text:
iPhone 6 rumour rollup for the week ending June 27
- 28 June, 2014 05:22
We can now count the days until Winter ends in September with the expected unveiling of the iPhone 6. Pavlovian-like, the iOSphere seemed to salivate over a renewed spate of rumors, as if hearing them for the first time.
This week, there was new unfounded certainty that the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will have a 128GB storage option; and that the 4.7-inch model will go on sale Sept. 19. Pulses raced on learning that mass production of the Next iPhones, or one of them anyhow, was just about to start, and would feature a glass cover somewhere between 2D and 3D.
Finally, the first iPhone 6 video appears online. And it's convincing. Honest. It really is. No kidding.
You read it here second.
~ Nate Swanner, Slashgear, winner of this week's Pinnacle of Epistemological Angst award, for telling his readers that the video is "as convincing as any we've seen" and also completely unconvincing, but none of that matters because we can be "more than certain" that the Next iPhone will look like today's iPad/iPod...just because.
iPhone 6 with 5.5-inch display will have 128-Gbytes storage option
Without bothering to sift through the even-more-than-usually-confusing speculation, some iOSpherian sites (such as AppleInsider) are claiming that a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 will offer users a 128GB storage option, with the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model maxing out at 64GB.
Surprisingly, AppleInsider doesn't point out one obvious result of doubling the maximum storage: based on Apple's historical pricing, the additional storage will add $100 to whatever will be the retail price of the large-screened phone.
AppleInsider says the original Chinese-language post at Feng.com was based on "sources familiar with Apple's supply chain." In fact, according to our Google Translate version, the Chinese website confusingly refers to inferences drawn from information purportedly leaked from Deutsche Telekom, and circulated in a rash of iOSphere posting in May, and from "the latest reports from an Apple supply chain this year."
So, who the heck knows?
The 128GB option has been speculated about for a long time. Interestingly, earlier this year, Apple added a lower storage option, 8GB, for the less expensive iPhone 5c, apparently to reduce its retail price even further in select overseas markets. In the U.S., the 5c is available with either 16G- or 32GB. According to Apple, the 5c has met sales expectations and has drawn a significant number of first-time iPhone buyers, many of them formerly Android users.
iPhone 6 with 4.7-inch display to "launch" Sept. 19
It all depends on what one means by "launch." Apparently, it means here "to go on sale." Oddly, few if any of the iOSphere sites did the math to figure out that if the iPhone 6 goes on sale Sept. 19, it is likely to be announced on Sept. 9 or 10.
This rumor originated on a Chinese website called Tencent Digital News, though picked up by other Chinese sites and thence, via GForGames, to the wider iOSphere.
In his MacRumors post about this rumor, Richard Padilla says the Tencent post was "citing inside sources." But his own Google Translate version of the Chinese post to which GForGames linked (a post that is actually carried on the Chines site Laoyaoba.com, according to the URL) explicitly says that Tencent "did not reveal their sources."
He also refers to the Tencent post as a "report," suggesting there is actually, you know, reporting, which involves investigating, questioning, weighing of sources, and, of course, thinking.
Instead, we're left with a totally unsubstantiated rumor from an unreliable website, which reaches back to the May Deutsche Telekom-based rumor about Sept. 19 as "evidence."
September remains a sound expectation for the announcement and launch of whatever the iPhone 6 will be. That's because September is 12 months after the announcement and launch of the iPhone 5c and 5s.
iPhone 6 starts mass production in July and you know what that means
Apple's supply chain partners in China will start mass producing two new larger-screen iPhones in July, "according to people familiar with the plans."
The Familiar People were the basis of a Bloomberg news story this week by Tim Culpan and Peter Burrows. If one assumes that the Next iPhones will be announced about 12 months after the 2013 models, then ramping up large-scale assembly at some point in the summer is what one would expect.
"Apple is ramping up on two bigger devices, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private," according to the Bloomberg story. This should probably read "who asked not to be identified because they would be fired for blabbing."
(In a possibly related story, ZDNet and other outlets picked up on a post - at Taiwan's The Economic News Daily -- that claims that Hon Hai (or Foxconn) and Pegatron are recruiting more workers "to cope with anticipated high demand for the rumored iPhone 6." Foxconn is looking for 100,000 more worker bees while Pegatron "is expected to boost numbers at a key production plant by one third.")
"One model will have a 4.7-inch display, compared to the 4-inch screen of the current iPhone 5s, that may be available to ship to retailers around September, said two of the people. A 5.5-inch version is also being prepared for manufacturing and may be available at the same time, the people said," according to Bloomberg.
The claims about the 5.5-inch model are quite a bit less definite, raising some questions about how Apple might position it, what the company's sales expectations are for it, and how it might be priced.
"Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook is under pressure to reignite Apple's sales growth and the iPhone, which generates more than half of the company's annual revenue, remains his chief weapon," according to the opinion of the Bloomberg reporters.
You can see the historic growth patterns of iPhone quarterly sales in this chart from Statista, and form your own opinion. The two most recent quarters set quarterly sales records, and the Q2 fall-off in sales for the current fiscal year was actually less than last year -- a drop of 14 percent compared to nearly 22 percent for the earlier period.
Apple is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, Bloomberg News reported in November. Called 2.5-dimension glass, the material lets manufacturers taper the edges of the screen where the bezel meets the frame of a smartphone.
iPhone 6 will have a display with "2.5-dimension glass"
So the obvious question is "what is 2.5-dimension glass?"
And the answer is "no one has the foggiest idea."
The same Bloomberg story cited above also claims that "Apple is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, Bloomberg News reported in November. Called 2.5-dimension glass, the material lets manufacturers taper the edges of the screen where the bezel meets the frame of a smartphone."
The Bloomberg story by Culpan and Burrows has a hyperlink but not to that November story, which you can find here. Culpan was a co-writer for that story, which begins "Apple Inc. is developing new iPhone designs including bigger screens with curved glass and enhanced sensors that can detect different levels of pressure, said a person familiar with the plans." So technically, Bloomberg "reported" what one person claimed.
Nothing seems to have changed in seven months. To be fair, the Bloomberg writers note -- correctly -- that Apple is continually working on new phone designs and continually working with its partners on the designs, on the various elements, and on new materials. This complex experimentation and design process is actually a set of processes, at various stages, having different goals and timelines.
It's almost impossible as a result to know if any given experiment is exploratory, or a prototype, or a pre-production model, or a final design.
The current Bloomberg story is getting widely reposted in the iOSphere, but no one seems to be asking what 2.5-dimension glass actually is, or whether it's something to realistically expect in the 2014 iPhones. Searching Google for "2.5-dimension glass" simply turns up all the references to the Bloomberg story.
There's also the issue of how this material relates -- or whether it relates -- to Apple's billion-dollar investment in synthetic sapphire production, presumably as a cover glass for iPhone displays.
As is often the case in the iOSphere, more is less.
iPhone 6 video shows possible final build of rear cover
That's the full headline at Nate Swanner's Slashgear post. The video shows "what appears to be a finished rear cover straight off the production line."
Swanner is nothing but optimistic on what can be gleaned from the video first posted at the Japanese blog Mac Otakara. (You can also see it on Youtube.)
There's the "cutout" in the back plate for the Apple logo. "Previously, we heard the Apple logo would actually be a cutout, allowing for the possibility of wireless charging and an IR blaster," Swanner explains. "This leak shows that cutout in place, lending credence to a previously suspect rumor. Interesting little tidbit of info, there."
"Little" being the operative word, there.
Swanner also seems reassured that the "rear cover also doesn't look damaged in any way..." That's because the "anodizing process was said to be damaging the metal where it meets plastic (on the edges)." Horrors.
He continues: "While it's not known just what those issues were/are/could be, the model in the video doesn't seem to be compromised at all." So, it's not known whether there was actually any problem at all.
But could this case be a fake? "The interior of the case looks as convincing as any we've seen," Swanner authoritatively assures his readers. That assurance sounds as convincing as any we've heard, for sure. "There are various connection points and cutouts for interior parts. The inside is also raw in appearance; shiny where the outside is matte and colored."
We're convinced, too. At least until Swanner tells us not to be.
"As convincing as it is, there's enough reason to doubt it," he suddenly warns. Wait. What? "Conflicting rumors lend themselves to cancel each other out, leaving us all in the dark. It's also possible this is a crafty fake, made from those leaked schematics we saw not long ago."
Talk about Epistemological Angst. But Swanner reverses course again, because it turns out that it doesn't matter if the metal casing is real or a fake. "Either way, it seems more than certain the new iPhone will look a lot like a small iPad/big iPod," he concludes.
Thank heavens that has been settled.


text:
Comparison of Doses of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Women With Previous History of Preeclampsia
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01352234
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : May 11, 2011
Last Update Posted : November 13, 2018
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Placental insufficiency is the source of preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR). Current data demonstrate a significant beneficial effect of prophylactic use of aspirin on the recurrence of placental insufficiency and its complications, mainly preeclampsia, when started early in pregnancy. However, there is a significant heterogeneity in medical practice in Canada and around the world in terms of the dose of aspirin used.
The objectives of this study are: 1) Evaluate whether a dose of 160 mg of aspirin is associated with greater improvement in placental function assessed by biochemistry (sFlt-1 and endoglin) and ultrasound (uterine artery Doppler) than a dose of 80 mg in women with a history of PE, 2) Assess whether the change is dependent on platelet aggregation measured by a test used in several Canadian centers (PFA-100).
|Condition or disease
|Pre-Eclampsia Fetal Growth Retardation Premature Birth Placental Insufficiency
|Drug: Acetylsalicylic Acid 160 mg Drug: Acetylsalicylic Acid 80 mg
|Phase 4
Many studies suggest that aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) at low dose significantly reduces the incidence of preeclampsia. More recent data have shown that, when administered before 16 weeks of pregnancy, aspirin can prevent over 50% of preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and IUGR but also a significant proportion of the rate of preterm births. Current data also demonstrate a beneficial effect of prophylactic use of aspirin when started early in pregnancy in populations composed of high-risk patients with a history of preeclampsia and / or other pregnancy complications related to poor placental function.
Beside, many clinicians are already using aspirin in the context of a proven benefit. However, the usual dose prescribed in Canada today is 80 mg while the most favorable studies have used a slightly higher dose of aspirin (100 mg).
Moreover, it has been demonstrated that the time of day during which aspirin was administered was also a very important factor regarding the effect on blood pressure and adverse outcomes of the majority of pregnancy. Yet the majority of studies in this context have not specified the time of day at which aspirin was or had been taken, possibly underestimating the effect thereof.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|104 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Parallel Assignment
|Quadruple (Participant, Care Provider, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|Evaluation of Dose-response Effect of Acetylsalicylic Acid on Placental Development, Preterm Birth, Fetal Growth and Hypertension in Pregnancy in Women With Previous History of Preeclampsia
|Study Start Date :
|September 2011
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|December 2014
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|March 2015
Experimental: Group A
Acetylsalicylic Acid 160mg administered at bedtime
Drug: Acetylsalicylic Acid 160 mg
Capsule containing Acetylsalicylic Acid 160mg pill with lactose
Other Names:
Active Comparator: Group B
Acetylsalicylic Acid 80mg administered at bedtime
Drug: Acetylsalicylic Acid 80 mg
Capsule containing Acetylsalicylic Acid 80mg pill with lactose
Other Names:
- Placental function [ Time Frame: 22nd week of gestation ]We chose a continuous intermediate variable focused on the aetiology, the placental function, assessed by Doppler ultrasound: the average pulsatility index of uterine arteries (UTAP - primary outcome) at 22 weeks of gestation
- Rates of pregnancy complications related to placental insufficiency (preeclampsia, IUGR, premature birth) [ Time Frame: At delivery ]The effectiveness of treatment on the rate of preterm delivery, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and IUGR will also be measured by reviewing medical records. All cases with a diagnosis of preterm labor, gestational hypertension or IUGR <10th percentile will be reviewed by a specialist in maternal fetal medicine at blindness for allocation.
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Gestational age between 10 0 / 7 and 13 6 / 7 weeks
- History of preeclampsia (as defined by The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada) confirmed by medical records
Exclusion Criteria:
- Negative Fetal Heart
- Multiple pregnancy
- Anaphylactic allergy to lactose
- Kown coagulopathy (antithrombin III deficiency, factor V Leiden, antiphospholipid syndrome, the prothrombin mutation, deficiency of protein S or protein C)
- Use of heparin or other anticoagulants.
- Contraindications to aspirin
- Severe fetal abnormality (cystic hygroma, nuchal translucency> 95th percentile, anencephaly, etc.)
- History or active peptic ulcer
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01352234
|Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec (CHUQ)/Pavillon CHUL
|Québec, Canada, G1V 4G2
|Principal Investigator:
|Emmanuel Bujold, MD, MSc
|CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval
|Responsible Party:
|CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|May 11, 2011 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|November 13, 2018
|Last Verified:
|November 2018
|Individual Participant Data (IPD) Sharing Statement:
|Plan to Share IPD:
Premature Birth
Fetal Growth Retardation
Placental Insufficiency
Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced
Pregnancy Complications
Obstetric Labor, Premature
Obstetric Labor Complications
Fetal Diseases
Growth Disorders
Pathologic Processes
Placenta Diseases
Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal
Analgesics, Non-Narcotic
Sensory System Agents
Peripheral Nervous System Agents
Physiological Effects of Drugs
Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Antirheumatic Agents
Fibrinolytic Agents
Fibrin Modulating Agents
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors
Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors

subset: commoncrawl


text: On Saturday, June 27, 2015, Eurokracy Montreal in partnership with Unitronic Chipped will be hosting Canadas Finest European Automotive Event at ICAR Race Track. Day-long lapping, ¼ mile drag racing, burnout competition, show & shine, and a low car competition simple titled The Neckbreaker are capped off with an official pre-party to make for the only event worth driving into Canada for. #Eurokracy www.eurokracy.com


text:
ASHEVILLE (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue says vetoing a bill that would have required photo identification to vote at the polls is one of her proudest accomplishments as governor.
The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that Perdue made the comments at a Democratic Party women's breakfast in Asheville over the weekend. She argued that more than 1 million people would have been disenfranchised if the 2011 bill had become law.
Republicans voter ID supporters say it would prevent voting fraud and the number of displaced voters is overblown.
Perdue also told the 300 people that political ads calling North Carolina broken are not true.
Republican gubernatorial nominee Pat McCrory says he'll fix the state's broken government and economy. Perdue is not seeking re-election this fall.


text:
Spain (12/28/09)
For the most current version of this Note, see Background Notes A-Z.
Area: 504,750 sq. km. (194,884 sq. mi.), including the Balearic and Canary Islands; about the size of Arizona and Utah combined.
Cities: Capital--Madrid (5.5 million). Other cities--Barcelona (4.9 million), Valencia (2.3 million), Seville (1.8 million), Malaga (1.3 million), Zaragoza (871,000), Bilbao (353,950).
Terrain: High plateaus, lowland areas such as narrow coastal plains, and mountainous regions.
Climate: Temperate. Summers are hot in the interior and more moderate and cloudy along the coast; winters are cold in interior and partly cloudy and cool along the coast.
Time zone: Spanish mainland and Balearic Isles--local time is 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and 2 hours ahead in summer. Canary Islands are on GMT.
Nationality: Noun--Spaniard(s). Adjective--Spanish.
Population (National Institute of Statistics (INE), January 1, 2009): 46,662,000.
Ethnic groups: Distinct ethnic groups within Spain include the Basques, Catalans, and Galicians.
Religion: Predominantly Roman Catholic; Protestant and Islamic faiths also have a significant presence.
Languages: Spanish (official) 74%, Catalan-Valencian 17%, Galician 7%, Basque 2%.
Education: Years compulsory--to age 16. Literacy (INE, third quarter 2008)--97.6%.
Work force (first quarter 2009): 23.1 million. Services--66.4%; agriculture--4.2%; construction--13.1%; industry--16.3%.
Type: Constitutional monarchy (Juan Carlos I proclaimed King November 22, 1975).
Constitution: 1978.
Branches: Executive--president of government nominated by monarch, subject to approval by democratically elected Congress of Deputies. Legislative--bicameral Cortes: a 350-seat Congress of Deputies (elected by the d'Hondt system of proportional representation) and a Senate. Four senators are elected in each of 47 peninsular provinces, 16 are elected from the three island provinces, and Ceuta and Melilla elect two each; this accounts for 208 senators. The parliaments of the 17 autonomous regions also elect one senator as well as one additional senator for every 1 million inhabitants within their territory (about 20 senators). Judicial--Constitutional Tribunal has jurisdiction over constitutional issues. Supreme Tribunal heads system comprising territorial, provincial, regional, and municipal courts.
Subdivisions: 47 peninsular and three island provinces; two enclaves on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco (Ceuta and Melilla) and three island groups along that coast--Alhucemas, Penon de Velez de la Gomera, and the Chafarinas Islands.
Political parties: Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), Popular Party (PP), and the United Left (IU) coalition. Key regional parties are the Convergence and Union (CIU) in Catalonia and the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) in the Basque country.
GDP (2008 est.): $1.556 trillion (seventh-largest Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development--OECD--economy).
Per capita GDP (2008 est.): $33,100.
GDP annual growth rate (INE, third quarter 2009): -4.0%.
Natural resources: Coal, lignite, iron ore, uranium, mercury, pyrites, fluorspar, gypsum, zinc, lead, tungsten, copper, kaolin, hydroelectric power.
Agriculture and fisheries (2.4% of GDP, 2009 est.): Products--grains, vegetables, citrus and deciduous fruits, wine, olives and olive oil, sunflowers, livestock and poultry, dairy products, seafood.
Industry (11.9% of GDP, 2009 est.): Types--processed foods, textiles, footwear, petrochemicals, steel, automobiles, consumer goods, electronics.
Trade (2009 est.): Exports--$206 billion: automobiles, fruits, minerals, metals, clothing, footwear, textiles. Major markets--EU 69%, U.S. 4%. Imports--$298 billion: petroleum, oilseeds, aircraft, grains, chemicals, machinery, transportation equipment, fish, consumer goods. Major sources--EU 58%, U.S. 3%.
Average exchange rate (2009 est.): 1 euro=U.S. $1.40.
Spain's population density, lower than that of most European countries, is roughly equivalent to New England's. In recent years, following a longstanding pattern in the rest of Europe, rural populations are moving to cities. Urban areas are also experiencing a significant increase in immigrant populations, chiefly from North Africa, South America, and Eastern Europe.
Spain has no official religion. The constitution of 1978 disestablished the Roman Catholic Church as the official state religion, while recognizing the role it plays in Spanish society. According to the National Institute of Statistics (April 2009), 74.7% of the population are Catholic, 2.3% belong to another religion, 13.8% are agnostic, and 6.9% are atheists.
Educational System
About 70% of Spain's student population attends public schools or universities. The remainder attends private schools or universities, the great majority of which are operated by the Catholic Church. Compulsory education begins with primary school or general basic education for ages 6-14. It is free in public schools and in many private schools, most of which receive government subsidies. Following graduation, students attend either a secondary school offering a general high school diploma or a school of professional education (corresponding to grades 9-12 in the United States) offering a vocational training program. The Spanish university system offers degree and post-graduate programs in all fields--law, sciences, humanities, and medicine--and the superior technical schools offer programs in engineering and architecture.
The Iberian Peninsula has been settled for millennia. Some of Europe's most impressive Paleolithic cultural sites are located in Spain, including the famous caves at Altamira that contain spectacular paintings dating from about 15,000 to 25,000 years ago. Beginning in the ninth century BC, Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, and Celts entered the Iberian Peninsula. The Romans followed in the second century BC and laid the groundwork for Spain's present language, religion, and laws. Although the Visigoths arrived in the fifth century AD, the last Roman strongholds along the southern coast did not fall until the seventh century AD. In 711, North African Moors sailed across the straits, swept into Andalusia, and within a few years, pushed the Visigoths up the peninsula to the Cantabrian Mountains. The Reconquest--efforts to drive out the Moors--lasted until 1492. By 1512, the unification of present-day Spain was complete.
During the 16th century, Spain became the most powerful nation in Europe, due to the immense wealth derived from its presence in the Americas. But a series of long, costly wars and revolts, capped by the English defeat of the "Invincible Armada" in 1588, began a steady decline of Spanish power in Europe. Controversy over succession to the throne consumed the country during the 18th century, leading to an occupation by France during the Napoleonic era in the early 1800s and a series of armed conflicts throughout much of the 19th century.
The 19th century saw the revolt and independence of most of Spain's colonies in the Western Hemisphere; three wars over the succession issue; the brief ousting of the monarchy and establishment of the First Republic (1873-74); and, finally, the Spanish-American War (1898), in which Spain lost Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines to the United States. A period of dictatorial rule (1923-31) ended with the establishment of the Second Republic. It was dominated by increasing political polarization, culminating in the leftist Popular Front electoral victory in 1936. Pressures from all sides, coupled with growing and unchecked violence, led to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936.
Following the victory of his nationalist forces in 1939, General Francisco Franco ruled a nation exhausted politically and economically. Spain was officially neutral during World War II but followed a pro-Axis policy. Therefore, the victorious Allies isolated Spain at the beginning of the postwar period. The country signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement with the U.S. on September 26, 1953 and joined the United Nations in 1955. In 1959, under an International Monetary Fund stabilization plan, the country began liberalizing trade and capital flows, particularly foreign direct investment.
Despite the success of economic liberalization, Spain remained for years the most closed economy in Western Europe--judged by the small measure of foreign trade to economic activity--and the pace of reform slackened during the 1960s as the state remained committed to "guiding" the economy. Nevertheless, in the 1960s and 1970s, Spain was transformed into a modern industrial economy with a thriving tourism sector. Its economic expansion led to improved income distribution and helped develop a large middle class. Social changes brought about by economic prosperity and the inflow of new ideas helped set the stage for Spain's transition to democracy during the latter half of the 1970s.
Upon the death of General Franco in November 1975, Franco's personally-designated heir Prince Juan Carlos de Borbon y Borbon assumed the titles of king and chief of state. Dissatisfied with the slow pace of post-Franco liberalization, he replaced Franco's last Prime Minister with Adolfo Suarez in July 1976. Suarez entered office promising that elections would be held within one year, and his government moved to enact a series of laws to liberalize the new regime. Spain's first elections since 1936 to the Cortes (Parliament) were held on June 15, 1977. Prime Minister Suarez's Union of the Democratic Center (UCD), a moderate center-right coalition, won 34% of the vote and the largest bloc of seats in the Cortes.
Under Suarez, the new Cortes set about drafting a democratic constitution that was overwhelmingly approved by voters in a national referendum in December 1978.
Parliamentary democracy was restored following the 1975 death of General Franco, who had ruled since the end of the civil war in 1939. The 1978 constitution established Spain as a parliamentary monarchy, with the prime minister responsible to the bicameral Cortes (Congress of Deputies and Senate) elected every 4 years. On February 23, 1981, rebel elements among the security forces seized the Cortes and tried to impose a military-backed government. However, the great majority of the military forces remained loyal to King Juan Carlos, who used his personal authority to put down the bloodless coup attempt.
In October 1982, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), led by Felipe Gonzalez, swept both the Congress of Deputies and Senate, winning an absolute majority. Gonzalez and the PSOE ruled for the next 13 years. During that period, Spain joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Community.
In March 1996, Jose Maria Aznar's Popular Party (PP) won a plurality of votes. Aznar moved to decentralize powers to the regions and liberalize the economy, with a program of privatization, labor market reform, and measures designed to increase competition in selected markets. During Aznar's first term, Spain fully integrated into European institutions, qualifying for the European Monetary Union, and participated, along with the United States and other NATO allies, in military operations in the former Yugoslavia. President Aznar and the PP won reelection in March 2000, obtaining absolute majorities in both houses of parliament.
After the terrorist attacks on the U.S. on September 11, 2001, President Aznar became a key ally in the fight against terrorism. Spain backed the military action against the Taliban in Afghanistan and took a leadership role within the European Union (EU) in pushing for increased international cooperation on terrorism. The Aznar government, with a rotating seat on the UN Security Council, supported the intervention in Iraq.
Spanish parliamentary elections on March 14, 2004 came only three days after a devastating terrorist attack on Madrid commuter rail lines that killed 191 and wounded over 1,400. With large voter turnout, PSOE won the election and its leader, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, took office on April 17, 2004. Carrying out campaign promises, the Zapatero government immediately withdrew Spanish forces from Iraq but has continued to support Iraq reconstruction efforts. The Zapatero government has supported coalition efforts in Afghanistan, including maintaining troop support for 2004 and 2005 elections, supported reconstruction efforts in Haiti, sent troops to UNIFIL in Lebanon, and cooperated on counterterrorism issues and many other issues of importance to the U.S. Zapatero was re-elected for a second term as President on March 9, 2008.
Local Government
The 1978 constitution authorized the creation of regional autonomous governments. By 1985, 17 regions covering all of peninsular Spain, the Canaries, and the Balearic Islands had negotiated autonomy statutes with the central government. In 1979, the first autonomous elections were held in the Basque and Catalan regions, which have the strongest regional traditions by virtue of their history and separate languages. Since then, autonomous governments have been created in the remainder of the 17 regions. The central government continues to devolve powers to the regional governments, which will eventually have full responsibility for health care and education, as well as other social programs.
The Government of Spain is involved in a long-running campaign against Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA), a terrorist organization founded in 1959 and dedicated to promoting Basque independence. ETA targets Spanish security forces, military personnel, Spanish Government officials, politicians of the Popular Party and the Socialist Party (PSOE), and business people and civilian institutions that do not support ETA. The group has carried out numerous bombings against Spanish Government facilities and economic targets, including a car bomb assassination attempt on then-opposition leader Aznar in 1995 in which his armored car was destroyed but he was unhurt. The Spanish Government attributes over 800 deaths to ETA terrorism since its campaign of violence began. In recent years, the government has had more success in controlling ETA, due in part to increased security cooperation with French authorities.
In November 1999, ETA ended a cease-fire it declared in September 1998. Following the end of that cease-fire, ETA conducted a campaign of violence and has been blamed for the deaths of some 50 Spanish citizens and officials. Each attack has been followed by massive anti-ETA demonstrations around the country, clearly demonstrating that the majority of Spaniards, including the majority of Spain's Basque populace, have no tolerance for continued ETA violence. In March 2006, ETA declared another cease-fire, which it ended in June 2007 as a number of bombings and assassinations continued. In December 2007, two undercover Spanish police officers were killed in Capbreton, in France's southwestern region, by suspected ETA gunmen. Days before Spain's general elections in March 2008, former councilman Isaias Carrasco was murdered outside of his home by an ETA gunman. It was seen by many as a political move by ETA to try and influence the elections. Ignacio Uria Mendizabal, head of the Altuna y Uria company, was assassinated on December 3, 2008. The company was involved in the construction of a high-speed rail network in the region, a project opposed by ETA.
The government pursues a vigorous counterterrorist policy and has worked closely with its international allies to foil several suspected ETA attacks. In May 2008, Francisco Javier Lopez Pena, the political-military head of ETA, was arrested in Bordeaux. In November 2008, French authorities arrested reputed ETA military chief Miguel De Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, alias "Txeroki", closely followed by the arrest of his successor on December 8, 2008. These arrests struck a severe blow to the leadership of ETA. France and Spain have stepped up cooperation to crack down on ETA since a special accord was signed in January 2008 allowing Spanish agents to operate in southwestern France. As of mid-December 2008, security services had arrested 158 alleged ETA members or associates, including 33 in France.
Al Qaeda is known to operate cells in Spain. On March 11, 2004, only three days before national elections, 10 bombs were detonated on crowded commuter trains during rush hour. Three were deactivated by security forces and one was found unexploded. Evidence quickly surfaced that jihadist terrorists with possible ties to the Al Qaeda network were responsible for the attack that killed 191 people. Spanish investigative services and the judicial system have aggressively sought to arrest and prosecute suspected Al Qaeda members and actively cooperate with foreign governments to diminish the transnational terrorist threat. A Spanish court convicted 18 individuals in September 2005 for their role in supporting Al Qaeda, and Spanish police disrupted numerous Islamist extremist cells operating in the country. The trial against 29 people for their alleged participation in the Madrid March 11, 2004 terrorist attack started in February 2007. One of the 29 was absolved during the trial. The prosecutor asked for sentences as high as 30,000 years of jail for some of them. In October 2007 three of the suspects were convicted of murder for their roles in the 2004 attack and received over 42,000 years in prison. Overall, 21 of 28 defendants were found guilty of some offense for their role in the bombings. In July 2008 the Spanish Supreme Court announced the acquittal on appeal of four of the 21 convicted defendants. The Supreme Court also upheld the lower court's acquittal of the suspected mastermind of the attacks, agreeing with the lower court's decision that because he had already been sentenced in Italy for belonging to a terrorist organization he could not be tried for the same crime twice. In a separate case, the Supreme Court overturned 14 of the 20 convictions, and reduced four other sentences, of a cell sentenced in February 2008 for plotting to truck-bomb the National Court.
In January 2008, Spanish authorities in Barcelona arrested 14 people believed to be connected to a Pakistani terrorist cell allegedly sympathetic to Al Qaeda. The group, potentially linked to Islamic terrorist activities, was believed to be on the verge of a terrorist bombing campaign against Barcelona's transportation network and possibly other targets in Europe. An informant working for the French intelligence services notified Spanish authorities of the pending attack.
Principal Government Officials
Chief of State, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces--King Juan Carlos I
President of the Government (Prime Minister)--Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Miguel Angel Moratinos
Ambassador to the United States--Jorge Dezcallar
Spain maintains an embassy in the United States at 2375 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20037 (tel. 202-452-0100) and nine consulates in U.S. cities.
Spain's accession to the European Community--now European Union (EU)--in January 1986 required the country to open its economy to trade and investment, modernize its industrial base, improve infrastructure, and revise economic legislation to conform to EU guidelines.
These measures helped the economy grow rapidly over the next two decades. Unemployment fell from 23% in 1986 to a low point of 8% in mid-2007. The adoption of the euro in 2002 greatly reduced interest rates, spurring a housing boom that further fueled growth. The strong euro also encouraged Spanish firms to invest in the United States where several Spanish firms have significant investments in banking, insurance, wind and solar power, biofuels, road construction, food, and other sectors. The end of the housing boom in 2007 and the international financial crisis led to a recession that began in the second quarter of 2008. Housing sales and construction declined dramatically, and the unemployment rate was almost 18% in the third quarter of 2009, one of the highest rates in the European Union.
The economy is expected to shrink by 4% in 2009 and contract by a small amount in 2010 as a whole, although quarterly growth rates are expected to turn positive during the year. Inflation, after peaking at a year-on-year rate of 5.3% in July 2008, fell to negative year-on-year rates for much of 2009 because of the decline in oil prices in the second half of 2008 and reduced domestic spending. It had recovered to low positive rates at the end of 2009. In part because of cautious regulation by the central bank, Spanish banks have few assets based on U.S. mortgages and initially were less affected by the international financial crisis than banks in many European countries. However, banks and especially savings banks have many outstanding loans to troubled construction and real estate companies. Authorities intervened in one savings bank in March 2009 and created a fund to encourage mergers among savings banks. The Zapatero government took a series of measures in late 2008 to support the financial sector and announced 11 billion euros of additional spending, much of it for municipal government public works, in an effort to provide employment and encourage economic activity. In 2009, it announced additional public works spending for 2010. Government spending on public works and unemployment benefits, along with declining revenues, have generated a high budget deficit. However, surpluses for several years before 2008 meant that the government's debt-to-GDP ratio was low, giving it some room to maneuver.
After the return of democracy following the death of General Franco in 1975, Spain's foreign policy priorities were to break out of the diplomatic isolation of the Franco years and expand diplomatic relations, enter the European Community, and define security relations with the West. Spain assumes the EU presidency in January 2010. As a member of NATO since 1982, Spain has established itself as a major participant in multilateral international security activities. Spain's EU membership represents an important part of its foreign policy. Even on many international issues beyond Western Europe, Spain prefers to coordinate its efforts with its EU partners through the European political cooperation mechanism.
With the normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel and Albania in 1986, Spain virtually completed the process of universalizing its diplomatic relations. The only country with which it now does not have diplomatic relations is North Korea.
Spain has maintained its special identification with Latin America. Its policy emphasizes the concept of Hispanidad, a mixture of linguistic, religious, ethnic, cultural, and historical ties binding Spanish-speaking America to Spain. Spain has been an effective example of transition from authoritarianism to democracy, as shown in the many trips that Spain's King and Prime Ministers have made to the region. Spain maintains economic and technical cooperation programs and cultural exchanges with Latin America, both bilaterally and within the EU.
Spain also continues to focus attention on North Africa, especially on Morocco, a source of much of Spain's large influx of legal and illegal immigrants over the past 10 years. This concern is dictated by geographic proximity and long historical contacts and more recently by immigration trends, as well as by the two Spanish enclave cities of Ceuta and Melilla on the northern coast of Africa. While Spain's departure from its former colony of Western Sahara ended direct Spanish participation in Morocco, it maintains an interest in the peaceful resolution of the conflict brought about there by decolonization. These issues were highlighted by a crisis in 2002, when Spanish forces evicted a small contingent of Moroccans from a tiny islet off Morocco's coast following that nation's attempt to assert sovereignty over the island.
Meanwhile, Spain has gradually begun to broaden its contacts with Sub-Saharan Africa. It has a particular interest in its former colony of Equatorial Guinea, where it maintains a large aid program.
In relations with the Arab world, Spain has sought to promote European-Mediterranean dialogue. Spain strongly supports the EU's Union for the Mediterranean (formerly called the Barcelona Process) to expand dialogue and trade between Europe and the nations of North Africa and the Middle East, including Israel. Barcelona will serve as the headquarters of the new Union for the Mediterranean proposed by French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2007.
Spain has been successful in managing its relations with its two European neighbors, France and Portugal. The accession of Spain and Portugal to the EU has helped ease some of their periodic trade frictions by putting these into an EU context. Franco-Spanish bilateral cooperation is enhanced by joint action against Basque ETA terrorism. Ties with the United Kingdom are generally good, although the question of Gibraltar remains a sensitive issue.
Spain and the United States have a long history of official relations and are closely associated in many fields. In addition to U.S. and Spanish cooperation in NATO, defense and security relations between the two countries are regulated by the Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement signed on September 26, 1953 and the 1989 Agreement on Defense Cooperation, revised in 2003. Under this agreement, Spain authorized the United States to use certain facilities at Spanish military installations.
The two countries also cooperate in several other important areas. The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Spanish National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA) jointly operate the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in support of Earth orbital and solar system exploration missions. The Madrid Complex is one of the three largest tracking and data acquisition complexes comprising NASA's Deep Space Network.
An agreement on cultural and educational cooperation was signed on June 7, 1989. A new element, support by both the public and private sectors, gave a different dimension to the programs carried out by the joint committee for cultural and educational cooperation. These joint committee activities complement the binational Fulbright program for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and visiting professors, which is among the largest in the world and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2008. Besides assisting in these exchange endeavors, the U.S. Embassy also conducts a program of educational, professional, and cultural exchanges, as well as hosting high-level official visits between officials from Spain and the United States.
Spain and the U.S. are strong allies in the fight against terrorism.
Principal U.S. Embassy Officials
Chargé d'Affaires--Arnold Chacon
Counselor for Management Affairs--Gary Bagley
Counselor for Agricultural Affairs--Margaret Thursland
Counselor for Commercial Affairs--Ellen Lenny-Pessagno
Counselor for Consular Affairs--Peggy Gennatiempo
Counselor for Economic Affairs--James Dudley
Counselor for Political Affairs--William Duncan
Counselor for Public Affairs--Thomas Genton
Chief, Office of Defense Cooperation--Captain S. Jeff Tappan, USN
Defense Attaché--Captain Stuart Bailey, USN
Drug Enforcement Administration Attache--Richard Bendekovic
NASA Representative--vacant
Regional Security Officer--Janet Sabo
Consul General Barcelona--Greggory Crouch
DHS, Customs and Border Protection, Container Security Initiative--Cecilio Gonzalez
DHS, Transportation Security Administration--Tere Franceschi
DHS, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement--Luis Alvarez
DHS, U.S. Secret Service--William Cachinero
Legal Attache--Marc Varri
The U.S. Embassy is located at Serrano, 75, 28006 Madrid (tel. 34-91-587-2200; fax 34-91-587-2303). Consulate General, Barcelona, Paseo Reina Elisenda 23, Barcelona 08034 (tel. 34-93-280-2227; fax 34-93-205-5206). The Embassy website is http://madrid.usembassy.gov.


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(Pocket-lint) - So you've probably owned a digital camera for a couple of years and when you bought it, 2 or 3 megapixels were something to be proud of. But these days, mobile phones are fast encroaching on the camera market and you might be thinking of upgrading.
Like everything, you have to make some important decisions. Do you buy a better compact, or do you stump up the extra cash and buy a digital SLR. If only there was something in between - a sort of best of both worlds compromise.
Well, the Pentax *istDL might just be that compromise. This is a digital SLR with 6.3 megapixels and is widely available bundled with an 18-55mm lens at around £550, putting it firmly in place at the top end of the compact camera price range.
So, what do you get? The *istDL is a scaled down version of the earlier *istDS SLR and what Pentax have done is to trim some of the features to bring the price down. In fact the "L" could well stand for "Lite" as the newer camera has reduced specifications. But, will the average punter notice the difference, or even care?
The camera is small and light for an SLR and this will appeal to those upgrading from a compact. And although I felt the camera wasn't the most comfortable to hold, all the most-used controls are well laid out. The four-way controller on the back of the body however, I found a little unresponsive. A shame as it's the main input device for the camera.
The main selling feature of the *istDL is it's Autopicture mode, which Pentax claims lets the camera decide for you, which of the camera's numerous shooting modes to adopt.
Great in principle, but I was sceptical. I don't believe in testing equipment in optimum conditions, as you so rarely find yourself in optimum situations, so I thought I'd try to catch the camera out during my field trips.
Sure enough, when taking a landscape, it would adopt the Landscape setting, but the results were not all that great. Again, when focusing on moving objects it adopted the Action setting, but again the moment wasn't captured very well.
The built-in flash would indeed pop-up in low light situations but the resulting images were very harshly lit.
I soon tired of the camera's opinions in favour of manually selecting the various modes depending on conditions. This is a method that both I and most modern camera users are familiar with. Again, the results were disappointing.
The images were consistently underexposed and with sometimes ridiculously vivid colour saturations.
So, despite being very easy to use, the results are well below what can be achieved.
But, the great thing about this camera, is that being a Pentax, you can customise it to suit your tastes and working practises, and sure enough, after quite a bit of time spent adjusting the metering zones, the AF settings, the white balance, the auto exposure compensation, the flash compensation, the colour saturation, the contrast and the partridge in the pear tree, I started to get some usable pictures. But surely that's not the point. This camera is aimed at those making the bold step into digital SLR photography and should produce impressive results straight from the box. In my opinion it doesn't.
I even tried a total reset, restoring the whole shebang to factory settings, with no visible improvement. So again I set about fiddling with the metering zones, the AF settings, the white balance, etc, etc.
And another thing: making all those adjustments is quite a chore as they all have to be changed via the main menu. Some cameras out there have dedicated buttons to change the most-used settings, and this is where the Pentax's size counts against it. I would like to be able to switch between spot metering and centre-weighted very quickly depending on what I'm shooting. The same is true of the drive mode. The *istDL can shoot at up to 2.8 frames per second, but by the time you've figured out you might need continuous shooting, whatever you wanted to shoot has long gone. It's just a bit too fiddly, not helped by the fact that every time you access the menu, it doesn't remember where you were - it defaults to the top level.
But, and it's a jolly big but, once you've got it set up how you like it, the *istDL does produce some lovely pictures. The images carry very little digital noise, even at the fastest ISO setting. The internal mirror is quite noisy in operation and you can actually feel it moving (probably due to the camera's slight build) but you do have the capacity to lock it up should conditions allow. The auto focus is accurate and generally pretty fast in acquisition.
The metering was patchy. I abandoned full frame metering almost immediately as it struggled with anything other than optimum lighting, but centre-weighted and spot metering were fine once I'd knocked the exposure compensation up half a stop.
The preset shooting modes gave mixed results. The Portrait mode produced pretty good results, with nice skin tones, as did the night mode (despite the slightly harsh flash). The Action mode I found next to useless and the Landscape setting struggles with anything approaching high contrast scenes
I would like to have seen the camera in action with an external flash as I felt the built-in unit wasn't up to scratch - red eye was also a problem with the flash being so close to the lens. Of course there is a reduction setting but I tend not to use this on any camera as you can lose the spontaneity of candid portraiture.
One very useful feature is the power options - the camera should ideally be run from two CR-V3 camera batteries, but you can just as well slot in four AAs and start shooting. The manual warns that some functions may not operate when using AA batteries, but in testing I couldn't find anything that didn't work. (The batteries that came with the review model only lasted for around 70-80 shots - though I have no way of knowing how old they were, it's worth bearing in mind that running AAs may not be the most efficient method.)
The bundled software was adequate, but far from perfect (a recurring theme with Pentax, in my mind) but with a little perseverance most issues can be overcome. A bit the like camera itself I suppose.
So, if you're looking to upgrade from a compact or a first-time digital camera this is a good option. You will produce good images once you've set the camera up and you will have the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and external flashguns. If you're looking for a good mid-range digital SLR then maybe you should think about something from the big two - Nikon and Canon - as their models are dropping in price and have better pedigrees, and in my mind are easier to handle despite their comparatively bigger sizes.


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Zero Hedge
Oct 25, 2012
Two days ago we reported that the German Court of Auditors demanded that the German Central Bank, the Bundesbank, verify and audit its official gold holdings consisting of 3,396 tons, held mostly offshore, namely New York, London and Paris, at least according to official documents. It also called for repatriation of 150 tons in the next three years to perform a quality inspection of the tungsten gold. Today, in a surprising development, via the Telegraph we learn that none other than the same Bundesbank which is causing endless nightmares for all the other broke European nations due to its insistence for sound money, decided to voluntarily pull two thirds of its gold holdings held by the Bank of England. According to a confidential report referenced by the Telegraph, Buba reclaimed 940 tons, reducing its BOE holdings from 1,440 in 2000 to 500 in 2001 allegedly "because storage costs were too high." This is about as idiotic an excuse as the Fed cancelling its reporting of M3 in 2006 because "the costs of collecting the underlying data outweigh the benefits." So why did Buba repatriate its gold? Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has an idea.
The shift came as the euro was at its weakest, slumping to $0.84 against the dollar. But it also came as the Bank of England was selling off most of Britain's gold reserves – at market lows – on orders from Gordon Brown.
Peter Hambro, chair of the UK-listed gold miner Petropavlovsk, said the Bundesbank may have withdrawn its bullion in self-protection since it did not, apparently, have its own specifically allocated bars in London. "They may have decided that the Bank of England had lent out too much gold, and decided it was safer to bring theirs home. This is about the identification. Can you identify your own allocated gold, or are you just a general creditor with a metal account?"
The watchdog report follows claims by the German civic campaign group "Bring Back our Gold" and its US allies in the Gold Anti-Trust Committee that official data cannot be trusted. They allege central banks have loaned out or "sold short" much of their gold.
The refrain has been picked up by German legislators. "All the gold must come home: it is precisely in this crisis that we need certainty over our gold reserves," said Heinz-Peter Haustein from the Free Democrats (FDP).
Speculation aside, the fact that central banks, and even banks of central banks (i.e., the BIS), have long lent out gold, is no secret to anyone, traditionally to satisfy short-term physical gold confirmation claims upon a spike in demand, usually associated with a liquidity shortage (when the value of gold as monetary collateral truly shines). The problem with this rehypothecation scheme is what happens when the counterparty suddenly finds themselves insolvent, the gold has since been re-re-rehypothecated, and nobody really knows whose gold it is any more. This becomes a drastic problem when a counterparty in a collateral chain suddenly goes broke… like MF Global did last year, and the lawsuits started flying trying to determine whose gold is where. Needless to say, it was the London office of MF Global that was at fault for breaching a rehypothecation chain (because only in London was there no collateral haircut limit on rehypotehcation), and once physical delivery demands arose, nobody could locate bar XYZ with a given serial number.
That, or the Bundesbank merely foresaw the ultimate unwind of the failed European mercantilist experiment at the start, and refused to leave its most precious asset in the hands of the banker oligarchy which it knew would do everything in its power to procure said gold once the feces hit the fan. Sure enough, BUBA's 'non-denial' denial confirms this too:
The Bundesbank said it had full trust in the "integrity and independence" of its custodians, and is given detailed accounts each year. Yet it hinted at further steps to secure its reserves. "This could also involve relocating part of the holdings," it said.
Yet what is left unsaid in all of the above is that Germany has done nothing wrong! It simply demanded a reclamation of what is rightfully Germany's to demand.
And here is the crux of the issue: in a globalized system, in which every sovereign is increasingly subjugated to the credit-creating power of the globalized "whole", one must leave all thoughts of sovereign independence at the door and embrace the "new world order." After all this is the only way that the globalized system can create the shadow cloud of infinite repoable liabilities, in which we currently all float light as a binary feather, which permits instantaeous capital flows and monetary fungibility, and which guarantees that there will be no sovereign bond issue failure as long as nobody dares to defect from the system in which all collateral is cross pledge and ultra-rehypothecated… for the greater good. Until the Buba secretly defected that is.
And this is the whole story. Because by doing what it has every right to do, the German Central Bank implicitly broke the cardinal rule of true modern monetary system (never to be confused with that socialist acronym fad MMT, MMR or some such comparable mumbo-jumbo). And the rule is that a sovereign can never put its own people above the global corporatist-cum-banking oligarchy, which needs to have access to all hard (and otherwise) assets at any given moment, on a moment's notice, as the system's explicit leverage at last check inclusive of the nearly $1 quadrillion in derivatives, is about 20 times greater than global GDP. This also happens to be the reason why the entire world is always at most a few keystrokes away from a complete monetary (and trade) paralysis, as the Lehman aftermath and the Reserve Fund breaking the buck so aptly showed.
We are confident that little if anything will be made of the Buba's action, because dwelling on it too much may expose just who the first country will be (or already has been) when the tide finally breaks, and when it will be every sovereign for themselves. Because at that point, which will come eventually, not only Buba, but every other bank, corporation, and individual will scramble to recover their own gold located in some vault in London, New York, or Paris, or at your friendly bank vault down the street, and instead will merely find a recently emptied storage room with humorously written I.O.U. letters in the place of 1 kilo gold bricks.
This article was posted: Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 2:45 am


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Sephora Holographic Makeup Case Review
What We're Sweet On: Makeup Cases From the Future
If cleaning out your makeup case is on your Spring cleaning to-do list, then why not throw out the baby with the bathwater? Sephora's Holographic Makeup Case in Popsicle ($20) is a pretty enough reason to give your old makeup case the heave-ho. Perfectly sized with a rose gold zipper, Sephora's latest bag collection's main draw is its eye-catching color. It almost ensures you'll never lose it in your tote and is bold enough to display on your bathroom counter. Plus, the case is lined in plastic, making it easy to clean up those pesky mascara spills. Who doesn't want a futuristic makeup bag — or at least one that looks it?


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Rays activate Myers from 60-day disabled list
Outfielder says his confidence is back, while both wrists are fully healed
ST. PETERSBURG -- Wil Myers is back.
The Rays activated the reigning American League Rookie of the Year from the 60-day disabled list on Wednesday afternoon. Corresponding moves saw the Rays option Vince Belnome back to Triple-A Durham while moving Jerry Sands from the 15-day DL to the 60-day.
Myers, who went 0-for-3 as the designated hitter in Wednesday night's 6-0 loss to the Tigers at Tropicana Field, had missed the previous 70 games since he was placed on the DL on June 1, retroactive to May 31, with a right wrist fracture incurred during an outfield collision with center fielder Desmond Jennings on May 30 at Fenway Park.
Rays manager Joe Maddon has been telling reporters that Myers would let him know when he was ready. That time came in the aftermath of Tuesday night's game that Myers played for Durham, when he went 0-for-3 with a walk for the Bulls. How did he know he was ready?
"I think it was more a from a physical standpoint," Myers said. "My wrist feels great, either one of them. My legs feel great. My confidence is back, which I think is the most important thing. Going forward for me, that's what I really have to rely on."
In seven games while on a rehab assignment with the Bulls, Myers hit .250 with two home runs, six RBIs, seven walks and three stolen bases. Myers has played in 53 games for the Rays this season, hitting .227 with five home runs and 25 RBIs. Given the troubles the Rays have had on offense this season, Myers was asked if he saw his return for the team's final 37 games as an opportunity to make things right.
"You know what was funny, obviously, I was having a very disappointing season," Myers said. "It really feels like 2011 and 2012 all over again, having a bad 2011 and coming back in 2012 to prove to everybody that that was a fluke. ... So that's really how it feels coming into this again.
"...I don't necessarily see it as a makeup. I think it's more me going out and proving to myself what I can do. And proving to everybody that kind of doubted what I can do, just showing that the first two months was a fluke."
Maddon was asked if Myers could salvage his season.
"Yeah, and he can help us salvage ours at the same time," Maddon said. "Salvage-rescue operation. Getting back in the lineup hopefully will pick up the run production a little bit. Whenever he's confident, that can happen. He sounds confident right now."
Not only did Myers have a right wrist fracture, he also had an inflamed left wrist. Now both feel fine and, perhaps most important, he feels like he's rediscovered his mojo.
"I didn't really find what was missing," Myers said. "I just found myself again at the plate and just found the confidence level that I was looking for. As far as being in the box right now, I feel very confident in there. The timing can always get better -- I'm behind some pitches, even yesterday. But it's one of those things that when you get here, you have to be ready to go and make things happen at the big league level.
"...The home runs I hit in Durham, the power is back. Even the ball hit out to center I didn't get all the way and it still went out to center. Even my BP's are better. The ball has more lift and more backspin, which is what I like."
Maddon allowed that Myers feels more comfortable at the plate right now than in the outfield, which is why he'll initially be used as the DH. After that, it's likely he'll find a spot in left field due to the emergence of Kevin Kiermaier, whose defense in right field has been superlative.


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Don Cheadle reveals the latest source of friction between Tony Stark and James Rhodes in Iron Man 3. Thor: The Dark World is going underground. A Total Recall clip showcases the movie's best Schwarzenegger impression. Plus another Robocop casting update!
Spoilers from here on out!
Top image from Doctor Who.
Iron Man 3
Don Cheadle discusses how the new red, white, and blue armor that James Rhodes wears as War Machine is symptomatic of the growing rift between his character and Robert Downey, Jr.'s Tony Stark:
"We've got a private sector and a public sector, or rather a military version of Iron Man. And I think there is a desire from the powers that be to make sure that those things are distinguished and distinguishable so that we know where everybody stands... I think that's kind of the tension that is created for Tony and for Rhodey, because like who's really got the stick, and who really gets to decide what happens in certain situations? And that's what will be a lot of fun to explore in this film too."
Thor: The Dark World
The Thor sequel is reportedly going to use some long tunnels beneath London for part of filming. There's no additional context yet on where these tunnels are located in the context of the film, but this could be another indication that some subterranean characters — like the Dark Elves, say — will play a key role in the film. [Bleeding Cool]
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Anthony Russo, who is directing the film with his brother Joe after co-directing several Community and Arrested Development episodes, explained how Captain America's character will develop in the sequel:
I mean, we're trying to grow him as a character, and certainly he's come a long way, from where he started in pre-World War 2 to where he is in modern-day America. So the character has room for growth because of that huge journey that he's been on, Number 1. Number 2, part of the appeal of these movies is the ensemble. Captain America isn't the only character in the film, there are other characters that are perhaps lighter in nature.
He then discussed the "Winter Soldier" part of the sequel's title, basically confirming that, yes, this is an adaption of Ed Brubaker's acclaimed arc:
We like the [story]. I can't talk too much about specifics, that's the way Marvel handles things. I can say in general that there's sort of a darker, edgier sensibility at work there that we found appealing, and that is going find its way into Captain [America] in the modern day.
And Russo also tackled the question of flashbacks to World War II, saying that they're making the movie for first-time viewers, and that means finding ways to fill people in on Cap's backstory. There's more at the link, including why Russo thinks his and his brother's experience on Community qualifies them to take this job on. [Huffington Post]
From the same press appearance, here's another quote in which Russo connects the experience of working on episodic television to that of diving into Marvel's interconnected cinematic universe:
"Marvel is a big company, and they've made a lot of movies. These narratives are connected to each other. That's not typical for a feature film, but television people are used to that. There are seasons and seasons of a show, and the history is very important it, obviously... My brother and I were comic book geeks from a young age, and big fantasy geeks. We got to talk to [Marvel] in detail about that. They knew that we understood the brand and their characters really well. We were just incredibly passionate about the movie, and they felt that it was the right match."
Total Recall
Here's a new sneak peek from Len Wiseman and Colin Farrell's upcoming reboot. The clip recalls one of the more memorable sequences from Paul Verhoeven and Arnold Schwarzenegger's original. [Total Film]
And here are some more promo photos, spotlighting stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, and Jessica Biel. [IGN]
How To Train Your Dragon star Jay Baruchel is reportedly close to signing on for a key supporting role, described as "the head of marketing for Omnicorp, the company that is building the police cyborg." [Heat Vision]
The Hobbit
Here are a couple photos showing Andy Serkis both before and after his virtual transformation into Gollum. [E! Online]
Doctor Who
The possibility of a Doctor Who movie is still sort of vaguely out there, with Steven Moffat repeatedly making it clear — whatever Harry Potter director David Yates might say — that any movie will be in the current continuity and star the current television Doctor. This means, funnily enough, that there's one person we can definitely rule out as playing the Doctor in a movie, and that's Matt Smith. There's a very simple reason for that, as Smith himself explains:
"There's talk of it. I think David Yates was attached to do something. For my money, whoever is playing The Doctor should be in the movie. I don't think there should be two Doctors. I think it would take four or five years to get something like that off the ground, and I don't anticipate that I'll be playing the Doctor then. My skin and the aging process couldn't take it. But, I don't see any reason why it couldn't work. I think they should get Steven to write it because he's the best."
So then, for those earnestly hoping that Matt Smith will still be playing the Doctor in 2016 or 2017... well, prepare yourselves for a bit of disappointment. [Collider]
The show has just become the first ever British series to make the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Once the issue actually hits, we should be able to glean some spoilers from it, but for now just enjoy this rather nice cover. [Doctor Who News]
The show has reportedly had to shut down production for the next few days, for the entirely understandable reason that John Noble and Blair Brown are both too ill to film scenes at the moment. However, this apparently isn't too serious, as production should resume sometime next week. [Digital Spy]
True Blood
Here are the official descriptions for the next three episodes:
July 29: "Somebody That I Used to Know"
At Authority headquarters, the Chancellors revel in the afterglow of recent events; Eric gets a message from Godric; Bill is shaken by a distant memory. Helped by Claude and his sisters, Sookie and Jason visit the site of their parents' deaths, with shocking results. An emotional Luna tries to walk in Sam's shoes. Hoyt's new pals bring him a present; Lafayette leads a séance to purge a curse; J.D. ups the stakes of his fight with Alcide.
August 5: "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
As the Authority proceeds with Lilith's plan, Eric plots his escape. Gran directs Sookie to a clue to her parents' murderer. Andy and Jason search for leads to the identities of the people behind the shifter killings. Alcide recalls his pack induction; Arlene gets caught in Terry and Patrick's crossfire; Steve gets a new pet.
August 12: "Gone, Gone, Gone"
With vampire-on-human attacks increasing, the Authority attempts to woo public favor. Meanwhile, Nora tries to convert Eric to Lilith's gospel. Jason finds a mysterious scroll; Elijah, the new vampire sheriff of Area 5, pushes Pam and Tara to obey a new mandate; Sam and Luna search for Emma; Russell seeks a higher calling.
Here's a little more from executive producer Alan Ball on the fifth season finale's big body count:
"Probably more than any other episode we've ever had. I'm not saying they're bodies we know, although some of them are. There's a lot of carnage."
[TV Line]
Aalice Evans, who played Esther on The Vampire Diaries, will reportedly guest star in episode six of the upcoming second season as Mia, "a powerful Royal who comes to Portland to see Captain Renard" and who likely has ulterior motives behind her seemingly pleasant visit. [EW]
Executive producer and pilot director Jon Favreau explains why the show isn't meant to show a grim view of the future, even if it's set in a world without pretty much any technology:
"We didn't want this to be a dystopic view of the future. Some people are struggling to hang on to shreds of the old society, whereas Charlie's [younger] generation sees this world as the pastoral, simple place where they grew up. We wanted to show this world through their eyes, so that Revolution wouldn't feel like The Road or Mad Max."
Also, Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito says that his character, militia leader Captain Tom Neville, may not be as villainous as he first appears:
"Without this guy, there would be total anarchy. He's trying to restore some kind of order. Neville may seem like he's on the wrong side of the fence but wait and see."
There's no real news here, but FX reportedly still hasn't abandoned their plans to adapt Brian Michael Bendis's comic to series, even if they rejected the first attempt at a pilot. The current plan is to shoot a whole new pilot, likely with a whole new cast, but there's no firm schedule on when that might actually happen. It should probably be repeated that, while this might seem like a whole lot of nothing coming from any other network, this is similar to the production history on Sons of Anarchy, so it's possible FX still might pull this thing off. [Variety]
Warehouse 13
Showrunner Jack Kenny revealed that some of season four's artifacts will include "an artifact that belonged to H.P. Lovecraft, Maelzel's metronome, an artifact that creates tornadoes, Bobby Fisher's marbles, Scott Joplin's cigarette case, Lewis Carroll's mirror, and an artifact that is inside a person." Also, the show will delve further into Mrs. Frederic's backstory as well as reveal more about how artifacts are "born." [SpoilerTV]
Wesley MacInnes, who played the villain Icicle on Smallville, will reportedly guest star in episode nine. Here's the description, courtesy of Showcase:
As the first season comes to its climax, Wesley MacInnes guest stars as Hoyt Gerber - a quick tempered young man who has some rather radical views on bringing down the world's growing corporate entities. He is also a friend of series regular Julian Randol (Richard Harmon – The Killing); step-brother to series lead Alec Saddler (Erik Knudsen - Scott Pilgrim vs The World). In episode nine Kiera and her cop partner from 2012, Carlos Fonnegra (Victor Webster – Surrogates), arrive to investigate some bizarre activities at the Sadler residence only to walk in on a lot more than they bargained for.
Additional reporting by Amanda Yesilbas and Charlie Jane Anders.


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An eleven member Economic Development Advisory Committee (EDAC) has been formed by the Town Board. This committee is working with the North Carolina Department of Commerce, Charlotte Regional Partnership and others to market Matthews as the place where you need to have your business.
The role of the Economic Development Advisory Committee is to act in an advisory capacity to the Town's Economic Development staff regarding the direction of the Economic Development Program. The committee may make recommendations to the Town Board regarding the Economic Development Program. The EDAC may, at the request of staff, participate in the recruitment and retention of companies or work with the development community to identify and formulate product in Matthews.
EDAC members are appointed by the Town Board of Commissioners and serve two year terms. Meetings are held in the Jordan Room in the Town Hall at 7:00 am on the third Thursday of every other month. The public is welcome to attend.


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The new Family Forest® National Treasure Edition comes with a new beginning. It's visual. Instead of opening to a boring list of names, it opens to a colorful chart.
It is an hourglass chart, with ancestors to the left and descendants to the right, and the person it centers on is Henrietta Marie Morse Chamberlain, Mrs. King Ranch. Her husband founded the world famous King Ranch of Texas, then passed away rather early, leaving her in charge for 40 years.
When you right-click on any person in a chart you will be presented with a list of options that will let you move forward or backward in time from that person, look for additional facts about that person, ancestors, descendants, check sources, dates, etc.
From that opening chart it is possible to zigzag through thousands of years of generation-by-generation family ties to reach Monticello, The White House, Bunker Hill, Hollywood, the Mayflower, the Alamo, the Lewis and Clark expedition, the moon landing, ancient Rome, The Bible, etc., etc., etc. In short, many of the key people, places, and events in human history.
At the top of the screen in the National Treasure on the right are two pull-down menus. These will give you a wealth of information.
The Help menu will show how to use Progeny's software, create charts and reports and print. A video tutorial is available online from Progeny Genealogy.
The National Treasure Info pull-down menu will explain how to navigate and search for nuggets of discovery. Please follow your curiosity in the Family Forest® for the delight and enrichment of you and your family.


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Internet Explorer readyState of interactive (not opening ModalPanels)timbarlotta Feb 11, 2010 4:39 PM
I am currently working an issue on a web application built using RichFaces. Every so often (seemingly randomly) the browser will get hung in a "waiting" state. This occurs in Internet Explorer (7, haven't tested others) only. I have reduced the pages in the application down to only contain the scripts framework.pack.js and ui.pack.js and it appears that the execution of these scripts are causing the issue (as the issue occurs when the below is all that is sent to the browser.
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict/dtd"> <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <head> <title>APP</title> <script src="/app/a4j/g/3_3_2.SR1/org/ajax4jsf/framework.pack.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="/app/a4j/g/3_3_2.SR1/org/richfaces/ui.pack.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </head> <body></body> </html>
It does not occur on every page load, but will occur after reloading the page 5-20 times. When this occurs the browser is stuck/hung in a readyState of interactive (document.readyState=='interactive').
Once the browser gets in this state everything in the application appears to work fine (when running with actual content not the blank page shown above) except for modalPanels. These do not show at all. We have a number of them in the application allowing for "please wait" and "column filtering" modal dialogs. Looking at modalPanel.js (richfaces-ui.jar:/org/richfaces/renderkit/html/scripts/modalPanel.js) it is obvious why modalPanels are not appearing in IE.
Richfaces.showModalPanel = function(id, opts, event) { var invoke = (Richfaces.browser.isIE || Richfaces.browser.isSafari) ? function(f) { if(document.readyState != "complete") { // set a timeout for f to be called later (50ms) ... } else { f(); } } : function(f) { f(); }; var panel = $(id); if(!panel) { panel = Richfaces.findModalPanel(id); } invoke(function() { panel.component.show(event, opts);}); };
Since the browser is stuck/hung in "interactive" state the modalPanel is never shown. I have not determined the location in framework.pack.js or ui.pack.js where the code hangs the browser but I am still searching. I am hoping someone has some light to shed on this issue.
Some relevant settings: Seam, RichFaces (3.3.2.SR1)
web.xml: org.richfaces.LoadStyleStrategy=ALL; org.richfaces.LoadScriptStrategy=ALL,org.ajax4jsf.COMPRESS_SCRIPT=false
I am currently working around the issue by modifying the ui.pack.js file (line 1051) to allow opening modalPanels when the document is in a readyState of "complete" or "interactive". This is obviously a hack/workaround and would like to hear of a better fix.


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Introducing Your First Keep in Touch Screen
PC and (multi-touch screen) monitor in One
Fine Art
From its elegant design and advanced features to the easy and fun-to-use multi-touch screen, the 21" Inspiron One All-in-one will become the centerpiece of your family's entertainment and learning experience. Stunning graphics and powerful processing will satisfy everyone's needs, and its unique design will fit seamlessly in your home while complementing your lifestyle.
All the World's on Your StageInspiron One equipped with Stage software, is your one-stop entertainment hub. Download movies, play games, listen to your favorite songs and stream radio stations from around the world with RadioTime. Connect with friends on social networks, and view their Facebook® and Flickr™ photos together in a real-time photo stream.
Dramatic DesignAdvanced features and uncompromised design make the 21" Inspiron™ One all-in-one beautiful to look at and easy to use.
- Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.
- Multitask smoothly with 4GB of memory and an AMD Athlon™ X2 processor.
- Store everything you can think of with 500GB hard drive.
- Stay connected to family and friends with an integrated 1.3MP webcam, built-in microphone and wireless WiFi card.
- Be environmentally conscious with its low power consumption and ENERGY STAR® 5.0 compliance.
- Connect to almost everything with six USB ports and an integrated 7-in-1 media card reader.
Room With a ViewNow you can turn any room in your house into your window to the world with the stunning visuals of the 21" Inspiron One all-in-one desktop. Enjoy crisp images, vivid colors and high contrast with the 21.5-inch, wide-screen 1080p full HD display with WLED backlighting.
Elegant BeautyYou won't be able to take your eyes off the new 21" Inspiron One All-in-one. By combining the tower and monitor, this powerful, compact, All-in-one PC with full HD wide-screen is perfect for your family room or kitchen. The wireless mouse and keyboard tuck neatly under the monitor for even more space saving. One power cord doesn't just cut down on clutter, but also helps make setup simple and hassle free.
Hands-on ExperienceExperience the Web, entertainment and your favorite apps in a whole new way with the intuitive, fun-to-use, multi-touch display. A swipe of the finger lets you toggle between windows, launch applications, and zoom in and out of photos and Web sites. Your whole family will enjoy and benefit from touch-optimized applications.
- Dell™ TouchCam lets you edit and upload photos and video directly to Facebook or YouTube with the swipe of a finger.
- StickyNotes lets you use your fingers to write a note or type a message.
- Cyberlink YouPaint and other touch games will endlessly inspire and entertain your kids.
Simple and Smart ServicesDell DataSafe Online Backup
Our online backup service offers data protection by enabling customers to back up data to a safe, remote storage site using a broadband connection. Dell DataSafe Online Backup is easy, flexible and secure. After setup, it will automatically back up data to help protect your data from software, hardware and catastrophic failure.
Dell Support Center
Our centrally located, easy-to-use application provides personalized support resources. Conveniently located on your PC's desktop with quick links to service, support and system resources, the Dell Support Center helps keep your system up-to-date and running efficiently through automated fixes for common configuration issues.
- Front - Integrated 1.3 MP webcam w/microphone
Back Ports - USB 2.0 (4), 10/100/1000 Ethernet connection, Line out rear audio, Power port - mating external adapter connector, No VGA, No HDMI, No SPDIF, TV Tuner Antenna(1), IR Blaster (1)
Side Ports - Power Button, Volume, HDD LED, Integrated 7:1 media card reader, USB 2.0(2), Front Audio Microphone/Headphones
Optical Drive
- 8X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW), write to CD/DVD
Sound Card
- HD Audio with the Up to 2x 4W (UI) speakers, microphone
- Form Factor
All-in-One Desktop Computer
Dimensions & Weight
Height: 15.75"/400mm
Width: 20.87"/530mm
Depth: 3.43"/ 87mm
Touch: 17.37 lbs/7.88kg
90 Watts Power Supply


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1010ths HPDE May 2020 Putnam Park
1010ths Motorsports
A Lap in the 10/10ths Corvette
The 10/10ths Video, What we are about !!
This is a 3 run group event: (2.5 hours of track time each day, sometimes more)
- Advanced
- Intermediate
- $355.00 / One Day
- $500.00 / Two Days
Advance Drivers can pass anywhere on track with no point required. It is a great opportunity to perfect your advanced driving skills in a group that is very fast, very competent and very courteous.
Intermediate Drivers can pass anywhere on track WITH a REQUIRED point. It is a great opportunity to begin working on advanced driving skills. Drivers in this group have much to learn but we offer a safe atmosphere where you can do just that.
Novice Drivers can pass in the straights WITH a REQUIRED point. Drivers will have both in car and in classroom instruction with emphasis on safety and learning the basic skills needed for high performance driving.
10/10ths Motorsports believes in Great Sportsmanship as well as the educational portion of the sport. We want you to be safe, relaxed and have a great time while learning the sport of High Performance Driving. We give you various on track freedoms to accomplish just that.
Why 10/10ths Motorsports?
10/10ths Motorsports was conceived out of pure passion for the sport and we have implemented that passion into every aspect of our operation. We welcome drivers of all skill levels, from the 1st timer to the experienced racer. We have a group that fits you just right.
MORE TRACK TIME FOR THE $$ 10/10ths runs only 3 run groups giving you full 1/2 hour sessions with each group getting 5 sessions. You simply cannot be the $$ / time spent on track and that is laterally, why you come out and drive, to be on track, not sitting in the paddock.
10/10ths employs a professional staff to ensure you get the very best education and a very well run, safe event. Kelly Jones from Racecraft1 works with our Novice drivers giving them expert instruction and insight into this sport. We put a great deal of effort into making sure you have a great day. We run things on time, are helpful to our drivers in any manner needed.
What sets us apart:
- Great Customer Service. Very friendly atmosphere.
Great Value for your $$ Our cost per track hour is much less than most groups.
- With ONLY 3 run groups, you get 2.5 - 3.0 hours of track time EACH DAY, sometimes more
- Alumni Program lowers cost by 10% (LINK to Alumni Sign Up)
We have a firm belief in Safety First as well as proper education for our Novice Drivers.
- Professional Classroom Instruction from RaceCraft1 (Kelly Jones)
- Novice Drivers get an instructor and classroom time. We want you to learn the sport correctly and safely.
- 10/10ths has partnered with RaceCraft1 and Kelly Jones to give your professional classroom instruction.
- We demand great sportsmanship and our drivers always deliver just that.
- 10/10ths has a group of very talented and very experienced instructors.
We believe in allowing you freedoms on track in a controlled and safe manner.
- The ONLY way to learn certain driving skills is ON Track. We provide you that opportunity.
- Our events are professionally run with an emphasis on safety and customer service.
- NO Membership fees.
- If you want to come out and just drive your car at higher speeds and learn a better feel for the car, 10/10ths is the place for you.
- If you want to come out and drive your car to the limit and begin learning and/or practice advanced driving skills, 10/10ths is the place for you.
- Drinks provided for all drivers and guests
Give 10/10ths Motorsports a try, you will not be disappointed !!
Which Run Group to Register
Flag Safety (This is a must read for some essential safety information)


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Road legal !
Road legal on the Road!
The SIP shockabsorbers have received official type-approval. The shockabsorbers got the German KBA numbers. They managed all the necessary tests for a legal road-use on German roads. For sure, this will help also to legalize it in other countries.
On the basis of a German development we are now able to present a modern and innovative suspension which catapults the Vespa straight into the 'here and now'! The result is the SIP PERFORMANCE range of shock absorbers from precisely CNC milled construction elements, almost unlimited settings options and a range of additional gimmicks. All of the experience we have gained over 30 years was incorporated in the development. Prior to entering batched production, the SIP Performance shock absorbers were also tested at clutch and suspension specialists Sachs (since 2001, ZF Friedrichshafen AG) in Schweinfurt. Bitubos and similar gas pressure shock absorbers were used as objects of comparison. The test results supported our initial work and the idealistic conception of a Vespa shock absorber.
Features such as the continuously variable spring preload, a genuinely progressive spring and adjustable rebound damping are just a part of the sophisticated features. Technical refinements such as a 14,0 mm thick rise bar, hardened light weight materials and an additional guide plate for the upper rubber bearings all provide additional stability in the suspension. High quality materials are as straightforward as the precise and detailed CNC production and a perfect finish including surface protection. A comprehensive fixings kit for the lower engine fastening is included in the delivery of the SIP Rear Shock Absorber unit. This kit contains nuts and bolts suitable for all common lower engine fastening sizes (M9 and M10). We also include spacer washers in order to compensate for the varying production tolerance guidelines of the different producers of steering columns and shock absorber fixings.
With this second generation 2.0 series, the shock absorbers were primarily designed with the emphasis on touring set ups. They provide a more comfortable ride over long distances and badly maintained roads. The piston shaft diameter has been increased to 14mm, the lower fixing eyelets beefed up and the inner workings and overall design have also been redeveloped. The settings extend from maximum comfort to race-track stiffness.
Spring preload: The continuously variable spring preload means the shock absorber springs can be given a tighter basic setting - the forces compressing the spring thus meet an early counterforce. The spring preload occurs via counter rings, which, when effectively counter-rotated, guarantee an effective degree of safety against unwanted adjustments. The adjustment tool is naturally also supplied.
Progressive springs: Our shock absorbers are also equipped with a progressive spring which means the clearances between the spring coils become progressively lower (progressive). Only progressively coiled springs permit a genuinely comfortable response when braking or riding either with luggage or a passenger, which means the spring initially responds very sensitively but gets 'stiffer' in the case of further spring compression/loading. In order to be able to tailor their individual performance to cater for the larger riders amongst us, or other heavy loads, we also have a selection of springs available in varying stiffness's and colours.
Setting the rebound damping: The rebound damping gives a positive finish to the overall picture and influences the extension characteristics of the shock absorber, which means it regulates the response when driving over uneven road surfaces and potholes and also when braking. Depending on the model between 10 and 20 different possible settings ('clicks') for the rebound level are available. On turning the rebound damping in a clockwise direction the damping level increases, when turning it in an anticlockwise direction it lessens (direction of view = plan view).
Info: On the Grimeca disc brakes it may be necessary to adjust the shock absorber attachment slightly. The ex-works plastic coating often has very big variations in terms of the thickness of the coating. This is straightforward and easy to do by yourself.
SIP has been successfully verified by the German ministry of transport and is now officially recognized as approved vehicle component manufacturer. The SIP shockabsorbers has also received official type-approval. From august 2015 on, the shockabsobers SIP 76000 got the German KBA number 91475. They managed all the necessary tests for a legal road-use on German roads. For sure, this will help also to legalize it in other countries.
Conclusion: A successful alternative to conventional shock absorbers which not only convince thanks to their technical features but also through their style and their design quality.
To receive the best possible performance from these shock absorbers, it is essential to set them up correctly. To help you find the best settings for your requirements CLICK HERE.
The latest version of the ABE can be found at the downloads.
Before buying, please check whether the ABE is valid for your scooter or not.


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To Kill a Mockingbird (Harperperennial Modern Classics) by Harper Lee | Conversation Starters
Discussing race from the viewpoint of a white family in the Deep South mired in racial politics, To Kill a Mockingbird is a bold novel that swept through the country for decades since release. The story is told by Scout, a young girl, who sees gradual changes happening around her. Her father, Atticus Finch, is a lawyer who takes up the defense of a black man, Tom Robinson, who has been accused of raping a white girl. The story rolls on to its final conclusion but not before the issues of racism have been seen and discussed from the perspective of white people in the South..
Read More Inside:
EVERY GOOD BOOK CONTAINS A WORLD FAR DEEPER than the surface of
its pages.
The characters and their world come alive, and still
live on.
Peppered with thought-provoking questions, Conversation Starters is designed to bring us
beneath the
surface of the page and invite us into the world that lives on.
These questions can be used to..
Create Hours of Conversation:
• Foster a deeper understanding of the book
• Promote an atmosphere of discussion for groups
• Assist in the study of the book, either individually or corporately
• Explore unseen realms of the book as never seen before
Disclaimer: This book you are about to enjoy is an independent resource to supplement the original book, enhancing your experience. If you have not yet purchased a copy of the original book, please do before purchasing this unofficial Conversation Starters.


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Stan's Cafecito is South Williamsburg's Neighborhood Burrito Spot
During the dog days of summer, Stan's Cafecito hides behind a bamboo roller shade that provides cover for the few lucky guests who have snagged a stool at the window while they wait for their iced coffee or breakfast burritos. The tiny, table-less space in south Williamsburg houses a sparing kitchen with little more than an electric skillet and griddle; it would be easy to miss all together, if not for the line out the door.
Owner/chef Stan Tankursley is accustomed to a tight a space as he has spent the past few years running the popular food truck Eat Here Now Now Eat Here, but it's clear that his genial and welcoming personality is well suited for a brick and mortar neighborhood spot. If he's not too busy pushing orders out the window, you'll likely find yourself drawn into a conversation about one of his many bottles of hot sauce or his family in the Dominican Republic.
A handwritten menu offers only burritos, quesadillas, and a few select beverages. Stan will push you on his Breakfast Burrito ($5, $2 supplement for meat), and it's not a bad way to go. Soft scrambled eggs, sharp cheese, and strips of poblano pepper are wrapped up with your choice of meat. Add the chorizo—tangy, sweet, and garlicky, and then generously douse with Stan's green hot sauce, a smooth and peppery concoction that adds a pleasant heat to each bite.
The heartier Mango Coconut Chicken Burrito ($8) is a fine balance of sweet tropical fruit, rich coconut chicken, and a bright orange scotch bonnet sauce. The other burritos are a little more general in their flavor combinations, allowing for open customization. The Jambalaya Burrito ($8) typically comes with chicken but is vastly improved by substituting in the pulled pork, which saturates the Zatarain's rice with its sauce and juices.
Space limitations have forced Stan to keep his beverage selection small and idiosyncratic. Other than tea and french pressed coffee, there is only Manhattan Special's Espresso Soda and Fitz's Premium Root Beer, a smooth and creamy cane sugar soda from St. Louis. In its current state, Stan's Cafecito is a launch pad for grander ambitions; there are plans to expand into the adjacent space and grow the menu along with it.
Plenty of restaurants have good food, many with service to match, but that alone doesn't add up to a place you want to head back to again. The burritos at Stan's aren't particularly unique, but I can't deny how often I want to stop in for a bite and a cold beverage. Stan is on a first name basis with most of his customers, he knows what they do for a living, and what their orders are; in New York, that type of hospitality is hard to find.
About the Author: Paul Yee is a brooklyn based filmmaker who loves cooking and eating. He also runs the Brooklyn Table supper club..
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Google+ Grew 27% in March, Logged 61 Million Visits [STUDY]
Countering perceptions that Google+ is a ghost town few actually visit, total visits to the social network actually grew to 61 million in March, up 27% from the previous month, according to Experian Hitwise.
The following chart, which the researcher provided to Mashable, shows that Google+ has enjoyed relatively steady growth in monthly visits since it went live last June:
The data comes after Google CEO Larry Page claimed in a state-of-Google blog post on Thursday that Google+ now has 100 million active users, 10 million more than the figure he shared with analysts in January.
Page didn't outline how he defined "active." The level of activity fell under scrutiny after comScore released data showing that users spent just 3.3 minutes on Google+ in January compared to 7.5 hours for Facebook.
Google, which took issue with that data, asserted that 50 million users access "Google+-enhanced" products daily and that 100 million do so once per month. However, "Google+-enhanced" includes YouTube, Google Play and the company's homepage.