text:
Hypothetically Speaking: Immigration Reform and the Threat to Citizenship
President Obama once again asked for immigration reform in last night's State of the Union address:
… Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform.
Real reform means strong border security, and we can build on the progress my Administration has already made – putting more boots on the southern border than at any time in our history, and reducing illegal crossings to their lowest levels in 40 years.
Real reform means establishing a responsible pathway to earned citizenship – a path that includes passing a background check, paying taxes and a meaningful penalty, learning English, and going to the back of the line behind the folks trying to come here legally.
And real reform means fixing the legal immigration system to cut waiting periods, reduce bureaucracy, and attract the highly-skilled entrepreneurs and engineers that will help create jobs and grow our economy.
In other words, we know what needs to be done. As we speak, bipartisan groups in both chambers are working diligently to draft a bill, and I applaud their efforts. Now let's get this done. Send me a comprehensive immigration reform bill in the next few months, and I will sign it right away. …
Compare last night's words to those on immigration reform in last year's State of the Union address:
… I believe as strongly as ever that we should take on illegal immigration. That's why my administration has put more boots on the border than ever before. That's why there are fewer illegal crossings than when I took office. The opponents of action are out of excuses. We should be working on comprehensive immigration reform right now.
But if election-year politics keeps Congress from acting on a comprehensive plan, let's at least agree to stop expelling responsible young people who want to staff our labs, start new businesses, defend this country. Send me a law that gives them the chance to earn their citizenship. I will sign it right away. …
Right away then, right away now. Don't hold your breath.
The truth is no real traction on immigration reform has been made over the last year at federal level, even after an election. The far right, however, has been steadily working for the last three years at state level toward the denial of U.S. citizenship to undocumented immigrants, using Arizona SB 1070 as its initial stake in the sand. In theory, SB 1070 is the baseline model legislation from which this nationwide effort start. The long-term implications are far more complicated than they appear.
Here's a quasi-hypothetical question, a thought experiment about U.S. citizenship by birth. Let's assume these conditions in this case:
• Antecedant immigrates from China to Hawaii in 1898, marries a Hawaiian citizen, acquires Hawaiian property–during the same year in which the sovereign nation of Hawaii is annexed without the consent of Hawaiians.
• Antecedant has multiple children; the youngest is born in early 1930s while Hawaii is still a territory.
• Youngest child goes to school on mainland while Hawaii is still a territory. Meets and marries a U.S. citizen only months after Hawaii became a state.
• They have several children while living on the mainland after marriage.
If the far right manages to undermine United States v. Wong Kim Ark–the 1898 decision under which U.S. citizenship by birth was acknowledged–which of the people in the above scenario remain U.S. citizens? Read more →


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Bicentennial Celebration – 1976
As the USA was preparing for its 200th anniversary, the Esplanade amphitheater in Boston was getting an upgraded outdoor sound system. On July 4, 1976 Arthur Fiedler was to conduct the Boston Pops in a very patriotic celebration of music accompanied by fireworks.
John F. Allen (photo), in the employ of the Boston Symphony, installed eight Klipsch LaScala's - four per side with McIntosh amplification. The Bicentennial event was only the 3rd use of this system. It had a staggering attendance of over 400,000 that actually made it into the Guinness book of world records. The feeds from this system were the source for all outlying sound reinforcement, as well as the CBS television network.
In 1978 Mr. Allen augmented the system with a center channel comprised of an MWM woofer, 2 MSM squawkers, and an MTM tweeter. Klipsch engineer, Dan Bynum, designed the custom passive crossover network. As the left and right speakers were separated by more than 100 feet, the center channel greatly improved the stereo image, not to mention bringing welcome acoustic horsepower.
To get the center channel positioned on top of the shell was challenging. There is a 1929 elevator system that works on four screw "jacks." This equipment was put to the test in terms of load-capacity, as well as dimensionally. There was only about an inch to spare!
This is believed to be the first MCM installation in New England.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Ford Focus Hatchback | 1.5 EcoBoost 150 ST-Line 5dr
Ford Focus Hatchback Overview
I would like all maintenance and service costs included
Initial Rental (Personal)
POA inc VAT
Initial Rental (Business)
POA ex VAT
Contract Length
24 Months
Processing fee
£199.99 ex VAT
Standard Options
- 'Quickclear' heated windscreen/heated washer jets
- Electrically operated front and rear windows with one touch opening and closing
- Front variable intermittent wipers with electric wash
- Heated rear window
- Tailgate wash/wipe
- ABS Electronic Brake force Distribution
- Auto hold function
- Electronic parking brake
- Electronic stability control
- Hill start assist
- Post collision braking
- Front floor mats
- Sports tuned suspension
- Bluetooth system
- Cruise control speed limiter
- Eco mode
- Intelligent speed assist
- Lane keeping aid with lane departure warning
- Pre collision assist with autonomous emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist detection
- Selectable drive mode
- Easy fuel capless refuelling system
- Digital clock
- Ford pass connect
- Ford SYNC 3 with 8" TFT touchscreen, and app link Android auto/Apple carplay
- Trip computer
- Body coloured electrically operated and heated door mirrors with side indicators
- 6 speakers
- Aux input
- Body colour large rear spoiler
- Body colour side skirt
- Body coloured bumpers
- Body coloured door handles
- Polished twin tailpipe
- Solid paint
- ST-Line upper and lower grille with full body styling kit and wing badges
- Auto headlamps (on/off)
- Halogen reflector headlamps
- LED daytime running lamp
- LED front fog lamps with cornering function
- Manual air conditioning
- 3 spoke flat bottomed leather steering wheel with red stitching
- Alloy finish pedals
- Aluminium gear knob
- Centre console with armrest
- Cloth upholstery with red stitching
- Dark headliner
- Reach rake adjustable steering column
- Driver airbag
- Front and rear seatbelt reminder
- Front inertia reel height adjustable seatbelts with pre-tensioners
- Front passenger airbag
- Front side airbags
- MyKey system
- Passenger airbag deactivate switch
- Side curtain airbags
- Three rear inertia reel lap/diagonal seatbelts
- Tyre pressure monitoring system
- Contrast stitching - Red
- 60/40 split back and cushion rear seats with 2 height adjustable headrests
- Driver's lumbar support
- Driver's seat manual height adjustment
- Height adjustable front headrests
- Isofix child seat preparation
- Rear centre headrest
- Keyless start with 'Ford Power' starter button
- Remote central locking & engine immobiliser
- Thatcham category 1 alarm
- 17" 5x2 spoke alloy wheels with rock metallic finish
- Mini steel spare wheel
Technical Options
- HC+NOx: N
- Particles: N
- Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6
- Catalytic Convertor: True
- Fuel Type: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION
- Gears: 6 SPEED
- Valve gear: DOHC
- EC: True
- EC Combined: 53.3
- EC Extra Urban: 62.8
- EC Urban: 40.9
- WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - Max: 8.2
- WLTP - FC (l/100km) - Medium - Min: 6.1
- WLTP - MPG - Comb: 5.4
- WLTP - MPG - Comb - Max: 6.4
- WLTP - MPG - Comb - Min: 6.9
- WLTP - MPG - Low - Min: 5.8
- WLTP - MPG - Medium: 6.1
- Any aspect of the vehicles safety cause concern?: Data Not Available
- Based On ID: N
- Coin Description: EcoBoost 150
- Coin Series: ST-Line
- Ghost model for valuation purposes: 150000
- Man Corrosion Perforation Guarantee - Years: 12
- Manufacturers Paintwork Guarantee - Years: 1
- NCAP Adult Occupant Protection %: 75
- NCAP Child Occupant Protection %: 5
- NCAP Overall Rating - Effective February 09: 150
- NCAP Pedestrian Protection %: 1.5
- NCAP Safety Assist %: M1
- Service Interval Frequency - Months: 96
- Service Interval Mileage: 120
- Special Edition: Data Not Available
- Special Order: Data Not Available
- Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 60000
- Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 3
- This vehicle is classed as a car for VED purposes: 12
- Timing Belt Interval Frequency - Months: 72
- Timing Belt Interval Mileage: 87
- 0 to 60: Data Not Available
- 0 to 62: 8.8
- Engine Power KW: 110
- Engine Torque LBS.FT: 177
- Engine Torque MKG: 24.5
- Engine Torque NM: 240
- PS: True
- Top Speed: 130
- Alloys?: True
- Space Saver?: True
- Tyre Size Front: 215/50 R17
- Tyre Size Rear: 215/50 R17
- Tyre Size Spare: SPACE SAVER
- Wheel Style: 5x2 SPOKE
- Wheel Type: 17" ALLOY
- Length: 4387
- Boot Capacity Saloons: 273
- Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 52
- Gross Vehicle Weight: 1890
- Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 1250
- Max. Roof Load: 75
- Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1500
- Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 680
- Minimum Kerbweight: 1294
- No. of Seats: 5
- Payload: 596
Ford Focus Hatchback SHARPER FOCUS (74/100)
Much is expected from this fourth generation Ford Focus. Designed from a clean sheet of paper, it looks set to give its rivals plenty to think about. Jonathan Crouch takes a look.
Ten Second Review
The Ford Focus has evolved, this MK4 version offering slicker looks, higher interior quality and extra technology. There's also greater efficiency beneath the bonnet thanks to the addition of a hi-tech range of petrol and diesel engines. The best part though, is that this car should still remain as rewarding to drive as it's always been. The Focus might have grown up but it certainly hasn't lost its spark.
It's very difficult to over-state the importance of the Focus family hatch to Ford's European business. To understand its significance, press the rewind button for a moment and shuttle back to 1997. Ford's family hatch contender during this period was the fifth generation Escort, a car so all-encompassingly woeful that the brand was almost embarrassed to sell it. When the time came for a replacement, we all expected something better. What we got in the Focus model first launched in 1998 was something much, much more than that, a car that, at a stroke, offered arguably the biggest step forward in family car design the market has ever seen. Here at last was technology directed firmly at the man in the street who, in this apparently humble family hatchback, could experience a car more entertaining and rewarding to drive than almost anything this side of a sizeable lottery win. It was asking a lot for the MK2 model we saw in 2005 to repeat such a seismic step forward but that second generation Focus was still quite good enough to remain acclaimed as the driver's choice against rival Astras and Golfs that made up for their dynamic failings with a better ride and a more luxurious big car feel. These were attributes the Focus also needed and when it came to developing the MK3 version, launched early in 2011, Ford tried to provide them without compromising the car's class-leading handling. That's also been the goal with this more sophisticated MK4 model, announced in the Spring of 2018.
Driving Experience
Our test of this fourth generation Focus confirmed that the sharp driving dynamics that marked out previous models have been retained. That's aided by the standard inclusion of a driving modes system this time round with settings that can alter steering feel, throttle response and, if you've an auto variant, transmission response times. Talking of autos, there's a new 8-speed self-shifter on offer. Otherwise, you'll be swapping cogs with a 6-speed manual. The engine range initially looks familiar, but closer inspection reveals that it's been heavily revised. As before, the range primarily hinges around Ford's familiar three cylinder 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol unit, which gets a new turbocharger and cylinder head and is available in 85, 100 and 125PS guises. There's also a new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine with 150 or 182PS. Plus a fresh 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel with 95 and 120PS. And a 2.0-litre EcoBlue unit with 150PS. As for the suspension, well a little disappointingly, Ford has followed Volkswagen's lead in equipping lower-powered 1.0-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel variants with a cruder twist-beam set-up. If you want the more sophisticated independent rear double wishbone suspension system that's supposed to improve ride comfort, you'll need an estate, the 'Active' crossover version, top-spec 'Vignale' trim or a hatch with 1.5-litre petrol or 2.0-litre diesel power. The 'ST-Line' version gets stiffer, lowered suspension.
Design and Build
There's nothing particularly striking about the way this fourth generation Focus looks but the lines are crisp and pleasing, whether you opt for the five-door hatch body style or the alternative small estate. The overall length is 18mm longer than before and the car rides 15mm lower. Or at least it does in standard guise. The SUV-style 'Active' variant has a slightly higher ride height; the sporty 'ST-Line' model rides slightly lower than normal versions. As ever though, what's more important is the stuff you can't see: this Focus rides on the brand's latest 'C2' platform, which enables the wheelbase to be 53mm longer, freeing up extra cabin space. You should certainly feel that inside. Rear knee room has increased by 56mm and, thanks to a re-profiling of the rear doors, the rear passengers' heads are now adjacent to glass rather than metal, so they'll be able to see out more easily. Up-front, as you'd expect, it all feels of much higher quality - the fascia now has half the number of buttons that were there before. And shoulder room is class-leading. The extra body length has freed up more boot space too. In the estate version, there's now a class-leading 1.14m of width between the wheel arches and overall load length with the rear seats folded (1,700mm) is up by 134mm. That means 1,650-litres of carriage capacity.
Market and Model
The Focus range kicks off with the base 'Style' variant priced at around £18,000, before progressing through 'Zetec', 'ST-Line', 'ST-Line X', 'Titanium', 'Titanium X' and 'Vignale' variants. An SUV-style 'Active' version and an 'ST' hot hatch will be along soon. Equipment levels reflect the fact that most customers will be paying upwards of £20,000 for this once very affordable family hatch. Even the Focus 'Style' comes as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning, a DAB digital radio with Bluetooth and Emergency Assist, an electronic parking brake, autonomous emergency braking, tyre pressure monitoring, Hill Start Assist and a Lane-Keeping Aid. If you prioritise luxury and you've a healthy budget, you'll like the top 'Vignale' variant, which gets a unique front grille and body styling with 18in wheels, full LED lighting, leather upholstery, a head-up display, a rear view camera, a heated steering wheel and the 675-watt 10-speaker B&O Play Premium Audio System. For sporty drivers, the 'ST-Line' variant offers unique body styling, including unique upper and lower grille, rear spoiler and polished twin tailpipes. Inside there's a flat-bottomed steering wheel, black headlining, an aluminium gear knob, alloy finish pedals and red stitching. Sophisticated features available across the range include a head-up display, radar-operated cruise control, a more advanced Park Assist system and a wi-fi network that will connect up to 10 devices.
Cost of Ownership
Ford has re-fettled its engines in pursuit of greater efficiency. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol unit gets a higher compression ratio and increased injection pressure to facilitate this. It'll also help that this MK4 model Focus can be up to 88kg lighter than its predecessor. Around 33kgs of that comes from the new C2 platform, which uses a higher proportion of high-strength steel. A further 17kg of weight has been taken out of the interior, the powertrain is around 6kgs lighter and the electrical system loses 7kgs of weight too. A standard 'Active Grille Shutter' closes a flap in the front gill to reduce drag at speed. Plus there's clever 'Air Curtain' technology that guides airflow across the front wheels in a way that reduces turbulence. The result of all this effort is, according to Ford, a 10% improvement in running cost efficiency across the board. Specifically, on the volume 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol models, that means a CO2 emissions figure which can be as low as 108g/km, regardless of your choice between 85, 100 or 125PS versions of this powerplant. The 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol unit can put out as little as 122g/km. As for the 1.5-litre EcoBlue diesel, well in 95PS form, this unit produces 94g/km of CO2. Choose the 2.0-litre EcoBlue diesel unit and the CO2 figure is 110g/km.
Has any car had more of an impact on modern era motoring than the Ford Focus? With over 16 million global sales on the board, it's hard to argue the point. Other manufacturers can better this car in some regards, but they still can't make their family hatchback contenders drive like a Focus. True, this car is still far from perfect. There are cheaper rivals - and there are certainly more spacious ones. As an overall package though, it remains hard to beat. This car no longer depends solely on handling supremacy to justify its position at the top of the sales charts. Smarter and more sensible, it is, more than ever, number one for a reason.
Why use All Car Leasing?
Browse alternate Ford Focus Hatchback models
See other trim levels:


text:
Summer Food Bank Appeal receives over 140,000 donations and creates 35,000 meals in Cambridgeshire
Central England Co-operative can today reveal that customers and members have donated enough food to feed 35,000 children at risk of holiday hunger this summer in Cambridgeshire.
The retailer hosted a special three-month Summer Food Bank Appeal to help youngsters in need across the area after food bank partners revealed a rise in demand from families who see the safety net of free school meals removed during the summer holidays was the biggest issue that they faced outside of Christmas.
The campaign saw a total of 141,000 items – ranging from food to toiletries – dropped off at special food bank collection points at over 180 Food Stores across 16 counties during June, July and August and then used to create special packed lunches for projects that tackle holiday hunger during the summertime.
Holiday hunger often leaves people trying to stretch their budgets in order to eat and in some cases going without proper food during the holidays.
In Cambridgeshire, figures from End Child Poverty revealed that 27,530 children were at risk of falling into holiday hunger during 2018 - meaning that all children were supported during the school holidays thanks to the campaign and food bank partners.
Some of the stores that took part included Cambourne, Peterborough and Market Deeping.
Martyn Cheatle, Central England Co-operative Chief Executive, said: "We have been astonished by the generosity of our customers and members in their support of our Summer Food Bank Appeal and I would like to thank every person who found the time to donate to this vital campaign.
"To have collected over 140,000 items and created meals for 35,000 children is an amazing achievement and, most importantly, will have had a major impact for youngsters at risk of going hungry this summer.
"We are proud to work with amazing food bank partners all year round and continue to urge our customers and members, if they can, to drop off an item or two into the special collection points in our stores to make sure vital support continues for people in need all year round.
So far this year, Central England Co-op and its Foodbank partners have helped collect over 200,000 items via all year round collection points and special campaigns at Christmas, Easter and summer.
During Christmas 2013, Central England Co-op trialled an in-store food bank collection and such was its success that the Society now has permanent food bank collection points in hundreds of its stores.
This has resulted in thousands of people every month from Birmingham to Norfolk being given enough food to cook meals.
The Society now works with over 50 different food banks to provide emergency food and support to individuals and families in crisis throughout the year.
Items that can be donated include shopping basket staples from tea, sugar and cereals to other essentials such as toiletries and hygiene products
Adrienne Dunn, from St Neots Food Bank, said: "We cannot thank people enough for their donations but we would ask for them to please continue their support to ensure that we can help children at risk of going hungry.
"Just one item being donated at a Central England Co-op Food Store can make a real difference to a youngster and their family who is struggling for food."
More details about the Society's work with food banks and the community in general can be found by visiting https://www.centralengland.coop/
Notes to editors
Picture caption: Central England Co-operative colleague Yvonne Adams is celebrating after over 140,000 items were donated as part of the Summer Food Bank Appeal.
Key items needed by food banks
- Cereal
- Tinned food
- Sugar
- Rice
- Dried pasta
- Pasta
- Sauce
- Biscuits
- UHT milk
- Fruit
- Juices
- Tea
- Instant coffee
- Toiletries
About Central England Co-operative
Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK.
It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with the Society's principal areas of activity being food, funeral services, travel shops, and property investment.
Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2018.
Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility. It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence. The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.
Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society's trading estate.
Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing firstname.lastname@example.com or visiting https://www.members.coop
For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative
Rob Smyth at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140
Email –email@example.com


text:
New Road, Boscastle, Cornnwall, ca. 1895: photochrome print by Photoglob Zürich, between 1890 and 1910; image by trialsanderrors (Library of Congress)
As I drive to the junction of lane and highway,
And the drizzle bedrenches the waggonette,
I look behind at the fading byway,
And see on its slope, now glistening wet,
Distinctly yet
Myself and a girlish form benighted
In dry March weather. We climb the road
Beside a chaise. We had just alighted
To ease the sturdy pony's load
When he sighed and slowed.
What we did as we climbed, and what we talked of
Matters not much, nor to what it led, ―
Something that life will not be balked of
Without rude reason till hope is dead,
And feeling fled.
It filled but a minute. But was there ever
A time of such quality, since or before,
In that hill's story ? To one mind never,
Though it has been climbed, foot-swift, foot-sore,
By thousands more.
Primaeval rocks form the road's steep border,
And much have they faced there, first and last,
Of the transitory in Earth's long order;
But what they record in colour and cast
Is—that we two passed.
And to me, though Time's unflinching rigour,
In mindless rote, has ruled from sight
The substance now, one phantom figure
Remains on the slope, as when that night
Saw us alight.
I look and see it there, shrinking, shrinking,
I look back at it amid the rain
For the very last time; for my sand is sinking,
And I shall traverse old love's domain
Never again.
Boscastle from Penally Hill. The centre of Bascastle viewed from the coast path on Penally Hill photo by Phillip Halling, 29 September 2009
Boscastle: the village from Penally Point. A view up the Valency valley from the west: photo by Chris Downer, 25 August 2009
Boscastle. Looking down on Boscastle from the coast path above the harbour: photo by Tony Atkin, 7 September 2009
Boscastle. From Penally Point: photo by Rob Taylor, 24 July 2003
Merlin's Cave viewed from Barras Nose. With the bridge across to Tintagel Castle to the left: photo by Trevor Rickard, September 1986
Barras Nose. Barras Nose is one of the many promontories on this coastline: photo by Tony Atkin, 7 September 2009
Quartz on the cliff, Boscastle. The quartz is found as veins in the slate, and occasionally in what appear to be large chunks, but in some cases at least there is only a veneer of quartz over the slate. In effect, these are exposed veins: photo by Humphrey Bolton, 7 May 2009
Rock formations. Rock formations on headland above Boscastle Harbour: photo by David Ashcroft, 4 August 2006


text:
E-Safety – Internet Safety Workshop
By Stephen Richards
"Team Robot v Meanies is an Internet Safety show about the invasion of aliens called Meanies. The Meanies invade the school and begin to take over the pupils. In a fun and active show we see how the Meanies virus spread and affects how the pupils act towards each other. Looking at issues of bullying. Internet Safety and awareness of how we act online."
Recommended for:
Internet Safety, Cyber bullying prevention.
Key Stage 1 and 2
Amount of Pupils:
Up to 140 in one day
All year – UK wide
A Splats internet safety play is rehearsed and performed by up to 4 classes in just one day. Family and friends delight in what has been created in the end of day show.
The internet safety play is split into 4 scenes so the classes need to be in 4 groups. Each group take it in turns to learn their scene and when not rehearsing make set and props in the classroom. Class size needs to be a maximum of 35 (please let us know if you need more)
The internet safety day starts with an assembly which introduces the staff and the pupils to the days. This need only be about 15 minutes. The purpose of it is to check that the staff know exactly what they will be required to do when not working with our teacher and for the pupils to be introduced to the internet safety story and characters.
Our internet safety rehearsals are active, fun and a real challenge for all.
Alongside scripted character acting we use physical theatre, circus skills, dance, music, magic, mime, puppetry and mask work to help tell the internet safety story. This enables pupils to express themselves through a variety of means and of course adds great variety and enjoyment for the audience and participants.
As we learn the internet safety show and perform it in just one day, pupils are up on stage before they have any time to think about nerves. Of course longer term rehearsed plays are of great value too but the "Splats Technique' provides a way to break through for many pupils who may otherwise be nervous and an opportunity to shine in a very relaxed environment for all.
After the internet safety assembly our teacher will work with the first group on the first scene. The other three groups go back to the classroom with their class teacher and start making the props and scenery as described in our teaching pack. These are very simple and not compulsory. These do require paper, card, scissors, string and glue which we do not supply.They then come to the hall to work with our teacher at the allotted time.
Masks act as a great way to express emotion and movement and of course we bring costumes and props to add fun and colour to the internet safety production.
Our teacher acts as the narrator which helps cement the whole internet safety play together and of course acts as a cue for the pupils. Our main tip for the class teachers is to enjoy the process as although it sometimes seems an impossible task for our teacher to make the internet safety show happen it always works brilliantly and any slight mistakes or changes that happen can be taken in our stride and actually often add to the fun!
We very much recommend inviting parents and any classes not taking part to watch the internet safety show as of course it works best with an audience and is a great way to get the pupils and parents talking about internet safety!
Usually you will find that you can fit in the internet safety assembly and three lessons in the morning and one more lesson and the show in the afternoon. These lessons should be an hour long and allow about 45 minutes for the show. The lessons are very well choreographed and planned so it is possible to learn the scene in that time.
If you have very small groups it may be worth considering joining them together so they make 2 groups and learn two scenes each- a challenge but double the fun for them. If you only have 3 groups again one class can do two scenes.
For bookings and prices for our Internet Safety, circus and drama days and shows please fill in our enquiry form and we will get right back to you. Prices range from £220- £360 plus vat depending on length of workshop and amount of pupils.
Please do not hesitate to drop us a line to check availability and to talk through your specific needs and aims for the day, we are here to help. ;0)
Please give Mike a ring on 07944 283659 or send us an email to email@example.com
Where do you travel to?
We travel across mainland Britain.
How many of you are there?
It is always one Splats artist per session of up to 35 pupils. Please talk to us if you have more pupils.
Do you need anything else?
We need a sound system and although not essential access to any lighting or staging you have.
Do we need to do any preparation before the day?
All the days are designed to be self contained i.e. you don't need to do anything before the day. There is a teaching pack where you will have props and masks you can make out of card, paper, paint and glue. You may want to order stock.
What time is the show?
The show is performed 30-45 minutes before the end of your day so it can coincide with the finish of the day.
What time do you arrive and how long to set up?
30 minutes before we start and it takes 15 minutes to set up.
Do you need the hall?
We do need the hall all day except for lunch, although we can work in a large class room for some of the time.
How many members of our staff do you need?
We need the staff ratio that you would normally have plus our Splats teacher. Your staff will be responsible for the pupils tertiary care.
Can we perform the show ourselves after the day?
Once Splats have created the show with the school on the date given, then the booking school has the right to perform the show twice the same term but must credit verbally, in programs, posters, websites, newspapers, social media, recorded media and all communications that the show is \'Created by Splats Entertainment.\' At the end of term the copyright reverts to Splats Entertainment and the school will need to apply if they wish to perform the show again. Please speak to Splats office for further advice.
Can you work outside?
Only for circus days but in wind and rain it becomes very difficult.
Are you insured?
Yes we have full public liability.
Do you provide confidence and team building?
Yes we have a modual in all workshops for team building , exploring self confidence, learning techniques and self perceptions of learning.
Do you teach adults?
Yes we often teach adults for team building sessions and Inset training.
Do you have teaching materials?
Yes our workshops come with teaching materials which are sent as a PDF link before the day.
Do you send a booking letter?
Yes you should receive an email within 24 hours of booking. You need to check all the details . When you are ready fill in the timetable and send it back to the email address.
How to pay?
There will be an invoice sent to your email address please pass this onto the bursar/accounts department/treasurer/local authority or whoever is in charge of payments. They can contact us if they need to make specific payment arrangements.
Do you charge travel?
No there is no extra travel on mainland Britain.
Can we have a multiple booking discount?
Yes see our booking form or drop us a line.
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If you send us your ideal date range we will do our best to fit you in.
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Dish Networks Wins a $9 Billion Spectrum Prize
For more than a decade, telecom moguls and hedge fund titans have wrangled with regulators in a bid to wring billions of dollars out of thin air. This week, the government crowned a winner.
The Federal Communications Commission late Tuesday said Dish Network Corp., led by satellite-TV pioneer Charlie Ergen, would be able to use a slice of the airwaves designated for satellite-phone transmissions to instead offer much more lucrative cellphone service.


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Welcome to Reef Quest Divers. If you're coming to Scuba Dive Playa Del Carmen Mexico , the amazing sites of Cozumel and the Mayan Reef then you're very welcome to pay us a visit. For all of those who have joined us over the past 10 years please note that we are no longer located at The Blue Parrot beach club which is now closed. Please contact me for details on our new location.
Here in Playa Del Carmen on the Caribbean coast of The Riviera Maya, Mexico exists the largest Coral Reef in the northern hemisphere and the second largest coral reef in the world, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. We are one of many Dive Centers in Playa Del Carmen but we like to make diving with us safe, easy and lots of fun.
Playa Del Carmen is a bustling place, where you will find anything you might desire, from quiet secluded white sand beaches to vibrant night life. On 5th Avenue in Playa Del Carmen you will find many great places to eat and shop and soak up the warm Mexican welcome you will receive.
As an instructor who has worked all over the world I can honestly say that the diving we have here is some of the best I have witnessed, we have 15+ dive sites within 15 minutes boat ride from the dive center,
We Dive twice daily, seven days a week, morning departure at 9AM , afternoon depature at 2PM. Snorkeling tours depart at 12 noon daily
Take a look at Playa Del Carmens Dive Sites or watch the videos below to get a preview of the great diving available here with us.
The Yucatan Peninsula is littered with amazing Cenotes (underground river systems) ! If you have not been Scuba Diving in Playa Del Carmen Mexico before you may never have tried Cenote Diving, you are in for a real treat !! All you need is to be an open water diver and you will be able to dive the cenotes with one of our fully trained Cave diver instructors.Take a look at the video below for a preview of the Cenote diving available here in Playa Del Carmen.
If you have never tried scuba diving before then learn to dive in Playa Del Carmen ! with Reef Quest Divers on the beautiful Caribbean Coast Of Mexico the Riviera Maya.
Thank you for visiting our website, please take a good look round. We would really appreciate any comments or suggestions you may have about our website, good or bad, so please let us know what you think. If you have any questions about the diving or indeed anything you may need to know about getting to us and accommodation etc please get in touch. firstname.lastname@example.com
We look forward to seeing you !
Steve (note from the owner)


text: Child Passenger Safety for Safety Professionals Did you know… Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death among children ages 1 to 19? Children ages 2 to 5 who use safety belts prematurely are four times more likely to suffer a serious head injury in a crash than those in child safety seats or booster seats? Of those children ages 12 and under who died in vehicle crashes in 2011, 33 percent were unrestrained? Children should ride in the back seat until they are at least 13 years old? As a safety professional, you can teach children to be safe in and around cars by using the resources on the following websites: Safe Kids Car Seat Tips Safe Kids Tips for Keeping Kids Safe In & Around Cars Safe Kids Worldwide Educator Portal CEU Opportunities for CPS Technicians Nothing at this time Videos: Buckleupnc.org - Public Service Announcement


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Welcome to the Concept Art Writing Prompt, a new, much-demanded feature here at io9. Each Saturday, we'll post a piece of artwork, and ask you to write a piece of fiction based on that artwork in the comments.
Our first-ever concept art writing prompt comes from illustrator John Hendrix. The piece, titled "Autopsy Lake," was done as a cover illustration for The Journal of the Norwegian Medical Association.
If this piece inspires you to write a little flash fiction, please share it in the comments. I'll go first — I expect you all to do better than I do:
Jimmy took his time putting his clothes on. Children were sent to the lake in the dead of winter — when the ice was at its thickest — and in their frigid border town, that meant long underwear and wool socks. He'd pulled on his snowpants before deciding he had to pee, and it took him twice as long to put them on the second time. He filled his mind with urgent daydreams to let his fingers do their mindless tasks: lacing boots, zipping his winter jacket, breathing, not dying. As he thudded down the stairs, he could hear his father's finger rapping against the table, the way they did when Jimmy came down late for church or school.
His father checked his watch. "Nine o'clock, sport. You want to go out there when the sun's at high noon?" He turned his attention back to his newspaper. "You're a braver man than I," he said.
Sweat sprang to Jimmy's forehead, and he tongued the gap between his front teeth.
"Don't worry him like that!" his mother squealed, scurrying into view. As soon as Jimmy reached the bottom of the stairs, his mother, smiling broadly, dumped a brown paper bag into his hands. She smelled like cinnamon and oatmeal.
"I'm not hungry," Jimmy said.
"You'll need it for the trek," she said. "You've gotten so skinny, and you'll need energy to skate."
Right. Jimmy thought. Wouldn't want to miss skating. But he couldn't deny that he had lost weight. Rachel had teased him about it, poking at his ribs and whining that he could probably fit into her jeans. He couldn't help it. Ever since chubby Marvin Meeks told everyone he heard the ice crackling beneath his skates, Jimmy hard barely been able to eat.
"You got your skates?" his mother asked. When Jimmy nodded, he mother threw her arms around him, gripped his hair between her fingers, and whispered something in his ear.
Some boys walked through town before the big skate, waving to the shopkeepers and strolling mothers like conquering heroes. As if skating on Autopsy Lake actually did something, besides prove you were a man. Jimmy took the shortest route from his house to the woods. He paused only once, at Rachel's house, to wave at her darkened window. He saw a faint shadow waving back at him, and could have sworn she looked sad.
He distracted himself with thoughts of his favorite book, The Blank Sky. His classmates made fun of him for reading books like that, books where evidence of gods didn't sit atop high mounts or just beneath icy lakes. In The Blank Sky, people wondered if there were gods, but they had no way of knowing for sure. Even Rachel didn't understand. "I couldn't take living like that," she said one day in his room, tracing her finger down the cracked spines of his paper. "All that uncertainty." Right now, Jimmy could do with a little uncertainty.
Despite his nerves, Jimmy did end up digging his fingers into the paper bag. His mother had packed him three giant oatmeal cookies, packed with raisins and slivered almonds. Jimmy wolfed down two before reaching the end of the lake.
Jimmy had gone to Autopsy Lake for the first time when he was nine. He and some of the other boys had made the trek and sat on the banks, letting their feet slide out onto the ice. Jimmy was sitting at the metacarpals of Velepenir, the Sleeping Giant, who would rise at the end of world, carrying with him the hungry monsters who writhed through his skeleton. Jimmy sat for what felt like a minute, but was probably a mere ten seconds before a dark shadow swam up to the base of the ice. Despite the thickness of the ice, and the fact that it never melted all the way, not even in summer, Jimmy could clearly see teeth flashing at his heels. He pulled his feet back onto the snow, shot upright, and ran back toward the trees, screaming the whole way as his classmates' giggles faded into the background.
As Jimmy set up the tripod for his video camera, he vowed that today would be different. No looking down. Just smooth skating.
He sat on the bank, lacing up his skates. He inhaled the cold air, and thought about what his mother had whispered in his ear: "Thousands of boys have skated on that lake, and you're nothing special." Nodding, he stood up, pushed off, and let momentum carry him the rest of the way.
And now it's your turn.
Autopsy Lake [Drawing on Deadline via Super Punch]


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Tijori to start shooting 'Dare You' in December
Actor-turned-director Deepak Tijori, currently busy finalising the cast for his film "Dare You", says it will go on the floors mid of next month and that he is targetting a Holi release.
Deepak, who earlier directed "Oops!" and "Fareb", said that they are also scouting for the right location.
"Since it's a college story, we are looking at various college campuses. We might shoot the entire film either in Mumbai or Pune," he told IANS.
He added: "We are planning to release the film on Holi. So, hopefully, if we wrap up our shooting in time, then the film might release during festive occasion of Holi in 2013."
The suspense thriller is being co-produced by Denis Selarka and Mehul Simaria under their banner - Blueberry Films.
Newcomer Alisha has been signed to play the leading lady in the film.
"I didn't want to cast any known person for the role. The script demanded for a fresh face and I felt people would easily relate to her. It's a bold concept and I am sure Alisha will pull off the role well," said Deepak.
Alisha has signed a three-film deal with Blueberry Films.
The film narrates the journey of Rani Diwan - her rise from an innocent college girl into an icon.
Sign up for all the latest news, top galleries and trending videos from Mid-day.comSubscribe


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Fouad Chartouni, owner of New York City's Lowell Hotel, has placed his 40-foot Upper East Side mansion on the rental market for an eye-popping price of $125,000 a month, reports The Real Deal.
That makes this limestone townhouse the second most expensive residential property available for rent in Manhattan. (The most expensive is an eight-bedroom for $135,000 a month.)
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Charouni's pad offers 12,120 square feet of living space, plus a 2,435-square-foot cellar, and a south-facing cobblestone garden that takes up 3,350 square feet. There are ten bedrooms, ten bathrooms, and three powder rooms, an elevator, fitness center, and five working fireplaces.
Chartouni bought the home for $8.25 million in 2003. He's never lived in the home, but renovated it himself. The agent of the listing, Cathy Franklin, told The Real Deal that the apartment had the "most beautiful renovation" she has ever seen.
See the full story on The Real Deal.
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


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Java has long been one of the central technologies of enterprise applications. The speed and scalability of the JVM, in particular, have endeared it to large IT organizations. But today, companies need more than just fast performance; they are increasingly searching for deterministic, real-time performance.
Determinism in this sense means that a given action will occur within a fixed time interval, such as delivery of a stock quotation within some number of microseconds. Historically, Java has not been used to fill that role, because of some early design decisions in the platform. However, new options and new technologies are enabling IT organizations to use Java for both standard business needs and situations where deterministic, real-time requirements must be met.
Few things generate more confusion in the programming world than discussions of real-time software. Many confuse it with high-performance computing, while others use it to describe any system that pushes data to the user without a user request. These characterizations alone are simply not accurate. While it's true that both these aspects may be part of real-time system behavior, the definition of a real-time system centers on one word: time. Correctness means producing the right answer, and doing so at a precise moment in time.
Another source of confusion is the difference between hard and soft real-time systems. A hard real-time requirement is one in which a task needs to be complete at or before a certain time, every time it's required, regardless of other factors. A soft real-time system contains some tolerance in terms of missing its deadline.
For example, stating that a foreign exchange trade needs to settle within two days is a hard real-time requirement; whereas stating that video player software needs to update its frame sixty times per second is a soft real-time requirement — occasionally dropping a frame isn't considered an error. However, it's still a real-time system because too many dropped frames, or too much delay between them, is considered an error.
Java and Real-Time Development
Java Standard Edition (Java SE) is not ideally suited for real-time requirements. Existing Java virtual machines (JVMs) are just not designed for predictability and determinism.
For instance, garbage collection (GC), in which the RAM allocated to no-longer-used data items is reclaimed for reuse by the JVM, is one source of trouble. GC can occur at any time, for any length of time, with few options for users to control it. This potential for unbounded delays makes it impossible to guarantee a system's behavior; it is non-deterministic. Attempts to pool objects or somehow control their lifetime to avoid GC are often in vain, as GC pauses may still occur. However, Java SE's real-time deficiencies go beyond the garbage collector. The just-in-time (JIT) HotSpot compiler — the same one that compiles bytecode to machine code — is also non-deterministic. Because JIT compilation can occur when your code is executing, and can take an unknown length of time to complete, you can't be guaranteed that your code will meet its deadlines all the time. Even Java classes that have been JIT-compiled are subject to reoptimization at any point in the future. More importantly, Java provides no guaranteed way to prioritize threads or event handling within your application code. Therefore, even if GC and JIT could be controlled, real-time behavior could not be guaranteed without the ability to prioritize your thread processing. With strict priority control comes the need for advanced locking beyond what most standard JVMs provide. These are important points to remember, as most people blame the GC and JIT compiler entirely for Java's lack of real-time ability.
The C++ Alternative
A common alternative to Java for real-time development is C++, but this is a flawed solution. While C++ is a good language, it is not an entity that magically yields predictability and determinism. It requires great skill and enormous knowledge, along with operating-system support and integration, to deliver a real-time system in C++.
For instance, although GC problems don't exist in C++, the C runtime on which C++ depends for heap management can exhibit non-deterministic behavior. Quick examination of some standard C runtime library code reveals that locating free memory chunks for use by the program can involve extensive memory manipulation. This can lead to unpredictable results during memory operations.
Instead, with C++, the developer bears a great burden to ensure deterministic, predictable execution across all aspects of application processing. This usually results in a dependence upon third-party libraries for memory management, thread processing, and interaction with the operating system for I/O operations. These are all features that the Java VM provides built-in. Used correctly, the JVM can perform these operations while providing support for real-time development. Here's how.


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(The Root) — As the first former U.S. president to nominate a successive one for re-election, Bill Clinton made history last night. And he put aside his uneasy personal relations in his 49-minute speech to praise his erstwhile Democrat rival in the White House and to steamroll the GOP policy issues laid out at its recent convention.
The brunt of Clinton's statistics-laden attack aimed to eviscerate Romney-Ryan's economic proposals. "In Tampa," Clinton said, "the Republicans' argument against [President Obama's] re-election was pretty simple: We left him a total mess, he hasn't cleaned it up fast enough, so fire him and put us back in."
Clinton was uniquely suited to address the "mess" since both the GOP and Obama credit him for overseeing an expansive U.S. economy. The surplus he left President George W. Bush was squandered on the wrongheaded Iraq War and tax cuts for the wealthy that nearly bankrupted the economy during his final days in office.
The Republicans, by comparison, dared not showcase their former president at their national convention, not even incognito.
As president of a global foundation, Clinton treaded lightly with Bush 43rd, since he has fundraised with Bush-the-father and praised the AIDS initiatives of the son. "[President Obama] inherited a deeply damaged economy, put a floor under the crash, began the long, hard road to recovery and laid the foundation for a modern, more well-balanced economy that will produce millions of good new jobs.
"Are we where we want to be? No. Is the president satisfied? No. Are we better off than we were when he took office, with an economy in free fall, losing 750,000 jobs a month? The answer is YES."
Working mightily to hush the raucous crowd during his lengthy speech, Clinton lectured: "No one, not me, not any of my predecessors, could have repaired all of the damage [President Obama] found in just four years." The crowd erupted, "Four more years!"
In making the case for Obama's re-election, Clinton characteristically made no bones about the case being his, and (only) his to make. "What new ideas did we bring to Washington?" he asked in promoting his administration's surplus budget. "Arithmetic!"
Stirring beneath the history-making in the hall was the sociology of the first black president getting nominated by the faux black president. (Writer Toni Morrison proffered the perception once that the white man from Arkansas was the "first black president.")
All week the media were abuzz about the uneasy relations — some say hatred — between Clinton and the sitting president, who as junior senator from Illinois defeated the vaunted and highly favored Clinton machine, which featured wife Hillary as presidential candidate but would assure the return of "Big Dog" Clinton to the White House.
The post-nomination-speech photo of the two presidents embracing onstage last night was possible only because of "a carefully orchestrated reconciliation of sorts under way for some time," according to a smart piece in the current New Yorker.
The '08 riff erupted openly when Clinton attacked Obama's promotion of his candidacy as "the biggest fairy tale I have even seen!"
The usually cool Obama publicly construed the remark as racial innuendo about African Americans' chances of — as well as their qualifications for — getting elected U.S. president. The New York Times, even cooler and more cautious on such matters, said the "bizarre" statement from the former president stooped toward "injecting racial tension."
The ensuing feud, which split the two camps and sapped away black support from Clinton, was floated on the eve of the Democrats' convention in the Sept. 10 New Yorker. When Clinton attempted to get Sen. Ted Kennedy to endorse Hillary, Ryan Lizza reports that then-TV host Tim Russert told him that "according to his sources," Bill Clinton told Kennedy, "A few years ago, this guy would have been carrying our bags." (Another source reportedly remembered the metaphor as "getting us coffee.")
"We haven't been close friends a long time or anything like that," Clinton told NBC News earlier in the evening of the convention. However, he offered, "I'm actually more enthusiastic about [Obama] than I was four years ago … I've seen him dig in the dirt and fight, I've seen him make things happen, I've seen him criticized, demonized." Also, he's seen the president appoint his wife as U.S. secretary of state.
The suspension for one night at least of whatever discord that exists is a testament to Team Obama's skill at maneuvering — at whatever price — this pesky master of the maneuver. After he reportedly failed to persuade Hillary to resign as secretary of state and challenge the "incompetent" Obama this year, some still insist that Clinton is bent on getting her elected in 2016. An Obama second term, as opposed to Mitt Romney in office, would best suit that possibility.
"We're not kids anymore," Clinton told NBC's Brian Williams yesterday. "I have no idea if she'll ever run again; she says she won't. Right now, I want to help [Obama] because I think it will help my country."
And so, last night a slimmed-down Bill Clinton climbed up onstage at the Time Warner Cable Arena, finger wagging, and heartily declared: "We're going to keep President Obama on the job!"
Les Payne is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and frequent contributor to The Root.
Like The Root on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter.


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Home » Blog » Window Light
Here is new render from today during a morning session at the computer; working with light and color, physical sky lighting through windows in scene.
Animated Loop
Music Video
Title Sequence
Explainer Video
Free Quote
Lyric Video
Book Trailer
+44 7531 800 711 Sundstedt Animation 22 Auldlea Gardens Beith KA15 2EP Scotland, UK
Contact Us Capabilities Frequently Asked Questions Extended Portfolio
Sundstedt Animation proudly builds handcrafted animated explainer videos and demo videos near Glasgow, Scotland.
Are you looking for an explainer video that tells your company's story and gets your customers to take action? Then let's work together! Turn ideas into reality.
Video Blog Our Work Explainer Videos Animated Music Videos 2.5D Parallax Photo Effect Medical Animations Whiteboard Animations Corporate Videos Production Process Testimonials


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Haha, meme joke. The blog and the hackerspace have had both enjoyed less life than Io, the first moon of Jupiter, in the past few months. Oh sure, we've had a clade of successful workshops, a packed Ignite event, major redecoration, a freaking awesome new logo, and some great new members, but if you walk into the hackerspace at an arbitrary point in time you'd have found hardly anything but a handful of happy hackers happily hacking away at their Facebook pages, or a video game.
But rule of thumb, it's been quiet, and the blog has sadly reflected this. The Twitter account is shared between several people, and is trivial to update, as is our Facebook page. But you know what, winter is coming and with it a spike in activity at the hackerspace, and it behoves me to talk about the hackerspace and winter activities long-form. "So what," you might ask, "is coming up this winter?"
Foremost, a change to our Tuesday open nights: Learning nights (and also a chance for some Photoshop fun). The idea is for a few people to get together on Tuesday's, pick a topic, and learn about it. Or learn about learning-study methods, research sources and filtering, phrasing search terms. The atmosphere is intended to be informal. Come along, dust off your brain, and use it in good company for a few hours.
Also, alcohol.
Learning Nights start next week, Tuesday October 1.
Also coming to the hackerspace are more workshops: A rehash of the above Bash workshop with a greater focus on Linux, Adobe Photoshop and digital image editing, and LaTeX, a programming language for document preparation. My personal goal is one workshop per month, and if anyone else wants to run a workshop is absolutely welcome to contact us.
Our next Ignite event will be on Wednesday October 30, and the annual 091 Labs Hallowe'en party on the next day Wednesday October 31
Looking further afield, the 091 Labs website will be getting a complete overhaul to match the new logo and its attendant colour scheme. I have no timeframe for this beyond a vague "next few months".


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If this is your first time here and you want to read the previous posts click here. Each post consists of a transcription of two facing pages of the diary of Henry S. Archer, Quartermaster, 32nd Miss. Vol. This is page 6. There is a seven day period from Dec 10th through Dec 16th when he does not make any entries.
Left Side
Station where we lay
over untill Monday mor-
ning. December Monday
1st 1862. We left for
Montgomery. Where we ?
? 5 o'clock. We left
Montgomery Tuesday morning
and came to Westpoint on
the 3rd. Lay over all night.
Thursday morning 4th.
We then left for
? on the 5th. We arrived
there on the evening of the 5th
where we remained until
the 6th when we left for
Moulton, Ga. December
Saturday 6th 1862 We report
to Chatanooga. We arrived
here today and hope to stay
here & can't tell how long.
The Lord's day Decemb 7th 1862.
We just lay around here
Right side
in an old box car. Dec.
Monday 8th I went out to a
home and got breakfast for
$1.00. December Tuesday 9th
Here I am in Chatanooga
yet I am very tired of this place
and I know the boys are need-
ing of the clothing which I have
for them but the road is
crowded with army stores
that they will not take my
clothing. I remained at
this point untill the mor
ning of the 17th Decem 17th
We left all right for
Bridgeport. Got there but
could not get across the
river. So I went out
in the country and
stayed all night with
one Mr. Todd. And when
we got got back to the


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10 reasons why FDI in Retail is a bad idea.
The explosion of opinion on the issue of Foreign Direct Investment in the retail sector in India has confounded most of us with dubious data, incorrect analysis and obfuscatory lobbying. Time to set the record straight. 10 good reasons why it is a bad idea. FDI in retail is a non-critical area of intervention. Nobody in urban … Continue reading


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The East Wing is a large hall located on the sixth floor of Hogwarts Castle. There is a huge fireplace in the centre of the room and some portraits hung on the walls. There are portraits of Damara Dodderidge, Temeritus Shanks and Edessa Sakndenberg, among others in this room. There are various suits of armour, which guard the room after the sun goes down. The entrance is located on the Glanmore Peakes' Corridor and it has an entryway to the room Fred and George Weasley hid the Marauder's Map. On the first night of the 1993–1994 school year, Professor Severus Snape, the Potions Master, patrolled the Wing, but Harry Potter still managed to sneak past. There are two fake walls in the room that can be opened to reveal small chambers which each conceal a chest.[1]
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) (First appearance)
Notes and references
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (video game) - PS2 version
Classroom 6A · Classroom 6B · Corridor · Disused bathroom · East Wing · Empty classroom · Floor 6 Bonus · Glanmore Peakes' Corridor · Horace Slughorn's office · Room of Rewards · Storeroom · Trophy Room · Writing Supplies Room · Staircase between the sixth-floor and seventh-floor corridor
Damara Dodderidge · Edgar Stroulger · Edessa Sakndenberg · Glanmore Peakes · Selina Sapworthy · Skeleton in a top hat · Portrait in storeroom · Temeritus Shanks · Vindictus Viridian · Wendelin the Weird


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Acquisition #1
Claimed LW Marco Sturm off waivers from Los Angeles Kings
Sturm '10-'11 Stats: 17 GP, 4g, 5a, 9p, +6, 1ppg; 32 years old, 6', 194 lbs.
Contract 1 yr $3.5 million UFA
|(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Acquisition #2
Caps trade prospect Jake Hauswirth and a 2011 3rd round pick to the Florida Panthers for D Dennis Wideman
Wideman '10-'11 Stats: 61 GP, 9g, 24a, 33p, -26, 8ppg, 11ppa, 75 h; 27 years old, 6', 196 lbs.
Contract 2 yr $3.9375 million UFA
With question marks on Tom Poti and Mike Green, McPhee felt he needed to step in and help his defensive core.
"Not knowing Tom [Poti's] status, I felt like geez, we may need to pick up another defensemen," McPhee said of the decision to trade for Wideman. "I thought maybe we could tough it out with what we have. But when Mike [Green] went down I thought it was really important to help this team now."
"Wideman seems to be a real good fit," McPhee went on. "Because he is an offensive guy, he is good on the power play, he is a right hand shot. We were pleased we were able to do that deal."
The Capitals give up prospect Jake Hauswirth. Hauswirth impressed the Caps in his first development camp with the team, but then fizzled to make any head way in the organization eventually landing in the ECHL playing for the SC Stingrays once he signed as a free agent. The lack of depth in the Florida ranks may see him excel in the AHL level where the Caps' farm team is loaded with more than enough talent.
Wideman was obviously excited:
Acquisition #3
Caps trade C David Steckel and a 2011 second round pick to the New Jersey Devils for C Jason Arnott
Arnott '10-'11 Stats: 62 GP, 13g, 11a, 24p, -9, 2ppg, 3ppa; 36 year old, 6'5", 220 lbs.
Contract 1 year $4.5 million UFA
"There weren't many centers available," McPhee said as he talked about targeting Arnott. "He [Arnott] was one a lot of people wanted to have and he had a no trade clause... He was hoping to work it out with us."
The trade comes at a cost as McPhee had to give up David Steckel in return. Steckel's trade not only secures a centerman the Caps wanted, but also frees up some cap space to do it.
"We took a player out of our roster that we love," McPhee said of giving up Steckel in the trade. "[Steckel] is such a great guy, he has done really well for us here, he has become an NHL player, a solid NHL player. But we thought we had some depth there with Boyd Gordon and Jay Beagle."
Overall Grade: B
To pick up Marco Sturm, Dennis Wideman and Jason Arnott for one roster player, a prospect and no first round picks is something to be admired. McPhee played his hand close to his chest and it payed off. The only reason it's not an A grade is because I am not sure how these players will blend into the Caps' collective. It is a wait and see sort of proposition.
McPhee bolsters his defense core with a player that can make an impact now. He gets two veteran forwards that have playoff experience and the Caps see a ray of light at the end of the regular season tunnel. If the newcomers can gain some chemistry with the rest of the team, this is going to be a tough Caps team to beat in the post season.
Capitals are five points from their division rivals the Tampa Bay Lighting.


text:
The headline says it all. If you are a little tech interested you might have followed the discussion in the US where Verizon and Google have formed a contract framework giving power to the big wireless networks potentially allowing content creators to pay for preferential treatment. An example could be Google saying they will pay more to have faster service for YouTube or in the extreme case Verizon can say we will have an exclusive contract with a Hollywood studio but the movie is only distributed on "Verizonnet" (not the internet).
Obviously (and thankfully) there is a huge outcry asking if this is the end of the free and open internet. I oversimplified it as Google & Verizon came out with a joint press conference in which they claimed they wanted to protect the internet as it is but want the mobile web non regulated. For better and more in depth analysis go and read multiple stories here: http://techme.me/=uVd
So what does that have to do with Chile?
Chile is the first country in the world which tells the Internet Service Providers (VTR, Telefonica etc….) that they have to treat every internet site the same. If you as a customer pay for 50GB it is not up to your Internet Service Provider to tell you what you can and cannot watch and which service will be faster or slower. Bravo Chile…. Way to go…. & Dear US & Rest of the world – Don't let the "Do no evil company" and Verizon get away with pretending to be the all goods and do no harms & let the mobile internet be as open as the good old internet is….
Source covering Chiles Law (in Spanish)


text:
Courtesy National Foundation for Celiac Awareness
Getting back into an everyday routine, purchasing school supplies, and even convincing your little one that beach days are over can be a daunting task. For parents of children with celiac disease, the thrill of back-to-school can be more challenging.
According to Alice Bast, founder of the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) and an expert on celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle, "There are thousands of parents of school age children who have to learn to deal with their child's celiac disease – an autoimmune digestive disorder triggered by the consumption of gluten – and make sure that they understand the implications of their medical condition and how they can manage this easily in a school environment."
Every parent wants their child to make healthy food choices, but what if a cracker or a single bite of a chocolate chip cookie could make a child violently ill? The gluten-free diet is challenging at any age, but it can be especially hard on children. Food is social, and gluten-free kids often miss out on the moments their peers take for granted, such as eating a cupcake or pizza to celebrate a classmate's birthday and trading lunches with a friend in the cafeteria. "It's more than just food," Bast said. "The gluten-free diet really is a lifestyle, so it can affect children's confidence and their emotional and social health, too."
Children with celiac disease must learn early about the health implications of their condition, and parents need to have an open conversation with them. They should reiterate that it is okay for their child to say "No, thank you."
The number one goal for parents and school staff is to keep children gluten-free in school cafeterias, after-school activities and classroom parties. Bast recommends that parents meet with the staff prior to the school year starting so they can have a conversation about their child's medical condition and the foods and items that must be avoided.
Fortunately, there are many gluten-free alternatives that can supplement kids' favorite foods, and they are growing in popularity, such as gluten-free cookies, cupcakes, pasta, pretzels, crackers and gummy snacks. Some schools have even introduced gluten-free pizza for lunch. School arts and crafts also pose a concern for gluten-free children. Many non-food items can contain gluten, including some types of clay, paints and glues. How do parents handle this? One idea from NFCA is for parents to get a list of supplies needed from the school and then provide safe alternatives to keep in the child's art supply box. If crafts involve pasta, parents can supply the school with gluten-free pasta in a variety of shapes and sizes, giving careful instruction to keep these items separate from the gluten-containing supplies.
Education is key. Parents may also opt to discuss celiac disease with the students in their child's classroom so they can learn about the condition and understand why a child with celiac disease cannot eat cupcakes or share their lunch. Most importantly, parents can emphasize that there are many things the child still can eat, and that he or she likes making friends and playing together just like everyone else. Children want to feel accepted and not different, so it is important for a parent to explain in simple terms that encourage kids to be welcoming rather than leave the child out.
"We usually tell children that everyone has a health limitation because nobody's body is perfect," said Marie-Nathalie Beaudoin, PhD, Training Director at Bay Area Family Therapy & Training Associates, Cupertino, Calif. "Some people wear glasses, others have a body that can't run very well, and many have foods they don't tolerate so well…Children with celiac disease are lucky to know about the needs of their body so young, because many people find out when they are adults and have complications."
For additional coping strategies, NFCA recommends that parents read Gluten-Free Friends: An Activity Book for Kids, by Nancy Patin Falini, MA, RD, LDN, Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising, Happy, Healthy Gluten-Free Children, by Danna Korn, and Mommy, What is Celiac Disease? by Katie Chalmers. The good news is that there is a greater understanding of celiac disease among school staff and a myriad of resources available at CeliacCentral.org. The foundation's online hub also has a dedicated section called Kids Central where parents can find articles, advice and gluten-free snack suggestions. http://www.CeliacCentral.org.