on the trail of the intermittent failure of StressTestLocks / TestStressLocksNativeFSLockFactory +but the margin of this e-mail is too small to contain it. More later. +Hopefully, this helps a bit. +I know this isn't a direct answer to your debugging request on your .NET Core thing, but I +got zero experience on that .NET Core thing and thought that continuing an ongoing investigation +would be a more efficient use of my time. +Vincent +From: Shad Storhaug [mailto:shad@shadstorhaug.com] +Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2017 11:32: Debugging Help Requested +Vincent, +If you have the time, I'd appreciate your assistance with a fix for a long-standing concurrency +bug. I have been putting together wrapper console application for the various utilities that +ship with Lucene and discovered that 2 of them are non-functional because of this bug, but +on the upside is now there is a reliable way to reproduce it. I suspect the bug is also causing +some of the random test failures that we are seeing on certain FSDirectory implementations. +I have pushed the WIP application to my local repository (). +It only runs on .NET Core and in Visual Studio 2015 Update 3. I don't think it makes sense +to support .NET framework for this utility since .NET Core will run side-by-side with .NET +Framework anyway. +You can run a specific commands directly on the command line or in Visual Studio 2015. There +is a server that needs to be started first, and then a client that connects. The problem seems +to be the server. +Command Line +dotnet lucene-cli.dll lock verify-server 127.0.0.4 10 +dotnet lucene-cli.dll lock stress-test 3 127.0.0.4 NativeFSLockFactory F:\temp2 +50 10 +Note the port is dynamically chosen by the server at runtime and displayed on the console. +Visual Studio 2015 +In Visual Studio 2015, you can just copy everything after "dotnet lucene-cli.dll" and paste +it into the project properties > Debug > Application Arguments text box. Do note I am +not sure if those options are optimal (or even if they may be causing the issue). +What I Have Found +When the client calls the server, the server locks on LockVerifyServer.cs line 129 (). +I tried removing that line, and it gets a bit further and then crashes with this error: +An unhandled exception of type 'System.Exception' occurred in System.Private.CoreLib.ni.dll +Additional information:.InternalReadOneChar() +at Lucene.Net.Store.LockVerifyServer.ThreadAnonymousInnerClassHelper.Run() in F:\Projects\lucenenet\src\Lucene.Net\Store\LockVerifyServer.cs:line +135 +I suspect that has something to do with removing the wait so the timing is off, but I compared +the thread handling code to some similar tests and it looks the same (including the call to +Wait()), so I haven't worked out why that method call isn't completing in this case. +I believe this bug is related to a couple of intermittently failing tests that also seem to +indicate the LockFactory is broken. +Namely, the TestLockFactory.StressTestLocks and TestLockFactory.TestStressLocksNativeFSLockFactory +tests. +FYI, the TestIndexWriter.TestTwoThreadsInterruptDeadlock test also fails intermittently, and +is apparently concurrency related. I don't recall which tests they were, but I discovered +a while back that if you put the [Repeat(20)] attribute on them, they would fail more consistently. +I also noticed that they always fail if MMapDirectory is made as the only option provided +by the test framework. +Anyway, I would really appreciate if you could have a look to see if you can work out what +is going on. +Thanks, +Shad Storhaug (NightOwl888) +The Evolution of a Creationist +9