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Sunday morning you'll be able to see the Orionid meteor shower spawned from Halley's Comet a few hours before dawn. And it should be absolutely stunning.
The Orionids are one of the two Halley's Comet showers that happen every year. Eta Aquarids, the other one, usually peaks in early May. Sky watchers say that for the past six years, the Orionids have given the best show with as many as 60 meteors every hour. Get up early (or stay up late) for the beautiful spectacle, because, weather permitting, you'll see a shower of sparkly space matter falling out of the sky. Bonus: it's your best shot at a death cult since Hale-Bopp. [Space.com]
Image by: Primoz Cigler/Shutterstock


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Madonna Kicks Off Her MDNA World Tour In Tel Aviv — Watch Clips From The Concert!
Madonna's MDNA world tour kicked off tonight (May 31) at the 35,000-seat Ramat Gan Stadium in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the pop icon gave all her luvin' to the country she loves.
"I chose to start my world tour in Israel for a very specific and important reason," the 53-year-old pop star announced to the crowd in between numbers. "You can't be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world, we all bleed the same color. If we can all rise above our egos and our titles and the names of our countries and our religions, and treat everyone around us with dignity and respect, then we are on the road to peace. If there is peace here in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world."
Check out photos of the "Girl Gone Wild" on stage, and watch clips from Madge's opening night right now by heading here — then come back and tell us if you think the pop star's stage show is worth $300. Personally, the Material Girl seems a bit stiff doing her mostly-relaxed choreography, and her vocals aren't always on point, but she seems as game as ever to make sure her fans have an amazing time.

subset: commoncrawl


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Popular Models
Big Bang
from $5,063
Classic Fusion
from $3,164
Big Bang Unico
from $11,532
King Power
from $9,095
Spirit of Big Bang
from $12,438
from $1,074
Big Bang Ferrari
from $14,087
Classic Fusion Aerofusion
from $9,176
Hublot – Distinct Design Meets Modern Materials
As a young company, the Swiss watch manufacturer Hublot is focused on modern times. Their watches are a skillful combination of exceptional craftsmanship, numerous never-before-seen materials, and extraordinary designs.
5 Reasons to Buy a Hublot Watch
- Unique and recognizable designs
- Innovative materials such as the gold and ceramic alloy Magic Gold
- In-house calibers like the HUB6016 with a tourbillon
- Numerous limited editions with potential to appreciate in value
- Cooperation with Ferrari on the MP-05 with a 50-day power reserve
Exclusive Materials and Futuristic Designs
Hublot produces luxury watches with their own unique, personalized style and in-house calibers. The Swiss manufacturer was founded in 1980, making it relatively young in comparison to other watch brands. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that their designs range from modern to futuristic. "Hublot" is the French word for "porthole." These ship windows have been inspiring Hublot's designs from the very beginning. The Royal Oak from Audemars Piguet caused a stir in 1972 when they released a watch with a similar porthole design.
While Hublot does produce watches with stainless steel cases, their use of unusual materials is what sets them apart from other manufacturers. For example, Hublot is the only company producing the yellow gold and ceramic alloy called Magic Gold . Some watches also feature carbon, sapphire, titanium, textile, and even a type of concrete.
Most notably, their Big Bang model achieved cult status in a short amount of time. By Hublot standards, the Classic Fusion series is somewhat simpler, while the MP collection looks like something straight out of science fiction. The Spirit of Big Bang series distinguishes itself by its watches with tonneau cases. No matter what model you choose, buying a Hublot means taking a step off the beaten path.
How much does a Hublot watch cost?
|Price (approx.)
|Power reserve
|Big Bang Referee 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™
|24 hours
|Big Bang 44 mm
|42 hours
|Big Bang Unico 45 mm
|72 hours
|Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days
|115 hours
|Classic Fusion Tourbillon Cathedral Minute Repeater
|80 hours
|MP-05 LaFerrari Sapphire
|1,200 hours
Detailed Price and Model Information
Hublot offers more than 50 different models in its flagship Big Bang collection alone. The watches in this series tend to be a bit bulky and therefore slightly heavier. Most of the watches feature sapphire glass on both sides of their cases, which provides a glimpse of the elaborately decorated movement within. The Big Bang Unico series offers a large selection of watches with 45-mm or 42-mm cases. The 42-mm models have been available since spring 2018.
The name "Unico" comes from its caliber: the in-house movement HUB1240 Unico. It consists of 330 individual hand-assembled pieces and is the result of four years of development. Furthermore, it was designed so that a variety of complications could be added. For example, certain Unico models can be fitted with a flyback chronograph, a GMT function, or a perpetual calendar. This has led to the development of special pieces like the Big Bang Unico Golf, which golfers can use to count holes and strokes. Depending on the complications and materials, prices for a Big Bang Unico range from 11,800 USD all the way up to 118,000 USD.
Big Bang models from the Ferrari Unico collection are especially sought-after. Hublot has had a close relationship with the Italian sports car manufacturer since 2011, which shows in the design of these watches. They also come in a number of materials, including carbon, titanium, ceramic, and Hublot's own gold alloys Magic Gold and King Gold. Prices for a Ferrari Unico range from 13,000 to 41,000 USD.
The Manually-Wound Big Bang
Unlike watches in the Big Bang Unico collection, those in the Big Bang Meca-10 and Big Bang Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days collections use manually-wound calibers. While the Tourbillon's caliber HUB6016 has a substantial five-day power reserve, the power reserve of the Meca caliber 1201 comes in at an even more impressive ten days. Both come with a power reserve display that indicates when the movement needs to be wound. The Meca-10 is available in ceramic, titanium, King Gold, or Magic Gold. Prices sit between approximately 15,000 and 35,000 USD. Hublot added cases made of sapphire glass and studded with diamonds to the Tourbillon Power Reserve 5 Days series in spring 2018. These timepieces demand anywhere from 58,000 to 95,000 USD.
Other interesting models in the Big Bang collection include the Sang Bleu and the MP-11. The Sang Bleu was designed by Swiss tattoo artist Maxime Büchi, who is famous for his geometric designs. For the Big Bang Sang Bleu, Büchi replaced the typical hands with three overlapping polygons. This special timepiece ranges from 39 to 45 mm in diameter. Smaller models feature diamond or sapphire crystal embellishments. One of these watches costs between 18,000 and 38,000 USD. Hublot outfitted the Big Bang MP-11 with their in-house, manually-wound caliber HUB9011. Thanks to its seven barrels, this movement boasts an enormous 14-day power reserve . Before the release of this watch, the technology had been reserved exclusively for the MP collection. This innovation is now available in a Big Bang with a price tag of 70,500 USD.
Standard models in the Big Bang collection measure in at 38, 39, 41, and 44 mm. Due to their more traditional dials and lack of skeletonization, they feel significantly more reserved than their sister models. There are three-hand models as well as chronographs, models with diamonds, and quartz-powered watches. Like the other Big Bang models, Hublot uses a wide variety of materials in their standard collection: from stainless steel to ceramic, all the way to various gold editions. These timepieces can cost as little as 7,100 USD and as much as 77,000 USD.
The MP Collection and Its Massive Power Reserve
If you think the Big Bang's design is unique, the MP collection goes even further. It's perfect for the eccentric watch lover, and the MP-05 watch looks like something straight out of a secret project in a laboratory. The case is pear-shaped, measures 46 mm in diameter, and is available in either titanium or polished sapphire crystal. Instead of hands, the MP-05 utilizes multiple cylinders with numbers on them. The power reserve indicator is located on the right, while the hours and minutes are on the left. The seconds display is located below them, and the manual winding caliber with its vertical tourbillon is visible in the middle. The truly eye-catching part of this watch, however, is its row of 11 barrels – most watches only have one or two barrels. The number of barrels in a timepiece is closely tied to the length of its power reserve. Thus, the MP-05 can run for 50 days before it needs to be rewound, an impressive feat for a wristwatch. One of these extraordinary timepieces costs an equally extraordinary 470,000 USD.
The MP-07 and MP-09 are just as futuristic as their sister model, the MP-05. Hublot once again took inspiration from motorsport for the design of the MP-07, whose highlight is its row of nine barrels that provide it with its 40-day power reserve. Prices for this rather masculine watch begin around 235,000 USD. Compared to the MP-05 and the MP-07, the MP-09 feels almost classic. However, from a technological perspective, it is no less impressive. Its bi-axis tourbillon , which rotates on two axes, is particularly hard to ignore. This timepiece comes in carbon or titanium and is also available with precious gemstone embellishments. Plan on spending at least 135,000 USD to purchase an MP-09.
The Techframe is also a part of the MP collection and was designed by Ferrari's Chief Designer, Flavio Manzoni. This one-pusher chronograph with a tourbillon not only has a skeletonized dial, but also a skeletonized case. In addition to titanium and carbon, this timepiece comes in white gold or shimmering King Gold. Depending on the material, one of these masterpieces costs between 104,000 and 128,000 USD.
Simple: The Classic Fusion
The Classic Fusion series offers more conventional designs compared to the MP series. Three-hand models with a central seconds and date display come in four sizes: 45, 42, 38, and 33 mm. By Hublot standards, these variants of the Classic Fusion are downright simplistic. Its distinguishing element is its bezel, held in place by six decorative screws. Other versions include a chronograph caliber, moon phase indicator, or power reserve indicator. The Ultra-Thin models feature the same case as the Classic Fusion models, but are extra flat.
The Classic Fusion with a minute repeater and tourbillon is just as technically sound. What's more, this collection offers an assortment of interesting materials. For example, Italian Independent models have dials and bands made of the kind of textile used in suit making, while the Classic Fusion Berluti features leather dials and bands. Prices in this collection range from 3,400 USD for simple, quartz-powered models to well above 235,000 USD for diamond-studded editions.
The Alternatives: King Power and Spirit of Big Bang
The Spirit of Big Bang can be considered a tonneau offshoot of the Big Bang series. The 42 and 45-mm chronograph versions are powered by the caliber HUB4700, a modified Zenith El Primero.
This movement has a 50-hour power reserve and can be viewed through the intricately skeletonized dial. The case of the 42-mm Spirit Moonphase houses the caliber 1770, which provides this timepiece with its moon phase and outsize date displays. Be sure to have around 18,800 USD on hand for a Spirit of Big Bang.
Design wise, the King Power collection is quite similar to the Big Bang, though it is no longer in Hublot's catalog. It is somewhat more angular than the Big Bang and also comes in ceramic, King Gold, or titanium.
The variety of movements and complications is equally diverse. These timepieces cost anywhere between 11,800 and 29,400 USD.
Special Models for Sport and Entertainment Stars
Limited editions created by Hublot in collaboration with big names from the world of sports and entertainment are true collector's items. The list of brand ambassadors includes many familiar names, such as Usain Bolt, Pelé, Dwayne Wade, Floyd Mayweather, Bar Refaeli, Lang Lang, and Depeche Mode. Each of these watches is a result of close cooperation with the respective celebrity, and some only come in extremely limited numbers. In the case of the Depeche Mode watch, you can even support a good cause with your purchase. All of its proceeds go toward the "charity: water" project, which has provided clean drinking water to over 30,000 people in Nepal and Ethiopia. If you'd like to call one of these unique, limited edition watches your own, be sure to have between 11,800 and 29,400 USD on hand.
The following story shows just how close the relationship between this luxury watch manufacturer and the world of sports is. Bernie Ecclestone, the former chief executive of Formula 1, always wears a Hublot. He was once violently mugged for one of the watches in his collection: Four men attacked him, beat him severely, and ran off with the timepiece. Shortly thereafter, Hublot and Ecclestone collaborated on a strange advertising campaign. The advertisement featured Ecclestone with his bruised face and the tagline, "See what people will do for a Hublot."
Hublot and Soccer
In addition to Formula 1, Hublot has a strong connection to the world's most popular sport: soccer. Hublot has been a sponsor and the official timekeeper of the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, European Football Championship, and the FIFA World Cup for years. Each major event sees the release of a special, limited edition timepiece. The most recent example is the Smartwatch Big Bang Referee made for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. However, Hublot is focused on more than just the big tournaments: They are also partnered with Juventus Turin, FC Bayern München, FC Chelsea, and Benfica Lissabon. Each team has their own special edition timepiece. One of these soccer watches costs between 12,900 and 23,500 USD.
Hublot's Relationship to Gold
Hublot has been successfully experimenting with various case materials for many years. The company has made major contributions to the research of gold processing. This resulted in the creation of so-called "King Gold," among other materials. King Gold is made of 18-karat gold mixed with platinum and a high percentage of copper. The alloy doesn't oxidize and is characterized by its intense red color, which stays vibrant for years.
Hublot is also venturing into uncharted territory with their Magic Gold. Unlike other gold alloys that are made by adding other metals, Magic Gold is a mixture of ceramic and liquid gold. The result is the world's first scratch-resistant 18-karat gold alloy. Hardness is measured in Vickers. The average 18-karat solid gold case is 400 Vickers. Tempered steel is 600 Vickers. Magic Gold, on the other hand, is almost 1,000 Vickers. This mix of gold and ceramic is so strong that a diamond is needed to work it.
The History of Hublot
Hublot produces its watches in Nyon, a city near Geneva. Italian Carlo Crocco founded the company in 1980, and introduced the first ever wristwatch with a natural rubber strap at the watch trade show Baselworld. However, Crocco had been developing watches long before that: His first watch was designed back in 1967. In 2004, Jean-Claude Biver left Omega and became the CEO of Hublot. One year later, Hublot was the recipient of countless awards from the watchmaking industry for their then-new series, the Big Bang. In 2008, the luxury goods conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE bought Hublot from Carlo Crocco. TAG Heuer also belongs to LVMH.
Ricardo Guadalupe has been at the head of Hublot since 2012, while Biver continues to serve in the background as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The two men had previously worked well together at Blancpain.
You might also be interested in:
- Big Bang
- Big Bang 38 mm
- Big Bang 41 mm
- Big Bang 44 mm
- Big Bang Aero Bang
- Big Bang Broderie
- Big Bang Caviar
- Big Bang Ferrari
- Big Bang Jeans
- Big Bang King
- Big Bang Meca-10
- Big Bang Pop Art
- Big Bang Sang Bleu
- Big Bang Tutti Frutti
- Big Bang Unico
- Bigger Bang
- Classic
- Classic Fusion
- Classic Fusion 45, 42, 38, 33 mm
- Classic Fusion Aerofusion
- Classic Fusion Blue
- Classic Fusion Chronograph
- Classic Fusion Quartz
- Classic Fusion Racing Grey
- Classic Fusion Ultra-Thin
- Elegant
- King Power
- MP-05 LaFerrari
- MP Collection
- Spirit of Big Bang
- Super B
- Techframe Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph


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Tulowitzki not fazed by streaks or slumps
PHILADELPHIA -- If one asks Troy Tulowitzki about his success in the second half of seasons, he will say that's just baseball.
"I don't see it as a grind," Tulowitzki said. "I guess when you have as many injuries as I have had, you understand how great it is just to play. I love this game, I love to play it, and that's something I've learned the older I've gotten."
Tulowitzki has begun to find the groove that has made him one of the game's most feared hitters. Over his seven-game hit streak entering Wednesday night's game against the Phillies, Tulowitzki hit .407 (11-for-27) with home runs in back-to-back games against Philadelphia. That marked the fifth time he hit home runs in back-to-back games this year and 25th in his career.
"It's baseball," Tulowitzki said. "Sometimes you're comfortable, and sometimes you're off. A couple weeks ago I was off a little bit. It comes and goes. As you get older you understand that a little better."
Tulowitzki extended his hitting streak with a single in the first inning Wednesday.


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Item Description
Election Results, Geary City, Doniphan County
Author: Porter, R. J.
Date: August 3, 1857
One example of several official statements of the results of the "State Election," held under the authority of the Topeka Constitution. This one--Geary City, Doniphan County-- is certified by election judges R. J. Porter, John M. Curtis, and Alexander Paterson, and, among the offices tallied, recorded 55 votes for the "State Constitution."
Location of Original: KSHS Call Number: History. Elections Collection, #578
Item Number: 100448 Number of images: 2
Keywords: Curtis, John M.; Doniphan County, Kansas Territory; Election, Topeka Constitution, August 1857; Elections; Free state; Geary City, Kansas Territory; Geary County, Kansas Territory; Paterson, Alexander; Porter, R. J.; Topeka Constitution
pg. 1
pg. 2


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|Plan de Travail de l'AMCOW
Over the past 8 years since AMCOW has been in existence there have been a range of commitments made by the political leadership in accelerating progress towards the achievement of the MDGs and the African Water Vision and Framework for Action targets for water and sanitation, and in the implementation of integrated water resources management, and water for growth and development.
Africa is a vast continent, with 54 countries with very levels of development, and challenges and capacities in pursuing progress towards water security. As the continent pursues its water agenda as articulated in the Africa Water Vision, the emphasis in now on implementation, and with that, on reporting in successes achieved so as to promote lesson-sharing and to be able to measure and evaluate progress in meeting the range of commitments made by the political leadership of the continent. In achieving this, a workplan that guides the key strategic activities in the African water sector, under the guidance and leadership of AMCOW, has been developed.
AMCOW's workplan sets out key actions to be taken at four levels: AMCOW, regional, transboundary, and national (including local government). The intention is that this workplan will provide guidance to AMCOW, the five regions and to national governments on key actions to be taken to achieve the political commitments made in the water sector. One of the commitments made by African water ministers is that countries should internalise the actions of this workplan in their national plans and provide annual reports on their water security status and on progress on these actions. The workplan is not intended to be proscriptive, but rather to offer guidance for potential actions to be taken. Whether a region, RBO or country decides to include any particular action in its business or action plans must be dependent on the appropriateness of that action to their identified needs and priorities. This workplan will, therefore, form the basis of reporting on achievements against the commitments and targets. The appropriate reporting mechanisms are discussed in the section under reporting, below.
The workplan is divided into seven themes. Each of these themes is introduced through a short narrative, and is followed by a table setting out key actions to be taken at the AMCOW TAC, AMCOW regional TAC, transboundary or national level. The seven themes are:
Implementing these policies form the bedrock of the work which AMCOW is doing at the regional, sub regional and national governments levels working in partnership with our development partners, AMCOW friends, civil society and other relevant stakeholders.
You can download PDF copy of the AMCOW Work plan by a click.


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Tornadoes have always intrigued us and the movies, Twister and the TIV-2 solidified our desire to get into the eye of the storm. We might finally have our day with the Hummer H3T Storm Chaser.
The VORTEX2 Project's built themselves a rig out of a Hummer H3T in order to gather data for tornado research, which will ultimately lay the ground work for a new tornado warning system. Think of it as a real-life version of Bill Paxton's character's Dodge Ram pickup and the "Dorothy" sensor pod package from the movie Twister.
According to radar expert and long-time tornado researcher, Dr. Joshua Wurman; "Nobody really knows for certain yet what happens inside a tornado, the best way to learn is to measure conditions with sensors in pods and stick pods." The sensor pods that have been developed for reading a tornado's strength will need a heavy duty vehicle that can get them close enough to the action and in the storm chaser's mind, there's no better vehicle choice than the recently released Hummer H3T.
They've chosen to use the H3T for a number of reasons. First, the vehicle's almost vertical-oriented windshield and small side glass makes it less susceptible to large hail, dust and debris thrown around by a tornado. Second, the high ground clearance, front/rear locking hubs and four-wheel-drive system allows the truck to ford a 24-inch flood as well as navigate debris ridden back roads; a necessity when chasing a large storm.
The VORTEX2 team built a commercial marine-grade plywood covered, 1.75-inch square steel tube frame into the bed of the H3T to house the tornado sensor pods with a DiamondBack bed cover to help protect it all from severe weather. They've also outfitted the H3T with an advanced communications system featuring a radio tracking system, three GPS receivers, two cellular transmitters and serial cables connected to the pod box which allow meteorologists to download all of the data recovered from a chase via two laptops located in the interior of the truck.
This sounds like a pretty serious rig and we're looking forward to finding out how the data acquired will be used. And to think, Hummer might be dead in a matter of months. [via Hummer Storm Chaser]


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In the upcoming Pink column, I talk a little about the characteristics of movies that last. Though movies tend to be distinctive, to be great in their own way, they do have some general tendencies. They aren't great because they have these tendencies. These tendencies are not what makes them classic. And yet it's rare to find a classic movie — something acknowledged and lauded as great for generations — that doesn't have, say, at least four of six of these tendencies.
And these tendencies — that of movies that stand the test of time — are as follows:
1) Great movies were often topical when they were new, or in response to something going on in the world at the time. (This can include costume dramas that were, nonetheless, in response to something.)
2) Great movies usually embody timeless human values, things that mean the same today as they did 50 years ago and as they will 50 years from now.
3) Great movies often contain a great performance.
4) Great movies almost always have at least one great, memorable scene, usually two or three.
5) Great movies usually have some overarching consciousness bringing the elements into alignment – a director's vision, or a writer's personality.
6) This is the most important: Great movies usually end on a note of complexity, not to be confused with ambiguity. Their endings usually are like the sounding of a chord, with one note perhaps dominant, but with several notes in play and coloring the tone. In this way, they capture some of the fullness of life, which is rarely completely happy or completely sad, but vibrates in all directions.
In a coming gallery we will look at some great movies — and movies readers regard as great — in relation to these six tendencies. Again, they're not great BECAUSE they have these tendencies, but they do have them.
In the meantime, what movies do YOU consider to be great? What movies do you consider classics?
A particular use of these six tendencies is to examine new movies. For example, when I saw BEFORE SUNRISE in 1995, I knew it was a classic, because I knew that its elements wouldn't date but improve with age. But this didn't become a widespread belief until 2004, when the first sequel came out.
So — the other question — what recent movies do you think will stand the test of time?


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Technical FAQ with Lennard Zinn: Christmas Stocking Stuffers
A world renowned procrastinator, Lennard Zinn offers up some cool ideas for last-minute gifts for the bike geeks on your list.
Once again, the holidays crept up, and I still have a lot of (read: almost all of my) Christmas shopping yet to do. If you have procrastinated like me and there is somebody on your list that is really into cycling, these stocking stuffers could be just the ticket. Many of them are equally applicable to road, cyclocross, mountain, or even track bikes.
These are all items that I use constantly and would not want to be without.
Gear Floss
This stuff is awesome. If you've ever flossed between your cogs with a rag, you know how the rag constantly snags on the cogs, hindering progress. But Finish Line Gear Floss is loosely-woven, absorbent, microfiber rope that slides in between the cogs and does a beautiful job. You can also use it to remove the dog hair, grime, and grass wrapped around your jockey wheel center bolts and around your bottom bracket spindle where it meets your crank arm.
I have a big roll of Gear Floss that I chop hunks off of whenever I need – which is frequently during cyclocross season, but the stocking stuffer size is a package of 20 ropes, each 20 inches long. You can clean a lot of cogsets with one 20-inch piece, so don't think that it's only 20 cog cleanings in a package. For $7, you can make somebody very happy, and they'll probably wonder what the heck it is when they open the wrapping paper, which makes it even more fun.
Tire pressure gauge
Especially if the recipient of your stocking generosity is into cyclocross or rides tubeless tires, particularly on mountain bikes, a separate gauge is a must.
A good hand-held gauge will generally be more accurate than the gauge on your floor pump, because the former is only measuring what is in the tire, and not what is in the pump hose, as the latter is. This distinction is particularly important if you are running your tires at low pressure, because the big surge of pressure with each pump stroke makes the pump's gauge needle go way beyond the actual tire pressure, and it won't necessarily come back to the actual pressure in the tire by the time the valve seals off again.
Of the four gauges in the photo, the ones I use constantly are the SKS Airchecker digital, $29, and the Accu-Gage dial, $15, mainly because they are quicker to use. Every time you put the SKS on another valve, it automatically clears itself and displays the new pressure, and the Accu-Gage only takes a tap of the thumb on the clear button between measurements. The SKS reads out a more precise number, to the first decimal place, whereas you're guessing to within 1-2psi with the Accu-Gage. The SKS works on both Schrader and Presta valves, whereas the others are Presta only. But man, is that Accu-Gage ever nice for popping onto the valve; it completely seals it well below its threads quickly and easily without releasing any air. I think that the ideal gauge would be a digital one like the SKS with the Accu-Gage's head.
The Schwalbe Airmax Pro digital gauge, $20, also displays an easy-to-read number, its measurement units are easier to read the than on the SKS. It offers four different units of measurement, as opposed to the two that the SKS and the two dial gauges offer. However, it's more challenging to get it onto the valve without releasing some air than any of the others, and you have to clear it — and wait until it displays first "CLE" and then "0.00" again before each new measurement.
Don't buy the Planet Bike dial gauge (the black one in the photo), $15, because it only works on valves without removable valve cores, and only just barely then, too. The problem is that the head has neither sufficient length, bore diameter, nor thick enough rubber seal to seal around the flats of a removable valve core. This one offers little other than frustration.
Double-threaded valve extenders
Valve extenders are a necessary evil if with deep-section rims. That said, if you use double-threaded extenders, with which you remove the valve core, screw the extender into the valve where the core was, and then screw the core into the top of the extender, you lose none of the valve's function. These are the type to get; they are the ones on the right in the photo.
The types on the center left of the photo, which are a simple straw type with a female thread at the base that screws onto the valve-cap threads, are included in the packaging with lots of deep-section wheels, probably because they are cheap. Unfortunately, they don't allow you to check the tire pressure by any means other than by pumping more in with a pump and looking at its gauge. As we discussed, that is particularly inaccurate at low pressures. This straw-type valve extender also require the valve to be open at all times, and if the nut screws back in due to vibration, you won't be able to get any air into the tire.
The type at the far left is marginally better, since it has a shaft that grabs the valve stem and protrudes out of the top, allowing you to depress the valve by pushing down on the shaft. It's still hard to use a gauge on this type of valve extender, and, like the simple straws, it requires sealing at the base with Teflon plumber's tape.
Valve-core remover
If you're going to be using the good kind of valve extender, you need a valve-core remover. You actually need one anyway, because valves fail, unscrew, or get plugged up with sealant and need to be replaced or cleaned.
The best valve-core remover is a red-anodized version from NoTubes, $9. It not only works on both Schrader and Presta valves and is easy to turn—like a screwdriver—to remove the core, but it also is long, allowing you to reach down and remove a valve core deep down inside a deep-section wheel. This is important in the case where there already is one of the lame straw-type valve extenders on the valve, and it is now either leaking, has closed off, or the user is fed up with not being able to measure tire pressure.
The silver tool is a short version of the NoTubes valve-core remover; this type is often is packaged with a bottle of Slime. It works great with the one exception of not being long enough to reach down inside the deep valve hole of a deep-section wheel.
The cheap plastic C-shaped valve-core-remover key is not even on the scale with the other two, but it still beats the heck out of having to resort to a Crescent wrench to remove a valve core. I don't even know if it's possible to buy these little plastic valve-core keys separately; they generally comes with valves or with valve extenders.
Little 5 N-m torque key for M5 bolts (4mm hex key size)
For stem bolts, mountain/cyclocross shoe cleat bolts, bottle boss bolts, and, sometimes, brake pad bolts, you need a torque wrench set at 5 N-m to do the job properly, safely, and to spec. But a big torque wrench is cumbersome to use with such tiny bolts. That's the beauty of these two torque keys; they fit easily in your hand, giving you more of the sense of the amount of torque you're applying, and they require no setting. They are permanently set at 5 N-m of torque, and they have a 4mm hex key already installed.
I find the Bontrager (Trek) torque key, $20, to be slightly easier to use, since you can turn it more easily with your fingers, thanks to the extra length and leverage.
The Ritchey torque key, $17, does give you more of a feel for how tight 5 N-m really is when you turn it with your fingers alone.
While there are subtle comments one can make about each, both are great tools. And with either tool, you have to stop turning when the head clicks, or it will have all been for naught; if you continue turning, you overtighten the bolt.
Aftermarket sealed-bearing jockey wheels
Rear derailleur jockey wheels get beat over time — not only do the teeth wear down, but so do and bushings or bearings on which they turn. Sealed-bearing jockey wheels offer a performance increase, even before the stock wheels are worn.
I like the aluminum Sampsons, $24, especially for durability. The plastic Tacx are also nice and offer various bearing options. There are other brands as well.
Vincero Design Edge16 magnetic water bottle and mount
$47 may be pushing the stocking-stuffer price tag, but the Edge 16 is still a small thing that fits in a big sock and offers a lot of versatility, particularly for a cyclocross bike or a travel bike. I depended on it for riding cyclocross this season, both due to unseasonably warm weather in races, and the desire to train without carrying water on my back.
When warming up or training on a cyclocross race bike, you want water, but you don't want anything impeding shouldering the bike, nor do you want to add weight to a bike you have to carry around. And on a travel bike, the bottle cages are really in the way when packing the bike.
The Edge16 mount is a tiny, 11mm-tall, 16-gram carbon composite pedestal that mounts onto a bike frame's bottle mounts. It has negatively-angled edges and a powerful, dime-sized magnet on top. The bottle looks like standard bike water bottle except for the groove on the back to engage the edges of the pedestal and an embedded magnet to mate with the one on the mount. It also has a diaphragm in the valve, so you can grab a sip and throw it back on the mount during a hot 'cross race without having to push the top closed again. As long as the bottle is less than half full, no amount of bouncing over bumps is likely to dislodge it. Bottles sell for $10 for 24-oz. and $9 for 20-oz. sizes. Aero bottles are in development.
The bottle snaps in firmly and securely and needs to move up only slightly to be removed, a bonus for fitting a bottle on small and full-suspension bikes. It is easier to get the bottle in and out than with a standard cage. When the bottle is removed, the mount is so small it is completely out of the way, making it perfect for cyclocross bikes, aero bikes, and travel bikes.
Shoe shields
If you have mountain-bike pedals with wire bales to hold the cleats (Crank Brothers, Time, Look), the bales will indent the soles just ahead and behind the cleat. Over time, this can crack the sole, particularly with carbon soles. Shoe shields are little rectangular steel plates available from Crank Brothers and from Sidi, and probably others as well, that fit under the cleats and protect the shoe soles from the pedal catches.
This is a small ($10 retail) investment that has the potential of a saving an expensive pair of shoes. More on that here.
Schwalbe Racing Ralph HT cyclocross tubulars
The Racing Ralph is a beloved mountain bike tire. Now it's available in a 700 X 35C tubular. While it folds up small enough to fit in a large stocking, $145 is a bit much for a stocking, and the season is over for all but a few die-hards who race through January. But wow, is this a nice tire.
The Racing Ralph HT has soft knobs, and lots of them all over the place, making traction incredible on some fallaway turns on loose dirt or grass that generally defy traction with most 'cross tires. It's supple and rolls very nicely as well. And at 385 grams, it's quite light. It's not a good mud tire, since the knobs are too tightly-packed to let mud out easily.
Gore Ride-On low-friction cables
These cables really make a difference. I was not a believer until I switched halfway through the cyclocross season to them. Holy cow, my shifting and rear braking were so dramatically improved, I was amazed. And they stayed that way, since the system is sealed end to end. $65 is spendy for a cable set (and twice that for both brakes and derailleurs), but most $130 bike upgrade parts won't provide a noticeable performance boost like this. They don't fit well in a stocking, but you can put them on the mantelpiece above the stocking.
OCTTO gel handlebar tape
Handlebar tape is a great stocking stuffer, and the OCTTO BT-01 Professional Extra-Long EVA GELicone Smooth Bar Tape, $27, offers a lot more than just a clean wrap in a new color. The tape is tough, stretchy, and grippy without glue on the back, so it won't tear while wrapping, and it won't leave a stripe of sticky tape on the bar that is hard to get off and tears the tape when unwrapping it. It's also plenty long enough, so if you have wide bars, you can have plenty of overlap on each wrap and still have extra left at the end. It's super cushy when riding and just feels great, as well as being shiny, smooth, long-lasting, and easy to clean. I've unwrapped and re-wrapped my bars numerous times to replace brakes and brake cables, and the tape is still in good shape and cleans up nicely.
The OCTTO end plug has an innovative twist lock to it. However, I've only tried it in carbon handlebars, and maybe they're thicker wall than it's intended for. In any case, I simply ruined the plugs trying to turn the screw. I ultimately resorted to some Cinelli plugs.
Follow Lennard on Twitter at www.twitter.com/lennardzinn
Technical writer Lennard Zinn is a frame builder (www.zinncycles.com), a former U.S. national team rider and author of numerous books on bikes and bike maintenance including the pair of successful maintenance guides "Zinn and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance" – now available also on DVD, and "Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance," as well as "Zinn and the Art of Triathlon Bikes" and "Zinn's Cycling Primer: Maintenance Tips and Skill Building for Cyclists."
Zinn's regular column is devoted to addressing readers' technical questions about bikes, their care and feeding and how we as riders can use them as comfortably and efficiently as possible. Readers can send brief technical questions directly to Zinn. Zinn's column appears here each Tuesday.


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HOUSTON – After two weeks on the shelf with an Achilles injury Houston Dynamo midfielder Boniek García was back on the field on Thursday, training for the first time since April 5 in Portland when he was ruled out against the Timbers.
Since then, the midfielder has watched from the sidelines while the Dynamo have split games with the Timbers and Chicago Fire. While he admitted that he is not 100 percent, he will travel this weekend and hopes to return to the lineup for the first time since March 30 when the club faces Toronto FC on Saturday (4 pm ET, TSN in Canada/watch on MLS Live in US).
"It's been frustrating for me, honestly," García told MLSsoccer.com through a translator on Thursday. "Not being able to be out there and to contribute [has been difficult], but they've been able pull out good results and that's what's important. Today I got on the field for the first time and hopefully I'll be able to crack the 18 this coming weekend."
READ: Houston concerned they haven't translated home domination on the road
"You always like it when all your players are healthy," added head coach Dominic Kinnear. "We've missed him for a couple of weeks and to have him train today was a good thing."
The missed time is another step in a slower start to 2013 than most projected for García.
After bursting out of the gates with an impressive debut MLS campaign last season, the midfielder has not rekindled the same type of impact as he down the stretch last season. Through four MLS games in 2013, the energy has been, there but García has managed just one assist.
READ: Dynamo's Giles Barnes looking to leave mark on MLS
"It's been a bit of a rocky start this season and it's been difficult because I'm not able to produce the way I'm used to producing," he said. "But it's a long year and I'll get better and we're making an effort to get better."
García picked up the knock in CONCACAF Champions League play against Santos Laguna. The injury plus some heavy lifting while splitting time with the Honduran national team and the Dynamo caught up to the energetic midfielder.
"When talking to the doctors that's been a possibility and it's something that was full explained," García said about the impact of his playing time. "There was a period of about two weeks where I really didn't do much and that was an opportunity to recuperate. Now, of course, I'm fit and back on the pitch and hope to do great things going forward."
Darrell Lovell covers the Houston Dynamo for MLSsoccer.com.


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RSL GAME PREVIEW & NOTES: REAL SALT LAKE v. MONTREAL IMPACT – WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4
RSL Returns Home for First-ever Meeting with Montreal tomorrow at 7:00 p.m.;
CW30's Broadcast Now on Tape-Delay Status Beginning at 9:00 p.m.
SANDY, Utah (Tuesday, April 3, 2012) – Real Salt Lake (3-1-0, 9 pts.) will try to go three points clear of the pack in the Western Conference tomorrow, Wednesday, April 4, when the West co-leader will welcome the Montreal Impact (0-3-1, 1 pt.) to Rio Tinto Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. MT kickoff.
While tickets for the Real Salt Lake-Montreal contest remain available, with redemption for the Seven Peaks' "Pass of all Passes" taking place on Wednesday morning at 10:00 a.m. when the Rio Tinto Stadium Box Office opens fans are advised to purchase their tickets in advance via the Zions Bank Ticket Outlet on RealSaltLake.com. Fans that can't make it to Rio Tinto Stadium can watch RSL's first-ever meeting against Major League Soccer's 19th club on CW30 VIA TAPE DELAY BEGINNING AT 9:00 p.m., or follow the action live via the team's official radio partners: ESPN 700/ESPN700Sports.com (pre-game begins at 6:00 p.m.) and La Gran D 102.3 FM.
How to Follow Real Salt Lake v. Montreal
- Kickoff: 7:00 p.m. from Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah
- TV: CW30 (TAPE DELAY AT 9:00 p.m.) & MLS Direct Kick package (subscription)
- Radio: ESPN 700/ESPN700Sports.com (English) (pre-game coverage begins at 6:00 p.m. MT) and La Gran D 102.3 FM (Spanish)
- Online: Streaming video via MLS MatchDay Live (subscription); live updates via RSL's Gameday Twitter Feed (@RSLkickoff) and MLS MatchCenter live stats monitor via RealSaltLake.com
MLS Game Guide for Wednesday's Real Salt Lake-Impact Match Now Available Online
Following are links to the Adobe PDF and Issuu.com online reader versions of the Major League Soccer Game Guide (Game Notes) in advance of Wednesday's league clash between Real Salt Lake and Montreal Impact at Rio Tinto Stadium. If you have any problems obtaining the document, would prefer to receive the document as attachment, or are seeking more information on the match, please contact John Koluder in the RSL Communications Department via email at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Click here to download the PDF version of the MLS Game Guide
Click here to browse the MLS Game Guide online via the Issuu.com reader
Real Salt Lake-Montreal Connections
The Impact roster includes a pair of players familiar to soccer followers in Utah in former RSL midfielder Collen Warner, who made 37 appearances in regular season play the last two season before being plucked by the Impact in last November's Expansion Draft, and forward Justin Braun, the Skyline High School product who began his professional career with four seasons at Chivas USA from 2008-11.
Real Salt Lake has fared well in its first home contest against expansion competition since entering the MLS ranks back in 2005, compiling a 5-1-1 mark against league newcomers upon their first visit to the Beehive State. The only points dropped by the Claret-and-Cobalt in such contests came in 2007, when Toronto FC rolled into Rice-Eccles Stadium and handed RSL a 1-2 defeat, and last October, when Portland used a goal at the death of the regular season finale to earn a 1-1 at Rio Tinto Stadium.
www.RealSaltLake.com / www.RioTintoStadium.com / www.ESPN700Sports.com


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Dumbledore was the surname of a wizarding family famous for the achievements or notoriety of various members, particularly Albus Dumbledore. The family had both magical and Muggle heritage.[3]
The Dumbledores originally lived in Mould-on-the-Wold, but moved to Godric's Hollow after Percival Dumbledore was sent to Azkaban for attacking Muggles; he did not inform the authorities that his actions were in retaliation for the Muggles' traumatising attack on his daughter, Ariana. The Dumbledores were the subject of much gossip, since Ariana was rarely seen, and a fist fight broke out at her funeral between her older brothers.[4]
However, Albus Dumbledore soon became famous for his many accomplishments, including discovering the twelve uses of dragon's blood, defeating the Dark Wizard Gellert Grindelwald, and eventually becoming Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and leading the Order of the Phoenix.
Known members
- Percival Dumbledore — a wizard who was sent to Azkaban for attacking the Muggles who attacked his daughter.
- Kendra Dumbledore — a Muggle-born witch who was killed in an accidental magical explosion caused by Ariana.
- Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore — Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and founder of the Order of the Phoenix.
- Aberforth Dumbledore — barman of the Hog's Head and member of the Order of the Phoenix
- Ariana Dumbledore — a witch who could not control her magic after being attacked by Muggles; killed in a three-way duel between her brothers and Gellert Grindelwald
- Aurelius Dumbledore (unconfirmed) — the lost relative of Albus Dumbledore, revealed by Gellert Grindelwald to be Credence Barebone in September 1927.
Dumbledore family tree
|Percival Dumbledore
(d. 1890)
|Kendra Dumbledore
|Albus Dumbledore
|Aberforth Dumbledore
(b. 1884)
|Ariana Dumbledore
Dumbledore is an old English word for "bumblebee". J. K. Rowling stated she imagined Albus Dumbledore flitting about Hogwarts Castle humming to himself.
Behind the scenes
- Honoria was Albus Dumbledore's unmarried aunt. Her exact relationship to the family is unknown.
- Jany Temime has claimed that the Dumbledores are Scottish.[5]
- The description of Kendra is that she looked Native American, which might mean the Dumbledores were of Native American heritage.
- The real-world Dumbledore family name can be traced back to Gloucestershire, England around the early 13th century.[6]
- In 2005, Rowling stated in an interview that questions regarding Dumbledore's family "would be a profitable line of inquiry, more profitable than sweet wrappers," a reference to wild fan theories regarding the sweet wrappers given to Neville Longbottom by his mother, Alice Longbottom. When asked, however, if that should be talked about a bit more, she shut down any further mysteries, guarding the important revelations regarding the family that would be revealed in the final title of the series.[7]
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (film)
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (film)
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (film)
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (film)
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (film)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (film)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (film)
- Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald
- Pottermore
Notes and references
- ↑ It was confirmed in an Empire interview (archived by SnitchSeeker) by directors, David Yates and David Heyman, and by Ezra Miller and J.K. Rowling herself that Credence is indeed Aurelius Dumbledore, the lost brother of Albus Dumbledore. Gellert Grindelwald was telling the truth.
- ↑ Aberforth Dumbledore is the last known male Dumbledore to be living after June 1997 and he has no children, so on his (eventual) death the family will be extinct in the male line.
- ↑ Kendra Dumbledore was a Muggle-born witch, making her three children half-bloods.
- ↑ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
- ↑ Chicago Scifi - "You're Aberforth"
- ↑ "Dumbledore Family Crest and Name History" at houseofnames.com
- ↑ Spartz, Anelli, Melissa an Emerson (16 July, 2005). The Leaky Cauldron and Mugglenet interview Joanne Kathleen Rowling: Part Three. Accio Quote. Retrieved on 2020 June 11.


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Villa Carmen comes furnished to an executive standard with a 28 foot south-west facing heated pool and stunning views across the 10th Tee through the pine trees. She boasts a spacious master bedroom over-looking the pool deck with a fabulous ensuite, a huge family room equipped with 42' HD TV, hundreds of Cable channels (including English Premier League football), surround sound and internet access. Our beautifully appointed kitchen has everything you could need including a huge 'walk-in' fridge, and breakfast area. Should you wish to dine at home, our fabulous dining area will provide the perfect setting. There are three further bedrooms, each with TV/DVD's plus two more bathrooms. The villa also has a double garage and laundry room. Our management company are two minutes away and will ensure that you are well looked after. So whether you are on a family holiday checking out the Parks, or simply looking for a bit of golf and relaxation, this really is the perfect setting. Highlands Reserve is one of Florida's most prestigious golf courses located approximately 40 minutes south west of Orlando International. Airport, on US27 just 5 minutes north of Highway I4. Within Highlands, Villa Carmen is located away from the main road, adjacent to the 10th fairway with no villas behind. The Club House is a one minute walk away..!! Local shops and amenities are a two minute drive, with plenty of restaurants located along US192 only 10 minutes away by car. If you fancy a trip out to the Coast, you'll find either the Gulf or Atlantic just an hour away in either direction. Perfect also for checking out the Kennedy Space Centre or Busch Gardens. Orlando International 40 minutes. Sanford International 50 minutes. Tampa International 1 hour. Miami International three and a half hours.
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| 10°C Belfast
A refugee football player has returned home to a celebrity welcome in Australia hours after the threat of extradition to Bahrain was lifted three months after he was detained in Thailand.
Hundreds of supporters carrying welcome signs were waiting at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday when Hakeem al-Araibi arrived on a commercial flight direct from Bangkok.
Thailand had come under great pressure from Australia's government, sporting bodies and human rights groups to free Mr al-Araibi so he could return home to Australia, where he has refugee status and plays semi-professional soccer.
Former Australia national team captain Craig Foster has been leading the campaign for Mr al-Araibi's release.
He said he could not sleep until he received word from Bangkok that Mr al-Araibi's flight had left.
Mr al-Araibi told the cheering crowd: "I would like to say thanks to Australia.
"It's amazing to see all of the people here and all of the Australian people and all of the media who supported me."
Thailand had come under great pressure from Australia's government, sporting bodies and human rights groups to send Mr al-Araibi back to Australia, where he has refugee status and plays semi-professional football.
Foster was by al-Araibi's side with an arm around the footballer as they faced the crowd.
"So this is the man, probably the most famous young man in Australia right now," Foster said. "Something of this magnitude doesn't happen without an incredible team behind, and there's been an amazing coalition of people, right from around the world."
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who wrote twice to his Thai counterpart Prayuth Chan-ocha in a bid to secure Mr al-Araibi's freedom, thanked Australians as well as Thai authorities.
"I want to thank all Australians for their support in achieving this outcome," Mr Morrison tweeted.
"We are grateful to the Thai government and thank them for the way they have engaged with us to enable Hakeem to return to Australia," he added.
[1/2] Hakeem al-Araibi is on his way home to his wife and family.— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 11, 2019
I want to thank all Australians for their support in achieveing this outcome. We are grateful to the Thai Government and thank them for the way they have engaged with us to enable Hakeem to return to Australia. pic.twitter.com/PfrMhmDB0z
[2/2] We have also appreciated the constructive dialogue weâve had with Bahrain to resolve this.— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) February 11, 2019
We look forward to seeing you home, Hakeem.
Two Australian expert cave divers who had helped rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach from a flooded Thai cave in July also wrote to the Thai prime minister last week pleading for Mr al-Araibi's release.
Anesthetist Richard Harris and Craig Challen, a retired veterinarian, were last month named joint winners of Australian of the Year Award trophies, one of Australia's most prestigious awards.
"The issue had just gained more and more prominence and Richard and I both realised that we're in a position to hopefully give the issue a little bit of a nudge and contribute in our own little way," Mr Challen told Australian Broadcasting Corp.
Thai prosecutors on Monday submitted a request to a court to withdraw the case to extradite Mr al-Araibi to Bahrain, where he faces a 10-year prison sentence for an alleged arson attack that damaged a police station. He has denied those charges and says the case is politically motivated.
Prosecutors made the decision after Thailand's foreign ministry sent their department a letter on Monday indicating that Bahrain had withdrawn its request for Mr al-Araibi, a Thai official said.
Officials in Bahrain said the country "reaffirms its right to pursue all necessary legal actions against" Mr al-Araibi.
Mr al-Araibi, a former Bahraini national team player, says he fled Bahrain due to political repression and that he fears torture if he returns.
He was detained at the request of Bahrain relayed through Interpol upon his arrival in Bangkok in November while on a honeymoon with his wife.


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Baby Boy Clothes
complete range of baby clothing and baby accessories for boys and girls
complete range of baby boys and girl clothes and infant dress up
Get the lowest prices for quality birthday boy outfits clothes and newborn baby boy clothes for all occasions. Discover cute infant birthday boy clothes and baby boy 1st birthday clothes at great prices and shop for the most adorable baby birthday outfits and boys dress clothes from our online baby boutique today. Find a range of infant boy birthday outfits and infant boy dress up clothes of the best quality and be amazed by our wonderful selections of infant and toddler boy clothes. Shop for the latest styles in cute infant boy birthday clothes and newborn baby by clothes and choose your perfect little outfit from our attractive range of quality infant boy clothes. Get the best infant boys' dress clothes and infant boy clothes at the best bargains when you shop from Pink Taffy Design's online store today and choose from our awesome range of cute designs and happy colors. in a wide variety of designs and colors. Our cute infant boy clothes and toddler boy clothes are top quality, durable and affordable. Shop for the most adorable little birthday get up for your infant boy, and get the best infant boy birthday clothes from our fantastic range of baby dresses, boys' birthday outfits and infant boy clothes, at everyday low prices from Pink Taffy Designs today.


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New York
Tapping into the energy and diversity of New York City, Google's second largest office is a focal point for innovation in fields ranging from computer science to creative branding. Solving programming challenges in a collaborative environment, our engineers play key roles in Google Drive, Search, AdWords, and Maps. Our sales team, one of Google's biggest, caters to global clients including major media companies and ad agencies. We also developed Crisis Response Maps out of the NYC hub. With easy access to the High Line and breathtaking views, our Chelsea office is designed to inspire.


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STMicroelectronics Builds Wearable Technology Portfolio to Cement Market Leadership
Wave of analog and mixed-signal devices completes full collection for wearable applications
Geneva, March 11, 2014 – STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has announced a raft of analog and mixed-signal devices targeting the rapidly growing market for wearable technology. These devices include current sensors, audio amplifiers, op amps, analog switches, and battery gas gauges enabling ST to offer the industry's most complete set of building blocks for creating innovative wearable applications.
Wearable applications are making a growing impact in markets that range from new healthcare technologies including remote heart-rate monitoring to consumer applications such as smart fashion accessories. These applications represent a range of current and future markets that market analysts Strategy Analytics projects to grow by more than 70% through 2017.
"In conjunction with our industry-leading range of motion and environmental sensors[1] and our successes* in a broad range of already-available wearable applications, our new[2] ultra-low power microcontrollers, and our award-winning[3] BlueNRG Bluetooth® Smart wireless connectivity solution, the analog and mixed-signal devices complete a comprehensive platform that makes ST the clear one-stop supplier of choice for customers developing innovative wearable applications," said Andrea Onetti, General Manager Analog and Audio Systems Division, STMicroelectronics.
Examples of devices suitable for wearable applications include ST's single, dual, and quad op amps, such as the OA4NP33 quad low-power op amp, that offer an ultra-low-power typical consumption of just 580nA per channel (at 1.8V power supply), making them ideally suited for functions such as sensor signal-conditioning in battery-operated wearable devices. Another product, the GG25L gas gauge, uses a patented OptimGauge™ algorithm to monitor battery voltage to an accuracy of 0.25%.
Examples from ST's rich portfolio of motion sensors include the LIS2DH12 ultra-low-power digital 3-axis accelerometer and the award-winning[4] LSM303C ultra-compact high-performance e-compass module. ST's M24SR dynamic tags add NFC connectivity to wearable applications for convenient wireless pairing, automatic connection to websites, or warranty-card activation.
All of the devices are available in volume from March 2014.
[1] Source: IHS Consumer and Mobile MEMS Market Tracker H1 2013
[2] STMicroelectronics Launches New STM32 Ultra-Low-Power Microcontrollers for Consumer, Health, and Industrial Applications
[3] STMicroelectronics Receives Two 2014 CES Innovations Awards
[4] LSM303C earned the Device of the Year recognition from MEMS Industry Group
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented.
In 2013, the Company's net revenues were $8.08 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.


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Museum, Adventure center, Attractions [...] An impressive reconstruction of the largest house that has been found dating back to the Viking Age. Read more
Boat sightseeing, Rib, by boat [...] The north of Norway is the kingdom to the sea eagle. We have the biggest concentration of sea eagles in the whole world. There are several couples with their own territories in ... Read more


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By Better Love
By Better Love
By We-Vibe
By Satisfyer
Was: $79.00
Now: $49.95
By Better Love
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By Lelo
By Adam & Eve
By Kiiroo
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While any adult toy can be enjoyed by couples, certain sex toys are designed specifically for more than one user.
For instance, some of the best couples' toys are designed with a U-shape intended to provide stimulation to both the person wearing it and their partner simultaneously. This unique shape also keeps the toy in place during play. It even allows the toy to be worn discreetly under clothing without falling out, presenting opportunities naughtier play away from home.
Taking things further, many of these toys come with apps or remote controls, this way couples can expand their interactions to distances that range from across the room to across the ocean.
The most popular couples' sex toys find creative ways to help you and your partner better connect and pleasure one another. They're often fun, engaging, and clever in design. Some are simple, yet effective, while others use modern tech to create the ultimate sexual experience for you and your lover to share together.
Vibrating toys that can be controlled remotely are a modern marvel, allowing partners to tease each other from anywhere in the world. These remote-controlled sex toys work in any number of ways. Some are intended for closer range, using an included remote with multiple pleasure settings to stimulate your partner's erogenous zones. Others work using a downloadable app compatible with your Android or iOS device, meaning control of your partner's next orgasm is always right there with you, in your pocket or even the palm of your hand.
Also great for solo fun, the best cock rings provide pleasure to both the wearer and the wearer's lover. While many C-rings work by vibrating to your preferred rhythm and intensity, others are textured to deliver unique sensations for both partners to enjoy.
Perhaps it's not for everyone, but those who have experienced the joy of a good bondage or role play session are often fans for life. Whether you and your partner choose to act out your wildest sexual fantasies or just enjoy things more when they're a little extra rough, our selection of bondage and role play toys, kits, and accessories will make it easy to heat things up quickly, slowly, or at whatever pace you prefer.
If butt play is something you're into or have been eager to try, have we got something for you! From anal beads to vibrating butt plugs, our selection of anal toys is sure to sate even the most ravenous lovers. We've got everything from beginner-friendly products and premium lubricants to rechargeable vibrators that can be used by men, women, and everyone in between.
The We-Vibe couples vibrator works using a revolutionary smartphone app that lets you control the toy's vibration from anywhere in the world, so long as there's working Wi-Fi. Even if you're out of state while your partner's on business outside the country, you can still stay connected. This makes it especially fun for long-distance couples, discreet public play, or any situation where touching seems fun, even if it might not be possible (or appropriate).
If an app seems a bit too technological, maybe try the We-Vibe Unite or the We-Vibe Match. These are couples' toys that can be worn the same way as the Sync but are instead operated by short-range remote.
Piggybacking off the U-shaped toy model, the Satisfyer Pro 4 couples stimulator has an insertable portion that vibrates, in addition to an external clit stimulator that thrills with negative pressure and pulsation. The results? A shockingly fast climax!
Shareable dildos are another great way for couples to come together. The Elite Vibrating Double Delight is a double-ended strap-on that can penetrate two people at once.
Fun fact: any dildo with a base can be used in couple's play on its own, or as a strap-on, so long as you use it with a harness. Fun Factory makes a fantastic strapless dildo called the Share Double, a direct descendant of its cousin, the Sharevibe. Check it out; we think you'll love it!
Thank you for you interest in our store.
We will notify you by email regarding your request for membership.
An e-mail with your new password has been sent to %email%


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There are certainly plenty of compact megazooms to pick from these days, but the Samsung WB850F stands out for a few reasons.
Its 21x zoom lens starts at f2.8 23mm, making it the brightest and widest lens currently available on this type of camera. It has a brilliant 3-inch high-res AMOLED display, which works well even in bright sun, and Samsung's Smart Panel user interface (also found on its higher-end ILC cameras) letting you quickly change important camera settings from one screen. And then there's the Wi-Fi.
The camera's built-in 802.11n wireless can be used to connect to your Wi-Fi network for automatic backups to a Windows computer or Microsoft SkyDrive, viewing photos and movie clips on DLNA-equipped devices, or sending them by e-mail; to connect to other Samsung Wi-Fi cameras for direct sharing between cameras; to connect to hot spots or wirelessly tether to a smartphone; and to connect directly to an Android or iOS device.
That last option can be used to send photos to your phone for viewing or uploading to sharing sites, but it will also allow you to control the camera remotely. (Samsung only guarantees these features to work on Samsung Galaxy devices, but I was able to use them on other Android devices as well as an iPad 2.)
There are a few shortcomings, though, such as mediocre battery life, and the camera is more about filters and effects than producing great-quality photos and movies. But, hey, they're plenty good for online use and there's really nothing wrong with that, especially considering its shoot-and-share capabilities.
Picture quality
The Samsung WB850F's picture quality is very good for its class. Like many point-and-shoots, the more light you have, the better your photos will be. If you're considering this for daylight shooting, you'll likely be very satisfied with the results.
Samsung WB850F camera sample picturesSee all photos
Subjects do get noticeably softer as you increase ISO, which means with less light you'll lose sharpness and fine details, and things start to look flat. (They definitely benefit from some light post-shoot sharpening.) On the other hand, the f2.8 lens and the back-illuminated CMOS sensor keeps the camera from immediately ratcheting up ISO, so you can take low-light photos (at least at the wide end of the lens) with better results than some competing models.
Basically, if you're considering this for its online-sharing capabilities and don't typically make large prints above 8x10s, regularly enlarge and heavily crop pictures, or view them at large sizes on screen, it's a fine choice. You can read more about picture quality and shooting features in the slideshow above.
Movie quality is about the same as its photos. Shoot in good lighting and you'll get decent sharpness and detail (though the camera's dynamic range limitations are more pronounced), but the less light you have, the softer things look and artifacts are more noticeable.
The zoom lens does function while shooting. It can be heard moving while recording, but Samsung includes an option to damp the audio when you zoom. The continuous autofocus can be slow to adjust and may pulse in and out of focus, so it might be best to zoom in first and then start shooting; you can always pause the recording (yes, the camera lets you pause) and zoom out and start capturing again. Also, though Samsung is able to correct for barrel distortion in photos, it doesn't for video.
Shooting performance
Going by my lab tests, the WB850F is neither exceptionally fast or slow for its class. From off to first shot took on average 2.4 seconds, and you're waiting roughly the same amount of time from shot to shot. Using the flash doubled the wait to 4.8 seconds. Shutter lag -- the time from pressing the shutter release to capture without prefocusing -- is reasonably low in bright lighting at 0.4 second, slowing down to 0.7 second in low light.
The camera has a maximum burst shooting speed of 10 frames per second at full resolution for up to eight frames, which it was able to hit. However, that's with focus and exposure set at the first shot, so if you have a fast-moving subject, it might not be in focus for all of those.
Out of the lab, the camera's speed is a little less reliable. For example, if I tried to take too many shots in a row, the camera would stop responding for a few seconds. That's likely because it was busy processing images, but it can definitely cause you to miss the next shot.
Like many megazooms, the WB850F's AF slows down some with the lens extended, which is particularly noticeable in low light, and the camera seems to lock the zoom lens for several seconds after taking a picture, meaning that you can immediately zoom in or out. Also, while the burst capabilities are good for catching an action shot, once you release the shutter, you're stuck waiting for about 2 seconds per photo before you can shoot again.


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Dogecar driver Josh Wise won the fan vote to make it into the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race tonight, edging out such luminaries as Danica Patrick. Patrick, for her part, blamed shadowy "outside sources that are in control" for the loss. The race tonight should be fun.
It's been a bit of a wild ride for Wise, starting almost as a joke by the DogeCoin cryptocurrency community back in March, and then becoming very very real when more than $50,000 was raised to slap a Shibe on his car.
The Dogecar made its debut at Talladega on May 4th, 2014, and that was supposed to be that. The sponsorship was strictly a one-shot deal. It paid dividends for both Wise and Doge, however, including much publicity for the currency, despite NASCAR announcers needing the Google Machine to understand it.
But Wise said he would keep the livery for the All-Star race if he won the fan vote, and Doge fans turned out in droves. Either that, or the Illuminati, depending on which Danica Patrick you ask, I guess.
So tonight, as an encore presentation, you get just a little more Doge.
Photo via Getty Images


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Member Spotlight
T. C. & I. Construction Co., Inc. is a privately held company founded in 1977 by Larry L. Wilson and Larry's son Les Wilson, who was T.C. & I.'s first certified foam applicator. Larry introduced the Polyurethane Foam Roof System to Northern New Mexico and has set the standard for polyurethane Foam Roof Systems. Our system offers: Sprayed in-place seamless protection; Durability; Insulation; decreased heating and cooling costs.
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.....However, as the new server is going to be expected to do more than just run TMC, I had to make a number of changes to some of the system software and configuration. Again, most of these changes should have been totally transparent. However you may have noticed the occasional problem with emails, for which I apologise.
I am aware of the following issues that are now resolved:
2. For yesterday and this morning only, emails to the "admin" account at TMC may have been rejected.
I can only apologise if either of the above issues caused you any difficulties.
I am not aware of any other issues. If you know better, please tell me!
I am concerned about point 2 above. I am aware from the mail logs that a number of emails to "admin" did indeed bounce over this period of about 34 hours. This account does receive a lot of spam and other nonsense, but if anyone tried to contact us (perhaps to ask to become a member) please accept our apologies and try again.
Site admin


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User Manual:Introduction
|User Manual:Index
|User Manual:Setting Up
This page is up-to-date to MythTV version 0.20
History of MythTV
Early in 2002 Isaac Richards wanted more from his television and thought it might be fun to try to build a replacement for his AT&T broadband cable box.
He says:
- I could have just bought a TiVo, but I wanted to have more than just a PVR -- I want a webbrowser built in, a mail client, maybe some games. Basically, I want the mythical convergence box that's been talked about for a few years now.
In late April 2002, he started tinkering, installing a cheap Best Buy TV tuner card in his (P3-550) desktop box. He settled on the NuppelVideo video encoder on a quality/CPU load basis. It's based on a modified RTjpeg codec.
Because the P3-550 couldn't encode and decode simultaneously, he bought an Athlon XP 1800+ and an Abit NV7-133R motherboard, and put it into a nice black case. And the rest is history!
- See the news updates/archives for what's happened since.
What is MythTV?
MythTV is a collection of software that provides digital video recording functions (PVR or DVR--personal, or digital, video recorder) — a computerized VCR, similar to a TiVo or a Replay. It runs under the Linux operating system. Since it's open source software, if you don't like the way it does something, you can always change it — that's how much of its current functionality came about in the first place.
In addition to the basic PVR functions of recording and playing back scheduled programs and allowing you to schedule recordings automatically in advance, MythTV has a plugin system that permits it to be extended by other programmers. Plugins currently exist for playing external video, viewing photos, listening to music files, using your TV and a web camera as a video-telephone over the Internet, browsing the web, retrieving current local weather, and many other functions.
There are two types of plugin for MythTV, official, and Unofficial Plugins.
Current Version
As of early 2008, MythTV is in release version 0.21; this is probably a late-beta to gamma quality release despite its low version number (a common characteristic of Open Source Software projects). Features planned for an upcoming release, or are currently available in the SVN release are listed at Under Development. New features in the current release can be found at What's New
I Want My MythTV!
MythTV isn't (yet) for everyone. While it's likely that at some point you'll be able to treat it as an appliance, requiring no special care or maintenance, that day hasn't entirely arrived yet. There are companies selling pre-configured MythTV boxes and those units likely are stable enough to toss on the living room shelf and hand the remote to your kids. But if you're building one yourself (or having someone build one for you), then the process may be more complicated — this is the price you pay for power and flexibility.
If you want to build yourself a MythTV box (there isn't really a great way to use MythTV unambiguously as a noun; that's my compromise), then there are two approaches you can take:
- Build it out of all those pieces you've got lying around.
- Buy all the pieces from scratch.
Which of those two choices you'll make depends a lot on how much money (and what parts) you've got lying around and on how much work you want to do. If you choose each part specifically for the task you will likely spend a little more money and have a lot less hassle.
I built a Myth Box for my sister and since she is the ultimate couch potato (the machine's name is, actually, 'potato' :-) and a hardcore taper (want a copy of a TV episode from 1989? She might have the entire series), the machine has to be a production-quality unit.
For us, this indicated "buy all the parts new" and, since she was planning to have more than one tuner card (between 3 and 5, actually), it indicated "use hardware-MPEG tuners" as well. We'll get into those discussions in an appendix because this manual is aimed at the person with an operational Myth Box in front of them. If you haven't built one yet, check that section out — I'll be including links to useful information for making that decision.
MythTV Configurations
A MythTV system can be configured in many ways, the only limit is your imagination, and probably also the money you're willing to put into your setup!
There are two main logical elements in a MythTV system:
- The backend: this is the part that contains the TV capture cards, and stores the recorded video. A typical system will contain at least one backend
- The frontend: this is the part that is connected to your TV screen and lets you watch LiveTV and recorded shows. Of course, the frontend will rely on the backend to get its data.
In a basic configuration, both frontend and backend will be installed on the same physical box, there is nothing wrong with this. This is also the simplest way to put a MythTV setup together.
But you can also separate your backend and frontend hardware in order to create a more advanced setup. For example, you can create a high power backend system that will capture TV through several TV capture cards, will flag commercials, run transcode jobs, etc., and is located in a closet, while one or several frontends can run on low power diskless and silent systems in each room where you want to watch TV. Nice, eh? You can actually have as many backends and frontends as you like for a given system, so let your imagination run free and tell us about your setups in this Wiki.
Some people take the opposite approach and actually install MythTV backends on very low power backends such as Linksys NSLU2 units, which are appropriate to record IPTV, for example, as long as they are connected to large disks for video storage.
In any case, the key points for each element are:
- Backend: large disk capacity, big horsepower in case you want to run transcode jobs or comm flagging
- Frontend: good graphics card, compatible with the screen you want to use, and just fast enough to display the most demanding type of video you're planning to use.
As you can see, a combined backend/frontend system will need a fairly high-end machine if you want to get good performance, but fear not, with current Intel Core2 CPUs and the equivalent AMD, you can get a really decent system that runs at under 40W and keeps silent!
Basic Configuration
In the course of this manual, I will often have reason to refer to a Basic Configuration... mostly to point out something that can't be done unless you have more than that. :-)
My idea of a Basic Configuration for a Myth Box is this:
- A Linux Distribution
- A VGA card supported by linux, optionally with TV-out via composite or s-video (or integrated video on the motherboard)
- 256MB (preferably 512) or more of RAM
- A CPU that meets your needs:
- At least a 800MHz CPU (for hardware-MPEG Tuner Cards, including Digital TV cards)
- At least a 1500MHz CPU (if not using hardware-MPEG Tuner Cards)
- At least a 2800MHz CPU (for HTDV recording playback)
- One Tuner Card of some flavor appropriate to the TV services you have available at your location, (ATI cards are not fully supported)
- At least 60GB of hard disk space, most of which can be used for storing recordings.
This is a basic system, which will let you schedule recordings and watch live TV, though not at the same time.
Expanded Configuration
As you have money and motivation, you can expand your system in many ways.
- You can add more video capture card inputs.
- You can add more storage. Many users on the mailinglist have multiple terabytes of storage(via Storage Groups as of 0.21 and/or RAID, which comes in handy with an HDTV capable system.
- You can add more Front End machines to serve additional television sets.
- You can add additional Back End machines to add even more video capture cards or storage and to offload the processes of Commercial Recognition and Transcoding from the machines doing the recording.
- There is growing list of Unofficial Plugins to expand the capability of your MythBox.
|User Manual:Index
|User Manual:Setting Up


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On Tuesday, February 26, 2013 French author, intellectual luminary, Holocaust survivor and Palestinian human rights advocate Stéphane Hessel, age 95, died in his sleep.
Stéphane Hessel was born in Berlin in 1917, but his family soon thereafter immigrated to France. During World War II, Hessel joined the French resistance against the Vichy government while in exile in London. There, he was captured by the Gestapo and deported to German concentration camps due to his Jewish heritage. He was tortured with waterboarding, and after several failed escape attempts and death threats—where he only escaped hanging by exchanging identities with a fellow inmate who was dying of typhus—he managed to escape to Hannover, Germany while being transferred to another camp.
Once the war ended, Stéphane Hessel helped Eleanor Roosevelt edit the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, now one of the key official legal documents advocating for the right of return of Palestinians to their homeland. In Article 13 of the document it explicitly states: "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and return to his country."
In October 2010, his best-selling book Indignez-Vous was translated into 15 languages sold 3.5 million copies around the world. In addition to criticizing the extreme inequality between the rich and the poor and calling for amnesty for immigrants, he also critiqued the Israeli occupation of Palestine and treatment of Palestinians, calling upon his readers to read the Goldstone Report (Richard Goldstone's exposé of the war crimes committed during Operation Cast Lead) for a more complete picture of the war crimes committed by the Israeli army towards Palestinians.
Through the book's popularity, he brought the Palestinian cause to many readers, incorporating it into a broader narrative for international justice.
In addition to highlighting the Palestinian cause in Indignez-Vous he was also an avid champion of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement.
Although Hessel championed several causes during his lifetime—from income inequality to immigrant rights to the need for the youth to rise up—he was most criticized for his support of Palestinian human rights. Many criticized him for being Jewish, a Holocaust survivor and yet critical of Israel to the point of advocating for sanctions on the country. However, for Hessel these elements of his identity only furthered his conviction in the Palestinian fight for justice, making him one of its most outspoken international advocates.
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In utero exposure to maternal RA predisposes children to select chronic diseases
Infants with in utero exposure to maternal rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are at an increased risk of developing thyroid disease, epilepsy and RA in childhood and adolescence, a study from Denmark suggests.
The study drew data from Danish health registries and included all children born alive from 1989‒2013, among whom 2,106 were born by women with RA (exposed) and 1,378,539 were born by women without RA (unexposed).
Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that the exposed group had an elevated risk of developing RA (hazard ratio [HR], 2.89; 95 percent CI, 2.06–4.05), thyroid diseases (HR, 2.19; 1.14–4.21) and epilepsy (HR, 1.61; 1.16–2.25) compared with the unexposed group. The HRs for anxiety, personality disorders and chronic lung diseases, including asthma, were in the range of 1.15–1.16, although they were not statistically significant.
"Our results call for special attention on child development of RA, thyroid disease and epilepsy if exposed to RA in utero," researchers said. "These … should encourage paediatricians and general practitioners to an increased awareness of certain chronic diseases in children being exposed to RA in utero."
Although the study was not able to determine the biologic mechanisms (ie, the role or contribution of genetic factors and factors related to the intrauterine environment) underlying the association of in utero exposure with maternal RA and risk of specific chronic diseases, researchers speculated that genetic factors might explain the excess morbidity when it comes to RA in the offspring.
"However, the results might also partly be due to factors related to an impact of maternal RA itself on the foetal environment, for instance, an impact due to disease activity or medical treatment," they said.


text:
Letters to the Editor for March 7
You can still help out by donating to the United Way
There's still time for you to contribute to the success of this year's United Way of Northwest Connecticut Food For Your Neighbors program!
Donations made in the Torrington area will be distributed to FISH, Friendly Hands, and the Salvation Army Torrington. All food banks have seen a 25-30% increase in demand over last year.
Since the program's inception in 2004, Food For Your Neighbors has collected over 196,000 items to benefit local participating food pantries. The United Way of Northwest Connecticut food drive is the only major food drive in Northwest Connecticut conducted after the winter holiday, and plays a significant role in replenishing local food banks until the United States Postal Service drive in May.
Donations made before March 14 in the Torrington/Litchfield area can be delivered to Bantam Market, the Chamber of Commerce, Community Mental Health Affiliates, Litchfield Bancorp, Northwest Hills Credit Union, the YMCA, Petrovits, Patrick, Smith & Company, Rainbow Press, the Register Citizen, Torrington Area Health District, Torrington Municipal & Teachers Federal Credit Union, Torrington Savings Bank, Union Savings Bank, or WZBG.
On March 14, a food depot located at 59 Field Street in the rear of the Register Citizen building will be open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to receive donations. All items will be distributed on Friday, March 15.
On behalf of the entire United Way family, thank you again for your generosity!
--Stephanie R. Barksdale, Executive Director
Our vice president's push for gun control
Vice president Biden said on TV that, "We should sign up for international gun registration." Where did that come from? Think for a moment, international gun registration is foreign! Our forefathers/we the people of the state on our documents that all laws, rules, regulations, come from the bottom up never from the top down! Guns, swords, clubs, cannons, knives, assault and murder intentions were all studied and decided upon by our founding fathers. Public schools were created with the main lessons being, "The censures of the law and the denunciations of religion against immorality and crime." It was a brilliant solution to immorality, and crime! What succeeded year after year was good conduct and behavior! Next month, March, The United Nations meet for their progress of gun control/small arms treaty. The first part is intentional gun registration. Second is gun confiscation. Consider its definition, the only ingredient, gun control, has nothing to do with conduct or behavior. It has to do with the U.S. Constitution. To trend upon it and, suppress it citizens. Who said the following?
Guard with jealous attention the public liberty/ Suspect everyone who approaches that jewel, unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. When ever you give up that force, you are inevitably ruined. -- Patrick Henry 1788.
--Walter F. Heydt, New Milford
God bless Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI stepped down from his post on Feb. 28. that was his last day as Pope; as he felt that for health reasons; he was no longer able to fulfill his duties.
Some people questioned why he decided to leave at such a Holy time, lent and coming of the Easter period.
But it just seemed to be a coincidence, or maybe his job is more complicated during this time; and with failing health, he felt he couldn't fully complete his responsibilities.
Well, as it stands now, there is no Pope until the cardinals vote in a new one.
Pope Benedict XVI was a very smart, insightful person. He wrote several books and always had kind words to say to the public and Catholics. he will be missed very much!
One commentator on television said he would always be remembered for one things "Christ." God bless Pope Benedict XVI, and may the rest of his life belong and fortunate. Let's hope the next Pope will also be of good nature and serve the nations well.
--Arlene Ascenso, Torrington


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|Institution Type:
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|Plains Small city
|Highest Degree Offered:
|Associate's degree
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Great all around school with lots of different degree opportunities for both associates and transfer programs. Staff is friendly, helpful, and really make you feel like you are taken care…
Instructors are highly knowledgeable in their respective fields. Opportunities for applying classroom learning while traveling overseas is top notch. Tutoring opportunities abound!…
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