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The Travelers Companies, Inc.
Account Executive
Company Information
Solid reputation, passionate people and endless opportunities. That's Travelers. Our superior financial strength and consistent record of strong operating returns mean security for our customers – and opportunities for our employees. You will find Travelers to be full of energy and a workplace in which you truly can make a difference.
Target Openings1
Job Description SummaryUnder general supervision, responsible for the production and retention of a profitable book of business within an assigned territory that is consistent with overall Bond and Specialty Insurance/Business Unit strategies and objectives. This role does not manage others.
Primary Job Duties & Responsibilities
- General Responsibilities:
- Underwriting new and renewal business.
- Building and maintaining productive relationships with agents and brokers.
- Consistently achieving budgeted financial results.
- Collaborating with BU and region colleagues as well as internal/external business associates.
- Sales, agency development and management.
- Underwriting & Pricing:
- Underwrites and assesses risk for small to mid-size renewals and new business items in conjunction with BU strategies.
- May underwrite larger renewals.
- Considers different approaches toward risks to maximize profitability.
- Makes appropriate decisions within own underwriting authority.
- Underwrites moderately complex-to-complex accounts/risks.
- Manages the submission and underwriting process for own agency plant, working with more experienced underwriters if outside authority.
- Can easily articulate whether or not account is within or outside underwriting appetite/strategy, along with the reasons for that determination.
- Independently sets account strategy, occasionally partners with AEO or MD to set account strategy.
- Makes recommendations to underwriter 2, as appropriate.
- For P & C, may act as an Underwriter 2 for Processing and Underwriting Procedures for Small Accounts (PUPS).
- May input financials and is able to calculate key ratios and more complex financial metrics, drawing conclusions about the financial health of an account.
- In addition to, or in lieu of, financials, may review other key metrics; makes decisions regarding pricing, capacity, terms and conditions based on those analyses.
- n complex accounts.
- Proactively collaborates with regional and Home Office underwriters.
- Maintains accurate underwriting documentation and information.
- Meets quality assurance standards.
- May act as a Region or industry resident expert.
- Underwriting Operations:
- Manages flow of new and renewal business.
- Agency Management/Relationship:
- Lead or participate in agency training sessions.
- May be sought out by broker/agent for his/her expertise regarding industry and local issues.
- Primary agency or broker relationship is producer / internal broker.
- Sales Management/Marketing:
- Leverages agent/broker relationships to drive new business opportunities via existing relationships as well as where there is no existing relationship; continually prospects for new opportunities.
- Achieves and/or surpasses agency/broker visibility goals.
- Acts as a business partner to agents and brokers. Uses strong negotiation skills and deep product knowledge to meet the needs of the account.
- Develops agency plant sales/business plan. Sales activities should include some of the larger and more important agency/brokers/clients.
- Participates in, and may lead, underwriting/agency meetings.
- Actively contributes in Region and/or Business Unit sales meetings.
- Regularly attends agency/broker events and/or industry functions.
- Takes the initiative to partner with colleagues in other Bond and Specialty Insurance or Trave.
Minimum Qualifications
- A minimum of 2 years of underwriting experience is required.
- A current/valid drivers license is required.
Education, Work Experience, & Knowledge
- 3-6 years of underwriting experience preferred.
- Bachelor degree preferred.
- Industry Knowledge:
- Understands the local insurance marketplace, industry business operations, critical issues and financial drivers that affect the BU, region and local office. Is able to apply that understanding to the sales plan, pricing strategy and underwriting strategy.
- Continuously seeks out market insight from others and uses acquired knowledge to assist less experienced employees.
- Product Knowledge:
- Knowledge of BU products/coverages and pricing and the linkages to strategy and can easily explain them to others.
- Understands organizational and regulatory rules, policies and procedures and effectively employs that knowledge in day-to-day work.
Licensing or Certificates
- A current/valid drivers license is required.
Job Specific Technical Skills & Competencies
- Able to proficiently use all Bond and Specialty Insurance technology tools.
- Can negotiate skillfully in routine situations. Able to gain the trust of others quickly.
- Takes ownership and responsibility for actions and outcomes, performance and results.
- Can identify current or future problems or opportunities; able to analyze, synthesize and compare information to understand issues; able to identify cause/effect relationships and can explore alternative solutions to support sound decision making.
- Able to remain energized and focused in the face of ambiguity, change or strenuous demands.
- Demonstrates effective verbal, written and listening communication skills.
- Can provide service excellence to internal or external clients.
- Able to exercise sound judgment, make decisions and commit to a position.
- Has the ability to work with and include people from different backgrounds, experiences, cultures, races, etc. and views those differences as assets to be leveraged to accomplish business goals and objectives.
- Can seek out, build, foster and maintain productive relationships, networks or alliances to meet goals and achieve results.
- Can work with others in situations where a team is mutually responsible to produce a result.
- Can takes ideas different from own seriously; able to share responsibility and collaborate with others; accepts criticism well.
- Able to self-reflect on strengths and weaknesses and is willing to improve.
- Can seek out experiences that may change perspective or provide an opportunity to learn new things.
- Can act as a role model for employees and keeps a positive attitude.
- Acts in accordance with stated values; follows through on promises; uses ethical considerations to guide decisions and actions.
Environmental / Work Schedules / Other
- Operates standard office equipment.
- Requires extended periods of computer use.
- Requires extended periods of sitting.
Equal Employment Opportunity StatementTravelers is an equal opportunity employer.


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Christmas Program
Annual school Christmas program last night. They were both super excited, and Rory kept saying she was n-e-r-v-o-u-s. She spells EVERYTHING these days.
There was lots of debate over clothing this year. Camden had to have a white shirt, tie and black pants. Thankfully he had a tie and pants that still fit from last year, but no shoes to match. I voted for converse because they look cute (seriously, he is not going to wear black dress shoes anywhere else). He said the tie was choking his vocal cords (totally wasn't tight at all). And he is not a fan of hair product, but he didn't get a vote last night.
Rory literally has one dress to her name right now. It's this cute Matilda Jane (purchased at 40% off thank you very much), but it is distinctly not fancy or Christmasy. I decided to just go with it instead of purchasing a fancy dress she'll never wear again, and she was pretty much the only one not all gussied up. Oh, and those tights? Brian kinda hated them, but MJ is all about the mismatching fabrics and they came with the dress so I just went with it. ;)
Let me just say it was a L.O.N.G. 90 minutes on the bleachers, but they all did such a good job. And they look super cute, right?

subset: commoncrawl


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A Chill in the Desert Air
In downtown Dubai the scene was set for a very special festival. The venue, a little park with a dramatic backdrop of towering half-finished skyscrapers, a cooling breeze blowing in from the sea and comfortable sofas ranged invitingly in front of the stage – the perfect ingredients for a memorable festival! The name of the company organising the event, "chill out productions," also seemed particularly apt.
Eight years ago when a slightly corpulent man from Beirut, Anthony Younes, came up with the idea of a festival here there were more than a few indulgent smiles exchanged. The idea of jazz in Dubai seemed outlandish to many, a non-starter, it just wouldn't work. It did work, however, and in the meantime the Dubai International Jazz Festival has established itself as a two-week annual event.
Last year it attracted 32,000 visitors. It has to be admitted, however, that most of these visitors do not come primarily for the jazz. It is the big-name pop acts that really pull in the crowds – major draws such as Jane Monheit, Laura Izibor, David Gray or James Morrison, pack in the fans, with tickets costing up to 200 euros a time.
Introducing Jazz music to the Dubai cultural scene
For the first half of the festival, the jazzy part so to speak, one can simply register online and enjoy the music for free. Experienced jazz promoter and businessman Anthony Younes explains:
"To be honest, jazz is not necessarily the best way to bring really large numbers of people together. It is not something that everyone in Dubai is going to be interested in. But I happen to be a fan, so I tell people jazz is fun music, it's cool. I try to coax people along, introduce them to the music gradually."
The festival director's concept, then, does not exclude the more sophisticated and demanding aspects of the jazz musician's art. This year it was the job of the German musicians, whom he sees as innovative and almost avant-garde, to provide them. And the contrast on the opening night between the slick, easy sounds of a British smooth jazz band and the acoustic trio led by Martin Tingvall could hardly have been greater.
The fresh, unconventional style of a pianist who has been compared to the legendary Esbjörn Svensson simply wowed the audience. One Egyptian jazz fan enthused over the "Wonderful trio," describing them as "real artists, the most creative band I have ever seen here!"
Unprecedented extravaganza of jazz creativity
The other Hamburg bands enjoyed similar success, even, and most especially then, when they most clearly departed from the smooth, slick, easy-listening style of some of the other bands on show. Saxophonist Lutz Büchner's quartet were joking before they went on stage that they would be playing to empty seats. As it turned out, however, audiences were very enthusiastic and appreciative of their chamber music style of playing.
The contribution of the seven bands from Hamburg brought an unprecedented weeklong extravaganza of jazz creativity to the Persian Gulf. Major sponsor of the initiative was the Hamburg Senate, because, as Kirsten Staab, the city's representative in Dubai put it, it is high time that some attention was paid to supporting culture rather than the focus always being on economic collaboration. "Good Hamburg music," she said, "arouses more interest than a few promotional brochures ever can."
"The best thing in Dubai!"
Open-air festivals such as the Dubai Jazz Festival have no tradition in Arab culture. Audiences are therefore mainly drawn from the many incomers to the Gulf from Europe, Japan, USA and Australia. For them, the festival provides a welcome change from the air-conditioned world of daily working life in the Arab desert.
"The Jazz festival is brilliant; the best thing in Dubai!," one expat said. "It's a great place to relax and spend a pleasant evening in company. And it is definitely better than a crazy Filipino band doing Britney Spears songs. There is more than enough of that kind of thing here. Maybe, given a bit of time, the locals will come to realise that a jazz festival is not such a bad idea. It's coming along just nicely."
Jan Tengeler
© Deutsche Welle 2010
The Fusion Guitarist Kamal Musallam
Music from the Dust and Dirt of Dubai
The Dubai-based Jordanian jazz guitarist Kamal Musallam recently released his fifth album. "LuLu" is an unusual mix of blues, jazz, and traditional rhythms from the Arabian Gulf. Martina Sabra introduces the album and musician
Dubai Feels the Effects of the Financial Crisis
Winds of Change on Dubai's Cultural Scene
The global financial crisis is now casting its shadow over the large-scale cultural projects planned in the Emirate of Dubai. And yet the standstill also offers cultural producers a chance to finally shift the focus to their own culture. By Laura Weissmüller
Interview with Rose Issa
"Culture Should Not Be Restricted to the West"
The Louvre has just signed a lucrative million-euro deal with Abu Dhabi. Critics in France fear a "sell-out" of French culture. In this interview with Lewis Gropp, Rose Issa, independent curator and art critic specialised on Middle East and North Africa, disagrees


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Halfpipe returns to Heavenly
After a five-year hiatus, the halfpipe is back on the Heavenly hills and better than ever. "This is easily the best pipe we've ever had here, and we built it in record time – just nine days," said Heavenly Terrain Park manager Mike Thomas. Heavenly Mountain Resort opened its new halfpipe Saturday, Jan. 19, making it the only halfpipe in South Shore at present. The terrain park crew teamed up with the best of the best, Snow Park Technologies. Their powers combine made an 18-foot-tall, 450-foot-long halfpipe with a 16.5-degree slope angle. The crew also took snowmelt into consideration when building. The pipe's North-facing angle should mean even melt on both sides. To top it off, the view's not bad either. "With Lake Tahoe as a backdrop, this halfpipe will feature, hands-down, the best views from any halfpipe in the U.S.," said Pete Sonntag, Heavenly's general manager. Heavenly's High Roller Freeride Team rider Kyle Smaine christened the new pipe Jan. 19, making massive tricks look easy off its 18-foot walls. It was a successful test run and the pipe was declared open for business. Heavenly's halfpipe can be accessed via Canyon Express Chairlift on the California side of the mountain inside High Roller Terrain Park, which is also now open. Of Heavenly's three High Roller-branded terrain parks, High Roller Park is the premier park. It has been re-designed this season to include rails, boxes, jumps, and other jib features, both above and below the location of the halfpipe.History of halfpipesLee Crane tells it this way in TransWorld Snowboarding magazine:The whole thing goes back to skateboarding. By the mid 1970s, skateboarders had graduated from riding flat streets to drainage ditches and swimming pools.Back then, snowboarding was an outlaw sport and resorts didn't see it as a market they wanted to attract. So, snowboarders had to find their own fun. Riders in the Lake Tahoe area found it first, in 1979, on the edge of a city dump.Those early pipes were modified natural terrain, nothing more.In 1983, Tom Sims, founder of Sims Snowboards, organized the first World Championships at Soda Springs, Calif. Snowboarding was a small and fussy world back then. The Burton crew threatened to boycott those first world championships because they said halfpipe riding had nothing to do with snowboarding.And the halfpipe was pretty terrible — it was just two rows of snow chunks about four feet high.By 1986, the World Championships moved to Breckenridge, where the ski company built a pipe, about 150 feet long, 60 feet wide, with walls about 5 feet high and no vertical. It was bad, but it was better than anything Soda Springs built.Breck got the hang of it the next year, greeting the world championships with a pipe 200 feet long, 40 feet wide, with 6-foot walls that went nearly vertical. When the contest was over, the pipe remained and the general public loved it.Hoerter and everyone else who sculpts halfpipes can thank Colorado farm machinery mechanic Doug Waugh for making their jobs possible. Waugh built his Pipe Dragon in 1991.Waugh's Pipe Dragon was towed behind a snowcat and was the first machine designed to groom a curved shape. Vail used it that year. So did Eldora, Snowmass, Buttermilk and Copper Mountain, according to TransWorld Snowboarding magazine.— Writer Randy Wyrick of Vail Daily contributed to this report
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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and play "LA Noire" for the next 78 hours, with no pee breaks. LET'S GO!
MAVERICKS/THUNDER – 9:00PM (ESPN) The NBA's Western Conference Finals open tonight, featuring two teams no one really expected to be here in Dallas and Oklahoma City. Dallas got here by crushing the imploding Lakers, and Oklahoma City managed to squeak by those pesky Memphis Grizzlies. And so here we have two teams at the opposite ends of the spectrum. Dallas is an aging team featuring guys like Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd vying for a potential last shot at glory, while the Thunder are barely out of their pull-ups and hope to win a title a few years ahead of schedule. Expect lots and lots of offense. You'll enjoy watching a Western Conference Finals that, for only the second time in thirteen years, does not include either LA or San Antonio. Hooray for new blood! ANTICIPATION: HIGH!
EXPLORER – 10:00PM (NatGeo – an NBC/Universal network) Join scientists as they study the fossilized remains of the megapiranha. Yes, you heard me. MEGAPIRANHA. This ancestor of the deadly fish was up to four times the size of current piranhas. Has anyone alerted the folks at SyFy about this? Because this will be a TV movie starring Bobby Brown and Tisha Campbell two weeks from now. ANTICIPATION: MEGAPIRANHA!
INDEPENDENT LENS – 10:00PM (PBS) Ever wonder why Japanese people adore insects so much? What's that? You were unaware of the love affair between Japanese people and insects? Well, let PBS both introduce and explain the phenomenon to you. I'll watch with great curiosity, seeing as how I once had a pet cockroach in my old New York apartment, one I did not ask for. ANTICIPATION: BEETLEMANIA!
REAL SPORTS WITH BRYANT GUMBEL – 10:00PM (HBO) Tonight on Bryant Gumbel house of sad sports journalism, you'll get an interview with Bob Uecker (who will always be Harry Doyle to me), plus a look at Donald Trump's golf course over in Scotland. The Donald says it is a YOOGE success, and that it leads in all polls. ANTICIPATION: TRUMPY!
THE WOMAN WITH FIFTEEN PERSONALITIES – 10:00PM (OWN) Well, someone likes to hog personalities now, don't they? Hey lady, save some of those for people who need them, like Ryan Seacrest. ANTICIPATION: LIKE UNITED STATES OF TARA BUT REAL!
Tuesday Watch List: The NBA Playoffs Get Surrious!
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and play "LA Noire" for the next 78 hours, with no pee breaks. LET'S GO!


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Last August, Ashley Baker, an editor from Glamour magazine, visited a law firm to speak about the dos and don'ts of corporate fashion. While commenting on a slide show, a picture of a woman sporting an Afro popped up, and Baker called it a real no-no. She said the same thing about dreadlocks, and suddenly a storm of bad press swarmed Glamour. Last October, Portƒolio's Jeff Bercovici wrote: "Ashley is no racist, just a young writer who said something glib without considering how it would sound to someone from a different background." But you've got to wonder if Glamour is still smarting from the incident. The December issue features a "Glamover," in which they give a black "reader" a new look. Guess what?
Marketing exec Nina Wales was given an Afro. Earlier: 'Glamour' Editor To Lady Lawyers: Being Black Is Kinda A Corporate "Don't" GlamourPussy Glamour "Racist" Freed From Slavery To Fashion Glamour & "Political" Hair: What Have We Learned? How Does A Black Woman Feel About The Glamour Controversy? I Asked Myself! Glamour Attempts To Negotiate Peace Between Blacks, Bitchy Redheads Related: Dear Oprah, Mariah & Leona: Don't Forget That Curly Hair Is Beautiful Too


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Is Now
The Analog Devices and Hittite Microwave website integration has been completed, and now all product related information can be found in one place – Analog.com.
Is Now
With the integration of Hittite Microwave website into Analog.com, we're excited to offer products across the entire frequency spectrum from DC to beyond 100 GHz. These products can be found under
You can now:
- Browse all 2000 Analog Devices' RF & Microwave products
- Find technical support or ask a question in EngineerZone
- Filter by part number or by specification in the parametric search tables
- Take advantage of ADI's design tools: ADIsimRF and ADIsimPLL updated with the HMC portfolio
For your convenience, please find the most up-to-date product category mapping to Analog.com.
Please update your personal bookmarks as needed.
Instrumentation and Measurement
With over 1000 high performance RF ICs, ADI offers a wide variety of RF function blocks, as well as highly integrated solutions for the communication, T&M instrumentation, and military markets.
Learn More About the Hittite Acquisition
Antenna to bits and back.The combined RF and microwave portfolios from Analog Devices, Inc. and Hittite Microwave include more than 2,000 high performance products from functional blocks to highly-integrated solutions. Complemented by the world's leading data converters, Analog Devices is the only single source supplier to cover the entire signal chain, from antenna to bits and back, across the entire frequency spectrum up to 110 GHz.
Solutions. Service. Speed.ADI and Hittite Microwave share a passion for solving complex challenges like those found in high frequency systems. Customers benefit from more complete solutions that address the performance, reliability, and time-to-market requirements of an ever-widening range of applications. Serving the industrial, aerospace and defense, automotive, and communication infrastructure markets, the combined force brings new levels of design tools, technical support and manufacturing capability to customers designing RF, microwave, and millimeter wave systems.
A Message from ADI CEO Vincent Roche
Vincent Roche discusses the acquisition of Hittite Inc.
Two great histories in RF and Microwave innovation combine to create a bright future.
Strategy FAQs
Support FAQs
Operations FAQs
Whether transmitting critical medical information, reporting news or linking people with family and friends, communications systems connect the world.
Today's radar, communications, avionics, and defense electronics demand the best in system level performance.


text: There are many wonderful moments in life. With this stamp set you can make them even more unforgettable.Photopolymer stamps* Are totally transparent for perfect image placement.* Have just enough give to create a perfectly stamped image every time. * Cling like crazy to our clear blocks so you don't have to worry about slipping.* Save space—you need only one set of blocks for all your photopolymer stamps (blocks sold separately). * Come packaged in cases with images on the spine for easy storage and quick reference.Quantity: 20 photopolymer stampsSuggested clear blocks (sold separately): a, b, c, e


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Deadly mix: Hate and religion an unlikely marriage
The most startling event of our lifetime still partly baffles most Americans. Nearly a year later, we know thousands of details about 9/11, but few can answer the deep questions at the heart of the tragedy.
Why did 19 young men want to kill thousands of defenseless strangers who had done them no harm? Why did they desire it so fervently that they sacrificed their own lives to accomplish it?
As they lived in America, plotting the mass murder, why didn't they feel empathy for the people and families around them– but instead felt only a compulsion to kill them?
The historic suicide attack was insanity– but were the killers insane?
Normal people can't answer these questions, I think, because normal people can't understand fanatics. We can't comprehend hate mixed with religion. It's too contradictory for our minds to grasp. Yet that was the deadly driving force behind the worst murder in American history.
The best clue to the killers' motive is found in their own rallying call, a handwritten exhortation found in their luggage after the horror. Over and over, it beseeched the zealots to kill for God and give their lives gladly, confident that they would be transported to a magical heaven where each would enjoy an allotment of adoring virgins. Here are a few passages, translated from Arabic:
"When the taxi takes you to the airport, remember God constantly.... Smile and be calm, for God is with the believers, and the angels protect you.... And say, 'Oh Lord, take Your anger out on them, and we ask You to protect us from their evils.' And say, 'Oh Lord, block their vision from in front of them, so that they may not see.'... God will weaken the schemes of the non-believers....
"Be happy, optimistic, calm, because you are heading for a deed that God loves and will accept. It will be the day, God willing, that you spend with the women of paradise.... Remember that this a battle for the sake of God, as He said in His book: 'Oh Lord, pour Your patience upon us and make our feet steadfast to give us victory over the infidels.'...
"Know that the gardens of paradise are waiting for you in all their beauty, and the women of paradise are waiting, calling out, 'Come hither, friend of God.' They have dressed in their most beautiful clothing.... Remind your brothers that this act is for Almighty God."
Astounding! They saw Americans only as "infidels"– and they believed that killing infidels along with themselves would guarantee them eternal pleasure with houri nymphs. They were driven by adolescent male sex fantasies, plus heaven-seeking: mass murder as a route to paradise.
The terrorists obeyed a "fatwa" (holy edict) issued in 1998 by Osama bin Laden, which said in part: "We call on every Muslim who believes in God and hopes for reward to obey God's command to kill the Americans and plunder their possessions.... Launch attacks against the armies of the American devils and against those who are allied with them among the helpers of Satan."
What idiocy, to be impelled by "God's command to kill the Americans." Only sickos think God wants them to kill people.
The 9/11 tragedy wasn't unique. Throughout history, twisted, fermented, supernatural beliefs have caused a wide variety of horrors– from human sacrifice to the Crusades, from the Inquisition to holy wars, from witch-burnings to bloody pogroms, from Jonestown to the David Koresh compound, from nerve gas planted in Tokyo subways by cultists to salmonella planted in Oregon restaurant salad bars by other cultists. Murders at abortion clinics are part of the spectrum. To a varying extent, so are assassinations in Ulster, religious riots in India, and suicide bombings in Israel.
As the first anniversary of 9/11 approaches, many commemorative events and special publications are being planned. I think the day should become a permanent time to reflect on the peril posed by crackpot extremists.
England still celebrates Guy Fawkes Day to mark the thwarting of a 1605 Catholic plot to blow up Protestants in Parliament. America's tragedy was vastly worse. September 11 should be preserved as a global day of warning, cautioning humanity to beware of the ghastly mix of religion and hate.
Haught is editor of The Charleston Gazette, West Virginia's largest newspaper. He is author of two books, Holy Horrors and Holy Hatred, on religious atrocities and persecution.


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Now we are getting somewhere with this "new" board, this is one of the best boards out there
and many thanks to those who choose it and set it up.
Looks like we can continue with our posts with very few spams.
Eric, Robin and any others can now relax and do what they want to do, and those nutcases
should now be finished with.
hip hip hooray, great stuff.


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Part II: Specialty Hardware, Databases, Mainframes, and Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA)
"I feel the need for speed" is a famous movie line that explains why we often turn to hardware acceleration for faster execution of database queries. The favored approach has been to speed up applications by distributing workloads across multiple processors. That can involve exporting analytics or other processing to the cloud or to specialty hardware, such as Oracle Exadata and EMC Greenplum. Another approach that's gained traction with IBM System z users is to add specialty processors to the mainframe. Besides adding more processors to the hardware mix, they provide the advantage of reducing costs per MIPs.For IBM System z users, a Processor Unit (PU) is a Central Processor (CP), Service Assist Processor (SAP) or one of the CMOS-based specialty processors. A high-end System z machine can have up to 96 CPs. The System z supports the addition of four types of specialty processors. One is the Internal Coupling Facility (ICF) that allows coupled systems to communicate using several structures (lists, caches, locks). Another is the Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL), to enable mainframes to support Linux applications. IBM followed the IFL with the System z Application Assist Processor (zAAP) and System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIP).
The processors reside in a Multi-Chip Module (MCM) and all processors in a Central Electronic Complex are identical, with the difference among processors being microcode. Each z10 Enterprise Class can have up to four MCMs. Each PU includes four cores that can be a CP or other processor, such as a zIIP or zAAP. There can be up to twenty cores per MCM. The zIIP and zAAP processors are a separately-priced item, with System z customers being able to order one zIIP and one zAAP per CP.
The newest hardware, the IBM zEnterprise 196 (z196) uses a new 5.2 GHz microprocessor chip with data compression and cryptographic processors right on the chip. The z196 can have as many as 80 configurable cores and support up to 3 TB of real memory.
A prime benefit of the specialty processors is freedom from licensing fees. Most mainframe software pricing, from companies such as BMC, CA and IBM, is based on paying a monthly charge that includes a licensing fee and support costs. The IBM pricing model includes a Workload License Charge, with the monthly charge based on processor usage measured in Million Service Units (MSUs). The specialty processors can be purchased for a one time charge. They support certain types of workloads, such as Java and XML processing, without increasing the MSU rating used to calculate software licensing fees.
The capability to offload work to specialty processors reduces the costs of MIPS (million instructions per second), the primary cost driver in mainframe environments. The hardware and software cost of a zIIP processor, for example, is $150 to $200 per MIPS. That compares favorably with $2200 to $3400 for the CP.
The zAAP processor running a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) can execute asynchronously with the mainframe's general processors. Besides Java processing, it can provide low-cost XML parsing services for XML workloads and z/OS XML System Services.
zIIP IBM restricts the z/OS zIIP-enabling functions to certain types of software. Before disclosing the API for shifting work for zIIP execution, IBM requires software vendors to sign a special license agreement. The zIIP can only assist the CP; they cannot initiate execute an Initial Program Load (IPL). In some System z mainframes, the CP is not configured to run at full capacity; however, knee-capping does not apply to the zIIP specialty engine.
The zIIP processor was originally targeted at DB2 database workloads, whereas the zAAP is the solution for Java applications. So it's possible to reduce the cost of running database and Java workloads using these specialty engines.
Although the zIIP was initially used to lighten the database processing load of the mainframe's central processors, it's now used to offload other z/OS workloads. IBM modified the z/OS Communications Server to use zIIP for IPSec encryption and header processing. This reduces the cost of processing FTP bulk data transfers when the data requires encryption or decryption.
There are several types of DB2 workloads that are candidates for zIIP offloading. These include
- parallel child processes - XML parsing - native SQL stored procedures run via the Distributed Data Facility (DDF) - some maintenance and indexing processes - DDF server threads that handle SQL requests from ODBC and JDBC applications, plus others that connect via TCP/IP.
ISVs The independent software vendors (ISVs) who compete in the mainframe market are leveraging the IBM System z specialty processors to enhance their products. BMC MainView system management software can move a significant portion of its work to a zIIP. BMC CMF Monitor can offload work from the CP to zIIPs and share data collection with MainView for z/OS. CA offers database management systems that can use zIIP specialty engines. These include CA-Datacom/DB Multi-User Facility and CA-IDMS.
In 2009, Information Builders announced support for the zIIP chips in its business intelligence products. These include FOCUS 7.6.10 and WebFOCUS 7.7, and subsequent versions. IBM also announced a program to attract SAP users and released performance tests with SAP workloads using the zIIP engines. Running an SAP OLTP workload with a zIIP processor produced a response time that was about 60% of the response time with no zIIP processor. It also reduced the CP busy percentage by about half.
SOA, WOA For new software development, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web-Oriented Architecture (WOA) remain the technology du jour. Building new services and applications is one solution for surfacing information that currently resides in data silos, such as legacy data sources. So there's plenty of interest in tapping mainframe databases for web services and data integration for analytics and business intelligence.
SQL is often the tool chosen for querying the data sources, with XML being the data format of choice for data integration and delivering data for services. SOA typically includes a data services layer to accomplish the SQL and XML work. ODBC and JDBC drivers and .Net providers provide connectivity to a variety of data sources for running SQL queries.
One problem on the mainframe side is that non-relational data stores lack an SQL query processing engine. That means they cannot, for example, natively support queries from ODBC- or JDBC-enabled software. But Shadow from Progress Software offers a solution for System z users. Progress Shadow provides an SQL engine that supports SQL-92 queries with non-relational data and it operates with the zIIP and zAAP specialty processors.
Shadow supports SQL queries over CICS VSAM files and Adabas, IMS and DB2 databases. It supports asynchronous processing of calls from web service requesters and enables IMS transactions to function as web service providers. Mainframe applications can function as web service providers and consumers, meaning COBOL and PL/I applications can play in the web services playground with Java and C#.
When there's Java processing to be done on a System z mainframe, applications can leverage the zAAP to lower costs. Asked about Shadow's use of the zAAP, Progress Software's Gregg Willhoit responded:
In our first usage of the zAAP we integrated the IBM JVM into our common architecture and implemented a BPEL component by porting and integrating Parasoft's Java based BPEL engine into Shadow. This allowed us to offload the orchestration of mainframe and non-mainframe web services to the zAAP, and coincidentally if the mainframe web services being orchestrated where provided by Shadow, they would then be offloaded to the zIIP.
With System z sales increasing, it's apparent the mainframe will continue to be viable for both legacy and new applications. It fits the profile of what's needed for a fast, secure, well-maintained server that has the added benefit of access to legacy data sources. But it's not just a platform for legacy applications. Software such as Shadow and IBM's z/OS XML Systems Services enable mainframes to fully support SOA, and do so while offloading work to specialty processors.
Part I Ken North Blog ArchiveBuilding new services and applications is one solution for surfacing information that currently resides in data silos, such as legacy data sources. So there's plenty of interest in tapping mainframe databases for web services and data integration for analytics and business intelligence.


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With the new season of "Strike Back" less than two weeks away, our friends at Cinemax continue to take us behind the scenes of the production as it was filmed in South Africa earlier this year.
The latest "Production Recon" video from the action series, which follows the soldiers of a special ops unit called Section 20, shows what star Sullivan Stapleton said as one of the crazier stunts he took part in this season. The scene involves his character, Damien Scott, driving a van into a baddie.
In reality, Stapleton drove the van into the stunt man, or "stuntie" as he says, who is protected by a metal cage. During a post-screening Q&A session I moderated at San Diego Comic Con, Stapleton said he couldn't believe he was being asked to drive a vehicle into a person.
"It's kind of a funny thing to drive at another human being and hope to God that that welded little cage holds," he says in the video.
It's amazing that the stunt man wasn't hurt, and how authentic the scene looks. As you can see by everyone's reactions in the video, shown here exclusively, even the actors and crew are surprised--and rather giddy.
It's no surprise that Stapleton and Philip Winchester, who plays Sgt. Michael Stonebridge, have tons of admiration and appreciation for the stunt crew. I'll have more from the actors, a new co-star Rhona Mitra, throughout the season.
"Strike Back" begins its new season at 9 p.m. Central Aug. 17 on Cinemax. The Season 1 DVD set is available beginning Aug. 7. It features all 10 episodes as well as some entertaining and illuminating commentary tracks from the stars, directors and last season's showrunner, Dan Percival. Oddly, none of the wonderful "Production Recon" videos like the one above are included. But you can watch those at the Cinemax website and Youtube.
Despite the absence of those extras, I can't recommend this show highly enough. Look over in the "realted" field to find a photo gallery for the first episode os Season 1. And if you haven't seen the first season, get the DVD set and enjoy. Then you'll be ready for another round come Aug. 17.
With the new season of "Strike Back" less than two weeks away, our friends at Cinemax continue to take us behind the scenes of the production as it was filmed in South Africa earlier this year.


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Homicide Rate Was Already Declining
Why not emulate Australia's rigorous gun control model in the United States?
For starters, it hasn't worked. Twelve years after the new regulations were implemented, Time reported on new research suggesting the new regime "was a waste of public money and has made no difference to the country's gun‐related death rates." The homicide rate had been declining before the 1996 ban; its post‐ban decline has merely been a continuation of that trend. Indeed, not one other country that has banned guns has lowered its murder rate.
That doesn't mean our existing gun controls are optimal. Early detection and treatment of mental illness might lead to firearms access restrictions that the most ardent gun rights advocates could support. But regulations must be fashioned with great care, not simply as a formulaic response to the Newtown tragedy. Multivictim killings — heart‐rending and horrifying — are but a fraction of 1% of all murders in the United States, and they will sadly occur even where stringent gun controls are imposed.
Here's the overriding principle: The Supreme Court has affirmed an individual right to bear arms for self‐defense and other purposes. Such rights are not absolute. But the court's decisions mean that government must show its proposed regulations will enhance public safety.
Yet 18 national studies in peer‐reviewed journals establish that right‐to‐carry laws, for example, reduce violent crime; 10 studies indicate no discernible effect. No reliable evidence indicates that such laws increase crime.
The burden‐of‐proof point was central to a ruling this month by the U.S. Court of Appeals overturning the Illinois ban on concealed carry: "The theoretical and empirical evidence (which overall is inconclusive) is consistent with concluding that a right to carry firearms in public may promote self‐defense. Illinois had to provide us with more than merely a rational basis for believing that its uniquely sweeping ban is justified by an increase in public safety. It has failed to meet this burden."
By all means, let's re‐evaluate our gun laws in the aftermath of last week's disaster. But there are significant costs when rights are compromised. Let's be sure the ends justify the means.


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I thought this would make such a cute gift for a new baby. I've never had one for any of my babies, (and wouldn't you know it I'm having a boy so this cute girly one won't work) but I've heard babies just love them. Both are easy and quick to make. Ribbon blanket measures approx. 18 1/2″ square, block is about 4″ square.
6 squares from Hushabye charm pack by Tula Pink.
6 Five inch squares of thin batting (I used Warm and Natural).
12 pieces of different ribbons cut into 5″-6″ pieces.
Your favorite fiber fill or stuffing to fill the finished block.
Ribbon Blanket
16 squares from Hushabye Charm pack by Tula Pink.
1 – 20″ piece of thin batting (I used Warm and Natural).
1 – 20″ coordinating piece of minky fabric.
12 – 16 pieces of different ribbon, cut into 5″ – 6″ pieces.
Step One –
Pick 6 – 5″ square pieces from your Hushabye charm pack.
Cut 6 – 5″ squares from batting
Cut 12 ribbons into 5″ – 6″ pieces.
Step 2 – Layer pieces for sewing. Layer batting, fabric, ribbon pinned in the center, fabric (right sides facing together on fabric pieces), batting and pin.
Step 3 – Measure in 1/2″ on all corners of batting and make a mark. This will need to be done to all pieces of batting.
Step 4 – Starting on the side of the fabric stack that you pinned, start sewing at the 1/2″ mark using a 1/2″ seam allowance. Sew until you get to the next 1/2″ mark on the same side.
Step 5 – Follow steps 2 through five until you have sewn four 5″ squares together with the ribbon pinned in the middle.
Step 5 – Sew the 1st and 4th squares together. Below is how it should look when this is done.
Step 6 – Pin ribbon onto top and bottom of block. Four on the top and four on the bottom.
Step 7 – Open top left corner at the 1/2 mark and pin on 5″ fabric piece and 5″ piece of batting. Next do the same at the top right corner, also pin again where the ribbon is.
Sew across the top starting and stopping at the 1/2″ marks. Next, pin the bottom the same way and sew, and then repeat process on the sides.
It should look similar to this on the corners. Repeat step 7 for the bottom of the block. Be sure to leave a 3″ opening on one of the seams on the bottom so that you can turn the block right side out. Use your favorite type of stuffing and fill block, then hand stitch the opening on the bottom closed.
Ribbon Blanket
Step 1 – Pick 16 of your favorite squares from your charm pack and lay them out how you want them to look.
Step 2 – Sew together one strip at a time, then sew strips together pining at the seams.
Step 3 – Once all blocks are sewn together start pining the ribbon on the out side of the block in the center. On the corners I only used one ribbon, but it would look cute with two also.
Step 4 – Cut your minky fabric and batting to match the size of the top of your blanket. Place right sides of minky fabric and the top of your ribbon blanket together pinning on the seams. Sew around entire blanket leaving about a 4 – 5″ opening on one of the sides so you can turn it right side out.
Step 5 – Using one of your favorite stitches on your machine sew around the entire ribbon blanket, using about 1/2″ seam allowance. I'm not sure I would choose the stitch I used again. You really have to pull the fabric through the machine, and it was hard to make this stitch look uniform.
And ta da, your finished.
A very cute ribbon blanket and ribbon block for your very favorite baby. If you'd like to make one of these for yourself, be sure and come visit my blog. I'm having a giveaway for a free Hushabye Charm pack and enough ribbon and batting to make your very own block or. I think I'll throw in another surprise charm pack as well. I also have another fun Halloween giveaway going on right now you'll have to check out.


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Six people drowned in the course of the three-day weekend, a police spokeswoman told the ctk news agency. The tragic statistics are believed to be the result of a combination of alcohol and the tropical heatwave that hit the Czech Republic several days ago. The health authorities also reported an increased number of emergency calls to people who collapsed in the heat. People have been advised to increase their intake of liquids and restrict physical activities until the heat abates. Temperatures are expected to drop by about ten degrees on Wednesday.
Meeting with Czech filmmakers at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka reaffirmed his government's commitment to securing stable financial support for Czech cinematography as of next year. A proposed amendment to the audiovisual law approved by the government last week should bring the State Cinematography Fund annual state subsidies of up to 390 million crowns as of 2016. The money should enable Czech filmmakers to launch more ambitious projects and co-productions and make better use of the potential of the Czech film industry. Another fundamental change concerns the provision of film incentives for foreign crews, part of a long-term effort to bring Prague back on the list of Europe's most attractive film destinations alongside London, Berlin and Budapest. The bill has yet to be debated in Parliament but the coalition's comfortable majority in the lower house should ensure its smooth passage.
The Czech crown strengthened to the euro briefly on the Greek "No" vote breaking through the 27 crown margin set by the central bank and selling at 26.80 to the euro. Within an hour it returned to its former level at 27.12 crowns per euro. The ctk news agency says it is not clear if the central bank intervened on foreign markets. The bank has been keeping the crown in check with forex interventions since 2013 and says the interventions will continue until 2016.
The Czech Republic is marking the 600th anniversary of the burning at stake of reformer priest Jan Hus with numerous events highlighting his legacy. Masses have been celebrated around the country, among others in Jan Hus' birthplace Husinec and at Bethlehem chapel in Prague, where the reformer priest preached. The chapel had a new bell cast in Hus' memory which will first rang on the 600th anniversary of his martyr's death at the stake and a special installation was unveiled on the side wall of the chapel –a sign reading For the Truth which can only be seen in sunny weather –a reminder of the fact that the truth is sometimes hidden. Over the past two days people have been able to attend theatre performances, debates, concerts and film screenings dedicated to the reformer priest and on Monday night a candlelit procession from Old Town Square to the Vltava River will pay tribute to his memory.
The Greek "No" in Sunday's referendum will not improve the negotiating position of the government of Alexis Tsipras, according to Czech economists. David Marek, from Deloitte, said the "No" vote was a sad result. The Greek government and citizens are mistaken if they believe that by rejecting the bailout terms they will achieve softer conditions, Marek said, adding that the opposite is true. Marek said there is only one alternative to the rescue plan - the Argentinian path, the state declaring itself bankrupt, high inflation and lowering of the living standard. Lukáš Kovanda, from the Roklen financial group, said the position of the European Central Bank in providing cash for Greece would most likely worsen due to the "no" vote, which considerably increased the possibility of Greece leaving the euro zone. If the ECB decides that the guarantees that Greek banks provide in exchange for the loans are not sufficient, a banking collapse is likely to come and Greece will have to issue its own currency, even if only as a temporary alternative to the euro, Kovanda said.
An outdoor seating arrangement known as Havel's Place was unveiled in the west Bohemian spa town of Karlovy Vary on Sunday as a tribute to the late Czech president. The event took place within the framework of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and was attended by Vaclav Havel's widow Dagmar. The seating arrangement – made up two garden seats with a round table and a linden tree to cast shade -was designed by Bořek Šípek, a celebrated Czech artist and architect who was a close friend of Havel's and has already been set up in memory of the president in nine countries around the world. The very first was unveiled in Washington D.C.
Greeks chose the worse option in Sunday's referendum, Czech Prime
Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said in response to the news that Greece had
overwhelmingly rejected the conditions of a rescue package with creditors.
The prime minister said the Greeks had chosen the more difficult road not
just for themselves but for the whole EU and noted that, despite the
valiant efforts of Chancellor Merkel and President Hollande, it would be
near impossible to keep the Greeks in the Eurozone against their will.
On the other hand, Finance Minister Andrej Babiš, who recently noted that Greece should go bankrupt in order to "clear the space" said that Greece should never have been admitted to the Eurozone in the first place since it is not just a monetary but an economic alliance.
Opposition TOP 09 deputy chair Miroslav Kalousek said that Greece had bought its ticket out of the Eurozone, while Civic Democratic party deputy chair Jan Zahradil said this should serve as an impetus for the EU to create a legislative framework which would allow Eurozone members to leave the alliance.
The Czech Republic is marking the 600th anniversary of the burning at stake of reformer priest Jan Hus with two days of events highlighting his legacy. They include celebratory masses, concerts, theatre performances and, in Prague, outdoor events in the vicinity of Old Town Square which is dominated by the newly-renovated statue of Jan Hus. Bethlehem chapel, where the reformer priest preached has had a new bell cast in his memory which will first ring on Sunday, on the anniversary of his martyr's death at the stake.
Albanian police have arrested a man suspected to shooting dead two Czech tourists in the northern part of the country on Friday. The tourists were shot on a mountain road near the town of Skadar on their way to a tent camp. The gunman then pushed the car with the dead bodies down a ravine to make it appear an accident. The twenty-six-year old man suspected of the murders was released from prison just a month ago after serving a five year sentence for armed robbery in which a small child was killed.
The Czech police force is to set up a new cyber crime squad in October, Czech public television reported citing Police Presidium spokeswoman Jana Macaliková. Presently cyber crime is dealt with by regular officers but since the amount of cyber crime has seen a steep increase the police is to get a specialized unit which should deal with such cases faster and more efficiently and cooperate closely with similar units abroad. The cases of cyber crime registered by the police reached 2,500 cases with the damage estimated at one billion crowns in 2014, a year-on-year increase of 30 percent.


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Carrizo Springs Airport Transportation
Carrizo Creek Lodge offers transportation from the Carrizo Springs Airport to area businesses such as travel to oilfield sites, ranches or business in the Carrizo Area. Our staff at the Lodge will assit you with your travel plans to the Carrizo Springs Area. Just call us at 830-255-6863 to make arrangements.


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Parent Directory | Revision Log
|Sticky Revision:
Resolve mantis issue 216. Removed the asAbstractContinuousDomain(X) member which did not take cast failure into account. Rewrote the few places where it was used.
Closing the moreshared branch
Copyright updated in all files
And get the *(&(*&(* name right
Restore the trunk that existed before the windows changes were committed to the (now moved to branches) old trunk.
Make a temp copy of the trunk before checking in the windows changes
The MPI branch is hereby closed. All future work should be in trunk. Previously in revision 1295 I merged the latest changes to trunk into trunk-mpi-branch. In this revision I copied all files from trunk-mpi-branch over the corresponding trunk files. I did not use 'svn merge', it was a copy.
reduced integration schemes are implemented now for grad, integrate, etc. Tests still to be added.
first steps toward reduced element integration order. The escript bit is done but the finley part still needs work.
More copyright information.
rationalise #includes and forward declarations
restructure escript source tree move src/Data/* -> src remove inc modify #includes and cpppath settings accordingly
move all directories from trunk/esys2 into trunk and remove esys2
Initial revision
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SXSW TechKaraoke: The Beautiful People Edition
This SXSW coverage is brought to you by Red Square Agency. The agency that also brought you chicken for breakfast.
Friday night at SXSW, TechKaraoke was held at The Stage on Sixth. TechKaraoke makes its appearance each year at SXSW and at BlogWorld. It the one time when you can see your co-workers get on stage and make complete idiots of themselves. OK, well, some co-workers are actually good. Really good.
We were there to take pictures for the event so we can share a few with you. The others have to go to TechKaraoke and we'll share those when we can. But we're going to share the good ones. The important ones. The ones you want to see. You know. Pictures of beautiful people. Because we all wish we were as beautiful as some of the people in these pictures. Come on, you know you wish it.
This SXSW coverage has been brought to you by Red Square, a small national agency that just happens to be located in the SXSE.
Topic: Industry Events


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Sunday, September 1, 2019
Today's TV Show Premieres
Air Disasters and Darrow And Darrow have television season premieres today. See all of the upcoming television premieres at http://tvnews.pazsaz.com/coming2.html
Online at http://www.pazsaz.com/ since 1991! This site has over 7500 entertainment pages devoted to entertainment news, TV shows, movies, cartoons, music, books, comic books, cooking, theme parks and video games.


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Bret Michaels will have heart surgery this fall, the rocker revealed to Access Hollywood on Monday.
"The Celebrity Apprentice" winner revealed that the recently discovered hole in his heart will be repaired after he is free and clear of the current medicines he's on to keep his body functioning following his three recent major health scares including last month's brain hemorrhage.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Rocker-Turned-Reality Star Bret Michaels Over The Years
U.S. & World
"What they'll do is they'll go in and they'll do the heart operation in the fall," Bret told Access. "They have to let everything clear out and then they'll go in and do the operation in my heart and then I'm gonna be great. I don't have any other options except to think that it's gonna be great, it's gonna be a smooth operation and I'm gonna feel awesome."
Bret said he feels "amazing" presently, but back when he first was hit with a brain hemorrhage in late April, it was a much different story.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Who Will Be Hired? New 2010 'Celebrity Apprentice' Cast
"I've never felt pain like that ever," Bret told Access. "I got knocked out at the Tonys by a wall and it didn't feel half as bad as that did."
The rocker-turned-reality star said when he first suffered the condition, being told he "wasn't dead yet," but was facing a life-threatening injury, was terrifying, mostly as he thought of his two daughters.
"It was probably one of the scariest moments in my life… that was… up there with probably the scariest moment in my life," Bret recalled. "This could be it. Your life doesn't flash in front of your eyes. You don't all of a sudden have a rewind of your childhood, at least I didn't. What happened to me is I got very sad that I may never see my kids again, and my family. I was like, 'This can't be happening.'"
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Keepin' It Real With TV's Hottest Reality Stars!
While Bret continues to be treated for his condition, he has no regrets about having flown out for the "Celebrity Apprentice" finale, despite a doctor's advice.
"I just made the decision I have to set a goal in my life and yes they were very adamant that this is not the best thing to do," Bret said. "And… it rocked."
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Donald Trump: The Man, The Money… The Hair!
Copyright 2010 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: Bret Michaels: 'I'm Feeling A Little Beat Up'
PLAY IT NOW: Access Exclusive: Will Bret Michaels Have Heart Surgery?
More from Access: [ Bret Michaels Health Scares Reality TV ]


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It's Raining!
February 27, 2010
There's nothing like knitting on a day like this. I'm working on the Katherine hat while enjoying my rainy day drink of choice–milk tea! The pattern is easy to remember with enough variation to keep me entertained.
I'm using Stitch Nation's "Full o' Sheep" peruvian wool. I found it while yarn shopping with the momma. It comes in so many pretty colors, I even picked it up in a hot pink! Haven't' decided what I'm going to use it for yet.
Hopefully I can finish this by Sunday evening and squeeze some sewing in. The shop's looking quite sad 😦
I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend!
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My silence about transitioning to a new guild wasn't exactly intentional. I've written a few drafts, but can't get them sounding the way I want. I tweak them until I get angry and have to go for walks to calm down. I get a lot of exercise, but no post about guild searching and guild joining.
I do love the new guild. The raids are fun, the environment is motivating and the officers do an amazing job of making sure everything runs smoothly and yet still found time to go out of their way to make me feel at home.
What I want to talk about, though, is my performance and the adjustments I made in transitioning from Teamsport, a 10s casual guild, to this team, a 25s hard mode guild.
It's been over a month now. I wish I could say I'm awesome and the transition was easy and that I got 25s heroic healing mastered on the first click. Well, I guess I could say it, but I'd be lying. It took me several raids and a lot of advice from my heals lead as well as the other holy pally in the guild before I could perform at the same level as the other healers. And, over a month later, there are still fights where my logs are totally embarrassing.
A 10s casual group and a 25s progressive group have different needs and call for a style of healing that is unique to them. I hate the terms "harder" and "easier" because I don't find one style inherently harder or easier than the other. 10s casual demand you compensate for the weaknesses or indifference of others if you expect to kill anything, 25s progressive require that you push to take your place or else you'll find yourself carried for a short while and eventually dropped.
Let's define "Casual" and "Progressive"
It's like philosophy class! "To each essay, each word's meaning"
"Casual" and "progressive", in the raiding sense, have very relative meanings.
When I think "casual" I think of this: teammates show up and play well, but most don't go out of their way to review logs, talk strat, minmax. Raids are less time efficient with waits between pulls and random afks. Fights are done on normal mode with maybe one or two heroic kills at the very end of the tier. Motivations are mostly social, with some loot bonuses.
"Progressive", to me, means that every individual on the team has kills as their top priority. (They can have secondary priorities too, of course.) Motivation is mostly kills, with some loot bonuses. Teammates do go out of their way to enhance their performance and the pace between pulls is more, lets say, dynamic.
Casual to progressive (or hardcore) is a spectrum with a handful of guilds on each end and most somewhere in the middle. What I'm doing, and what I'm talking about, is moving along the spectrum from a position leaning more toward casual, to a position leaning more toward progressive.
Your job and how it changes
No matter which environment you're playing in, your job as a healer is this: first keep your assignment alive and secondly, when you can, help others keep their assignment alive.
How this translates into practice depends on the environment you're playing in. In a less focused team, you'll be dealing with a lot of extra damage due to mistakes, slow reaction time and, if you're unlucky, a tank (or fellow healer) who went to the bathroom during the fight and didn't tell anyone. In a team aiming for progression, there's less damage going around, and if you falter, other healers will jump to back you up. However, if you falter and are covered for often, you will quickly find yourself expelled from the team for not doing your part.
Then, in 10s, you're dealing with limited bodies. If your fellow healer goes down (or to the bathroom), you're on your own. In a 10 man group, you need to be able to work well as a team, but you also need to know how to cover the entire raid should you find yourself in the, very likely, position of single healing. In a 25 man group, you'll rarely be on your own, so developing team skills tops the to-do list.
Communication, the key to all relationships
During my first raid with Teamsport my tank died.
"He got out of range and no one covered for me." I complained.
The reply I got?
"Why didn't you say anything?"
I came to Teamsport from a 25s progression guild. I was used to having people automatically jump in when they saw a need. Eventually I learned to speak up again (and my fellow healers in Teamsport did get better at reading healthbars). When I went back to 25s progression raiding, I was delighted to have people jumping in when they saw a need again, before I had to say anything.
Don't get me wrong, communication is always important. But in 25s, voice chat gets overwhelmed quickly, so you have to prioritize. Do this absolutely need to be said out loud or is there another way I can communicate this? Can it be typed in healer chat after this fight?
In 25s, you communicate a lot via raid frames. I can tell if fellow pally is having trouble healing her tank by how he's gone a few seconds without being topped off. I can tell fellow healer is out of mana because the blue light on her healthbar came on. I know who the Beacon targets are in the raid, because my little Beacon icon is showing. Since you can't afford for everyone to crowd vent with details of their situations, we can rely on addons (and macros, which I need to get working on, myself) to communicate for us, leaving us with only select information to share via voice chat.
On my application I wrote "one thing that I'm very proud of is that I use my cooldowns on, well, cooldown."
After my first raid with the guild, the majority of the feedback I received was that I needed to improve my cooldown usage.
No, I didn't lie on my app. What happened, and this took me by surprise, is that with Teamsport, I used my cooldowns based on need. So whenever I sensed my fellow healers falter, whenever I felt the tank slacking on his cooldown usage, whenever there was a potential for extra damage, the cooldown buttons were pressed. This happened so often that my cooldowns were getting used as soon as they came up.
With the new guild, that sense of urgency never came (my first few raids with them were 10s alt runs, so this is a casual vs progressive thing, not a 10s vs 25s) and thus I had to make a mental effort to use them.
The key in 25s progressive is to get the cooldowns going early on to boost healing and save mana and, most importantly, ensure they'll come up again before the end of the fight so you can use them more than once. Lay on Hand, I save for OMG moments and Aura Mastery, I make sure not to use within the 2 minutes before I'm called upon to pop it, but everything else now gets pumped out as early as possible, and again as soon as it's ready.
Last week I won an award for "best use of healer cooldown" (which was an awesome surprise!) so it seems that the mental effort is paying off, but I still have to actively think about cooldown usage.
Single targeting vs HOLY RADIANCE LOVE BAYBEE!
The first time I did Heroic Ultraxion, my numbers were terrible. They were terrible because I was conditioned to thinking "the tank will die if I don't OMG spam Diving Light on him ALL THE TIME".
This was another lesson.
Damage in Firelands, at least on 10s, went like this: one person takes damage, then someone else takes damage, then someone else takes damage. My Divine Light finger became twitchy and I came down with a fear of not spamming Divine Light. Dragon Soul is more "everybody taking lots of damage all together, like friends". Still, in 10s, I concentrated on the tank with the occasional raid heal while my cohealers took care of the non-tanks.
In 25s, though, there is so much splash healing that the tanks rarely need Divine Light spam. Divine Light spammers like me end up with a lot of overheal and very little effective healing.
The key?
Holy Radiance all the time.
Ok, maybe not all the time. Heroic Blackhorn, from the logs I've read, is not primarily a Holy Radiance fight. Heroic Ultraxion and Heroic Zon'ozz (two fight where I found myself way below the other healers on the meters) are Holy Radiance fights. I checked my shitty H-Zon'ozz log against another paladin's awesome H-Zon'ozz log. The major difference? I used Holy Radiance 14 times. The other pally used theirs over 114 times. I think we've found a problem!
Mana Management
"114 Holy Radiances", you say, "but what about the mana?!?!"
Interestingly, I rarely run out of mana anymore, even when overdoing it on the Holy Radiance. And when I do, I can regen it no problem.
I can think of a few reasons for that. First, when you're running with a progressive group, you're killing more things, which means you get more gear. I have more mana regen now simply because I'm better geared. The fights are also a lot shorter. Fights that took up to 12 minutes with Teamsport only take 6 minutes with this team.
Then, because in 25s there are at least 4 other healers pumping out awesome heals, there are more opportunities to use cheaper Holy Lights, or melee a bit, or pop Divine Plea, or drink a Concentration Potion.
So while I still shouldn't be wasteful with mana, I do have more ressources now to really milk the Holy Radiances.
"To each essay, its conclusion."
There are certainly other differences I've adjusted to in transitioning from wiping all night on Zon'ozz to wiping all night on Heroic Zon'ozz (though Heroic Zon'ozz went down pretty fast last week…it seems like my Zon'ozz curse may end!). However, communication, cooldown usage, spell selection and mana regenaration are those that stood out to me and that I constantly think about as I'm raiding.
I still have good fights and bad fights. I still make a lot of mistakes. I even started making mistakes I'd never made before (I had never died to Hour of Twilight until I joined this guild, and now I die at least once a week. How embarrassing!). But I'm determined to push myself as far as I can go, and to eliminate the bad fights.


text:
Inventor of the Year award
The annual Ericsson Inventor of the Year award acknowledges the talent and hard work of those whose technology innovations enrich the company's portfolio.
For 140 years, the ideas, technology and people of the company have created a monumental impact in many different ways and on many different levels. As a result, they have transformed lives, industries, and society as a whole.
With more than 54,000 granted patents worldwide, we are a leading patent holder in the wireless industry – which is made possible by our substantial investment in R&D and our creative inventors with an ability to think differently.
For over 20 years, our Inventor of the Year award has recognized the outstanding contributions of our inventors – highlighting the importance of patents and licensing in maintaining our position at the forefront of technological innovation.
Ericsson's ideas, technology and people have made a monumental impact over the last 140 years, contributing to transforming lives, industries, and society as a whole. Ericsson R&D has enabled many of the everyday activities you take for granted – such as Bluetooth, touchscreen scrolling and 4G/LTE technology – while ensuring other companies benefit from our technology innovations through fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) principles.
As we pave the road to 5G, our industry-leading innovators are driving us towards our vision of the networked society every day – and we strive to recognize, reward and invest in their valuable contributions to the future of communications.


text:
AmeriCares is a nonprofit global health and disaster relief organization, which delivers medicines, medical supplies and aid to people in need around the world and across the United States. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has delivered more than $10 billion in aid to 147 countries.
AmeriCares provides immediate response to emergency and ongoing medical needs and supports long-term humanitarian assistance programs for people around the world, irrespective of race, creed or political persuasion.


text:
Digital Production
The Gnomon Workshop offers the most comprehensive set of Digital Production tutorials anywhere. The broad scope of the tutorials contained in this section range from foundational understanding of the software tools all the way to the professional application of these tools and concepts used by artists working in the film and game industries.
Entertainment Design
The Gnomon Workshop is widely regarded as the global leader in training tutorials for the designer working in the entertainment industry. With tutorials ranging from foundational drawing and design concepts to process tutorials from some of the top concept and character designers in the world, there is surely something here to inspire.
As the tattoo industry has seen an explosion in popularity over the last few years, the need training in this field has also grown. In these video tutorials, some of the top tattoo artists in the world share their techniques and their take on the art of tattoo. The tutorials range from absolute beginner level to advanced color and blending techniques used by some of the world's best.
The Gnomon Workshop offers professional training on most of the software applications used in today's digital pipelines. There are foundational titles to introduce users to the software and tools, as well as advanced production titles that discuss application tools and processes vital to the production of digital assets and media.
Professional Training for Artists
The Gnomon Workshop seeks out the most highly-regarded traditional and digital artists and technicians currently working in the entertainment and design industries. Our instructors have shared their practices working at such top studios as Pixar, ILM, Blizzard, and many more.Instructor GalleriesInstructor Interviews
John Clark has been working in the film and television industry for over sixteen years, creating scenic art and practical effects before moving into digital animation and visual effects. For three years John was the VFX supervisor for the award-winning digital production house Motion Theory, where he received commercial credits with campaigns for HP, Budweiser, Toyota, Direct TV, Mervyns, Johnson & Johnson, Mazda, Nike, Fox, ESPN, EA Sports, Met Life and Cingular. John also helped create music videos for The Used, Papa Roach, REM, Less Than Jake, Velvet Revolver, and Beck. John is currently at Sony Pictures Imageworks where he is the Layout Lead for the animated feature Hotel Transylvania. At Sony John has been an Animation Lead, Layout Lead, Modeler, 3DS Lighter and Hair and Cloth TD on movies such as Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, and Surf's Up, for which he won a 2007 Annie Award for his wave animation and layout work. John's other awards for animation and FX include: five AICP awards, International Art Directors Silver Cube and Gold Cube, and multiple Telly awards. John has also had two animation pieces accepted to the SIGGRAPH animation festival.
"I'm always looking for great ways to expand my knowledge base within Maya, and John Clark's Maya Dynamics tutorials have quickly helped me get up to speed on the inner workings of the often overwhelming dynamics module. His clear, concise lessons and methods are a one-stop-shop for all your effects development needs."
Try a Class on Campus
Gnomon specializes in computer graphics education for careers in the entertainment industry.


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With the growing popularity of 3-D printing, Spin Master offers a custom part for its Air Hogs Heli Cage Armored Edition, a helicopter featuring removable plastic armor. Samples of the part were built using a MakerBot 3-D printer, which creates real 3-D objects by laying down drops upon drops of plastic material and building them from the bottom up. The custom part was also flight-tested by engineers and tweaked for weight balance.
Spin Master now provides an open source 3-D file of the armor part online at the Air Hogs blog. Makers can download it for free and print it using a 3-D printer. For those who do not have direct access to a 3-D printer, Air Hogs recommends Sculpteo, which will print from the 3-D file and ship the part to customers. For the very technically inclined, the 3-D file can be fully manipulated to create a truly customizable piece.


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For the redevelopment of the 'Zentralplatz', the central square of Koblenz, Germany, architects Benthem Crouwel designed the Kulturbau Forum Confluentes, which houses the public library, the Mittelrhein Museum and the tourist information for Koblenz as well as Forum Mittelrhein, a retail mall.
"The complete program is split into two volumes, separated by the Zentralplatz. This separation of functions allows for two autonomous and highly functional buildings, which can develop long-term and independently. Because of the precise positioning of the buildings and their outline, the pedestrian flows are organized in an effective and logical way." says Benthem Crouwel.
The program includes approximately 20.000 m² of retail space, urban functions and a 6.000 m² square. The Kulturbau houses a public library, a museum and tourist information. "The combination of these different cultural institutions offers the chance to exploit the synergies between the various institutions. The cultural building stands solitary in the new central square and is a landmark due to this solitary character, its facade design and the conscious elevation in the city. The building has splendid accessibility for visitors; the central lobby has entrances from all sides and is therefore a natural part of the urban fabric."
"On the open square, the three functions each have their own entrance. Via prominent access elements like the spiral staircases (museum and tourist information) and the escalator (library), the institutions can be reached. Above the common ground floor area, the different functions overlap each other per floor. The permanent exhibition of the Mittelrhein Museum occupies the first floor. The library is located on floor two, four and five, with direct access to the roof terrace. The 30 meters high open space inside connects the institutions vertically, brings day light deep into the building and offers a variety of outlooks. The volume has a double facade with a Structural-Glazing construction of white silk-screened glass, which envelops the building like a second skin and offers a frosted and refined appearance. The motif of the print provides a filtered view from inside to outside, and allows a vaguely transparent view when looking from the outside in. At the different entrances, the outer facade has a spacious cut and therefore offers a direct view of the lobby and entrance areas."
The Forum Mittelrhein mall presents itself as a flat, horizontally layered structure. "Due to this powerful format, the building's volume is reduced efficiently and a pleasant sense of scale is established. On relevant junctions within the urban fabric, the mall offers spacious entrances. The shopping center is characterized by its trapezoidal layout and smooth outlines. The areas intertwined with escalators offer orientation points, divide the building and provide the interior with natural light. Above the stores are adjoining rooms and a parking lot for about 740 cars. The parking spaces are organized around a central landscaped courtyard."
"Together, the glass facade on the ground and first floor with standing formats, and the expressively shaped click frames, give a strong vertical orientation. The top three floors of the building are dominated by an artificial "Weinlaub facade" (wine leaf facade). The basis of the structure is an abstract image of a vine leaf, which is interpreted freely as a 3D-shape. The entire facade is composed out of only one type of element, that is produced in an industrial thermoforming process."
Client: Forum Mittelrhein Koblenz GmbH & Co.KG
Generalplaner: ECE Projektmanagement GmbH & Co.KG
Architect: Benthem Crouwel Aachen / Amsterdam
Period: 2007 – 2013
Project data: Competition: 2007
Start construction: 2010
Completion mall: September 2012
Completion Kulturbau: June 2013
Typologie Commercial / Public building/ Culture
Location: Zentralplatz 2, Koblenz, Deutschland
Contractor: Züblin GmbH
Structural engineer: IDN Ingenieure, Duisburg
Mechanical services: Technic Air, Hamburg
Fire safety: HHP West, Bielefeld
Photos: courtesy of Benthem Crouwel Architects
Gross floor area
Mall: 42.500 m²
Parking: 25.000 m ²
Kulturbau: 18.600 m²
Project team: Markus Sporer, Marcel Blom, Anna Gerlach, Noortje ter Heege, Tina Kortmann, Sascha Rullkötter, Cornelius Wens, Sander Vijgen, Benedikt Krienen, Anna Böll, Frank Deltrap


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A new twist on the turquoise bracelet feather pattern...bright colors give this feathered bracelet a fresh look! Loom beaded using size 15 seed beads and silvertone ends. Approximately 1/4 inch in width. Magnetic clasp.
Available in sizes 6-8. To determine size measure wrist in inches.
Find us at:
Shelaines Creations @Facebook.com
Shelaine2015 @ yahoo.com
We request payment in full before item(s) ship. If an item arrives damaged or an order is incorrect or incomplete please contact us immediately so that we can work with you to make things right as fast as possible.
Shipping from United States
We request payment in full before shipping; orders of listed items will be shipped within 3-5 days after payment is received. Special orders will be shipped on an individual basis.
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept returns and cancellations
Just contact me within: 14 days of delivery
Ship items back to me within: 30 days of delivery
Request a cancellation within: 2 days of purchase
I don't accept exchanges
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
The following items can't be returned or exchanged
Because of the nature of these items, unless they arrive damaged or defective, I can't accept returns for:
- Custom or personalized orders
- Perishable products (like food or flowers)
- Digital downloads
- Intimate items (for health/hygiene reasons)
Returns and exchange details
In case of a damaged or incorrect item we will replace it or refund the cost of the item.
We welcome special orders on all items. Colors, patterns, styles...everything can be customized! These orders will take longer as they will be made specifically for you! Just contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your request or send us a message here!


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text:
While Pantech has dabbled with smartphones like the Matrix Pro and the more recent Crossover, its core business in the U.S. has always been in the feature-phone market. In fact, one of its more successful models has been its Breeze handsets, which are simple entry-level flip phones that are designed for ease of use. Indeed, the Breeze and the Breeze II were ideal for senior citizens and kids because of its bright screen, large fonts, and emergency speed dial keys.
The Breeze III continues on with essentially the same design, but it borrows a few features from the Pantech Ease, the company's other senior-friendly handset. It now has a "Breeze" (easy) mode if you want to keep it simple or an "Advanced" mode for those who are slightly more phone-savvy. The new Breeze III also now has a tip calculator, noise suppression, voice recognition, and yes, even a pill reminder.
If you've seen the Pantech Breeze II, you might experience a bit of déjà vu when you see the Breeze III. That's because Pantech has kept the same slim and trim flip phone design with the Breeze successor, with almost the same measurements, at 3.9 inches long by 2.02 inches wide by 0.74 inch thick. It has a smooth matte surface on the front, and a patterned textured on the back, presumably for improved grip. The Breeze III is slightly curved at the sides, which adds to the comfortable feel in the hand.
Like its predecessor, the Breeze III has a 1.38-inch external display on the front of the phone. It's designed for only a few basic tasks, like displaying the date, time, and caller ID. It is a color display with 65,000 colors and a 128x138-pixel resolution, so it will show picture caller ID as well. Beneath the display are three LED indicators that provide visual alerts for incoming messages, calls, and if you're low on battery life.
The Breeze III has a really stunning display for such an entry-level phone. The 2.2-inch display boasts 260,000 colors and a sharp 240x320-pixel resolution. Images pop with color and both graphics and text are sharp. You can adjust the wallpaper, the clock type, the greeting text, the color theme, the style and size of the fonts, the display's brightness, and the backlight timer of both the LCD and the keypad. In "Breeze mode," which we'll get to shortly, the options to change the clock type, the greeting text, the color theme, the font style, the brightness, and the backlight timer are not available.
As with the Breeze II and the Ease, the Breeze III offers two different menu modes. One is "Breeze mode," which is designed for ease of use, and the other is "Advanced mode," which opens up the phone's full list of functions. When in "Breeze mode," the menu interface is in the form of a super-simple list, with each menu option displayed in a large font. As you move up and down the list, your selection is highlighted prominently, and a graphic icon shows up on the right side. A few customization options and applications are unavailable to you in this mode, such as the aforementioned display settings, and the music player. As such, the "Breeze mode" is really meant more as an "easy mode" for cell phone novices. The menu interface in "Advanced mode" is much more like that of a normal phone, with the option of either grid or list as the menu style.
Sitting directly beneath the display are three shortcut keys numbered 1 through 3. You can assign each key as a "Quick Call" speed dial to an existing contact in your phone book (In other words, you must have already entered in that number into the phone book before assigning the Quick Call key). You can also assign these numbers as shortcuts to one of nine basic phone tools. These keys are roomy and large, but are rather slippery and flat to the surface. You also have to maneuver your thumb a little bit more to press them as they are located right above the phone's hinge.
The navigation array on the Breeze III is pretty standard. It consists of two soft keys, a square toggle with a middle select key, a dedicated voice command key, and a dedicated camera key. In standby mode, the toggle doubles as shortcuts to a new text message, instant messaging, the contacts list, and mobile e-mail, while the middle select key doubles as a shortcut to the Web browser.
The number keypad is largely unchanged from previous Breeze handsets. It's spacious and the keys themselves are large and easy to press. We did wish the keys were a little more raised above the surface, but the keys are separated enough that we could still dial and text with ease. The volume rocker is on the left spine, while the Micro-USB charger jack is on the right. On the back is the camera lens. You have to remove the cover and battery to get to the microSD card slot.
The Pantech Breeze III might be an entry-level phone, but that doesn't mean it's lacking in features. It certainly has the basics down-pat--it has a 1,000-entry phone book with room in each entry for six numbers, three e-mail addresses, a company name, five instant messenger handles, a Web address, a display name, a street address, a birthday, a social network ID, and more. You have the option of organizing your contacts into caller groups, and you can customize each contact with one of seven ringtones or eight alert tones. You can of course add your own if you like. You can use a photo for caller ID as well.


text:
Gingerbread trees
Nutrition and extra info
- Freezable
- Vegetarian
Nutrition: per biscuit
- kcal96
- fat4g
- saturates2g
- carbs15g
- sugars5g
- fibre0g
- protein2g
- salt0.17g
- 75g softened butter
- 50g caster sugar
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda
Bicarbonate of soda, or baking soda, is an alkali which is used to raise soda breads and full-…
- 50g golden syrup
Golden syrupgoal-dun sir-rup
Golden syrup is a translucent, golden-amber coloured, sweet syrup, which can only be produced…
- 2 egg yolks
- 250g plain flour
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground ginger
Mainly grown in Jamaica, Africa, India, China and Australia, ginger is the root of the plant. It…
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Beat together the softened butter with the caster sugar until creamy. Stir in bicarbonate of soda, golden syrup and the egg yolks. Sift in the plain flour and ground cinnamon and ground ginger then bring together with a wooden spoon. Shape into two balls, knead until the dough comes together, then chill for 30 mins. Roll out one ball at a time, to about 2 x £1 coin thickness. Stamp out trees with a 7cm cutter, then re-roll the trimmings. Lift dough onto greased baking sheets and bake for 10-12 mins until slightly risen and golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Will keep in an airtight container up to a week.


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I'm trying to retrieve an LV_ITEM structure from a list view control of another process, but I am having trouble with all this virtual address space business. I understand that any pointers sent between processes are irrelevant, and I don't see how else this is possible.
I have of course considered VirtualAllocEx() but it seems much too complex.
Is there a simple way I can obtain this data?