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In this new original series from Somethin' Else, Claudia Winkleman and Professor Tanya Byron identify struggles faced by real-life parents and family members by inviting them in and hearing their story, in a one-time unscripted session with a real person. Claudia listens in to the conversation to discover how Tanya begins to unlock the story behind the issue and help find solutions.
With topics ranging from parental estrangement, gender identity, domestic violence, trauma, inheriting mental health issues, family dynamics after cancer and raising a severely disabled daughter, How Did We Get Here? is a passionate, insightful and moving experience with clear outcomes to each episode.
This podcast doesn't tell people how to raise their children, or reconnect with family members, rather it helps people understand why, as perfectly competent adults, they can't put into practice what they know they should do.
Each episode passes on useful links and contacts which listeners can find in the programme notes.
This is a Somethin' Else production.
Jason Weiser tells stories from myths, legends, and folklore that have shaped cultures throughout history. Some, like the stories of Aladdin, King Arthur, and Hercules are stories you think you know, but with surprising origins. Others are stories you might not have heard, but really should. All the stories are sourced from world folklore, but retold for modern ears.
These are stories of wizards, knights, Vikings, dragons, princesses, and kings from the time when the world beyond the map was a dangerous and wonderful place.
Download the latest documentaries investigating global developments, issues and affairs.
The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it's made inaccessible and complicated by so many.
I've always thought what is complicated is rarely important and what is important is rarely complicated.
That will be our motto.
Every week we are going to tease out some big economic or political issue facing us, not just here in Ireland but in Europe and further afield. Globalisation has brought us all together. We all face similar challenges whether you live in Dublin, London, Minnesota or Milan.
If you would like to support the show, please consider becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/DavidMcWilliams
David Edmonds (Uehiro Centre, Oxford University) and Nigel Warburton (freelance philosopher/writer) interview top philosophers on a wide range of topics. Two books based on the series have been published by Oxford University Press. We are currently self-funding - donations very welcome via our website http://www.philosophybites.com
From Altruism to Wittgenstein, philosophers, theories and key themes.
Welcome to The Edge, a show that aims to explore the unique talent and occasional darkness that drives elite performance in the worlds of sport, politics and music. Hosted by professional footballer Joey Barton, each episode will explore the stories, successes and failures behind some of the biggest names in country as we peel back the layers of their psyche to better understand what pushes them to - and sometimes beyond - The Edge.
Undr the Cosh is a podcast with Ex and current footballers presented by Jon 'the Beast' Parkin, Chris ' Browny' Brown and award-winning writer Chris Brown
Imagine if your Dad wrote a dirty book. Most people would try to ignore it and pretend it had never happened - but not Jamie Morton. Instead, he's decided to read it to the world in this award-winning comedy podcast. With the help of his friends, James Cooper and BBC Radio 1's Alice Levine, Jamie will be reading a chapter a week and discovering more about his father than he ever bargained for.
From social media to homelessness, James and Brad from The Vamps exchange guitars for microphones in the hunt for a deeper understanding of important issues. Produced by @entalehq.
Each week Giles Coren finds himself with no idea what to write about in his weekly column. Having read all the papers and found nothing of interest whatsoever, he takes a break and does the school run. That's where his wife and fellow journalist Esther Walker comes in. Upon his return, Esther has half a dozen ideas she's spotted ready to knock around with him over the kitchen table and a much needed pot of coffee.
You can read Giles in The Times here; https://www.thetimes.co.uk/profile/giles-coren
And subscribe to The Times and Sunday Times here; https://www.thetimes.co.uk/subscribe
Is it possible for an American Vice President to carry out a criminal enterprise inside the White House and have nobody remember? To have one of the most brazen political bribery scandals in American history play out before the country while nobody's paying attention? In her first original podcast, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow goes back 45 years to dig into a story that got overshadowed in its day. There's intrigue. Corruption. Envelopes of cash delivered to the White House. It's a story that's not well known, but it probably should be. Especially today. Bag Man. A Rachel Maddow podcast from MSNBC. Launching October 30th. Subscribe now.
The Economist was founded in 1843 "to throw white light on the subjects within its range". For more from The Economist visit http://shop.economist.com/collections/audio
The Football Daft Podcast with Ewen Cameron and Grado.
A dafter look at Scottish Football, packed with banter & laughter!
One of the world's top food critics lunches big names in a restaurant of his choosing. Crackling anecdotes and blistering chat, lubricated by killer cooking. A Somethin' Else / Jay Rayner production.
Podcast touching an array of topics leaving you with achiveable marching orders or a "CHECKLIST" . Featuring Discovery channels Heavy D from the hit show Diesel brothers, BIG Marcus Wing, friends and Guests.
A new podcast from Theo Von and Brendan Schaub
Simon Mayo and Matt Williams invite the world's finest authors in for a chat. Plus the best unpublished work and your reviews.
It is one of Scotland's most notorious unsolved crimes.
The murder of a young and talented scientist working in Aberdeen during the height of the oil boom stunned the nation. And 41 years later cops are still hunting for her killer.
Now, Scottish Sun journalist Ruth Warrander returns to the city she grew up in to investigate the mysterious case steeped in secrets, sex and scandal in a new podcast called Black Gold: Who Killed Doctor Brenda Page?
Reporter - Black Gold is the new true crime series from Wireless Studios
More information can be found at our website; reporterpodcast.com
Follow us;
Twitter @reporter_pod
The BHP is a chronological retelling of the history of Britain with a particular focus upon the lives of the people. You won't find a dry recounting of dates and battles here, but instead you'll learn about who these people were and how their desires, fears, and flaws shaped the histories of England, Scotland, and Wales.
- Se mer


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Extension celebrates master gardners
Lenoir County Cooperative Extension celebrated the volunteer service of local Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. Approximately 40 people were present for the celebration and enjoyed an evening of fellowship and good food.
The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program began in Lenoir County in 1991 with nine volunteers. Over the years more than 120 men and women have been trained in the program and thousands of volunteer hours have been given.
Training is required to become a Master Gardener Volunteer. Classes include a broad spectrum of horticulture topics that are based on research information. Master Gardener Volunteers share the knowledge gained in the training sessions with other gardeners in the community. Their efforts multiply the capabilities of county horticulture agents.
At the celebration congratulations were extended to four individuals who have completed the 2013 Master Gardener Training Class and received certificates for completion of the training. This group, including Margaret Butler, Ann Telford and Betty Young-Massamba is beginning to volunteer as a part of the program.
Also recognized with certificates were 28 Extension Master Gardener Volunteers who have been working in the program for as many as 20 years. The volunteer time given was noted for: Mary Chapman, Pat Sargeant, Marvel Turik, Pat Bizzell, Rachel Edwards, Bill Fox, Fran Dickerson, Max Kasselt, Jo Carroll, Russell Power, Ashley Dickerson, Cynthia Ramsay-Rhone, Dudley Dean, Earl Forehand, Judy Harris, Lottie Huntsman, Cathy Reese, Anne Ruggiero, Don Baker, Marjorie Suggs, Larry Bell, Georgia Ormond, JoAnne Poirier, Kim West, Barbara Baker, Pat Grady, Edna Jones and Pat Jones.
Bill Fox, a Master Gardener since 2001, received special recognition for volunteering the most hours in 2013. He was also given a pin for having contributed over 1,000 hours of volunteer time as a part of the program. Others given pins for contributing over 1,000 hours were James Dean, Fran Dickerson and Mary Chapman. Service pins were presented to Don Baker, Pat Sargeant and Marvel Turik for 500 volunteer hours. Also given special recognition was Pat Grady for the highest number of education hours.
Pins were given for five years of time to James Dean, Ashley Dickerson, Earl Forehand, Judy Harris, Lottie Huntsman, Cynthia Ramsey-Rhone, Cathy Reese and Anne Rugiero. Service pins for 10 years were given to Pat Bizzell, Jo Carroll, Fran Dickerson, Rachel Edwards, Russell Power and Bill Fox. Three volunteers were recognized with 20-year service pins: Mary Chapman, Pat Sargeant and Marvel Turik.
Putting a dollar value for volunteer time given, the value of this horticulture education program for 2013 is more than $30,000 to the county. Contact the Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Office to find out more about the Extension Master Gardener Program.
Peg Godwin is horticulture agent, Lenoir County Cooperative Extension Center, 1791 N.C. 11/55, Kinston, NC 28504. Reach her at 252-527-2191 or email@example.com or 252-527-2191.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jesse Eisenberg confesses he was nervous to real-world "Friend" Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg – and he's glad "Saturday Night Live" made the experience even more unusual.
"I was nervous to meet him," admitted the Oscar-nominated actor, who played Zuckerberg in "The Social Network," while attending the Academy Award nominees luncheon on Monday. "I spent a year-and-a-half thinking about him, and I was watching him every day and listening to him on my iPod on my way to work, taking fencing lessons because he fenced in high school…"
"I built up this great anticipation of how it would be like to meet him," added Eisenberg. "We met under circumstances which were a lot more anxiety producing: on live television together, so I think in a strange way it was probably best to meet under even more strange circumstances."
U.S. & World
The actor said he thinks that regardless of concerns Zuckerberg and his multibillion-dollar venture may have had about "The Social Network" depicting the company's behind-the-scenes dramas, in the end Facebook has benefitted.
"I'm sure the company was a little bit nervous about the movie, and I think it has ultimately been good for them," said Eisenberg. "In countries where Facebook is second to the local networking site, our movie has actually boosted Facebook's popularity in that country. In some ways it has been a really positive thing for them, and the fact that Mark has been so gracious about something that I imagine is uncomfortable is wonderful. The fact that he agreed to do 'Saturday Night Live,' to do something so silly and be willing to make fun of himself, is so sweet and generous. It's the best possible way to handle something that could otherwise be very uncomfortable."
Despite being thrilled about his Oscar nomination, Eisenberg said he's feeling a little uncomfortable himself while making the awards circuit rounds. "I feel like when I was 13 and I had to go to bar mitzvahs every weekend – you have to put on a suit every weekend to go meet with a bunch of Jews," he joked, noting the pressures of rubbing elbows with some of his more venerated fellow nominees.
"I have this general sense of feeling like I don't belong, even though I've talked to some other people that very much belong and they have the same feeling," he said. "I think it's a room full of insecure actors, which is ultimately very comforting."


text: No recent wiki edits to this page. In most RPG's, NPC's serve as the quest givers or shopkeepers for the game world. They can also take on the role of AI-controlled party members, and are commonly there to propel the story or mission forward.NPCs were made popular in the 70's with the creation of Dungeon and Dragons. These characters were added to allow the Game Master (GM) the ability to interact with the player characters. This led the video game industry to borrow from this idea to have the developers create NPCs where they needed to move the story along by interacting with the player on a more dynamic basis.


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Home > Health & Beauty > Beauty > Makeup > Waterproof Simple Cosmetic Makeup Travel Bag Pouch Zipper Pencil Pen Case-Orange
Product Details
This fashionable and lovely waterproof cosmetic bag make up bag great and convenient in daily and travel use. This cosmetic travel bag can also be a purse, cell phone, pencil pen case. Best gift for yourself and your friends!
- High quality and brand new
- With Waterproof material and great size, it is perfect for both home and travel use
- Ideal for cosmetic, purse, cell phone, pencil pen case , etc.
- Closure: Zipper
- Material: Waterproof Nylon
- Color: Orange
- Upper Length: Approx. 8.4 inch / 21.5 cm
- Lower Length: Approx. 6.5 inch / 16.5 cm
- Bottom Width: Approx. 3.1 inch / 8 cm
- Depth: Approx. 5.1 inch / 13 cm
Package Includes:
- 1 x cosmetic bag
Note: Since the size above is measured by hand, the size of the actual item you received could be slightly different from the size above. Meanwhile, please be reminded that due to lighting effects, monitor's brightness / contrast settings etc, there could be some slight differences in the color tone of the pictures and the actual item.
Related Tags


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The objective of the APAN Fellowship Program is to promote "Global Collaboration" through applicants participation in APAN meetings which are held twice yearly. It is hoped that the meeting would provide them with the right environment to network with other researchers. It is also intended that the participants will promote Global Collaboration among their local community after the meeting.
Fellowships are offered on a competitive basis and to be chosen from participating economies in APAN. Specifically, students (graduates and undergraduates) are encouraged to apply, although young researchers may be accorded sponsorship. Applicants whose papers are accepted for presentations will have favored status. A short note from the candidate on his/her "Motivation to Participate" may also help the reviewers in their final selection. Due to the large number of declines at the last minute owing to unavailability of airfare, it is necessary to prove that the applicant has support for airfare at the time of application.
Eligibility Criteria
1. Candidate should be a citizen of an economy in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. Candidate should not be more than 35 years of age as on the last date of receipt of his or her application.
3. Candidate must belong to a University, Research & Development organization, or a Non-Profit organization.
4. Candidate must have support for airfare.
Application Procedure
To apply for fellowship, please complete and submit the online application form. Please ensure that you can secure an airfare before making the application. Also note the time frames for applying for visas. You should upload a scanned copy of the official support letter for airfare with the application. Should you be personally bearing the airfare, you may be required to submit your ticket at the time of confirmation.
Applications involving paper presentations will be given preference. Applications sent through other means will not be considered. Online application will close at the midnight GMT of the deadline.
Selection Procedure and the Sequence of Events
Applications will be screened and short listed candidates will be invited to join the meeting. Successful applicants will be registered by the APAN Secretariat using the details provided in the application. Therefore, please make sure that you provide accurate information in the application.
1. Application Submission
2. Selection Results Acknowledgement from selected fellows through email within specified date.
3. In the case of non-receipt of email acknowledgement, another fellow on the waiting list will be selected.
4. Waiting List announcement
5. Attend APAN Meeting
Fellowship Coverage
1. Free registration to APAN46 - access to all sessions/workshops/tutorials
2. Catering - all food during the conference and conference hosted social events
3. Local transport - transport will be provided to and from the airport to accommodation
4. Accommodation - twin share rooms will be provided free of charge
The fellowship does not cover...
1. Airfares (please do not make any requests for airfare or reimbursements since APAN does not have funds for this)
2. Fellows will be required to meet the costs of dinners when not at APAN hosted social events
3. Fellows must present their passports for the purpose of identification upon arrival.
4. Fellowship is not transferable
Blacklisting Policy
Selected fellows will be blacklisted if they do not turn up or if they check-out of their accommodation without informing APAN in advance. In this regard, the last minute cancellations (after the accommodation facilities are arranged) are also considered as absences. During the event, fellows are required to attend opening and closing plenaries, and the fellowship meeting. Those who do not attend these sessions are deemed absentees and are subjected to be blacklisted.
To learn more about the APAN fellowship, click here.
To register for the APAN fellowship, click here.
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Written by CBD-Intel || 19th June 2019 || Regulatory reports |
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text: Small dog carriers and small dog totes are an essential small-dog accessory. They're like a little dog kennel that goes with you, but that is comfy, well ventilated and has a great view! Our luxury dog carriers and designer dog totes are sized to fit more closely than a kennel, to make sure your dog doesn't get jostled around while you're in motion. Most of our small dog carriers are airline approved, and some are soft sided dog carriers.


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Diabeetus is an advanced form of Diabetes, commonly called Type 17. It originated around Northern England and is transferred via infectious "Diabeetus Birds" (usually pigeons). It is deadly and/or fatal without proper treatment from Liberty Medical.
Diabeetus was, and is, the first known form of diabetes, which is generally considered odd as it is an advanced form of the Diabetes disease and it was discovered before the orignal disease. The Diabeetus is transported either through very toxic smog emissions, though vaginal discharging, or through an infectious bird termed as a "'Beetus Bird." These "'Beetus Birds" have only been recorded as seen and/or captured and killed a select handful of times due to the fact that if you as so much make eye contact with one, the diabeetus Bird, due to it's sore, swollen testicles and resulting agression, which are symptoms of Diabeetus on flying mammals, will violently attack you using it's feet, testicles, and beak within a matter of seconds and transfer the disease through rapid and violent contact. Only a few known people have survived an attack from a Diabeetus Bird, one of those people being Oatmeal connoisseur and Liberty Medical virtuoso Wilford Brimley. After this recorded attack in 1799 after running away from his father's small Quaker farm located somewhere on the East Coast, he began to fight the disease while being treated, thus forming Liberty Medical.
Again, Diabeetus started in 1791 in the Nothern England countryside. Its exact origin is unknown even to this day, but the first transfer of the disease came from a diseased pigeon that violently attacked a man named Oscar Wilde. These diseased pigeons are now called Diabeetus Birds. The disease left Mr. Wilde unable to properly digest foods like Milky Way bars and Pepsi Cola. It was also during this time, and for years to come, that Mr. Wilde would be heavily involved in the Uncyclopedia phenomenon and grace the site with his lovely quotes and facts. Mr. Wilde recovered from the disease approximately five years later, a few years before the infamous Wilford Brimley attack. However, the next man to contract The Diabeetus and continue its transfer, Mr. Wilde's doctor Charles Manson (who helped to treat his sickness), wasn't as lucky as Mr. Wilde and Mr. Brimley. A photo of Dr. Manson's late-stage case of Diabeetus, shortly before his death, is shown at the right. The astute observer will note the advanced state of Dr. Manson's necrotizing fasciitis.
Only two cures are known to work. Other cures are still being discovered through the scientific community.
They are:
- The Oatmeal Diet/Oat Therapy: Mr. Brimley pioneered this specific treatment in 1988 with fellow and original 'Beetus victim Oscar Wilde. It includes force-feeding a victim oatmeal for several hours before the victim's body accepts it as insulin or whatever. It has one downside, and it's that it makes people who subject to the treatment homicidal for a few brief moments. Mr. Brimley is known to have used this treatment on himself.
- "The Benjamin Franklin Method:" One of the first treatments, this little known discovery of Franklin's was found in between his invention of bi-focals and electricity. It involves coating a victim in volcanic ash for several hours, submersing them in a vat containing a 20/80 mixture of tar and animal semen soon after, then removing them from the vat and giving them a vitamin suppository through the anus. It is proven to have a very low success rate.
In popular culture[edit]
- Programming: In 2012, hackers released "'Diabeetus Syndrome" virus through e-mail, which would show a bowl of hot, steaming oatmeal on a person's computer screen before the computer's OS system would become corrupt and the hard drive would implode upon itself like a dark star.
- Hell: It was rumored that Satan, before his discovery of pure evil as a fuel, which now can power the Toyota Prius, tried to convert the anal excrement of 'Beetus victims into an alternative energy source.
- Movies: In October 2020, a classic tragedy/horror movie which features Mr. Brimley and is directed by Quentin Tarantino will be released. The movie is about Mr. Brimley's encounter with one of the first Diabeetus Birds and what happened to him soon after. There is reportedly a swimming scene which graphically shows Brimley transferring the disease through sexual intercourse. Although it was previously demanded that the scene be removed, it has been confirmed it will stay for the theatrical release and subsequent DVD release with an Unrated rating.
- Television: In June 2006, ABC featured a mini-series written by Stephen King concerning Oscar Wilde's encounter with the deadly 'Beetus.
- Literature: Oscar Wilde wrote a play and a few quotes about Diabeetus. They can't be featured here because manuscripts are rare and are not yet on the internet for reading, though legend does say that Mark Twain himself hid the manuscripts in Atlantis and that they are guarded by deadly Diabeetus Birds.


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The newly released VW Routan seven-passenger minivan is Volkswagen's family addition to their vehicle line. If you watch any TV, I'm sure you've seen the commercial. The "Routan Boom" spot is a humorous spoof-documentary starring Brooke as a reporter who accuses parents-to-be for having babies just so they can own the new minivan. She tells them to, "have a baby for love, not for German engineering." The commercials are ironically funny, so long as you take them lightly as they are meant to be viewed. If by chance you haven't seen them, I've included a YouTube compilation of the ads below:
The ads are unique but don't mention much vehicle specifics. The Volkswagen Routan was created with the family in mind. For the features and specs, visit www.vw.com/routan.
Want to have a little fun while visiting the website? Use the Babymaker 3000! Upload a picture of a mom and a dad and see the resulting combo-baby. Apparently, the image to the left is what one of my children is supposed to look like according to Babymaker 3000. Not bad, but I think my actual kids are cuter.
One other interesting fact: "Routan" is a combination of the English word "route" and the "-an" suffix that is used in the names of Volkswagen's European vans, so it's a literal combo of two engineering worlds, VW and Chrysler.
Want to win a VW "Routan Boom" Prize Pack? Volkswagen has kindly offered to sponsor a giveaway. One (1) of my readers will receive the following items:
One (1) Book: Welcome to Your World, Baby by Brooke Shields
Three (3) Volkswagen T shirts
One (1) Volkswagen branded tin
One (1) box of Kleenex tissues (new Antiviral kind)
One (1) package of Wet Wipes from Huggies (not pictured)
To enter, leave a comment letting me know what you like best about the Volkswagen Routan.
• For contact purposes, if you are a non-blogger or your email is not accessible in your blog profile, please leave a valid email address within the comment section.Three ways to gain extra entries (Maximum total entries is 4):
• Contest is open to US only
• Contest ends on Friday, December 19, 2008 at 11:59 PM CST.
• Winner will be chosen at random
1st extra entry: Follow Me! or subscribe by email or RSS reader
2nd extra entry: Blog about this contest then post your link in the comment section.
3rd extra entry: Follow me on twitter (iambrimful) and tweet about the contest.


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Macotakara reports that Apple has quietly rolled out major improvements for the Maps app for Japanese users.
This comes as a surprise as we were expecting the improvements to be rolled as part of iOS 6.1.3.
Apple is yet to release iOS 6.1.3 update. It has only seeded one beta version, iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 to developers of its iOS Developer Program so far.
Here's the list of improvements rolled out for the Maps app for Japanese users:
- Improved pronunciation of roads during turn-by-turn navigation
- Optimized directions to more strongly prefer highways over narrower roads
- Now indicates upcoming toll roads during turn-by-turn navigation
- Added labels for junctions, interchanges, on-ramps, off-ramps, and intersections
- Added indicators for transit station buildings, subway lines, and traffic lights
- Updated freeway color to green
- Updated icons for some location categories including fire stations, hospitals, and post offices
- Added 3D buildings including Tokyo Station, Japan Imperial Palace, and Tokyo Tower
It looks like the improvements were included in iOS 6.1.2 update, which was released on February 19th and Apple has just enabled it today.
Evad3rs dev team has confirmed that evasi0n won't work with iOS 6.1.3 as Apple has fixed two vulnerabilities used by the jailbreak. So it looks like Apple is planning to release the iOS 6.1.3 software update just to patch the vulnerabilities.
Macotakara via 9to5Mac


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White House Out of Touch on Egypt
U.S. influence and intelligence in the region are proving to be rather limited.
In one short comment this week, CIA Director Leon Panetta became the poster boy for the U.S.' ineffective handling of the mess in Egypt.
Appearing Thursday before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Panetta claimed there was a "strong likelihood" that Hosni Mubarak, Egypt's beleaguered president, would step down by the end of the day.
The news was flashed around the world, giving credence to some sketchy media reports that the end was near. Even President Obama, who up to that point had been cautious in his remarks during two-plus weeks of unrest, jumped in with both feet.
"What is absolutely clear is that we are watching history unfold," the president said. "It's a moment of transformation that's taking place because the people of Egypt are calling for change."
The only trouble is, Obama and his administration were a day early, and then only because the Egyptian military and others forced Mubarak's hand and led him to leave Friday.
From the start of the uprising, it's been clear that the U.S. has had no idea what was going on in Egypt, just as the administration was caught by surprise by the revolt in Tunisia. That casts doubt on the rest of U.S. intelligence efforts in the region. It's one thing not to be able to get a handle on the location of Osama bin Laden, one man in a vast territory. It's another to completely misread and misinterpret what is happening in a country that is a vital U.S. ally in the Middle East.
The CIA rushed to explain that Panetta was referring to media reports, not relying on the vast intelligence network of spies that he oversees. Funny, Panetta didn't say anything about news reports being his source. His unsourced words carried the weight of official intelligence, given that the top intelligence officer uttered them at a congressional hearing.
If nothing else, Panetta's poorly chosen words gave validity to speculation, transforming rumor into the realm of fact. Yes -- only for a day. But misguided is misguided.
Panetta also gave ammunition to those in the Middle East and elsewhere in the world who think America's standing in the world is eroding. The premature reports allowed Mubarak to look like he was standing up to Obama when he announced he would continue to hold some power until elections in September.
As these words are written, many questions remain about Egypt. Will the next regime lead Egyptians to the promised land of democracy and economic stability? Or will military leaders make the protesters wish they had been more careful about what they asked for? Will the new leadership make nice with the U.S. -- our $1.3 billion in military aid should help -- or will a new Egypt write us off?
The truth is, nobody knows at this early stage. Anyone who claims to know is bluffing, guessing or perhaps even fabricating.
There is an important lesson in all of this. The events of Thursday and Friday showed, once and for all, that all the power and money and spies that the United States brings to the table can't change the mind of one stubborn man.
Only the Egyptians could do that.


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Friday was a fun, busy day. In the morning we toured the IDEX showroom and spent time chatting with Robert Tonner, Jack Kralik, The Angelic Dreamz Guyz and Michelle of Wilde Imagination and others.
IDEX has changed dramatically from the last one I attended. It's about 1/3 the size. Major companies such as Madame Alexander are not here. Attendance was sparse and many of the booths seemed underpopulated. However, some of the booths were fantastic and beautifully designed.
Because the hotel internet connection is crawling, I had to upload yesterday's pictures to my Facebook page. Clicking on the image below will take you there. When I return home, I will post the images on this blog for those who cannot see Facebook.
I have edited the pictures down to my favorites. You will see a fire engine outside the hotel. At one point an announcement came over the PA system ordering everyone to exit the building. Apparently it was a false alarm.
In the late afternoon, Bob and I went to see Olympus Has Fallen. It is not a movie for the faint of heart and definitely not for children. Holy Crap! It was exhausting just watching it. I do recommend it for the action and excitement and it is very timely. However I hope that it's an impossible scenario because it is very frightening.
From the hotel we walked (yes, walked) to Universal Studio's City Walk. This is their nightclub, bar, movie, restaurant, entertainment area. Talk about assaulting the senses! The lights, noise, activity and smells were Manhattan on steroids minus the buses and taxis. There is stuff going on everywhere. It was amazing. We played it safe and ate dinner at Bubba Gumps - not bad at all.
Walking back to the hotel after dark was very peaceful. The landscaping around the parks is gorgeous. The weather last night was delightful and calm compared to Thursday night when it was very windy and rainy.
Back at the hotel we passed the bar on the way to our elevator and we spied Mel among a few others. I was happy to say hello to him and glad that he arrived safely. In a few hours we will get to see and hear him introduce the new doll. I'm excited!


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Most football players dream about getting a chance to play in the Super Bowl, and former Douglass and Kansas State football star Monty Beisel will see that dream come true Sunday in Tampa, Fla., when his Arizona Cardinals face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.
Most football players dream about getting a chance to play in the Super Bowl, and former Douglass and Kansas State football star Monty Beisel will see that dream come true Sunday in Tampa, Fla., when his Arizona Cardinals face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII.
The Super Bowl will be a culmination of a number of things that Beisel -- a special-teams leader and backup linebacker -- and the Cardinals have experienced this year as they won the NFC championship, their first championship in 61 years.
"You finally feel all that hard work you've put in all those years in the NFL and in college — all the way back to little league — is paying off," Beisel said. "You remember that big game on Super Bowl Sunday and watching it on TV and wondering when it's going to be your turn. Now it's my turn."
Beisel is also looking at the Super Bowl as another chance to make history for the Cardinals and start a new trend of success for the team based near Phoenix.
"It's exciting for our organization and our players. We're setting the standard in the desert here (and) for what we hope to change what the future is. It's fun and we're crossing a lot of new boundaries. For the guys who have been out here and have never been on good teams, it's fun to see their reaction," he said.
"There's a stigma around the Cardinals because of the number of playoff games they haven't been in, and we're just trying to break the stigma. With the coaching staff that (the owners) brought in last year and the veteran players that have come in, we've come a long way."
The Cardinals still had a lot of doubters going into the NFC playoffs. The Cardinals (seeded fourth) lost four of their last six games, but they clinched the NFC West title during the regular season. After beating Atlanta in the first round, things fell into place for the team as they won at Carolina (No. 2 seed) and then came from behind to beat Philadelphia at home to win the conference title and clinch their spot for the Super Bowl.
"It's just one of those things were there are a lot of good teams and everyone making the playoffs is a good team," Beisel said. "Everything just has to roll into place and that's exactly what happened to us. It felt like everything was going our direction, and the bottom line was we had to get it done with how things were playing out."
Beisel feels getting to play in the Super Bowl completes an eight-year circle for his career that started with the Kansas City Chiefs and then the New England Patriots before his current three-year tenure with the Cardinals.
"Playing in the NFL is not a right," Beisel said. "There's a lot of guys who play a lot of years who don't get a chance to get to the Super Bowl or advance in the playoffs. For me going into my eighth year, playing in my first championship game and then in my first Super Bowl is a great opportunity and something I'm not taking lightly."
Although Beisel's tackle total was down this year — he had 20 on the season — Beisel was a part of the play that he says turned around fortunes and attitudes for the Cardinals: the recovery of the blocked punt in the end zone that was the difference in Arizona's 30-24 victory over Dallas.
"Dallas is considered a rivalry for us, and it was one of those things where you know half of the fans in the stands were going to be Dallas fans," Beisel said. "It was a big game for us; going into overtime and getting the blocked punt and scoring the touchdown was a big moment, not only for me or for Sean (Morey), who blocked the punt, but for the entire organization. It set the standard of winning the big game, and it set the precedent for how we continued to play for the rest of the season."
The season has also helped the Cardinals not being pushed to the back seat in Arizona after the MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and the NBA's Phoenix Suns; and that's another trend Beisel is hoping continues to change for the Cardinals as they try to build their legacy.
"You see some of the fans are buying in," Beisel said. "It's a joke among some of the players that when we got to the ball, the last sticker or flag was a Cardinals' flag. It was every other team, but not the Cardinals. Our past four months, it's like you're in Kansas City with the 'arrowhead.' Everybody has a Cardinals' flag and it's like a (180) for us, and it's good to see.
"It's fun for the organization and the players to have that support. It just took some success to put their foot instead of their toes in the water."
Beisel said the Cardinals have settled into their mindset getting ready for the Steelers and all the possible distractions that could take place at the Super Bowl. He says the familiarity of head coach Ken Whisenhunt and many of the coaches and players to the Steelers has helped in that mindset.
"They have been there before," Beisel said. "I think we're really comfortable. We're confident, but we're excited to continue our preparation for the game and play the game of our lives."
The main part of the Super Bowl experience for Beisel is the knowledge that due to free agency or trades, this will be the last game all of these players will be teammates for one cause.
"For a player, it's not making (the Super Bowl) more than it is," Beisel said. "It's another football game and the bottom line is to win the game. You're going to be remembered more for winning than for losing.
"The fun part of the experience is all the weeks leading up to it. It's like the last hurrah for those guys; because year in and year out, players change and teams change. It's the last time you're going to be with those guys and enjoying these experiences with these guys. It's something not to be taken for granted. It's exciting for me and exciting for our team."
John Curtis is sports editor of the Augusta Gazette.


text:
Thursday, February 23, 2012
22 Years (Zamboni!)
Last re-printed story in the MY WIFE chronicles. There will be new ones soon enough, I'm sure. We're headed out of town for our anniversary, so this will be the last posting until at least March 5th, perhaps longer. Here's hoping your coming days are filled with as much love as I expect ours to be.
Yesterday, I rode the Zamboni.
If you're from a foreign country, such as New Zealand or Alabama, that may sound like a euphemism for some sort of salacious act, but it's not. A Zamboni is the machine used to clean and re-surface the ice between periods of a hockey game. Here's a picture of a couple of them in action before a game.
How did I get to ride the Zamboni? Good question. Allow me to explain.
My birthday was Monday. I was - and am currently - fifty-two. MY WIFE, marvelous creature that she is, wanted to do something wonderful and different for my birthday. So, when I awoke on Monday, she greeted me with a Ring Ding into which a candle had been stuck. That was certainly peculiar at 7 o'clock in the morning, but more was ahead.
She then handed me a gift bag. I reached in to get whatever was there. My hands found a coffee mug with a Boston Bruins logo on it. Inside of the mug were two tickets to the game versus Philadelphia on Tuesday.
Very nice, if a bit puzzling. I'm a fan of all sports, so hockey is among them, but it isn't my favorite sport among the "major four" North American sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) and MY WIFE knows this. As great a game as it can sometimes be, I'd have to say that hockey finishes fourth out of four on a fairly regular basis. When I was younger, it was sometimes higher, but so was I.
Anyway, I expressed my honest thanks for the mug and the tickets. The Bruins are hot stuff again, in first place in their division. They have a real chance to win the Stanley Cup, which would be the first time in over 35 years. The seats were in the loge, fairly costly. It would be a fun evening, for sure.
MY WIFE then said, "If you went to a hockey game, what would you like to do most of all?"
I knew something was up, but I couldn't imagine what. I thought about an answer to the question, but I was drawing a blank. I had just awakened, hadn't had any coffee, and also needed to take a whiz. She saw the vacant look in my eyes and re-phrased the question.
"What do they have at hockey games?"
I thought about it for a moment.
"Well, yes, but what else?"
"And what do they use to clean the ice?", she said, as though prompting a not-particularly-bright four-year-old.
"A Zamboni?"
The light was still a ways off from dawning on Marblehead.
She exclaimed, "You're going to ride the Zamboni!"
To say I was dumbfounded would be an extreme understatement. I was not only dumbfounded, I was bemused, flummoxed, befuddled, wondering, confounded, puzzled, astonished, and also totally excited. I had no idea how this was going to happen, but if she said I was going to ride the Zamboni, I knew it was the truth. When MY WIFE wants to make something incredible and fun take place, she will make it happen. She had previously shanghaied me, by the dictionary definition, and we spent a couple of days aboard a boat named The Golden Slipper in Boston Harbor. Not once, but twice, she had pulled off major surprise parties for my birthday without me having even the faintest idea of what was about to happen. If she said I was riding the Zamboni, then riding the Zamboni I would be.
I had woken up five minutes ago and now I knew I was going to be gliding over the ice at TD Banknorth Garden in front of more than 17,000 people tomorrow night. Life is exceedingly strange some mornings. I kissed her, then went to take that whiz.
After I returned from the bathroom, MY WIFE explained that she had previously attempted to do this for me, as a Christmas present, but wasn't able to make it happen at that time. However, she had kept at it and found out that the day after my birthday was a game night, and that the slot for riding the Zamboni that evening was open. Apparently, the Bruins sell rides on the Zamboni every night during the season. In order to ride it, you need to make a contribution to the Boston Bruins Foundation, a charitable organization run by the team. MY WIFE made a donation, so I was going to be the lucky fan who got to ride the Zamboni between the first and second periods on Tuesday evening.
Oh, I guess I left you hanging at one point. If any of you were wondering why MY WIFE put a candle in a Ring Ding, it's because it looks like a hockey puck. See?
MY WIFE is unique, and I love her dearly.
We had to be at The Garden by 6pm for instructions. The game was scheduled for a 7:00 start. MY WIFE met me at the west entrance to The Garden at 5:45. We entered and went upstairs to level four. We had been instructed to meet Liz Serpico of the Boston Bruins Foundation, at their table near the entrance to the loge seats.
After introducing ourselves, she explained that we had to be back at her post with approximately 10 minutes remaining in the first period, at which time we would be taken into the "backstage" area of the arena to await my ride. She had me complete a waiver form absolving the Bruins from any lawsuits should I somehow fall off of the Zamboni, get sucked underneath it, and become part of the ice surface for the second period. Then we went to our seats.
We sat in Loge 6, which is a section more-or-less behind one of the goals. They were great seats for a hockey game. We were high up enough to have a magnificent view of the entire ice surface, but also close enough to actually hear some of the sounds of the game, such as that made by skates shaving ice when a player put on the brakes before hitting the boards.
I had been to Bruins games before, of course, but not for a few years. And this was MY WIFE's very first professional hockey game. I had forgotten what an intimate game hockey can be. What I mean is that, unlike some other sports, a hockey game continually brings the action close to the spectator. The physics of the game, and the construction of the rink, tend to make much of the action happen on the edges of the playing area, near to the fans. When players chase after the puck, their faces often are right up against the glass partitions that serve as a barrier, and fans in the first row often pound on the glass at that point, usually when an unlucky opposing player is trapped there. Fans probably feel more a part of the action in hockey than, say, basketball. Rarely does a Kobe Bryant or Paul Pierce get physically interacted with by the rabid crowd.
As we watched the game unfold, I had one eye on the clock. Stoppages in a hockey game are usually fewer than in most sports, so the game clock tends to move rather quickly. I wanted to be sure we made it to our designated spot at the appointed time. When a whistle blew at the 12-minute mark, we said, "Excuse me" to the other folks in our row and left. I assume they wondered why we were apparently leaving the game with only 8 minutes having elapsed.
Back at the charity's table, we were met by a young woman named Stephanie. She would be taking us downstairs to the Zamboni. We had to wait for the other lucky rider to show up. There are actually two Zamboni machines used during each intermission, and I would be riding one, he the other.
To my delight, the other guy turned out to be a grown-up, too. I was somewhat worried that a little kid might be the other rider, in which case I would look somewhat goofy by comparison. Well, goofier than usual, anyway. He was also there with his wife. In addition, they had brought their three-month-old son to the game, dressed in a baby bruin costume. Too cute. Here's a picture.
Stephanie now led us down into the bowels of The Garden, and a fascinating quick tour was given. She pointed out where the opposing team bus parks, and brought us past various locker rooms, food prep areas, and storage spaces. The Garden is used for multiple sports, of course, and when the rink is not in use, the famous parquet floor of the Boston Celtics has to be laid down for basketball games. We were shown where they kept it stacked, and it was quite odd to see and recognize various parts of it in its unconnected fashion.
With the backboards down, MY WIFE took the opportunity to slam one through the rim.
And then, the Zambonis!
I was told that I would ride the orange Zamboni, with the other fellow on the yellow one. As it neared intermission, they rolled out into position and we climbed on-board with the drivers. My driver was a real personable guy named Paul, a Zamboni operator at The Garden for the past 14 years. Here he is.
I asked him how he got the job. So far as I knew, there wasn't some sort of Zamboni school you graduated from with job placement services as part of the deal. He explained that he had been part of the "bull crew" (the guys who change the playing surface from ice rink to basketball parquet, and vice-versa) for a few years when one of the Zamboni operators retired. He, and 12 or 13 other guys, applied for the position, and were taken to a skating rink in the North End of Boston to see how they'd do on the machine. Paul had never driven one before, but he was a natural. He got the job. As he confided to me while chuckling, he doesn't even skate, so he figured my being in his care, while out on the ice, was like someone who doesn't swim taking me out to sea.
Here's the view, from under the stands, as we prepared to make our entrance.
The Zamboni machine is about 10 feet long and 5 feet wide (my best guess) and the seat I rode in was perhaps 7 feet up from the ice surface. As we entered the arena, I felt somewhat like a pageant queen riding in a parade. I wondered if I should be waving at the crowd. I decided not to. Another thing I decided was to take our camera out onto the ice with me, rather than have MY WIFE shoot pictures of me riding. I figured a birds-eye view of the proceedings would be interesting.
Here are a few shots showing what I saw as I rode.
I've got to tell you, it was a total blast being out there. I felt surprisingly at home being in the center of the arena with 17,000+ staring down at me. My ego is even bigger than I previously thought.
As I rode around, other folks were taking snapshots. Then, they announced my name and showed me on the Jumbotron. I got this self-portrait.
Well, all good things must come to an end. After about 7 minutes of tooling around the ice at a blazing 8 mph, the ride was over. Paul drove our Zamboni back under the stands and I disembarked. MY WIFE was waiting for me. I hugged and kissed her, thanking her profusely for one of the most wonderful birthday presents I had ever received. She said that I didn't stop smiling a single moment while I was out there. I believe her.
Soon, with more better stuff.
(Some of you may be interested in learning more about the Zamboni ice re-surfacing machine. Here is the story of The Man Behind The Machine.)
33 comments:
- The Broad said...
You know, I just love your posts! I was smiling all through reading it! What a great imagination your wife has!
- 9:39 AM, February 23, 2012
- Craig said...
Sully, that is unutterably cool! YOUR WIFE is an amazing woman! (Way too good for you, I'm sure, but I won't tell her. . .) And she gets some pretty amazing air, too - I mean, shoulders level with the rim!
As you always seem to do, you poked my brain for a couple stories that I've not yet told, so I must be off to put them into electrons. . .
(And, the waiver form, "should [you] somehow fall off of the Zamboni, get sucked underneath it, and become part of the ice surface for the second period". . . How do you suppose the red line got to be red in the first place? Hmmmmmm???)
- 10:06 AM, February 23, 2012
- messymimi said...
Wishing you many happy returns of the day, and of your anniversary, too.
- 11:16 AM, February 23, 2012
- stephen Hayes said...
Great story. I've never been to a hockey game but I've no doubt that you out there smoothing the ice would be the best part. Happy Anniversary.
- 11:50 AM, February 23, 2012
- (not necessarily your) Uncle Skip, said...
I'm pretty sure hockey's number four on my list, too. Or maybe basketball is. Indoor team sports don't rank as high as the outdoor ones. If we were to throw soccer and rugby into the mix, they'd probably rank ahead of hockey, too.
That said, I'd rather attend a hockey game in person for those very reasons you gave and I've never sat anywhere but behind one of the goals.
And now a question:
Didn't you once say something about posting pictures of YOUR WIFE?
- 11:59 AM, February 23, 2012
- Jackie said...
Great story!!
I hope that you and your wife have a wonderful anniversary week together.
- 12:07 PM, February 23, 2012
- Suldog said...
Uncle Skip - MY WIFE prefers not to be shown, but she hasn't absolutely forbidden it. When the photos are those she considers good (which are rare, but these probably qualify) then it isn't a bone of contention. Her real name, though... THAT she will not tolerate.
- 12:11 PM, February 23, 2012
- notactuallygod said...
Best line: When I was younger, it was sometimes higher, but so was I.
Nice turn of phrase, you old phrase turner you.
- 12:29 PM, February 23, 2012
- Jenn Flynn-Shon said...
I remember reading this one before...and just like the last time I was smiling this time too! Such a cool experience and not everyone gets to say they've been to the bowels of The Garden and have it mean something utterly cool.
Must go & read the few I've missed since co-ed naked snow running (or some such similar title that has now escaped me!)
- 1:25 PM, February 23, 2012
- lime said...
i remember this story and loved it then and love it still. just a totally unique gift and so much fun. YOUR WIFE rocks. and i don't know which picture makes me giggle more, her slam dunking or your self portrait. just too fun.
have a great trip!
- 1:37 PM, February 23, 2012
- Craig said...
So. . . what's on the license plate that you and YOUR WIFE are pointing to? I can't read anything. . .
- 1:47 PM, February 23, 2012
- Michelle H. said...
I love a good hockey story. This one ranks as awesome!
- 2:14 PM, February 23, 2012
- IT (aka Ivan Toblog) said...
Hey, Craig. I bet it isn't bugs on the license plate
So, Jim, did you get any special deal from Floors Direct for them using your name?
- 2:16 PM, February 23, 2012
- Suldog said...
Craig - Nothing special. It was just some sort of actual MA license that the machines had to have. I think we were just trying to point more-or-less at the machines themselves and it looks like we're specifically pointing at the plate.
IT - Nah. Nor did they sue me for disgracing their name with my image, so we're even.
- 2:30 PM, February 23, 2012
- Buck said...
Of all yer re-runs this is my fave. Yeah, it IS the hockey connection. I'd have given my right one to ride the Zamboni at The Joe. As a s'matter o' fact... BEIN' a Zamboni driver at The Joe has always been in my "A" rank of desired professional positions. ;-)
- 4:14 PM, February 23, 2012
- silly rabbit said...
Ha! Your WIFE is a master at surprises! I've always wanted to ride a Zamboni, but there are no rinks around here. (Life just isn't fair.)
Cheers to your anniversary! I hope you both enjoy it to the fullest.
- 8:21 PM, February 23, 2012
- Ami said...
AWESOME! What a great gift!!
I think YOUR WIFE is amazing.
- 11:01 PM, February 23, 2012
YOUR WIFE is a gem! What a great present! I'm feeling terribly inadequate and uncreative right now...
But never mind me. Y'all have a great time!!
- 11:19 PM, February 23, 2012
- Sueann said...
Wowzers!!! Your wife done good!! What a fabulous present!!
- 6:23 AM, February 24, 2012
- IT (aka Ivan Toblog) said...
Hmmmm... depending upon how it's said. "Ride the Zamboni," can be taken either as an insult, a sensual thrill ride, or a metaphor, as in, "I gonna go home and ride the Zamboni."
- 12:19 PM, February 24, 2012
- Craig said...
Yeah, 'Zamboni' does sorta sound like 'salami', doesn't it?
- 12:41 PM, February 24, 2012
- Three Hundred Sixty Five said...
You have a real jewel there, Sully. I know that you know....the important thing is to make sure she knows!
"My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me."
Winston Churchill
- 1:52 PM, February 25, 2012
- CiCi said...
Your wife is one of my heroes. In fact, she is inspiration for all women. This is an awesome story and fun to read. You are a wise man to know you are truly blessed.
- 8:27 AM, February 26, 2012
- Mich said...
Haha that's amazing!! I wish I'd been there to see that.
- 10:53 AM, February 26, 2012
- Shammickite said...
Absolutely Fabulous! I'd LOVE to go for a ride on the Zamboni! You lucky so-and-so. I hope you gave your Wife lots of hugs for that treat. I've never been centre stage on a hockey rink, but I have danced on the field at the Rogers Centre (formerly The SkyDome) before a Blue Jays game, and have also walked across the baseball diamond at the Rogers Centre in front of a MLB capacity crowd with my elderly uncle when he was unable to walk up the stairs and had to be escorted to an elevator behind the pitchers cage.
- 1:44 PM, February 26, 2012
- apitt95 said...
Bankruptcy records
Searching bankruptcy records are often boring and time consuming to go through, especially when you need to go through the records to find details of many, it is ideal to undertake the help of paid service providers.
- 12:01 AM, February 27, 2012
- Sandi McBride said...
My granddaughter loves Hockey and Roller Derby. I hope she doesn't have a career opp in either!
- 10:34 AM, February 27, 2012
- Clare Dunn said...
YOUR WIFE is one truly amazing woman. No wonder you have had so many Happy Anniversaries!
Add my Congratulations to all the others. And enjoy your vacation!
xoxoxo, cd
- 9:01 AM, February 28, 2012
- Ruby said...
Your wife is awesome!! Happy anniversary to you and your beloved, Suldog! xoxo Ruby
- 11:37 AM, February 29, 2012
- SarcasticTestGuy said...
Awesome...Just stopped in to say "Happy Anniversary".
I wish you many more, as well.
- 7:30 PM, February 29, 2012
- flutterby said...
"My ego is even bigger than I previously thought."
This made me laugh.
I think that's a pretty special lady you got there. Makes me think I oughta pull up my socks for my hubby's next bday and plan something cool.
- 11:16 PM, February 29, 2012
- flutterby said...
I will also mention that, should you think hockey an intimate spectator sport, then roller derby will blow your mind!
If you sit in the suicide seats, you will likely be sweat on, fallen on and fanned by the breeze of racing derby girls. A little stinky, but tons of fun. :)
I've been hit (and hit others) many a time right into the crowd. My teamie tells a story of coming to a sliding stop with her eyeball just millimeters away from some gents' shoe. Good times, those. :)
- 11:19 PM, February 29, 2012
- Kat said...
That is one heck of a wifey you have there! So, congratulations to you on marrying such a wonderful women (or in other words, Happy Anniversary!).
What a birthday! Sounds perfect! I was pretty sad that your wife didn't have the camera to get a shot of you on the zamboni but the Jumbotron pic trumps any other possible pic anyway. So good!!!
Happy Birthday to you, and many more!
- 5:55 PM, March 09, 2012


text:
Medway, Ma — Third quarter 2007 net sales for Cybex International increased by 9 percent to $32.6 million, the company announced last month. The figures compare to $29.9 million for the corresponding 2006 period. The company attributes the growth to strong sales of the company's cardio products and continued growth in the commercial equipment market.
Cybex reported net income for the third quarter of $4.6 million compared to net income of more than $500,000 in the third quarter of last year.
"The third quarter was somewhat transitional for us as we absorbed start-up expenses in our new manufacturing facility in Owatonna, MN, as well as some of the new growth initiatives, which I've outlined in the past," John Aglialoro, chairman and CEO of the company, said in a conference call with analysts last month. He said that sales of strength equipment were affected by the move to the new facility, which disrupted production during July. An initial hiccup in the painting process at the new facility also affected sales, but those problems have been corrected, he says.
"We know the business is healthy despite these temporary nonrecurring items because backlog is probably close to double what we're normally seeing," Aglialoro says. "We continue to see the double digit growth rates that we've talked about in the past in the commercial market and we are taking market share."
The company's gross margin in the third quarter dropped to 32.2 percent from 35.4 percent last year. Aglialoro attributed this to $600,000 in moving costs and some unabsorbed manufacturing overhead in the new facility.
The company has begun some new initiatives including a partnership with eNova Group as part of its hospitality business. The partner will create a line of strength products that Aglialoro says "will be good growth vehicles for us in 2008."
The hospitality division is part of the company's growing focus on the light vertical segment of the commercial market. That segment includes hotels, spas, universities, large high schools and medical rehabilitation facilities.
"The profitability may be higher in the vertical market, which is more of a customized special marketplace than either home or commercial," he says.
However, he also says that the traditional commercial side is still core to the company and continues to grow.
In the home side of the market, the company announced a voluntary recall of several home treadmills (Cybex 400T, Cybex 410T, Trotter 510, Trotter 525, Trotter 535 and CXT+). These treadmills were involved in a recall in 2003, but the wire nuts installed at that time were done so improperly, causing the treadmills to overheat and pose a fire hazard.


text:
There is no cure for the common cold, so its prevention should be a priority, especially with our children. The FDA recommends that parents avoid using over-the-counter cough and cold medicines to treat children younger than 6 years old. The reason for this is the potential side effects that these medications can have on children, such as convulsions and a rapid heart rate. So what is a parent to do when you fear your child is developing a cold? What are you to do if you fear you are coming down with a cold as well? Fortunately, there are cold remedies that can provide relief without the use of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines. One remedy is the use of a humidifier that is proven to provide relief from a stuffy nose, congestion, colds and more.
The use of humidifiers is especially important for children, as seen in this working moms review video, where you will get useful information on the top humidifiers for your child, from a mom's point of view. See below for more humidifiers that provide an effective alternative to over-the-counter cough medicines.
The Crane Digital Germ Defense Humidifier protects you from cold symptoms, sinus irritation and nasal congestion. Perfect for the upcoming winter months, this humidifier works with rooms up to 500 square feet and provides 2.5 gallons of moisture output per day. To keep your humidifier operating at peak performance, don't forget your replacement humidifier cleaner. The Crane Humidifier Cleaner and Descaler removes calcium, lime, scale and other mineral deposits that can lead to reduced functionality. It should be used every 6 months to ensure your air treatment unit remains in good working condition.
Humidifier Review rates The PureGuardian 72 hour Ultrasonic Humidifier as an efficient, low maintenance humidifier for your family. We agree with this assessment as the humidifier will alert you when the water is low, making it convenient and effective for your family. It comes equipped with a built-in night light which can be used in children's rooms and a control option for warm or cool mist.
Like most parents, you want the best for your child when he/she gets sick. As a parent or soon-to-be parent, the Austin Air Baby's Breath Allergy Machine is ideal for relief from colds, allergies, asthma and other ailments associated with poor indoor air quality. This is a top-of-the-line machine that cleans your indoor air up to 700 square feet in 35 minutes, leaving the air clean and your child resting comfortably at night.
Check out our complete line of humidifiers, air purifiers and allergy machines at affordable prices that will be delivered straight to your door. With the cold and flu season approaching, look toward optional but effective methods for cold prevention. Humidifiers, depending on the style you need, are reliable alternatives for relief from cold symptoms.


text:
Sand Castle 101
After digging through books, DVDs, and Web sites, we've found all you need to know to build killer sand castles.
Sandcastles Made Simple: Step-by-Step Instructions, Tips, and Tricks for Building Sensational Sand Creations by Lucinda Wirenga; available at amazon.com .
This is the ultimate guide to building impressive sand castles. Lucinda, a world-renowned sand sculptor, offers detailed instructions on how to create each structural element.
Sandcastles: Great Projects: From Mermaids to Monuments by Patti Mitchell; available at amazon.com .
Appropriate for adults and children, this informative volume contains instructions about creating sundials, sand castles, and even a rendition of the Guggenheim museum.
A Day at the Beach: How Absolutely Anyone Can Successfully Build Sand Castles and Build Even Better Beach Memories by D.R. Smith; available at amazon.com .
If your current method involves only sand, water, and bucket molds, this book is for you. Narrated by a colorful toy shovel, it explains the art of building sand castles in a clear yet creative way.
How to Build the Perfect Sand Castle with Sandman Matt Long ; available at sandtools.com/video. Matt Long believes that everyone can create beautiful castles―with basic instructions. In this DVD, he gives great tips on wetting and packing sand, and other tricks.
Sandcastling for Beginners ; available at sobshop.com. From the author of Sandcastles Made Simple, this DVD provides novice sculptors with basic instructions for creating dramatic sand castles. Learn where to dig your hole and how to make a "Texas snowball" in just minutes.
Intermediate Sandcastling ; available at sobshop.com. The next step in sand sculpting, this video teaches you how to carve trees, letters, and even logos in the sand.
If you have some extra time at the beach this summer and want to learn more about sand-castle building, schedule a private lesson. (It's not as expensive as you might think―average prices run from $50 to $75 per hour.) Sandcastle Central offers a comprehensive list of sculptors in coastal states from California to New Jersey. See the list at sandcastlecentral.com.Tools:
To build the perfect sand castle, you need a little more than the plastic pail you used as a child. Many Web sites offer bundles of tools from basic to deluxe. Shop around to find exactly what you need.
"Can You Dig It Sand Tools" Super Deluxe Sand Sculpting Kit is billed as "everything you need to build the best castles ever … in one box." Equipped with a bucket, form set, six plastic tools for shaping and sculpting, and an instructional DVD, it may live up to its claim; available at sandtools.com.
Sons of the Beach offers sculptors-to-be various options from a three-piece starter set for just $16.50 all the way to the deluxe set for $90; available at sobshop.com.
Some of the best beginners' tools can often be found in your own home. Scavenge these items in your garage or kitchen to get you started:
- A bucket to carry water and sand
- A plastic straw to blow away loose sand
- A small soft-bristle paintbrush to erase knife marks and brush away loose sand
- A spray bottle to keep the sand moist
- Shovels and trowels to help sculpt (For bigger castles, don't use plastic beach shovels.)
- Plastic knives, butter knives, and putty knives to carve and shape your castle
For more, visit these other fun and informative Web sites:


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Viewing articles tagged 'buckets'
How do I create a bucket in Amazon S3?
- Sign into the AWS Management Console and open the Amazon S3 console at...How do I get the URL to download my backup file from Amazon S3?
To generate Web URL for a particular file(s) - Select the file(s) for which you want to generate...What is a bucket in Amazon S3?
A bucket is a logical unit of storage in AWS S3. Buckets are used to store objects, which consist...
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Emergency warning for Tasman Hwy fire
Tasmanian Fire Service has issued an emergency warning alert for the fire on the Tasman Hwy, Bicheno.
THE major fire at Bicheno in Tasmania's east has been downgraded and the Tasman Highway has been reopened.
The Tasmania Fire Service (TFS) has issued an ''advice'' alert level for the fire, which was earlier classified at an emergency warning level.
The TFS says the fire danger rating in the area is low to moderate, and there is no immediate threat to communities.
The Tasman Highway has been re-opened and motorists are being urged to be cautious due to possible smoke and emergency services vehicles in the area.
The fire is still not under control and authorities say people may experience embers, smoke and ash falling on Coles Bay Road, south of Apsley River, and the Tasman Highway, south of Bicheno.
Back burning off the Cole Bay Road will continue through the night and residents are advised that they should not be alarmed if there is more smoke in this area.
Earlier, the fire at Forcett, east of Hobart, was downgraded to a watch and act level as cooler weather spread across the island state.
The Forcett fire, which has scorched about 15,000 hectares, was earlier classified at an Emergency Warning level.
More than a dozen properties have been lost south of Bicheno, with more than a 100 feared lost overall.
Victoria was planning to send 65 firefighters to help tonight.
Thousands flee areas of Tasmania as fires spread
The Tasman Peninsula fire claimed at least 80 properties and left thousands of people isolated yesterday night.
Police and commercial boats were being used to ferry in supplies and ferry out people most in need.
No deaths or serious injuries have yet been confirmed, but Deputy Police Commissioner Scott Tilyard earlier said a team was on the ground at Dunalley to investigate a fire crew's concerns that a man may have been trapped while trying to defend his house.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the federal government was supporting the fire effort.
''We are working with the state government to support people and make sure that they get through,'' Ms Gillard told ABC radio.
''My message is there's only one you.
''Everything else in life at the end of the day, no matter how precious, can be replaced.
''What can't be replaced is a human life.''
Insurers declared the bushfire-hit towns a catastrophe and police powers were increased when the Tasman Peninsula was declared a serious-incident site.
The Insurance Industry Council of Australia's declaration included the towns of Dunalley, Connellys Marsh, Forcett, Copping, Murdunna, Boomer Bay, Primrose Sands, Susans Bay, Eaglehawk Neck and Taranna.
Electricity company Aurora told people whose power had been cut off to expect delays of several weeks before it was restored.
About 300 poles were down on the Tasman Peninsula.
Property losses from the peninsula fire have been huge, with 30 per cent of the buildings in the small community of Dunalley, 55km southeast of Hobart, destroyed.
These included the school, police station and bakery.
At Connellys Marsh, 40 per cent of the buildings are gone, including three houses at Copping and several at Primrose Sands.
Twenty houses have been lost around Murdunna.
Several thousand people, many of them tourists, are stranded with access roads closed.
Around 700 are taking refuge at the Port Arthur historic site, another 2000 at a community centre at Nubeena and more than 50 at the Dunalley pub.
And a flotilla of boats is the lifeline for thousands of people stranded on the Tasman Peninsula as bushfires continue to rage out of control.
Recreational and commercial vessels are being used to bring in thousands of meals and other essential supplies and to evacuate people most in need.
Police said today that 600 people, many of them visitors to the area, were set to spend a second night at convict ruins.
There were 2000 people at a temporary refuge in Nubeena and another 100 at the Dunalley Hotel.
The road into the peninsula, the Arthur Highway, has been closed since Friday.
Boats delivered 3000 meals as well as fuel, water and health workers.
A generator was being sought as power is out in much of the area.
Acting police commissioner Scott Tilyard said he was hopeful some vehicles could be escorted from the peninsula.
He said tourists were obviously keen to get out.
It had been ''a long night for many people but the main thing is that they have been safe'', he said.
Up to 1000 people were reported to have been taken out by boat overnight, but police could not confirm the number.
''I would imagine there'll be numerous stories about the heroic and risky approaches that were taken out there,'' TFS chief commissioner Mike Brown said.
No deaths or serious injuries have been confirmed.
A fire in the Derwent Valley northwest of Hobart was affecting the communities of Ellendale and Karanja, but the extent of property damage was unknown.
Conditions across southern Tasmania today were cooler than yesterday, when Hobart reached 41.8C - its hottest since record keeping began in 1883.
State fire chief Mike Brown said similar conditions in 1967 had resulted in the loss of 2000 homes and 62 lives.
''I would imagine there'll be numerous stories about the heroic and risky approaches that were taken out there,'' he said.
''The big outcome for us ... is that at the moment there looks to be no loss of life or injuries.''
He said this was because of the way ''we put out our warnings, and clearly a lot of people did heed those warnings''.
People concerned about relatives and friends can call a police hotline on 1800 567 567.
SA prepares for continued threat
A number of total fire bans have been implemented across South Australia.
The bans will be in place tomorrow in the Northwest Pastoral, Northeast Pastoral, West Coast, Flinders, Mid North and Yorke Peninsula districts.
Today, 50 fire crews controlled flare-ups from a controlled bushfire on South Australia's Fleurieu Peninsula as the threat of more fires across the state eased.
A bushfire at Finniss was brought under control late on Friday night, with firefighters remaining in the area to control flare-ups.
Adelaide sweltered through its fourth-hottest day on record yesterday, while temperatures soared past 48C in some parts of the state.
CFS state co-ordinator Malim Watts said people needed to remain vigilant.
Total fire bans have been issued in three districts today, with severe fire conditions forecast in the Northeast Pastoral, Northwest Pastoral and Flinders districts.
The Bureau of Meteorology said temperatures in Adelaide would drop to the low 30s on Saturday but forecast a return to very hot conditions for most of next week.
A body has been found following a house fire near Kerang in northern Victoria.
Firefighters were called to a house on Kerang-Murrabit Road at Capels Crossing just before 4pm (AEDT) today and were searching debris when they found the body.
Police and fire investigators are examining the scene.
Meanwhile, Victorian firefighters are making the most of cooler conditions as they battle to bring two out-of-control bushfires within containment lines.
A total of 38 trucks and several aircraft were at the scene of a major bushfire at Kentbruck, in the state's southwest today.
The blaze northeast of Portland, between Port Fairy and the small town of Nelson next to the South Australian border, ignited about 18km southeast of the Mt Richmond National Park along the Princes Hwy yesterday afternoon.
It burned more than 2000 hectares.
No property is under threat, but smoke from the fire is visible several hundred kilometres away.
State Control Centre spokeswoman Sonia Maclean said no homes or property were threatened by the fire, and aircraft account of the scene overnight had revealed the blaze was tearing through the pine forest and had swelled further than the 1200ha circumference initially reported.
A precautionary advice message was issued to Portland residents and nearby communities earlier this morning.
"Coming into the daylight, aerial crews have been able to establish a better indication of the fire and it appears it is across 2000ha, but it has also spread quite quickly," she said.
"The issue in fighting this tricky fire is that the ground is wet and quite boggy so firefighters are using an air-focused attack.
Smoke sightings of the inferno have been reported from as far away as Hamilton, about 85km northeast of the blaze.
CFA spokesman Chris Clugston said campgrounds Lake Monibeong and Swan Lake were evacuated and the Cobboboonee National Park was closed.
Meanwhile, residents of Ensay, in East Gippsland, were told to remain vigilant as a blaze burned out of control around 7km north of the town.
A CFA spokeswoman said crews hoped to have both fires under control this afternoon.
''The crews on the ground are putting measures in place to create containment lines and are doing some backburning,'' she told AAP.
No new bushfires were recorded today.
Temperatures today were much cooler than Friday, when the mercury peaked above 40C across much of the state.
Work was also under way to restore Victoria's Country Fire Authority website to full capacity.
The crash occurred as the state sweltered through its hottest day in several years. At some points up to 700 people a second tried to access the website and FireReady App.
In a statement late on Friday, Victoria's fire services commissioner Craig Lapsley said he had asked CFA chief Mick Bourke to investigate why some people were still experiencing delays on the website.
Mr Lapsley said the CFA would work throughout the weekend to respond to the issue as a "key priority".
"We recognise it has been frustrating for people who rely on the website and app for fire information," he said.
"Seeking out the appropriate information is exactly what we have been asking the community to do and we know people are relying on this technology to keep themselves updated about their fire risk."
The capacity of the website and the FireReady App were increased after the crash.
Mr Lapsley says important fire information is also available from ABC radio, SKY NEWS, and CFA social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter as well as the Victorian Bushfire Information Line on 1800 240 667.
NSW fought bushfire 'deliberately lit'
The NSW Rural Fire Service has established total fire bans in the northern and southern Riverina districts and the lower and upper Central West plains.
The bans come into effect from midnight and end midnight Sunday.
A fire service spokesman said the fire risk would ease on Monday but would again escalate on Tuesday.
Today firefighters fought a blaze on the mid-north coast in the Booti Booti National Park near Forster, forcing the closure of roads in the area and isolating the town of Green Point.
The fire has been brought under control.
Teens charged over another arson attack
Specialist crime scene officers and Fire Investigators from the Rural Fire Service will examine the area today to pinpoint what caused the fire, which are being treated as suspicious.
Police from Manning Great Lakes are appealing for public assistance as they continue their inquiries into the incident.
All roads have now been reopened.
But while the heat records tumbled across the country - including Thursday's 48.2C scorcher in the Nullarbor border town of Eucla - only sea-breezy Sydney was bringing the nation's average top temperature down.
Sydney city hit a high of just 26.6C yesterday, and 34C in the west, compared with peak temperatures of 45.1C in Wilcannia and 45C in Bourke in the state's far northwest.
SE Queensland escapes worst of heat
Southeast Queensland escaped the brunt of the heatwave, but areas to to the west were not so lucky.
Locals in the western Queensland town of Birdsville reported the 47.3C temperatures made it too hot to even go to the pub for a thirst quencher.
Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts recorded temperatures of around 30C, but Weather bureau senior forecaster Michelle Berry said temperatures in the west soared to 7C above average.
"We were one of the cooler capital cities," Ms Berry said.
"Many other capitals had a very hot day, but Brisbane had mild temperatures."
Originally published asDevastating Tasmania fire downgraded


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Result of 8th class 2012 Layyah
- Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 12:35
- 8th Class Result, News, Results
- Add a comment
Students from Layyah can view their 8th grade result online. 8th Class result for year 2012 will be announced from 20th March to 31 March 2012 in Pakistan depending upon the board and city. You can view your 8th result for academic year 2012 for Layyah soon after release here:
8th Class Exam Result 2012 Layyah:
8th Class Result
8th Class Result Layyah
8th Result 2012 PEC
8th Result 2012 FDE
8th Result 2012 Sindh
8th Result 2012 Balochistan
8th Result 2012 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
8th Result 2012 AJK
Layyah Students Zindabad.
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San Francisco has always been a sightseeing city. That's a given.
But will it always be that way? Sometimes you gotta wonder.
I never get tired of showing outta-town friends around. Any excuse to drive through North Beach like Steve McQueen, get buzzed with a coupla amigos on the Golden Gate Bridge or hang out with the ghost of Al Capone on Alcatraz is a good excuse to me.
I'll tell you what I am tired of though: What really grinds my gears is whenever I try to take a friend to places from my childhood that NO LONGER EXIST!
A case in point is/was good ol' Airplane Park on 19th Avenue…
No city skyline, crooked street or view of the bay could ever reach the ooh! and ahh! decibel of a kid poking his head out the station wagon window to catch a glimpse of a giant airplane converted into a playground.
Officially known today as Larsen Park, it will always be "I'm Leaving on A Jet Plane Playground" in my heart.
That's the song my mom would sing whenever me and my sisters drove by it.
While flying through Chronicle archives, I've seen conflicting dates for how long the jet was "parked." The most credible info suggests that the U.S. Navy donated the 1950s era Vought F-8 Crusader to the city's park and recreation department in 1967. That's what the info says on the back of the photo above, which Chronicle Librarian Kathleen Rhodes found in our archives.
It was piloted in the imaginations of countless kids until the early '90s. That's when the Park and Rec said it could no longer afford the $30-$40K needed to "clean up" the aircraft, according to a 1993 Chronicle story. Apparently the big problem was the high-lead contamination presumed to come from a paint job.
Lead schmed. It's the same old story.
I have a vague preschool memory of climbing aboard a big-ass Locomotive train and catching the cable car next to it at the Zoo. Those got vamoosed in 1981, or thereabouts. There were at least two other jet playgrounds in the area – including one somewhere in the Bayview and one near Los Gatos, I believe. Hmmm. Wonder what could have happend to those?
In snooping around during work for other stories I had asked a few park and rec folks whatever became of the plane of fame. One person said it was rotting away in storage for years. More recently, another Parks and rec representative said it was probably sent back to the Navy many years ago and most likely crushed to little pieces of scrap metal.
"People were real bummed when we took that thing away," said Rose Dennis of the Parks and Rec department. We still get people asking: 'where the hell is the plane?' We had to take it away due to toxicity issue. I remember many a good day when I piloted that thing. Maybe that's why I'm a little crazy."
According to another last-second Google search (thanks a lot Chronice "Archives"), The Larsen Park Plane is not flying around in the after-life playground in the sky. The Crusader was beautifully restored and became the "nucleus" of the growing fleet at the Pacific Coast Air Museum in Santa Rosa.
"We have it here right here," says Duane at the Museum, who welcomes all to salute the Larsen Park Plane again. However, climbing aboard is no longer an option – in part because of the fragments of lead paint inside, but also in order to keep it preserved. "The shell is great shape but the cockpit and interior were pretty well trashed out."
No kidding.
Technically, the jet is still property of the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola, Florida. But it should stay in the Bay Area for many more years to come. To see more photos of the phenomenal restoration work by Captain Don Doherty and his Crusader ressurection team…Click here.


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A Gorgeous Venue for an Unforgettable Event!
The Elysian Ballroom is conveniently located on the corner of Southwest 9th and Yamhill streets across from Directors Park. Your guests will enjoy convenient parking across the street at the Smart Park and is on the Max line and within blocks of most of downtown Portland's major Hotels


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Standard housing design
SONL plummer (pillow) block housings (fig. 1) are split housings consisting of a cap and base. They have four holes cast into the base for attachment bolts.
The housings incorporate a number of design features that make them suitable for oil lubrication in order to achieve higher speeds.


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Caution: The documentation you are viewing is
for an older version of Zend Framework.
You can find the documentation of the current version at:
Zend_Service_DeveloperGarden - Zend_Service
Developer Garden is the name of Deutsche Telekom's developer community. Developer Garden offers you access to core services of Deutsche Telekom, such as voice connections (Voice Call) or sending text messages (Send SMS) via open interfaces (Open APIs). You can access the Developer Garden services directly via SOAP or REST.
The family of Zend_Service_DeveloperGarden components provides a clean and simple interface to the » Developer Garden APIs and additionally offers functionality to improve handling and performance.
BaseUserService: Class to manage API quota and user accounting details.
IPLocation: Locale the given IP and returns geo coordinates. Works only with IPs allocated in the network of the Deutsche Telekom.
LocalSearch: Allows you to search with options nearby or around a given geo coordinate or city.
SendSMS: Send a SMS or Flash SMS to a given number.
SMSValidation: You can validate a number to use it with SendSMS for also supply a back channel.
VoiceCall: Initiates a call between two participants.
ConferenceCall: You can configure a whole conference room with participants for an adhoc conference or you can also schedule your conference.
The backend SOAP API is documented » here.
Before you can start using the DeveloperGarden API, you first have to » sign up for an account.
With the DeveloperGarden API you have the possibility to choose between 3 different development environments.
production: In Production environment there are no usage limitations. You have to pay for calls, sms and other services with costs.
sandbox: In the Sandbox mode you can use the same features (with limitations) as in the production without to paying for them. This environment is suitable for testing your prototype.
mock: The Mock environment allows you to build your application and have results but you do not initiate any action on the API side. This environment is intended for testing during development.
For every environment and service, there are some special features (options) available for testing. Please look » here for details.
You can pass to all classes an array of configuration values. Possible values are:
username: Your DeveloperGarden API username.
password: Your DeveloperGarden API password.
environment: The environment that you selected.
Example #1 Configuration Example
The class can be used to set and get quota values for the services and to fetch account details.
The getAccountBalance() method fetches an array of account id's with the current balance status (credits).
Example #2 Get account balance example
You can fetch quota informations for a specific service module with the provided methods.
Example #3 Get quota information example
You get a result object that contains all the information you need, optional you can pass to the QuotaInformation method the environment constant to fetch the quota for the specific environment.
Here a list of all getQuotaInformation methods:
To change the current quota use one of the changeQuotaPool methods. First parameter is the new pool value and the second one is the environment.
Example #4 Change quota information example
Here a list of all changeQuotaPool methods:
This service allows you to retrieve location information for a given IP address.
There are some limitations:
The IP address must be in the T-Home network
Just the next big city will be resolved
IPv6 is not supported yet
Example #5 Locate a given IP
The Local Search service provides the location based search machine » suchen.de via web service interface. For more details, refer to » the documentation.
Example #6 Locate a Restaurant
The Send SMS service is used to send normal and Flash SMS to any number.
The following restrictions apply to the use of the SMS service:
An SMS or Flash SMS in the production environment must not be longer than 765 characters and must not be sent to more than 10 recipients.
An SMS or Flash SMS in the sandbox environment is shortened and enhanced by a note from the DeveloperGarden. The maximum length of the message is 160 characters.
In the sandbox environment, a maximum of 10 SMS can be sent per day.
The following characters are counted twice: | ^ € { } [ ] ~ \ LF (line break)
If a SMS or Flash SMS is longer than 160 characters, one message is charged for each 153 characters (quota and credit).
Delivery cannot be guaranteed for SMS or Flash SMS to landline numbers.
The sender can be a maximum of 11 characters. Permitted characters are letters and numbers.
The specification of a phone number as the sender is only permitted if the phone number has been validated. (See: SMS Validation)
Example #7 Sending an SMS
The SMS Validation service allows the validation of physical phone number to be used as the sender of an SMS.
First, call setValidationKeyword() to receive an SMS with a keyword.
After you get your keyword, you have to use the validate() to validate your number with the keyword against the service.
With the method getValidatedNumbers(), you will get a list of all already validated numbers and the status of each.
Example #8 Request validation keyword
Example #9 Validate a number with a keyword
To invalidate a validated number, call the method inValidate().
The Voice Call service can be used to set up a voice connection between two telephone connections. For specific details please read the » API Documentation.
Normally the Service works as followed:
Call the first participant.
If the connection is successful, call the second participant.
If second participant connects succesfully, both participants are connected.
The call is open until one of the participants hangs up or the expire mechanism intercepts.
Example #10 Call two numbers
If the call is initiated, you can ask the result object for the session ID and use this session ID for an additional call to the callStatus or tearDownCall() methods. The second parameter on the callStatus() method call extends the expiration for this call.
Example #11 Call two numbers, ask for status, and cancel
Conference Call allows you to setup and start a phone conference.
The following features are available:
Conferences with an immediate start
Conferences with a defined start date
Recurring conference series
Adding, removing, and muting of participants from a conference
Templates for conferences
Here is a list of currently implemented API methods:
createConference() creates a new conference
updateConference() updates an existing conference
commitConference() saves the conference, and, if no date is configured, immediately starts the conference
removeConference() removes a conference
getConferenceList() returns a list of all configured conferences
getConferenceStatus() displays information for an existing conference
getParticipantStatus() displays status information about a conference participant
newParticipant() creates a new participant
addParticipant() adds a participant to a conference
updateParticipant() updates a participant, usually to mute or redial the participant
removeParticipant() removes a participant from a conference
getRunningConference() requests the running instance of a planned conference
createConferenceTemplate() creates a new conference template
getConferenceTemplate() requests an existing conference template
updateConferenceTemplate() updates existing conference template details
removeConferenceTemplate() removes a conference template
getConferenceTemplateList() requests all conference templates of an owner
addConferenceTemplateParticipant() adds a conference participant to conference template
getConferenceTemplateParticipant() displays details of a participant of a conference template
updateConferenceTemplateParticipant() updates participant details within a conference template
removeConferenceTemplateParticipant() removes a participant from a conference template
Example #12 Ad-Hoc conference
You can setup various caching options to improve the performance for resolving WSDL and authentication tokens.
First of all, you can setup the internal SoapClient (PHP) caching values.
Example #13 WSDL cache options
The [PHP CONSTANT] can be one of the following values:
WSDL_CACHE_DISC: enabled disc caching
WSDL_CACHE_MEMORY: enabled memory caching
WSDL_CACHE_BOTH: enabled disc and memory caching
WSDL_CACHE_NONE: disabled both caching
If you also want to cache the result for calls to the SecuritTokenServer you can setup a Zend_Cache instance and pass it to the setCache().
Example #14 SecurityTokenServer cache option


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When I'm not teaching history I have the distinct honor of teaching my young charges the joys of the English language. Irony is one of those literary elements that can give students a difficult time, so I try to give students as much practice as possible. I generally use certain tradebooks with small groups and ask students to look for examples of irony as they read through the text. I like to use factoid type books where students will remain interested in the text and the ironic examples are not explicitly written for students. They have to be inferred. In this way we are practicing with inference and irony. One book I like to use is Don't Know Much About The Presidents
Follow me over to American Presidents Blog where I clue you into to a few presidential ironies that can be inferred through the text of the Kenneth C. Davis wonderul book.