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Val'sharah has a pretty evil quest that honestly feels like a mistake to me. Rylissa Bearsong gave me Frenzied Furbolgs, tasking me with killing eight Smolderhide furbolgs. They're in a "frenzied rage." Okay, fine. That seems reasonable enough. As I approach their location, I saw Elder Sookh standing to the side offering Littlefur. He tried to flee the village with his nephew when the rest of the furbolgs were afflicted with some kind of wrathful curse. He made it out, but his nephew is still there. After killing some furbolgs in the village, I found Littlefur. He told me that he knows the cause of what's happening; a totem is giving the Chieftain power and causing the madness. With Totemic Call tasking me to destroy it, I was off. I did destroy it, and lo and behold, the curse was lifted and the furbolgs were back to normal!
Of course, I still had to kill more of them. Rylissa Bearsong, Elder Sookh, and Littlefur are all within speaking distance. Elder Sookh could have explained things to Rylissa Bearsong. But that's not how it works. I had to go slaughter some innocent furbolgs. If I ever play through on an alt, I'll be sure to finish the kill quest before destroying the totem so I don't have to kill any innocent furbolgs.


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In this Best of Tuts+ roundup you'll learn how to simulate a sniper scope, design and code a flexible website, create an intense movie poster, create a golden vector compass, build a minigolf game with ActionScript 3.0, take sports photos like a pro, create a rocky video game terrain in Blender and get a useful introduction to home recording--among many other things! Let's take a look.
Aetuts+ - After Effects Tutorials
Simulate a Realistic Sniper Scope Perspective - AE Plus
My tutorial deals with a VFX shot that's easy to attempt but hard to master: A convincing looking sniper scope view.
I will outline the assets that I provide in Photoshop and the principles of accomplishing the intended outcome. In After Effects I'll make use of pre-compositions, motion tracking and some easy expressions. For clarity's purpose I'll get into details about optical phenomena when necessary.
Form a Unique Transition
In this tutorial we are going to reveal how to create a cool particle transition between 2 videos using Trapcode Form. We will cover the importance of layer maps while using this plugin as well as how to create a stylish displacement of the particles.
Making Your Color Scheme a Whole Lot Kuler!
Adobe Kuler is a great resource for color themes that is perfectly integrated in all Adobe CS4 software - except for After Effects. But this has changed now.
The Best Sound You'll Ever See!
Satya is back with a new tutorial that will help you look as good as you sound. This technique has many options so sit back and learn how to create an attractive visual generated from your audio spectrum.
Terminate Your Footage With Expressions
Sep 21st in VFX by Ben McEwan If you're wanting to help to save Sarah Connor then maybe this tutorial will give you an insider's perspective on what to do. Ben McEwan has created a 3 Day Series crammed full of useful expressions to create the UI found in the Terminator.
Nettuts+ - Web Development Tutorials
11 Classic CSS Techniques Made Simple with CSS
We've all had to achieve some effect that required an extra handful of divs or PNGs. We shouldn't be limited to these old techniques when there's a new age coming. This new age includes the use of CSS3. In today's tutorial, I'll show you eleven different time-consuming effects that can be achieved quite easily with CSS3.
20 HTML Forms Best Practices for Beginners
Working with XHTML forms can be somewhat daunting; they not only use some niche HTML elements, but also blur the line between static content and user interaction. Let's review some things to remember when creating your next form.
Search Engine Optimization 101
Your website may be top notch but what's the use of an online presence if no one can find it? In this quick start guide to search engine optimization we'll review an assortment of tactics to increase your page ranking.
How to Design and Code a Flexible Website
In this tutorial, we're going to be designing and coding a simple blog-style web-page. We'll pay special attention to making our design flexible and accessible by using clean and simple XHTML and CSS. This tutorial is aimed at beginners, and anyone looking to improve the accessibility of their web designs.
Getting Clean with PHP
Data security is important and often undervalued by designers, developers, and clients alike. Since PHP 5.2.0, data sanitization and validation has been made significantly easier with the introduction of data filtering. Today, we're going to take a closer look at these filters, how to use them, and build a few custom functions.
Psdtuts+ - Photoshop
Render a Cereal Box Cover from Scratch Using Photoshop's 3D Tools
Hi everyone! This time I've got for you a fun tutorial, we'll create a cereal box design from scratch, using only Photoshop. We will render several fruit flavored cereal loops using the Photoshop's CS4 Extended 3D tools, apply textures to the loops, bump the surfaces and mock-up them into a real 2D image. Are you ready?
Create a Big Air Event Poster with Photoshop and Illustrator – Psd Plus Tutorial
We have another Psd Plus tutorial exclusively available to Plus members today. If you want to take your Photoshop and Illustrator integration skills to the next level, then we have an exciting poster design tutorial for you. Learn more at the jump!
Create an Intense Movie Poster in Photoshop
Designers love to be critical about movie posters, and while you may think you have better ideas about how to sell a movie to an audience, how many times have you actually tried doing it? In this tutorial, we're going to create a poster for a fictional movie called "Fugitive." The movie is meant to be a suspenseful thriller that features one's escape under the cover of darkness, despite man's attempt to capture the lone hero. Thin and cheesy plot? Check. Awesome opportunity to better your PSD skills? You got it!
How to Create Eroded Metal Text with Photoshop
In this tutorial I'll show you how to create an eroded metal text effect. Throughout this tutorial we'll make use of various drawing techniques, channels, and patterns.
Add Fantastic Color to 3D Text – Part I
This is the first part of a two part series. Part two will be released tomorrow. In this piece you will learn how to bring a simple text to life and place everything in fantastic, colored and glowing 3D space. Some neat techniques covered here will allow you to bring your art to the next level. Don't miss it! There are two parts to this tutorial: Part I and Part II.
Vectortuts+ - Vector & Illustrator
How to Create a Golden, Vector Compass in Illustrator
In this tutorial I will take you through the steps and techniques of creating a golden compass. For this tutorial I've used just Adobe Illustrator and a heavy dose of ingenuity.
How to Create a Yellow Submarine Icon with Gradient Meshes – Vector Plus Tutorial
We have another great Vector Plus tutorial available exclusively for Plus members today. If you want to learn how to use gradient mesh, pattern brushes and other advanced Illustrator tools to create a shiny submarine, then we have an awesome tutorial for you. Learn more about this tutorial at the jump!
Build a Promotional iPhone App Website Wireframe in Fireworks
Fireworks is a great tool for creating a wireframe and while it doesn't work perfect with Photoshop, you can export over there and then build off your wireframe. We'll cover the design process of creating a wireframe for an iPhone application website in Fireworks. For those of you not familiar with this program, it will be a good jumping off point for using it to wireframe your web design projects. This is a multi-part series and will be fun! Here is Part I of and Part II.
How to Create a Caramel Ripple Effect
In this tutorial, we will create a hot chocolate caramel effect using some distort tools and the 3D revolve tool. This is a simple and effective technique to obtain a quality vector ripple effect quickly. Here we go!
How to Create an Energy Saving Bulb in Illustrator
Here we're showing how to create an energy saving bulb with the help of the Illustrator's Mesh Tool. At the beginning it could be quiet hard to work with, but if you get used to it, it's fairly simple.
Activetuts+ - Flash, Flex & ActionScript Tutorials
Create a Unit Converter Application for Flash Lite Enabled Devices
Flash Lite is an implementation of the Flash runtime for mobile phones, consumer electronic devices, and Internet-connected digital home devices. According to Adobe, the number of Flash Lite shipped devices will reach 1 billion in 2009 and more than 2.5 billion by the end of 2010, so if you are a Flash Developer it is important to know how this technology works and how it differs from Flash Player for the desktop.
In this tutorial I'll guide you through the basics of Flash Lite using the 1.1 version; sacrificing features, but ensuring compatibility.
Build a Mini Golf Game with ActionScript 3.0
In this tutorial I´ll show you how to create nice Mini Golf Game with ActionScript 3.0. We´ll work with Event Handlers, Functions and also the Timer Object which is a really cool feature in AS3.
AS3 101: Loops
Welcome back to AS3 101, the fifth edition! At this point, you should be comfortable with the concepts of variables, functions, conditionals (branching), and Arrays. Not only should you be comfortable with the concepts, but you should also be fluent in how ActionScript 3 implements these concepts.
For this fifth episode, we'll be adding to that catalog of skills the various looping structures found in AS3. You'll find some dependencies on the information learned in AS3 101 Part 4, on Arrays, so if you've skipped that one or need a refresher, please review that tutorial before continuing with this one.
For our final project, we'll combine loops and arrays, to make a simple shoot-em-up game.
Improve Your Memory With an Away3D Game
In this tutorial we'll build a 3D memory game. Along the way we'll look at adding variables and mouseEvents to Away3D objects. Let's get started..
Build a Photo Viewer Using Flex and the Flickr API
In this tutorial you will learn how to use the as3flickrlib library to create a Flash Flickr photo viewer.
Phototuts+ - Photography & Post-Processing Tutorials
Photography Kick-start Guide: Adjusting Your Camera's Settings for the Photo You Want
Cameras vary in terms of functions offered. There are differences from one brand to the next and even from one model to another of the same brand. By necessity, this tutorial will have to generalize but let's try to de-mystify some of the more common settings found on cameras today, what they mean (to the camera) and how to use them.
Mastering the Art of Black and White Photography
In the early days of photography, photographers had no choice but to shoot in black and white, as it was the only available medium. Then, in 1936, the invention of kodachrome gave colour photography to the world. But black and white photography didn't die off, instead it flourished. Modern black and white photography at it's best is art, and many photographers regard it as the purest form of photography.
Freezing Time: 80 Inspiring Examples of High Speed Photography
In our last roundup, we covered a selection of amazing HDR images. This time we move onto something completly different, with stunning high speed photography. These images freeze time, and allow us to observe scenes that the naked eye would struggle to capture. It's definitely worth a look for some great inspiration!
8 Tips for Taking Sports Photos Like a Pro
Are you looking to shoot better sports photos, and make an impact? Sports photography presents you with many opportunities to capture dramatic and vivid imagery that will last a lifetime. No other medium presents you with heart-pounding action, vivid color patterns and unique shooting opportunities.
The steps and guidance featured in this tutorial cover a broad range of areas - from perfecting shutter speed, to making sure you don't miss the action.
How to Photograph Waterfalls
Waterfalls are some of the most beautiful natural features you will ever get the opportunity to photograph. But though they can look simply stunning, photographing waterfalls is not easy to do well. How do you avoid your photos being too dark? How do you deal with clipping in the water? How do you compose your photos to capture the authentic beauty of the scene?
In this tutorial, nature photography expert Steve Berardi shares his best tips for photographing waterfalls.
Cgtuts+ - CG Tutorials
Model and Texture a Posh Living Room Scene in Maya
In this tutorial you will go through the process of modeling and rendering a Living Room in Autodesk Maya. You will also learn to use Mental Ray (along with the new architectural materials), create realistic fur, and implement studio lighting to create nice and soft shadows and highlights.
Using Splines to Add Detail to Your High-Poly Model in 3ds Max
Splines are an often-overlooked aspect of 3ds max when it comes to game art. Most people know that you can use a spline for a wire - but you can also use it for things like grooves, whole objects like handles, and even text! In this tutorial, we'll take a look at some of these advanced ways that splines can be used to save a lot of time on tasks that would otherwise have to be done by hand.
Create a Rocky Video Game Terrain in Blender
In this series of tutorials you will learn how to create a finished environment for Blender's Game Engine. The main focus of the series will be texturing and lighting, with the use of some custom 2d filters to enhance the result.
Model a Photorealistic Swiss Army Knife in Modo
Subdivision modeling is an extremely powerful tool that can allow you to add high levels of detail to your models in a relatively short amount of time. In order to use it effectively, however, one must know when, and more importantly, when not to use it. In this three part, beginner to intermediate tutorial series, professional Modo artist, Matt Braeley, will demonstrate how to model a photorealistic Swiss Army knife, using polygonal and subdivision modeling in Luxology's Modo 302.
Build an Advanced Drifting Car Rig in 3ds Max
In this advanced level tutorial, you will learn all of the steps necessary to build a fully functioning car rig in 3D Studio Max. This rig features working suspension, steering and body roll, as well as some functionality for drifting and powerslides. You will learn how to set up internal functionality through links, constraints, expressions, and parameter wiring. The final result will be a robust rig with easy, and accessible controls.
Audiotuts+ - Audio and Music
Introduction to Polyrhythms
The usage of simple, common time (4/4 time signature, where there are four beats to a measure, and each quarter note gets one beat) is pervasive in Western popular music, including rock, blues, country, folk, pop, and various forms of electronic music including many sub-genres of house and trance music. The four-on-the-floor mindset can be difficult to escape, but every musician and composer can benefit from a study of rhythm that includes a wider variety of time signatures and rhythms.
How to Design Reeses and Hoovers
Have you ever wondered how your favourite dance music producers create those amazing sounds that make you jump on the dance floor? Well, it usually takes a lot of experience and a huge amount of time spent on experimenting and processing sounds a ridiculously high number of times.
But it's quite hard to reach the stage of experimentation if you don't even know the basics behind some kind of sounds often heard in dance tracks. This tutorial will teach you how to design from scratch a DnB trademark, the reese bass, and how to reproduce the infamous hoover sound, introducing you to the technique of resampling.
A Beginner's Introduction to Home Recording
Home recording technology seems to get better and cost less every year. It puts power in the hands of ordinary people. You've probably found this article because you want to get into home recording.
Most of our tutorials here at Audiotuts are at the intermediate or advanced level. And that's OK, because you won't be a beginner forever. But we do have some more basic tutorials and articles aimed at the beginner. This article will refer to many of them, and hopefully give you an overview of what's involved in getting into home recording.
A Basic Guide to Subtractive Synthesis (Part 1)
This screencast is the first tutorial in a series on synthesis. This first installment shows a basic guided tour of Subtractor in Reason and covers oscillators, filters and envelopes.
Is the Public Capable of Recognizing Quality Music?
Can the average music listener recognize quality? Can they distinguish a virtuoso from a mediocre musician? Can they recognize a "hit" that will still be esteemed a masterpiece in a hundred years? Does "popular" mean the same as "quality"?

subset: commoncrawl


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Seven Skins is your resource for vBulletin skins. Our main focus is to help you customize the look and feel of your forum with a variety of designer skins that can make your forum stand out of the crowd.
Our products come with detailed documentation, .psd files for logo and buttons so you can further customize and personalize your template. We can help you further personalize our templates or create a unique solution that will work for your forums.
Our skins are balanced perfectly between great look and efficiency and they are fully tested in Edge, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Chrome and Opera for compatibility. If you need help before buying any of our products, register at our forum and make a thread in our "Pre-Sales Support" forum.


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If you liked the recent changes Facebook made to improve privacy, then you'll want to upgrade immediately to the latest version of the social network's app for Android smartphones.
The app boasts an improved sharing tool that lets users add privacy controls on posts, matching features available on Facebook's website. Matching the controls gives users the opportunity to create a consistent experience when moving between the mobile and online versions of Facebook.
Also in line with Facebook's online changes, the app permits users to restrict who can see a posting. Not only can that help a person avert embarrassing situations, but it also allows users to tailor their postings so they're viewed by people who will find them relevant.
The new version of the app also lets you tag friends and places in posts, as well as in photos, and sports a redesign of the profile page and of Group Walls.
In addition, photo browsing has been improved. You can now browse through images by swiping them. And the Messages and Notifications features have been made better, too.
The new release of the Facebook Android app came on the heels of substantive changes made to how the social networking giant's members can handle lists of friends. Those changes include the automatic creation of "smart lists" for certain categories of friends — work, school, family and city. Custom lists can be created, too, such as close friends or acquaintances. The changes look very similar to how Google+, Google's social network, allows its members to handle groups of contacts. Facebook members should start seeing the list changes this week, and the changes should be making it to the mobile app "over the next few weeks," according to Blake Ross, Facebook's director of product.
[Read: Facebook Takes Lesson From Google+, Revamps Friends Lists]
Although more than 1.5 million users of the Facebook app have given it an average rating of 3.6 stars out of five, the upgrade's initial reviews have been mixed. "TimBob," who gave the app four stars, wrote at the Android Marketplace: "A lot of the issues with the last update have been fixed. Good app."
"Salvador," though was less complementary about the app. He gave it one star and groused: "This app sucks! It worked ok for a couple of days, but now won't let me sign in." "Tommy," too, had disparaging remarks about the software and rated it one star: "New update won't even open. Has been crap for past 2 months of updates."
Some problems with the app can be cleared up with a simple solution, according to "AJ," who gave the program a five-star rating. "For people experiencing problems," he wrote, "just go to your settings> manage applications> Facebook>clear cache …do this after every update n u r good to go :)."
The app is now available in the Android Marketplace.
Follow freelance technology writer John P. Mello Jr. and Today@PCWorld on Twitter.


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I have been very busy over the last few weeks with print sales, writing projects, and household renovations. Each of the images in this post have had an artistic rendering applied to them by using the Photoshop plug-in Glow by Topaz Labs. To check out various examples of what this great plug-in is capable of doing please have a look at the Topaz website by clicking here. I was very hesitant to give Topaz Glow a try when it was first released several months ago because I was so accustomed to using the Fractalius plug-in available from Redfield Plugins, however, with the release of the newest version of Fractalius I was very disappointed and found it virtually impossible to create my most favorite frog fracts that I used to do. With Topaz Glow I feel that my artistic frog imagery has been given new life and that I am able to create effects that I was never able to create with the Fractalius software. I was able to create a couple of nice custom settings with the new version of Fractalius, but do feel that I will revert to my older versions for my most favorite custom presets that were featured in the eBook Fractastic, which I co-wrote with the very talented Denise Ippolito.
Please click on each of the images to view the larger, sharper version and let me know what you think of these Topaz Glow amphibian creations 🙂


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Design submitted by Cory from the USA.
Cory says: While toying with an interesting take on an analog design, I thought of an interesting way to make use of E-ink technology. The RingSix was the result.
The circle in the middle of the display has a capsule shaped minute hand in classic analog time. The hours are displayed as segments of the background, one segment is equal to one hour, up to six. For times over six, an additional ring appears near the center as a +6 indicator. Even hours are displayed vertically, odd are displayed horizontally.
Tokyoflash fans who like analog designs may find this one appealing, as well as those who enjoy bracelet style watches that seamlessly transition from the watchband to the case.
The line which the links draw around the band continues partway through the case, and creates a nice asymmetrical feel to the aesthetics. The case mirrors the capsule shaped minute hand with similar elements in both the buttons, and the geometry where the band attaches.


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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Carrot Cake Cakeballs
Posted by Jami at 7:15 PM 0 comments
Labels: cake balls, carrot cake, Easter
Monogrammed Cake Balls
Posted by Jami at 1:31 PM 3 comments
Labels: cake balls, gift, handmade box, monogrammed cake balls
Party Favors
Posted by Jami at 1:23 PM 0 comments
Labels: cake balls, Party Favors
Birthday Cake Balls
Box of 5 different Cake balls in handmade box
Scrumptious Little Birthday Gift!
Posted by Jami at 1:09 PM 1 comments
Labels: Birthday Cake balls, cake balls
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Star Wars Cake
Posted by Jami at 4:02 PM 1 comments
Labels: Cake, CAKES, Star WArs Cake
Friday, March 26, 2010
Watercolor Notecards
Posted by Jami at 1:40 PM 0 comments
Labels: gift ideas, note cards, personalized note cards
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
How to Contact Me
Hi Friends! Had a fun Spring Break but unfortunately have lost my Iphone.
Please email me (firstname.lastname@example.com)
or give me a call at home (972-668-7458)
if you need to place an order.
Posted by Jami at 4:54 PM 0 comments
Labels: How to contact me
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Birthday Cake Balls
Posted by Jami at 1:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Birthday Cake balls, chocolate cake balls
Monday, March 8, 2010
Cookies 'n Cream Cake Balls
Posted by Jami at 5:04 PM 0 comments
Labels: cake balls, cookies 'n cream cake balls, oreos
Almond Amaretto Cake Balls
Posted by Jami at 3:59 PM 1 comments
Pistachio Cake Balls
These Pistachio Cake Balls are so beautiful (and yummy, too!) with a pale green center.
They are a must have for your St. Patrick's Day event!
Posted by Jami at 3:55 PM 0 comments
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Balls
Posted by Jami at 3:49 PM 2 comments
Labels: cake balls, lemon, lemon poppy seed cake balls, poppy seed
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Funfetti Cake Balls
Super Cute and Super Yummy!!! All the boys in my house LOVED these!!! They can be dipped in any color white chocolate to match any party!
Posted by Jami at 12:06 PM 0 comments
Labels: baby shower cake, cake balls, funfetti, funfetti cake balls
Pina Colada Cake Balls
Aren't these gorgeous? And they taste SOOO GOOOOD!!! I made a coconut cake with dark rum and Malibu. Then mixed in a fresh pineapple cream cheese frosting. These were dipped in the white chocolate coating. YUM!! I think these are my favorites so far. After making most of the balls, I added a little Kahlua into the rest of the mixture. (When we were "pre-parents" we used to win trips with work and go on all kinds of fun vacations. One of the trips took us to Lake Las Vegas where the bar tender introduced us to a Kahlua Colada. Its basically pina colada with some Kahlua. So good and sooo fattening!!!) These really were delicious, too!
Posted by Jami at 11:47 AM 0 comments
Labels: cake balls, coconut, pina colada, pina colada cake balls
Friday, March 5, 2010
Chocolate Cognac Cake Balls
These are for the serious chocolaholic!! Seriously! Thought sweet husband was going to propose all over again after he tried one of these!
Posted by Jami at 4:41 PM 2 comments
Labels: cake balls, chocolate, chocolate cognac cake balls, cognac
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We can help you identify ways to reduce IT costs, streamline your infrastructure, improve the quality of service delivery and realize a faster return on investment.
Extend your reach into the global arena with optimized global networks that deliver high speed performance and redundancy with 99.5% uptime.
The ARISING Group is a multi-disciplinary consulting and technology services provider to businesses looking for integrated solutions.
Because of ARISING Group's involvement in our technology, Firstrade has been ranked among the top online brokerages for ease of use, accuracy, and speed of transaction.
The ARISING Group designed and built the first iPhone app for online car reservations which was selected as a "Staff Pick" by Apple's Web Apps team.


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The grandfather clock has never worked. Not through my liftetime, or Mum's or Gran's, so Aunty Gloria said. She'd told me its history one afternoon when we were all at Gran's during the summer holiday.
Dad had taken my brother Fred down to the river to fish, though as they left with rods and waders and their share of the sardine sandwiches that Gran had made for lunch, Gloria called after them, 'The only thing you'll catch is a cold.' She pushed her own sandwich aside in favour of another cigarette.
Gran disappeared, hoe in hand, to weed the vegetable patch (something she did a lot when Gloria was there), Mum had one of her headaches and had gone to lie down upstairs, which left me alone with Gloria.
I had my book – a boy's adventure story set in Africa – and had bagged the window seat. Gran's cat Boots was at my feet, his patchy tail curled round my left ankle and I was just growing weary of murdered missionaries, bouts of malarial fever and river leeches when Gloria said,
'Did your mother ever tell you about The Clock, Fiona?'
Gran had several clocks – one in each bedroom, a white enamelled one with a loud tick on the kitchen wall – but only one we called The Clock.
Relieved to escape another native uprising, I closed my book. 'I don't think so,' I said.
She was sitting on Gran's flowered sofa, stocking feet tucked under her bottom. Her grey roots were showing under the auburn hair dye and her lipstick had bled into the corners of her mouth, extending her smile and reminding me of the clowns I'd seen at the circus a few weeks earlier. She pulled a lilac cigarette from its packet, screwed it into the holder and sat with it poised between her fingers.
'Be a pet,' she said, 'and fetch the matches from the mantlepiece for me.' She smiled, showing more lipstick on her teeth.
Intrigued by the promise of a story, I fetched the matches and sparked one into life. Gloria poked the cigarette into the flame, sucked and puffed until the end glowed then blew out the match. Her breath smelt bitter – smoke and coffee – and my instinct was to jerk away but knowing I'd look rude, I held my breath until the smoke dispersed.
She patted the empty seat beside her. 'Come and sit, dear heart. Snuggle up with Aunty Gloria and I'll tell you a terrible tale of mischief and murder.' She giggled, flicking a stub of ash onto to her uneaten sandwich.
I sat down, sure to keep a little distance between us. I was twelve. Far to grown up to be 'snuggling' with aunts.
She turned so her back was pressed into the arm of the sofa, feet on the middle cushion, her toes a fraction of an inch away from my leg. 'Do you know how old that clock is?'
I shook my head.
'Older than the old queen,' she smiled, 'the one with the bulldog face who always wore black.'
'Queen Victoria,' I said.
'Yes, yes,' she said, waving me quiet with the cigarette holder. 'Older than that. Older than the grumpy old king that came before her. Older than the fat one before him.'
'George IV.'
'Do you wish to hear a story or give a history lesson? Be quiet now. Where was I? Ah, yes. Well, it's a very old clock. The case might be new. The movement too. But it's very old.'
I was tempted to point out that that if both movement and case we new then surely The Clock wasn't as old as all that, but I didn't want a cloud of foul smelling smoke wafted in my face again, so I stayed quiet.
'It all happened years and years ago, when The Clock was owned by Lord Edmund Spencer. Lord Edmund was a gambler. Baccarat was his favourite game but he'd bet on anything – the weather, the number of spots on a ladybird. The situation became so awful and money so scarce that he was down to his last servant – the rest had left the week before with what remained of the silver plate – and the few shillings in his pocket. And, of course, The Clock. His debts were high, prison his only future.
'One dreadful evening as rain hammered at the casement and wind wormed through every gap and cranny in the house, Lord Edmund was sitting by a meagre fire of twigs. He had opened his last bottle of claret and his pistol was loaded on the table. This was to be the night he ended it all. Better burial in an unmarked grave than filthy, humiliating starvation in the Marshalsea.
'He swallowed the last dregs of the wine. And as he reached for his pistol, there came a mighty hammering at the front door.'
Written for The Daily Post's Daily Prompt – CLOCK. See here to read what others have written and join the fun.
So, where should we go from here, my loves? Shall we follow the adventures of the dissolute Lord Edmund, learn the secrets of The Clock? Or shall we forget about the old soak entirely?
Let me know what you think.


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Story by
Jamillah Knowles
Jamillah is the UK Editor for The Next Web. She's based in London. You can hear her on BBC Radio 5Live's Outriders. Follow on Twitter @jemi Jamillah is the UK Editor for The Next Web. She's based in London. You can hear her on BBC Radio 5Live's Outriders. Follow on Twitter @jemimah_knight or drop a line to [email protected]
Zooz, the in-app payment solutions provider is expanding its offering for developers to include HTML5 so that they can add payment methods more easily.
As we have reported in the past, Zooz works to make the transition from free to paid a less painful one for developers. The company has taken that one step further with the addition of HTML5 mobile and web versions of its compact SDK.
This means only three lines of code for developers to cut and paste into their app to make the most of extra functionality for phones that work with HTML5 and of course desktops.
For developers and for customers, Zooz makes payments easier by aggregating multiple payment sources such as credit cards, PayPal, and Google Wallet into one solution. Right now the company is also working on adding Amazon payments to its aggregator and no doubt many other recognisable names will soon follow.
As the payments market is still so fragmented, this will certainly bridge the gap between possible services while we all wait for standardisation.
Ronen Morecki, Zooz co-founder and CTO was at the Open Mobile Summit earlier this week, discussing the service's approach to payment, "We're not trying to create one system to rule but to aggregate all of the payment systems in one place for the customer. As a developer you don't want to choose because you don't know if a client will use a credit card or Dwollar or any other type of payment system."
ZooZ now handles payments for virtual but physical goods as well as supporting multiple currencies and languages, enabling payments in more than 150 countries worldwide. Good research means that Zooz can work out better ways to bring include international payment trends.
"We are exploring the Indian market. Not to invent new payments for India but explore existing systems there and integrate them and enable them for mobile apps," says Morecki. "We are also looking in Europe where there's a diversity for payments. In Germany people often use bank transfers over credit cards so we want to work out ways to integrate that. We hope to adapt for many different places and payment methods."
The company's rapid expansion in the mobile payment space comes on the heels of its beta launch in late March. Since then, ZooZ's solution has been met with strong adoption by the developer community, with more than 1,000 mobile developers registered for its in-app payment offering.
For users, ZooZ provides a branded, fast-and-easy checkout experience without forcing them to download additional applications or register first by opening an account. ZooZ's patent-pending, bank-grade security and anti-fraud technology also keeps information secure in PCI-compliant servers.
There's enough for developers to think about when creating an app due to the variety of handsets and operating systems. At least when they are ready to include payments, there is now a few lines of code that can make all the difference.
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Today, Seattle Atheists launches an ad campaign on local buses. Twelve buses will carry banner ads with photos of four people in average settings with the tag line, "1 in 4 is an Atheist." The campaign runs through early January.
One in four Seattle residents has no god belief—in other words, they are atheists. Seattleites may not consider that the person who sold them their morning coffee might have been an atheist. Or the person who drove their bus or repaired their car or did their taxes or treated their illness. Atheists are their coworkers, their friends, their family. Whether they realize it or not, they know plenty of atheists.
These are smart people who take pride in their work and love their families and appreciate the great things about America, just like religious people.
The Problem. While atheists do their part within society, they don't always get the same consideration in return. They're sometimes told, "This is a Christian nation and if you don't like it, move to Europe." Some risk their jobs by revealing who they are, and some risk ostracism and the loss of their family or community. Some are bullied or discriminated against within schools or by the military. Seeing this, many atheists remain silent. Many churchgoers are among these silent atheists.
The political season is a time when atheists are particularly reminded how out of step they are with much of America. The U.S. House recently passed a resolution to reassure us that, yes, "In God We Trust" is still our national motto. Governors appeal for prayer to solve problems rather than using the power of their office. Political candidates often vie with each other to be the most Christian. When it comes to people we wouldn't vote for, atheists are at the bottom.
What Atheists Want (and What They Don't Want). Many of the fears Christians have about atheists are invented by clergy or politicians. American already is a secular nation—the Constitution makes this clear—but that's not a threat to Christians. Indeed, it's the best environment for Christians.
Christians can send their children to public school and know that they won't hear a Bahá'í or Satanist prayer. Christians can go to a city council meeting and not see "Allahu Akbar" in Arabic script on the wall. Christians can go into a courtroom and not see a Shinto or Hindu god of jurisprudence glaring down at him. But while government is constrained in its religious speech, citizens are not, and Christians can still preach or hand out flyers in the public square. Everyone wins.
Atheists don't want Christians denied their right to free speech. When atheists object to preachers recommending political candidates or "Under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, they don't want to limit the rights of Christians or get special privileges, they just want equality.
Next Steps. If you're an atheist, consider coming out. Politely make your presence known. The biggest factor in the American public becoming more tolerant of homosexuals was simply knowing one, and it works the same way for atheists. But whether or not you feel comfortable making your atheism public, find local atheist or freethought groups and connect with your community.
If you're a theist, be aware that there are atheists all around you. These are people just like you, honest and hardworking. Instead of praying before a meeting, evangelizing in the workplace, or putting a Jesus fish on your web site, consider if actions like these may offend others. Encourage your friends to speak their mind and be who they are.


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新2手机管理端网址_Genting set for improvement across the board
The group's gaming segment saw a weaker start in 1Q22 mainly dragged by Resorts World Genting (RWG) and Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) due to weaker visitations.新2手机管理端网址(www.hg108.vip)实时更新发布最新最快最有效的新2手机管理端网址,包括新2手机网址,新2备用网址,皇冠最新网址,新2足球网址,新2网址大全。
PETALING JAYA: Genting Bhd is preparing for improvement across the board in line with the economic recovery.
Its gaming segment is expected to recover in the subsequent quarters after being impacted in the first quarter of 2022, said Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB) Research.
The group's gaming segment saw a weaker start in 1Q22 mainly dragged by Resorts World Genting (RWG) and Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) due to weaker visitations.
Going forward, the research firm anticipates recovery to be anchored by RWG mainly from ramping up of capacity, Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) from the return of foreign visitors, and RWLV from the lifting of mask mandate as well as the return of foreign and convention visitors. Its other US and UK gaming assets should also be able to sustain their strong performances, added the research firm.
HLIB said the current buoyant commodity prices should continue to benefit the group's plantation as well as oil and gas (O&G) segments, while the increase in the power tariff rate in its associate company Meizhou Wan power plant should help to mitigate the elevated coal prices resulting in narrower losses moving forward.
The research house is maintaining a "buy" call on the stock with an unchanged target price (TP) of RM6.50.,
"We like Genting for its deep expertise and experience in managing the gaming and hospitality businesses and its well spread operations across different regions which help to mitigate regulatory and country risks."
HLIB Research added that it provides exposure to RWLV which "we believe will have a strong growth potential in the longer term."
According to the research firm, RWLV recovery momentum should continue into the second half of the year supported by the increase in foreign visitor arrivals and convention travels, both of which took longer to recover compared to US leisure visits.
RWLV, which has an Asian-inspired design and features several Asian themed attractions such as South-East Asian themed outdoor pool, Singapore-based night club Zouk, Asian restaurant Fuhu and Genting Palace would likely be able to attract and benefit from the return of Asian visitors.
Other than that, RWLV which typically had a soft midweek hotel occupancy rate would see its midweek occupancy rate boosted by the return of convention travelers to Las Vegas Convention Centre which is located in its proximity, HLIB noted.
Meanwhile, RHB Research, which is maintaining its "buy" call on Genting Malaysia Bhd (GenM) with a TP of RM3.45, said its call is premised on the continued earnings recovery from the return of gamblers and tourists.


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Weird Photo Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
Even this small girl looks big in this Tiny Town! With a new movie about "Jack and the Beanstalk" coming out in theaters soon, we thought that this photograph would be in character with big people, little things. Make sure you zoom into the photograph to see all the neat details. For more information about this photograph, click here. For more uniquely strange photos, see our Digital Collections.


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AVN Expo 2009 - Day 3 - January 10, 2009 - Nikon D60 - Beth Ann Bruso Owen
Adult Entertainment Expo 2009 (AEE) is the largest event for the adult industry worldwide. Close to 30,000 attendees and 400 exhibiting companies make this show a must attend! Offering four full days to wheel and deal, the most comprehensive collection of exhibitors covering virtually every market segment in the adult entertainment industry. Sponsored by AVN Magazine, the undisputed, premier trade publication for the adult entertainment industry and a segment of the AVN Media Network, AEE is the only adult-oriented trade show to capture the excitement and dynamics of the adult industry, encompassing all links in the business chain - from manufacturers, distributors, retailers - to the hottest adult stars and enthusiastic fans! Body Bumpers, LLC retains all rights, license, copyright, title and ownership of the image(s). All photos are digitally watermarked and tracked. Written permission, written approval must be obtained by Body Bumpers, LLC and a "For Commercial Use" license must be purchased from Body Bumpers, LLC prior to use in any printed publications, online publications or any form of advertising (i.e. show flyers, etc).Read More
Failure to obtain written permission, written approval and a "For Commercial Use" license from Body Bumpers, LLC will be subject to criminal and civil prosecution. United States Copyright(s) registered and on file with the United States Library of Congress.


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Only 10 more sleeps! And then you will be able to read The Twin Flame Reignition!
I have the final covers, and wanted to share them with you.
The cover that won the vote for the US edition:
The UK Edition:
The Twin Flame Reignition will be available worldwide on the 20th January 2018, on Amazon, (paperback and Kindle) and through other online retailers. I will be launching it at the following event:
This instalment of the Earth Angel Series was a really exciting one to write, I can't wait to hear what you all think!


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Life seems pretty bleak post-November 9, and even moreso when you consider that 2016 has been declared the "deadliest year on record" for transgender individuals in America, with 24 trans people– predominantly women of color– murdered so far.
This week, GLAAD's Transgender Awareness Week continues, culminating on Sunday with the Transgender Day of Awareness. Founded in 1998 by a trans advocate in honor of trans woman Rita Hester's memory, TDOR has been commemorated every year by vigils and other community-based events. Here are several goings-on this week, fun and solemn alike, that are either directly affiliated with Trans Awareness Week or serve to spotlight and lift up trans and queer individuals or groups.


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|Business Type:
|Manufacturer, Exporter
|Terms of payment and delivery:
|Generally adopt FOB method. When mass production, we usually pay 30% advance payment first, and then pay the balance after seeing the bill of lading. We generally use T/T as the payment method.
|Minimum order quantity:
|Delivery time:
|15-30 Days
|Payment method:
Category Item Number: N0312
specification: Width: 150CM; 130g/㎡
As a famous China Knitted fabric: Tencel cotton plain weave factory and Knitted fabric: Tencel cotton plain weave company, The predecessor of our company is Tongxiang Wanxin Wool Spinning Materials Co., Ltd., an advanced private enterprise, founded in 1998, headquartered in Tudian Town, Tongxiang, Zhejiang, with a total investment of 100 million yuan, covering an area of 25 acres and a construction area of nearly 40,000 square meters with more than 400 employees. Our company has a semi-worsted production line and new product development line of 15,000 spindles, advanced equipment Schlafhorst X5 automatic winder machine production line and testing equipment with a dynamic and competitive high-quality research and development, management, marketing team. Under the joint efforts of all the staff of our company, we joined the "China Fashion Color Association" in 2012 and became the governing unit of the Fashion Color Association. With the help of the "China Fashion Color Association", our company created the only"wool yarn popular color research and development base" in China. Meanwhile, our company has now become the governing unit of the yarn branch of the Provincial Cardigan Association and the member of the Provincial Wool Textile Association.
At the beginning of 2017, our company once again ushered in the development opportunity and invested in the establishment of Zhejiang Weisheng Industrial Co., Ltd. in Puyuan, covering an area of 43 acres, with a construction area of nearly 90,000 square meters equipped with 6 Italian-made woollen production lines with a total investment of over 200 million yuan.
Our company can produce more than 5,000 tons of yarns per year and more than 100 million meters of fabrics. At present, we are one of the professional wool spinning yarn R&D and production bases with the high quality, favorable service and large annual sales in Zhejiang.


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Nearly 70% of Americans take prescription drugs, with antibiotics, antidepressants and painkillers being the most widely used, according to a new study.
Researchers also found that more than half of patients take two prescription drugs, while 20% take five or more prescription medications.
One other key finding: "As you get older you tend to get more prescriptions, and women tend to get more prescriptions than men," study author Dr Jennifer St Sauver, of the Mayo Clinic Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, said in a Mayo news release.
The findings come from an analysis of 2009 statistics from people living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, near the Mayo Clinic. St Sauver believes the findings are comparable to people living elsewhere in the United States.
According to the study, 17% of patients took antibiotics, 13% took antidepressants, 13% took opioids (painkillers that include Oxycontin and Vicodin), 11% used high blood pressure drugs and 11% got vaccines. Drugs were prescribed to both men and women in all age groups. The exception was high blood pressure drugs, which were seldom prescribed before age 30.
More prescriptions for women
Vaccines, antibiotics and anti-asthma drugs were most commonly prescribed in people younger than 19, antidepressants and opioids were most common among young and middle-aged adults, and cardiovascular drugs were most common among older adults.
Women had more prescriptions than men across several drug groups, especially antidepressants. Nearly one in four women aged 50 to 64 took antidepressants, according to the study published online June 19 in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.
"Often when people talk about health conditions they're talking about chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes," St Sauver said. "However, the second most common prescription was for antidepressants – that suggests mental health is a huge issue and is something we should focus on. And the third most common drugs were opioids, which is a bit concerning considering their addicting nature.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there has been a steady increase in prescription drug use in the United States over the past decade. The percentage of people who took at least one prescription drug in the past month rose from 44 percent in 1999-2000 to 48% in 2007-08. The nation's spending on prescription drugs was $250 billion in 2009 and accounted for 12% of total personal health care spending.
More information
The US Food and Drug Administration explains how to manage the risks and benefits of medicines.


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Lamar Odom 'Not Ready' for Baby With Khloe Kardashian
Lamar Odom has reportedly forced Khloe Kardashian to postpone all of her efforts to get pregnant because he is not ready to have another child, it has been revealed.
The NBA veteran, whose basketball career has suffered various blows in recent months, is said to be focused on his new team after being traded from the Dallas Mavericks to the Los Angeles Clippers in June.
"[Khloe] and Lamar are taking a break from trying to have a baby while he settles into his new job back in L.A.," one insider told In Touch magazine.
"Lamar said that he and Khloe were trying for a baby, but admitted that he's not ready because he needs to give his all to his game," the source explained.
The couple, who has been married for three years, has reportedly been trying to conceive their first child for two years and Kardashian, 28, recently began undergoing fertility treatments, although so far they have been unsuccessful.
"Khloe feels like a failure," the insider said. Their struggles to conceive have now allegedly started to place strain on their marriage.
In May, the pair abruptly canceled their E! reality TV show "Khloe & Lamar" following speculation that their marriage woes were taking a toll, although Kardashian insists the cancellation was to help Odom's career.
"We just wanted to prioritize a little. We just wanted a little pause, [now] there's less pressure on us. Part of being married is knowing when your husband needs your support," Kardashian previously told People.com.
During last season Odom, 32, was placed on the Mavericks' inactive list after posting a series of disappointing stats since his trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in December.
He gave up his spot on the USA basketball team which is currently competing in the London Olympics, in a bid to improve his skills shortly after being traded to the Clippers.
Kardashian, who has denied reports of a divorce, is said to be doing anything that she can to help his career.
"I'm a modern girl, but you should put your husband first," Kardashian said. With regards to speculation that the reported strain on their marriage has finally taken a toll, she added, "I like to think divorce is not an option."


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Upon graduating from the University of New Orleans (1993), Mr. Orlando was hired as General Sales Manager for a large commercial cleaning company. After spending three years developing a sales program for that company and receiving numerous hours of formal training in restoration procedures, Mr. Orlando was hired by another very large cleaning company. That new position was to create, develop and manage a restoration division. After serving as General Manager for seven years, Mr. Orlando proudly founded Emergency Restoration, Inc.
At Emergency Restoration, Inc., Mr. Orlando prides himself on continuing education in order to best serve you, our customer. Not only does Mr. Orlando hold the most restoration credentials locally, he also qualifies as an instructor as well as an insurance adjuster for the National Flood Insurance Program. Over the past 16 years Mr. Orlando and his companies have been called upon to mitigate and restore some of New Orleans largest and oldest structures. Included in those projects are state facilities, private commercial high-rise structures as well as hospitals, hotels, schools, multi-family dwellings and the like. On numerous occasions Mr. Orlando has served as consultant and / or third party expert to the insurance industry. Mr. Orlando serves on many property insurance related associations board of directors including memberships to associations such as the Restoration Industry Association, the Indoor Air Quality Association and the Building Trades Association.
Shortly after hurricane Katrina (Oct.'05), Mr. Orlando was invited as a special guest and appeared on a local cable television special titled: Rebuilding New Orleans, where he outlined procedures and precautions pertaining to flood damaged properties.
Emergency Restoration, Inc., is networked nationally with virtually unlimited equipment and labor resources through Mr. Orlando's affiliation with the International Restoration Industry Association where Mr. Orlando is recognized as, the industries highest designation; Certified Restorer. Emergency Restoration, Inc., is prepared to excel at any project that it chooses. Because we specialize in damage mitigation only, we make that statement with confidence and assure you: Total Customer Satisfaction.
Dry Ice Blasting, Featured on an Episode of Modern Marvels


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This is a message by Chattabox: G'Day Penguins, Thanks for joining me for Chatta College; I hope you all learnt lots and has a great time – I know I did! Here's a picture of the party –
This week I've been getting my jungle groove on and decorated my igloo with all sorts of crazy jungle items! So I thought, lets have a jungle party! I've found a super awesome leopard outfit which looks so cool with my pink bunny slippers! Come and join me for jungle madness; dress in your favourite jungle-inspired outfit and bring along some jungle jokes and jungle facts. I will make sure I have some to share with you too! Let's meet in the Forest on the Down Under server on Thursday 23rd October. Here are the times:
* 4pm East Australian Standard Time
* 6pm New Zealand Standard Time
* 10pm Penguin Standard Time on Wednesday 22nd October for everyone over in the US and Canada
* 6am on Thursday 23rd October for my pals in the UK.
Waddle on!
…Thanks for the Party invite Chatta :) Have FUN :)


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Wolf Blitzer delivers the most important breaking news and political, international, and national security stories of the day. Tune to The Situation Room weekdays 5-7pm ET on CNN.
John Zarrella reports a lifeguard fired for ignoring protocol to rescue a swimmer says he has been offered his job back.
RELATED STORY: Florida lifeguard says he's been offered his job back
He should be nominated as a HERO****
I do not blame John and his fellow lifeguard buddies.It is a jerk company and were lucky to have a few good employees.Jim Thomas Phx.Az.
Good for John Zarrella, I think it was wrong for his employer to fire him, they did not care that he done his and a save a life, they would have rehire him then let go again for another reason.
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Southern Decadence 2022
last update
Southern Decadence
started over fifty years ago as a simple going-away party.
As a top gay Labor Day Weekend destination, it has evolved into one of
our world's major annual
events. It is one of the largest annual celebrations and
festivals in New Orleans, and has become known as the "Gay Mardi
Gras." People begin to arrive on the Wednesday before Labor
Day, and generally don't even think about stopping or going home
until the following Tuesday.
New Orleans' wildest neighborhood gets even crazier as the French
Quarter is packed for the entire event; however, the big day is
Sunday. That's when the
Grand Marshals lead the annual walking parade through the streets
beginning at 2 p.m.
street party activities take place in the immediate area of
the French Quarter, and the dance parties are in the clubs.
Since the gay bars never
close, there is something happening around the clock.
Got a
Please check our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
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Please check our list of Frequently Asked Questions.
("DECADANCE" is a registered trade name of SouthernDecadence.net)
Southern Decadence web site contents are Copyright 2022 SouthernDecadence.net
Please read our copyright policy on the Press and Media page regarding the use of this material.


text: The U.S.-led invasion of Iraq started in the Spring of 2003. As of this writing some 13,000 American fighters are in the country, down from a one-time high of 170,000. The deadline for all of those troops to withdraw from Iraq is a little more than a month away, on December 31st. Convoys of soldiers have already started to ship out. But as Michael Holmes explains, the pullout has been a long and complicated process.


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If you had a baby in the last few decades, you probably have at least heard of The Wiggles. For the past 21 years, The Wiggles have been entertaining preschoolers in their TV show that features songs and silliness. But there will be three new Wiggles in 2013 who will be the next generation of this beloved children's group.
I started watching The Wiggles with my daughter when she was fairly small. When she was a baby, she always liked shows that had a lot of music so The Wiggles soon became a favorite. Now that she is three, she loves The Wiggles even more because she likes getting up and dancing to their songs.
So I was interested to read that three of the original Wiggles -- Jeff, Murray and Greg -- are going to be retiring in 2013 after going on tour for the last time. This came as a bit of a surprise because Greg just came out of retirement a few months ago. He had left The Wiggles in 2006 due to health problems and Sam Moran took his place as the Yellow Wiggle.
Joining Anthony Field will be Emma Watkins, Lachlan Gillespie and Simon Pryce as the new Wiggles lineup. I'm very curious to see this new show and I'm excited for the addition of a female Wiggle. You can read more about this story at The Daily Telegraph's website.


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It's been a very short time since the revamped Buick LaCrosse debuted, but it has already seen plenty of changes, including a reordered engine lineup and major suspension upgrades. For its third model year, the LaCrosse's base engine—a 2.4-liter four-cylinder—will get some help from an upgraded transmission and an electric motor. Combined with the car's aero-enhancing tweaks, GM says the electric motor could boost EPA-estimated fuel economy from 19 mpg city and 30 highway to 25/37. Oh, and did we mention it'll be standard equipment?
Not Hybrid, eAssist
A few years ago, GM sold mild hybrid versions of the Chevrolet Malibu and Saturn Aura that essentially replaced the alternator with an electric motor. This arrangement allowed the engine to turn off at stops—while keeping the accessories running—but couldn't propel the car on electricity alone. The new setup, called eAssist, is fundamentally the same thing, but heavily upgraded. It uses a lithium-ion battery pack in place of the old nickel-metal hydride unit and delivers up to 15 hp of electrical assist, three times more than before. The boost in power should make eAssist more useful than the previous system. GM says it can cut fuel to the engine during deceleration, as opposed to the mild-hybrid setup that only cut fuel and shut the engine down when the car was stopped. Like the old system, the electric motor starts the gas engine when the driver takes his foot off the brake, but cannot propel the vehicle on its own.
The battery pack is located behind the rear seats and cooled by an electric fan that draws air from the cabin. The gas engine charges it, as does a regenerative-braking system that also has a function to keep the car from rolling back on inclines while the engine is off. The battery pack weighs about 65 pounds and reduces trunk space by 2.4 cubic feet, to 10.9, although it sits to one side and still allows for part of the rear seat to fold. Engineers say that the overall weight of the LaCrosse 2.4 will remain the same, as they have compensated for the added pounds in other areas, primarily by swapping the spare tire for an inflation kit.
Aero Enhancements and More
The aforementioned aerodynamic tweaks also will help the LaCrosse reach those lofty fuel-economy estimates. The LaCrosse eAssist gets new aero-optimized underbody trays and active flaps behind the front fascia. These flaps close at higher speeds, reducing drag by forcing air to flow around the vehicle rather than get caught up in the engine compartment. Furthermore, eAssist will debut a new generation of the six-speed automatic transmission, with reduced internal friction and quicker shifts. Buick says that the additional power of the electric motor will reduce the need for downshifts, which we hope holds true—the busy transmission was our main complaint during our first drive of the four-cylinder LaCrosse. Finally, low-rolling-resistance Michelin tires will make their way onto the car. Inside, the only change will be the addition of an Eco gauge in the cluster.
Buick hasn't given final pricing for the 2012 LaCrosse eAssist, saying only that the car will cost around $30,000. For reference, the 2011 2.4-liter started at $27,745. If GM's fuel-economy claims prove true, Buick could have a cost-effective fuel-sipping hybrid-fighter on its hands when the eAssist goes on sale in the middle of next year.


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In re-evaluating this post, I would add that learning to intuit what is genuine requires a high degree of self insight, the level of which is often very difficult to gauge for yourself. For years, the most common attribute people would use to describe me was "self-aware." Yet I was full of contradictions and massive cognitive gaps. I had managed to rivet everyone (including myself) to my disavowing fantasies and manipulated Jung's theories to strengthen these deceptions. There was only one (one!) individual in all my life who was not a trained professional, who was able to see through my ruse. He did so immediately in fact, a Scorpio ASC. More about him later; I once published a fun post on him (when it rains… aspects of a modern Casanova).
+ + +
Original Title: separate the subtle from the gross
Original Post Date: September 12, 2006 @ 1:33 pm
People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. They will practice Indian Yoga in all its exercises, observe a strict regimen of diet, learn theosophy by heart, or mechanically repeat mystic texts from the literature of the whole world – all because they cannot get on with themselves and have not the slightest faith that anything useful could ever come out of their own souls.
– Carl Jung quoted by Robert Wang in his introduction the The Qabalistic Tarot
I would add that some modern people will do anything to escape their modernity, to escape the commodification of our labour, our time, our very bodies and to escape the meaninglessness of a culture built upon consumption and fetishes. You know, the psychoanalytic theorists of the 70s may now be pooh-poohed at, but they were hitting upon something very crucial about the modern condition. Modernity functions on the principle of fetishization. The principle of replacing what you really desire with something else because you fear what you really desire. But the fetish never truly satisfies and one must accrue more of the fetish, continually consuming, obscenely consuming, to disavow the Lack. It is wholly possible to cover up the emptiness w/processed spiritual bullshit.


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Taking care of your car could take up a lot of time. Car fanatics could argue that its all part of the pleasure in owning a car. On the other hand, other will say its something that needs to be done just to keep the car running. The bottom line is both car owners are delighted with the idea of an auto service garage that offers all the automotive services a vehicle needs.
A master mechanic knows just what a car needs and at the same time has the automotive services to fulfill it. In other words, a good auto service garage doesnt cater to a specific kind of vehicle. The more automotive services it can offer the better. That means customers dont have to hop from one garage to the other. At the same time, the mechanics can completely own up to what they have started with.
Several automotive services any car repair shop should have are the following:
Tune Ups
Cars need maintenance services. That means the engine needs to be checked on regular intervals to make sure that it is in perfect condition. Advancements in tune up services are ideal because vehicles are also affected by technological developments. If your car is one of the newest models, a proper tune up involves a diagnostic scanning of your its onboard computer systems. This could be one of the most costly automotive services your car can experience. But if your car is the expensive type, its just logical to give it the treatment it needs including skills from the expert mechanic.
Another of those most common automotive services your car needs is transmission. Most cars nowadays use fuel injections which could be really complicated for the unskilled mechanic. Transmission replaces about 25% of the contaminated fluid, leaving behind 75% of the old fluid to mix with the new. This sounds simple, but the latest technology is required to make it right.
Timing belts replacement
Car owners should know that timing belts should not remain permanent on a car. In the past, chains were used instead of belts but that produced too much noise so the belts were introduced. Belts are not really costly, but it takes experience to be able to replace them correctly. If you do not avail of this specific service, your engine could get seriously damaged.


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Articles about Survive the Jive
The Cosy Mood of Brave England
by The Editor
Cosy is an inadequate word. It reeks of childish nostalgia and brings to mind snivelling estate agents trying to fob off inconveniently small living spaces. The word is often used to translate the Swedish mys and German gemütlich, yet these words hold a place in the hearts of Swedes and Krauts incomparable to the lowly position from which cosy is regarded by the English. Cosy is quite nauseating and sentimental because of the way it has been co-opted by shrewd advertising executives seeking to manipulate consumers' emotions in order to screw them out of a few quid come Christmas time.
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Play Othello
In this version of Othello you play versus the computer. You play the black tiles and the first move is your. Looking for the old version of Othello?
About Othello
Othello is the trading name of a much older board game, Reversi. In both its originally named form and the newer trademark this game has become very popular on computers as much as in board format. Often referred to as a game of abstract strategy, Othello can only be played as a 2 player game. Made up of 8 rows and 8 columns, the board is populated with pieces from both players in turn. Each player's pieces will be of one colour with the most common occurrence being black and white.
How to Play Othello
Players battle to finish the game with more of their own pieces on the board than their opponent. The game is classed as finished when there are no spaces left on the board or there are no more possible legal moves for either competitor
The Start
Both players begin the game with two pieces on the board in the four centre squares. No two matching colours are connected vertically or horizontally so a miniature chequered pattern is made. In the typical set ups where it is black versus white the person using black chips must make the first move.
The Game
Both players take it in turns to make their move which consists of placing one piece down in a legally acceptable position and then turning any of the opposing player's pieces where applicable. A legal move is one that consists of, for example, a black piece being placed on the board that creates a straight line (vertical, horizontal or diagonal) made up of a black piece at either end and only white pieces in between. When a player achieves this, they must complete the move by turning any white pieces in between the two black so that they line becomes entirely black. This turning action must be completed for every legal turning line that is created with the placing of the new piece.
It goes without say that while the example assumes the use of black as the moving player, it is applicable both ways.
Players will then continue to move alternately until they get to the end of the game and a winner is decided. This decision is reached by identifying which of the two opponents has the most pieces on the board.
For stricter or regulated games there is an alternative method of finishing a game. Players can start with a preset time limit for their total number of moves. The clock will start counting down at the beginning of a player's first move and be paused each time they complete a turn whilst the opposing player's clock is ticking down. There are varying time limits ranging from one minute for coffee break style desktop versions right up to thirty minutes as seen in the world championship rules and regulations.
This timing element adds more pressure to the game and forces players to exercise not only a logical approach but also a concise and sharply reactive one. This is because in the event that one player's clock runs out of time, no matter what the position or number of chips on the board, the player with no time left has no choice but to forfeit the game and therefore lose.


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Good news for Los Angeles based fans of the cult horror favorite Trick 'R Treat – a very special, one night only, screening of the film is happening at the beautiful Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Monday, October 28.
The event promises to be a star-studded affair – the entire cast will be on hand (even Quinn Lord, who played Sam, the tiny killer), as well as writer/director Michael Dougherty. Plus, there's going to be a panel directly after the screening hosted by Seth Green. If you're not in Los Angeles, but you would like to partake in the festivities, Legendary Pictures (Nerdist's parent company) has got you covered: They're going to be live-streaming the entire night on their Facebook page.
For those not familiar with the film, Trick 'R Treat was the directorial debut of Dougherty, best know as one of the writers of X-Men 2; however, the film was never released in theaters. The highly anticipated movie was eventually released on DVD to a feverish cult audience. The film is an anthology of horror shorts, all tied together by the appearance of Sam, a murderous trick 'r treater in a ratty orange costume with a burlap sack over his head.
Details and links can be found at the bottom of the official press release below:
Dylan Baker and Brian Cox Join Director Michael Dougherty To Headline The Event; Actor Seth Green Will Serve As Moderator
Entire night to be Live-Streamed on Legendary's Facebook Page
The pieces are all falling into place for a special night at the Egyptian Theatre on October 28. Legendary Pictures has announced that all of the key cast members of the cult horror classic Trick 'r Treat will be in attendance for the one night only theatrical screening of the movie and subsequent panel, which is slated to close Beyond Fest. Dylan Baker and Brian Cox will join Director Michael Dougherty to headline the event. Also slated to attend are Quinn Lord, who played the horror icon Sam in the movie along with Jean-Luc Bilodeau. Moderating the panel will be actor Seth Green (Dads, Robot Chicken). Additionally, other surprise guests are expected to attend.
Tickets for the Trick 'r Treat screening and panel are available at the Legendary and Trick 'r Treat official Facebook pages. For those who will not be able to attend in person, both the showing of the film and the panel will be live-streamed nationally on Legendary's Facebook page at facebook.com/legendary.
More announcements surrounding this event will be made in upcoming days.
Although never released in theaters, Trick 'r Treat became a cult classic through its release on DVD, digital platforms, and extensive play in festivals. Additionally, the film received rave reviews for its originality and ambition. The passage of time has not diminished the fan fervor for this horror classic, which continues to achieve a life of its own with each new technology, but has never been seen in theaters – until now.
Dougherty's story takes place in a small Ohio town on All Hallows Eve where four interwoven tales – including a high-school principal who moonlights as a vicious serial killer, a college-age virgin who's saving herself for that special someone, a woman whose hatred of Halloween is only exceeded by her husband's love of the mischievous holiday, and a callous group of teens who carry out an unforgivably cruel prank – delivers the kind of chills that can only occur on the darkest day of the year.
Have you seen Trick 'R Treat? Live in L.A. and plan on going? Want to express frustrations over not being able to attend? That's what the comments are for!


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HP has published a blog post that describes the Open webOS governance model. The project will adopt a similar approach to that of the Apache Software Foundation. Code will be developed in public repositories and key community contributors will be able to earn commit privileges. The standard of inclusiveness and transparency set by this governance model will make the Open webOS project more open than Google's Android open source project (AOSP).
The webOS platform was originally developed by Palm, which HP acquired in 2010. HP had intended to use the operating system across a wide range of hardware products. That plan was abandoned by former HP CEO Leo Apotheker, who gutted webOS development while trying to extricate the company from the consumer hardware business.
Meg Whitman, HP's current CEO, announced in December that HP would liberate webOS and transition the platform to an open source software development model. As we wrote at the time, the decision created the potential for webOS to be more open than Android. The governance model that HP announced this week will put the project on exactly that course.
The Open webOS project and the AOSP both distribute their code under the Apache Software License, a permissive open source software license that allows code to be incorporated into proprietary derivatives. This means that the two platforms are equivalent in terms of licensing.
As we pointed out when Google chose the Apache license for Android, permissive licenses are a good choice for open source mobile platforms because they give hardware vendors and other adopters the flexibility they need to differentiate their products.
Google's governance model
The area where Open webOS and the AOSP diverge with respect to their relative openness is governance. Android is largely developed behind closed doors by Google and Google's partners. Google makes the Android source code available in large code drops that typically come after each major release.
Independent developers and companies that rely on the Android platform don't have access to the latest Android code while it is being developed and can't actively participate in the process. Many aspects of the platform roadmap are opaque and major API changes are typically not disclosed to application developers until late in the development cycle.
Google accepts Android patches from independent contributors, but the barrier to entry is set somewhat high. Key community members do not get commit access or the ability to engage in the decision-making process. The vast majority of community engagement around the AOSP code takes place in downstream forks that are maintained by the community. This happens at the platform level with projects like Cyanogen and also at the application level with projects like K-9.
The Open webOS approach
The Open webOS project will take a different approach. The components that make up the platform (such as Enyo and Iris) are being split into individual subprojects, each of which will act as its own upstream environment. The code is being developed on GitHub in public code repositories that are available to everyone. Contributors will be able to branch from the latest code and submit pull requests when they implement improvements.
Each individual subproject will have its own Project Management Committee (PMC) that will be responsible for coordinating the decision-making process, electing new committee members from the community, and determining which contributors will be given commit status. Such decisions will be made on the basis of meritocratic standards. Most of the developers who have commit access will initially come from HP, but additional community contributors will be added as outside engagement in the project increases. Rod Whitby, webOS community member and the founder of the webOS Internals group, is the leader of the community development PMC and is already committing code to one of the Open webOS subprojects.
In terms of code availability and transparent development, the existing components of Open webOS are already more open than the AOSP. Of course, there is still a lot more code to open. If HP follows through with its plan and brings more community members in on equal footing in both the PMCs and the committer pool, they can also achieve for Open webOS a much more inclusive and participatory development environment than the one that exists around the AOSP.
Another great aspect of the Open webOS development model is that the individual subprojects have been established with a broader mandate than merely perpetuating the webOS platform. Enyo and Isis, two key components of webOS that have already been opened, are being designed with portability in mind so that the projects will have broader applicability and can potentially be used in many other kinds of environments. This will help attract contributors and ensure that the projects stay relevant even if the webOS mobile platform fades away entirely.
Listing image by Photograph by Abul Hussain


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I read about Rick Bayless' brand new Mexican streetfood(ish) place Xoco yesterday in the Trib and the Decider and my first thought was to wait a few weeks for the lines to die down. But then work got all busy and I didn't get out of the building to get some lunch until 2:30 and I took the chance that the lunch rush would be over.
I was correct. At 3:00 pm there was practically no wait at all — there were just a few people ahead of me in line (two places ahead of me in line was restaurant PRer Ellen Malloy and Rick Bayless came running over to take a picture of her with his iPhone).
Rick Bayless was very much a presence in the open kitchen of Xoco — snapping photos, clanging around with pots and pans, and doing an interview with a Spanish-language television host (above). I try not to get starstruck, but yeah, he's a handsome man.
For lunch I got a churo, a limonada, and the Torta Cubana. I had meant to save the churo for dessert, but my sandwich took a little while to come (I'll let it slide—it's the first week) and so I ate the churo to tide me over. The churo was delightful—sweet, cinnamony, warm, and just the right ratio of crispy and doughy. The limonada was similarly delightful — thick with lime flavors and fairly tart.
The Cubana sandwich was good, but not the best Cuban sandwich I've ever had. Notably, there was no pickle, which I would consider a component that really makes a Cuban sandwich. Not to rag on it too much — it was a good sandwich and the bacon on it was incredible. In retrospect, maybe I shouldn't have gotten a Cuban sandwich at a Mexican joint. I'll definitely be back to try some of the other offerings.
Xoco is only open for lunch and dinner right now, and they're not offering takeout (which is a wise choice, given the time it took for my eat-in order). The breakfast offerings already on the menu look incredible and I can't wait for them to open earlier.


text: Aloe Vera has a long history as a safe and effective internal medicine and external skin care emolliant. Among the different varieties of the Aloe plant, the Barbadensis Miller exhibits the most effective beneficial properties. Taken internally, Aloe Vera has been shown to have various beneficial effects on the body.Aloe Vera Juice has been demonstrated to strengthen and fortify the following body systems:Digestion – One of its most popular usages these days is for maintenance and fortification of the digestive system. Aloe Vera's properties are those of healing and soothing.Laxative – It has a gentle laxative effect on the bowels.Immune system – contains many ingredients providing antibacterial, antiviral and analgesic elements.Skin Care – moisturizing and conditioning. Effective also when taken internally.Burns and Sunburn – The soothing and healing qualities of Aloe Vera are well known for any type of burn and is especially popular for sunburn.Blood circulation – a number of constituents have beneficial effects on blood pressure and coagulation.Aloe Vera is a great stimulator of the body's immune system.


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LATTA, S.C. (AP) _ The Latta City Council has voted to reinstate former police chief Crystal Moore, who had claimed she was fired because she is gay.
Friday night's vote came during a specially called meeting, and only hours after officials certified Tuesday's vote to change the town's form of government.
Mayor Earl Bullard, who was not present at the meeting, fired Moore in April after she refused to sign seven unexplained reprimands that Bullard presented to her on the same day.
Council members pleaded with Bullard to reinstate Moore, to no avail. The council then voted in May to let the town's citizens decide whether they wanted council or the mayor in charge of the town's business. The vote gave the power to the council instead of the mayor.


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Foreign Executives in Local Organisations
Foreign Executives in Local Organisations (FELOs) are a rare international cross-cultural management phenomenon that differs significantly from expatriate assignments in the subsidiaries of multinational organisations.
The phenomenon surfaces in isolated media reports and practitioner publications. The Economist (2010), for example, describes Japanese organisations as an "insular lot", but reports that several are hiring foreign executives, and theorises that Japan is "opening up". A newspaper in Pakistan scrutinises foreign executives in a local dairy industry organisation (The International News Islamabad, 2008), and several Americans have been appointed to executive positions in local organisations in India (Bloomberg, 2010). An international executive search firm (Korn/Ferry Institute, 2009) discusses "highly visible" foreign executives in Korean and Chinese organisations whose appointments "can be controversial", but notes that "the demand for these executives will likely continue". Indeed, Chinese car manufacturer Qoros is built almost exclusively with foreign executives.
Media coverage of the FELO phenomenon
The media coverage of the FELO phenomenon has several defining commonalities. First, the executives are prominently described as foreign. Second, the foreign individuals so described work at the executive level; they hold managerial positions supervising host-country nationals. Third, the organisations are described as local; a national identity is attached to them by the reporting media and it is implied that significant cultural distance is involved in these workplace affiliations between foreign executives and local organisations. Finally, the positions reportedly filled by these foreign executives are local positions: not positions in any foreign subsidiaries but positions in the country where these organisations have their headquarters. To highlight the significant differences between this phenomenon and established conceptualisations (such as expatriation / inpatriation / transpatriation / repatriation) in the international human resource management (IHRM) literature, the acronym FELO — for Foreign Executives in Local Organisations — is used.
Research on foreign executives in local organisations
Academic research publications on FELOs can be found here. The figure below provides a conceptual framework of the FELO phenomenon, distinguishing FELOs from expatriates, inpatriates and transpatriates in the established subsidiary structures of global multinational organisations (MNOs).
Cannot see the figure in China? Affected by web censorship? See it here!
Intriguingly, the FELO phenomenon is not limited (as may easily be assumed) to 'emerging giants' or aspiring multinationals in emerging market economies, but also occurs in local organisations primarily active in the domestic market. FELOs can even be found in local organisations with an exclusively domestic market focus.
Literature on organisational strategy and market focus (e.g. Dawar and Frost, 1999) highlights that many local organisations, especially in emerging markets, face much larger, well-resourced MNO rivals with multiple sources of competitive advantage (financial and technological resources, seasoned management, and powerful brands). The hiring of foreign executives in local organisations is often linked to such defensive strategies.
Interested in foreign executives in local organisations?
The purpose of this website is to provide a platform for communication about foreign executives in local organisations, research findings, and future research.
FELO research explains why FELOs are appointed, what FELOs contribute to the local organisations for which they work, and how cultural distance is bridged in those workplaces. The findings from methodical fieldwork include typologies of FELOs and local organisations. These typologies assist in identifying which FELO combinations produce successful outcomes (and those which are likely to fail).
If you are a management researcher, have access to FELO cases or data, are interested in further research, or wish to discuss your research in this field, please write to: FELO research @ gmail.com (without the spaces)
Internationalisation (a.k.a. Iñtërnâtiônàlizætiøn)
While foreign executives in local organisations illustrate the continuing internationalisation of business, the English language may be unable to keep up. For this website, therefore:
Internationalisation = Internationalization
FELO = Foreign Executives in Local Organisations = Foreign Executives in Local Organizations


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Creating and Editing Run/Debug Configurations
On this page:
- Overview
- Creating a run/debug configuration
- Editing an existing run/debug configuration
- Important note for multi-project usage
With the Navigation bar visible (), the available run/debug configurations are displayed in the run/debug configuration selector in the Run area:
PyCharm provides the Run/Debug Configuration dialog box as a tool for handling run/debug configurations: create configuration profiles or change the default ones.
PyCharm suggests the following ways to create a run/debug configuration:
- Create a run configuration manually on the base of the default one, using the Run/Debug Configuration dialog box.
- Save a temporary run configuration.
Also, the Run/Debug configuration can be deleted automatically for the deleted/obsolete targets, if this capability is enabled. See details here.
Note, that this capability is applicable only to those configurations that had being created automatically by CLion.
Creating a run/debug configuration
To create a run/debug configuration, follow these steps:
- In the Run/Debug Configuration dialog box, click on the toolbar or press Alt+Insert. The drop-down list shows the default run/debug configurations. Select the desired configuration type.
The fields that appear in the right pane, display the default settings for the selected configuration type.
- For the new run/debug configuration:
- Specify its name in the Name text box. This name will be shown in the list of the available run/debug configurations.
- Specify whether you want to make PyCharm check execution status of the instances of the same run/debug configuration. If you want to make sure that only one instance of the run/debug configuration is currently executed, select the check box Single instance only. In this case, a confirmation dialog box will show up every time you try to launch run/debug configuration, when one instance of the same type is still running.
If you click OK in the confirmation dialog box, the first instance of the runner will be stopped, and the next one will take its place.
If this check box is not selected, you can launch as many instances of the runner as required. As the result, each runner will start in its own tab of the Run tool window.
- In the Before launch section, define whether you want to execute some tools or scripts prior to launching the run/debug configuration.
- Specify additional parameters depending on the configuration type. Refer to the descriptions of run/debug configuration parameters below the Run/Debug Configurations section.
- Apply the changes and close the dialog box.
Editing an existing run/debug configuration
To change an existing run/debug configuration:
- On the main menu, choose .
- With the Navigation Bar visible (), choose from the run/debug configurations selector.
- Press Shift+Alt+F10, then press 0 to display the Edit Configuration dialog box or select the configuration from the pop-up window and press F4.
In the corresponding run/debug configuration dialog box, change parameters as required.
Important note for multi-project usage
If a project has been created in an earlier version of PyCharm, its run/debug configurations can be lost, when such a project is added to another project, already opened in the same window.
To avoid the loss of run/debug configurations, it is recommended to open such a project once in the latest version, and only after being added to another project.


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OLPC Firmware q2f13
OLPC Firmware Release q2f13
Works on XO-1 systems.
- a new antenna test utility, see antenna testing,
- a USB fix for drives that contain embedded hubs, and for devices that are attached to hubs that would otherwise prevent the laptop from booting.
|Build date time
|2012-07-09 23:36:42
|Source revision
|EC version
|Wireless firmware version
- 3042 OLPC - libertas antenna test, remove transmit antenna selection, <trac>11976</trac>
- 3038 PCI bus driver - fixed a problem introduced by svn 3021 (the code change to make phandles relative wasn't complete).
- 3031 Checked in intel hex file support.
- 3026 Checked in "slot.fth" file needed by previous checkin.
- 3025 Kernel - Increased the depth of the search order from 16 to 32 vocs, just in case.
- 3024 Moved the definition of "du*" into the kernel.
- 3021 Changed OFW core code to allow phandle values to be origin-relative addresses instead of absolute (possibly run-time-relocated) addresses, thus making it much easier to encode phandle values in properties built at compile time.
- 3018 OLPC - further work on libertas antenna test, <trac>11976</trac>
- 3017 OLPC - libertas antenna switching test
- 3016 OLPC - checked in oatstime.fth - a script that can be signed and used to set the Real Time Clock on secure machines. <trac>11425</trac>
- 3015 Reinstate the USB probing change, but fixed so it works with USB 1.1 devices. <trac>11931</trac>
- 3013 OLPC - dev/usb2, revert svn 3011 as it broke production use of USB scanners, reproduced also by me.
- 3011 OLPC - dev/usb2, read the device descriptor after reset and before set-address, instead of after set-address. Erase the device descriptor buffer before reading. <trac>11931</trac>
- 3009 OLPC - revert svn 2950 and svn 2954 as they are affecting mass production
Which Firmware Do You Have?
The best method for finding out what firmware version you have on a laptop depends on whether the laptop is secured or not, and what operating state it is in.
Unsecured Laptop
Obtain the Ok prompt, the firmware version is displayed in the startup banner, thus:
OLPC ..., ... memory installed, ..., S/N SHF7250024D OpenFirmware q2f13 ... EC Firmware Ver:... ^^^^^
You can also obtain the built date:
ok .built
This is the date and time that this image of the firmware was built by the release engineer.
Secured Laptop
Power up the laptop with the ✓ (check mark) game button held down. You will be asked to Release the game keys to continue. Release the ✓ (check mark) game button and watch carefully. For a short time the startup banner will be displayed, like this:
OLPC ..., ... memory installed, ..., S/N SHF7250024D OpenFirmware q2f13 ... EC Firmware Ver:... ^^^^^
Alternatively, if the laptop is already booted, go to the Sugar home view, click on the icon at the centre of the screen and select "My Settings" then "About my Computer." The firmware version is displayed there.
Alternatively, in the Terminal activity or a text console, type:
cat /proc/device-tree/openprom/model
cat /ofw/openprom/model
With certain older firmware versions, if the operating system will not start, and the laptop is secured, you will not be able to obtain the firmware version using the above methods, so our recommendation is to go ahead and upgrade anyway. The procedure is safe and will not do anything if you already have up-to-date firmware.
When installing new firmware, you must have a well-charged battery and the AC adapter plugged in. The firmware update code will not proceed otherwise. Possible error messages are:
|error message
|how to fix
|AC not present
|plug in the power cord, check the battery LED is on, then try again.
|No external power
|plug in the power cord, check the battery LED is on, then try again,
|No battery
|plug in the battery, check the latches, then try again, or try another battery,
|Battery low
|allow more time for the battery to charge, then try again, or try another battery.
Unsecured Laptop
This section is for unsecured laptops. Most XO-1.5 and XO-1.75 laptops are unsecured. Most developer XO laptops are unsecured. To unsecure your laptop, follow the instructions at Activation and Developer Keys.
You may install using either:
- a USB drive or SD card,
- the laptop's internal drive,
- a network.
Choose one.
Using a USB drive or SD card
- download the firmware from http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/q2f13/q2f13.rom and save it to a USB drive or SD card,
- shutdown the laptop,
- check the battery is inserted and locked,
- check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,
- insert the USB drive or SD card,
- turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:
- if the downloaded file is on a USB drive, type:
flash u:\q2f13.rom
- if the downloaded file is on an external SD card:
flash sd:\boot\q2f13.rom
- wait for the laptop to reboot itself,
- remove the USB drive or SD card.
(Expert users may remove the USB drive after the message "Got firmware" ... at this stage the file has been read and closed.)
Using the laptop internal drive
An alternate method is to download the firmware file to the laptop internal drive and then install from the internal drive.
- start the laptop,
- connect to a wireless or wired network,
- start the Terminal Activity and type:
su cd /versions/boot/current/boot/ wget http://dev.laptop.org/pub/firmware/q2f13/q2f13.rom
- shutdown the laptop,
- check the battery is inserted and locked,
- check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,
- turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:
- if the downloaded file is on an XO-1, type:
flash n:\boot\q2f13.rom
- if the file is on the internal SD card of an XO-1.5 or XO-1.75:
flash int:\boot\q2f13.rom
Using a network
You will need a compatible USB to ethernet adapter, or an open or WEP wireless access point, connected to the internet.
- shutdown the laptop,
- check the battery is inserted and locked,
- check that the power cord is in place and the battery indicator is green,
- turn on the laptop, and get to the 'ok' prompt. See Ok for more detail. You should see:
- if using wireless, type the essid of the wireless network:
essid mynetwork
- if using a WPA wireless access point, type the WPA key for the network:
wpa passphrase
- type the flash command using the download link above, but change all slash characters so they are backwards, for example:
flash http:\\dev.laptop.org\pub\firmware\q2f13\q2f13.rom
Secured Laptop
Secured laptops can only use flash firmware that has been signed. All mass-production machines had the latest firmware at the time of manufacture.
Upgrading firmware describes how to upgrade to a newer signed firmware release.
See also
- Cheat codes for information about how game buttons control startup options.