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Tuesday, November 5, 2013
What You Need To Know About the 15-minute CU7 Compiler
So, no more! CU7 includes a new way to compile the X++ code (CIL is still the way it was). First, it eliminates the client altogether, which removes another communication bottleneck by taking the 32 bit client (and the communication with the AOS) entirely out of the picture. The other advantage to this is that the server component is a 64 bit process, allowing access to more memory. Secondly, it will spin up multiple processes to compile pieces of the X++ code, effectively using multiple cores.
There are a few gotchas that you need to be aware of, though.
By moving the compile into a 64-bit process, there are limitations to loading certain dependent client-side (32 bit) components for the compile. These could be ActiveX controls, COM objects or even DLLs and assemblies. To be able to do the compile, the compiler will use reflection on all these objects, effectively allowing it to check everything without having to actually load these components.
Obviously to be able to check all these dependencies correctly, the compiler needs access to client-side components it typically does not have installed. To that end the compiler needs the path to a folder that contains all these dlls it may need. Typically pointing it to the folder of an installed AX client is enough.
When calling COM objects in X++, you can "chain" the method calls (for example: COM.method1().method2(); ) relying on the fact that the first method call will return an object of a certain type on which you can call the second method. With the server-side compile, this chaining cannot be checked, so code has to be refactored into multiple calls (for example: o = COM.method1(); o.method2(); ). Note that you will run into this trying to compile a model store version prior to CU7 with the new compiler (SysInetHTMLEditor has calls like this that need to be fixed).
Finally, because it starts multiple instances of the server process to do the compile, hotswapping needs to be turned OFF.
So, how does it work?
Well, first: check and make sure hotswapping is turned OFF! Next, open an elevated command prompt ("run as administrator"). Next, navigate to the server/bin folder which contains the axbuild.exe program. There are several parameters you need, one optional one controls the number of parallel processes it uses (aka "workers"). By default axbuild will create roughly 1.4 workers per core you have: I have 4 cores in my laptop (2 physical, total 4 virtual), so axbuild will start up 6 worker processes. I found that reducing that to 4 workers on my machine gained me about 10 minutes. So play with this a bit to find the optimal setting. Additionally you need to specify the AOS you are compiling for. This uses the AOS "instance number" on the machine you are on. On my laptop I'm testing this on my primary AOS which is "01" (yes you need the leading zero). Finally, as mentioned earlier, you need to provide the path to a binary folder containing client-side DLLs, so pointing it to the client/bin folder works great.
My final command ends up being:
cd \Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Server\<YOUR AOS NAME>\bin
axbuild.exe xppcompileall /aos=01 /altbin="C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Client\Bin" /workers=4
I'm currently running a laptop with 3GHZ i7 (2 physical cores / 4 virtual) with 16GB memory and an SSD drive, running AOS and SQL on this machine (and SQL constrained to 4GB memory). I consistently hit 15 minutes compile time.
As mentioned earlier, if you are planning to use this on CU6 or earlier, you will have to cleanup some COM calls. You will see these as compile errors in your compile log output, which will be located in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Dynamics AX\60\Server\<YOUR AOS NAME>\Log (you can specify an alternative path in the command line).
For more details on command line arguments and architecture, check out these two Microsoft links:
AX Tools Blog about CU7 Parallel compiler
MSDN Article on AXBuild
19 comments:
Good post, Joris!ReplyDelete
One more thing that might be of interest for the techies; those temporary compilation AOSes will run under the developer/users account and not the AOS Service Account. This mean the user initiating these compilations needs to have the same permissions on the models store database as the AOS Service Account. I guess that is not a problem in most cases. :-)
Very useful..Thanks :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 7, 2013 at 9:32 AM
NEED to knows! Thanks!ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 7, 2013 at 2:29 PM
Good work, and thx. I hope they will extend the AXbuild With more parameters, like CreateXref :-)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 8, 2013 at 7:37 AM
Hi Joris,ReplyDelete
really nice article. I have one more question.
You mentioned that using an application prior to CU7 needs some adjustments in the application code.
Does this mean that having an installation with a prior version than CU7, doing a binary update only to CU7 will provide the AXBuild.exe feature?
We have many AX2012 versions to maintain but the are on different version (AX2012 FP, AX2012 R2 RTM, AX2012 R2 CU6). Doing an application upgrade is not possible at the moment for all of them but a binary update is less time consuming.
Many thanks in advance for feedback.
I have not tested with versions before R2 CU6, but I expect it would work as well. You do need R2 though, you can't try it on RTM. But yes, updating the binaries will give you the axbuild process.Delete
One of our developers also found that you need to commit to this kernel. You can't just use CU7 for doing compile and then actually run the code using a kernel prior to CU7. The compile starts the AOS service and it will make changes to your database that make it incompatible to run again with a prior version (without SQL data hacks anyway).
- AnonymousNovember 8, 2013 at 9:45 AM
Thanks for feedback. A kernel upgrade will be a suitable solution. At least we can afterwards use all processors of the machine and reduce the build times.Delete
Update: the command line that was showing was missing the "xppcompileall" argument, I just updated that. Thanks to our friends at Microsoft for pointing that out :-)ReplyDelete
Nice work thanksReplyDelete
I am trying with CU1. I have Cu1 installation for which the kernel is upgraded to Cu7 to get the build tools .... but when compiling in pass2 it crashes with following error: http://tinypic.com/r/68dkhv/8ReplyDelete
any suggestion?
Hey Dick de Jong, Noticed that you have assigned 12 workers in your command referring to the screen shot (http://tinypic.com/r/68dkhv/8) which may be wrong, do not specify the workers command and let the system manage it. Make sure the AOS is stopped while executing this AXBUILD.exe server side tool.ReplyDelete
I would like to know why did you say that hotswapping must be turned off (in capitals, with exclamation mark) :)
Could be fixed in hotfixes or R3, but it caused a bunch of errors with the AOSes trying to compile. I couldn't tell you why, but it did. Again - this could be fixed in newer versions, this article is almost a year old by now, and our build machines have it turned off anyway so I haven't actually tried.Delete
OK thanks. I was asking you because just before I read the article, I did a R2 axbuild compilation with this option checked...and it went fine. So I was wondering if I wasn't sitting on a time bomb ready to explode ^^Delete
You must be right, it may have been fixed in hotfixes.
Hello I have a simple question.ReplyDelete
When I run the axbuild command, should I stop AOS service or leave AOS service running


text:
Miller's Monday Morning Message
presented by ACM Consulting Inc.
Andrew Miller on operational excellence, strategy, life balance and everything in between
Toronto – February 23, 2015
I recently spoke to a group of senior finance executives from the SGH chapter of FEI Canada. The topic was "How to turn a crisis into an opportunity." I suggested that adversity and crisis in business is unavoidable, so it's about how you react when adversity or crisis strikes. Do you view it as an opportunity, or do you shy away and play the victim? Here is the roadmap that I laid out for them.
First you have to identify the issue and its' root cause. Then you develop a solution to resolve the issue. You then take steps to ensure it never happens again (preventative measures). Finally, you determine what impact you can make on the entire industry so that the same type of issue can be avoided in the future. Throughout the whole situation, you are communicating honestly and transparently, while staying at the forefront of the issue.
Legacies can be made or broken based on how leaders deal with adversity. You need to accumulate leadership currency by acting in a way that makes your employees, customers, shareholders, and business partners believe that you can handle the situation as effectively as possible. Often leaders can use these situations as an opportunity to become closer to customers, achieve new levels of performance, or create more loyal employees.
When you are presented with adversity, do you shy away or do you step forward and say 'follow me'?
Listen to my podcast on why Operational Excellence needs to be redefined.
Follow me on Twitter @AndrewMillerACM
Buy my book, Redefining Operational Excellence: New Strategies for Maximizing Performance and Profits Across the Organization.
To request an interview or more information, please contact:
Andrew Miller
© Andrew Miller. All rights reserved. 2015.

subset: commoncrawl


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I met David Goodis Twice
By Seymour Shubin
I met Dave Goodis twice. No, actually once. The first time I simply "saw" him.
It was a short time after Dark Passage was published, and I was just about ready to leave a "single's" party in Philly when someone said to me, "There's Dave Goodis." Now some people dispute when I say I saw him wearing a nice light-colored suit. Impossible, they say; he always wore dark-brown or whatever, and it certainly wouldn't be up to style. Still, I think I'm right. But then again there's a small possibility I was wrong. He was so surrounded by people, mostly girls, greeting him that I may have gotten it wrong. All I remember clearly is that I was envious. I had published a number of short stories, including one in the legendary STORY, but no novel.
Now skip to about 1956--I'm not sure of the year. My wife got a call from a girlfriend of hers that she was house-sitting, that her friend Dave Goodis was coming over, and would we join them. Goodis seemed in an excellent mood, though he told a sad story (with a smile). He said he had suffered a heart attack while surfing and that he was living with his mother. Cheerful. Nothing terribly wrong. Until he asked me:
"Can you help me get a hardcover publisher?"
(Indeed, as I learned later, this was the reason he'd asked to meet me.)
I was jolted, and then immediately flooded with sadness and disbelief, though I only hope none of it showed. I'd had just one novel published at that time, Anyone's My Name, and though it had made the NY Times bestseller list I was hardly a star with any influence. And he was still this gloried writer in my mind. I told him that I would talk to my editor, and that if he didn't hear from him he should write to him too, using my name.
Nothing to my knowledge ever came of it. And that was the last time I saw David Goodis.
Seymour Shubin is the author of many novels, short stories and articles; his latest novel is Witness to Myself. He has won an Edgar Allen Poe Special Award from the Mystery Writers of America, among other literary prizes. He lives with his wife in Pennsylvania. The above essay appeared in the GoodisCON program book..


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Kevin: We're officially past the midway mark in our march toward "The Fate of the Furious." So far we've been introduced to Vin Diesel and his monumental belief in his own awesomeness in "The Fast and the Furious." We've wondered about what's really up between Tyrese and Paul Walker in "2 Fast 2 Furious." We've questioned why millionaire globe-trotter Han wanted to hang out with high school kids and steal from the Yakuza in "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift." And we've wondered when anyone will notice how many innocent people Paul Walker puts in danger in "Fast & Furious."
While the fourth entry showed that audiences will still see these movies despite starring horrible actors, the filmmakers decided to see what would happen if they cast someone people actually liked, namely The Rock. Well it turned "Fast and Furious" from a moderately successful franchise to a global phenomenon. Today CJ and I take a look at how the fifth entry took the series into a whole nother gear:
CJ: Welcome to "Fast Five": BRAAAAAAAAAASSSSIIIIIIILLLLL!!! (As Dom obnoxiously refers to it later in the film)
After the movie starts off with a little "Previously on 'Fast & Furious'," we finally get to see how Brian and Mia break Dom out of the prison bus ("Con Ground"?). It simply involves Brian racing ahead of the bus, stopping, forcing the bus to flip over a hundred times, and for Dom to survive. In reality, I would imagine Brian would stop the car and then all we would hear would be his girlish shrieks as the bus plowed right through it, ripping off several of his appendages.
Kevin: Have we ever even seen Mia drive a car before, much less pulling off the moves she does in this sequence? Also, what magical car is Brian driving? It looks like a classic GTO but it stops and take the brunt of a collision with a large bus without moving, while the bus flips and rolls over more than a dozen times, obviously killing everyone on board.
But wait, just when you were worried that any shades of grey may color our enjoyment of these movies, we find out from a news report that "amazingly there were no fatalities." Yeah no thanks to our "heroes"! And if you think you're amazed, imagine how we in the audience feel since we actually watched this shit go down. Although I'd like to see the rest of the news report where the anchorman adds "… however most of the people on the bus are now paralyzed from the neck down, including the bus driver who also suffered severe brain damage, a tragic turn of events since he was the sole provider for his four children following the death of his wife from cancer just two months ago."
The news people in charge of finding photos of the suspects must be big fans of Tough Guy Digest, because their photo of Brian is clearly a shot that we previously used from Letty's funeral in "Fast and Furious" but with his earpiece obviously photoshopped out:
We then cut to Rio, and you'll never guess what super original visual they use to indicate that! Actually you will guess, it's the same giant Jesus statue every lazy director relies on. Quick question, do people in Rio get tired of the constant helicopters swarming around their giant Jesus just so hack filmmakers can get the same exact footage for their movies?
Although now I'm reminded of "Blame it on Rio" with Michael Caine, which reminds me of Michelle Johnson, which reminds me of naked Michelle Johnson, which reminds me to rub one out again for old time's sake.
Anyway, after establishing that we are in fact in Brazil now, Paul Walker shows what a great boyfriend he is by bringing Mia to a gang-ridden favela, because a chick who looks like Jordana Brewster has nothing to worry about there. But just when things look hairy, it's … Vince, that guy from the original "Fast and Furious"! You know the one: shitty actor, didn't have much of a career after the first movie. Oh wait, that pretty much describes everyone in these movies.
CJ: When Brian is asked how it feels to be on the other side of a WANTED poster, I was a little surprised he didn't have more of a reaction. Wouldn't you at least take a moment to reflect and realize what you've just done to yourself? Before this he was a FBI agent who was legally allowed to kill lots of people in street races while banging the hot siblings of his targets. Now he's on the run in Brazil, which boasts such tourist-attracting distinctions as "Total murders set new records in the three years from 2009 to 2011, surpassing the previous record set in 2003."
Uh oh, Mia just threw up, and Vince's lady Rosa immediately knew she was pregnant. This happens all the time in movies and TV shows, and it drives me nuts because there is no way anyone just KNOWS you're pregnant because you vomited. What if she puked because the cooking was shit? Or she is just actually sick? Or she just realized she has to spend the rest of her life fucking Brian while knowing Dom is always standing in a shadowy corner listening or possibly watching?
Kevin: Yeah vomiting is the all-purpose movie sign of pregnancy. Or maybe considering she was just holding a black baby, it's a sign Mia is a huge racist who couldn't even be near an innocent baby of another race without wanting to throw up.
CJ: I also like how Dom immediately finds Vince in the middle of the favelas and decides to make his grand entrance by menacingly driving up to his house. First of all, these people continue to think "low profile" means "wave your arms and scream DOM WE'RE OVER HERE!" like you're at a sporting event. I'd love to see the scene before of him driving up to 30 different houses and having to shuffle off after guys run out throwing beer cans at his car.
We're barely 15 minutes into this movie, right?
Mia, Dom, and Brian are short on cash but luckily Vince has a nice "clean" job for them to do. Simply put, Mia and Brian just need to get on a train with DEA agents, but they'll be easy to identify because they wear their badges across their chests like Care Bears. Then, they just need to take a train attendant's card and swipe it to copy it, all while the attendant never notices and the passengers all agree that snitches get stitches. The hard part is now over! All that's left is to have other people catch up to the speeding train, maintain speed, cut off a giant portion of the train with a torch cutter, get drivers into some cars they want to steal, and gently drive them off the speeding train onto a tow truck, and then seamlessly drive off. Oh and they have to do all this in two minutes. Yeah thanks Vince, how about next time take that "clean" job and stick it up your ass!
To no one's surprise this plan was not that clean as originally advertised, as double-crossing and light gunfire ensue.
Kevin: Yeah I don't know what to say about the sequence where they boost the cars from the moving train, except that apparently it was too dangerous for Paul Walker to drop three feet onto the dirt from a moving train, but perfectly fine for he and Vin Diesel to hit the water from about what appeared to be about the length of four football fields:
CJ: During this scene the music cuts out, there's no dialogue, and all you hear is the wind as the boys are plummeting to what ordinarily would be certain death. When this movie came out I dragged a friend to see it in the theater, and as this scene happened the whole audience held their breath wondering what would happen. Well what happened was they had to listen to my friend and me as we exploded into laughter. Was it assholish of us? Yes. But in our defense, this movie is stupid.
But wait a minute…
Kevin: I've never been totally on board with the idea that The Rock is the second coming of Sly or Arnold, mainly because as likeable as he is his movies usually suck, but dear lord after sitting through more than four movies filled with people like Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Jordana Brewster, Bow Wow, Tyrese Gibson, Devon Aoki, and Ludacris, when he shows up here it's like Eddie Murphy agreeing to be a ringer in some beginner comedy improv class. In just his first minute in this movie Dwayne Johnson is so far above everyone in this series in terms of charisma and screen presence that I'm already rooting for him to kill all these scrubs and just get his own spinoff.
CJ: And in that spinoff there is definitely a scene where his character Agent Hobbs introduces the girl he is protecting to his hand-selected team of the only guys he trusts: five guys with giant beards with names like Vag Monster, Jizzmanian Devil, Reagan, Griff "G Spot" Gruffini, and Nuke Dick.
Kevin: Even though Hobbs only landed in Rio like 10 minutes ago, in typical "Fast and Furious" style I keep waiting for his superiors to already tell him he has like 8 hours to solve the case and arrest everyone before they shut the investigation down and demote him.
Anyway, it turns out that one of the cars they boosted from the train contains an important microchip belonging to a drug lord named Reyes, played by Jaoquim de Almeida, who was not only the main villain in "Clear and Present Danger," but also looks pretty much like a Latin version of Phil Hartman:
After Dom and the gang get away from both Reyes' men and Hobbs and his team, Mia reveals to Brian and Dom that she's pregnant. Dom embraces her and says "Our family just got bigger." Yeah you went from two to three Torettos. Seriously what's up with Dom's love of "family" in these movies? Dom apparently has no other siblings, and no grandparents or aunts or uncles or cousins or anyone else tying them down since they are career criminals who are prepared to flee the United States forever at a moment's notice. Dom had been with Letty, the love of his life, for years and he apparently would rather boost DVD players and Dominican gasoline than actually sire children with her. But yeah, he hosts an annual barbecue with a bunch of douchebags drinking Coronas and he's Mr. Family Man.
Later Elena (Elsa Pataky), the requisite hot chick on Hobbs' crew, says something doesn't add up about Toretto and Conner: "They stay when they are supposed to run. They steal gas, they give it away. Now they are killing federal agents, it doesn't make sense." Wait, so they gave away the gas they stole at the beginning of "Fast and Furious"? Are we now retroactively saying that all this time Dom and his crew have been modern-day Robin Hoods, stealing from the rich and giving to the poor?
Weird, because in the last one when they were stealing that gas in the Dominican Republic, I didn't get the impression they were planning on giving it away. It sounded like they were planning on selling that shit and spending the money on themselves, because that's just what they did. But maybe I'm wrong, maybe even in the original "The Fast and the Furious" in 2001 they actually gave away those top-of-the-line Panasonic DVD players to poor unfortunate families who could finally watch "Tomcats" with Jerry O'Connell in pristine quality.
CJ: Anyways, after a nice afternoon of driving off a cliff and sustaining no injuries, Dom tells Brian about his dad having a BBQ every Sunday but you could only go if you'd been to church that day. You know church, that place where several of their major rules are things like don't steal or kill people. I like how Dom explains this with no sense of irony. The scene establishes nothing other than to make us want Hobbs to win.
Kevin: Yeah apparently it turns out his father was an awesome God-fearing man who stayed up late at night to help the kids with their homework. So again, how did you all become criminals?
And apparently in this scene Dom also didn't get the possibly studio-mandated-in-post-production memo that they are now supposed to be modern-day Robin Hoods, because he then holds up the computer chip to Brian and says, "We're gonna do one last job. We're gonna take all of Reyes' money, every dime of it, and disappear … forever." At no point does Dom add, "And then of course we will take that money and set up affordable housing for single mothers in Uganda, as well as set up a foundation to find a cure for Alzheimer's in elderly dogs."
But to pull off such a job they need a team, and according to Dom this team needs to consist of:
1) "A chameleon, someone who can blend in anywhere." Obviously that's Han (don't forget this is technically a prequel to "Tokyo Drift" where he bites the dust), because … well I'll get back to you on that. Also in this instance you don't actually need someone who can blend in anywhere, you need someone who can blend in in Brazil, which a Korean guy might have somewhat of an issue with.
2) "A fast-talker, the kind who can talk their way out of anything." That's obviously Roman (Tyrese) from "2 Fast 2 Furious" because … well we never saw him talk his way out of anything, he mainly was just always weirdly possessive and jealous that Brian was possibly attracted to Eva Mendes.
3) "This guy's gonna have a lot of surveillance; we're gonna need someone good with circuits." Well obviously that's Tej (Ludacris) from "2 Fast 2 Furious" because … shit maybe you guys can help me out here because I'm drawing a blank. Tej organized a lot of street races in Miami, but when the fuck was it ever established that he was some genius hacker?
4) "Reyes is gonna have walls, so we need guys to punch through those walls." Shot of two guys from behind, I'm guessing neither of them are Bow Wow or Ja Rule.
5) "Utilities and weapons (kind of a broad category there Dom), someone who ain't afraid to throw down." Cut to someone on a motorcycle. It will be a huge shock to anyone who doesn't understand how movies work when this mystery person takes off their helmet and it turns out this awesome badass is Gisele (Gal Gadot) from "Fast & Furious"!
CJ: If we are being honest, the only one I care about is Han. And Han is back! Hey Han, last time we spoke you said you were going to Tokyo, so how was it? What do you mean you haven't gone? Well then what the hell have you been doing?
Kevin: By the way, we get a second shot of the Jesus statue in case you forgot where we were.
At the warehouse when everyone has gathered together Brian describes Tej as the "best circuit man on the East Coast." Once again, since when?
Han: "What's this all about Dom?"
Tej: "Yeah why'd you drag us halfway around the world?"
Me: You mean none of you guys asked these questions before you all got on planes to Rio?
When Roman finally hears that Dom wants to rob Reyes' cash houses, he says, "I thought this was business, it sounds personal to me," before adding, "I got love for all ya'll." Umm, how much love could you have for everyone in this room considering the only two people you know here are Brian and Tej, and you only barely know Tej from your brief time in Miami?
Dom says that the score is $100 million, and everything they take they split even. Roman once again tries to mask his obvious unrequited love for Brian by saying, "Eleven million … sounds like a whole lot of vaginal activity to me." Also once again none of these supposed Robin Hoods mentions anything about giving this money to the less fortunate.
CJ: Dom and friends then rob a drug house and set the money on fire and I notice two things. First, it is MUCH lamer than how The Joker did it in "The Dark Knight" Second, how much money do you think is in that pile? It seemed like there was enough to at least justify a conversation about taking it and getting out of the country.
Reyes is also confusing as a bad guy. He knocks the shit out of the guy who lost his drug money, but never punishes right-hand-man Zizi, who lost all the cars off the train that led to this whole mess in the first place (Kevin: And then failed to kill Dom and the crew later in the favelas).
So as Dom expected, Reyes decides to consolidate the rest of his money in one location, which turns out to be the local police station. While the crew is on the second-story rooftop scoping out where Reyes is keeping his money, I would have loved a shot of the cops across the street where one of them is like, "Hey Ramon, do you see that group of ethnically diverse people directly across the street all standing in tough poses and looking at us? Weird, right?"
In our "Fast & Furious" discussion, Mike pointed out how Gisele helps Dom for no real reason. She further explores this flaw in her character when discussing their plan and whether they can or can't do it, to which Han says, "Can't? You mean shouldn't." She then gives him a "Holy shit, where has THIS guy been all my life?" look, and I'm betting there is a missed line in "Fast Five" where Gisele mentions her father left her at an early age.
Further discussing the plan, Brian says they'll be in and out of the police station before anyone notices. My prediction? Lots of people will notice.
Oh thank god, they found a street race. I was starting to think this franchise had moved away from the heart of what's made them successful: scantily clad, well-to-do whores. Weirdly though we don't actually get to see the race.
It seems that while Gisele fell in love with Han because he expressed a sense of logic, Han falls in love with Gadot after watching her drift. This delves further into the Han myth and explains why he follows drifting in Tokyo, clearly as a way to honor Gisele's memory and pay homage to her. While being surrounded by many Tokyo hoes and high school boys.
Kevin: Third shot of the Jesus statue but this time lit up at night … yep we're still in Rio.
CJ: Wait, they spend a significant part of the movie and plot on planning for this getaway, testing cars out, and scoping out locations. Why did they go through all of this testing if they were just gonna steal cop cars in the end? Oh, so they could have another street race. Boys will be boys!
I will say it's probably not a good idea for Roman to be laying out their plans over the radio while they race with the lights flashing and sirens blaring. I would think this would draw some attention. On the plus side, good to see the totally empty streets of downtown Rio de Janeiro, which is obviously Spanish for "forgotten and abandoned ghost town."
Later we learn Tej's dream is to open up an auto shop back in the States. But wasn't he running a shop in "2 Fast" (Kevin: Yes he was. Oh shit, is this now a prequel to "2 Fast"? My head is about to explode!)
So I've noticed that every time we see Dom in these movies he's working on his car. It's also supposed to be the best car in the world. So, is it the best car in the world or is it a pile of shit that he constantly needs to fix?
Kevin: Dom to everyone after Mia reveals that she is pregnant: "The most important thing in life will always be the people in this room." If Ludacris is one of the most important people in your life then you need to re-evaluate your life.
Hobbs eventually tracks down the crew and thus begins and even more epic battle than Superman vs. Batman: Vin Diesel vs. The Rock:
And just like how Batman, despite all logic, actually got the better of Superman in their cinematic battle, somehow this movie tries to make us believe that Vin Diesel could actually defeat The Rock, which is slightly more absurd than also trying to pretend that Diesel and The Rock are the same height:
CJ: I realize all of us don't buy that Vin Diesel could beat The Rock in a fight, but I'd like to take it further: I don't even buy that Vin Diesel could hang in for even a few seconds during a fight with The Rock. In fact, here are the only things I think could take The Rock in a fight:
A rhino (but only if it has its horn)
The 300 Spartans of Thermopylae
But while transporting the crew, Hobbs and his team are ambushed by the bad guys in a sequence that is entirely ripped from "Clear and Present Danger" (maybe Reyes learned it from doing bad guy duty in that one). After Hobbs' team is killed, the crew decides to work with Hobbs in order to bring Reyes to justice by using their highly developed skills to gather evidence against him. Actually no, they decide to steal his money from the giant safe at the police station.
Given that Hobbs works for a government agency, does this mean he has effectively dragged the U.S. into an act of war against a foreign nation?
No time to think about that, because remember how Brian predicted no one would notice them coming into the police station? Well, Hobbs just drove a giant SUV through the gates and a wall and started a firefight. Eat your hearts out Seal Team 6!
After ripping the safe out of the police station, Mia points out that their plan worked and every corrupt cop is after them. Their theory is that because they took Reyes' safe, only those who work for him are tailing them. When in reality, they are driving around town with a giant safe strapped to the back of two cars that is causing millions in downtown infrastructure damage and killing god knows how many civilians. Isn't it possible some of these cops are after them because they are essentially foreign terrorists?
Kevin: Yes I can't wait for the news report where we find out that "amazingly there were no casualties" even though we just watch a metal safe the size of a small house barrel into a fully packed bank. Either way, the bad guys get killed and Hobbs gives the crew a 24-hour head start before tracking them down. But wait, he opens the safe and finds it empty, because somehow during the police chase Dom and the gang managed to switch the safe with the money with an empty one under everyone's noses. How did they do that you might ask? Well I'd try and explain but it would sound fucking absurd, because it totally was absurd.
CJ: We then get a montage of how everyone is spending their money, and as I predicted we get this scene between Han and Gisele:
Gisele: "I thought you wanted to go to Tokyo."
Han: "We'll get there, eventually."
CJ: Well by "we" you mean "I" Han. She'll be dead.
Here's my big question at the end of this: Elena knows where Dom is "retired" to and it is clearly longer than Hobbs' 24-hours promise. She also gave a whole speech about her deceased husband being an honest cop and how she followed in his footsteps to honor him. So a) isn't she obligated to call Hobbs? And b) if not, did Dom basically make a widow completely shit over the memory of her deceased hero husband?
Also, I don't think this movie had a single Corona.
Kevin: Well what's important is that this movie ends exactly as it should, with career criminals who recklessly put innocent people's lives at risk being rewarded with millions of dollars. We also end on a cliffhanger worthy of "General Hospital," as Eva Mendes from "2 Fast 2 Furious" makes a post-credit cameo to inform Hobbs that Letty is not actually dead! Apparently there's no one this series won't bring back. Except Ja Rule.


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I am part Puerto Rican, but my father (the Spanish blood in my genes) left when I was a child and never looked back; thus, I don't speak Spanish. My mother-in-law is Mexican by birth and my father-in-law Spaniard by birth. Coming to America they wanted to become fluent and so they only spoke English in their home, therefore my husband doesn't speak Spanish well.
Despite the fact that neither of their parents speak Spanish, our children grew up becoming more and more interested in their hispanic heritage. They love listening to their yaya and yayo (grandma and grandpa) speak fluently and try to figure out what they are saying. They love listening to Spanish music and learning to dance. They even have dresses, brought over from Spain, which they wear as often as possible when they are having play dates at my in-laws. They love Spanish and Mexican cuisine, paella and tacos being the top picks, which makes my in-laws very proud.
It seemed natural when at some point my kids asked if we could start learning Spanish. Always willing to give a learning area a shot, I quickly looked up some good Spanish curriculum for young kid.
The curriculum that best met our families needs was Teach Them Spanish! This curriculum starts as early as PreK and covers a lot of ground. I like the fact that it starts off with everyday items that the children will use; colors, numbers, family members, and parts of their body, are just a few topics covered in PreK. Each new grade level stars off with reviewing what has already been taught and then builds upon it. If you learned 10 colors in PreK, you will review those 10 and add 5 more in K.
The best part of the curriculum, in my opinion, is the fun activity list that accompanies each lesson. Not only does the curriculum offer workbook pages to help you with learning, but it has Bingo games and other ideas to help make learning fun!
For those absolutely new to Spanish, like myself, there are also very helpful teacher pages. These pages follow each lesson, offering suggested questions to ask your student. For example: When studying colors, the teacher pages will teach you how to ask your student what color their shirt is, in Spanish with the English translation next to it. It will then teach you how your students should respond, in Spanish with the English translation beside.
This curriculum has been a lot of fun and we are learning a lot. Come high school, we are going to have to go with a more formal program, but for now this is working for us. The kids are having a blast and my in-laws are having fun supplementing what we are learning.
Do you have a Spanish lesson that you enjoy? I would love to hear suggestions.


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The international estate agency Engel & Volkers is closing its single prime central London office - despite past claims that sales in the capital were improving as a result of the pound's collapse encouraging foreign buyers.
Engels & Volkers has had a chequered history in the UK. In 2006 it opened a London office in a blaze of publicity, telling a reception of journalists at the time that it aimed to have a nationwide network which would rival Knight Frank for size, transactions and influence.
That office shut in 2008, when the credit crunch hit. Now its latest office, at Sloane Avenue in Chelsea, has closed too: although its website gives no indication the office has shut, callers by telephone are told they have "dialled an incorrect number" and emails bounce back as "undeliverable".
The firm's departure coincides with another bleak housing market forecast for London, where E&V concentrated its efforts.
The latest Reuters poll of housing experts, a majority believe that the house prices in both the UK and London are likely to take a hit if there is a No Deal crash exit of the EU in just over two months' time.
Reuters, which conducts the poll several times each year, says: "Roughly 85 per cent of respondents said both UK and London house prices would fall in the six months if the UK leaves the EU without a Brexit deal, with average prices slipping about three per cent nationally and as much as 10 per cent in London.
"But if Britain departs the EU with a transition deal … house prices are due a mild 1.5 per cent lift over the following two quarters. They would rise 1.4 per cent in the capital."
The survey was conducted between August 13 and 20 and shows a lacklustre performance by the market, with similarly uninspiring predicts for the future.
It says average UK house prices are forecast to rise 1.0 per cent this year, 1.8 per cent next and 2.7 per cent in 2021 - this is anticipated to barely keep up with inflation.


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Cause and effect: action and reaction; folk understand the simplicity of these and form their impressions of situations, almost subliminally, on a quick assessment.? We need to see a direct correlation between the actions we take and the resulting outcome.? In terms of local democracy, this translates to the effort folk are prepared to put in and the likelihood of making a difference.
Are public bodies paying lip service to consultation??? The Tory Government of the mid-nineties? appeared to believe that decentralisation simply meant requiring public bodies to let community councils comment on policy changes as part of their process.? The upshot was that these community volunteers became deluged by weighty documents in bureaucratic language, on which a response was needed to deadlines that bore no relationship to their meeting cycles.? While that Government went in 1997, its legacy remains, except the weighty documents have been replaced by large emails and deadlines have shortened. ?Community councils haven?t quite got over that.
Folk do have an inbuilt sense of right and wrong, of natural justice; much of the current system doesn?t seem fair.
Public bodies need to accommodate community needs too.? Consultation needs to be imaginative and events should use all types of media.? Community activists, or their employers, should be reimbursed for loss of wages to allow them to take time off work ? some scheme akin to jury service.
Local authorities who fund community bodies, chambers of commerce and other voluntary bodies to help encourage them to become active need some maturity in their approach and shouldn?t feel peeved when these bodies then criticise the same local authorities.? That?s what democracy is all about.
Various researchers have offered analyses of the number of electors per democratic body; it?s now well-established that we have the poorest rates in Europe as our obsession with centralisation continues.? We need to get the need for change to authorities that are local into the mind set of those we elect, to counter any protectionism that may be lurking in the minds of senior officials and bureaucrats.? These small local authorities can collaborate on more strategic issues and share operational resources but democracy can remain local.
It?s clearly not as simplistic as I?ve outlined above but people do need to see a direct link between their efforts, the chance of being heard and the possibility of a result.
People will get behind a cause.? If all else fails and community democratic action is enlisted with a fiery cross put round, as happened in the Belford Hospital campaign in Lochaber in 2003 when 2,800 turned out to a public meeting, then public bodies have to listen and there is a result.
Although we have had an alliance with France for 700 years, the French custom of tractors blocking the roads hasn?t quite taken on here; perhaps we no longer have enough tractors?.
Ultimately, things get down to hope.? If a community has hope, then there can be something to hold on to; to aim for.? If their involvement can have a direct visible result, then folk will be engaged.
It?s about opportunity and resources too.? I don?t quote Churchill very often but his exhortation to Roosevelt to, ?give us the tools and we will finish the job? seems apt here.
1 Sept 2016


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Emily Ratajkowski is feeling herself...and we are too
We've already established that Emily Ratajkowski's "body is unlike anything else on this earth."
But as it turns out, it's also the perfect subject for creating the hottest GIFs of all time. On Monday, Emily took to Instagram to share a treat with her 10 million followers, going shirtless for a seriously sexy selfie.
She then upped the ante by using the app's Boomerang feature to create a flirty flick of her movement in the mirror. The former SI Swimsuit model and "Blurred Lines" star playfully captioned the photo, "*listens to Feeling Myself once*".
The model turned actress was most recently in the news for her racy Christmas cards. The LA cutie sent out R-rated holiday cards that showcased a little more than your average Christmas tree, explaining that she took the photos over the course of the year and felt that "with everything going on in the world this year, [her] material gifts seemed to stop short at feeling special and full of love."
Maybe next year Emily will opt for e-cards and this steamy clip can be the centerpiece...
BONUS: See some of Emily's hottest moments from SI Swimsuit!


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Making a photoshow for business or personal photos allows the viewer to see each photo without having to do anything. Learn how to create a photoshow with PowerPoint so that you can let everyone see the photos without having to send each individual photo to everyone. If you have a trade product or you took a vacation that you want to show everyone, you can make a photoshow in less than an hour and send the entire show to business associates or family and friends.
Things You Will Need
PowerPoint 2003
Step 1
Upload photos to your computer. You want to create a folder where you can store all of the photos so that you can go down the line and enter each photo into the PowerPoint presentation.
Step 2
Open PowerPoint from your "Start button." The first thing you will see is a blank slide. You can start the photoshow on this slide or make this slide a text slide announcing the photoshow. Instead of a white background for your photos, click "Format" and "Slide Design." Choose a color you like for the background. This will appear on every slide or you can repeat this process for each slide and have a different background on each.
Step 3
Start laying out your photos. You can have one, two, three or four photos on each slide. Click "Insert" in the toolbar and click "Add a Slide." This displays a new slide. To arrange how many photos on this slide, click "Format: and click "Slide Layout." To the right a window will open where you can choose the layout that you want for the slide. Repeat this step for each slide you add.
Step 4
Click on the picture box to open a window where you can choose the folder where you have the photos you will use. Select the photo for that box. If you are adding more photo boxes on a slide, click on each box and add a photo.
Step 5
Save your photoshow with a name that you want. Click on "Format", click "Slide Transition" and set the photoshow to be automatic or manual. At the bottom of the window, you will see "Automatic" or "Advance Slide with Mouse." Choose "Automatic" so that the photoshow advances between slides without clicking a mouse.
You can add sound the photoshow if you want. See
http://www.ehow.com/how_4932527_year-slide-show-presentation-powerpoint.html PowerPoint Photoshow


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Peter Restored.
Peter allow us to see how mercyful Jesus is to believers who keep failing and Peter was to fall again over dietry hypocrasy pointed out to him by the Apostle Paul. Peter fell into this sin, even though he had the vision of the sheet coming down and going up to Heaven.
This really shows us how fickle we all are to having the blessings and still loosing it at some point to some weakness that just keeps coming up again and again.
John 21:15-25, Acts 10:13, 11:7.


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tosia pants
Originally uploaded by KarWar.
Driving back from coffee, Patrick somehow got on a rant about Colin and the harvest gold corduroy pants. I'm trying to think how we went from ripping on a badly designed billboard to Colin but it's lost to me. Long long long ago, Colin - of the pants, who was three, was running around Patrick's family's house. The harvest gold corduroy pants were filled with the world's biggest and stinkiest dump. That's pretty much the whole story, but Patrick likes to go one that Colin is probably still wearing those (you have to always say the whole color) harvest gold corduroy pants. With the big dump. And Colin has had a hideous diaper rash for something like 30 years. I had one of those laughing fits where you cannot talk or breathe. I was punching Pat because I couldn't talk. And he kept ranting. It was funny and I guess you had to be there.


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This font explores the theme of anger. I took inspiration from heavy metal/rock album covers and tried to recreate the same irregular/jarring lettering they do. To do this I painted letters quickly on varying sizes of paper and translated this onto fontstruct to get a rough/rushed look.
What both Latin and Cyrillic have in common?This is a clone
A pixel font made to look like fire! Now you can answer (and ask!) your burning questions...
Drawing and editing these takes more time and effort than most other forms of pixel art. Don't expect them to look perfect without some time and effort from YOU, as well. An effect like this requires hand adjustment of every part at every stage.
The coloring, infill color, and effects you use with this font make a drastic difference as to what looks are evoked by its shapes! Scroll down for lots of examples. :^)
Alternates on lowercase!
TODO: Alternates for .,?!@_*#$%&()+/:;<=>[\]^`[|]~†123456890
Original size: 18pt (use multiples of this value for pixel perfection)
I have created this font using the word "destructive" as a theme. After experimenting with a number of ideas I created this font by cutting it out of card in a distressed way, then projecting light through it on the wall, photographing the results and recreating the result in fontstruct. I feel as if my font could be used for a number of different things such posters or advertisement for art or music event.
This font is based on the word messy. Inspiration comes from paper being torn into small pieces, and the moment of chaos when work goes wrong and paper is ripped out of a sketchbook. The gradients are also not accurate in order to vaguely represent how shadows form on crumpled paper. The font was drawn freehand to begin and is designed to be used decoratively for headers. This font could be used for an art club poster.This is a clone


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1. Overview of Absorption costing and Variable Costing
2. Review how costs for Manufacturing are transferred to the product
3. Job Order Vs. Process Costing
4. Overhead Application
- Under applied Overhead
- Over applied overhead
5. Problems with Absorption Costing
6. Concluding Comments
Absorption Costing
The focus of this class is on how to allocate manufacturing costs to the product. - Direct Materials
- Direct Labor
- Overhead
Absorption costing is a process of tracing the variable costs of production and the fixed costs of production to the product.
Variable Costing traces only the variable costs of production to the product and the fixed costs of production are treated as period expenses. Absorption Costing
There are three different types of Absorption Costing Systems:
- Job Order Costing
- Process Costing
- ABC Costing
In Job Order Costing costs are assigned to the product in Batches or lots.
- Printing
- Furniture manufacturing
- Bicycle Manufacturing
In Process Costing, costs are systematically assigned to the product, since there are no discreet batches to assign costs.
- Oil Distilling
- Soda Manufacturing
ABC Costing assigns cost from cost centers to the product
- Best in a multi product firm, where there are different volumes
Absorption Costing
A simplified view of Production:
Introduce Raw
Direct materials are purchased
Direct materials are placed into production Manufacture
1. Direct labor applied to product 2. Overhead costs are incurred
Store finished goods 1. Production process completed 2. Goods are shipped for sale
Sell Finished
Absorption Costing
How do we account for the production process?
1. Direct materials are purchased and recorded as an asset.
2. As direct materials are placed into production, their cost is transferred from the raw materials account to the Workin-Process account (an asset)
3. As direct labor costs are incurred they are recorded in a labor expense account. Throughout the year they are transferred from the labor expense account to Work-inprocess account (an asset).
Absorption Costing
4. Overhead costs are initially accumulated in expense accounts (electricity, depreciation, etc..). Throughout the year they are transferred to Work-in-process.
5. When goods are completed, their costs (direct materials, direct labor and overhead) are transferred out of Work-inprocess, and into Finished Goods.
6. When foods are sold, their costs are transferred out of finished goods inventory (an asset) and into Cost of goods sold (an expense).
Absorption Costing
Important points to take away from how we account for manufacturing costs:
1. Initial expenditures on raw materials, direct labor, and overhead are
CAPITALIZED (recorded as assets) in Work in process and finished goods inventory. 2. They are transferred to expense accounts when the finished goods are sold
(they go to cost of goods sold).
3. Generally the cost of goods manufactured, (the costs incurred in manufacturing the product) will not equal the cost of goods sold.
- This means that in any year some of the costs associated with manufacturing the product will not flow through the income statement as an expense, they will remain in the inventory accounts as assets!
Absorption Costing
Consider the following example:
A company is formed to manufacture computers. It starts the year with $2000 in cash and equity. During the year the company incurs $500 in payroll costs, $500 in rent for the plant, and $500 in raw materials. During the year he makes 100 computers.
What will his profits (or loss) be if he sells no computers?
What will his profits be if he sells all 100 computers at $20 per computer?
Job Order Costing
Job Order Costing is one method of allocating the costs of manufacturing to the product.
In Job order


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Retrofit insulated render systems
This system means the building is effectively wrapped in high performance insulation which maintains the structure at room temperature thereby eliminating cold bridge issues. In addition maximum thermal mass is maintained inside the insulation which will ensure a more even heating regime and allow storage of passive solar heat gain. External rendered insulation systems utilise polymer modified renders and the use of standard sand/cement renders are discouraged due to the inflexible nature of the render.
A typical insulated render system includes:
- The attachment of standard-size insulation boards to the existing wall using
- Mechanical fixings (sometimes accompanied by adhesive) through the wall
- Mesh reinforcement to form a key backing to the
- Render base coat
- Finish coat


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Vinyl record recording – reading techniques are analog that brings the high fidelity to the sound, and the players call it "rustic sound". The sound of vinyl record has its own distinct characteristics that are different from digital. When listening to a good type of vinyl record player, the sound was floating, the position of the instruments playing in the orchestra appeared very clearly, the singer's voice was sweet and inspiring. For this reason, there are still many people in the world who are passionate about collecting and enjoying vinyl record. Especially those who love classical music, Jazz – Blue and acoustic instruments…
The vinyl record's attractive secret
The first vinyl record was born about hundred years but still caught interests by music players, despite the advent of a series of new technologies. Unique beauty with "rustic" sound is the attractive secret of vinyl record.
First record invented by Thomas Edison
1877 Thomas A. Edison – the American genius inventor who invented the first tape recorder, which works on the basis of sound waves delivered through a transducer to create the markings from a needle on a metal cylinder. When reproduce the sound, the needle is read from the recorded metal tube, the mechanical oscillation of the needle is through a mechanical amplification system to raise the amplitude and then speak out through loudspeaker. Although the band is still very narrow and distorted, Edison's recorder has laid the first foundation for sound reproduction and processing technology.
Companies adapted Edison's principle
Adapted from Edison's recording principle, right from the end of the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, a number of firms in the world have released mechanical recorders that are powered by cords with a bright golden copper speaker which as big as a tuba. This phonograph has been regarded as a luxury decoration among wealthy families in Europe earlier in the century.
The phonograph invented and improved
Vinyl record production is not much different from Edison's original recording principle. In 1887, Emile Berliner (USA) invented the first phonograph. To improve sound quality, industrial-scale sound recording technology has been constantly improved. There is a significant step forward from the first recordings with 78-minute mono recording techniques to a hi-fi long playing 33 rpm vinyl record. In the field of disc manufacturing, the names of record labels with many major contributions include: RCAVictor, EMI (USA), Decca Record (UK), Deuts Gramophon (Germany) …


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Thai Lime & Mango Luxury Bath Bombs
A refreshing zest accord with mouth-watering Indian lemongrass, Italian lemon and thai lime supported with fresh pineapple, melon, grapefruit and juicy mango.
Top Notes: Lemongrass, Lemon
Heart Notes: Lime, Mango, Peach, Melon, Pineapple, Grapefruit
In this collection you will find the ultimate in luxury bath bombs. Each bath bombs is individually handcrafted with superb high quality fragrances that explode in your bath. Not only that but each bath bomb contains Jojoba Oil for even more added luxury. It will enrich and absorb into the skin leaving it soft and subtle.
Each bath bomb is packed with:
- High quality fragrances
- Pure Organic Jojoba Oils
- Vegan Friendly
- Great for the skin
- Individually Handcrafted
Our bath bombs are all tested so they comply with UK cosmetic regulations, so you can be assured that they are all good for your skin and non irritant.
All our products are handcrafted in the heart or rural Lincolnshire, we do not mass produce and only create small batches at a time to ensure that each product is 100% fabulous.


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What is Ajwain?
Ajwain, also known as carum ajowan, is a spice used for culinary and medicinal purposes. Originally grown in Egypt, the seeds of the plant are tiny, pungent, and bitter. Ajwain tastes similar to thyme but is so strong that even a small amount added to any dish could steal the flavor. Traditionally touted as a cure-all, it is used to ease toothaches, indigestion, and bad breath.
The ajwain seed is widely grown in India, Iran, and Afghanistan, and has been used since ancient times for its healing properties. In India, it is known as omam and water distilled from the seeds is kept as a household tonic to treat flatulence and digestive problems. This also is common practice in Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and other Arabian countries. It is not, however, a spice that is common in the United States (US).
Ajwain is a relative of dill, caraway, and cumin, and is commonly mistaken for bishop's weed. The plant generally looks like parsley. It is a small shrub that usually has up to 12 blooms from which the seeds are extracted.
The seeds are usually oval, ridged, and gray or green in color. Raw seeds taste hot and peppery but grow milder when cooked. They usually should be stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place.
In the kitchen, the spice has a variety of uses. It is a staple of Indian cooking and is used to add zest to salad dressings, dips, chicken, vegetables, and batter for deep-frying. Also, it is a common ingredient in chutney and curry. A pinch of the seeds in a glass of buttermilk is said to promote digestion. In some regions of the world, it is tradition to follow a meal with mukhwas — a combination of ajwain, fennel, dill, sesame, nuts, and dried coconut — to freshen the breath.
Medicinally, ajwain appears to have unlimited uses. Oils extracted from crushed seeds are used to heal a range of illnesses from ear aches and ringworm to neuralgia and ulcers. One teaspoon of ground ajwain can be added to boiling water and used as a gargle for sore throats. A drop or two of the oil is said to relieve earaches.
Eating one teaspoon of ground ajwain can cleanse the digestive system and stimulate the appetite. Sniffing the bitter seeds can alleviate the effects of a cold or headache. It is also said to be an aphrodisiac.
Readers Also Love
Discussion Comments
I have a recipe for spicy zucchini that uses ajwain. When I say it is spicy, I mean the kind of spicy reserved for those who can tolerate most Indian food. I have had friends spit this out into a cup of water while drinking it to try and cool their mouths. To me, it is very good, though.
I dice three large zucchini into small pieces. I put them in a mixing bowl and add three tablespoons of bengal gram flour, one half teaspoon of turmeric powder, one teaspoon of cumin, and one half teaspoon of red chili powder. Then, I add a dash of salt and mix it all together, coating the zucchini thoroughly.
Next, I heat some sunflower cooking oil over medium heat. I add ajwain seeds to the skillet and sprinkle them with cumin. I cook them until they stop making noise. Then, I put the zucchini in and cook until the coating is brown.
My neighbor is from India, and I often smell wonderful aromas coming from her apartment. She uses ajwain in several of her favorite dishes, but she also told me of a home remedy that can be made with it.
I often get sinus congestion. I find myself unable to breathe through my nose, and no over-the-counter medicine helps. She told me that I need to add one tablespoon of ajwain to two cups of boiling water. While it boils, she said I should hang my head over the pot and inhale the steam as deeply as possible.
I tried it, and the ajwain actually was strong enough to open my sinuses. I had to do it twice a day, because they eventually closed back up, but I was amazed that it worked at all.


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This Is Your Brain on Coffee
By Laura Vitto
You know you feel instantly better after you've downed your morning cup, but what is it about coffee that affects the mind in such a pleasant way?
AsapSCIENCE explains how caffeine stimulates adrenaline production and prevents your brain from reabsorbing dopamine, which in turn keeps you happy.
But be careful, coffee addicts. Caffeine's adrenaline-stimulating properties affect your brain the say way cocaine does, but to a lesser degree. So, don't skip that morning cup, or you'll be in coffee withdrawal by lunchtime.


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Buying your first home off the plan is a huge financial investment and personal commitment. That's why here in this short article we'll discuss a few important tips to ensure success and avoid the most common mistakes. Let's start.
1. It's also about choosing the right builder
Many first-time home buyers focus too much on the house design while forgetting about who built it. The truth is the choice of the right builder could be more important than the house design itself. That's because reputable builders are likely to have chosen the best materials and applied excellent craftsmanship in their work.
Also take note that when you choose a home design you're also choosing a builder along with your decision. This is a critical decision stage which can make your life a bit easier in the long run. In addition, you'll gain some peace of mind that your home was built with quality in mind.
2. Choose a smaller floor area for better energy efficiency
A smaller home could mean significant energy savings in the long run. With the proper design, smaller homes could be more thermally efficient and less impactful to the environment. Aside from the lower upfront cost, this also translates to long-term cost savings.
Many pre-fab houses are actually designed according to this principle. Smaller rooms mean smaller spaces for either cooling or heating. Your HVAC unit will work less because of the lower energy required to cool or heat your space.
Consider also having fewer bedrooms (may cost at least $900 per square metre). The savings can then allow you to purchase energy saving solutions such as a solar water heater or solar panels as your your energy source.
3. Take note of future customisations
Some people think that pre-fab homes offer less flexibility. This could also be a good thing because you're not starting from scratch. You can readily start living in a home with the most important functions. You can always do a remodel or other adjustments later on.
After all, additions, room expansions and kitchen renovations can always come later. What's important is you're thinking of the possible upfront and long-term savings when buying your first home off the plan.
Contact Hume Building
Here at Hume Building we keep in mind the cost priorities of both new and current homeowners. Our experienced builders have helped realise the visions of many individuals, couples and families in NSW South Coast, Western Sydney and Blue Mountains.
You can start with our designs and request for customisations later on. Since 2006 we've been building our client's dream homes. Contact us today and let's discuss your ideas and requirements.


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Few years ago Government of India has published the official symbol for Indian currency – The Indian Rupee sign. Afterwards most of the computer makers added the symbol on the keyboards of their products in India. However if you want to add the symbol in your writings, you've to perform little more things. Microsoft has published a hotfix called update KB2496898 to support the new currency symbol for the Indian Rupee. To add the rupee symbol on your laptop keyboard into the application in which you're typing, you need to install this update from Microsoft website and follow some simple steps. This one had worked with my Dell XPS laptop keyboard and hope will work on all devices.
To install the above mentioned update KB2496898, you must be running one of the following operating systems:
- Windows Vista Service Pack 2
- Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2
- Windows 7
- Windows 7 Service Pack 1
- Windows Server 2008 R2
- Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1
If you are running any of the above listed operating systems, the open the Internet explorer browser and go to this link. You'll be landed on a webpage which has download links for the update package. Choose the appropriate one according to the OS you have. To download the setup, you'll have to validate your windows installation.
Click install while you have a popup in the IE (this is for validating Windows). After validation, you'll be able to download the update package.
Once you've downloaded the setup, install the update and restart your computer. Then do the following:
- In Control Panel, click Clock, Language, and Region, and then click Change keyboards or other input methods.
- On the Region and Language window, click change keyboards.
- In the Text Services and Input Languages window, click add. On the Add Input Language screen select English (India), and then select the India keyboard check box as shown.
- Click Apply, and OK.
- In the right side of your taskbar, you'll find an item named ' EN', click on it and select English (India)
- Restart the system
Now, when you want to insert the rupee (INR) symbol, use Ctrl+Alt+₹(4 or $ on regular keyboard). In case you have a Keyboard without rupee symbol, use Ctrl+Alt+$.


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Anyone suffering from panic attacks and anxiety disorders knows that they can, and often are, totally debilitating. Social anxiety disorders often take over you life, leaving you in fear of regaining your normal activities and wondering just how you should try to manage your disease. Is medication best? Do nontraditional cures for panic attacks work? Where should you go for natural treatments for anxiety? The list of questions is as long as the potential pitfalls of letting the disorder overtake your life. Most of us facing this problem find it too overwhelming to even begin to look for answers, much less make a choice on an appropriate treatment.
What should you do when panic disorders start to destroy your quality of life? My answer was to consult my physician. Little did I know it would eventually not be the right answer for my situation. I left my doctor's office with a prescription for Zannex.
Even at a low dose, I eventually found that the drugs were making me depressed. The anxiety and panic attacks were greatly improved; however, the rest of my quality of life was decreased. Not such a great solution to living with an anxiety disorder in my book. I made another appointment and was told to stay on the medication. They would add an antidepressant if necessary to alleviate the depression symptoms.
What followed was two years of torture. Medication after medication was tried, yet my condition worsened. Now, I want to say right here, that you should not fail to consult your doctor. Psychiatric care is a necessity when trying to deal with any type of situation beyond our knowledge base. If they do not help you, or your condition worsens, get another opinion and be sure to do your own research on your condition. Know what you are getting yourself into and ask questions if the answers do not add up.
In my case, this was nearly 12 years ago, there was not nearly the information available a there is now online. What I did not know was that there was a whole host of other options available to treat my condition that I would have tried first, before the risks of medication. As a patient I have the right to be informed of all reasonable options and so do you. We get the right to say what will be done or not done to our bodies and we deserve to be well informed to make those decisions.
What finally helped me to overcome my panic attacks and anxiety? Curiously enough, it was what I learned about the cycle of anxiety and panic attacks and how it affects the body physiologically. In order to stop your panic attacks you will need to deprogram the trigger from the physiology. Strangely enough, once I went through the process of starting to separate the trigger from the physiologic reaction I was able to have less anxiety over the actual fear of having a full blown episode. Eventually, I came to not fear that a full blown panic attack would come, and that I could handle it well if it did. With less anxiety and fear, I started to have fewer panic attacks and with a lot less severity than ever before. I would not call myself cured of either panic attacks or anxiety, but I would say that I have a powerful tool either without or in addition to medication should it ever become necessary again.
Is there a cure for anxiety and panic attacks? Anxiety attacks and panic attacks are interesting in that you never really get cured from them. Rather you learn how to manage and live with them. Medication or not, these two much related disorders are treatable.


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Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index in the National Capital Region (2000=100) : November 2017
Release Date: 11 December 2017
Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index in the National Capital Region
November 2017
Year on Year and Month on Month Growth Rates
|All Items
|November 2017
|October 2017
|November 2016
The Construction Materials Wholesale Price Index (CMWPI) in the National Capital Region (NCR) continued to move upward as it recorded a higher annual growth of 4.7 percent in November 2017. Its annual rate was registered at 4.0 percent in October 2017 and2.1 percent in November 2016. The double-digit annual growth in fuels and lubricants index further accelerated by 18.3 percent. Moreover, higher annual gains were posted in the indices of the following commodity groups:
- Concrete Products (3.5%);
- Lumber (3.1%)
- G.I. Sheet (0.2%)
- Reinforcing Steel (4.2%);
- Doors, Jambs, and Steel Casement (3.8%); and
- Painting Works (1.3%).
Annual increases in the indices of the following commodity groups were however, slower during the month:
- Sand and Gravel (1.7%);
- Hardware (1.1%);
- Tileworks (2.2%); and
- Plumbing Fixtures and Accessories/Waterworks (0.8%)
In addition, annual decreases were still registered in the indices of cement at -4.1 percent; plywood, -0.8 percent; and PVC pipes, -0.2 percent. Other commodity groups either retained their previous month's rates or had zero growth (see Table 2).
The month-on-month increase of the CMWPI in NCR decelerated to 1.0 percent in November 2017. Its growth in the previous month was recorded at 1.2percent. The indices of tileworks and plumbing fixtures and accessories/waterworks both went down by 0.1 percent. Moreover, slower increases were noticed in the indices of concrete products and G.I sheet, both at 1.0 percent; plywood, 0.1 percent; and lumber, 0.2 percent. Meanwhile, the index of reinforcing steel advanced by 1.7 percent from a zero growth in the previous month. The indices of cement likewise picked up by 0.5 percent; hardware, 0.3 percent; and door, jambs, and steel casement, 0.2 percent after they recorded declines in October. The rest of the commodity groups either retained their previous month's rates or had zero growth (see Table 3).
Hollow blocks, concrete drainage pipe, cement, tie wire, nails, plywood, lumber, G.I. sheets, steel bars, door and circuit breaker were priced higher during the period. Similarly, petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel and bunker oil went up in November. On the other hand, price decreases were observed in grout and faucet this month.
Releases by Year Published
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Technical Inquiries:
|Price Statistics Division
Economic Sector Statistics Service
|+632 8376 1959


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Limited Edition Letterpress Print
I made these prints in my first ever typesetting workshop with Amanda of link Tanline Printing!I had more trouble learning the terminology than I did actually setting the type and running the letterpress itself. I originally chose a different passage to work with, but I ran out of the lowercase letter e and had to get more creative! These were printed in dark purple oil-based ink on textured white paper and I only made 12. They measure 5″ x 7″. A nice reminder for your home, office, or studio space. $12 each.


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The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Trilogy is a Action , Third-person game developed and published by NeocoreGames for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. It was released on 22 May 2013 with single and multiplayer.you play the role of the son of the famous hunter Van Helsing - an outstanding hero, endowed with a dark mystery and charm.Is this game is free and for Pc? Yes this game is free video game and for Computer. Please see below screenshots and system requirements to understand you, Can you able to play this game on pc? so after check out download , Install, play and Enjoy!.Now Check Out Below Download link ,download game and enjoy!.According to me Download >>Install>>Play>>Enjoy!.
The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing Trilogy PC Download Full
Minimum System Requirements
- OS: Microsoft Windows XP/vista/7/8
- CPU:Intel Core 2 DUO with a clock speed of 2.4 GHz
- Video Card: 512 MB VRAM
- HDD:20.3 GB Free Disk Space
Need Help!:If everyone have problem in downloading or in installation then leave a comment.Kindly comment is related with this post.
Like:Check Gaming Zone on Facebook And make me happy.Kindly Share with Friends and Promote Check Gaming Zone.
File size: 3.86 GB


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Many people want a picturesque kitchen, if you want to have something unique and different, try to build it outside the house. Outdoor kitchen is an attractive alternative to give fresh atmosphere, you'll become eager to create delicious cuisines.
Use the backyard to create an outdoor kitchen, friends and family can relax and enjoy the scenic garden beauty while eat something yummy. It's easy to make because you only need to make a plan!
Use non-flammable materials as part of outdoor kitchens designs, this is for security and avoid undesirable things, especially if you put cook top and grilling area. Make an area for sink, cabinets, refrigerator and other components, use materials such as stones, metal framing and bricks!
This article will discuss about outdoor kitchens designs and some important things!
1. Read books discuss about outdoor kitchen, you can also read magazines or articles in the internet to get ideas. There are many features you can give.
After get ideas, put them into a paper. Make a sketch or drawing layout plan for all elements. You may use L concept or U concept.
2. Measure area or space to make kitchen. There are many things you should consider, start from cook top and area for family members to help get prepare or serve cuisines. Use kitchen layout to suit needs and goals, you can apply work triangle concept to work faster.
3. After finish make a plan, try to seek opinion from local building official. You need a suggestion whether your plan can work well or need a little improvement.
4. Decorate your kitchen with furniture as needed. Don't place furniture with no function at all or you are just wasting space with useless! Hire an electrician to make electronics furniture could work perfectly at outdoor kitchen.
5. Don't forget to install lighting that makes you feel comfortable while working in the kitchen at night.
There are many important things about outdoor kitchens designs! Look for more references to get a brilliant idea.outdoor kitchen ideas.


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Smallpox has been eliminated from the planet — so why can't our finest minds seem to be able to do anything about Irish step dancing?
The documentary "Jig" bids to be to stiff-upper-body dancing what the documentary "Spellbound" was to spelling bees. We meet youths, and their parents, from Long Island, Northern Ireland, England and elsewhere as they train for the 2010 world championships in Scotland.
Though one teacher, an eight-time champion named John Carey, is charismatic, encouraging and exacting, he is the only character who makes a deep impression. The kids and parents all seem quite nice, and all are admirably dedicated to their passion. The movie doesn't go very deep, though. Interviewers prove unable to elicit anything much from their subjects but basic biographical information and bromides about how they love what they do and how badly they want to win.
Moreover, the untrained observer can't even tell who is better than whom. And there's no way to put this gently: Watching people slam their heels and toes on the boards while drifting around the floor is about as fascinating as watching the carousel rotation in your favorite microwave oven.


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What is Failure to Launch?
"Failure to Launch" refers to the difficulty some young adults face when transitioning from childhood into adulthood, making them appear to be "stuck," unmotivated, or overwhelmed by the responsibilities appropriate for their age. The "launch" refers to the initiation of college, a career, family, and adult life in general. People with "Failure to Launch" have severe difficulties gaining the independence required to be a self-sufficient adult. They may continue to live at home with their parents, drop out of school or have difficulty finding stable employment.
What are the causes of Failure to Launch?
The symptoms of Failure to Launch often become apparent when one is moving from one phase in life to another. Often, Failure to Launch occurs when one transitions out of a routine that they are accustomed to and into a world with less structure. For instance, when a young adult is moving from high school to college, or from college into the adulthood. In well-individuated persons, these milestones can produce substantial growth. However, in persons who are poorly individuated or dealing with psychological difficulties or unresolved family dynamics, these milestones can lead to regression if the young adult is not equipped with the organizational skills, confidence, independence, and wherewithal to self-motivate.
These major life changes additionally coincide with the ages during which emotional disorders begin to present themselves, such as anxiety and depression. For anxious young adults, planning for the future is simply too daunting to consider. Instead, they may use avoidance as a coping strategy, filling their time by playing video games, surfing the internet, or partying. For those suffering with depression, managing the normal pitfalls of adulthood, such as breakups, poor grades, or layoffs, is more difficult handle. Some argue that this is due to a generational decrease in "frustration tolerance" due to the instant gratification millennials are accustomed to. Many millennials never develop frustration tolerance, and are unable to moderate sadness and self-soothe. Finally, undiagnosed learning differences, such as ADHD, may lead to difficulty integrating into adulthood due to life changes resulting in less structure, supervision, and accountability.


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Four little monsters have taken over the mad professor's mansion in Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble, and they don't intend to give it back until they've made some seriously spooky mischief.
Grab a Buzz! Buzzer or a Wireless Controller and get set for five monstrously enjoyable mini-games taken from the PlayStation 2 smash hit. Pelt shambling zombies with slime, race to unwrap a spinning mummy and play ghoulish golf - plus much more besides. Buzz! Junior: Monster Rumble is beastly good fun for up to four players - and with Trophy support, your terrifying triumphs will haunt your opponents for a long time to come.
*Please note that PlayStation Home is only available in the following languages: English, French, Spanish, German and Italian.
1-4 Players
See it in action


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Ooni debunks remarriage rumours
The Ooni of Ife, Adeyeye Ogunwusi, is not planning to remarry anytime soon, his palace has said in a statement.
The monarch was previously married to Wuraola Ogunwusi (now Zaynab-Otiti Obanor) but the royal union lasted only 17 months.
The monarch is alleged to have quietly married the co-convener of Hope Alive,Temitope Adesegun, but his palace said it is untrue.
"Ooni's marriage cannot be done secretly," Jide Fadairo, a prince and CEO, House of Oduduwa Foundation, said in a statement made available to TheCable.
According to him, the monarch will not rush into taking a new wife.
"That's not on His Imperial Majesty's mind. Marriage is not something he wants to do right away," said Fadairo, husband of the monarch's sister.
Olamide shades NBC as he releases new song
Nigerian rapper, Olamide Adedeji, released a new song, titled, "Puna." And in a bid to promote the new track, he shared a video of a lady twerking to the song
A singer, jahbless, pointed out to the artiste that the song might just get banned from the National Broadcasting Commission.
In response to the fan's comment, the rapper subtly shaded the cooperation as he says he's unbothered whether or not they ban his yet to be released song because he is already on their blacklist.
Toke Makinwa goes nude to promote new product
Media girl, Toke Makinwa, posed nude in a campaign for her new beauty brand called 'Glow by TM' and many Nigerians haven't stopped talking about it.
In the picture, Makinwa sits fully nude with arms and legs crossed to cover her private parts.
"When you glow there is nothing to hide," the 'On Becoming' author said in the caption for the post. She has come under attack especially on Instagram but the 34-year-old entrepreneur can't be bothered as she prepares to launch a beauty line.
Dream Studios gutted by fire
Dream studios, the studio where reality show, Nigerian Idols, was held was razed by fire on Saturday.
The entertainment studio situated in Bamako estate, Omole Phase 1, Lagos caught fire on Saturday. The fire fighters succeeded in putting out the fire, which created a scene in Omole area of Ojodu local government area.
No casualty was recorded. The studio is known to be the location for auditions of several music reality shows including Idols West Africa, Nigerian Idols, and many others. Dreams Studio became famous after Ultima Studio got burnt on August 22, 2010 during an edition of the MTN Project Fame West Africa.
Ciara samples Tiwa Savage's song in new single
Ciara released her new single, titled, 'Freak Me' featuring Tekno; and it samples a previously released single by Tiwa Savage, 'Before Nko'.
The song shares not just the same element, but lines from the lyrics of the song are even identical, with the title of Ciara's single adopted from Tiwa's hook.
Although Tiwa is credited as a songwriter on streaming platforms, it is still unclear if Ciara or her team got the right clearance to sample her song.


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What immunizations are necessary?
Please refer to the Immunizations page.
What does "proof of adequate immunization" mean?
Documented proof is a written record of the dates of your immunizations, titers or incidence of diseases provided by your healthcare provider's office, a high school university or college. Self reporting of dates is not accepted. All immunization information must be entered on the Health History Form.
What happens if I cannot obtain all required immunizations or TB testing before I arrive on campus?
If you are a Storrs student, Student Health Services can provide you with missing vaccinations, blood tests or TB testing on a fee for service basis. (Regional Campus students must use providers in their local community.)
What should I do if my immunization records are lost or unavailable?
You should have blood tests called titers to show immunity to measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chicken pox).
Who is exempt from providing UConn with immunizations?
By CT State Law, the following persons do not have to, exemptions to the immunization requirements are as follows:
– Those who were born prior to 1/1/1957
– Those who have a physical condition and as such immunizations would endanger life or health
– Those who have adhere to religious beliefs whose teachings are opposed to such immunizations.
– Distance Learners (defined as those enrolled in a distance-learning program conducted entirely through electronic media in a setting without other students present.)
The Exemption to Immunizations Requirements form must be completed. Note that a healthcare provider must sign the medical exemption form. Also, in the event of an outbreak of a disease for which immunization is required, anyone who has claimed exemption, would be excluded from campus.
Why do I need to complete the Health History Form, can't I just have my healthcare provider send you what they have on file for me?
While records from your healthcare provider may include some of the immunization information, it may not include all of the State of Connecticut required immunizations and up to date information on your TB risk or status. The Health History form also asks you to document your personal health concerns and important information on who to contact in case of an emergency.
My blood titer result was equivocal or borderline. Do I need another immunization?
Yes because we cannot accept borderline immunity. You will need another immunization to boost your immunity.
Is it mandatory for students to receive the meningitis vaccine prior to entering UConn?
Students living in on-campus housing are required to show proof of having received a dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine within the 5 years prior to matriculation.
Which meningitis vaccine should I get?
Only the quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal vaccine is acceptable. It protects against the four most common strains of meningitis (A,C, Y and W-135). Acceptable vaccines include Menactra (USA), Menveo (USA), Mencevax (worldwide) and Nimenrix (EU).
Do I need a TB test?
You only need a TB test if you answer "Yes" to questions B, C or D in the TB Risk Assessment section of the Health History Form. If you answered "Yes" to question A, you should NOT get another TB test. See question 12.
Which TB test should I get?
You can get either a TB skin test, or a TB blood test. The only acceptable skin test is the PPD tuberculin 5 T.U. (Mantoux TB test). We do not accept multiple puncture tests such as TINE, Monovac and so on. If you cannot get the Mantoux test, you should get a TB blood test, such as the Quantiferon or T-Spot, or any other IGRA (interferon-gamma release assay) test.
How should the TB skin test be documented?
TB test results must be read within 48 to 72 hours after administration and signed by a healthcare professional. A positive result must be documented in mm. of induration; we cannot accept a simple reading of "positive" or "negative". The test date must be within 6 months of arrival on campus. All tests must be documented on the Health History Form.
I have had a positive TB skin test in the past. What do I do?
If it measured 10mm. or more you will need to provide documentation of a prior or current course of TB medication.
I have received BCG in the past. Do I still need a TB test?
Yes, you still need a TB test, unless you had a previous Mantoux TB test that was positive with an indurated reaction of 10mm or greater. In that case, you must have documentation of a negative chest x-ray and be without symptoms. The preferred test for someone who has received BCG is the TB blood test.
Should I receive an immunization if I have a cold or I am ill with a fever?
If you are ill with a mild cold, you may receive an immunization; however, you should not receive immunizations if you have a fever.
Can I receive more than one immunization at a time?
Yes, in most cases you may receive multiple vaccines at one time.
What are the common side effects from immunizations?
Prior to all injections, you will be provided with information for all the immunizations (http://www.immunize.org/vis/) you are about to receive. The most common side effect is soreness at the site of the injection.


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Union Station marks 25 years: a look back
Rachel Kaufman
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Related Tags
City Planning
Economic Development
Union Station
Print showing Union Station in 1906, a year before it officially opened
Sept. 29, 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the reopening of Union Station.
Originally opened in 1907, the station was at the time the largest room in the world under one roof, and possibly the grandest. Outfitted with mahogany, crystal, glass and marble, the station also housed a bakery, butcher, restaurant, nursery, hotel, YMCA, mortuary, bowling alley, ice house, liquor store, Turkish baths, police station, and silver-monogramming shop. Presidents, kings and queens used rooms within it.
But then came the automobile, and train travel screeched to a halt. With few people using the station for its intended purpose, the railroads that owned the station agreed in 1968 to lease it to the Department of the Interior, which turned Union Station into the National Visitors Center.
It was to be one of the governments' most high-profile boondoggles of the decade. "It's a national disgrace," one Interior official said afterward.
The primary feature of the National Visitors Center was the PAVE, or "Primary Audio Visual Experience," a musical slideshow that displayed photos of D.C. attractions. It was located in a sunken area cut into what was the main waiting room, and was thus given the nickname "The Pit." There was also a "national book store," a Hall of Flags, and, of course, souvenir booths.
The "PAVE"--"Primary Audio-Visual Experience" when Union Station was used as a visitors' center, AKA "The Pit"
The $100 million redevelopment of Union Station into the visitors' center was rushed through, with construction starting in May 1974 and with President Nixon ordering the center to be finished by July 4, 1976, for the nation's bicentennial. According to a
article in 1982, "planners neglected heating, wiring and plumbing. Work began before the cost estimates and architectural plans were finished. A construction contract was signed that invited cost overruns. The crumbling roof was ignored." When July 4 rolled around, the center was technically open, but missing a glass roof. The
New York Times
reported that visitors "dined al fresco, entertained and frequently soiled by swooping pigeons."
Even after the opening, "The Pit" was mostly ignored by tourists. "What is the point of looking at slides of the U.S. Capitol when you can walk out the front door and see it?" asked one senator. It closed two years later.
Meanwhile, train travel was rebounding, yet train travelers had to lug their suitcases to a "replacement station" less than one-tenth the size of the original.
New York Times
critics called it reminiscent of "a hospital emergency room entry" and "Hitler's bunker."
With no trains running through Union Station and no visitors center, it fell into decay. The roof caved in, pipes burst, and mushrooms grew from the floors. Puddles up to five inches deep formed.
The station had fallen into disrepair
In the 1980s, interest in turning Union Station back into a train station began picking up steam. After congressional hearings, meetings and proposals, after years of negotiations and construction, Union Station finally reopened in 1988.
We collected archival photographs to show you one story of Union Station's peak, decline, and revitalization. We hope you'll share your favorite images or memories from Union Station or the Visitors Center and "the Pit" either in the comments or by emailing
[email protected]
Opening day at Union Station, Sept. 29, 1988
An actor dressed as a Union Station statue poses in Union Station, one day before the station reopened to the public in 1988
Prints from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division; most photographs from the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. Disrepair photo and scaffolding photo courtesy Union Station Redevelopment Corporation.
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Economic Development
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Read more articles by
Rachel Kaufman
Rachel is the managing editor of Elevation D.C. She also covers tech, business and science for publications nationwide. She lives in Brookland.
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Week 4 of school, and so far things are going… well.
More responsibility than ever, I'm even turning down stuff to do coz my schedule is just way too tight. I have Fridays free, free from class. But not free from other things, like AIESEC and extra-curriculars and such.
And to make it worse, my success is my own worst enemy. Like the more I get done, the more I get to do… Finishing stuff on time means getting more stuff to do that's not even mine…
But still, college life rocks.
Wouldn't trade it for anything else.
Even the caffeine-driven Coke days that start at 7 and end at 3am the next day… Even those ones. Sleep is for the sleepy.
To college. May it rock, and rock, and rock.


text: Our culture is rooted in open, honest communication, hard work and a lot of fun. We are a tight-knit group of professionals dedicated to developing our own skills through constant learning and growth, and we aren't scared to take on any task and jump in to help with any project when our skills and expertise are needed. We check our egos at the door, and spend our days together driving toward a common goal – impacting the lives of future generations by ushering in a world where they will no longer be judged solely on GPAs and resume fluff, but by their true potential.


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Old habits die hard. When people talk about the U.S. auto industry, they often think it still means G.M., Ford and Chrysler. In fact, more than a dozen automobile manufacturers make cars in the United States. The "big three" are different not because they make automobiles here, but because their work forces are unionized. Thus, when people talk about buying American cars, what they really mean, much of the time, is buying union-made products.
The difference is illustrated by the difference between two lists. The United Auto Workers produced this list of ten of the most union-made vehicles. No surprises here:
1 ) Cadillac CTS
2 ) Chevrolet Sonic
3 ) Ford F-150
4 ) Jeep Wrangler
5 ) Chevrolet Volt
6 ) Buick LaCrosse
7 ) Chrysler 200
8 ) Ram 1500
10 ) Ford Mustang
That's a classic list of what we think of as American-made cars. In fact, though, many of the most American-made cars are "foreign." The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration publishes a list that shows the percentage of each automobile model that is made in America. This is the NHTSA's list of the ten vehicles that are most "made in the USA."
1 ) Ford Expedition
2 ) Chevrolet Express
3 ) Toyota Avalon
4 ) Buick Enclave
5 ) Honda Odyssey
6 ) Honda Crosstour
7 ) Dodge Avenger
8 ) Ford F-150
9 ) Toyota Camry
10 ) Toyota Sienna
There are many other "foreign" models that are made in America. One of many examples: my wife's BMW X5 was made in South Carolina, by non-union labor. If Detroit had a small fraction of the auto worker jobs that are now located in Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina and other states, it wouldn't be bankrupt. What unions do better than anything else is kill jobs. Which is why the United Auto Workers now represent something like three times as many retirees and widows as actual auto workers.