text:
Scalping began under the British
Your cartoonist who recently made weak humor [Linda Sherman in the September 1 "Culture Vulture" feature] based on the stereotype that "Indians" scalp people is apparently ignorant of the history of scalping.
Native Americans didn't scalp anyone until the British paid them per scalp as evidence of British enemies killed. The French did this as well, though less commonly. This practice was invented by the most "civilized" of our western European ancestors, and Hollywood and other media have done their best to falsely portray Native Americans as brutal and primitive based on European practices at the time.
Most of us know very little accurate history of Native American cultures. We've done our best to replace it with demeaning fiction. Your cartoonist has little justification for pride in his or her work.
Will Martin
For what it's worth, cartoonist Linda Sherman says of her cartoon: "This was a follow-up to a story on outrageously high prices being charged by local ticket scalpers. I was trying to poke a little fun at local hippies (some of whom do, in fact, dress somewhat like native Americans, live in the woods in teepees, and use hatchets) and young adults, like my own son, who revere American Indians but like to make fun of hippies. Specifically, the young men who are visiting the ticket scalper (which the character is and hence that is what they call him) agree they don't like his looks but not because they think he is going to scalp them but rather because they are clean cut, affluent college kids and they don't like hippies. So times have changed in regard to negative stereotypes. That's the joke."–editorRead more on: scalping


text:
Officers conducting a routine bar check at McCarthy's Pub at 1:30 a.m. Sunday found six people fighting in the parking lot, according to reports. Police calmed the scene, ticketed the six combatants and let five go. The sixth was taken to Longmont United Hospital for treatment of head injuries.
Police arrested a woman on suspicion of third-degree assault on an at-risk adult Saturday, according to police. A 91-year-old man told officers he was struck on the cheek with a rock during a disturbance on the 1700 block of Sunlight Drive when the woman threw a handful of rocks at a group of people.
A boy who reportedly broke a window on a residence on the 2000 block of Collyer Street on Saturday was found to be intoxicated and under the influence of drugs, according to reports. He resisted arrest, but was taken into custody. He was issued a summons and released to his mother's custody.
The owner of a liquor store on the 1700 block of Main Street got into a struggle with an intoxicated man who tried to take small bottles of liquor on Sunday, according to police reports. The man was arrested on suspicion of criminal mischief, second-degree burglary and third-degree assault.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tesla Solar Super Charger at home?
Tesla Solar Super Charger at home?
The Super Charger is not for every day use, and will have a negative impact on battery longevity. A better option that is already out there is a solar array from SolarCity. (Or any other solar company for that matter). With SolarCity you lease the equipment and pay a monthly fee similar to what you usually pay the utility company whereas with other companies there is a large initial investment for the installation but no monthly fee. With or without a solar system one would be able to install a Tesla Hi Power Wall Charger (HPWC).
You can't use it every day or the Supercharger will destroy your battery. Desides, the SC's cost about $300,000 without solar panels. It is probably better to consider adding solar panels to your roof.
You can see my setup here - in a folder set up for the hitch installation pictures, a couple of the pics show our barn roof with 84 solar panels:
There's no indication SCs will destroy the battery; LiIon, especially cooled, can take multiple C. Overcharging is the only risk.
P_D a single SC unit doesn't cost $300k... It is 12 charger units which retail for $1.5k each = max $18k plus box plus cable. Retail price is no more then $20k. A 10 bay SC may cost $300k, but not the single unit.
Brian H
@ Kleist
"Retail price is no more then $20k."
That really does sound more interesting than $300k.
And I think that some people might consider really buying it.
Brian H,
There is certainly evidence that SC use reduces battery life. Apply whatever word you want, I use destroy so as to remember that very time I plug into a SC, I am gong to have to replace the car (or battery) sooner than if I hadn't. The car's instructions say so, and all of the company employees say so. This was reiterated at my delivery. Elon Musk has said this in speeches. it is a key reason Superchargers will never be put in cities - TM does not want to encourage their use for anything except sporadic intercity travel.
It is absolutely a fact of the fast charging technology that it reduces battery life. At delivery we were specifically told to try to keep SC use to only once or twice per month. This isn't even a question and you should get your facts. Do you have a car? If you did you would know this. Page 17 of the manual: "using it frequently reduces battery life." Theres no guessing or speculation here. What more do you need?
The power alone for that many high power chargers (12 per SC bay) requires wiring to the grid at costs well over $100k. In some cases this type of wiring will cost more than most people's homes. I am a shopping center developer/owner. The SC stations with multiple units draw more power than a typical WalMart and need their own transformer, and depending on location, may need more than that. The curbing and infrastructure is required to be commercial quality. I shudder to think what the massive underground conduit costs will be. The bollards alone are tens of thousands of dollars. Paving them is at least $20k each, much more if there is fill or driveway involved.
Do you have a Model S? Ask any owner how big the cable is to their wall charger. Then multiply that by 12 per SC bay, times the number of bays. Then look at where the nearest supply is located. They can't just run from the nearest building for this type of draw. Elon has said publicly that the company's cost averages $300-400k per site, plus whatever Solar City spends at the few sites that lend themselves to installing solar panels. This is all irrelevant anyway, as SC use reduces battery life and TM would never sell a consumer version for that reason alone.
P_D - we are talking apples and oranges. SC installation in someones parking lot $300k-$400k no dispute about that. A single unit w/o install is what I was talking about.
SC at home is nonsense. I was planning on 2 EVs in the future and asked to upgrade my panel... utility says 100A is maximum we can give you ( over that it becomes complicated, because city planning has to be involved besides big $). I am not happy. My S is ready, waiting for the PS to finish the paper work and date this week for factory pickup.
SC at home might be nonsense, but how about four or five times onboard charger capacity? SC is just stack of onboard chargers, so you could get slower, less damaging charger that's still faster than ordinary wall chargers pretty easily and with reasonable price (if you just pay the electricity) somewhere in the city.
why would you want or need a superfast charge at home? Maybe once in a blue moon, is it really worth it? cheaper to have a spare ICE car standing by.
@Timo - I should have been more precise. A full blown SC... how many homes have 480+A capability?.
Yes, you are right - a smaller 4 unit 40kW charger on your wall would draw 160A ( more homes have 200A ) and charge at 120m/h. Think a step further... make the unit bi-directional and it could become part of the smart grid, charging and discharging the 85kWh battery at a moderate 0.5C.
$250,000 per bay with with 4-6 SC. Company plans to deploy 100 of these over 2 years at a cost of $20-30M. Must be installed cost. That is a lot of money. No wonder Tesla is taking its time. They got to count their pennies.
Tesla will have to spend an equal amount in the EU, particularly in Scandinavia, Germany, France, Switzerland, Holland, UK. They can skip the PIIGS or Eastern Europe... they are too broke to afford this kind of car. Norway has heavy import taxes on ICE plus VAT. Dirt cheap electricity and gasoline at $10/US Gal.
Meanwhile, Tesla could partner with hotels, restaurants, to have 240/50-100 amp chargers. It is like a 2 washer/drier connections. Can not be that expensive, relatively speaking. Unless they got to use a jackhammer to lay wire, a set of 4 can not cost more than $10-20k. Takes a lot of range anxiety away if installed along the highway and even in big cities. They could charge/hour using credit card reader.
@Bubba2000 - who pays for the SC? Current Model S owner. Take $2k each from 10K 85kWh Models = $20M. Money comes out of GBs advertising budget - instead of stupid TV ads TM builds SCs... that is smart advertising (unless they want to promote the SCs and pick the wrong reporter). Model S owners can SC for free because they are paying for it ( as far as I know TM never promised Model X or Gen3 can charge for free ).
When Gen3 comes around the SC network is there, so you can $2k off in your price calculation.
Why would any one need a SC at home.I have been using a NEMA 14-50 at home while waiting for my HPWC to be delivered and installed, I think even the HPWC is unnecessary.
The cost would be negligible if Model X owners were charged a fee, but I doubt that would be the case, especially since many S owners will also be X owners. The whole idea behind the SC system is to promote EVs. What has been said more specifically is that the SCs would be available only to Tesla owners who's vehicles have a range of more than 200 miles. i.e. 60 and 85kWh. For the amount of driving most people do the car would be fully charged at home within 1-2 hrs. If the battery has been depleated then overnight should be fine. I also think that the 14-50 is sufficient, but will be getting the HPWC.
I just received my "High Powered Wall Connector" in the mail...this is just a normal home charger, right? It is NOT a Super Charger that you all are talking about, right?
Thanks guys.
Right. SC is something Tesla is building in long routes. 120kW or so power.
Also it's not actually a charger at all. The charger is inside your car, and the HPWC is merely what the name says: a connector. It connects the charger in your car to the public power grid in a safe manner. That's it.
TESLA should put "windmill generator" on cars so that it can harness the wind drag when driving. That will surely increase its mileage. :) Charging while driving, thats a nice punchline.
No, it's a bone-brain one. Adds more drag than it provides power to overcome.
Your post on Feb 24 is wrong about using super chargers too often....... ""If you did you would know this. Page 17 of the manual: "using it frequently reduces battery life." Theres no guessing or speculation here. What more do you need?""
The manual is referring to charging to full capacity, not to Super Chargers. Please clarify.........Dave


text:
February 15, 2018
Heather Benjamin
August 18, 2017
Libby McMillan, Apartment Guide
March 24, 2017
Amanda Sawit
February 14, 2017
November 22, 2016
Melissa Romero, Curbed.com
October 21, 2016
Christina Huynh
October 12, 2016
September 30, 2016
Doug Smeath
Home Basics
Having a home that contributes to a healthy environment is important, but a home is only as green as the people who live in it. In and out of the home, there is a lot you can do to help protect the... Read more
September 09, 2009
Green Home Guide Staff
CFLs can be a huge energy saver and typically have a much longer life than other bulbs. Changing five of the most frequently used bulbs in your home can save you $100 per year on electric bills.


text:
Your South California Resource for New Audi - Shop For Audi A3, A4, A6, Q3, Q5 & More Near Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Glenwood
Shoppers searching for a luxury vehicle can find their automotive match here at Santa Monica Audi. Our Audi dealership serves Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Southern California with the complete line-up of the hottest Audi models. Explore our selection of vehicles above which include options like the Audi A3, A4, A6, Q3 and Q5, and so much more! When something jumps out at you and you want to get behind the wheel for a test drive, we will be here standing by ready to make that happen! Remember we have featured new inventory as well as our current new car specials. We also have the all-new 2018 Audi Q7 ready to hit those South California streets! What are you waiting for? For a new Audi near Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Glenwood, visit our showroom today!
Why Do So Many Drivers in Santa Monica and Los Angeles Choose Santa Monica Audi?
Four reasons stand out. One: At Santa Monica Audi (located at 1020 Santa Monica Boulevard Santa Monica, California), you can trust that we know Audi cars inside and out. Two: The integrity of our Audi cars is definitely rock solid. Three: Word is traveling fast that we offer exemplary customer service. Four: Santa Monica Audi not only keeps customers happy during the car buying process, but also throughout the lifetime of their vehicle. At our Audi Service Center in Santa Monica, we know how to keep your vehicle on the road for hundreds of thousands of miles to come. Don't forget, we also sell used cars near Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Glenwood, and have a fine stock of certified used Audi.
Local Car dealer Selling New Audi and Used Cars.
Serving: Beverly Hills, Inglewood and Glenwood.
Local Phone: 888-904-7353


text:
Duration: 16 DaysWith almost 200 countries in the world to tick off your list, time is precious. Smashing 12 in one trip should really get things moving. Eat Trdelnik in Prague, soak in thermal baths in Budapest & party round the clock in Berlin. Cities, culture, history & scenery are on the cards for the Trail to Rome.
Trail to Rome(Multi Share,Start London, End Rome)
from $4355
Day 1
London to Amsterdam
16-days of heart pounding adventure kick off today. Meet up with your Contiki posse & share notes on London town before hitting the road to Amsterdam.Shortly before we find our ferry for France, we'll be taking in the English coastline beauty of the White Cliffs of Dover. They owe their gorgeousness to their composition of chalk - you're learning and we haven't even left the UK!Off the ferry we arrive in the port town of Calais - French soil! We travel north via Belgium before reaching ... Amsterdam!Cross off another country off your list as you cruise through Belgium on your way to Amsterdam.Tonight, the famed for fun Amsterdam is ours to explore. An undisguised Red Light District & plenty of bars are there for the curious.
Day 2
Amsterdam including Edam
You know the cheese, and now you're going to know the place that pioneered it. We'll cycle into the countryside to see windmills & picturesque Dutch houses on our way to an actual cheese farm & clog maker's house.Amsterdam is cute as a button & sure to win your heart with its canals, obscure museums & a café culture like no other. This afternoon use your time to get local, bar hop, museum crawl, and see what other tastes take your fancy, this town is famous for pancakes, frites and so much more.
Day 3
Amsterdam to Berlin
Out of Amsterdam, onto the autobahn and on the fast-track to uber-cool Berlin. That's on today's agenda.On the world map of cool party vibes, Berlin has a gold star. We've got two nights to explore every inch of this amazing city, and we'll kick it off with a bit of history into the city and its troubled and interesting past. Once we arrive your Trip Manager can point you in the right direction to go and see the sights.
Day 4
Get into the mood of exploration. Berlin has so much to offer the hungry traveller, from the obvious icons like Checkpoint Charlie to all the obscurities tucked away in the side streets. Spend the day lapping up history, scouting the Berlin Wall and dialing up your intellect at sites like the Russian War Memorial, Brandenburg Gate & historic Reichstag building. That way you can let loose a little in the evening without a hint of remorse.
Day 5
Berlin to Prague via Dresden
"More city hangs" you'll all scream in unison as we motor out of Berlin, high on life & still wanting more. Since you asked so nicely, let us present you with Prague, the darling of Europe.A drive from Berlin to Prague would not be complete without stopping in Dresden. Destroyed by World War II, the rebuilt town is now a symbol of resilience, soaked in the rebirthed beauty of an Opera house, the domed Frauenkirche, & the Royal Residence.On arrival in the compact & lovable city of Prague, we'll get out and go exploring, seeing castles and cathedrals and learning of Bohemia Kings and gothic history.
Day 6
With a full day to loiter, expect an entire photo album of Gothic architecture, market antics & you cheers-ing cheap beer; not to mention life!Tonight, you could see yourself spending the evening indulging in traditional Czech cuisine while admiring the local folklore dancers as the sun goes down on the 'City of a Thousand Spires'.
Day 7
Prague to Vienna via Kutna Hora
Today we exchange the Czech Republic for Austria, waving goodbye to pretty Prague knowing that cultured Vienna is coming right up.Before Vienna we'll be stopping in the Bohemian city of Kutna Hora, remembering that Bohemia is the name of the place and not a nod to the fashion sense of the people that live there. Make the local Sedlec Ossuary chapel a high priority, it's decked out and furnished in the bones of over 40,000 ... humans. Eeep!Austria, we have arrived! And we're ready to get straight into your musical legacy. Put your name next to the optional classical night out in one of the city's imperial palaces, you will not regret it.
Day 8
A whole day lies ahead to uncover the ethereal Austrian capital. Our Trip Manager will uncover the historical heritage of Schönbrunn Palace, the State Opera House and the gothic St. Stephen's Cathedral. And once you've seen all that, you'll have a bit of free time to check out art galleries and local coffee houses, maybe even try a slice of the famous Sacher Torte.
Day 9
Vienna to Krakow via Auschwitz
Rise up travellers and start practicing your Polish pleasantries, we'll be in Krakow later today so they may come in handy.Today we will change pace once we cross the border, as we drop to an unfamiliar and sobering level by visiting the concentration camp memorials of Auschwitz & Birkenau. Learning and growing is what we travellers do.Then afterwards its onto the city of Krakow, which is now known for its silver mining heritage and tales of mythical dragons. Relax tonight as we have all day tomorrow to explore.
Day 10
A Jewish Quarter, a jaw-dropping castle & museums aplenty are just some of the relics found in the relatively untouched Krakow. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed centre should occupy your free time, but conserve some energy for the option to get involved with a traditional Polish Pierogi evening.
Day 11
Krakow to Budapest via Banska Bystrica
Alpine scenery and traditional villages will make our departure from Krakow more manageable. Particularly with the knowledge that we have Budapest coming up in the eve.Pastel painted and manicured to perfection, Banska Bystrica is a lunch break that will charm you to no end. Being in Slovakia, it's also your chance to brag 3 countries in one day - you crazy globetrotter you.Welcome to Hungary! Coming in at number 3 on our list of countries ticked off through the day. From the moment we arrive in the river split city, you'll understand why we needed a couple of nights here. Waste no time getting involved with Budapest by joining the optional river cruise and dinner.
Day 12
The day is yours to tackle Budapest however you see fit. After all the travelling we've done, you've probably earned yourself an afternoon soaking in the cities famous outdoor thermal pools set amongst Art Nouveau architecture. Blissed out in Budapest - there's an insta caption for you. If gardens, fountains, pools and ruins are the call of your day, put St Margaret Island top and centre of your to do list.
Day 13
Budapest to Ljubljana via Lake Bled
This morning we say goodbye to the city of Budapest and head south to Slovenia! Though the name Ljubljana might not be as well known as Budapest, that doesn't diminish its delight as a European city. In fact, its undiscovered charm is all part of the fascination...WOW is probably the one word we hear in unison as we pull up at this jaw dropping lake. Don't forget to keep your swimmers out today, this is the perfect place for a dip to break up the journey, and grab a few lust-worthy snaps.Aesthetically wonderful and filled with youthful moods, Ljubljana is one to love for its off the tourist trail vibes and casual attitude. Without a list of monuments to tick off, you're free to get cozy in a cafe and lap up the endless local feels.
Day 14
Ljubljana to Venice
Ever the advocates of a balanced holiday, today we're trading in the obscure unknown for the globally adored hot spot of Venice. Whoop!Yes, it's as cute as you imagine. Yes, you'll feel like you're part of an Italian fairytale. Yes, you are actually hanging out in the gondola clad floating city of Venice! A private boat ride, gothic architecture and a web of lanes to explore will keep your day filled quite nicely.
Day 15
Venice to Rome
Farewell floating city, but Italy, we're not done with you yet, our next destination the Eternal City is just around the corner.The afternoon will really take it up a notch as we uncover Italian icons in the country's capital of Rome as you get a glimpse of it's glory by night. Gelato, pizza and ancient monuments - perfecto!
Day 16
Depart Rome
Wake up this morning and make the most of your final hours on trip! Then it will be time for the sad goodbyes and the plans for a reunion. That, ladies and gentlemen, is how you tick off 12 new countries in 16 days.
- See the site of Checkpoint Charlie
- See Charles Bridge, Wenceslas Square, Old Town Square and the Astronomical Clock
- See Schönbrunn Palace, St. Stephen's Cathedral & the State Opera House
- Scenic drive along the historic Ring Road
- Sightseeing of the cathedral & Royal Castle on Wawel Hill
Start Date: 2020-09-05
End Date: 2020-09-20
Adult Price: $4355
Start Date: 2020-09-26
End Date: 2020-10-11
Adult Price: $4355
Start Date: 2020-10-03
End Date: 2020-10-18
Adult Price: $4355


text:
Ryan Lewis is letting the public in on one of the most personal aspects of his life.
The Grammy-award winning artist revealed that his mother is HIV-positive. He shared his story via his Twitter account, posting a pic with his mother, Julie Lewis, along with a link to a donation page for the 30/30 project, a nonprofit which he has founded with the help of Macklemore in order to raise money for affordable healthcare worldwide.
"A Message from Ryan Lewis" appears on the 30/30 project official page:
U.S. & World
The day's top national and international news.
A huge part of what's made me who I am, is something I haven't talked about in interviews. If I could just take a few moments of your time, I'd love to tell you about the strongest woman that I know, my mom, Julie Lewis.
In 1984, my mom gave birth to my older sister, Teresa. Due to a complicated delivery, she needed a blood transfusion and at that moment, my mom had HIV+ blood put into her body. When she was finally diagnosed, she was given only a few years to live. By that time, she had already given birth to my sister Laura and me. We each had a 25% chance of being born HIV+, but we were extremely fortunate (today, the risk of a mother passing HIV to her baby is 2% or less if she is taking medication). Thanks to advanced medicine and healthcare available here in the U.S., my mom has lived despite her odds.
To honor the thirty years my mom has been a survivor, our family is raising funds to build health centers worldwide that will stand strong for at least thirty years. We're calling it the 30/30 Project.
We are partnering with Construction for Change, a Seattle-based nonprofit, to carry out construction. And we have local partners on the ground, such as Partners in Health, to run and operate the health facilities long-term. We want to give hope to women and families in other parts of the world who lack access to quality, affordable healthcare.
With this amazing past year I've had, I am honored to be the first donor for the 30/30 Project, jumpstarting the construction of the first health center in Malawi. I am asking you to join my family and see how far we can take this...
PHOTOS: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and more big Grammys winners
The initial goal of the nonprofit is to raise $100,000 in order to build a health care center in Neno District, Malawi, with hopes of later opening clinics in areas such as Kangundo, Kenya; Mbita, Kenya and Ugenya, Kenya.
Donors will receive gifts based on their monetary donation (the signed Macklemore and Ryan Lewis set list is already sold out) and they are encouraged to spread the word via social media.
The dynamic duo--who won four Grammys, including Best New Artist--made headlines at the 56th Annual Award show during their performance of "Same Love" during which Queen Latifah officiated the marriages of 34 couples.
VIDEO: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis on "Chelsea Lately"
The New York Times described the featured couples as "gay, straight, old, young, of many races and many colors." Among the group tying the knot include Lewis' sister Laura and her boyfriend Alex.
"A night that is already tremendous for me, for the music," Lewis said prior to the performance, "but to have my sister get married and my family there watching it--that makes it a whole other level of amazing."


text:
Sometimes the Mom & Savings bloggers amaze me - you have to be so committed to stick with something every single week. I tried meal planning a few weeks ago - and I was good for the one week - but it's so much work! Searching for recipes, making the shopping list, couponing towards the list, then shopping and then cooking everything that week. Oye! I'm lucky if I can do all that once/month!
But when I did - I had all the goodies for Creamy Linguine with Shrimp & Veggies from June 2011 Cooking Light. I was particularly excited about this because you used some of the pasta water in the sauce and while I've often heard of this - I haven't done it - until now!
This also made good use of one pot by cooking the pasta & broccoli together!
In the pan, you saute onion, mushroom, shrimp & carrot...
Then you mix in the pasta water and cream cheese...stir stir stir.
It was a little bland - so maybe adding some red pepper flakes or something like that might jazz it up. All in all though - good dish. It was also in the "Budget Cooking" category - so fyi - it's $2.42 per serving.
Creamy Linguine with Shrimp and Veggies
- 6 quarts water
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 8 ounces uncooked linguine
- 3 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 ounces peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- 1 julienne-cut carrot
- 3/4 cup 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a saucepan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and pasta; cook 5 minutes. Add broccoli; cook 3 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- 2. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, shrimp, and carrot; sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta mixture, 1/2 cup pasta water, cream cheese, and pepper to pan; cook for 3 minutes or until cheese melts and shrimp are done, stirring occasionally.


text:
"Sun and Sand" Beach Tunic in Large Fuchsia Floral Blossom pattern
Note From Designer: A simple beach tunic with V-neckline and side-slits. With a cool drink to sip in your hands this beach cover-up is perfect to traverse a day at the beach in style. BRFAA beauty of a cover-up is brought about by both the design as well as the fabric… for this style I chose Large Fuchsia Floral Blossom fabric in Blue to enhance your beach experience.
Style: Simple v-neckline side slits beach tunic
Material: 100% mulmul cotton (fine quality and extremely soft, gets softer with every wash)
Fabric Options: A variety of colors are available in this fabric (Fabric swatches are there in one of the pictures above). If you want the same fabric pictured, just select the Same as Picture option!
Size Guide: Below is our size guide:


text:
IN less than a year, my little Big Log shot from 10,000 total views to more than 100,000 earlier today. How did that happen? The 200-300 daily hits would partly explain that. But who's reading? And why? For that, I'm hugely, and humbly grateful, and chuffed by my tiny band of fans, regular readers and subscribers. Even if I don't know what you get out of my ill-informed opinions.
The other 999,995 readers however, are harder to explain. Mostly, they stumble upon this pokey little blog while searching for their favourite lager. Some of whom proceed to leave comments ranging from the rapid to the stultifyingly obnoxious about how their subjective opinion is better than my subjective opinion. Nevertheless, I'm chuffed to bits that anyone reads these posts at all.
Since starting this blog, there has been a flood of no one asking "what are your favourite beers?" Answering that question is not easy. Partly because there are so many types. And partly because people in anoraks will grumble.
Throwing caution to the wind, the most memorable was the Ruddles Rhubard I tried a year ago. No other beer smells of vanilla and tastes of rhubarb while still being an outstanding ale. If it had a face, it would be wearing a spinning bow tie and a clown nose. That's the kind of lunatic creativity that reminds you why British ales are so much fun. The trouble is, I've never seen it on sale since.
So what do I drink that you can actually buy in the shops? If you've read any of the recent posts, you would probably guess Hoegaarden White Beer. And you'd be right. Sure, the Dutch, German and Austrian competitors are excellent. But you can't buy any of them in the thousands of tiny off-licenses and supermarkets around London.
If I'm in the mood for something a bit more substantial, Guinness Foreign Extra Imported took over from Dragon Stout as my favourite stout.
If getting drunk quickly is your thing, then Gaymer K Cider is the way to go. Okay, I've not exactly taken it too the limit. But I think you stand much less chance of ending up in A & E with vomit down the front of your tee-shirt than you would with super-strength lager. Alternatively, a Scotch and ginger or Gin and tonic (as I'm enjoying right now) are both equally refreshing ways of intoxicating yourself quickly.
Any other honourable mentions? Crikey, there's too many to name. There are countless ales from around the British Isles that are outstanding or special in their own funny way. Badger Tangle Foot, Badger Golden Glory, Fuller's ESB, Wychwood Fiddler's Elbow, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, Wells Bombardier Satanic Mills and Innis & Gunn Oak Aged Beer are the first that sprung to mind.
Then there's the genius that is are European ales. Special mentions here go to Duvel Belgian Golden Ale and Leffe Blonde. Both of which I buy regularly, not just because they are exquisite, but because the shops here sell them.
Cider turned out to be less interesting than I'd hoped. I'm still looking out for 'real' cider. Until I find it, Westons Premium Organic Cider is the best I've tried so far.
Then we get to the ones from further away. Frustratingly, most that turn up here are lagers. But despite this handicap, there are some stunners. For your curry, Bangla Premium Beer does nicely. From Poland, Perła Chmielowa Premium Pils Beer and Leżajsk Beer surprised by being good. Obolon Velvet proved that the Ukraine, and Eastern-Europe in general knew how to make excellent beer that wasn't lager. And Pilsner Urquell astonished by living up to the hype. And not bad going, considering I knew almost nothing about beer when I started this blog.
In an attempt not to be typecast as the "beer guy", I've tried my hand at other things too. Snacks for instance. The trouble with that was how difficult it was to find something interesting to say about a pickle. To save you from having to read my snack food reviews, all you need to know is that MS Black Country Pork Scratchings, Smiths Scampi Flavour Fries and John West Boneless Sardines are delicious. And that most pickled gherkins are the same.
Citizen journalism wasn't beyond the bounds of my Big Log. Taking full advantage of London's incredible East-End, I've been caught up in all kinds of danger. The protests at the Olympic Torch relay got me hooked on the adrenalin rush. But that was nothing compared to being "kettled" and charged at by riot police at the G20 protests in the City.
Those are the bits of the past I can remember. Where is it going in the future? I have no idea. But I can't wait to find out.
What are your favourite posts or comments?
What do you like or dislike about this blog?
Got any requests for anything you want to see written about here?
Thanks for reading, chaps! Normal opinionated rambling will be resumed next post.


text:
The UMBC men's soccer team opens a three-game homestand on Wednesday, Sept. 25 when they host George Mason at Retriever Soccer Park. UMBC, one of two undefeated and untied teams in the country, has garnered its top two national rankings in school history in two polls entering play this week. In the NSCAA poll, UMBC (7-0-0) is now No. 11, surpassing its previous mark of No. 14 in 2000 and the Retrievers' No. 8 ranking by Top Drawer Soccer is its top position in any media-affiliated men's soccer poll. George Mason (4-1-1) was ranked No. 23 last week before suffering its first setback of the season, a 3-0 loss at Virginia on Sept. 17.
Kick-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. Live stats and free live video (www.umbcretrievers.tv) are available for the contest and all UMBC home soccer matches in 2013.
Dating back to 2012, UMBC is now unbeaten in its last 16 contests (13-0-3) and has outscored their opponents, 41-11, in that span. It is the longest unbeaten streak since 1999, when that championship squad went 19-0-2 in the regular season.
The Retrievers have captured the America East title and advanced to the second round in the NCAA Championships twice in three seasons. The 2012 season marked UMBC's third NCAA College Cup appearance overall, having earned a bid in 1999.
SR F Pete Caringi III was named Disney/NSCAA Player of the Week and College Soccer News' Player of the Week for games ending Sept. 1 and Sept. 8 respectively.
Entering play this week, UMBC and Cal-Northridge share the national lead in goals scored with 22 each·
Caringi leads the nation in points per game (2.86) and goals per game (1.29), while JR MGeaton Caltabiano is tied for first in the nation and in assists per game (1.00).
The Retrievers moved up nine slots to 8th in the Top Drawer Soccer poll and remained at 21st in College Soccer News' poll. UMBC made its debut in the Soccer America poll at No. 25 (tied) and is No. 11 in the Continental Tire/NSCAA Coaches' poll for games ending Sept. 22, 2013.
The current seven-game winning streak in the first in school history. There have been three greater streaks- eight straight in 1991, nine in a row in 2009 and 13 consecutive in 1999.
The Patriots come into the game with a 4-1-1 record on the year. GMU was ranked No. 23 in the NSCAA poll for games ending Sept. 15.
SR F Wes Sever currently leads the Patriots in goals with four. FR GK Steffen Kraus has started all six games for the Patriots and has recorded 12 saves. SR F Julia Arjona has started in all six matches for the Patriots and leads the team in assists with a pair.
JR F Timmy Mulgrew returns for the Patriots after contributing a goal and an assist in last year's 2-1 victory over the Retrievers.
This will be the 13th meeting all-time between the Retrievers and Patriots, with GMU holding a slim 6-5-1 advantage.
The two teams have met five times in UMBC's Division I era (1986) and the Retrievers have earned one victory, a 5-2 triumph in 2000. However, that was the only home game in those five contests.
The most recent encounter took place last season at George Mason, where the Patriots came out on top with a 2-1 win. Milo Kapor scored the Retriever goal, converting a penalty kick.
UMBC hosts George Washington on Saturday, Sept. 28 at Retriever Soccer Park. The match will get underway at 7:00 p.m.


text:
Lana Del Rey Longs for Lost Lesbian Lover Jaime King in 'Summertime Sadness' Video
We saw a brief trailer of the new Lana Del Rey 'Summertime Sadness' video yesterday, but now the full clip has hit the web — and it's a doozy. Just as her controversial 'National Anthem' video paid homage to the Kennedys with an interracial twist, 'Summertime Sadness' seems like a 'Thelma and Louise' tribute with a twist of its own: Del Rey and her co-star, actress Jaime King, aren't BFFs. They're lesbian lovers.
Shot in a "found footage" montage, the clip opens with Del Rey gracefully diving into a smoke-filled abyss, then goes into a series of flashbacks. We see King and Del Rey spinning around, driving, exchanging glances both playful and heartbroken. There's nothing exploitative about their romance in the video, and it neither patronizes nor panders to the gay community (as many of her fellow pop stars have been accused). Later, we see King, sporting the "red dress" referred to within the song's lyrics, gracefully dive off of a bridge.
Del Rey's signature Instagram-style is a series of implicit, not explicit pining. The video, directed by King's husband, Kyle Newman, and Spencer Susser, reportedly also featured 'Magic Mike' star Alex Pettyfer on set as a production assistant. What could have been a tacky stunt is actually tasteful and classy, reflective of the high caliber team involved.
Eventually, the pair, in a tragedy worthy of 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Wuthering Heights' for the digital age, reunite. It's a haunting visual in more ways than one, and absolutely one worth watching more than once.
Watch the Lana Del Rey 'Summertime Sadness' Video


text:
Critical Mass turns 15
Critical Mass, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary at the end of this month, is a highly subversive activity. Every month "Massers" seize public space for a noncommercial use, while thumbing their nose at the driving engine of our economy. And this in an age when we're consumers before we're citizens or neighbors.
But subversive activities, and the ideas they represent, have a way of working their way into the mainstream. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is calling for a major public policy shift away from the automobile. He envisions a New York City of the future that provides more public spaces for pedestrians, bikeways, parks and plazas. Mayor Bloomberg is following the lead of cutting-edge cities like Bogota, which has already built hundreds of miles of bicycle paths and greenways and replaced one of its downtown avenues with the longest pedestrian thoroughfare in the world.
Paris is distributing thousands of cheap rental bikes throughout the city to lure people out of their cars. Every summer, it closes down a major expressway to create an instant beach and pedestrian walkway.
Closer to home, bikes and slowed-down cars share the road on "bike boulevards" in Berkeley and Palo Alto.
Fifteen years ago, it was generally taken for granted that public streets existed for the efficient movement of motorized vehicles. San Francisco's Critical Mass boldly challenged that assumption. It was from the very first a strictly bottom-up effort, providing what early participant Josh Wilson describes as "a near perfect example of direct democracy and grassroots culture in action."
The early Critical Mass rides embraced the idea that sometimes you have to live your vision by taking direct, and often illegal, action. Rosa Parks proclaimed by a simple illegal act that she was unwilling to live in a society that relegated her to second-class status. Nearly 40 years later, on September 25, 1992, 48 brazen cyclists decided they too were going to ride in the front of the bus. By May of the following year, the ride had grown to roughly 2,000 cyclists.
As another longtime Masser, Anna Sojourner, put it, "We found out the society we want isn't so unobtainable after all."
Critical Mass helps revive the social life of city streets, and in so doing helps restore an important function of the city. The isolation of automobile travel impedes a city from being a city, from fulfilling its traditional role in the interchange of ideas, news and gossip through myriad human encounters. Critical Mass, by replacing the automobile with a more sociable form of transportation, moves us closer to this core function, and to making the city a more vibrant and stimulating place to live.
After 15 years, Critical Mass is part of the city's landscape, a tourist attraction in its own right, with its own set of traditions and practices: resistance to any form of leadership or organized decision-making; strong taboos against any form of commercial promotion; and the very active social and political networking that occurs all along the ride, what another longtime Masser, Joel Pomerantz, calls "the equivalent of a middle-management cocktail party for grassroots activists."
That kind of activism, often with direct participation from dedicated "Massers," has spawned other public space breakthroughs in this city: The Duboce bike boulevard that serves as a gateway into the Lower Haight; Jack Kerouac Alley, which serves as a pedestrian link between North Beach and Chinatown; and the replacement of traffic lanes with bike lanes on Valencia Street.
Local transportation planners refer to this last development as the "Valencia epiphany," the realization that "you can take traffic lanes away and the world doesn't come to an end," according to Tom Radulovich of Livable City, a local nonprofit. On the contrary, businesses are thriving on the 16 blocks of shared street.
The legacy of Critical Mass continues with the soon-to-be-completed Mint Plaza, a broad, greened pedestrian space that's replacing a portion of Jessie Street one short block south of Market Street. Mint Plaza Project Manager Michael Yarne acknowledges his debt to those pioneering cyclists: "Critical Mass called into question how we use our public streets and helped us think differently about how we could use this public resource."
Critical Mass provides a dramatic and high-profile example of something we know instinctively: That it often takes a determined and inspired grassroots effort to push society past the limits of conventional thinking. Critical Mass turned long-accepted traffic priorities upside down, shattered the conventional wisdom of traffic engineers and planners, broke traffic laws with carefree abandon and, in the process, brought new life and energy to San Francisco's streets.
Despite occasional confrontations with motorists, Critical Mass remains an overwhelmingly affirmative event, one that a decade and a half ago acted on the then-radical notion that city streets could have more than one use. Today it celebrates the growing acceptance of that idea.


text:
This is our website. Would you prefer to shop on our website?
This is our website. You previously shopped on our website. Would you like to go to our website now?
Other country sites
My Account
My Bag
The item was successfully added to your Wish List
Look no further to find answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.
Personalise your trophies or awards with our personalisation service.
Type the text you require in the text boxes provided and select "Add to bag" when complete.
The maximum characters per line is 20 with up to 3 lines allowed. Spaces are counted as a character.
We cannot personalise items with inappropriate words.
Please ensure chosen letters, wording, number(s) are correctly entered as products that have been personalised can only be exchanged or refunded if they are found to be faulty.
All items that are being personalised are non-refundable and will take an additional 24 hours processing time after you have received your order processed email. If you have selected next day delivery you will still receive the premium delivery but with an additional delay due to the personalisation process.
Use our contact form to get the answers you need.
View our store finder to find all our stores in your area.
View our delivery table to see how much it costs for delivery.
We use cookies to give you the best customer experience possible. If you continue to use our website, we will assume you are happy to receive cookies from us and our partners.
More info


text:
Voluntary Safety Recall – Plug-in Remote Control Receivers
March 16, 2010
Cambridge, Ontario – In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Glen Dimplex Americas is announcing a voluntary recall and replacement program for approximately 700,000 plug-in remote control receivers included with certain Dimplex, Electraflame, Symphony, Optiflame, Electralog and Charmglow branded electric fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts. Dimplex consumers affected by this recall will receive a replacement plug-in remote control kit at no cost for each verified, recalled plug-in receiver. To receive a replacement plug-in remote control, consumers should submit an online claim at www.recall.dimplex.com.
In some instances, the plug-in remote control receiver can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Dimplex does not have any reports of injury, but does have multiple reported incidents with damage that extends beyond the failure mode of the product. We are choosing to act with an abundance of caution. If you believe you have the affected plug-in remote control receiver, please do not use it. Unplug the receiver from the electrical outlet, unplug the fireplace from the receiver and dispose of the receiver (after taking note of the model number and date code as illustrated). You may still safely operate your fireplace or stove product manually by plugging it directly to the electrical outlet. This voluntary recall does not in any way affect the safe operation of the electric fireplace or stove when connected without the use of the plug-in remote control receiver.
Dimplex has received reports of approximately 5,000 units malfunctioning due to overheating. One case resulted in a fire causing property damage.
Mass merchandise, home improvement, specialty fireplace and furniture retailers sold fireplaces, stoves and fireplace inserts that included the affected plug-in remote control between 1998 and 2008 for $199 to $1,499.
How to identify recalled plug-in remote control receivers:
Consumers should visit www.recall.dimplex.com to view the full list of products that include an affected plug-in remote control receiver and to file a claim, or call Glen Dimplex Americas at 866-673-9880.
About Dimplex
Glen Dimplex Americas is a division of the Glen Dimplex Group of Ireland. For more than 30 years, the Glen Dimplex Group has been committed to outstanding innovation, quality and customer service that has enabled it to become the world's leading manufacturer of electric heating products. Glen Dimplex Americas, headquartered in Cambridge, Ontario is North America's leading manufacturer/marketer of electric fireplaces.


text:
Today our guest contributors are TJ and Larissa of Larissa Photography, offering up some advertising don'ts for your photography business...
As business owners, we all hate dipping into the business account to pay for advertising. What's even worse than missing the money, is missing the clients that are not walking in the door after the advertising money was spent. Over the past 8 years, we've made some big mistakes that cost us thousands of dollars, so consider this your chance to save yourself from the same frustrations and go home with more money in your pocket.
Advertising in the Yellow Pages
Yellow Pages sales guy, used car sales guy - what's the difference? Not much really. At least in our experience, they both will tell you whatever it takes to make the sale. Our first yellow pages experience was filled with promises of customers coming in masses. The estimate was actually 2 to 3 phone calls PER DAY from our ad. After $1,000 in advertising in the book, we got 2 or 3 calls TOTAL - for the entire year. We tried a national phone book too. That one had an Internet directory as well. Really, the only difference we saw was that we only paid half as much. The phone book just doesn't work for photographers any more.
Short term advertising
One of our favorite bridal shows had an offer to do a 1 week radio ad for a fraction of the cost of a regular ad. What a steal. Not so much. Even though I had done my research on demographics, number of listeners, etc, advertising for only 1 week was a good way to throw a few hundred dollars out the window. Actually, we probably would have had a better response throwing money out our window. That would have at least created a buzz. Any advertising you are considering doing for only a week is setting yourself up to be a 1 hit wonder. Nobody is going to remember who you are the next week.
Assuming more money means better advertising
Increasing your advertising budget isn't always the best way to get more clients. You've got to be selective with where you're putting your advertising dollars. Consider a budget photographer who pays big money to be a vendor at a bridal show for upper-class brides. It doesn't matter that this should be one of the "best" bridal shows because the photographer isn't talking to the right brides. Know where YOUR customers are.
Failing to market locally
"Local" means different things to different photographers, but the principle is the same - if you try to promote your studio outside of your local area, you're mis-spending advertising money. One thing we've found is that people don't want to travel for photography. Our wedding clients may travel an hour to come to the studio, but we rarely get clients for other types of sessions willing to travel further than 30 minutes away. Also, consider that advertising in entirely new areas all the time will dilute your message. It's much better to have your studio name in front of a single customer multiple times than multiple customers a single time.
Taking a hands-off approach with any marketing
With our radio ad, we handed over the reins on the advertisement to a "marketing professional". She asked for some of our selling points, and went to work. It sounded like a good idea at the time, but the professional image that the ad painted wasn't OUR image. It would have been great for a photography studio 30 years more "established" than we are, but it didn't say young, fresh, and fun like the rest of our stuff. Even a more amateurish ad that actually lined up with our studio personality would have worked better for us.
Final Thoughts
If you've found a way to advertise that brings in clients, stick with it. You don't have to try everything. It's OK not to make big mistakes like we did. For us, bridal shows, SEO, Facebook, and vendor networking are where we see results, so that's where we are continuing to invest time and money. You have got to find what works for your studio, and stick with the stuff that consistently brings new business.
Contributor Bio:
TJ and Larissa are passionate about the business of photography, and they have recently made it their goal to be named one of the top 10 wedding photographer teams in the world. They are located in Southern Illinois.
Website: http://www.larissaphotography.com/
+ Their photography education blog: http://www.larissaphotography.com/blog/


text:
Metering devices for use in single-line lubrication systems
LG-dosers are used in single-line lubrication applications. The doser group consists of a mounting rail with one or more dosers attached to it. Dosing modules and mounting rails are made of stainless steel.
Features and benefits:
- Two adjustable doser sizes are selectable by the used output quantity
- Manifold material: stainless steel AISI 303
- Compatible with for screw-in type fittings for dosers and manifolds
- Suitable for feed line ø 4 and 6 mm
Robust and reliable


text:
Mathfluent necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 210 diseños de 34 diseñadores freelance.
NYC Nerd Squad
We are a bunch of nerds (the real kind, not the pretend kind) that are starting a Math and Science specific tutoring company.
About us:
We truly enjoy tutoring, and we like seeing the improvement in our students. We also secretly want to create an army of new nerds.
We are passionate about our subjects - we are Ph.Ds, Mathematicians, Astrophysicists, Computer Scientists, etc.
We are engaging and we make learning fun - we only hire young, interesting professionals that are intelligent, energetic, and socially apt.
Our primary target audience will be College students, Graduate students and adults that are planning to return to College or pursue a graduate degree. We will also be working with middle school students looking to get into a top high school, and high school students that want a more personalized tutoring experience as an alternative to Kaplan/Princeton review-type organizations.
A scan of a preliminary sketch is attached - this hopefully gives more of a feeling of what we are looking for than a long description would.
The idea is: that we are true nerds, we can help you with your problems, but we are still cool.
We are open to new ideas, or a professional version of our logo.
We would like to have the logo in illustrator format if possible, as well as jpeg/png/whatever.
We would like a version for a website as well as a black/white version that we could post on a flyer.
We have never submitted a design proposal before - pardon our lack of industry lingo, and please feel free to ask us as many questions as you would like.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text:
The other day I made the unfortunate decision to spend almost an hour of my time watching a spectacle of consumer greed and conspicuous consumption on HGTV. This "special" hour-long festival of wealth and ridiculousness was called SELLING SPELLING MANOR . Yes, I admit it, I watched it.
The show is ostensibly about Candy Spelling and her 56,500 square foot home in Beverly Hills, and her struggle to emotionally detach from her ostentatious home. Having sold the "Manor" to some British heiress for 85 million bucks (65 million below her asking price), she has only 30 days to move out! Oh My!
But back to the important facts: yes, you read that right: 56,500 square feet. That's big enough to house 18 of Mitt Romney's 3009 square foot homes. Yes, 18. The average house in the United States, according to the National Association of Home Builders in 2009, is 2700 square feet. In 1970 it was 1700 square feet. My house is 1800 square feet, and often seems way too big for me.
The show is a spectacle of disturbing statistics and imagery. It is fascinating that anyone would ever actually construct such a monstrosity, in my view. Who fucking needs that much space? Who needs a bowling alley? A gift-wrapping room? A climate-controlled doll storage room? Not to mention the 17,000 square storage foot attic. (The attic space is NOT included in the 56,500 square feet of the Manor, by the way.) Anyway, I was just stunned at how much space this monstrosity actually has, and how anyone would ever think it was a good idea to create such a hulking and bourgeois display of wealth. What is the purpose?
Here is HGTV's description of the show:
Candy Spelling had just 30 days to move out after closing the sale on Spelling Manor, the 56,500-square-foot family home where she and television producer, the late Aaron Spelling, entertained presidents, royalty and Hollywood legends. Join us as Candy gives an exclusive tour of the mansion's more than 15 specialty areas, including a bowling alley; a billiard room; an arcade; a collector's gallery with more than 700 dolls; a projection room with a large-scale screen and full surround sound; a china room; a silver room with place settings for more than 50; a gift room with accompanying custom-designed gift-wrapping room; a design studio to capture photos of jewelry and other personal items for online auctions; and a collection fine-art originals, including one of the famous Dogs Playing Poker paintings.
At the end of this show I found out that there will be a second hour of SELLING SPELLING MANOR which will involve the trials and tribulations of Ms. Candy Spelling and the process of downsizing her possessions so that she can comfortably live in her new 16,000 square foot condo on Wilshire Boulevard.
Perhaps I'm being mean. Perhaps I should have sympathy for her struggles. But I don't. I think she is one of the most over-privileged humans I've ever seen, and her "struggles" are laughable in light of real problems suffered by people all over the world. Yes, I'm over-privileged too, in my own way. I'm not starving, nor do I lack for heat or comfort. I suppose we could all see Ms. Spelling's quandary as a lesson in mindless consumption and use it to reflect upon our own privileges. I'm still just disturbed that such domiciles exist. Think about it: her previous home, the 56,500 square foot structure, could easily have housed 25 families or more. What awesomeness would it have been if she had decided to make Spelling Manor a waystation for refugees, or a temporary shelter for victims of domestic violence, or even a place for stray dogs and cats? Why on earth does anyone need all that space to themselves? They don't.


text:
From SFGate's Mick LaSalle:
Who is the coolest woman of 2012? The above gallery is based on both your suggestions and additions from me. Feel free to nominate your own candidates or to choose one of the above. You can vote here, in the comments section, or e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com. The winner will be posted some time tomorrow.
If I were voting, I'd either go timely, with Lena Dunham, who has really had an anointing this year; or Hillary Clinton, who has emerged as probably the coolest woman in the world in the last few years; or Aung San Suu Kyi who has had a remarkable year and is a woman of great ongoing stature in the world. But those are just my opinions. This is not about moi, but vous. So you choose — and let everyone know about it.
Coming soon — So Not Cool: The Most Uncool of 2012.
And in case you missed it, here were the nominees for Coolest Man of 2012:


text:
American Family Owned & Operated for 4 Generations!
FREE SHIPPING On All Online Orders Over $250** In the Continental US **Exclusions Apply
Please note:
In the Archive, fabrics have a 15-yard minimum and prices are subject to change. Please allow extra delivery time for these items because all of them are special orders.
Note: Swatches are for color only; in some instances this will not be sufficient for seeing a full pattern, in which case you must order a one (1) yard cut at regular price.


text:
Republicans use health-care law in fight to derail immigration reform efforts
WASHINGTON -- After spending years unsuccessfully trying to overturn "Obamacare," Republicans are now attempting to use President Barack Obama's landmark health-care reform law to derail his top second-term initiative -- a sweeping overhaul of the nation's immigration system.
Conservatives in both chambers of Congress are insisting on measures that would expand the denial of public health benefits to the nation's 11 million illegal immigrants beyond limits set in a comprehensive reform bill pending in the Senate.
In the House, Republicans are considering proposals that would deny publicly subsidized emergency care to undocumented immigrants and force them to purchase private health insurance plans, without access to federal subsidies, as a requirement for earning permanent legal residency.
In the Senate, Marco Rubio, R-Fla., has endorsed an amendment to a comprehensive immigration bill he helped negotiate that would deny health benefits to immigrants for five years after they become legal residents -- two years after they would be eligible to become citizens under the legislation.
Some Republicans, eager to capitalize on public uncertainty about the complexities of the Affordable Care Act, are also casting the immigration legislation as a similarly unwieldy law.
The immigration bill "reminds me of a more recent piece of legislation: Obamacare," Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said on the Senate floor last week. "It grants broad new powers to the same executive branch that today is mired in scandal for incompetence and abuse of power. Total cost estimates are in the trillions. And rather than fix our current immigration problems, the bill makes many of them worse."
The insertion of the politics of health-care reform -- one of the most polarizing issues in Washington -- into the immigration debate threatens to split open the emerging bipartisan coalitions that are crucial to passing a bill.
This month, Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, blamed a standoff over health-care benefits for his decision to drop out of bipartisan talks with seven colleagues who were negotiating a House alternative to the Senate immigration proposal. That has forced House leaders to proceed with a series of smaller-scale proposals next week in lieu of a sweeping agreement.
"When I joined the group, I was told that the aliens would have to pay for their own health care," Labrador told Fox News. "Now that has changed. And I can't agree to all of the exceptions."
Frustrated Democrats argue that Republicans are picking a fight where one does not exist. In both chambers, Democrats say, they have agreed that illegal immigrants would not be eligible for public benefits -- including health-care subsidies and Medicaid -- as they embark on a path to permanent legal status, which would take at least 10 years under the Senate plan.
"We have said since day one . . . that undocumented people will not have access to subsidies in the Affordable Care Act," House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said last month. "Any thought that we want to do something different than that is simply not true. It is a bottom line. No need to even discuss it."
Under current law, illegal immigrants and legal residents of fewer than five years are mostly barred from receiving benefits under Medicaid, the joint state-federal health insurance program for the poor. That restriction does not apply to poor immigrants who show up at hospital emergency rooms, however.
While writing the Affordable Care Act, Congress sidestepped the dicey issue of illegal immigration by excluding unlawful immigrants from its provisions. That means that immigrants will not get government subsidies to help them buy private insurance plans, nor can they benefit from the law's expansion of Medicaid.
At the same time, however, they are exempted from the mandate, taking effect next year, that every person must carry health insurance or face a tax penalty.
Some Republicans think it would be unfair to exclude such immigrants from the insurance mandate. One proposal championed by Labrador, according to people familiar with the private House negotiations, would require illegal immigrants to purchase their own insurance, without access to federal health exchanges, as a prerequisite for citizenship.
Democrats argue that making the immigrants subject to the mandate could impose an insurmountable burden on them because of potentially hefty premiums that would not be offset by federal subsidies available to others. That burden could also discourage people from coming out of the shadows to apply for legal status, said Priscilla Huang, policy director for the nonpartisan Asian and Pacific Islander American Health Forum.
"If we want them to become citizens and fully integrated into their communities and our country, we should really treat them as such," Huang said.
Aides said Labrador simply wanted to include language in the House bill that would ensure that illegal immigrants were responsible for paying for their own care.
Other members of the immigration working group resisted out of fear that the language Labrador proposed would have meant that illegal immigrants with unpaid medical bills would not be eligible for permanent legal residency and could be deported, according to Democratic aides.
Jennifer Ng'andu, the director of health policy for the National Council of La Raza, said the true motive for some Republicans is unrelated to immigration reform. Rather, she said, it is to perpetuate "ideological warfare" against the Obamacare law.
In 2009, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted "you lie!" after Obama said, during his State of the Union address, that immigrants in the country illegally would not be eligible for federal health-care subsidies. Since the Affordable Care Act was narrowly approved a year later, the House GOP has voted to repeal it more than 30 times, symbolic gestures that had no chance of consideration in the Democratic-controlled Senate.
As the Obama administration has moved to sign up uninsured Americans by the October deadline, Republicans have sought to paint a picture of widespread confusion and chaos.
In a video message to constituents Friday, Rubio said that "Obamacare is bad for America" and that the health-care program "can never and will never work and may even contribute to bankrupting our country."
Last week, Rubio announced he would co-sponsor an amendment with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to mandate that undocumented immigrants cannot get access to public benefits until five years after they earn green cards signifying permanent legal status.
That would mean that, although such immigrants could be eligible for citizenship after 13 years, they would not be allowed to access the health subsidies for at least 15 years.
"The 13-year long pathway to citizenship will be hard enough," Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, said. "The restrictions on federal safety net programs make the pathway even more treacherous."


text:
Mac App Store.…
Crypt Mac App Store
Crypt on the Mac App Store.
About Crypt for the period of September.
Crypt is in the course of rewriting. This is why it remains unavailable on the Mac App Store. At its release, Crypt will have improvements as a better management of files and management of the passwords unless 8 characters. I wait for answers from Apple concerning the suite of this software.
For an release planned in the course of October…


text:
Welcome to F.I.E.L.D.- the First Ismaili Electronic Library and Database. Guests are not required to login during this beta-testing phase
2010-05-29 - globe_and_mail_front_page_saturday.JPG
Globe and Mail, Canada's largest and most trusted newspaper featured the Aga Khan on its Saturday Edition.
- Original
- Thumbnail
- Big-thumbnail
- Gal-thumbnail
- Small-thumbnail
- 24586 reads


text:
Isold Surname Ancestry Results
Our indexes 1000-1999 include entries for the spelling 'isold'. In the period you have requested, we have the following 2 records (displaying 1 to 2):
Try these...
ismonger ismongere ismongerer ismongereslane ismya isnard isnardi isnardi-bruno isne isnell isney isny isoard isobe isocke isod isode isoke isola isolani isolda isole isols isom ison ison' isonberg isonde isones isonhirst isonn isons isood isope isorph isot isote isott isotte isoud
These sample scans are from the original record. You will get scans of the full pages or articles where the surname you searched for has been found.
Your web browser may prevent the sample windows from opening; in this case please change your browser settings to allow pop-up windows from this site.
Want to be alerted about new results for this search?
Subscribe to this web feed
Research your ancestry, family history, genealogy and one-name study by direct access to original records and archives indexed by surname.


text:
By W.E.N.N Newsdesk
Justin Bieber was scolded by an airline stewardess on a flight to Melbourne at the weekend after misbehaving as the plane was preparing for take-off.
The teenage pop superstar is currently touring Australia with his My World shows and boarded a plane in Sydney on Sunday to fly to the next stop in Melbourne.
Bieber, 17, got in trouble with cabin crew when he allegedly ignored requests to sit down as the plane was taxiing out on the runway, prompting a female flight attendant to put him in his place.
The reported exchange was confirmed by Australian union boss Paul Howes, who was sitting behind Bieber on the flight.
He wrote in a series of posts on Twitter.com, "I was sitting right behind him… he did say sorry after being quite naughty… He was a little naughty but did apologize and the flight attendant wasn't out of order."


text:
A change to the way funding for the Florida Virtual School is calculated passed a pair of House committees Wednesday, despite criticisms that the changes would deeply reduce funding for the online institution.
TALLAHASSEE --- A change to the way funding for the Florida Virtual School is calculated passed a pair of House committees Wednesday, despite criticisms that the changes would deeply reduce funding for the online institution.
Coupled with a change to the requirements out-of-state providers have to meet in order to provide online education in Florida, the revision of the funding formula for the 16-year-old program could open it up to new competition by making it a less financially attractive partner for public school systems.
In a budget-related bill that passed the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee (PCB EDAS 13-01) and an online education measure that passed the House Education Committee (HB 7029), lawmakers essentially did away with an incentive for public schools to work with the virtual school.
Currently, a school district and the Florida Virtual School each get roughly one-sixth of the cost of educating a student for each online course that student takes. Under the new legislation, the public school and the Florida Virtual School would split one-seventh of the cost.
The change would in many ways bring the virtual school closer to its online competitors, who must split one-sixth of the cost, and would split one-seventh under the new bill, with public schools.
But the virtual school says that would slice its funding by 14 percent per course and exacerbate a situation that already sees the virtual school get less per student than public schools receive, according to supporters. Suzanne Martin, a member of the virtual school's board of trustees, said the move would particularly hurt rural students who might not have access at their traditional school for advanced programs offered by the online program.
"This anti-choice, anti-opportunity language hits rural students in a familiar place," Martin said. "They know what it is to have stumbling blocks placed before them. ... Please don't throw another stumbling block in their way with this bill."
Rep. Erik Fresen, the Miami Republican who chairs the education funding committee, said the House proposal was distinct from the budget proposed by the Senate and Gov. Rick Scott because it doesn't technically slice per-student funding.
And other supporters of the change, including lobbyists for competitors, said the new funding formula would simply make the school compete.
"Of course Florida Virtual doesn't want this bill, because it levels the playing field," said Ron Book, lobbying for VSCHOOLZ, Inc., an online education company owned by H. Wayne Huizenga Holdings.
The budget bill passed the funding subcommittee unanimously; HB 7029 was approved by the House Education Committee on a party-line vote. Democrats on that panel also complained about removing the requirement that out-of-state companies have an office in Florida.
Rep. Carl Zimmerman, D-Palm Harbor, encouraged the committee to consider offsetting the advantage of Florida Virtual School by coming up with additional funding for other providers.
"I'm actually in support of the idea of leveling the playing field for other online schools, but not at the expense of gutting public schools or Florida Virtual School," Zimmerman said.
But Republicans were also pointing to a side effect of the change: Fresen said it "unwittingly actually allowed for more money in the FEFP,." the basic overall school funding formula.
That brought cheers from Scott, who said it would allow the House to take up his call for higher pay for state teachers.
"Our teachers have a proven track record of delivering results for students, and they are educating future generations of Florida workers," Scott said in a statement issued by his office. "This is a terrific step forward in our effort to ensure all Florida public classroom teachers get a $2,500 pay raise."
Fresen said the House was still working on the details of its teacher pay increase. House leaders have indicated they would prefer performance-based raises as compared to Scott's across-the-board approach.


text:
What's that you're doing, Mr. Elzer?
Eduard Elzer, 54,
aviation technician
has been with Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg for 18 years
"I'm repairing a load-bearing section of an aircraft engine called the turbine rear frame. I mill out potentially damaged parts and weld in new studs. This is routine work for the most part. Engines, along with their various components, are overhauled every four years. I'm a qualified welding specialist for engine cowlings, for which I had to familiarize myself with various welding techniques and various different materials. We rarely weld regular steel. Instead, we use various different methods and different nickel, cobalt and titanium alloys, depending on the component. Every alloy has its own melting point, reacts differently and requires specialist know-how. So once the damage has been repaired, we put the part through a series of technical tests – x-ray it, for example – just to make sure."


text:
If you're looking for a new film including only the top rated riders out there whom you always see on TV, read no longer! This new film shows you the most stylish and yet so under-rated riders out there who will be taking their spot soon. The double-disc set titled It's Whatever is the latest work produced by Austin-based company Under360 as a result of their sophomore effort. The 2 Disc set features a DVD for both wakeskating and wakeboarding, all while being jam-packed with intense footage of the best talent in Texas. The box set captures the riding of Mitch Bergsma, Tom Fooshee, Gabe Lucas, Evan Lykes, Bret Little and many more.
What's in this DVD? Cables, rails, winches, wakes, boards, skates... It's Whatever.
Thanks to Tige Boats, Boardstop, Boardflix, CWB, and Texas Ski Ranch, "It's Whatever" is being distributed worldwide by Sidewayz Films.
Other Features:
Click here for the trailer
Featured Riders
Buy the Under360 - It's Whatever 2 Disc - DVD Now At Boardstop


text:
By David Barron
Rockets games will air this fall on Clear Channel Media & Entertainment's KBME (790 AM), establishing the team as the lead presence on its new flagship station and giving it a piece of the action on Clear Channel's other local stations.
The new four-year agreement, which begins with coverage of the NBA draft Thursday night from Toyota Center, ends the Rockets' 10-year association with CBS Radio's KILT (610 AM), which now brands significant parts of its schedule as "Texans Radio."
However, Rockets president Tad Brown said the move involved more than a desire to be the lead pro franchise on its flagship station.
"The opportunity to brand 790 as 'Rockets Radio' is important, but it is just part of the overall voice that we will be able to deliver," Brown said. "(KBME) is the centerpiece, but it's all the other stations in the cluster that make this intriguing and enable us to reach as many fans as possible."
Spanning Clear Channel
All Rockets games will air on 790 AM. Saturday games will air on Clear Channel's KODA (99.1 FM), and some weekend games will air on KTRH (740 AM) when they do not conflict with Astros games.
Programs featuring players, coaches and management also will air on KBME and on other Clear Channel stations.
Eddie Martiny, Clear Channel Houston's president and market manager, said the team and the station will benefit from the agreement.
"It's a good deal for the Rockets, and it's a good deal for us if we can take the loyal Rockets listeners from 610 and convert them to 790," Martiny said. "That's a big win for us. And I think the Rockets will enjoy being the (leading) professional franchise on KBME."
At KILT, program director Gavin Spittle said, "We are so thankful to everyone in the Rockets' organization for the long-term partnership and many of the relationships that we have formed and will continue to share. We can't thank them enough and look forward to partnering up with them in different capacities."
Goodbye to KILT
Brown acknowledged the Texans now have the most prominent position on KILT but said that had no bearing on the decision to align with Clear Channel, which also owns KPRC (950 AM), KTBZ (94.5 FM) and KKRW (93.7 FM).
"We've had a great relationship with CBS," Brown said. "We thank them for everything they have done. … We felt that going forward with 790 and Clear Channel is a better option for us."
KBME will be the fifth station to air Rockets games. KPRC aired games from 1970-76, 1981-85 and 1998-2002; KXYZ (1320 AM) was the flagship from 1976-78; and KTRH aired games from 1978-81 and from 1985-98.
Craig Ackerman and Joel Blank will continue as the Rockets' game announcers.


text: While scanning family photos, my aunt and I came across this Halloween class photo (my mom is in the back row, 6th from the left, wearing a bonnet and glasses; I think she's either a pilgrim or a nurse). This would have been circa 1955. I find the masks to her left completely terrifying. Some of the costumes remind me of the Halloween scenes from the movie version of To Kill a Mockingbird.


text:
NEW YORK – Cab drivers caught willingly transporting sex trafficking victims could face a fine of $10,000 and have their license automatically revoked under legislation passed by the City Council today.
The legislation passed at the Council's stated meeting also calls on the Taxi and Limousine Commission to develop a program to educate city-licensed drivers on laws prohibiting the use of taxis for trafficking.
"We are recognizing in this legislation the unconscionable and cruel role that taxi drivers and livery drivers are playing in this brutal attack that keeps people trapped, takes their lives away from them," Council Speak Christine Quinn said at a news conference before the legislation was passed.
Advocates for victims of sex trafficking said the legislation targets both traffickers and demand.
"Taxi drivers and livery drivers are often middlemen between trafficked people and the customers that create the demand," said Sonia Ossorio, president of National Organization of Women New York City.
Currently, city-licensed taxi drivers could face a hearing if they commit a sex trafficking crime.
TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg said the agency was working with the Council to develop the educational component of the legislation. "The TLC will develop the most effective, and most cost-effective, program possible once the bill becomes law," he said.
In April, Manhattan prosecutors charged a father and his son with running a sex-trafficking ring, with livery cab drivers transporting prostitutes and arranging meetings with clients. The father and son, who have pleaded not guilty, were accused of threatening violence against the women for being late or failing to meet quotas.
Advocates said the case had highlighted the problem of livery drivers aiding sex trafficking.
Dorchen Leidholt, the legal director of Sanctuary for Families, a leading nonprofit that helps victims of domestic violence and sex trafficking, said a growing number of its clients had been "victimized not only by their traffickers but by drivers who were driving them from customer to customer, taking half the money that was earned and working very closely with the traffickers."
Bharavai Desai, the executive director of the Taxi Workers Alliance, said unlicensed cab drivers were most often linked to such crimes.
"There is no iota of evidence linking yellow medallion taxi cabs to sex trafficking," she said. "They are scapegoating our name. The City Council should address the issue but not scapegoat or link illegal services to legal services."
The Council also passed a resolution, created by 23 council members, that strongly recommends that the state Legislature pass the Trafficking Victims Protection and Justice Act. If passed, the bill would amend a 2007 anti-trafficking law that the Council resolution says does not go far enough.
The bill would remove the need for prosecutors to prove that underage victims of trafficking were coerced into prostitution; elevate penalties for patronizing underage prostitutes to the level of statutory rape; and require that anyone under 18 arrested for a prostitution offense be tried in family court rather than criminal court.


text:
Welcome to Moneytalkies.com It is the source of customers' trust and .sharing reliable information about banking sectors around the world. We provide all banks customer care number, customer support number, customer toll free number customer service number including all branches around the world. Money talkies directly guide you all suitable customer care information's in a single page without much effort from us with relevant updated contact numbers by saving your time. Click or touch on the respective bank categories scroll down our page to the appropriate bank details you are looking for.
Once you seen your related bank and its customer care number you can ask your queries like account & deposit, Credit & Debit card,Loans,Investment,mutual fund,insurance,forex trading, internet banking ,mobile banking,demat accounts,
We have made sincere efforts to list as all branch details of the banks world over as we can. Money talkies provided here are most reliable info and will help you get all the facts about the banks customer care numbers of the world. . However, if you do not find the customer care number of the bank that you are looking for, and then use the feedback link at the bottom of this page to apprise us of the same.
Are you looking for Key Bank 24/7 Customer Service Phone Numbers, Key Bank 24/7 Customer Service Toll Free Number, opening hours, routing numbers, common customer complaints, available accounts, customer service number & branch locations, or other business related information about Key Bank 24/7 in USA.Below I List out all the information for who is the customer of Key Bank.


text:
The PVR-1530SM uses a proprietary technology that provides a very low drift and low noise +3.00 Volts precision Voltage Reference thatreference. It can operates from a minimum of 3.1 Volts up to a maximum of 5.5 volts input voltages. This reference is one in a family of precision voltage references from DATEL that ranges from 1.024 to 5.0 output volts and has a very low voltage drift coefficient of 15PPM/°C maximum over temperature.This low TC drift along with the precision initial accuracy of 1.0mV max makes the PVR-1530SM the reference of choice for precision data acquisition applications. DATEL offers this converter in a small low cost tiny SOT-23 plastic package fully tested over the operating temperature of -55°C to +125°C with ATE results recorded and stored. The PVR-1530SM is a low cost enhanced Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) devices and is the best choice for Ruggedized, Military, Avionics, Aerospace and Medical applications that does not require Hermetic or full MIL-Standard 883 products.
Products : Custom Design & Solutions | Electronic Imaging | Sampling A/D Converters | Multi-Channel Complete | Data Acquisition | Sample/Hold Amplifiers | CMOS Flash A/D | Digital-to-Analog Converters | Multiplexers | |DC-DC Converters | Non-Isolated POL Series | Switching Regulators | 1x1, A-Series | 24-Pin DIP, TF Series | Sixteenth-Brick DC-DC Converters | Eighth-Brick DC-DC Converters | Quarter-Brick DC-DC Converters | Half-Brick DC-DC Converters | Full-Brick DC-DC Converters | Railway DC-DC Converters
| Solutions | Support | Contact | About
© DATEL is a registered trademark of DATEL, Inc. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Suppliers Terms & Conditions |Site Map


text:
Click me to visit!
i would like a sloth t shirt!email me when ur shop is up!keep it up!
Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:
You are commenting using your WordPress.com account.
( Log Out /
Change )
You are commenting using your Google account.
( Log Out /
Change )
You are commenting using your Twitter account.
( Log Out /
Change )
You are commenting using your Facebook account.
( Log Out /
Change )
Connecting to %s
Notify me of new comments via email.
Notify me of new posts via email.
Click an ugly walrus to visit www.jojonorris.com
Hi! My name is Jojo Norris and I'm a Freelance Illustrator currently living in Nottingham!
Umbrellas, ketchup, pretty pens and ugly marine mammals are a few of my favourite things.
I'm available for commission opportunites and I'd love to hear from you with any questions or if you just want to say hello!
You can contact me at email@example.com
All of the work found on my blog or connected websites is protected by copyright. Thanks!
© Jojo Norris 2012
All rights reserved.
Balach Na Bonaid (Click to visit!)
Click to visit QH!
Go on, Like me!
Visit my Etsy shop!
Click to visit Unleashed!
Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.
Sign me up!
Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.


text:
Online Store
Our online store is now live!
Shop your favorite Ligne Roset collection from the comfort of your own home, while enjoying our high-end service and dedicated follow up.
Welcome to Ligne Roset News. Your resource for events and features on Design trends, products and creators.
Ligne Roset
Ligne Roset is synonymous with modern luxury and invites consumers to revel in a contemporary, design-forward lifestyle.
Quick Ship
A selection of products available in North America within a two week delivery time.Download PDF


text:
Today is day 4 of our Harvest of Memories Sale here at DesignerDigitals. Our Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving Products and more are marked down 30% excluding new releases which are 20% off, now through Friday, October 25th at 6am EST. The new $ 99 cent item will be at that price until 6am EST on Wednesday morning.
Today's $ 99 cent special is: Black, Creme and Red Kit


text:
|Main Screen
For those of you who didn't read that post, in short, Linux Mint Xfce is now Debian-based instead of Ubuntu-based. The developers had a few things to say about this: (1) the desktop will be faster and lighter on resources (114 MB of RAM at idle, 177 MB of RAM with Mozilla Firefox, LibreOffice Writer, and LibreOffice Calc open all at the same time), (2) the Xfce edition will now include more mainstream applications like Rhythmbox instead of Exaile, and (3) the Xfce edition, being based on Debian Testing, will be a rolling-release branch. All these things sounded very exciting to me, so I decided to try it out.
Please do note that I have been using Linux Mint for almost 2 years now. I've become quite fond of it, so while I will try to be as critical as possible, don't be surprised if some elements of bias creep into this review.
I tried out the live session on a live USB made with UnetBootin, which is surprising to me because past versions of Linux Mint "Debian" as well as #! (since its switch to a Debian base) haven't worked with UnetBootin. I tried out the installation, just to see if anything has changed since the last version of Linux Mint "Debian" that I've tried, in VirtualBox inside the live USB session with 384 MB of RAM allocated to the guest OS. Follow the jump to see what it's like.
After changing the BIOS to boot from USB and getting past the boot menu, there were about 10 seconds of scrolling text, followed by the desktop; there was no boot splash because the Linux Mint developers have not been able to port the Plymouth boot splash program to the Debian base (though the #! developers have).
The desktop looks virtually indistinguishable from Linux Mint 10 "Julia" GNOME, save for two key differences. The first is that the desktop icons are a bit smaller and have shaded labels, in classic Xfce style; to me, that feels a bit dated, so I would prefer that the labels had no shading in order to make it look even more like the standard edition. The second is with the volume panel applet: for one, it uses the regular Xfce icon instead of the Mint-X themed icon, and for another, clicking on it doesn't bring up a handy applet box but brings up the whole PulseAudio configuration window, which I feel is less polished and more unwieldy when doing simple things like changing the volume. This also ties into the fact that the panel notifications, while perfectly functional, don't look quite as slick as in the standard edition. One nice thing about the panel is that the inactive task buttons in the task manager blend seamlessly with the rest of the panel; that doesn't happen in GNOME, so this is a nice touch. Finally, on a side note, Xfce is still at version 4.6; although version 4.8 was released with many improvements to the panel and other components in January, it still isn't present in the Debian Testing repositories which Linux Mint Xfce uses.
|Mozilla Firefox + Gedit
LibreOffice is included as well, which is very good. F-Spot is the default photo manager, but although I know Linux Mint Xfce "isn't 'trying' to be lightweight anymore," in the words of the developers, I feel like F-Spot is just too slow and bloated for its own good. It should really be replaced by Shotwell, which has almost identical features yet is much faster. The rest of the software selection is fairly standard, as it was meant to be, according to the developers.
Going back to the panel, the menu present is the standard Xfce menu, but the Mint Menu can be added to the panel. It does, however, consume a little bit more RAM, and it's clear that that it was designed for GNOME. For one, there are some gaps in the "Places" and "System" section that could have been better filled in. For another, there are some menu entries in subsections of the "Applications" section that correspond to programs that don't exist; for example, there's a menu entry for "Keyboard Shortcuts", but that tool isn't included at all in Linux Mint Xfce. Otherwise, the Mint Menu works as it does in the standard edition, but I hope the developers polish (and maybe even optimize) it a bit more for the Xfce edition; I know it isn't the default menu, but it is included and advertised in the release announcement, so I think it deserves more attention.
At this point, I went on to install Skype. I had a feeling that I would eventually need to go to the Skype website to get the Skype DEB for Debian 5 "Lenny" (as they don't have one out for Debian 6 "Squeeze" yet), but just to be sure, I went to the Mint Software Manager to find it there. To my surprise, it was there! To my slightly further surprise, it was the Ubuntu package, and it's not the only Ubuntu package included in the repositories for Debian-based Linux Mint. I was a little apprehensive that using a package built for Ubuntu might not work correctly on Debian. However, considering that the last time I tried Linux Mint "Debian" GNOME on my computer and on someone else's computer Skype failed to recognize the integrated laptop mic and vertically flipped the integrated laptop webcam's image, I figured I should try again now to see if anything has changed. To my even greater surprise, everything worked flawlessly! Yay!
In terms of desktop effects, Compiz is of course not available out-of-the-box, but Xfwm has some nice tricks up its sleeve in terms of compositing. In keeping with the focus on light weight, there's of course no desktop cube or anything like that, but there are very nice transparency effects of all kinds.
One of the things the Linux Mint developers have touted in this new Xfce edition is its low memory consumption. You can read the figures they quote with this link. I tried similar sets of tasks to test RAM consumption, and unfortunately, the results weren't quite as awesome. It used 140 MB of RAM at idle, 212 MB of RAM with Gedit and Mozilla Firefox open to YouTube running, an additional 35 MB of RAM (247 MB total) with LibreOffice Writer running on top of those, an additional 53 MB of RAM (300 MB total) with Skype and Xfwm compositing running on top of all that, and an additional 14 MB of RAM (314 MB total) with the Linux Mint Menu running instead of the Xfce menu. The only bright spot is that the Linux Mint Menu used even less memory than advertised, even with transparency turned on. Unfortunately, while that is certainly lighter on RAM than Linux Mint 10 "Julia" GNOME, it isn't lighter than the last snapshot of Linux Mint "Debian" GNOME that I tried out.
To conclude, I was honestly expecting to write a more positive review. Yes, Linux Mint Xfce is amazing and still has that same great Linux Mint feel to it. Yes, I would highly recommend it for anyone to use. But there were several small issues that combined into two moderately big (though definitely not show-stopping) issues for me. The first is the question of RAM usage; I couldn't get quite as low RAM usage as the developers, and although the RAM usage is pretty good in any case and better than the Ubuntu-based main edition, it isn't better than Debian-based Linux Mint GNOME. The second is the issue of general polish; things like the Mint Menu issues, desktop icon label shading, volume control behavior and keyboard shortcuts, and panel applet notifications could be easily made to better emulate the GNOME edition. Yes, I know this is Xfce, and if the developers hadn't said much else, I would have gone into this with a more open mind, ready to take whatever Xfce had to throw at me. The problem is that in their statements in the release announcement, the developers, intentionally or not, gave me the impression that as the Xfce edition is trying to be more mainstream yet a little better-performing at the same time than the Ubuntu- and Debian-based GNOME editions, the Xfce edition should act almost identically to the GNOME editions, even down to the smallest details. For the most part, the Xfce edition did do that, but this sort of reminds me of the supposed "uncanny valley" in robotics: people are supposedly fine with robots that are almost identical in appearance and behavior to humans and are excited by the opposite, but when robots look and act a lot like humans but have numerous small details that give them away, people's excitement turns to revulsion. In a sense, a similar thing has happened with me here: if the Xfce edition was either clearly Xfce or identical to GNOME, I would have been fine with it, but its numerous small annoyances that aren't present in the GNOME edition sort of put me off. In the end, it's a great distribution in its own right, but its biggest competition comes from the Debian-based Linux Mint GNOME, and I can't justify using this over that.
You can check it out for yourself by following the link from a few paragraphs above that links to the release announcement on the official Linux Mint blog; that post contains links to download mirrors, direct downloads, and torrent downloads.


text:
How to get into a Business degree?
So, you have decided to take up a business degree. What then should you know and learn prior to enrolling into one? Of course, first and foremost, you would be required to possess the required qualifications. In most cases, students would need to come through with a pre-university level certification.
Bachelors in Business Administration
If you are looking for a generic business qualification, then it is essential and appropriate that you enroll into a business administration course. To say the least, the name itself suggests that this is predominantly one which deals in all the major areas of business and commerce.
This is one course which educates you on areas like operations and the dynamics of every aspect of a particular business. From marketing to sales, budgeting and costing, you will learn all the various areas from its fundamentals to the advanced levels.
Bachelors in Marketing
The most important thing about a degree in Marketing is that this is one area of business which is vastly different from selling. While both the disciplines are part and parcel of a business and remains as one of the most important departments, you must be able to distinguish one from another because although similar, they are not the same.
Essentially, marketing involves all major areas of promotions and such and this course definitely do not teach you how to sell a product or service. In fact, it teaches you on how to strategize your selling campaigns.
Degree in the Business stream
From the Information Technology stream, we move on to the Business stream where you will be able to know more about all the different choices made available to you through taking up a degree in business. Known to be one of the oldest courses being offered in most universities around the world, Business degrees too are also one of the most widely offered ones as well. This is where you will be able to choose the many areas of the commerce industry which you can excel in and make a living out of it.