text:
The Digitised Diseases project, a collaboration between the University of Bradford, Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) and the Royal College of Surgeons, is producing high resolution laser 3D scans of diseased human bones. These will be included in a medical resource website aimed at informing and teaching doctors and other professionals. The advantage of working with bone from archaeological sites and museum collections is that they can illustrate rare lesion types, some of which may not appear frequently in 21st century clinical medicine. Without access to antibiotics, sufferers of chronic diseases in the past could go on to develop the full extent of bony lesions. Having won JISC funding for the project, the team is currently selecting appropriate examples of pathological change for scanning. Following the excavation of a large number of burial grounds from different periods ofLondon's history, MOLA is uniquely placed to provide interesting examples of disease for scanning. Each bone is entered into the database which produces an index number. They are then described, photographed and scanned. The photographs are then mapped onto the scans by gaming industry experts to produce the final textured 3D image. The illustrations below show scanned 'blanks' prior to photographic mapping.
For further information please see:-


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The operator of a $2.3 billion pipeline between Cushing and the Gulf Coast expects to begin shipping oil Jan. 22.
TransCanada began injecting crude oil into the 485-mile, 36-inch pipeline in early December. Spokesman Davis Sheremata said the process involves injecting about 3 million barrels of oil into the system at Cushing and moving it to the Houston area.
"Once line-fill is complete, TransCanada's team will move into the final phase of commissioning for our meters, pump stations and other related facilities," Sheremata said in an email to The Associated Press.
Regulatory filings with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have set Jan. 3 as the date for rates, rules and regulations to become effective to commence transportation services to the Gulf Coast, Sheremata said Tuesday.
"We are required to provide at least 30 days' notice to FERC regarding the effective date for our tariffs and tolls," he said. "The Gulf Coast pipeline will have the initial capacity to transport up to 700,000 barrels of oil per day with the potential to transport up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day to Gulf Coast refineries."
The pipeline is the southern leg of TransCanada's proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport oil from Canada's oil sands and the Bakken Shale in North Dakota to refineries in the Houston area.
President Barack Obama refused to issue a permit for part of the project last year amid concerns about its potential impact on a large aquifer in Nebraska. The administration is considering another application, but TransCanada has received clearance for the pipeline's southern leg.
Construction began in August 2012 and involved more than 11 million hours of labor by 4,844 workers in the U.S., Sheremata said. The number of workers employed in the operational phase has not been established, he said.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Radiocarbon-Related Information Sources
Email List
Product Info
Computer Programs
Introductions to Radiocarbon Dating
"Death Starts the Stop-Watch"
A brief museum-like display, in English and German
WebInfo - Radiocarbon Dating
A compendium of online information on the theory and practice of radiocarbon dating, with references to published material.
See RADIOCARBON LABS section below. Check links followed by
, the INFO symbol.
(Most of the labs also provide detailed technical information about their specific dating techniques.)
Internet Discussion List
: Radiocarbon SYMPA email list
Search the C14-L archives:
Active Radiocarbon Labs & Lab Codes
Computer Programs
Marine Reservoir Correction
. Developed by the 14CHRONO group (Queen's University Belfast, UK). Radiocarbon ages of samples formed in the ocean, such as shells, fish, marine mammals etc., are generally several hundred years older than their terrestrial counterparts. This apparent age difference is due to the large carbon reservoir of the oceans. A correction is necessary in order to compare marine and terrestrial samples, but because of complexities in ocean circulation the actual correction varies with location. This regional difference from the average global marine reservoir correction is designated ΔR (Stuiver and Braziunas, 1993) As a first approximation, ΔR is assumed to be a constant for a given region and is calculated from the difference in 14C years of known age marine samples and the marine model age for that calendar age. The marine reservoir correction database presented here is intended for use with radiocarbon calibration programs such as CALIB (Stuiver and Reimer, 1993) or OxCal (Bronk Ramsey 1995) using the 2004 marine calibration dataset.
Fairbanks Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Age Program
developed by Richard Fairbanks, Naomi Naik and Li Cao at the Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory for use with the Fairbanks Radiocarbon Calibration Program.
Users can view and make maps and compute estimates for the Marine Radiocarbon Reservoir Age of the surface ocean based on model and measured radiocarbon reservoir age estimates. The program operates on the Google Earth and Google Map application engines and features overlay data sets particularly useful for interpreting the radiocarbon reservoir age estimates. The program is accessible using a wide range of browsers and computer platforms.
Online Bayesian radiocarbon calibration tool. Developed at the Department of Probability & Statistics, University of Sheffield (UK), this allows users to obtain calibrated dates on data sets entered via a Web browser.
Cologne Radiocarbon CALibration and PALaeoclimate Package. Designed for research on glacial C-14 age conversion (PC-WIN). By Bernhard Weninger and Olaf Jöris.
*Only calibration using IntCal is standardized and internationally accepted.
WinCal25: The Groningen Calibration Program:
By J. van der Plicht, for Windows, upgraded with latest calibration data set (intcal04). WinCal25 is a Windows remake of the CAL25 DOS program. It has the same functionality as CAL25 but with a new user interface..
: by M. Stuiver, P.J. Reimer, and R.W. Reimer, is an online radiocarbon calibration program. Downloadable versions are also available for Windows and Mac OSX.
: by P.J.Reimer and R.W.Reimer is an online calibration program for post-nuclear weapons testing C-14 samples.
laboratory data management software system that can be used by LSC labs
OxCal v4
by Christopher Bronk Ramsey. This is an online radiocarbon calibration program with downloadable versions for Windows and Mac platforms. The program can be used for calibration of dates using the IntCal curves or post-bomb data. Comparisons can also be made to any user-supplied data-set. The package also allows Bayesian analysis of sequences, phases, tree-ring sequences, age-depth models etc. There is an online manual.
Fairbanks calibration
program by Richard G. Fairbanks. As described in: "Marine Radiocarbon Calibration Curve Spanning 0 to 50,000 Years B.P. Based on Paired 230Th/234U/238U and 14C Dates on Pristine Corals," by Richard G. Fairbanks, Richard A. Mortlock, Tzu-Chien Chiu, Li Cao, Alexey Kaplan, Thomas P. Guilderson, Todd W. Fairbanks and Arthur L. Bloom, 2005.
Quaternary Science Reviews
Radiocarbon Databases and Searchable Indexes
Canadian Archaeological Radiocarbon Database
Main CARD searchable database
of archaeological and vertebrate palaeontological sites in Canada
GSC Project:
Mapping Ancient History
Interactive map based on CARD data, illustrating locations of radiocarbon-dated archaeological and palaeobiological sites in Canada for the past 14 millennia
Searchable database of
Mediterranean C-14 Ages and Publications
from Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra di Pisa, Italy
Southeast Asia and Anatolia
14Sea Project
: 14C database of Anatolia, the Aegean, and southeast Europe available in downloadable Excel files.
United Kingdom
Archaeological site index to radiocarbon dates from Great Britain and Ireland: database of over 4000 dates from the British Isles
Description of the database
Search access via the Archaeology Data Service catalogue
Oxford Radicarbon Accelerator Unit datelist index
United States
NOAA Earth System Research Library (ESRL)
14CO2 data
and Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC)
Liquid Scintillation International
Web site
National Geophysical Data Center
Paleoclimatology Home Page
National Geophysical Data Center
Radiocarbon datasets


text:
Need help?
Enter your e-mail and password:
New customer? Create your account
Lost password? Recover password
Enter your email:
Remembered your password? Back to login
Please fill in the information below:
Already have an account? Login here
Spend £158 more and get free shipping!
Your cart is empty
Patches, Badges & Stickers
This collection is empty
Nationwide Delivery
FREE Nationwide delivery**
Pre Delivery Inspection
All products are inspected and tested.
Contact Us
Contact a member of our team
Secure Payments
By Stripe & PayPal


text:
China argues against US action against Syria
China on Monday urged the U.S. not to take unilateral action against Syria in response to last month's chemical weapons attack against civilians.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Washington had briefed Beijing over the matter and China was highly concerned about any use of chemical weapons.
But he said China opposed the U.S. acting alone and believed any response must conform to the U.N. Charter and the basic principles underlying international relations.
"China ... holds the belief that a political resolution is the only realistic way to solve the Syrian issue," Hong told reporters at a regularly scheduled briefing.
"China is highly concerned about the relevant country's plan on taking unilateral military action," Hong said, adding that the international community must "avoid complicating the Syrian issue and dragging the Middle East down into further disaster."
China has consistently joined Russia in blocking any U.N. action that could lead to the downfall of Syrian President Bashar Assad's government.
The U.S. says the use of chemical weapons in Syria killed at least 1,429 civilians. The U.S. argues that Assad's government is responsible, while others say the evidence is not clear.
President Barack Obama is trying to convince Americans and the world about the need for action in response to the attack. Only France is firmly on board among the major military powers, after Britain's Parliament rejected the use of force in a vote last week.
Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, said Monday the information the U.S. showed Moscow to prove the Syrian regime was behind the chemical attack was "absolutely unconvincing."
Hong didn't address the possibility of the U.S. acting together with France or another ally, although Beijing would almost certainly be opposed to any action.


text:
When invention meets creativity
The Watch Quote - September 24th, 2012
Born at the heart of the Vallée de Joux the cradle of Swiss Fine Watchmaking, far removed from the frantic pace of the city where time is no longer counted but instead rushes relentlessly by the Rendez-Vous collection proudly proclaims its roots. It embodies the full range of expertise developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre for over 180 years. Within it blossoms the beauty of authentic horology: that which transcends time, the better to tame it. It epitomises the charm of the most beautiful creations, those that set a date with techniques and aesthetics, uniting them in a disarmingly natural manner.
Its femininity is conveyed through every detail of its graceful silhouette. The perfectly matched case and dial provide the perfect backdrop for the mechanical movement. The automatic calibre entirely developed, crafted and assembled in the Jaeger-LeCoultre workshops stages a day/night indicator amid a hand-guilloché décor reflecting the finest Haute Horlogerie traditions. Time serenely takes its place, bathed in the glow of the diamond-set bezel that illuminates each passing moment.
Echoing the 2009 encounter between Diane Kruger and the Manufacture, the Rendez-Vous collection pays eloquent tribute to the personality of this stellar actress. Her innate grace, her cosmopolitan spirit and her choices inspired the feminine world of Jaeger-LeCoultre. A world with no compromises, in which beauty and refinement are expressed through each beat of the mechanisms driving its creations. Ballerina, fashion model, actress, and quite simply a woman, Diane Kruger has always managed to conduct every moment of her life with self-assured determination, perpetually reinventing herself while losing nothing of her natural finesse and elegance. The same can be said for the feminine creations that continue to forge the legend of Jaeger-LeCoultre and testify to the brands amazing creative liberty.
The time of the Rendez-Vous is set. Is the eye drawn to the soft relief of the guilloché pattern, dazzled by the sparkle of the diamonds, or captivated by the slow dance of day and night? Each woman has her own answer... But rather than a single feature, it is the entire set of details of the Rendez-Vous watch that invite women to assume full ownership of an object that matches their character. Clearly influenced by the Art Deco movement from which the House has drawn the stylistic essence in order to exalt the beauty of the passing hours, the collection appears in two diameters 29 and 34 mm clothed in pink gold or steel and embellished by the finest manually crafted finishes. The 1930s-inspired hour numerals create a subtle link between the brands longstanding expertise and its perpetually renewed creativity. Backstage beats the unfailingly regular mechanical automatic movement, of which the oscillating weight and the exceptional finishes may be admired through the sapphire crystal case-back.
Like women themselves, the Rendez-Vous watch makes light of conventions. An actress with its finger firmly on the beat of time, it grasps each moment with authentic fervour. A loyal daily companion, it sets the scene for everyday life in a fascinatingly masterful and confident style.
Jaeger-LeCoultre has always devoted special attention to feminine timepieces, in terms of both their aesthetics and their mechanism. This tradition particularly dates back to the first round movements featuring an extremely small diameter, such as the LeCoultre Calibre 7HP created in the 1880s and which equipped enamelled, diamond-set and pearl-beaded watches, often worn around the neck. The 19th century witnessed the emergence of the wristwatch. Contrary to common belief, the first wristwatches were worn by women, before being adopted by men who had long clung to their preference for the supposedly masculine elegance of pocket- watches. At that time, the sleeveless dresses of the Directory and Empire periods revealed womens arms and wrists, thereby encouraging jewellers to adorn them with a wealth of sparkling creations. Some even had the idea of incorporating a watch mechanism inside these exquisite models. And so the first wristwatches were born: individually commissioned, crafted, and exclusively destined to play a resolutely jewellery-oriented role. Today, the Rendez-Vous collection is paying a new, glowingly self-assured and refined tribute to feminine time.


text:
Total new money "printed?" $1.15 TRILLION or $3,770 for every man, woman, and child in America. Family of four? That's a $15,000 future hit to taxes and spending power, without interest.
Bernanke has now made himself the only buyer of Fed bonds and Treasuries. Why would anyone from overseas do so?
Now that he's buying out in the open, he will have to do it again and again, just like he's doing with mortgages.
This will certainly light a fire under gold and temporarily in bonds. This is SYSTEM ENDING type of decision making. It may take a while, but watch out. The only thing that saves the dollar is if all the other countries in the index are likewise hell bent on destroying their money. We know the U.K. is, but we're going to find out who else… (that's a daily chart of /DX [dollar] on left and /ZB [long bonds] on right)
Gold looks very sensible on this headline, just look at this reaction in GLD, up the equivalent of $50 an ounce on the news so far. This puts those crazy sounding figures sqarely on the table:
To summarize, the Fed is going to buy up to $300 billion in long-term Treasuries over the next six months. They are also buying up to an additional $750 billion in agency mortgage backed securities, adding to an existing program to buy $500 billion of agency MBS. It will also double the size of its purchase program for FNM and FRE debt to $200 billion from $100 billion.
Here is the entire Fed Statement:
Release Date: March 18, 2009
For immediate release
Information received since the Federal Open Market Committee met in January indicates that the economy continues to contract. Job losses, declining equity and housing wealth, and tight credit conditions have weighed on consumer sentiment and spending. Weaker sales prospects and difficulties in obtaining credit have led businesses to cut back on inventories and fixed investment. U.S. exports have slumped as a number of major trading partners have also fallen into recession. Although the near-term economic outlook is weak, the Committee anticipates that policy actions to stabilize financial markets and institutions, together with fiscal and monetary stimulus, will contribute to a gradual resumption of sustainable economic growth.
In light of increasing economic slack here and abroad, the Committee expects that inflation will remain subdued. Moreover, the Committee sees some risk that inflation could persist for a time below rates that best foster economic growth and price stability in the longer term.
In these circumstances, the Federal Reserve will employ all available tools to promote economic recovery and to preserve price stability. The Committee will maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0 to 1/4 percent and anticipates that economic conditions are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels of the federal funds rate for an extended period. To provide greater support to mortgage lending and housing markets, the Committee decided today to increase the size of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet further by purchasing up to an additional $750 billion of agency mortgage-backed securities, bringing its total purchases of these securities to up to $1.25 trillion this year, and to increase its purchases of agency debt this year by up to $100 billion to a total of up to $200 billion. Moreover, to help improve conditions in private credit markets, the Committee decided to purchase up to $300 billion of longer-term Treasury securities over the next six months. The Federal Reserve has launched the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility to facilitate the extension of credit to households and small businesses and anticipates that the range of eligible collateral for this facility is likely to be expanded to include other financial assets. The Committee will continue to carefully monitor the size and composition of the Federal Reserve's balance sheet in light of evolving financial and economic developments.
Voting for the FOMC monetary policy action were: Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman; William C. Dudley, Vice Chairman; Elizabeth A. Duke; Charles L. Evans; Donald L. Kohn; Jeffrey M. Lacker; Dennis P. Lockhart; Daniel K. Tarullo; Kevin M. Warsh; and Janet L. Yellen.


text:
Chris Calnan of Norwell and Adam Gilmour of Hanover, linemates in prep school, have reunited this season at Boston College. The former Noble & Greenough stars want to help BC earn a ticket to this year's NCAA Frozen Four, starting with this weekend's regional tournament in Worcester.
They've been awaiting this moment since prep school, so what's another week or so, right? "It's been horrible," Adam Gilmour said. "These two-week breaks are brutal."
This break ends Saturday, though, and crazy as it may sound, the Boston College men's hockey team's goal is to play well enough this weekend at the DCU Center in Worcester to earn another lengthy layoff before their next game.
The Eagles (26-7-4), ranked No. 3 in the country and No. 1 in the four-team Northeast Regional, face the University of Denver (20-15-6) at 4 p.m. Saturday (ESPNU, WEEI-AM/850), with the winner meeting either UMass-Lowell or Minnesota State-Mankato in Sunday's 5 p.m. regional final (same TV, radio). That winner waits until April 10 to play again, in the NCAA Frozen Four semifinal at Philadelphia.
Gilmour, a center from Hanover, and Chris Calnan, a winger from Norwell, have been looking forward to this since they became linemates at Noble and Greenough 2010-11, both with the intent of making it to BC. In some ways, it's beyond the freshmen's expectations.
"I'm really excited to get started," said Calnan, a 6-foot-2, 200-pounder drafted by the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks in 2012. "Playing that close to home in front of all those people in my first NCAA Regional game – it'll be pretty special."
"This is really cool," said Gilmour, 6-3, 193 and also drafted in 2012, by the Minnesota Wild. "I went to a couple of the regionals in Worcester when I was in high school, with my dad. Just thinking about playing instead of watching it is an amazing feeling."
Assignment to Worcester for the regional has historically been a great sign for the Eagles, whose NCAA championship runs in 2001, '08, '10 and '12 all started at the DCU Center. BC feels like it's overdue for a positive development, too: After claiming Hockey East's regular-season championship in runaway fashion – the Eagles tore off a 17-0-2 unbeaten streak at one point – they hit a pothole. Notre Dame beat them in overtime in the final game of the regular season and two weeks later – now two weekends ago – the Fighting Irish returned to Chestnut Hill to upset BC in a three-game Hockey East quarterfinal series.
Thus, there was no trip to TD Garden for last weekend's Hockey East tournament (UMass-Lowell won it), and the Eagles had to wait for an at-large bid into the NCAAs. There's significant motivation to atone.
"Absolutely," Calnan said. "All the guys on our team look at how Notre Dame came in here and really gave it to us. It didn't sit well for a couple days after that, but then you've got to look past it and focus on the next game."
Gilmour is confident he and his teammates have what it takes to rebound.
"Of course," he said. "Our first line has the three top scorers in our league and two Hobey Baker finalists. We have great depth on our blue line, (goalie) Thatcher Demko has been awesome and the rest of our lines contribute.
"If we all play to our potential, I think we can definitely beat Denver, and then get out of the regional."
The line of Baker finalists Johnny Gaudreau (32-27–69), Kevin Hayes (24-32–56) and fellow senior Bill Arnold (12-36–48) has provided most of BC's offense, but not all of it. Gilmour scored seven goals and 19 points over 37 games and earned time on the Eagles' second power-play unit, while Calnan contributed four goals and 12 points in 34 games.
It didn't happen immediately, but not surprisingly, Gilmour and Calnan found their way back to each other. Separated last year – Gilmour played in junior hockey with Muskegon of the USHL, Calnan with the South Shore Kings – they've pretty much picked up where they left at Noble & Greenough, where they both averaged two points per game as seniors in 2011-12.
"At first it was an adjustment, figuring out my role on the team, what I could do to contribute," said Calnan, who plays wing on either side of Gilmour, and favors a no-nonsense, physical style. "After a few games, I've been really happy with the way the season has gone."
Gilmour, a skilled puck distributor, was thrilled to find a familiar face on his line, which has most often been completed by sophomore Brendan Silk.
"I can't think of anyone I'd rather play with," Gilmour said of Calnan. "We learned to play together in the first couple games of our Nobles season, and since then it's just been lights out.
"I really don't need to look for him. I know exactly where he is, and I know it's the same way with him."
As comfortable as they are together, Calnan and Gilmour know they'll be nervous on Saturday afternoon.
"We're going to have to put the nerves aside and get into the groove of things," Gilmour said. "I'll be really excited, but also focused. The other freshmen here feel the same way. This game is so important to our team."
Mike Loftus may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. On Twitter.com: @MLoftus_Ledger.


text:
My homework assignment from my good friends at Deadspin was to write about my interaction with Pearl Jam and in particular Eddie Vedder in honor of their 20th Anniversary. The difficulty in this assignment is writing it without coming off like a name-dropping ass. Well for those of you who don't like me—enjoy, and for those of you who are on the fence, this will surely push you in that same direction.
The truth is that I am not the most qualified person to write this piece. In this case I am just a fan who had a chance meeting with Eddie and tried to make the most of it. It was during the World Series in 2009 at a hotel in Philadelphia when I almost literally ran into Eddie getting off the elevator on my floor. I didn't want to bother him, but he said hello and asked my thoughts about the game that had been played that night (he is a friend of Raul Ibanez from Raul's days in Seattle). We started talking and realized that we are both fathers to two girls and immediately started comparing notes on what that experience is like. It lasted no more than 5 or 10 minutes, but I left blown away by his regular-guy demeanor.
Fast forward to last summer and Pearl Jam's tour stop in my hometown of St. Louis. I asked a promoter how I could buy tickets to the show and found out that I would be on the band's guest list. I took a buddy and his wife to the show and was left stunned when right before "Alive," Eddie gave me a shout out from the stage. I have been very lucky to get to do some cool events and witness some great moments in sports, but there is no thrill like hearing " Joe Buck if you are still in here, this one's for you—Joe Buck" and then right into that famous first lick.
After the show the three of us went to the side of the stage and asked if we could go say hello, mainly so I could thank him for that moment. Security asked, he said yes, and for the next hour and a half we sat in his dressing room talking about music, kids again, and baseball. I was struck by a couple of things. First, he is a legitimate, crazy baseball fan. Most know about Eddie's love of the Cubs, but the history of the game has his attention as well. He told me he is researching Cuban baseball and its impact on the game here in the States. I told him to check out The Pride of Havana written by a friend, Roberto Gonzalez Echevarria, which I later gave to him. He had a trunk open in his dressing room that had gloves and balls in it, which he said he uses with band and crew members before shows to get warmed up and ready to perform. But what really got my attention was that Eddie is one of those rare people who tries—and often succeeds—to live in each moment. He didn't seem distracted by anything that night, despite the fact that he was in the middle of a major tour and had just poured his heart out in front of tens of thousands of people. I think that was what put the three of us visitors at ease so quickly. He seemed genuinely interested in not only talking baseball, but also just hanging out with "people" free of any pretense.
Pro surfer Kelly Slater once said of him-–"He's (Eddie) not always available, but when he is, he is totally available. Sometimes you think you'll never hear from him again, but when you do, he really connects and it's something you remember for a long time. He is a good friend to many people." That was exactly my experience that night.
Many remember when they were first introduced to the band. We watched these five angry young guys run and stomp around the stage playing loud and aggressive rock and roll. We followed them through their fights with Ticketmaster and MTV, witnessed their open disdain for award shows and their general refusal to partake in the traditional publicity machine. I was worried that if I ever met these guys that I would be encountered with a "holier than thou" attitude or maybe a sense of boredom with the typical fan they interact with on a nightly basis. In our case that night, those preconceived notions could not have been further from the truth. There was zero wariness or pre-judgement. After all these years, while the passion for music and his many causes remain strong, there is no anger visible. Eddie represents someone truly at ease and comfortable with his place in this world.
The only reason I agreed to do this piece, was to try and let people know that this guy, whom so many idolize, is just a good person. I could give other examples, but it may make readers throw up. So many people in the public eye are master deceivers and act one way only when the cameras are rolling, with Eddie what you see is what you get. It is refreshing. I will never forget the first time I became aware of Pearl Jam. It was a Saturday night in the early 90's and I was tired and flipping channels. I came across SNL and was mesmerized by the music act that night. Pearl Jam played "Alive." I had never seen an act on that show so good. I had never seen a lead singer use his voice like that or give more in a performance. 20 years later I still haven't.
Joe Buck is a sports broadcaster for Fox.


text:
Save time and effort by streamlined commissioning
Integration, configuration and commissioning of intelligent devices doesn't have to be tiringly slow
Starting up a field network and intelligent devices can be a tricky undertaking, so you have to know what you are doing. No communication, device not properly integrated, incorrect measurement or action: these are just a few things might delay a timely plant startup. If your company has a skill gap or if you simply want to be certain that everything is correctly integrated and optimally configured, now is the time to contact our expert team.
Expertise is the key to fast, smooth and solid plant startup
If we helped engineer and design your network, expect a smooth startup. Even if you did it yourself, you can still save time and money by calling in our expert team. We will ensure that all devices are correctly integrated into your DCS/PLC system, verify that they have been correctly configured and should the network prove unstable, quickly find the cause.
Stringent project targets met – startup on schedule, within budget and with proven conformance to project guidelines
Device integration, configuration and commissioning tasks streamlined - project risks reduced by up to 30% and commissioning time reduced by up to 70%
Field devices optimally configured for the job at hand by experts
Devices correctly integrated into your DCS/PLC system; stable field network communication
Complete project documentation detailing installed base, integration, configuration, commissioning, FAT and SAT


text:
|With breathtaking views of rambling hills and farms, The Carriage House Inn features a variety of accommodations to meet your vacation, holiday, or weekend getaway needs. The nearby Hamlet of Bovina offers country tranquility, friendly people, historic homes, and a bit of heaven on earth.
|At The Carriage House Inn you may choose to stay in the Upper-Level Suite, which has two bedrooms and a deck off the full kitchen, or the Main-Level Suite, which has one-bedroom. Both Suites are located in the Guest House. A Studio Suite, located in the main house, is also available.
|Each accommodation has a kitchen or kitchenette with full cooking facilities and a private bath. For more information, please click on Accommodations.
|Fishing, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling, hiking and biking are all out your front door at The Carriage House. Or, you may choose to kick back and relax by the pond and enjoy the mountain views, take the paddle boat out, or simply take your time and read a book as the sun sets behind the mountains in front of you.
|Home | Carriage House Inn Accommodations | Activities | Directions | Contact Us | Sitemap |
|Designed Maintained and Hosted by CMS Internet Solutions, Inc Bovina New York


text:
We keep hearing rumors here and there about a Mass Effect movie in the works. As much as I love the franchise, I'm not sure I ever really want to see one. My Shepard is, well, my Shepard, and any movie starring someone of that name is unlikely to tell the story I preferred having told.
But with all that said, I would totally watch the hell out of movies based on these loyalty missions from Mass Effect 2. If they were real. Which they're not, and never will be. Probably just as well.
Either way, these concept posters, from a Mass Effect fan on tumblr, are lovely. Maybe games should include them at the start of missions, the way a half-hour cartoon with three segments introduces each one. Scroll down or hit up the original link for the other four.
[Update: We originally neglected to credit the artist off of whose work the fan-made edits were based. He is Benjamin Huen, and for those interested in more, there is now a rather large and impressive gallery of his art over here.]
Mass Effect 2 posters [miristrahovski via Twitter]


text:
Found 227 software entries
from category: Card & Casino
Found 227 software entries
from category: Card & Casino
1000 Miles
A Macintosh version of the classic French card game "Mille Borne." Credit http://www.emaculation.com/doku.php/system_6_hell
3D Bridge Deluxe
3D Crazy Eights
3D Euchre Deluxe
3D Euchre Deluxe is a card game for 4 players which you can play over network or against the computer AI. Fun fact: Euchre is a cards game that was introduced in the 19th century and was most probably the first ever cards game to include the...
3D Hearts Deluxe
3D Hearts Deluxe is a hearts kind of card game for Mac. The game of hearts is an ancient game that dates back to the Greek city of Ephesus located on what is now the Turkish coast of the Aegean Sea. It was originally called...
3D Klondike
3D Klondike is a multiple cards games combination with clickable characters who speak out notable quotes, for instance Bill Gates asks should people really use electric appliances because some day, it's going to fail. 3D Klondike features sounds...
3D Pitch Deluxe
3D Spades Deluxe
500 Cards
500 Supreme
A Farewell to Kings
A Farewell to Kings is an unique strategic solitaire card game variant created in 1995 and programmed in 1996 both by Rob D. Steward. Updates continued to be issued until 2008 during which years, the game was also recompiled for PPC...
Absolute Solitaire
Accordion is a B&W card game for early Macs. How to play Accordion: Cards are dealt in a row from left to right. Whenever a card matches its immediate neighbor to the left, or matches the card two away to the left, it may be moved...
Advanced Casino Strategy
After Dark Games
Allgood Solitaire 2.3
Allgood Solitaire (previously named Poor Man's Solitaire)
Aloha Solitaire
Aloha TriPeaks
America's Greatest Solitaire Games
To date, Macintosh Repository served 1315069 old Mac files, totaling more than 254237.6GB!
Downloads last 24h = 689 : 180593.2MB
Last 5000 friend visitors from all around the world come from:


text:
- About Us
- Issues
- Scorecards
Get Informed
- Join
- Learn
- Take Action
Get Involved
- Contact
- Foundation
- Privacy Policy
Contact FreedomWorks
111 K Street NE
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20002
- Toll Free 1.888.564.6273
- Local 202.783.3870
Dear FreedomWorks member,
As one of our millions of FreedomWorks members nationwide, I urge you to contact your Senators and urge them to support the No Exemption for Washington from Obamacare Act, S.1497. Introduced by Senator David Vitter, this bill would stop Members of Congress, their staff and all executive branch employees from receiving any subsides beyond those that would be received by other citizens of the United States under ObamaCare.
Under Section 1312 of the Affordable Care Act, Congress and their staff were to be enrolled in health insurance exchange plans, just like every ordinary American, and would lose their existing privileged coverage in the popular and successful Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). But rather than accept the consequences of passing Obamacare, the political class of Washington, D.C., who passed the law that fewer than 40% of all Americans support, have decided to exempt themselves from Obamacare. And the most offensive fact is that they've received this special treatment without even transparent vote for the American people to see.
The President, acting with questionable legal authority through the federal Office of Personnel Management, has declared that members of Congress and their staff can effectively be exempt from the law. While they must still enroll in Obamacare's exchanges, the President is allowing Congress to keep their gold-plated insurance subsidies that pay up to 75% of their premiums, thus shielding them from the rising costs resulting from the atrociously mistitled Affordable Care Act. And this is all courtesy of your tax dollars.
Due to Obamacare, many private employers have ceased to offer their group or company-self-paid insurance, and so employees have to find their own health insurance on the individual market in the exchanges. No other employer in America gets to help pay for its employees' coverage on the exchanges. Congress should not get special treatment.
These closed-door, secretive, Washington-insider tactics are unacceptable and unjust. For a civil society to remain free, those who write the laws must also be subject to them. Thus, I urge you to contact your Senators today and urge them to support S. 1497, the No Exemption for Washington from ObamaCare Act, and to co-sponsor the bill if they have not already done so.
Matt Kibbe
President and CEO
I sent a letter to my Missouri Congressmen and Congresswoman stating their health insurance should be Obamacare versus the existing congressional health insurance. My Congressfolks are Claire McCaskill, Roy Blunt and Blaine Luetkemeyer. Their form letter reply was basically that just like a corporation that has health insurance for the salaried employees they are staying on the insurance they have. I take issue with that logic...
1. I work for a corporation with salaried health insurance. My insurance has changed over the past couple of years due to the passage of Obamacare. Most importantly the cost of my health insurance. As a tax payer am I now also paying more for my Congressperson's health insurance due to Obamacare?
2. The corporation I work for is not financially broke, head over heals in debt. So my company can still provide health insurance though it is getting more difficult every year since Obamacare became law due to rising health insurance costs. My Country however is broke so I insist that all of Congress enroll in Obamacare ASAP since those I elected have told me it is cheap and costs should cost less than their current plan. My company is required to pay a tax of $63 per employee into Obamacare even though my company is not in Obamacare. I am paying for Congressional healthcare with every purchase and taxes on my income. Please enroll at the exchanges as soon as possible or you'll be fired.
3. This healthcare debate has gone on forever and came to a head with Hillarycare. So all retired politicians should also immediately enroll in the Obamacare exchanges.
I did not vote for it. They did and should stand on principle, live it, and love it.
my buddy's sister makes $60 an hour on the internet. She has been without a job for 7 months but last month her paycheck was $18055 just working on the internet for a few hours. check my site JOBS70.ℂOM


text:
Workshops, Courses & Seminars
Get Started
Understanding Canine Body Language
Learn Your Dog's Secret Language!
Sunday 16th June 2019 | Ipswich
Suffolk One, Scrivener Dr, Ipswich IP8 3SU
4 Core Principles
Your'll Discover during this workshop
How to read the subtle signs
We explore the dog's eyes, ears, mouth, hair, tail and posture in detail. Exploring each individually.
Why emotion probably isn't what you think it is
We will discuss the link between emotion and body language. What does aggression, fear, anxiety or happiness look like in dogs? Can dogs really feel guilt?
How Dog-Dog Communication is easier to interpret than you think
We look at how dogs communicate with one another, appropriate play and how to pre-empt our dogs behaviour.
Detailed Video Analysis
We will put our new knowledge into practise through a detailed video analysis section of the workshop.
Book Now
Please Note: Previous events have sold out within hours.
What's Included?
#2 - The Manual!
This 84 page manual sets out all of the workshop content so that you don't have to worry about scribbling down notes. It consists of text and images.
#1 - The Badge!
This badge is awarded on successful completion of this workshop. It can be used on your website and any other marketing materials.
(If you are a professional)
#3 - Certificate
Your professionally printed certificate will be posted directly to you within 21 days of completing the workshop.
#4 - Refresher Videos
We'll send you reminder videos so that your training stays current and refreshed.
PLUS A Few Surprise Bonus's on the day....


text:
TBS on Track to Win 2013 Primetime with Adults 18-34 and Adults 18-49
TBS's Victory with Adults 18-49 Ends Seven-Year Streak by USA Network
TBS is on track to win the 2013 ratings race as basic cable's #1 network in primetime with adults 18-34 and adults 18-49. The network is also chalking up audience growth in various categories compared to 2012 and is in position to claim its biggest year ever in primetime delivery of total viewers. TBS's ratings success has been fueled by its slate of scripted and unscripted original series, including Cougar Town, Sullivan & Son and Deal With It, as well as by The Big Bang Theory, which remains basic cable's #1 off-net series.
This will mark the second consecutive year TBS has topped basic cable in the 18-34 category. In addition, TBS's victory with adults 18-49 will end a seven-year winning streak by USA Network.
After charting extraordinary growth last year, TBS has continued to show gains this year in primetime and is on pace to score the network's biggest annual primetime audience ever, with its delivery of total viewers growing by +5% over 2012. In the demos, TBS is showing +2% growth with adults 18-49 and adults 18-34.
The phenomenal success of The Big Bang Theory shows no sign of slowing in its third year on TBS. The show once again ranks as basic cable's #1 off-net series for the third consecutive year among total viewers and adults 18-49.
The Big Bang Theory continues to provide an excellent platform for launching new TBS original series. This year's newcomers have included the geeky competition series King of the Nerds, the hilarious hidden-camera comedy Deal With It, the workplace comedy Ground Floor and the groundbreaking game show Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host.
On the original series front, TBS garnered success this year with hit sitcoms and competition series. TBS's sitcom pack is led by Cougar Town, which drew more than 2.6 million viewers and 1.7 million adults 18-49 in its first season on TBS and fourth season over all. Cougar Town is slated to return for its fifth season on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
Sullivan & Son garnered 2.4 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery for its second season, including 1.3 million adults 18-49. The hit comedy has been renewed for a third season, slated to begin in summer 2014.
The second season of Men at Work brought in 1.9 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery this past spring, including 1.2 million adults 18-49. The show is scheduled to return for its third season on Wednesday, Jan. 15, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
The first-season sitcom Ground Floor is averaging 1.7 million viewers, with 1.0 million adults 18-49 in Live + 7 delivery. Ground Floor currently airs Thursdays at 10 p.m. (ET/PT), with the season finale slated for mid-January.
TBS's success this year with unscripted series includes Deal With It, which wrangled 2.2 million viewers in Live + 7 delivery, including 1.2 million adults 18-49; King of the Nerds, which brought in 1.8 million viewers in Live + 7, with 1.2 million adults 18-49; and Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host, which is averaging 1.2 million viewers in Live + 7, with 693,000 adults 18-49. Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host currently airs Tuesdays at 10:30 p.m. (ET/PT). Deal With It and King of the Nerds have both been renewed for new seasons in 2014, with King of the Nerds slated to launch Thursday, Jan. 23, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT).
About TBS
TBS is basic cable's reigning champion among young adults in primetime. Available in 101 million households, TBS features original scripted comedies like Cougar Town, Ground Floor, Sullivan & Son and Men at Work, as well as American Dad!, which will become a TBS original series in late 2014. TBS also features original unscripted series like King of the Nerds, Deal With It and Trust Me, I'm a Game Show Host, as well as the upcoming CeeLo Green's The Good Life. In late night TBS, is home to the Emmy(R)-winning series CONAN, starring Conan O'Brien, and The Pete Holmes Show. The TBS lineup also includes popular contemporary comedies, such as The Big Bang Theory and Family Guy, along with blockbuster movies and championship sports.
TBS is part of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company. Turner Broadcasting creates and programs branded news; entertainment; animation and young adult; and sports media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.


text:
Equity futures have taken another leg lower this morning, below is a 5 minute chart of the DOW on the left showing the overnight action, and on the right is a 30 minute view of the S&P:
You can see in the above chart that there is now a well defined channel in place, prices are dipping below the bottom of that channel now. The bottom of that channel will be about 1,160 at the close today and the top will be about 1,195.
The Euro is getting smacked once again, it too is in a down channel but it has a way to go to get to the bottom which is just below 1.26, a huge move still. Below is a chart of the dollar on the left and Euro on the right. The dollar is racing towards the top of its channel, now just under 85 and I think it is targeting near the prior highs right around the 88 area. That's a huge move from the last low down at 74, and it happened very quickly:
Three people were killed in Greek riots yesterday, some buildings were burned. Also, Moody's placed Portugal on watch for another downgrade.
Commodities are collapsing again this morning, oil is making a huge move down again today and is back under $80 after losing $7 in just two days. Gold, which started out strong yesterday, collapsed mid-day and is down again this morning although not as hard as other commodities. This is margin type selling, it is affecting everything.
Yesterday's rout was a 93.5% down day by volume, the third such 90%+ down day in the past 13 sessions. This is very bearish to have a cluster of them like that, they often occur at major tops.
The number of new 52 week lows on the NYSE picked up considerably yesterday to 29. That is three times recent numbers. Think about that, we have been going straight up for 14 months, are still barely off the highs and yet we have companies who are hitting lows! That's the type of marker that shows internal unhealthiness. New highs plunged to just 80. Remember, we were just over 600 at an all time record and I was repeatedly warning that was an extreme that often marks significant tops. Should the selling continue for awhile, we may get into Hindenburg Omen territory. That requires BOTH 85 new lows and 85 new highs occurring together along with some other conditions. That could occur if the selling continues awhile and then we bounce, I'll be watching for it and will keep you informed.
Here's a piece that shows the human side of what's happening to the American middle class dream. An Air Force Major and his wife, working for their country get moved and have to find a place to live. Yes, they made the mistake of buying into the hype and bought a home at bubble prices, but just look at how much pressure society places on them to do so – everything is marking spin and flat out lies. This is really a tragedy, something that is affecting the trailing edge Boomers and those immediately following much more harshly than those who were on the leading edge of the demographic bubble. Their future will not be anywhere near what their parents experienced and they will likely never own a home free and clear:
Drowning in debt as home prices dive
(Money Magazine) -- A transfer in 2005 landed Air Force major Richard Hallbeck, his wife, and two kids in Southern California smack in the middle of the real estate bubble. Home prices in the area had doubled in the past five years and were still climbing. So the Hallbecks swallowed hard and bought an $845,000 four-bedroom in a suburb of Long Beach.
The $3,800 monthly payment was high but affordable on two incomes. (Laurie, now 37, worked as a claims adjuster.) And they figured the market was so strong that when they had to move again, they'd at least break even. "Our house actually appraised over what we paid for it," Richard, 42, recalls wistfully.
Since then, area sale prices have fallen 26% -- when properties sell at all. Meanwhile, the recession cost Laurie her job, and the payment on the couple's adjustable-rate mortgage will jump $800 in July. Next year Richard will face mandatory retirement from the Air Force, and his pension will be a third of his current $117,000 income.
All that's got the Hallbecks anxious to move to a more affordable city -- like Dayton, where they used to live. But they're just as anxious about how much they could lose on the sale of their house.
A similar home down the street lists for $655,000, $21,000 less than the Hallbecks' outstanding mortgage. At that price, the couple would be out $231,000, including their down payment and closing costs. "The stress has really worn on us," Richard says.
Nationwide, about one in four home mortgages are now underwater, meaning borrowers owe more than their places are worth. No surprise, California and other bubbly states -- Nevada, Arizona, and Florida -- lead the nation.
While a bevy of new federal programs aim to help, underwater owners who want to move still face uncomfortable choices: Postpone the move and continue sinking money into a pit; sell for a loss, forfeiting the down payment and some savings to close the deal; desperately try to enter into a short sale; or simply walk away and face the consequences of foreclosure. If you (or your kids) are in this situation, here's how to think about the options.
Since Money first spoke to the Hallbecks, they have listed their home and attracted an offer of $655,000. That would've meant shelling out the $21,000 difference, plus some $40,000 in commissions and closing costs. So, the couple decided to hold out for more. "Hopefully," says Richard, "our expectations aren't too high."
Those prices still sound like bubble prices to me. Truly, an Air Force Major has no business buying an $845,000 house, but look at it... completely average. The banks certainly also have no business lending that much on a home like that, they are the experts and as far as I'm concerned should eat every penny. Note the reset of their likely Option-ARM loan, there is a wave of these coming, you are going to see upper end homes take another very large hit in the next couple of years.
Of course the article goes on to offer advice and several options for them, none of which are palatable. They need to forget that continued hype, put aside their emotions and treat it like a business decision. Get an attorney and get a real estate agent who knows how to work a short sale.
The worthless as ever MBA Purchase Applications index came in with wild weekly readings again. This time the purchase index was up a totally unbelievable 13%, while the refinance index fell 2.1%, here's Econoday:
Buyers seeking second-round tax credits needed to have a contract in place by April 30 making for a 13 percent spike in mortgage applications for the week. Month-to-month, purchase applications rose nearly 24 percent. Both conventional and government applications showed significant increases in the latest week but especially government applications which made up over 50 percent for the highest share in 20 years. But like the first-round, second-round tax credits likely pulled a significant amount of sales forward and point to trouble for housing demand in the coming months.
But one plus will be what was thought to have been a negative, that is interest rates which are moving lower due to the sovereign-debt crisis in Europe and related demand for U.S. Treasuries. The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage fell 6 basis points in the week to 5.02 percent and looks to move substantially lower in the next report. But rates have been this low before and may have to break new lows below 4.90 percent to attract significant refinancing demand. The refinance index fell 2.1 percent in the week.
Boy, good thing interest rates are moving lower again, of course it's taking a drain on equities to do it. By the time the central bankers are done, the Hallbecks won't have a pot to piss in.
The ADP Employment Report went from negative 23,000 in March to a positive 32,000 for April. March's figure was revised upwards to positive 19,000. I take the ADP numbers with a huge grain of salt. Of course the Employment Situation report is released this Friday and this will set expectations high for that. I am hearing that the Census hired, get this, 120,000 workers in the month of April! Think about that, yet another crime for the American taxpayer. At least during the Great Depression we had the CCC working on building trails and roads, today we just count one another and engineer financial products based on false accounting. So proud of that.
Speaking of false accounting, Goldman failed to hold over the $150 level yesterday, if it joins the selling party again, that would be very bearish.
The non-manufacturing ISM will be released at 10 Eastern this morning.
Just look at that VIX go! I think what's happening here is that we had a market sell signal and the Bollinger just got in the way. The fact that it is way above the upper band now means that obviously the latest market buy signals are negated for now. It is following a ballistic trendline up, it will produce another market buy signal at some point, but it needs to break that trend line to have significance for me:
The VIX P&F chart showed yesterday's triple top breakout and produced a target of 36:
Here's a little mood music for the not too distant future:
Steely Dan – Black Friday:


text:
Free Mobile Online Games
Kim's Shoe Designer
With Kim's Shoe Designer you can now live your dream to design and create your own shoes. Kim's academy helps you through the design process with cool predefined elements and in no time you will be designing not only shoes but true fashion statements. Once you are happy with your creation you can easily take a screenshot and send to your friends to inspire them or to get your well-earned compliments. Making your first steps into the fashion world has never been easier! Now live your dream and play Kim's Shoe Designer now for free! Show the world that you have the style and taste to keep up with the world's best designers!
Games for Girls
Anna's Pedicure
Help Anna run her pedicure salon in this fun makeover game! Anna's Pedicure is not only one of the best makeover games but it also features Anna. Follow the in-game instructions to give Anna's customer the best pedicure ever. Removing the old nail polish, clipping and trimming the nails then applying hand lotion are all part of this exciting and educational game. With this preparation in place, you can now create your own nail design and choose from a wide range of different colors, patterns and even apply beautiful accessories like diamonds to the nails. Create as many designs as you want and show your friends your wonderful sense of style! Play Anna's Pedicure now for free and experience one of the best makeover games!
Games for Girls, Skill


text:
Export 34 results:Author [ Title] Type Year
Filters: Author is Carl-Fredik Westin [Clear All Filters]
"Optimal real-time estimation in diffusion tensor imaging", Magnetic resonance imaging, vol. 30, no. 4: Elsevier, pp. 506–517, 2012.,
"Outlier rejection for diffusion weighted imaging", Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention–MICCAI 2007: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 161–168, 2007.,
"Regularization of Diffusion Tensor Maps Using a Non-Gaussian Markov Random Field Approach", Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 2879: Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 92–100, 2003.,
"Restoration of DWI data using a Rician LMMSE estimator", Medical Imaging, IEEE Transactions on, vol. 27, no. 10: IEEE, pp. 1389–1403, 2008.,
"Segmentation of tensor fields: Recent advances and perspectives", Tensors in Image Processing and Computer Vision: Springer, pp. 35–58, 2009.,
"Sequential anisotropic multichannel Wiener filtering with Rician bias correction applied to 3D regularization of DWI data", Medical image analysis, vol. 13, no. 1: Elsevier, pp. 19–35, 2009.,
"Sequential anisotropic Wiener filtering applied to 3D MRI data", Magnetic resonance imaging, vol. 25, no. 2: Elsevier, pp. 278–292, 2007.,
"Signal LMMSE estimation from multiple samples in MRI and DT-MRI", Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention–MICCAI 2007: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 368–375, 2007.,
"Tensor field regularization using normalized convolution and markov random fields in a bayesian framework", Visualization and Processing of Tensor Fields: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 381–398, 2006.,


text:
STRAIGHT TALK: August's Montreal Sessions with Jonathan Cummins
Jonathan "Cougar" Cummins and Simon "Psi Factor" Nixon continue their month long takeover of The Montreal Sessions today from 3-5pm. Just in case you've been living under a sound/hilarity/irreverence proof rock, we thought we'd show you a video of what you have to look forward to.
Like what you hear? Download or stream last week's episode from our program archives.


text:
Share & Be Aware: Smart BicyclingPosted on
You can dramatically increase your safety on the road by:
- Making sure your bike is in good working order
- Observing traffic laws
- Being aware of road conditions
Under Wisconsin law, bicycles are vehicles. That means that bicyclists on the road have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers of motor vehicles. If you know the laws that apply to driving a car, you know the laws that apply to bicycling. By obeying traffic signs and signals, following all other rules of the road and bicycling in a predictable manner, you'll find more courtesy and respect on the road.Advertisement
You can find a summary of Wisconsin bicycle laws here.
Watch this 7-minute safety video from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for some great tips about cycling in traffic. Traffic tips begin about four-and-a-half minutes into the video. For more videos, visit our Bike Skills playlist on YouTube.
A note about crashes:
Bicycling has an undeserved bad rap when it comes to safety. Riding a bicycle is incredibly safe already, and the crash rate has decreased steadily for the last 15 years or so. Yet when you ask people what their greatest fear is about riding a bike, the answer is often, "Getting hit by a car." As long as you follow these tips below and obey the law, you can join the more than 2.5 million people who enjoy safe bicycle rides in Wisconsin every year.
Don't weave
Ride with traffic
Always ride in the same direction as other traffic - including on one-way streets. Some people believe that bicyclists are like pedestrians and should travel facing motor vehicle traffic. This is illegal and has been shown to dramatically increase the risk of a collision because:
Drivers don't expect you to be there and won't be looking for you
Bicyclists traveling in the proper direction will have difficulty avoiding a collision with you.
It forces you into oncoming traffic if you need to swerve
You can't see road signs
You can't make proper turns
The "closing speed" (velocity at impact) between you and another road user makes a collision more dangerous
Ride as far to the right as practicable
Wisconsin law requires bicyclists to ride "as close as practicable" to the right of the road. "Practicable" generally means safe and reasonable; it does not mean hugging the curb. You should right far enough from the shoulder to be able to maneuver around debris or hazardous objects you come upon without having to swerve into traffic.
A major exception to the principle of riding on the right occurs on one-way streets with two or more lanes. In such cases, one should ride as far to the right or left as practicable. See Wisconsin state statute 346.80(2)(b).
You are required by Wisconsin law to exercise due care when passing parked cars. (View this video on our YouTube channel for a more detailed illustration of what safe distance from parked cars looks like.) You must give parked or stopped buses at least three feet of space.
When passing moving vehicles, you must pass on the left and allow a safe distance between yourself and the other vehicle. If the moving vehicle you're passing happens to be a bicycle, it's always polite to give a friendly audible warning, such as a bell ring or a "Hello - passing on your left."
Know when to 'take the lane'
According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, you should 'take the lane' if you are traveling at or close to the speed of motor vehicle traffic.
You should also take the lane if it is too narrow for a bicycle and a motor vehicle to travel safely side by side (with three feet of clearance), you should ride in the center of the lane. If you are concerned that this will impede motor vehicle traffic, you can pull off the road (if it is safe to do so) to allow motor vehicles to pass, but do not hug the curb. This could tempt motorists to pass without giving you adequate clearance.
In some instances, you may be legally required to pull off the road to allow a motor vehicle to pass, but never when pulling off would be unsafe. For more information, please see Wisconsin statute 346.59, "Minimum speed regulation."
Use hand signals
According to Wisconsin state statute 346.34(1)(b), bicyclists must signal their intention to turn for the 50 feet prior to making their turn, as long as signaling does not interfere with operating the bicycle. Note the Bike Fed had our state law changed to now allow the use of the alternate right turn hand signal circled in the diagram.
The short video (below right) illustrates, in less than two minutes, how to signal turns and stops. Please not that, in Wisconsin, the legal standard for the right-turn signal is the left arm raised with hand and forearm pointing upward.
Signals and stop signs
Because bicycles are vehicles, operators must obey all traffic signals and signs the same as if they were driving a car. That means coming to a complete stop at stop signs and stopping (and waiting through) red lights.
Wisconsin statute 346.37(1)(c)(4) does outline one exception to this rule for operators of bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds and motorbikes. The exception is for intersections where the lights are controlled by vehicle-actuated sensors - that is, the light will only change when it senses that a vehicle is present. Some sensors do not pick up smaller vehicles, such as bicycles and motorcycles, and therefore will not change no matter how long the operator waits at the light. If you are on a bicycle and have waited at least 45 seconds at a red light, and you believe the light only changes color when it senses the presence of a motor vehicle, you may proceed through the intersection if it is safe to do so
Here's what the statute says:
- "a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle facing a red signal at an intersection may, after stopping as required under subd. 1. for not less than 45 seconds, proceed cautiously through the intersection before the signal turns green if no other vehicles are present at the intersection to actuate the signal and the operator of the motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle reasonably believes the signal is vehicle actuated. The operator of a motorcycle, moped, motor bicycle, or bicycle proceeding through a red signal under this subdivision shall yield the right-of-way to any vehicular traffic, pedestrian, bicyclist, or rider of an electric personal assistive mobility device proceeding through a green signal at the intersection or lawfully within a crosswalk or using the intersection."
Ride defensively
Be aware of what is going on around you, both in terms of roadway conditions as well as other traffic. Watch the road for hazards like sand, broken glass, potholes and railroad tracks. Watch side streets, driveways, alleys and parked cars for traffic that may enter the street in front of you or turn across your path. Remember that trees, shrubs, fences, bright sunlight and darkness can make it difficult for you to see and for others to see you. Adapt your riding style to minimize these and other hazards.
Learn where crashes are most likely to happen
While the overwhelming majority of bike crashes do not involve cars, it's important to learn how to avoid collisions with cars. You can do your part by following the tips above and further protect yourself by learning the most common motorist errors that lead to car-bike collisions. Once you know them, you will be better equipped to spot motorists who may be about to make a driving error.
For more information
This list of guidelines for safe and legal riding is not comprehensive. For more information, please visit our Wisconsin bicycle laws page, review the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's Rules for Riding Bicycles on the Road or contact the Bike Fed.
© 2010 Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin Join BFW Donate to


text:
One man's story shows why cities are nurturing local innovation communities.
Our Nation is home to a long line of innovators who have fueled our economy and transformed our world. Through the generations, American inventors have lit our homes, propelled humanity into the skies, and helped people across the planet connect at the click of a button. American manufacturers have never stopped chasing the next big breakthrough. As a country, we respond to challenge with discovery, determined to meet our great tests while seeking out new frontiers.
— Presidential Proclamation, National Day of Making 2014
It's Christmas season 2011, and Marc Roth has spent his last dollar. He is homeless and suffers from a debilitating nerve disorder. Far from family, he is without options. What hope remains is put into a $49 purchase — an investment that for Roth signifies everything.
It was opportunity discovered in a trash can: Two homeless shelter residents had chucked a flier advertising a $49 holiday special to TechShop — a one-month membership to the community studio's world of CNC machining equipment, laser cutters and prototyping tools. It was hardware, he'd discover later, that also belonged to a new movement that puts advanced tech tools into the hands of product-providing citizens. Nationally, from San Francisco to Washington, D.C., the initiative has become known as the Maker Movement.
At the time, Roth saw the invitation as a possible opportunity. He was desperate, and so with little to lose, he dug the flier out of the trash.
In retrospect, Roth's life had run itself unexpectedly. He was educated, a would-have-been millionaire, the former CEO of a Las Vegas tech startup and the father of two children. Years before, investors seeded his company with $2.4 million. When it failed, things deteriorated and he was devastated. The fallout left Roth on a foam mat in San Francisco's Tenderloin district, staying at a homeless shelter at the city's northeastern edge.
"There was a fork in the road where I thought, 'I could just end it or sleep in a homeless shelter,'" Roth recalled. "The logic in my head was, well, you could always do that the next day too — it's not like that ever falls off the table."
Instead, Roth cashed a welfare check to pay for the membership and bought a 15-cent banana to avoid the ATM fees. It was a turning point and a day Roth, now an ambassador for San Francisco's Maker Movement, will remember for the rest of his life.
Inside TechShop, Roth sipped coffee at a wooden table not far from the studio's line of bright-white windows. Laser printers hum, laptops purr, metallic vibrations emanate from machinery, alongside random jostling from a few herky-jerky 3-D printers.
Raising his pitch against the background noise, Roth said his descent began in Vegas, where he and his family lived. It was the height of the Great Recession in 2009 and his company, Interactive Advertising Systems Inc., was hemorrhaging. A near self-taught technologist, Roth had patented touchscreen technology to process taxi fares and created a company around it. Friends and family threw in $75,000 and a second round of investment fueled the company with $2.4 million in credit and cash. At its height, in 2008, the startup was valued at $25 million.
All that potential notwithstanding, in 2010 Roth found himself fighting, unsuccessfully, to rescue his company from a recession that had drained the travel industry — his primary source of revenue — and sucker-punched his hotel and real-estate based investors, the only other source of income keeping him solvent.
"After all of that, I finally just gave up on it," Roth said. "I had gone from being a future billionaire to being severely broke and it took a toll on me."
In the aftermath, he washed up writing code. Not a bad job, but one he wouldn't keep. The loss was too much and the resulting career prospects were too few. Roth saw San Francisco's tech community as his answer. He'd get a sales and engineering job and earn a six-figure salary — he told himself and his family "everything is going to be all right."
Roth took essentials only on his trek to California: clothes for interviews, his computer and a 2008 Saturn Vue to be his office, taxi and living quarters. He departed expecting his time away to last a month or so, at most.
Those who know San Francisco recognize that it's a city of worlds intertwined. Take a walk down Market Street, down Powell, down Geary and all the highs and lows mix in. Gold-cufflinked shirtsleeves sway past men pushing shopping carts, while street musicians squat by trolley-car tourists. CEOs and escalator beggars, high rollers and penny pinchers; San Francisco, like life, offers everything except promises.
It was to this world that Roth arrived in September 2011, determined to succeed. During the day, he'd send résumés from libraries and coffee shops. At night, he'd sleep discreetly in a quiet neighborhood, a parking lot on the coast or his usual fallback, a park in the city's Mission Bay Neighborhood, just blocks from the San Francisco Giants' stadium.
While he settled into a workday routine that involved time at the library to use the free Wi-Fi to distribute his résumé, the hardest part of living in his car was snagging a shower. Roth's solution was to shower covertly at a public pool in the North Beach neighborhood.
"It's funny, because I would always swim too," he said, chuckling. "I didn't want anybody to know my situation. I wanted to appear as normal as I possibly could while I was dealing with all of this."
Expenses compelled Roth to work at a pizzeria on Treasure Island; his co-workers didn't know he was homeless either. Time went by and though he'd been optimistic, Roth could guess the reasons why the job search was slow: It was success — not failure — that had marked him.
"Any smart person looking at my résumé wouldn't think that I was going to stick around. They would think I was looking for a way to make money until I started my next business."
Roth's toils eventually bore fruit, and he secured the interest of three companies. He jumped at the first job offer, a decision he came to regret. After buying new clothes for the job, his phone rang. The news was bad.
"I was busy working on my wardrobe while they were busy deciding that maybe they didn't have a job opening after all."
The news took Roth back to zero.
Adding to his loss, his health was suffering. Hours of standing in front of pizza ovens had resulted in nerve damage in his legs, causing pain that prevented Roth from standing for more than two hours at a time, and prohibiting him from most manual jobs.
The worst came shortly after.
Roth returned to his SUV one afternoon to discover two windows shattered. His belongings, packaged in suitcases and Rubbermaid containers, had been worked over. His valuables were gone.
It was here that Roth was at one of the lowest points in his entire life. His vehicle and home was unlivable. He had no career. His legs ached. And beyond doubt, Roth was finally, indisputably, homeless.
"I went to spend a night in the homeless shelter. The first night I really didn't know what to expect. Just getting through the trauma of going to the homeless shelter was all I could process," Roth said.
"I remember walking into the shelter — I'm pretty sure I went downstairs and tried to eat — and then I went up, stuck my stuff in a drawer and I was out. The next day, I woke up and did the same thing over again."
What's the difference between the homeless and everyone else? For many Americans who live month to month, Roth said, it can be as little as a single paycheck. It's a fact he'd observe during the coming months in shelters across San Francisco. It came to him during his first stay.
After three days in the shelter, Roth had recovered enough to think and take in his surroundings. It was the sense of normalcy that struck him most. The people acted like people: They ate breakfast, sat on couches, watched television, showered and slept. "There was nothing really remarkable about it."
Months prior, he'd considered entering a shelter and declined. He even approached a shelter doorstep before hurrying off. Looking back now, he wonders at his fears.
"It was like the homeless people were going to see me and say, 'Oh, you're Marc Roth!' I don't know what was running through my head, but I was afraid to go anywhere near them," Roth said.
With the temporary roof over his head, Roth set himself to planning. He applied for general assistance and got it a week later.
It was then that Roth discovered the flier for TechShop, a community machine studio, located downtown. The facility holds more than a million dollars in prototyping equipment and is a hub for San Francisco's Maker Movement, an initiative supporting community-driven design and production.
San Francisco Chief Innovation Officer Jay Nath said TechShop's makerspace is an integral gauge of the city's steadily growing manufacturing sector that channels more than $1 billion of indirect and direct revenue into the local economy. The city estimates that the sector employs more than 3,000 of its residents and another 1,000 outside of San Francisco.
"Makerspaces like TechShop are important places for collaboration and community-building that breed new ways products are designed, prototyped and manufactured and a new way of thinking that can benefit our communities and the city," Nath said. "Chief innovation officers should watch for signals like TechShop and similar offerings because they're an indication of the emerging needs of our residents and businesses."
Today, college students, entrepreneurs, hobbyists, inventors and others gather daily to tinker with its tech equipment. It's what drew Roth, who for the price of a membership, had access to 3-D printers, CNC milling machines, injection molding equipment, lathes, sand blasters, powder coaters and hundreds of prototyping tools.
Roth enrolled himself, took two free classes that came with the deal, and things developed. Worst case, said Roth, it was a day shelter with free popcorn and coffee. Best case, it was a ticket to a new trade. He would go on to master every machine in the shop. Soon, young entrepreneurs began hiring him for prototype projects. Next, TechShop offered Roth opportunities to teach.
Five months went by.
Then, in May 2012, a friend he'd met paid for Roth to live in a hacker hostel for tech entrepreneurs. At the same time, an anonymous investor supported Roth in launching SF Laser, his laser cutting and etching company housed inside of TechShop. SF Laser was a success, and in June 2012, Roth brought his family to the Bay Area. He's never been homeless since.
Roth grapples with the question of when he knew the struggles were over. The truth is there was never a finish line, he said.
"The idea that I'm never going to be in a homeless shelter again is just not a myth that I believe in," Roth said. "I'm going to work hard. And I have a pretty good idea where my life is going … but I don't believe in security the way I used to — nor do I feel like I need to."
Roth distinguishes himself differently now too. In the past, he could never identify himself as homeless. Yet the experience altered his thinking, and these days, he can't help but identify with the homeless. Roth sees parts of himself in them — both good and bad — but parts worth saving.
Today, Roth leads a grass-roots but tenacious organization called the Learning Shelter, which he created to provide those in need with the same tech tools he had — with the addition of mentors and coaching. The idea is to teach trades that empower the homeless to get themselves off the street.
On May 15, Roth's first session began at TechShop with a pilot cohort of four members. The program lasts 90 days.
"Being able to make things of value is what makes human beings valuable to each other. And these are resourceful people," Roth said. "They're capable. They just need the tools and the blueprint."
Despite the shelter's recent birth, it's received warm adulation from charitable nonprofits and San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee who praised the shelter in his 2014 State of the City Address. In June, Roth and the shelter were recognized by President Barack Obama at the White House Maker Faire, a gathering to bolster the Maker Movement.
"We're always asking ourselves, 'How can innovation lead to jobs for the future? What kind of training and education do these jobs require and how do we ensure that our future workforce is trained for these jobs?'" said Nath. "The Learning Shelter is an inspiring new work skills training model that helps keep San Francisco a city for the 100 percent."
Roth said his shelter will always be about people and there is much to be done. He's seeking investors and talking with homeless shelters to identify candidates. The vision is to eventually create a full live-in program and offer aid in perpetuity. Yet whether he will realize this new dream remains unknown. If there is any confirmation for his aspirations, Roth said it doesn't arrive in spreadsheets or endorsements. Mostly, it comes at night, when the lights are out and he's asleep in his own bed, with his children down the hall.


text:
Monday was Split Day for Apple, but the shares aren't jumping even though they're more affordable.
Still, investor sentiment is good, according to a MarketWach poll, with half of responding readers rating the stock a "buy." Apple
The major advantages of the split include more institutional purchasers for the stock, since there will be no arbitrary restriction from buying shares priced over $100. Retail investors also may warm to the stock. After all, buying a round lot of 100 Apple shares now costs less than $10,000.
Here's some advice from Mr. Spock on how to assess whether to buy Apple shares: Be logical. Forget about all the articles you see from Apple fan boys who love the company because they love its products, or Apple haters, who fail to consider the company's financial success. If your opinion of Apple reflects your love of products that "just work," or hatred of having less access to the phone's content and less customization than is possible for users of Google's
For starters, the company has grown its revenue per share for more than 10 years. Very few large-cap companies can say that. But few firms have disrupted the world as Apple has, with its iPhone, iPad and iTunes/iPod.
The stock has returned 17% this year, adjusted for the 7-for-1 split. Based on a quarterly payout of 47 cents, the stock has a dividend yield of 2.02%, which is quite something for a tech stock with Apple's growth record.
On a pre-split basis, the shares would be priced at $651.14, which is well below the closing peak of $702.10 in September 2012. Adjusting for the split, if Apple's stock climbs 9% from Monday's close to $101, it will be well above the old record.
Apple's shares trade for 13.5 times the consensus fiscal 2015 earnings estimate of $6.38 a share, among analysts polled by FactSet. That's well below the aggregate forward price-to-earnings ratio of the 14.7 for the S&P 500 Index
EPS growth has been supported by massive buybacks of common shares, which lowered the average share count by 7% over the year ended March 29. In April, Apple expanded its buyback authorization to $90 billion by the end of next year, from the previous authorization of $60 billion.
Typical tech investors don't want to hear about buybacks or dividends, with the conventional wisdom being that a fast-growing company should focus on plowing its cash flow back into research and development, in order to make sure the company keeps putting out innovative products.
But Apple's cash flow and cash buildup have quashed that argument.
Let's take a quick look at some Apple numbers:
For the fiscal second quarter ended March 29, total revenue was up 5% to $45.65 billion. Revenue for the iPhone rose 14% to $43.72 billion, while iPad revenue dropped 13% to $16.35 billion. Content revenue — reported within the iTunes/Software/Services line — increased 11% to $4.57 billion.
Revenue growth slowed from 11% a year earlier, while iTunes revenue growth slowed from 30%. But revenue from the critically important China market advanced 13% to $9.29 billion, accelerating from 8% a year earlier.
Second-quarter cash flow from operations was up slightly to $36.21 billion. But cash flow per share rose 16% to $2.19, according to FactSet, again underscoring the benefit to investors of the buybacks.
Revenue for iTunes makes up roughly 10% of Apple's sales, and there is pressure on growth, because of a tendency for music lovers to move toward subscription streaming services and away from MP3 downloads. It will be interesting to see what move Apple makes to better compete for streaming revenue.
The slowing of total revenue growth underscores the need for Apple once again to recapture the "innovator" crown in the smartphone industry. There have been various rumors of what the company will feature with the iPhone 6, and one of those has been a screen that resists the finger prints and oil smudges that are such a nuisance.
So there you have it. Apple's numbers look good, despite the revenue growth challenges.
Can the company make a big splash with the iPhone 6, or will it be another incremental improvement? Apple is very good at keeping secrets, so we just don't know. But the stock is cheap, and the continued revenue growth and the buybacks make Apple look like a shareholder-friendly stock pick.
More from MarketWatch:
Apple's stock set up to beat the market through 2016
McDonald's May U.S. same-store sales fall 1%


text:
Or how a short survey of archaeological remains in the Grindelwald area (Berner Oberland) shows that not only modern but also 18th and 19th century tourism left traces in the land-scape. In my job at the Archaeological Service of the Canton of Berne I don't get to do much field-work these days. I do however get the occasional treat to check out sites that volunteers report to us. On this day of archaeology, I am writing up the results of such a day out. To-gether with our local man, I drove and walked around Alpine pastures and steep forests above Grindelwald. Peter grew up in Grindelwald, knew everyone we met and has a wealth of knowledge about local history.
We recorded several building remains (dry stone masonry) and structures to do with early modern or medieval agriculture/transhumance, but a lime kiln in rather strange location led me to find out more about the history of early tourism in Grindelwald. Thanks to its location at the foot of the Eiger and two large glaciers reaching the valley floor, Grindelwald has been destination for foreign travelers from the late 18th century onwards. Although agriculture still plays a role, economically the village relies almost solely on tourism.
One of the first paths constructed in Switzerland for touristic rather than transport purposes was built in 1821 from Grindelwald to the Stieregg, a spot roughly 600 m above the valley floor and from which one could admire the so-called ice sea («Eismeer») of the Unterer Grindelwald glacier. From 1823 there was a refuge at the end of the path and 1858 a guest-house was built at the nearby Bäregg. The guesthouse was twice destroyed by avalanches and rebuilt (1868, 1906), but after another avalanche in 1940 its ruined walls were left un-touched. A replacement was erected at Stieregg in 1952, this time lasting until 2005 when it had to be pulled down because the glacial moraine it stood on became unstable. Due to the substantial retreat and decreased thickness of the glacier since the 19th century the moraine has been sliding on the glacier.
But back to our small kiln. It lies in an extremely steep bit of forest to the north of the Unterer Grindelwald glacier gorge and a good 400 m above the valley floor. This was puzzling, be-cause chalk and wood occur abundantly on the valley floor to allow lime production near the permanent settlement. Also, huts and houses on the higher summer pastures were until very recently timber structures resting on dry stone plinths. Having a look at the ruins of the Bäregg guesthouse we hit upon the solution. Its walls were mortared and our kiln site does lie near the path to the Bäregg. According to late 19th century maps the kiln would have been just below the tree line, suggesting it was probably used to produce lime for building work on the Bäregg guesthouse far above where trees grow. Whether the lime was destined for the new guesthouse of 1858 or a rebuilding phase we cannot say for the time being.
Today, the glaciers have retreated far above the valley floor, changing the landscape of Grindelwald substantially, but still tourists keep coming to this picturesque spot in the Swiss Alps. Like them, I too enjoyed my detour from my usual field of activity in prehistory into the history of 19th and early 20th century tourism.


text:
7.99 In Stock
Here comes the bride!
Suburban supersleuth Jane Jeffry and her detective beau Mel VanDyne have finally decided to tie the knot. While Jane's planning the wedding of her dreams—with no overbearing mother-in-law to steamroll the entire event and tell her what to wear—Mel convinces her and her best friend Shelley to take a women's self-defense class. But before Jane and Shelley can learn the karate kicks and mean moves to fight off even the perfect purse-snatcher, their class is cut brutally short . . . when two participants are murdered.
Between her new writing project, an addition to the house, and battling mothers-in-law, she's got her hands full. But she'll have to make time to help Mel find the killer if she wants to walk happily—and safely—down the aisle.
Product Details
|HarperCollins Publishers
|Publication date:
|Jane Jeffry Series , #16
|Edition description:
|Sales rank:
|Product dimensions:
|4.19(w) x 6.75(h) x 0.56(d)
About the Author
Jill Churchill has won the Agatha and Macavity Mystery Readers awards and was nominated for an Anthony Award for her bestselling Jane Jeffry series. She is also the author of the highly acclaimed Grace and Favor mysteries and lives in the Midwest.


text:
Title: Facilitate Market Linkages between Organic Cotton Producers and the Fashion Industry
Objective: Under the framework of the EU funded All ACP Commodities Programme, including Cotton, this activity analyze the development of organic cotton production in the Tanzania and Uganda with a view to identify the main constrains and opportunities for improving profitability of organic cotton production.A pilot project is being organized by "Istituto per la Certificazione Etica e Ambientale" (ICEA) to develop and adopt an experimental learning methodology to be implemented through a network of demonstration and educational farms in rural villages in East Africa, specifically Tanzania. The objective is to improve soil fertility management resulting from insufficient awareness of the critical importance of soil fertility for improving yields and inadequate extension services.
للإتصال بنا | شـروط وأحكـام | الرسائل التحايلية


text:
RPS Asks: What Are Your Plans For The New Consoles?
This November is a very big month in gaming. It's traditionally the biggest month in the gaming calendar, but this one knocks the others into a hat so cocked it's balancing on its brim. It sees the release of both the Xbox One, and the PS4. That's enormous – previous console releases have been staggered, the PS2 appearing a year and a half before the Xbox, the Xbox 360 beating the PS3 to the shelves by a full year. That was all seven long years ago, and this time the battle is head to head, just a week separating the two black boxes' arrival into the world. With them comes a slew of launch titles, some exclusive, some cross-platform, and what both Microsoft and Sony must be hoping will be their biggest Christmas ever. So where does that leave you, the fine looking PC gamer?
While we at RPS certainly believe the PC to be by far the best way to experience games, the perception that we're in some way anti-console is entirely imaginary. We all own them, we all play games on them. Until about a month ago, when my PS3 coughed its last and bleeped its three deathly bleeps, I had both the current gen consoles plugged into my telly. And indeed have a cupboard full of their ancestors, going back to the Megadrive. No console can match the PC for its extraordinary freedoms, the instant and open access to a range of games so vast as to dwarf the consoles combined, and the intricacy and complexity available to its games. But that doesn't mean we don't enjoy sitting back in a comfy armchair and waggling a controller when the game is right.
And we know the same is true for very many of you. So we're very interested to learn how readers plan to approach this month to end all gaming months.
Did you pre-order them both six months ago, and are now desperately wishing you could be one of those who gets an accidentally shipped early delivery? (Can we just take a moment to acknowledge Microsoft's gall at having an unboxing video removed from YouTube because of "copyright violation".) Or are you waiting to see how they go down, undecided on which to pick until a consensus is formed? Maybe you'll wait a year for the inevitable revised versions, and pick up the old one at a significant discount? Or do you have absolutely no intention of picking up either?
Does the leap forward in tech concern you over your current PC build? It's been an odd five or so years, with the consoles delaying their replacements a lot longer than was expected, leading to a significant drop in the progress of fidelity. When the big-budget, cross-platform games were coming out on eight-year-old hardware, they were far less likely to make demands of the PC, and so the biennial update has rather faded away. But what about now? As developers learn the new consoles, they'll start pushing the tech farther and farther, and a middling PC might not keep up much longer.
Of course, it's entirely possible that you're placing your bets with the Steam Box, recognising that your armchair experiences needn't rely on a plastic box that also wants to be your DVR, Hi-Fi system and teasmaid. Or do you wish the whole thing would just go away so you can get on with playing your elaborate RTS across three monitors and seven keyboards?
Let us know below.


text:
BCG worked with the company to conduct a comprehensive diagnostic of the client's business to understand how it was structured and where the pain points were. The team mapped out a full-scale organization redesign, including 180 measures to capture design results. The project also included implementation planning and enablement. In addition, a project management office was set up to track progress.
Specific to the analysis, BCG documented the organization's pain points using a Web survey, personal interviews, and an audit with board members. It also examined organizational logic, spans of control, activity mapping, and benchmarks.
BCG's approach helped the client restructure for greater efficiency and cost effectiveness. Among the results:


text:
From the Mail on Sunday
Michael Middleton
In last week's paper we referred to the Duchess of Cambridge's father Michael as 'a former airline pilot'.
In fact he was a British Airways aircraft dispatcher.
[This has not been corrected on the Mail web site]
Caroline Wozniacki
Early editions of last week's paper ran an article saying that Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki had won the 2009 US Open.
In fact she was beaten in that final. The report was corrected for later editions.
[This story has been silently corrected on the Mail web site]


text:
Ava Thursday: Ava adds her touch again
Click on image to see the faces up close. You'll need to scroll right -- it's 1500 pixels wide!
Remember when Ava came by my work and added her touch to one of the poses on a model sheet I had taped up on my desk? Well, during that same visit, my dear daughter had done the same to many more items around my office.
What you see here is a copy of page 445 in Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston's bible to animation, Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life. It is a series of sketches showing how much emotion you can get just out of the eyes -- how they can squash and stretch with the same forces as real eyes, as well as showing how much expression you can get from opening or closing the lids ever so slightly. I photocopied this set and had it taped up at the top of my animation desk, right next to Frank's words. Something for inspiration.
Ava went in with a pencil and added mouths to each and every one of these sets of eyes. Not one mouth is the same. And she must've taken her time with it, as every mouth looks like they really belong to their respective eyes. I love this. It amazes me how much more emotion she was able to add. I love how she would make an "o"-shaped mouth for the eyes that are very wide and surprised. And how all the sad eyes have down-turned mouths -- but each one different.
She must've had fun doing this. I keep it taped up on my desk because she, like Frank & Ollie, are a constant source of inspiration for me.
18 comments:
These are brilliant. So funny! It's kinda scary to see how perceptive she is. Wow.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 06, 2005 1:25 PM
WOW. they really are brilliant. especially the triangular ones -- she got such varied expression out of them!ReplyDelete
Ava is a genius. She never ceases to amaze me. She's my hero!ReplyDelete
Sheer genius! She seems to master the art of facial expression! And she is stepping on the right path to animation! Bravo to Ava!ReplyDelete
- Glen!
that's really great Ward. I'd like to see what my daughter would do if presented with the same task. :D Very very cool...ReplyDelete
Your daughter is awesome. My kids draw with me all the time and it is amazing what they come up with sometimes. Ava is a true talent.ReplyDelete
honestly, when I first saw this, I couldn't figure out where the 'ava thursday' was... can't believe she did those mouths! sometimes I underestimate how perceptive she is...ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 07, 2005 7:29 AM
I wouldn't be surprised if Ava ends up being an animator just like her dad!ReplyDelete
This really reminds me of myself when I was a kid.
I thought I was being ripped off with the Ava Thursday. I couldn't tell it was an altered picture. I can't believe she drew those mouths - and she's only 6 or so? Wow.ReplyDelete
Amazing. They really do look like they belong!ReplyDelete
that is SCARY AMAZING! (in a good way)!ReplyDelete
same thing happened to me, at first glance I was thinking, "okay now where's the Ava addition?", not sure I'd have ever figured it out if you hadn't explained, just incredible!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 08, 2005 8:54 PM
Ward, that kid of yours is a natural artist. Incredible!ReplyDelete
Thank you, everyone, for all your nice comments about Ava and her talent. I'm a very proud dad indeed. One of the things I enjoy about Ava Thursday is that I get to tell Ava what everyone says about her artwork. She gets all sheepish and wants to hear more.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousOctober 11, 2005 5:30 PM
this is genius! She some sort of savant? Man, I just picked up some great lessons myself (by looking at her addition!)ReplyDelete
~paige p
this would be a great art exercise for anybody, well done ava!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMarch 30, 2006 5:51 PM
Wow. Your daughter is very talented. I never would've guessed a 6 yr old did it. Amazing.ReplyDelete


text:
Today's technology executive plays a pivotal role in helping his or her organization respond to these forces of change. In essence, they serve as conductors to orchestrate the three pillars of organizational success – people, processes, and technology – and to draw upon their unique view of the enterprise to bring these elements into harmony.
© 2020 HMG Strategy, LLC. All Rights Reserved.


text: If you are tired of figuring out how long your batteries will last, rely on the PA5D to provide continuous capability without having to replace your batteries. A crucial element for any keyboard. Other Features Include Energy efficient Compact design Specifications Input 120V, 60 Hz Output 1500 mA at 12V Cable length 6 foot cables to wall and keyboard Compatibility Recommended for PSRK1, EZ30, DGX Series, DJX Series