text:
Ladera's three- and four-bedroom homes, which were Jones & Emmons' first designs for Eichler, went on sale in August 1951. They included Eichler's first split- and two-level homes, designed to fit on sloping lots. Several of these designs were later built as custom homes on the Stanford campus. Never completed as planned, Eichler's original Ladera project realized approximately a dozen homes, most of them limited to the Aliso Way cul-de-sac.
That same month Eichler introduced even more upscale homes at his Lindenwood development in Atherton for $42,500 to $49,500. Each home was built on an acre of land, and Eichler promised to retain the site's mature oaks. The Anshen + Allen-designed homes had many amenities, including cork floors throughout. Not unlike Ladera, Lindenwood proved unsuccessful, and was abandoned after only three homes were built.
A few months later, Channing Park brought 57 Anshen + Allen three- and four-bedroom, two-bath models onto the market in Palo Alto's Crescent Park neighborhood. Channing Park was another experiment in site planning, with homes grouped around De Soto Drive, which formed a lazy loop. Lot sizes and shapes varied, and many were irregular.
Homes at Channing Park came with landscaping designed by two of the country's leading modern landscape architects, Thomas Church and Kathryn Stedman. Walkways; plantings in front; and planters, fruit trees, and some play areas in the rear came with each home.
In 1954, 'House & Home' magazine focused on Channing Park to illustrate how Eichler was adding amenities to appeal to customers during a buyers' market. Rooms were larger than in most of Eichler's earlier subdivisions, storage increased, cork tile had replaced asphalt flooring, kitchens had natural birch cabinets, and bathrooms were 'glamorized' with larger cabinets and improved materials.
Walnut Grove, which made its debut in late 1952 in Palo Alto, filled several cul-de-sacs and winding lanes across from Fairmeadow with attractive, low-slung homes that look much larger than they are thanks to savvy designs by Jones & Emmons. Some have flat or single-pitched roofs, others low- or medium-pitched gables or multiple roof planes.
'Arts & Architecture,' the magazine whose Case Study House program promoted progressive modern design, featured a four-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot model with an exterior of vertical redwood, cork tile floor, and a dressing room and second bathroom attached to the master bedroom. The homes, the magazine wrote, possessed "a feeling of luxury seldom achieved in this type of project."
These seven early subdivisions, sequenced by the dates their homes first reached market, comprise Eichler's building in 1951 and 1952. To plot an expedient tour route, consider this sequence (from south): 7, 1, 2, 5, 4, 6, 3.
January 1951
Location: Palo Alto
Wilkie Way, Tennessee and Carolina Lanes, off W. Charleston Road
Architect: Anshen + Allen
May 1951
Location: Palo Alto
Ramona and Carlson Circles and surrounding streets, off W. Charleston
Architect: Anshen + Allen
August 1951
Location: Portola Valley
Most Eichler homes limited to the Aliso Way cul-de-sac. A few on several blocks
near La Mesa Drive off Alpine Road.
Architect: Jones & Emmons
August 1951
Location: Atherton
Linden Avenue, Hawthorne and Heather Drives, off Middlefield Road
Architect: Anshen + Allen
October 1951
Location: Palo Alto
De Soto Drive and Alester Avenue off Channing Avenue
Architect: Anshen + Allen
April 1952
Location: Menlo Park
Magnolia and Middle Courts, Olive and Oakdell Streets
Architect: Anshen + Allen, Jones & Emmons
November 1952
Location: Palo Alto
Mumford Place and nearby streets, off E. Charleston Road
Architect: Jones & Emmons


text:
From the MemoryHole, X
From the long-since bit-bucketted opposition-era PC Party web site:
accepts invitation to join the PC Caucus
CLARENVILLE, September 7, 2001 — Trinity North MHA Ross Wiseman issued a statement at a news conference at 10:00 a.m. today at St. Jude Hotel in Clarenville.The following text may vary from the delivered version.
Today I have written Premier Roger Grimes and advised him I am resigning from the Liberal Caucus and have been invited to sit as a Member of the P.C. Caucus in the House of Assembly. This is not a decision made in haste nor was it an easy decision. My message today is for the residents of Trinity North.
On April 25th, 2000 you elected me to represent you in the House of Assembly. At that time I made a personal commitment to:
- be available to constituents;
- be responsive to the district; and
- be a strong voice for the interest of the district.
It is because of my concern for the district and for the entire province that I can no longer support the Liberal Government. The people of Trinity North and the rest of Newfoundland and Labrador deserve a government that has a vision for the future and a plan of action to ensure the prosperity of all regions of the province, especially rural Newfoundland and Labrador.
Our province is in desperate need of: strong leadership, improvements in our health system, greater benefits from our oil, gas and mineral resources, better management of our fishery, greater financial accountability and fiscally responsible spending. We also need a government that will insist on negotiating better financial arrangements with the Government of Canada. I have lost complete confidence in the current government's ability to lead us into the future; they do not have a plan but rather are reacting to issues as they arise. We need an action not a reaction oriented government. The actions that a Government take should be based on a plan and that plan should reflect a vision for the future. This vision is formed by understanding the potential for our Province and our people and understanding the issues that are important to our Province.
I am especially concerned about the approach the current government has taken with respect to Voisey's Bay. The political parties and people of the province had reached a strong consensus on Voisey's Bay development. We had drawn a line in the sand saying, on this resource, Newfoundlanders and Labradorians would be the principal beneficiaries. The government was elected in 1999 on a mandate that no Voisey's Bay nickel ore would be shipped from the province and that there would be a proven processing facility established in this province. That was still the government's position when I was elected last year. But Mr. Grimes, since becoming Premier, has abandoned that position. I have seen the direction he is taking on Voisey's Bay development and I don't support it.
I am also very concerned about the serious fiscal problems facing our province and the growing expectation that the government will miss its financial target this year by a wide margin. It is becoming increasingly apparent that this year's budget rests on very shaky ground, and that worries me greatly.
I am afraid for the future of our district, particularly our smaller communities. While the current government jumps aimlessly from issue to issue, Danny Williams has a vision for a strong, more prosperous Newfoundland and Labrador and he has the strength and the leadership skills to make that vision a reality. I am convinced that the people of Trinity North will be better served by his vision and his plan. My decision to join his team is intended to send a strong message to this government and to the people of the province. I have lost confidence in this government's ability to deal with the critical issues that face our people and it is time to go to the people of the province and ask them to choose who they feel is better prepared to represent us on the many critical issues facing our province.
Many people throughout my district share my concerns and my frustrations with the current government. I will be seeking the nomination for the PC Party in the next election whenever it is held, and I will be asking for the support of Progressive Conservatives as well as those who stood by me in the last election as we fight for the best interest of Trinity North and of Newfoundland and Labrador.
For more information:
Ross Wiseman, MHA Trinity North
(709) 729-3391
Labels: memory hole

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Adding images is a great way to improve any article. Photos and line drawings provide further detail and color — and they can even improve your wiki's search engine ranking.
This page will show you how easy it is to add them to any article!
Though we're primarily talking about static images on this page, the process is very similar to that of adding videos, though we encourage you to also read about our video embed tool, so that you can become an expert in adding visual media to your wiki.
This guide is primarily about adding images that are already uploaded to your wiki. We have a separate help page about uploading files, but you may find that you learn something about uploading here, too.
In our visual editors
Whether you're editing with our VisualEditor or our classic rich-text editor, the process of adding an image to a page is largely the same.
The following written section and images focus on the classic rich-text editor, while the video at the top of the page shows you how to do it in the VisualEditor.
- To start, log in to your account, and then click the Edit button on the page where you'd like to add an image.
- Once in edit mode, click on the button labelled Photo on the right rail of the editor toolbar.
- A pop-up will appear, which will allow you to search for photos already added to the community. (You can also upload an image from your computer here — but see this help page for more detailed info about uploading.)
- Once you choose an image to add, click upload.
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- After you have picked your options, click the Add photo button, and your photo will be added to the edit area.
- Images can be modified at any time in edit mode. Simply hover over the image and choose modify, and the same pop-up window will appear.
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Using source mode
Source editing differs significantly from the approach offered by Fandom's visual editors. However, it also allows you the ability to control additional aspects of your images via wikitext. There are so many interesting details about image display in source that we've created a large section for it! There is also a help page for links from images.
Uploading comes first
You can't use a file that doesn't exist on your wiki. If you try, you'll merely create a link — usually a red one — to an un-created file page.
Directly viewing images
Because they're typically thumbnails, images on a page are typically smaller. But you can grab a better look by going to the file page or by taking a peek in the lightbox. When reading a page, you can click on the image to bring up the lightbox. To then see the file page itself — and therefore have access to the image at all available resolutions — click on the name of the image at the top of the lightbox.
If you want to bypass the lightbox entirely, simply hold "Ctrl" (for Windows users) or "Command" (for Mac users), then click on the photo. It will open a new tab, but you'll be on the file page in the new tab.
See also
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Further help and feedback
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- Check Fandom Community Central for sources of further help and support
- Check Contacting Fandom for how to report any errors or unclear steps in this article
- Learn how to use Fandom in Fandom University: short how-to videos for all levels of experience


text:
Apple's iPhone OS 4.0 event is on the verge of wrapping up and Jobs delivered plenty of good news for iPhone users. Over 100 new features will be included in the upcoming OS, some of which will likely change the way you currently interact with your phone. The major highlights include: Multitasking (finally!), the ability to create folders for your apps/games, iBooks for iPhone and iPod Touch, enhanced mail (all your mail will be in one inbox), the launch of Apple's own version of Xbox Live (dubbed Game Center) and much much more. Here are some of the other more noteworthy 4.0 features and enhancements :
- Playlist Creation
- 5x digital zoom
- tap to focus on video
- Gifting of apps
- Change the homescreen wallpaper
- Bluetooth keyboards
- Search SMS/MMS messages
- iPod out
- Websearch suggestions
- Birthday Calendar
- Choose Image Size in mail mesages
There is certainly a tonne of stuff to digest from the 4.0 event. Not only will we be seeing multitasking and folder support this summer, but it seems 4.0 is ready to take the iPhone to the next level. So, is OS 4.0 pretty much what you expected?


text:
GALAXY® GX2 Automated Test System
2 Part Number(s)
Simplicity counts with the MSA GALAXY® GX2 Automated Test System for advanced safety management and effortless operation. The GALAXY GX2 Automated Test System provides simple, intelligent testing and calibration of MSA ALTAIR® and ALTAIR PRO Single-Gas Detectors and ALTAIR 4X and ALTAIR 5X Multigas Detectors. Easy-to-use automated test stand offers high performance as either stand-alone unit or integrated portable detector management system, enabling total data access and control of the MSA ALTAIR family Gas Detector fleet. New MSA Link™ Pro Software for proactive safety management; gas exposure email alerts, direct data input, live filtering, test and exposure queries, collecting and printing reports.
IR400 Point IR Gas Detector
1 Part Number(s)
The IR400 Infrared (IR) Point Detector is a hydrocarbon gas detector that continuously monitors combustible gases and vapors within the lower explosive limit (LEL) and provides alarm indication. It features an industry-leading response time of ≤ 3 seconds, even with a splash guard installed. All electronics are contained within an explosion-proof housing so that the IR400's detector information can be processed locally. Configurations with analog output, Modbus and HART are also available.
HazardWatch Fire and Gas System
1 Part Number(s)
An innovative, modular system that combines highly reliable programmable logic controller (PLC) technology with our advanced gas and flame field devices. It is highly scalable, making it suitable for small systems to large plant-wide applications. Offering intelligence, flexibility and reliability, the HazardWatch System's controller hardware configuration and software has been tested by Factory Mutual to verify NFPA 72 compliance.
FL4000H Multi-spectrum IR Flame Detector
1 Part Number(s)
The FL4000H is an advanced multi-spectrum infrared (MSIR) flame detector that provides superior false alarm immunity with the widest field of view. The FL4000H employs a multi-spectral optical IR sensing array with a sophisticated Neural Network Technology (NNT) system to reliably discriminate between actual flames and the vast majority of false alarm sources. The FL4000H detects typical fires such as alcohol, n-heptane, gasoline, jet fuels and hydrocarbons. It can also see through dense smoke produced by diesel, rubber, plastics and lube oil fires.
FL500-H2 UV/IR Flame Detector for Hydrogen Applications
1 Part Number(s)
The FL500-H2 is an Ultraviolet / Infrared flame detector designed specifically to detect hydrogen (H2) fires. The FL500-H2 optical flame detector monitors for radiation emitted by a hydrogen flame in both the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectral ranges. This UV/IR combination provides a fast response time and increased false alarm immunity against sources of radiation for reliable protection.
FL500 UV/IR Flame Detector
1 Part Number(s)
The FL500 UV/IR Flame Detector monitors for radiation emitted by a flame in both the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) spectral ranges. This UV/IR combination provides a fast response time and increased false alarm immunity against sources of radiation for reliable protection.
left/RIGHT™ Headband Earmuff
3 Part Number(s)
The MSA left/RIGHT™ Ear Muffs have dedicated right and left ear cups that are designed to fit ears of all shapes and sizes which offers increased comfort and protection. The headband's breakthrough design simulates the head's curves to provide a comfortable and stable fit, balancing muffs with ear cup angle.
Toxic Gas Accessories
15 Part Number(s)
General Monitors offers a wide variety of accessories for our toxic gas detectors.
Sensor housing
TS-Series calibration gas kit
Junction box w/zero switch
Junction box w/out zero switch
IR duct mount junction box
IR flow block
IR700 splash guard
IR700 remote gas/screen splash guard
IR700 calibration gas kit
IR rain guard
TS-Series dust guard
Junction box (Hawke type)
TS Series splash guard for CL2, CL02, O3 only
TS-Series flow block assembly
TS-Series splash guard
Catalytic Bead Accessories
16 Part Number(s)
General Monitors offers a wide variety of accessories for our catalytic bead gas sensors.
Flow block
Hi-temp sensor housing, explosion proof
Housing Assembly, 10001-1 sensor, 10395-1 splash guard
Test gas applicator
Test gas applicator w/stainless steel fittings
Portable purge calibrator, butane @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, butadiene @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, ethane @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, hydrogen @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, methane @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, pentane @ 50% LEL (500 psi)
Portable purge calibrator, propane @ 50% LEL
Portable purge calibrator, hexane @ 50% LEL
H2S guard
Sensor housing, polyester
Hi-temp sensor housing, polyester
IR4000S Single-Point Gas Monitor
1 Part Number(s)
The IR4000S Single-Point Monitor is a display and user interface for the IR400 point IR gas detector. The monitor allows local calibration and displays gas concentration. Relays are optional. The relays provide output for Alarm, Warn, and Fault conditions.


text:
Bay Area Eats: Golden Mar, Seriously Good Indonesian Food
Folks, I believe I've found the Bay Area's best kept food secret. I'm not proud, but neither am I ashamed to admit: As I shoveled forkfuls of some of the most incredible food I've had since leaving Asia, I cried. All around me, my dining companions had a sheen of perspiration on their brows, and even a couple of freely running noses. But me, the wimpy one, I was dripping hot, salty tears into the terong bumbu balado pedas (spicy, sambal eggplant dish).
"What's the point?" you ask. "What's the point of a dish that's so fiery that your mouth is aflame and you can't taste a thing?"
Here's the point: There is bad (or good, depending on whether you like it) spiciness. The kind that coats your tongue and numbs your mouth (Szechuan ma la hot pot comes to mind). Then, there is good spiciness. The kind of heat that comes with a great, big, wallop of flavor. In Southeast Asian cuisines—particularly that of the Indonesians, Malaysians, and Peranakans—the foundation of a dish is the rempah, or spice mix. Fresh herbs, spices, and aromatics such as chiles, ginger, garlic, turmeric, shallots, lemongrass, coriander seeds, candlenuts, and fermented shrimp paste are pounded together to form a paste. This paste is then slowly sautéed in oil until it becomes deeply fragrant, permeating all the other ingredients in the dish.
A good rempah takes years to master. Done well, it will have nuances more complex and edifying than the most revered of fine wines. Done well, rempah can be a religious experience. And because a good rempah takes hours of backbreaking labor, it's the kind of thing one usually only gets to savor if one's mom is a very good cook. In other words, it's the kind of food one usually only gets to eat at home, where the quality of ingredients used and the heart and soul put into the making are never stinted on.
So it's not all that astounding that Golden Mar isn't a real, physical restaurant. Instead, it's a little-known one-woman catering service in the South Bay.
Mariana Mangkuo is the accountant-turned-chef who whips up true blue Indonesian cuisine—the likes of which I've not encountered outside of Asia. What started as a hobby has flourished to become a weekly food service catering to international students and migrants craving a taste of home. Each week, Mangkuo sends out a virtual menu. You pick out what sounds good, email her your order, have her confirm it, then pick it up at her home on Friday evening or Saturday morning.
This past week, we ordered the spicy sambal eggplant dish that made me cry, Buncis kentang gule padang (potatoes and green beans braised in a mildly spicy coconut sauce), cumi bakar cabe ijo padang (stuffed baby squid simmered in a hot green pepper relish), and three servings of the nasi bungkus padang (banana leaf–wrapped portions of rice topped with various meat dishes). All items were $8 each.
The eggplant was velvety-soft and had soaked up the flavors of the rempah—young, bold, and brash—it was sautéed in. Sweet caramelized onions and tangy stewed tomatoes rounded it out nicely. It was the first dish to disappear off the table.
The potatoes and green beans we took as a welcome reprieve from the eggplant's heat. The rempah base used here was completely different from that employed in the eggplant dish. Here, the rempah was gentle, almost lilting—a suggestion of spice followed through by a light hand on the coconut milk.
Masochists that we are, we chased it with dollops of Mangkuo's excellent cabe ijo padang (green chile sauce). She had slipped a cup of it into our order, gratis. This was yet another rempah, and the depth of flavor the sauce provided inspired me to hide the cup in the far reaches of the fridge. I have been steadily polishing off the leftovers with plain steamed rice all week.
The squid had been given a typical Indonesian preparation, unlike that for most other cuisines. Most chefs are careful to avoid overcooking squid so it doesn't turn into a rubbery, inedible mess. Indonesian chefs opt to simmer squid over a longer period, so its texture traverses from tender-crisp to chewy, and finally to a silken softness. The longer cooking period allows the squid to absorb the flavors of the rempah, which really is the whole point. The stuffing, unfortunately, was too dry (probably more noticeably so in contrast to the tender squid). But it was hard to pay attention to the stuffing with the presence of the absolutely brilliant hot green pepper relish that had been draped atop it. This relish was sweet-tart, had a (relatively) subdued amount of heat, and had us fighting with our spoons at the table.
Mangkuo includes some variation of rice topped with various dishes on her menu each week. This week's came with a hearty portion of rendang daging ("dry" beef curry), redolent with spices and roasted coconut (excellent). It also came with a single (rather forgettable) shrimp, a hard-boiled egg that had been deep-fried and soused in a sweet chile sauce (interesting texture), the same potato and green bean dish, as well as a generous serve of the cabe ijo padang. All in, a great "one-dish" meal for $8.
Folks, it sounds like I drank the Kool-Aid. But then again, I was crying. I was having my religious experience. Mangkuo's rempahs are that good. Her seafood dishes may be hit-and-miss, but her meat-and-vegetable dishes (so attest my Stanford pals) are rock solid. Dinner for four, with enough leftovers for lunch the next day, cost $48. Our tummies are happy. Our wallets are happy. The food hasn't been ruined with corn syrup or Sriracha sauce. Everyone rejoice.
Serious eaters may be glad to know that Mariana's homemade rempahs will be available at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's by the end of the year.
Mariana Mangkuo can be reached at 408-889-3621.
If you want a taste of her food, email [email protected] and ask to be added to her mailing list. Emails are generally sent in Bahasa Indonesian, with English translations available upon request. You may ask that your food be mild, spicy, or extra spicy.
Pick-up in the South Bay is at 441 Paula Court, Santa Clara CA 95050 (map). Pick-up in the East Bay is by request.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Catering Assistant Team LeaderLocation: Tebay Services
Dept: Catering
Job Code: TN262
We were the first family run motorway services on the UK motorway network, founded in 1972. We're still independent and family owned and over the years we have grown into a business with over 1,100 people working with us across the country at six different sites and in a wide range of departments and roles. We're always interested in finding colleagues who share our family values and can add a little magic to what we do.
Click here to open the full job description.
We can't wait to hear from you!


text:
Blake Lively took a break from making out with new beau Ryan Reynolds to check out a swanky Manhattan penthouse, which is on the market for $7.5 million.
According to The New York Times, the impressive penthouse features 4 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, "scintillating" views of the Flatiron Building and the Clock Tower, as well as an open living space, two terraces, and a library. The posh spread is located at 225 Fifth Avenue, which means that Lively can shack up here when she's in the city filming Gossip Girl.
What's more is that this isn't the first time the blond beauty has checked out the duplex penthouse--she and Reynolds have reportedly viewed the unit twice. Talk about fast tracking a less than six month relationship.
U.S. & World
Copyright LXTVN - LXTV


text:
The Realtors
"Defining Real Estate. Integrity, Service, Team Work, Balance"
EverStar Realtors act as loyal partners and advocates. Surprise is an unwanted element in a real estate transaction and their experience allows them to anticipate problems and prevent them. There are not many real estate issues that they have not encountered and successfully resolved. Honest, prompt communication is a critical component of the way they do business. Their relationship with their clients is typically collaborative and long term. They provide customized products and focus on adding value for their clients' businesses. Their approach is that of a strategic partner/planner, helping to formulate goals, creating a plan to achieve those goals and then executing that plan. Most of their clients come from referrals from current and previous clients or are repeat customers.
Led by: Gayle Stack


text:
This story appears in the December 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Perhaps the most heartbreaking thing about the town of Namie is that at first glance nothing seems amiss. The blue-green meadows look lush. The gently flowing Takase and Ukedo Rivers glitter in the sun. The barbershop, train station, and fried-pork restaurant seem ready for business, a universe apart from the havoc and wholesale destruction visited on towns farther up the coast. In the states of Miyagi and Iwate, clocks washed ashore frozen at roughly 3:15 p.m., when the tsunami swallowed towns whole; in the humble fishing town of Namie the clocks go right on ticking.
Namie is one of five towns, two cities, and two villages that lie partially or wholly within a 12.4-mile radius of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant—designated by the government as a no-go zone. Like all the towns in the nuclear exclusion zone, it essentially no longer exists. Of its 21,000 residents, 7,500 have scattered across Japan. Another 13,500 live in temporary housing in the Fukushima region. They're among more than 70,000 "nuclear refugees" displaced by the world's worst nuclear accident since Chernobyl.
The de facto demise of Namie began in the chaotic hours after the quake struck on March 11.
Namie is shaped like a bow tie, radiating northwest from Fukushima Daiichi. Guided by news of the unfolding nuclear accident on TV and by local officials, townsfolk drove to the highlands, the center of the bow. Heading for the hills is a lifesaving instinct for Japanese conditioned by centuries of tsunamis, but in this case it turned out to be a terrible strategy. Residents fled smack into the plume of air carrying radioactive debris. They crammed into shelters with little food until the 15th, after another explosion sent them fleeing farther west to the city of Nihonmatsu.
"The forgotten town" was how the July issue of the popular magazine Bungei Shunjudescribed Namie, which never received official orders to evacuate, even as hydrogen explosions at units 1 and 3 spewed toxic particles across the Fukushima area. "We weren't forgotten," says Naka Shimizu, the mayor's aide. "We were ignored."
Swathed in white protective masks and suits, residents are bused into the zone on rare occasions to retrieve valuables and check on their homes. The trips are brief—roughly two to three hours—to minimize radiation exposure. Some families plan these forays with military precision, but Junko and Yukichi Shimizu, who shared their home with their son's family, including a two-year-old grandson, are plainly overwhelmed as they move slowly about their spacious home. On July 26 I spent half an hour with the couple during a day of driving and walking through the forlorn town.
Yukichi, 62, dejectedly tapes windows as he looks at his beloved garden, now gone to seed. Junko, 59, dusts the family's Buddhist altar and gathers the few small items they're permitted to bring out of the zone: photos, Chinese herbal medicines, her daughter's kimono. She leaves behind their Buddhist memorial tablets. "There's no one else to protect our house," she says.
Namie's town hall has decamped to makeshift offices in Nihonmatsu. Its officials continue to issue birth certificates, keep track of the increasingly far-flung inhabitants, and consult experts about the radioactive cesium that has rendered Namie's 86 square miles uninhabitable.
Many residents had held out hope they might return once Fukushima Daiichi is stabilized, but prospects are grim. While Tepco, operator of the crippled plant, hopes the complex will be brought under control by the New Year, residents will not be allowed back in the foreseeable future, and the government is mulling plans to buy their homes.
As the soft rays of dusk cast a warm glow over the downtown landscape, a cool ocean breeze ruffles our suffocating Tyvek suits. For just a moment it is possible to forget that the Geiger counter hit a level about 600 times normal, a few miles down Route 6. Yukichi Shimizu, who used to farm rice and work in construction, is plaintive as he surveys his lovely but lifeless hometown. "Could it really be that unsafe to live here?"


text:
I Hate My Books
I'm not sure if it's like this for other writers, but I have trouble writing something new while I still like my last book. It hangs over me. It makes me feel like I should write that kind of thing again.
Maybe that doesn't sound so bad. But imitating something you think is awesome doesn't work. It's much better to imitate something something you think is flawed. Flawed, you're all, "I loved THIS PART but it would have been SO much better if THIS." Then you make something new and interesting. Aping something you admire, though, you only get a photocopy.
Some people who discover me via Lexicon ask which of my books they should read next, and I'm never sure how to answer, because I think they all suck. I had to reach that belief in order to write the next one. A lot of what I do relies on delusion; I also have to convince myself that the new book is THE GREATEST THING IN THE WORLD, because how else would it make sense to spend a year or two on it. Despise the old, adore the new: I'm sure it's the same in any relationship.
Lexicon has been doing well, which created a problem I hadn't really faced before. Usually, when a book comes out, I'm deep into the early exploratory phase of the next one, and I take some time out to return to that little lost world and talk about it on radio or bookstores or whatever. And it's always slightly fraudulent, because I'm also thinking, this book kind of sucked, you should see what I'm working on now. Again, this is more about delusion than truth. I have to believe that in order to work.
Now, promotion is good fun; people generally say nice things and make you feel like all the work was totally worth it. They even start to convince you, you know what, this book didn't suck that much. It was kind of great. You used to love it, remember? Then before you know it, you're flipping the pages, thinking, This was good. Why did I ever leave?
So the thing with Lexicon is this phase has lasted much longer than usual. It's maybe not all about the book; it's maybe social media, too, bringing everyone so close you even can hear their thoughts. And it's wonderful, of course, everything you dream of when you're lost in a third draft, trying to stitch plots back together. But after a while I started to feel like I was cheating on the new book. It's one thing to stay friends with your ex. It's another to still think about them, talk about them, and open their covers and run your fingers down their pages.
Anyway, this is why I haven't been on Twitter et al lately. I'll be back; it's all good. This book I'm seeing now, wow. We just needed some time.


text:
Abin Abraham
Volunteer of mozilla
my name is Abin Abraham ..I am a final year computer engineering student , who is deeply interested in free software foundation and Mozilla movements...am an active member of Mozilla community...i also have deep interest in computer and network security fields..
i am also doing documentation for mozilla
Access Groupsnda
Tagsboot2gecko, localization, mozilla 2 school, mozilla active community, mozilla o.s app development workshop, mozilla o.s lunch team in kerala, sf-monument, sumo, web dev, web development, web maker party, firefox student ambassadors, firefox os launch team kerala, mozilla @ school, mozspeakers
Habilidadesbasic, c, c plus plus, communication, cryptography, css, html, image processing, java, javascript, network security, phython, q-basic, web based app development, web development
IdiomasInglés, Malayalam, Tamil
Sitios web
Cuentas externas
- Bugzilla (BMO): abinabraham
- Facebook: facebook.com/abin.abraham.anchery
- MDN: abin_abraham
- Mozilla Reps: Abin
- Mozilla Webmaker: abinabraham
Recomendado por
Gauthamraj Elango
Abin is a very passionate Mozillian who believes it is his personal responsibility to educate people and make them web literate with his education. Key person behind Mozilla to school initiative. Contributing to Fxos, webmaker and localization as well. He is very dedicated in what he does to Mozilla and do it full commitment.
Midhun Manoj
Firefox OS App Developer, Evangelist for Firefox OS, Coordinated Moz2School activities in Kerala locale.
Abid Aboobaker
A dreamer who works for Open World. Contributing to FFOS and Community Building. One of the master brain behind Moz2School. FSA Project. :)
I have known Abin as an active Mozillian who has done a great job in evangelizing for Mozilla. He has participated and organized several events....Firefox App Developer


text:
The 130,000 square feet of the Heard Museum in Phoenix houses many treasures that in their combination give one a feel for how the Southwest was settled by its first nations and how these traditions have evolved to today.
There are three tours daily that are included in the admission fee, each 45 minutes long, and in that short time frame the tours are extremely thorough in unveiling the collection's key treasures and providing a narrative about Native American life in the Southwest.
Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and more—we see the artifacts of various tribes and learn how these were integral to each culture.
The katsina doll collection should not be missed. These dolls are given to Hopi girls at various stages of their life, each bearing an important message or lesson.
We learn how rainbow symbols of water are not surprisingly Navajo symbols of protection in the desert clime. We also learn how the dragon fly image came to be incorporated into designs for similar reasons.
We un-learn the myth that the Hohokam Tribe had disappeared as many in Scottsdale will tell you. (Rather they split up into smaller tribes that are still with us today.)
To find out more about Heard Museum events and exhibits call 602 252 8848 or visit the Heard Museum website.
# # #
Photos: Craig Smith of Heard Museum, unless othewise indicated


text:
The name of this Committee shall be the Bernards Township Deer
Management Advisory Committee (hereinafter referred to as the "DMAC").
The purpose of this committee shall be:
Section I
Section 2
Term - Each DMAC member shall serve for a one (1) year term. A
member may be reappointed by the TC.
Section 3
Compensation - All members of the DMAC shall serve without compensation.
Section 1
Regular Meetings - Regular meetings of the DMAC shall ordinarily
be held monthly, or on an as needed basis.
Special Meetings - Special meetings of the DMAC may be held on
call of the TC, the Chairperson of the DMAC, or by any three (3)
members of the DMAC.
Public Meetings - Meetings shall be publicized and conducted in
accordance with Bernards Township Ordinance §2-32.2.
Section 4
Quorum - a quorum for the purpose of holding a meeting shall consist
of not less than four (4) DMAC members.
Section 5
Action - a quorum present, the act of a majority of the members
present shall constitute the action of the entire DMAC, except as
may be otherwise provided in these By-Laws.
Section 6
Public Comment - There shall be at least one period in each meeting
when public comment will be allowed. The time for this shall
appear on the agenda, or the Chairperson shall announce the time
at the start of the meeting. In addition, the Chairperson
may allow public comment at any time that he or she deems appropriate.


text:
Saint Simeon, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal of the Kiev Near Caves
Saint Simon, Bishop of Vladimir and Suzdal was an author of the Kiev Caves Paterikon, and he became a monk at the Monastery of the Caves, sometime in the second half of the twelfth century.
In the year 1206 he was appointed igumen of the Vladimir Monastery of the Nativity of the Theotokos, and in 1214, at the wish of Prince George Vsevolodovich (+ 1238), he was made the first bishop of Vladimir-on-the-Klyazma and Suzdal.
In 1218 he consecrated a church at the Nativity monastery, and in the year 1225, a cathedral church at Suzdal. The Great Prince, who deeply respected Saint Simon, was prepared to establish a new bishop's See at Suzdal for his friend, the monk Polycarp of the Kiev Caves monastery, who sought after spiritual glory. Saint Simon, seeing that Polycarp was not yet ready to assume such an office, talked the Great Prince out of his idea, and he wrote a deeply moving letter to Polycarp, in which he offered his friend advice on overcoming his spiritual shortcomings. Saint Simon's own inner life, character, and virtue are also revealed in the epistle.
Saint Simon was known as a learned teacher, and his epistle to Polycarp was placed at the beginning of the Kiev Caves Paterikon. On the eve of his repose in 1226, the saint received the schema.
Initially his body was buried at Vladimir, but later, in accordance with the saint's last wishes, his body was transferred to the Kiev Caves Lavra, where it rests in the Antoniev Caves.


text:
Intel® Core™ m3-8100Y Processor (4M Cache, up to 3.40 GHz)
- 4 MB Intel® Smart Cache Cache
- 2 Cores
- 4 Threads
- 3.40 GHz Max Turbo Frequency
- Y - Extremely low power
- 8th Generation
Build speed, power, and 4K HD graphics into thin, lightweight 2-in-1 devices and laptops. Interact with touch, voice, and stylus. Ten hours of battery life1 let users do more, longer.
2 Results
Equipped with rapid responsiveness, the 7th Generation Intel® Core™ processor has the power and speed to keep up with your demands. Open files and programs quickly, plus seamlessly switch between applications and web pages without delay.
Experience ultra high-definition content with the clarity and sharpness of 4K resolution.2 Featuring 4x more pixels than full HD screens, you will get crisper, clearer images for an immersive viewing like never before.
Today's PCs are more hassle-free than ever – log on too quickly and easily with facial recognition technology, get 0.5 second wake, and never feel weighed down with new razor-thin devices.
It's a new day for computer users. Enjoy new ways to use—and interact with—your computer. Get higher performance, an enhanced user experience, and superior entertainment.
2 in 1s are thin, light, and stylish, and offer the versatility you need to easily switch from laptop to tablet and even tent and presentation modes.
Flexibility and fun for work or play. Get exceptional performance and a range of options in screen size, style, and budget to suit all your portable computing needs.
As measured by Windows® 10 1080p 24fps Local Video Playback Test. USB devices disconnected, local WiFi access connected, screen brightness 200 nits. Launch Tears of Steel (1080p H264 10MBps 24fps) video using the Windows* Movie & TV App. Measure and calculate average power for the duration of the video.
Estimated on Intel® Core™ m3-7Y30 Processor, PL1=4.5W TDP, 2C4T, Turbo up to 2.6GHz, Memory: 2x4GB DDR4-2133, Storage: Intel® SSD, Display Resolution: 25x14, OS: Windows® 10 TH2. Battery size 35 WHr.
Intel® technologies' features and benefits depend on system configuration and may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. Performance varies depending on system configuration. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Check with your system manufacturer or retailer or learn more at https://www.intel.in.


text:
The Chicco KeyFit 30 Infant Car Seat is the premier infant carrier for safety, comfort, and convenience. With its removable newborn insert, the KeyFit 30 Car Seat will accommodate your baby from four to thirty pounds. The KeyFit 30's thickly cushioned seat includes a five-point safety harness and is lined with energy-absorbing foam for increased safety and comfort. The KeyFit 30 Base's spring-assisted level foot, two precision bubble levels, and "Center-Pull" LATCH adjustment guarantee quick and correct installment from either side of your vehicle and give you confidence that your child is safely secured in your vehicle.
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text:
Alessi Taio Pizza Cutter
Designer: Valerio Sommella
Availability if not in stock approximate 2 weeks
The pizza cutter Taio, designed by Valerio Sommella, is an object with soft and sinuous shapes.
Taio resembles a box, a pouch into which the pizza cutter has been inserted.
The designer has managed to recreate the typical softness of fabric in a hard material like steel, giving the item an attractive and sophisticated feel.
This feature serves to soften a sharp, everyday object normally associated with an action perceived as dangerous and aggressive
- Specifications
Stainless steel
- Size Description
10,8 x 10,5cm
Height 2,3cm
Valerio SommellaValerio Sommella, born in 1980 and graduated cum laude from the Politecnico of Milan in 2004, began his design career working with Stefano Giovannoni. In 2007 he moved to Amsterdam where he joined Marcel Wanders' team. Since 2009, when he settled down in Milan and opened his design studio, he designs products in different fields, from furniture to consumer electronic goods and lighting both for Italian and international clients. He alternates this activity teaching at some Italian universities and design schools


text:
circumflex(redirected from Circumflex accent)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Medical.
Anatomy (of certain nerves, arteries, or veins) bending or curving around
a mark used over a vowel to indicate a falling-rising or rising-falling tone. The circumflex is a variant of musical accent (pitch accent) and is in opposition to the acute accent and the grave accent. In ancient Greek the tilde is sometimes used as an alternate form of the circumflex. The circumflex is also called a circumflex syllabic intonation or a rising-falling tone.
In the history of the Slavic languages a distinction is made between the old circumflex, which occurred in syllables with a short diphthong, and the new circumflex, which gradually replaced the former acute accent. The circumflex occurs in ancient Greek, in Lithuanian, and in Serbo-Croatian in syllables with a long vowel.


text:
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Dear visitor, welcome to Κοινότητα -Υποστήριξης για προπληρωμένους Gameserver της Nitrado.net. If this is your first visit here, please read the Help. It explains in detail how this page works. To use all features of this page, you should consider registering. Please use the registration form, to register here or read more information about the registration process. If you are already registered, please login here.
Saturday, February 8th 2014, 4:17pm
Saturday, February 1st 2014, 10:01pm
Friday, January 31st 2014, 5:04pm
Thursday, January 30th 2014, 2:40pm
Thursday, January 30th 2014, 12:10pm


text:
In What Will You Not Blog About? on the Blog Herald, I asked readers to tell me what line they will not cross when it comes to blog content. What will you NOT blog about. The responses have been very interesting.
A few bloggers take a no-holds-barred approach, blogging on everything and anything they want. However, even they have lines they will draw. Jeremy Steele admitted that he won't report on conspiracies, other than poking fun at them.
Paul of the Opera Blog admitted that he avoids the negative:
I will generally avoid writing negative reviews about performances or recordings. I've only made one exception to this rule over the years. I figure there's no point in discussing how bad something is, especially when there's so much good stuff out there. I'd rather save my writing effort for worthwhile projects and simply ignore the crappy ones.
Chris Garrett agreed. "I would rather be a positive than destructive influence, like a 'do no harm' thing." Many agreed with his Star Trek Prime Directive philosophy, including Barbara Ling (aka Owlbert):
I will not blog about anything that is meant to bring another person down. I'm a big believer in treating others the way I'd like to be treated myself.
The concern over the impact a blog can have on a worker's life and position was brought up by Shortshire and Rhys who both agree that anything that involves their jobs or fellow employees isn't worth the risk.
Almost all agreed that they like keeping it clean, avoiding offensive, abusive, and offensive language content from their posts as well as their comments. Richard H said, "And no foul language. It's just not necessary to get a point across, in my opinion. A wise man once told me, 'a foul mouth is a sign of a feeble mind trying to express itself forcefully.'"
Big Fella, like many, believe in sticking to the main focus of their blog without stepping over any moral boundaries:
I do not do gossip, I don't like to use gratuitous profanity in my postings, I am not a shill for anyone. Just a guy sharing my observations on what piques my interest at any given time and creating commentary reflecting my values, and exercising my activist urges.
Graeme Hunter summed it up very nicely:
I tend towards the maxim of "If it will cause me or others trouble, don't write it". I don't mind a good argument over opinion on a topic, but I see that as different to actually causing trouble. I have both a personal blog in my own name, and write on a work blog, with links between, so I have to be on my best behaviour.
We all have lines in our blogging sandboxes that we won't cross. What about you?
Site Search Tags: blog writing, blogging tips, crosing lines, how to blog, blog content, blog focus, what will you blog about, what will you not blog about, blog choices, editorial, editorial content, editorial guidelines
Subscribe Via Feedburner Subscribe by Email Visit
Copyright Lorelle VanFossen, the author of Blogging Tips, What Bloggers Won't Tell You About Blogging.


text:
Happy Spring everyone!! This has been a busy 2014 for me so far. I finally got some inspiration for my Easter card swaps. I wanted to do a "peeps" theme.
I got onto the silhouette store and found some cuts that would work!! I cut out the bunny silhouettes in three colors to resemble the Easter peeps candy! I then ran them face down through my Xyron sticker maker and made them sticky on the front side. I then applied Martha Stewart flocking powder to make them appear sugary. I added black enamel accents for the eyes and nose. This spread a little after it dried so if I did it again I would apply a smaller amount so it would look right when finished.
I found a Jillibean label in the silhouette online store for the sentiment and used the print and cut feature. That machine is awesome!!
Thanks for looking!!!


text:
Mortgage rates abate for Monday
Jessie Roberts/Unsplash
Several benchmark mortgage rates trended down today. The average rates on 30-year fixed and 15-year fixed mortgages both declined. The average rate on 5/1 adjustable-rate mortgages, or ARMs, the most popular type of variable rate mortgage, also receded.
Rates for mortgages are constantly changing, but, overall, they are very low by historical standards. If you're in the market for a mortgage, it may make sense to go ahead and lock if you see a rate you like. Just be sure to shop around.
Compare mortgage rates in your area now.
30-year fixed mortgages
The average rate for the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage is 3.81 percent, down 4 basis points from a week ago. A month ago, the average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage was higher, at 3.93 percent.
At the current average rate, you'll pay $466.53 per month in principal and interest for every $100,000 you borrow. Compared with last week, that's $2.28 lower.
You can use Bankrate's mortgage calculator to get a handle on what your monthly payments would be and see what the effects of making extra payments would be. It will also help you calculate how much interest you'll pay over the life of the loan.
15-year fixed mortgages
The average 15-year fixed-mortgage rate is 2.99 percent, down 3 basis points from a week ago.
Monthly payments on a 15-year fixed mortgage at that rate will cost around $690 per $100,000 borrowed. The bigger payment may be a little tougher to find room for in your monthly budget than a 30-year mortgage payment would, but it comes with some big advantages: You'll save thousands of dollars over the life of the loan in total interest paid and build equity much faster.
5/1 ARMs
The average rate on a 5/1 ARM is 3.11 percent, sliding 4 basis points over the last week.
These types of loans are best for those who expect to sell or refinance before the first or second adjustment. Rates could be substantially higher when the loan first adjusts, and thereafter.
Monthly payments on a 5/1 ARM at 3.11 percent would cost about $428 for each $100,000 borrowed over the initial five years, but could increase by hundreds of dollars afterward, depending on the loan's terms.
Where rates are headed
To see where Bankrate's panel of experts expect rates to go from here, check out our Rate Trend Index.
Want to see where rates are right now? See local mortgage rates.
|Last week
|30-year fixed
|15-year fixed
|30-year fixed jumbo
|30-year fixed refinance
Methodology: The rates you see above are Bankrate.com Site Averages. These calculations are run after the close of the previous business day and include rates and/or yields we have collected that day for a specific banking product. Bankrate.com site averages tend to be volatile — they help consumers see the movement of rates day to day. The institutions included in the "Bankrate.com Site Average" tables will be different from one day to the next, depending on which institutions' rates we gather on a particular day for presentation on the site.
To learn more about the different rate averages Bankrate publishes, see "Understanding Bankrate's Rate Averages."


text: The Emmy-nominated documentary WALKING INTO THE UNKNOWN traces the intimate journey of an American Indian physician and national health columnist as he navigates the health care system and gains a deeper understanding of himself and his health risks. Dr. Arne Vainio works on the Fond du Lac (Ojibwe) Reservation in northern Minnesota, where his Native patients face grim health statistics. His impending 50th birthday - coupled with his frustration with middle-aged Native men who avoid health screenings - prompts a revelation: he needs to heed his own advice. At high risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer, Vainio chooses to confront the health issues that jeopardize his future by undergoing medical screenings, making diet changes and adopting a lifestyle necessary to prevent a fatal outcome. This poignant story reveals Dr. Vainio's vulnerability as he reverses roles and finds himself a patient. The program also includes several powerful testimonials from community members who have experienced the premature loss of Native men in their families, along with explanations of several diagnostic tests told from the patient's point of view.


text:
Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is one of our favorite pastimes here on the Emerald Coast. Snapper and grouper are among some of the sport fish that anglers enjoy catching the most.
Fishing in the Gulf of Mexico is one of our favorite pastimes here on the Emerald Coast. Snapper and grouper are among some of the sport fish that anglers enjoy catching the most.
But did you know that these species � along with others, such as triggerfish, amberjacks and porgies � are reef fish, and what that means when you hook them?
Reef fish, when caught in deep water, suffer from barotrauma, or rapid gas expansion in their swim bladder. The fish is caught and pulled up on the line faster than it can adjust to changing pressure.
State and federal regulations require anglers to carry a venting tool, which helps to release trapped gases through use of a hollow sharp needle inserted into the side of the fish. While this method is useful in certain conditions, research for many species is lacking or inconclusive, especially in deep waters.
Fish descending gear use has been more prevalent in the Pacific than in the Gulf and South Atlantic. There are various descending tools available for anglers to choose and learn to use.
Devices include something as simple as a weighted hook-like tool � inserted in the fish�s lip � that is lowered back to depth until the fish swims off the device on its own.
The Seaqualizer, another device, uses pressure to release the fish automatically at 50, 100 or 150 feet, depending on depth settings.
Another example is a weighted milk crate � also known as a fish elevator � that you lower until the fish can swim out on its own.
New fish descending devices can increase many rockfish species� survival rates. Possibilities of similar effects on reef fish in the Gulf and South Atlantic are being explored and researched.
The Gulf Council has voted to remove the venting requirement in federal waters, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering a similar change for state waters.
Using venting and descending devices is a last resort; consider them only if the fish cannot get back down on its own.
Knowing when and how to use these devices is crucial to helping improve released fish�s survival rates.
See http://catchandrelease.org for the Florida Sea Grant agents� webinar, "Get That Fish Back Down,� which describes the latest descending gear tools and includes videos on various tool uses.
Brooke Saari is a Sea Grant Marine Science and Natural Resources agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.


text:
Summary Report for:
39-3091.00 - Amusement and Recreation Attendants
Perform variety of attending duties at amusement or recreation facility. May schedule use of recreation facilities, maintain and provide equipment to participants of sporting events or recreational pursuits, or operate amusement concessions and rides.
Sample of reported job titles: Activities Attendant, Golf Starter and Ranger, Recreation Aide, Recreation Attendant, Recreation Clerk, Recreation Leader, Ride Operator, Service Representative, Ski Lift Operator, Sports Complex Attendant
Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Education | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information
- Sell tickets and collect fees from customers.
- Sell and serve refreshments to customers.
- Record details of attendance, sales, receipts, reservations, or repair activities.
- Provide information about facilities, entertainment options, and rules and regulations.
- Direct patrons to rides, seats, or attractions.
- Monitor activities to ensure adherence to rules and safety procedures, or arrange for the removal of unruly patrons.
- Clean sporting equipment, vehicles, rides, booths, facilities, or grounds.
- Keep informed of shut-down and emergency evacuation procedures.
- Operate machines to clean, smooth, and prepare the ice surfaces of rinks for activities such as skating, hockey, or curling.
- Operate, drive, or explain the use of mechanical riding devices or other automatic equipment in amusement parks, carnivals, or recreation areas.
- Provide assistance to patrons entering or exiting amusement rides, boats, or ski lifts, or mounting or dismounting animals.
- Rent, sell, or issue sporting equipment and supplies, such as bowling shoes, golf balls, swimming suits, or beach chairs.
- Fasten safety devices for patrons, or provide them with directions for fastening devices.
- Tend amusement booths in parks, carnivals, or stadiums, performing duties such as conducting games, photographing patrons, or awarding prizes.
- Verify, collect, or punch tickets before admitting patrons to venues such as amusement parks and rides.
- Inspect equipment to detect wear and damage and perform minor repairs, adjustments or maintenance tasks such as oiling parts.
- Maintain inventories of equipment, storing and retrieving items and assembling and disassembling equipment as necessary.
- Announce or describe amusement park attractions to patrons to entice customers to games and other entertainment.
- Schedule the use of recreation facilities, such as golf courses, tennis courts, bowling alleys, or softball diamonds.
Technology Skills
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software — Database software
- Desktop publishing software — Adobe Systems Adobe PageMaker
- Electronic mail software — Microsoft Outlook
- Internet browser software — Microsoft Internet Explorer
- Office suite software — Microsoft Office
- Operating system software — Microsoft Windows
- Spreadsheet software — Microsoft Excel
- Web page creation and editing software — Facebook
- Word processing software — Microsoft Word
Hot Technology — a technology requirement frequently included in employer job postings.
Tools Used
- Bowling equipment — Bowling pinsetting machines
- Cargo trucks — Material transport trucks
- Cash registers — Electronic cash registers
- Costumes or accessories — Costumes; Face masks; Wigs
- Desktop calculator — 10-key calculators
- Desktop computers
- Emergency medical services first aid kits — First aid kits
- Fertilizer spreaders or distributors — Fertilizer spreaders
- Go cart — Go-carts
- Hard hats
- Hula hoops or hoop equipment — Hula hoops
- Jump ropes
- Laser fax machine — Laser facsimile machines
- Lawnmowers — Riding mowers
- Loudspeakers
- Manlift or personnel lift — J-bars; Rope tows; Ski lifts; T-bars
- Metallic glitter
- Microphones
- Minivans or vans — Passenger vans
- Paint sprayers — Field painting machines
- Photocopiers — Photocopying equipment
- Playground merry go rounds — Carousels
- Pocket calculator — Handheld calculators
- Roller skates or roller blades — Roller skates
- Streetcars or tramway cars — Cable cars
- Vacuum cleaners
- Water based paints — Water-based face paints
- Water sprinklers — Irrigation sprinklers
- Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- Administration and Management — Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
- English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
- Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
- Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
- Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
- Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
- Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
- Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Work Activities
- Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Handling and Moving Objects — Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, and moving materials, and manipulating things.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.
- Performing General Physical Activities — Performing physical activities that require considerable use of your arms and legs and moving your whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling of materials.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
Detailed Work Activities
- Sell products or services.
- Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
- Assist patrons with entering or exiting vehicles or other forms of transportation.
- Maintain financial or account records.
- Prepare operational reports or records.
- Distribute resources to patrons or employees.
- Provide attraction or event information to patrons.
- Provide patrons with directions to locales or attractions.
- Communicate with management or other staff to resolve problems.
- Monitor operational quality or safety.
- Conduct amusement or gaming activities.
- Clean facilities or work areas.
- Clean tools or equipment.
- Verify patron or staff credentials.
- Inspect equipment to ensure proper functioning.
- Maintain supply or equipment inventories.
- Maintain knowledge of business operations.
- Arrange facility schedules.
Find occupations related to multiple detailed work activities
Work Context
- Contact With Others — 92% responded "Constant contact with others."
- Spend Time Standing — 77% responded "Continually or almost continually."
- Responsible for Others' Health and Safety — 74% responded "Very high responsibility."
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 77% responded "Every day."
- Face-to-Face Discussions — 67% responded "Every day."
- Deal With External Customers — 78% responded "Extremely important."
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 56% responded "Extremely important."
- Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 67% responded "Extremely important."
- Physical Proximity — 52% responded "Very close (near touching)."
- Work With Work Group or Team — 74% responded "Extremely important."
- Deal With Unpleasant or Angry People — 27% responded "Once a week or more but not every day."
- Coordinate or Lead Others — 33% responded "Very important."
- Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 75% responded "Continually or almost continually."
- Exposed to Minor Burns, Cuts, Bites, or Stings — 63% responded "Every day."
- Freedom to Make Decisions — 33% responded "Some freedom."
- Frequency of Conflict Situations — 60% responded "Once a week or more but not every day."
- Spend Time Walking and Running — 35% responded "Less than half the time."
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls — 52% responded "Continually or almost continually."
- Telephone — 52% responded "Once a week or more but not every day."
- Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 61% responded "Very important results."
- Structured versus Unstructured Work — 37% responded "Limited freedom."
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Letters and Memos — 26% responded "Never."
- Responsibility for Outcomes and Results — 18% responded "Limited responsibility."
- Sounds, Noise Levels Are Distracting or Uncomfortable — 44% responded "Every day."
- Frequency of Decision Making — 35% responded "Every day."
- Consequence of Error
- Deal With Physically Aggressive People — 17% responded "Once a month or more but not every week."
Job Zone
|Job Zone One: Little or No Preparation Needed
|Some of these occupations may require a high school diploma or GED certificate.
|Related Experience
|Little or no previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, a person can become a waiter or waitress even if he/she has never worked before.
|Job Training
|Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few days to a few months of training. Usually, an experienced worker could show you how to do the job.
|Job Zone Examples
|These occupations involve following instructions and helping others. Examples include food preparation workers, dishwashers, sewing machine operators, landscaping and groundskeeping workers, logging equipment operators, and baristas.
|SVP Range
|(Below 4.0)
Interest code: ECR Want to discover your interests? Take the O*NET Interest Profiler at My Next Move.
- Enterprising — Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
- Conventional — Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
- Realistic — Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Work Styles
- Concern for Others — Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
- Cooperation — Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
- Self Control — Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
- Dependability — Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
- Stress Tolerance — Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
- Attention to Detail — Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
- Social Orientation — Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
- Adaptability/Flexibility — Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
- Integrity — Job requires being honest and ethical.
- Initiative — Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
- Achievement/Effort — Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
- Leadership — Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
- Persistence — Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Work Values
- Support — Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
- Independence — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
- Relationships — Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Related Occupations
Wages & Employment Trends
|Median wages (2019)
|$11.23 hourly, $23,370 annual
|State wages
|Local wages
|Employment (2018)
|338,600 employees
|Projected growth (2018-2028)
|Faster than average (7% to 10%)
|Projected job openings (2018-2028)
|State trends
|Top industries (2018)
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2019 wage data and 2018-2028 employment projections . "Projected growth" represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2018-2028). "Projected job openings" represent openings due to growth and replacement.
Job Openings on the Web
Sources of Additional Information
Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.


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Educators Cheer Vice President Biden and Gov. Beshear for Supporting Public Education
RA Delegates Also Honor Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear for Standing Strong for Public Schools
July 03, 3011
By Will Potter
The current attacks on teacher's unions are attacks on students, educators and fundamental American values, Vice President Joe Biden told thousands of cheering educators on Sunday.
"It is one of the biggest scams in modern American history," Biden said, referring to the assaults on collective bargaining rights in Wisconsin, Ohio and many other states.
"We should be listening to you, not lecturing you," he said later. "We should be embracing you, not pushing you aside. You are not the problem."
Biden's moving address was met with cheers and standing ovations from the nearly 8,000 delegates at the NEA's Representative Assembly.
"The middle class needs more leaders like Vice President Biden," said NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "He knows that the key to economic prosperity for all is a vibrant middle class, and without organized labor, the middle class will not grow and thrive."
And we could use more leaders like the governor of Kentucky, one of the many states that has faced sweeping cuts to public education. Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear stood strong for Kentucky's students and schools, and fought to preserve resources for K-12 education.
Beshear was honored on Sunday with the America's Greatest Education Governor Award. The annual award recognizes and honors governors who have made major, state-level education strides that improve public schools.
"The most important investment a state can make is in the education of its children, and that's why I have fought hard to protect the basic funding for our classrooms despite nine rounds of budget cuts," Besehear said. "I am very pleased our efforts are being honored, and pledge to keep fighting for Kentucky's future."
In addition to their business at NEA's Annual Meeting, teachers and other school staff have been rolling up their sleeves to help needy families across the host city. Educators have been cleaning, building, sharing food and coordinating donations with volunteer groups across the host city of Chicago.
Delegates voted Sunday overwhelmingly to re-elect President Dennis Van Roekel and Vice President Lily Eskelsen, who will both serve 3-year terms. Princess Moss and Earl Wiman were elected to the Executive Committee. Catherine M. Leisek was elected as higher education at-large representative to the Board of Directors, and there will be a run-off election between Roger P. Davis and Lisa L. Ossian. For ESP at-large, Jim McClure, Jolene E. Tripp, Jameel Williams and Donna Nielsen were elected, and there will be a run-off election between Marguerite B. Jones and Leslie A. Dake.
Coming up tomorrow is the Education Support Professional of the year award and the 4th of July celebration.


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Advanced Search
LMS | News
Trivantis has released a new version of its CourseMill Learning Management System, which allows for increased customization and searching.
The Web-based CourseMill LMS lets instructors, students, and administrators manage, track, and take online courses. Students can take courses using mobile devices running iOS, Android, Palm WebOS, and most other smart phones, according to information released by the company. It provides student self-enrollment, single-click course upload, shopping cart support, and wait list functionality. Other options include real-time chat, internal and external e-mail, instant messaging, mass e-mailing, and document sharing. The LMS also lets users create an unlimited number of reports.
Features new to version 6.5 include:
CourseMill LMS is compatible with Microsoft Internet Explorer 7, Mozilla Firefox 2.0, Google Chrome 2, and Apple Safari 2.0, or greater, and is used with CourseMill Enterprise or CourseMill Hosted.
For more information, visit trivantis.com.
About the Author
Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at timothyjsoh[email protected] and followed on Twitter @editortim.
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Every day, schools and districts are exposed to cyberthreats like phishing emails, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, insider threats, and malware—with the most disruptive coming from information-stealing Trojans and ransomware attacks. But, in order for them to effectively implement security measures unique to their environment, they must first understand the reasons why cybercriminals are trying to breach their networks.
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Turn personal photos into unforgettable keepsakes with laser-etched ornaments that house 3D image
What You'll Get
After purchasing this deal, you will need to visit the website listed on your Groupon voucher to complete redemption.
Choose From Three Options
- One personalized 3D photo crystal ornament ($25 value)
- Two personalized 3D photo crystal ornaments ($50 value)
- Three personalized 3D photo crystal ornaments ($75 value)
The Fine Print
About 3D Laser Gifts
The designers at 3D Laser Gifts aren't magicians, but they do know a neat trick: turning 2D photos into 3D keepsakes. Using a laser etching process know at vitrography, they render photos on the surfaces of delicate crystals, imbuing the image with an added dimension in the process. These keepsakes commemorate everything from weddings and graduations to Christmas and Mother's Day, and come in shapes ranging from simple key chains to imposing trophies.


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by manchurian
Iris Krasnow, a journalism professor at American University school of communication (and a wife who is just one year shy of her silver 25th wedding anniversary), spent two years interviewing over 200 married women — from ladies rounding their 15th year of marriage to veteran wives who have watched their grandchildren walk down the aisle decades after they exchanged their own vows — to learn how keep the marital partnership strong, permanent, and yes, fun-filled. The result of Krasnow's research: eight top tips to going the distance long after you promised each other "happily-ever-after." By Libby Golden
1. Have Secrets
One of the chief tenants of Krasnow's book is that every marriage is entitled to a healthy amount of secrecy. This does not apply to harmful activities — bank robbery or adultery, for instance, but rather to the "secrets of your soul that aren't hurting anyone else." Krasnow writes, "no one knows what's really going on in a marriage except the two people in it. That gives each of us the freedom to write our own rules and keep our own secrets."
2. A Marriage Should Run on Multiple Tracks
Marital success is not, Krasnow asserts, about depending on someone else. Instead, each spouse should allow for self-growth, whether in a career, through special hobbies, or pursuing fun with a great group of pals. "When you go out with your friends or your work is pumping you, you are pumping your self esteem and your sense of accomplishment," Krasnow explains. "When partners are each growing on their own, they have a better shot at growing for a longer time." So go ahead, seek your adventures or hang with the girls and leave your husband at home. It's good for both of you!
3. Act Like a Kid Again
Remember that journal you kept as a teen because you loved to write? Maybe you plucked a violin in your school orchestra, or played midfield on a club lacrosse team. As kids and young adults, it may have been easier to chase your bliss simply because you had more time. But rediscovering an interest from your youth in your married life can build more confidence, both in yourself and in your relationship, according to Krasnow. "When you resurrect a childhood passion that is yours alone," she explains, "you feel worthy. Everyone needs to feel like they're worthy." Greater self-worth leads to greater happiness, and, Krasnow explains, the happiness that you build for yourself is crucial to a wedded couple. "Stop expecting someone else to make you happy; that's a real formula for success of marriage," she says.
4. Keep Your Friends Close
It's terrific if you count your husband as your best friend — just make sure you make room for some best girlfriends too. Krasnow's research affirms that the women with the highest marital satisfaction stay connected to a group of gals who spice up their social life, provide great laughs, and offer support for whatever unfolds in their marriages — the peaks and the valleys. Krasnow writes, "Our girlfriends, ever-forgiving and always empathetic, provide the escape hatch from the inevitable storms and challenges that comes with long marriages."
5. Spend Time Apart
Who says girls' night out has to just last an evening? If your idea of relaxation is a trip to the spa and not a day on the golf course with your hubby, Krasnow recommends the occasional vacation apart. Taking a separate week or even a separate summer can reinvigorate your marriage: "After some weeks apart from each other, removed from the grind of ordinary life, marriage seems way hotter than the tepid state in which you left each other in." Ooo la la!
6. Lower Expectations
Happily-ever-after doesn't mean happy all the time, and it's important for you and your spouse to be realistic about the bumps along the married road. That is why it is imperative that women be zealous about forging their own sense of purpose; writes Krasner, "Marital bliss is possible if each partner is blissful without the other."
7. Be Grateful
Practicing gratitude can go a long way in a marriage, whether it's thanking your husband for taking out the trash, or making time for him because he has given you the ability to have a life outside of your relationship. "Gratitude is a powerful feeler," explains Krasnow. "A lot of us need to stop and just say, 'thank you. I know you're not perfect and I am not perfect, but thank you for sticking it out.'"
8. Resilience Matters
Bearing a grudge does not make for a harmonious relationship. In fact, says Krasnow, "the ability to bounce back from strife and arguments is the real secret that makes marriages last forever."
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As it turns out, the reasonably simple act of cloning a Windows Server 2008 R2 (insert addition here) has been complicated by the number of editions, changes from 2008 release through 2008 R2 as well as user profile management changes since its release. If you're like me, you like to tweak your templates to limit customization steps in post-deployment. While most of these customizations can now be setup in group policies from AD, the deployment of non-AD members has become a lot more difficult – especially where custom defaults are needed or required.
Here's my quick recipe to build a custom image of Windows Server 2008 R2 that has been tested with Standard, Enterprise and Foundation editions.
Create VM, use VMXNET3 as NIC(s), 40GB "thin" disk, using 2008 R2 Wizard
This is a somewhat "mix to taste" step. We use ISO images and encourage their use. The size of the OS volume will end-up being somewhere around 8GB of actual space-on-disk after this step, making 40GB sound like overkill. However, the OS volume will bloat-up to 18-20GB pretty quick after updates, roles and feature additions. Adding application(s) will quickly chew-up the rest.
- Edit Settings… ->
- Options -> Advanced -> General -> Uncheck "Enable logging"
- Hardware -> CD/DVD Drive 1 ->
- Click "Datastore ISO File"
- Browse to Windows 2008 R2 ISO image
- Check "Connect at power on"
- Click "Datastore ISO File"
- Options -> Advanced -> Boot Options -> Force BIOS Setup
- Check "The next time the virtual machine boots, force entry into the BIOS setup screen"
- Power on VM
- Install Windows Server 2008 R2
Use Custom VMware Tools installation to disable "Shared Folders" feature:
It is important that VMware Tools be installed next, if for no other reason than to make the rest of the process quicker and easier. The additional step of disabling "Shared Folders" is for ESX/vSphere environments where shared folders are not supported. Since this option is installed by default, it can/should be removed in vSphere installations.
- VM -> Guest -> Install VMware Tools ->
- Custom -> VMware Device Drivers -> Disable "Shared Folder" feature
- Retstart
Complete Initial Configuration Tasks:
Once the initial installation is complete, we need to complete the 2008 R2 basic configuration. If you are working in an AD environment, this is not the time to join the template to the domain as GPO conflicts may hinder manual template defaults. We've chosen a minimal package installation based on our typical deployment profile. Some features/roles may differ in your organization's template (mix to taste).
- Set time zone -> Date and Time ->
- Internet Time -> Change Settings… -> Set to local time source
- Date and Time -> Change time zone… -> Set to local time zone
- Provide computer name and domain -> Computer name ->
- Enterprise Edition: W2K8R2ENT-TMPL
- Standard Edition: W2K8R2STD-TMPL
- Foundation Edition: W2K8R2FND-TMPL
- Note: Don't join to a domain just yet…
- Restart Later
- Configure Networking
- Disable QoS Packet Scheduler
- Enable automatic updating and feedback
- Manually configure settings
- Windows automatic updating -> Change Setting… ->
- Important updates -> "check for updates but let me choose whether to download and install them"
- Recommended updates -> Check "Give me recommended updates the same way I receive important updates"
- Who can install updates -> Uncheck "Allow all users to install updates on this computer"
- Windows Error Reporting -> Change Setting… ->
- Select "I don't want to participate, and don't ask me again"
- Customer Experience Improvement Program -> Change Setting… ->
- Select "No, I don't want to participate"
- Windows automatic updating -> Change Setting… ->
- Manually configure settings
- Download and install updates
- Bring to current (may require several reboots)
- Add features (to taste)
- .NET Framwork 3.5.1 Feautures
- Check WCF Activation, Non-HTTP Activation
- Pop-up: Click "Add Required Features"
- Check WCF Activation, Non-HTTP Activation
- SNMP Services
- Telnet Client
- TFTP Client
- Windows PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE)
- .NET Framwork 3.5.1 Feautures
- Check for updates after new features
- Install available updates
- Enable Remote Desktop
- System Properties -> Remote
- Windows 2003 AD
- Select "Allow connection sfrom computers running any version of Remote Desktop"
- Windows 2008 AD (optional)
- Select "Allow connections only from computers runnign Remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication"
- Windows 2003 AD
- System Properties -> Remote
- Windows Firewall
- Turn Windows Firewall on of off
- Home or work location settings
- Turn off Windows Firewall
- Public network location settings
- Turn off Windows Firewall
- Home or work location settings
- Turn Windows Firewall on of off
- Complete Initial Configuration Tasks
- Check "Do not show this window at logon" and close
Modify and Silence Server Manager
(Optional) Parts of this step may violate your local security policies, however, it's more than likely that a GPO will ultimately override this configuration. We find it useful to have this disabled for "general purpose" templates – especially in a testing/lab environment where the security measures will be defeated as a matter of practice.
- Security Information -> Configure IE ESC
- Select Administrators Off
- Select Users Off
- Select "Do not show me this console at logon" and close
Modify Taskbar Properties
Making the taskbar usable for your organization is another matter of taste. We like smaller icons and maximizing desktop utility. We also hate being nagged by the notification area…
- Right-click Taskbar -> Taskbar and Start Menu Properties ->
- Taskbar -> Check "Use small icons"
- Taskbar -> Customize… ->
- Set all icons to "Only show notifications"
- Click "Turn system icons on or off"
- Turn off "Volume"
- Start Menu -> Customize…
- Uncheck "Use large icons"
Modify default settings in Control Panel
Some Control Panel changes will help "optimize" the performance of the VM by disabling unnecessary features like screen saver and power management. We like to see our corporate logo on server desktops (regardless of performance implications) so now's the time to make that change as well.
- Control Panel -> Power Options -> High Performance
- Change plan settings -> Turn off the display -> Never
- Control Panel -> Sound ->
- Pop-up: "Would you like to enable the Windows Audio Service?" – No
- Sound -> Sounds -> Sound Scheme: No Sounds
- Uncheck "Play Windows Startup sound"
- Control Panel -> VMware Tools -> Uncheck "Show VMware Tools in the taskbar"
- Control Panel -> Display -> Change screen saver -> Screen Saver -> Blank, Wait 10 minutes
- Change default desktop image (optional)
- Copy your desktop logo background to a public folder (i.e. "c:\Users\Public\Public Pictures")
- Control Panel -> Display -> Change desktop background -> Browse…
- Find picture in browser, Picture position stretch
Disable Swap File
Disabling swap will allow the defragment step to be more efficient and will disable VMware's advanced memory management functions. This is only temporary and we'll be enabling swap right before committing the VM to template.
- Computer Properties -> Visual Effects -> Adjust for best performance
- Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings ->
- System Properties -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings… ->
- Performance Options -> Advanced -> Change…
- Uncheck "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives"
- Select "No paging file"
- Click "Set" to disable swap file
Remove hibernation file and set boot timeout
It has been pointed out that the hibernation and timeout settings will get re-enabled by the sysprep operation. Removing the hibernation files will help in defragment now. We'll reinforce these steps in the customization wizard later.
- cmd: powercfg -h off
- cmd: bcdedit /timeout 5
Disable indexing on C:
Indexing the OS disk can suck performance and increase disk I/O unnecessarily. Chances are, this template (when cloned) will be heavily cached on your disk array so indexing in the OS will not likely benefit the template. We prefer to disable this feature as a matter of practice.
- C: -> Properties -> General ->
- Uncheck "Allow files on this drive to have contents indexed in addition to file properties"
- Apply -> Apply changes to C:\ only (or files and folders, to taste)
Time to clean-up and prepare for a streamlined template. The first step is intended to aid the copying of "administrator defaults" to "user defaults." If this does not apply, just defragment.
Remove "Default" user settings:
- C:\Users -> Folder Options -> View -> Show hidden files…
- C:\Users\Default -> Delete "NTUser.*" Delete "Music, Pictures, Saved Games, Videos"
- C: -> Properties -> Tools -> Defragment Now…
- Select "(C:)"
- Click "Defragment disk"
Copy Administrator settings to "Default" user
The "formal" way of handling this step requires a third-party utility. We're giving credit to Jason Samuel for consolidating other bloggers methods because he was the first to point out the importance of the "unattend.xml" file and it really saved us some time. His blog post also includes a link to an example "unattend.xml" file that can be modified for your specific use, as we have.
- Jason Samuel points out a way to "easily" copy Administrator settings to defaults, by activating the CopyProfile node in an "unattend.xml" file used by sysprep.
- Copy your "unattend.xml" file to C:\windows\system32\sysprep
- Edit unattend.xml for environment and R2 version
- Update offline image pointer to correspond to your virtual CD
- E.g. wim:d:… -> wim:f:…
- Update OS offline image source pointer, valid sources are:
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTER
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERDATACENTERCORE
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERENTERPRISE
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERENTERPRISECORE
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERSTANDARD
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERSTANDARDCORE
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERWEB
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERWEBCORE
- Windows Server 2008 R2 SERVERWINFOUNDATION
- Any additional changes necessary
- Update offline image pointer to correspond to your virtual CD
- NOTE: now would be a good time to snapshot/backup the VM
- cmd: cd \windows\system32\sysprep
- cmd: sysprep /generalize /oobe /reboot /unattend:unattend.xml
- Check "Generalize"
- Shutdown Options -> Reboot
- Login
- Skip Activation
- Administrator defaults are now system defaults
- Reset Template Name
- Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> Computer name -> Change…
- Enterprise Edition: W2K8R2ENT-TMPL
- Standard Edition: W2K8R2STD-TMPL
- Foundation Edition: W2K8R2FND-TMPL
- If this will be an AD member clone, join template to the domain now
- Restart
- Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings -> Computer name -> Change…
- Enable Swap files
- Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings ->
- System Properties -> Advanced -> Performance -> Settings… ->
- Performance Options -> Advanced -> Change…
- Check "Automatically manage paging file size for all drives"
- Computer Properties -> Advanced System Settings ->
- Release IP
- cmd: ipconfig /release
- Shutdown
- Convert VM to template
Convert VM Template to Clone
Use the VMware Customization Wizard to create a re-usable script for cloning the template. Now's a good time to test that your template will create a usable clone. If it fails, go check the "red letter" items and make sure your setup is correct. The following hints will help improve your results.
- Remove hibernation related files and reset boot delay to 5 seconds in Customization Wizard
- Run Once:
- Remember that the ISO is still mounted by default. Once VM's are deployed from the template, it should be removed after the customization process is complete and additional roles/features are added.
That's the process we have working at SOLORI. It's not rocket science, but if you miss an important step you're likely to be visited by an error in "pass [specialize]" that will have you starting over. Note: this also happens when your AD credentials are bad, your license key is incorrect (version/edition mismatch, typo, etc.) or other nondescript issues – too bad the error code is unhelpful…