text:
CBP to celebrate deviant behavior on the taxpayers' dime
'I do not know what 'acting in private' means; surely consensual sodomy, like heterosexual intercourse, is rarely performed on stage.'
TUCSON – Sonoran News sifts through a never-ending stream of press releases and tries to bring pertinent information and subjects of interest to our readers.
On Monday morning, we received one from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with a subject line: "Border Patrol's Special Emphasis Program Celebrating Cultural Diversity and Awareness."
The press release began, "The CBP components, including Border Patrol, the Office of Field Operations, the Office of Air and Marine and the Office of Information Technology continue to promote cultural awareness through the CBP Special Emphasis Program (SEP). SEP emphasizes the employment, development and advancement of Hispanics, Asian-Pacific Islanders, African-Americans, Native Americans, Women and Disabled Persons."
Not fitting into any of the above categories, the press release states, "This month we will be celebrating Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Pride on June 18, 2010 … Please join us at the event to celebrate cultural diversity."
Is this really about "cultural diversity" or sexual deviance? The Encarta Dictionary defines deviance as "behavior that is sharply different from a customary, traditional, or generally accepted standard."
Contrary to what homosexual activist groups would like the public to believe, that approximately 10 percent of the U.S. population is gay, survey after survey indicates only about 2.3 percent of the population is gay.
Gay activists have been known to misquote Alfred Kinsey from his 1948 book: "Sexual Behavior in the Human Male," to perpetuate the myth that 10 percent of the male population is gay.
Kinsey stated 10 percent of white males were "more or less" exclusively homosexual during at least a three-year period between the ages of 16 and 55.
Kinsey's samples, which became a subject of controversy as well, since they were not drawn from random samples but from prison populations and people who identified themselves as being homosexual.
In 2000, the U.S. Census Bureau determined homosexual couples made up less than 1 percent of American households.
However, when Gallup asked Americans in 2002 what they estimated the American gay men and women population to be, the average response was that 21 percent of men were gay and 22 percent of women were lesbians.
So, by repeating mythical numbers coupled with the success of a well-funded Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender lobby, deviant sexual behavior has grown to become thought of as an acceptable alternative lifestyle enjoyed by more than one fifth of the population.
In 2002, the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics reported 2.3 percent of the population considered itself to be homosexual.
The survey was based on 12,571 interviews with men and women between the ages of 15 and 44.
A footnote in an amicus curiea (friend of the court) brief filed in what became known as the Texas sodomy case, (John Geddes Lawrence v. Texas), decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2003, acknowledged "The most widely accepted study of sexual practices in the United States is the National Health and Social Life Survey," which "found 2.8 percent of the male, and 1.8 percent of the female, population identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual … This amounts to nearly 4 million openly gay men and 2 million openly gay women who identify as lesbian."
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy delivered the opinion of the court in the Lawrence case, which challenged the "validity of a Texas statute making it a crime for two persons of the same sex to engage in certain intimate sexual conduct."
He wrote, "Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct."
The case stems from an incident in Houston, Texas where officers of the Harris County Police Department, responding to a reported weapons disturbance, entered an apartment where Lawrence resided and observed Lawrence and another man, Tyron Garner, engaging in a sexual act. Lawrence and Garner were arrested and charged with, "deviant sexual intercourse, namely anal sex, with a member of the same sex (man)."
The applicable Texas statute provided, "A person commits an offense if he engages in deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex."
Kennedy said the laws prohibiting sodomy did not seem to have been enforced against consenting adults acting in private and stated, "A substantial number of sodomy prosecutions and convictions for which there are surviving records were for predatory acts against those who could not or did not consent, as in the case of a minor or the victim of an assault."
Kennedy said the Texas statute "furthers no legitimate state interest which can justify its intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual."
The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Texas Fourteenth District was reversed and the case was remanded for further proceedings.
Justice Sandra Day O'Connor wrote a concurring opinion, in which she stated the effect of Texas' sodomy law was not just limited to the threat of prosecution or consequences of conviction, but branded all homosexuals as criminals, "thereby making it more difficult for homosexuals to be treated in the same manner as everyone else."
O'Connor said it legally sanctioned discrimination against homosexuals in a variety of ways unrelated to the criminal law, including areas of employment, family issues and housing.
Justice Antonin Scalia wrote a dissenting opinion, with whom Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justice Clarence Thomas joined.
Scalia mocked the court's claim, which he said was unsupported by any citations, "that laws prohibiting sodomy do not seem to have been supported against consenting adults acting in private."
He wrote, "The key qualifier here is 'acting in private' – since the court admits that sodomy laws were enforced against consenting adults (although the court contends that prosecutions were 'infrequent'). I do not know what 'acting in private' means; surely consensual sodomy, like heterosexual intercourse, is rarely performed on stage. If all the court means by 'acting in private' is 'on private premises, with the doors closed and windows covered,' it is entirely unsurprising that evidence of enforcement would be hard to come by."
Scalia said he has nothing against homosexuals, or any other group, promoting their agenda through normal democratic means, he stated such matters are better left to the people than to the courts.
"One of the benefits of leaving regulation of this matter to the people rather than to the courts is that people, unlike judges, need not carry things to their logical conclusion."
In a brief dissenting opinion of his own, Thomas wrote separately to note that the law before the court "is uncommonly silly," and if he were a member of the Texas Legislature he would repeal it.
But, as a member of the Supreme Court, he said, "I am not empowered to help petitioners and others similarly situated. My duty, rather, is to 'decide cases' agreeably to the Constitution and the laws of the United States."
The SEP event to "celebrate" homosexuality will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 18, 2010 at the Holiday Inn, 4450 S. Palo Verde Road, Tucson. Call to RSVP with the Tucson Sector for Public Affairs at 520-748-3210.


text:
Arsenal Brightens Up the Holidays
Arsenal Credit Union (Arnold, MO) showed its care for the less fortunate this holiday season by making its branches donation spots for Toys for Tots, the annual holiday toy drive organized by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. From Dec. 1-18, employees and members of all ages donated more than 100 new, unwrapped toys that will go to needy children throughout the region.
Prior to the Toys for Tots campaign, Arsenal's branches were donation spots for the 2012 Warners' Warm-up Coat Drive, organized by the Kurt Warner First Things First Foundation and Operation Food Search. The credit union collected 61 coats from Nov. 1-15, which Operation Food Search distributed to men, women and children who were most in need.Photo Caption: Arsenal Credit Union's annual holiday toy drive for Toys for Tots.
- Log in or register to post comments
- Printer-friendly version

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Our Solutions
Whether you need to retrieve deleted data from a hard drive, audit the security of your facility or determine whether corporate theft or fraud is underfoot, Infortal Worldwide can deliver results in a discrete and highly effective manner. The magnitude of corporate theft and fraud problem is clarified with two alarming statistics:
Infortal brings over 30 years of seasoned and extensive investigative experience, the latest investigative technologies and first-hand field knowledge to our investigations. Infortal deploys highly qualified, veteran professionals in the key areas of investigation, law enforcement, forensics and computer and network security to ensure that our clients receive the most accurate and comprehensive service available.
Executive Vulnerability Assessments
Facility Security Audits
Electronic Security and Counter Measures
Undercover Operations
Sting Operations
Surveillance Operations
Legal Evidence Recovery
1 (800)-736-4999
Case Studies


text:
WE DO NOT OFFER REFUNDS. Please do not buy a ticket if you do not plan to use it. If you do buy a ticket and decide not to come, you are welcome to sell the ticket or push it to next year. Again, we do not offer refunds.
ATTENTION: LINDY 500 IS SOLD OUT. Entrance into the Thursday night dance, and the late nights, will be available at the door on a first come, first serve basis (until they sell out). The prices are as follows:
Thursday - $7, Friday late night - $10, Saturday late night - $15, Sunday Soul Party - Free.


text: Since joining EMyth in 1982 as an entry-level salesperson, I've been committed to developing The EMyth Way. This integration of systems and people in a business, what we call "the balance between structure and substance", is the key to creating the freedom most small business owners seek but rarely find. Systems leverage people to produce exceptional results and people become joyfully engaged when they're encouraged to bring the best of themselves to making those systems work. In 1999, this perspective made it possible for me to retire as EMyth's President at 46 years old. While I was involved in day-to-day operations, I led the company through periods of enormous growth and worked with Michael Gerber—EMyth's founder and co-owner—as his collaborator, editor, and publishing agent on several of his best-selling books, including The E-Myth Revisited. In the years since, I've served as EMyth's Board Chair, trained and mentored our staff, and written about two of my favorite subjects: sales process development and women in leadership.


text:
Featured Links
Experience Soccer Travel to the Best Youth Soccer Camps in Europe, Register Online Now!
Coerver Coaching's ULTIMATE Bundle - Get Every DVD & Online Version
Dempsey's brand new pair of custom "Don't Tread on Me" Mercurial Superfly boots, imprinted with the name of his baby daughter Elyse.
Although Dempsey recently suffered a knee injury, he expects to be back much sooner than first anticipated for Fulham and for the World Cup this summer.
The Clint Dempsey Story
FIFA Mundial highlights Clinton Drew Dempsey's biography and rise to US National Team and Fulham Fame.
Clint Dempsey isn't the only member of his family to get some media attention, his wife Bethany wore a painted on bikini in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
Dempsey has scored some big goals for the U.S. national team, but his volley against Ghana in the World Cup in Germany is probably his the biggest goal in his career so far. This is a picture of him celebrating the goal.
Quote of the Month:
"There is always someone out there getting better than you by training harder than you."
more soccer quotes...
© 2019 Soccer Training Info All rights reserved.


text:
(847) 812-8300
(312) 444-0688 (fax)
Our goal is to establish a personal relationship with you so that you can make the best decision for you and your family. The first step is to thoroughly analyze your situation and evaluate your family's short-term and long-term goals. We take great pride in our in-depth review and analysis. MB Mortgage will then help you understand the entire process and share multiple mortgage options with you. By doing this, you can confidently evaluate those options and choose which approach is best for you.
Elgin Development Group
A Division of the Elgin Area Chamber
31 S. Grove Avenue, Elgin IL 60120


text:
Looking for the best way to lighten your lips and get rid of discoloration? You've come to the right place! Watch this quick video (in association with Eros Now) and learn about the most effective natural remedies that will get you pillowy-soft, brighter lips.
P.S: Comment and let me know which one is your favorite remedy. Or if you have any special tips and tricks to lighten & brighten your lips, I would love to hear about them!How To Get Rid Of Dark Circles
-Wondering how to get rid of dark circles? Then this video is dedicated to you! Check it out here.
-Want to know what my favorite acne remedy is? Click here.
-Video shot by Nithin Barath
How To Lighten Your Lips
18 Comments
May 31, 2017
Great post. Thanks for sharing. This tips is really helpful to everyone.
April 3, 2017
Very good information is there in your blog. It is very useful to me. Thanks for sharing this information and keep share good information on your blog.
December 15, 2016
Thanks for sharing the best tips and remedies they very clear. You made a good site and I read your articles and tips they very help us I like them a lot I am impressed by your remedies and suggestions they amazing I got such better tips thank you all
August 5, 2016
Your site articles and posts are very useful, I am very much interested with you. Thanks for sharing such a good and helpful posts. You mentioned that information was very nice to us. Thank you
July 3, 2016
Hi Ishika. You look so beautiful. I have naturally pink lips. But my problem is it becomes too dry and I have to apply balm frequently on my lips. How to keep lips naturally moistened.
March 17, 2016
you look like a bit with Nindi, indonesian singer 🙂
February 23, 2016
Loved the Lip mask,.. I will be trying it out soon,.. Thank you….


text: Archive Switch Partners With Radware To Provide Attack Mitigation To Its SUPERNAP Data Centers MAHWAH, N.J. / 4/28/2016 Switch Partners With Radware To Provide Attack Mitigation To Its SUPERNAP Data Centers World's Largest Colocation Data Centers Utilizing Radware's DDoS Mitigation System and Scrubbing Center Capabilities to Protect Its Customers Against Cyber Attack Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a leading provider of cyber security and application delivery solutions ensuring optimal service level for applications in virtual, cloud and software defined data centers, announced that Switch has chosen Radware's DDoS Attack Mitigation System for its world-renowned SUPERNAP data centers and its Switch SAFE set of products.Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, Switch's award-winning Tier IV Gold SUPERNAP data centers are the highest-ranking colocation data centers in the world and are maintained by the highest-rated mission critical operations teams. With more on-net, independent cloud providers than any other physical cloud gateway, SUPERNAP connects thousands of clients and providers in the most cost-efficient and technologically secure environment worldwide. SUPERNAP is the recognized world leader in colocation design, development and mission critical operations with clients ranging from sophisticated startups to Fortune 100 powerhouses. Switch's customer base requires protection from all types of DDoS threats. The evolving threat landscape demands a solution with a wide breadth of security protection and quickest time to mitigation. Radware's DDoS solutions offer the most scalable attack mitigation platform on the market, capable of managing attacks of up to 300Gbps and 220 million packets-per-second from a single device. Radware's North American scrubbing center housed within SUPERNAP data centers defends against these attacks. Its always-on Attack Mitigation System (AMS) for subscribed customers is capable of detecting and mitigating all types of network and application attacks, low and slow and encrypted attacks. The always-on solution, as well as detect and redirect solutions, are backed by the added capacity of Radware's DefensePipe globally distributed DDoS mitigation network. The always-on Attack Mitigation System will be offered to Switch's subscribed DDoS customers. Additionally, offering Radware's solutions provides SUPERNAP data centers with DefensePipe global scrubbing facilities, which coincides with Switch's 100 percent uptime guarantee for clients to receive the power they need, when they need it. "As the world's best colocation data center provider, we want to provide our customers with the highest quality cyber-attack protection available today," said Switch Executive Vice President of Connectivity Chris Donnelly. "With Radware's Attack Mitigation System, we can maintain business continuity for our customers even in the face of a volumetric attack.""By selecting Radware's Attack Mitigation System, Switch can detect, mitigate and scrub nearly every type of cyber-attack with precision and accuracy," said Radware Vice President of Sales, West, Bob Simpson. "Automated attack mitigation allows Switch to mitigate multiple attacks of varying types simultaneously, without their customers ever experiencing a disruption."About SwitchTHE TECHNOLOGY SUSTAINABILITY COMPANYFounded in 2000, this global technology solutions company, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, is built on the intelligent and sustainable growth of the Internet. Switch Founder and CEO, Rob Roy, has developed 218+ revolutionary patented data center designs that have manifested into the world-renowned SUPERNAP data centers.SUPERNAPMOTIVATED BY INVENTION. DRIVEN BY PERFECTION.SUPERNAP Prime data centers lead the industry with their high-density, multi-tenant locations that provide unparalleled agile technology ecosystems and the unmatched cost-saving CORE telecommunications purchasing cooperative. The SUPERNAP Edge data centers are the company's single-tenant, on-premise products. Visit supernap.com for more information on the world's only Tier IV Gold rated multi-tenant, carrier-neutral data centers.About RadwareRadware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), is a global leader of application delivery and cyber security solutions for virtual, cloud and software defined data centers. Its award-winning solutions portfolio delivers service level assurance for business-critical applications, while maximizing IT efficiency. Radware's solutions empower more than 10,000 enterprise and carrier customers worldwide to adapt to market challenges quickly, maintain business continuity and achieve maximum productivity while keeping costs down. For more information, please visit www.radware.com Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, SlideShare, Twitter, YouTube, Radware Connect app for iPhone® and our security center DDoSWarriors.com that provides a comprehensive analysis on DDoS attack tools, trends and threats. ©2016 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Radware and all other Radware product and service names are registered trademarks or trademarks of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners. The Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents and pending patent applications. For more details please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/.Safe Harbor StatementThis press release may contain statements concerning Radware's future prospects that are "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements preceded by, followed by, or that otherwise include the words "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "estimates", "plans", and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "will", "should", "would", "may" and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. For example, we cannot assure such additional customer wins in the future. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware's current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions and volatility of the market for our products; changes in the competitive landscape; inability to realize our investment objectives; timely availability and customer acceptance of our new and existing products; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions; the impact of economic and political uncertainties and weaknesses in various regions of the world, including the commencement or escalation of hostilities or acts of terrorism; Competition in the market for Application Delivery and Network Security solutions and our industry in general is intense; and other factors and risks on which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, reference is made to Radware's Annual Report on Form 20-F which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware's public filings are available from the SEC's website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware's website at www.radware.com.


text:
About Us
Window Cleaning Pro have been established for over 10 years. Based in York we provide a friendly, professional commercial and residential window cleaners service. Over the years we have built up a regular round with many happy customers. We can also do one off cleans. Because we are reliable, and honest we receive many requests and referrals.
Areas we cover
York, Acomb, Haxby, Clifton, Stamford Bridge, Rawcilffle, Heworth, Fulford, Huntington, Dunnington, Nether Poppleton and Upper Poppleton, Bishopthorpe, Copmanthorpe etc……
The area we cover is about a 10 mile radius. The list above is by no means exhaustive!
This system uses smart water, which will clean your windows to a very high standard. Also, at the same time we will clean your frames, which we restore them back to a polished finished.
Our cleaning methods incorporate using a water fed pole system and as a result we achieve first class results.
Health and Safety
Window cleaning, especially off a ladder can present some dangers. Eliminating these dangers is a priority and we take this very seriously. In the past all high level work was done off a ladder, but now with the lastest pole system window cleaning has become a much safer occupation. As a professional window cleaning company we follow a high standard of safety and as a result we keep you the customer and us the workers safe.
Please be assured that you as the customer come first and we will do are very best to fix any issues. Therefore we guarantee our work and will be happy to return should you feel this necessary.
Please contact us and we'll be happy to give you more information. Its a free service and we are happy to visit you and give you a quote.


text:
Why Do Great Quality TV Shows Get Treated
Like Crap?
Finally the fans have their answer and proof that CBS executives are liars and deliberately get the fans hopes up. The original plan that CBS went public with in January, was to wait to see how Season Five of Person of Interest did in the ratings. What a crock of shit! Let's see how true the recent press release was regarding the renewal of all of their freshman shows. I see at least two of those shows getting cancelled and more pissed off fans boycotting CBS. Why do they get the viewers hopes up and then backtrack? Assholes!
Do I sound pissed off? Well I am extremely pissed about this. An original, relevant and awesome quality TV shows get dumped in favour of shitty TV shows that are mindless dribble. I don't know about other TV fans, but I want a show that stimulates my mind and make me think. Person of Interest was the best show to come along since Grey's Anatomy in 2005.
Grey's Anatomy still lives on, probably because ABC can see that their viewers want a good quality medical drama. Unfortunately, CBS chose to dump Person of Interest because the demo rating slumped and the long and short of it is, they don't own the show, and the money made from advertising was not enough to justify keeping the show.
Whatever their reasons, I stand by my assertion that CBS are foolish idiots. The only show of any quality on their schedule now is Scorpion. The rest of their line up is crap and if I lived in the US, I would be joining all the ex CBS viewers who are actively boycotting the network and have sworn they will never watch a CBS show live ever again.
Having said all of this, there is still hope for Person of Interest. There have been unconfirmed whispers and speculation that Netflix might be interested in picking up Person of Interest as a Netflix original and given they have the rights to stream the previous seasons, this may well happen. Sure, it's probably a long shot, but it is certainly worth fighting for given how fantastic this show is. Thirty two thousand fans can't be wrong, which is how many fans have signed the petition addressed to other networks asking them to pick up POI.
Anyway, stay tuned to this blog for more information on what's happening with Person of Interest. Season Five premieres on CBS on the 3rd of May, 2016. Thirteen episodes will be aired and the finale will be shown sometime in June. Person of Interest will be shown twice a week on Monday and Tuesday at 10pm. Be sure to tune in live if you live in the US. Higher ratings will definitely encourage other networks to pick up the show.
Sign the petition, contact Netflix via email, or phone and tell them how much you love POI. Click Here for more information on what the fans are doing to campaign other networks for a Season Six pick up.
Now it is your turn. I would love to hear what you think. Hit the comments or connect with me via Facebook or Twitter. If you would like to write here about your favourite TV shows or issue regarding TV that suck, then use the contact form to apply for posting rights. New writers are always welcome here.
Are you a Grey's Anatomy fan or would you like to write about Grey's Anatomy? I am looking for writers to write for Grey's Anatomy Addicts. If you are interested, please get in touch via the contact form or post me a message on the Grey's Anatomy Addicts Facebook Page. Read the latest gossip about Grey's Anatomy here.
Visit Jel Writes, Freelance Writer to read more of my writing or hire me to write for you.
Copyright, 2016 Janelle Coulton


text:
Excellent speakers, a nice design and a fingerprint reader but £200 too much?
- Excellent speakers
- Beautiful design
- Snappy performance
- No 4G connectivity
- Mediocre battery life
- Finicky fingerprint sensor
Dolby Atmos technology is used in top-end soundbars to bounce sound off your ceiling and deliver a spacious surround sound effect. So, it comes as a surprise to see it included in a tablet, such as the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus.
The technology used for tablets and mobile devices, isn't as revolutionary as its soundbar counterpart, but the improved audio fidelity is still impressive. Does it sound as good as it looks, read on to see if the £200 tablet competes with some of the best budget tablets in the market.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: What you need to know
Atmos sound isn't an end to the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus' talents, though. It's also equipped with a fingerprint reader, has an octa-core CPU, 3GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, all topped with a crisp 1,200 x 1,920 8in display. On paper, this Android tablet seems to offer reasonably good value for money. It's nicely designed and that fingerprint reader is an unusual addition for a product this cheap, but there's strong opposition in this price bracket and below, in particular from Amazon's 7in, 8in and 10in Fire HD tablets.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: Price and competition
There are multiple versions of the Tab 4 8 Plus: the 16GB Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus, which costs £200 and a 64GB version for £50 extra. It's available in two colours: "Aurora Black" and "Sparkling White" and there's also a 4G variant at around £280, but that seems to be a lot harder to source.
It isn't short on competition. At this price, you can find a used or refurbished Apple iPad mini 2 (check out eBay or MusicMagpie); at £129 there's the Vodafone Smart Tab N8, which comes with 4G connectivity; and for less than £200, there's the 10.1in Amazon Fire HD 10, the 8in £80 Amazon Fire HD 8, and the 7in £50 Fire.
The 8in Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 at £170, and 10.1in Acer Iconia A3-A40 at £180 are also viable alternatives, too.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: Design and build quality
The Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus' two forward-facing speaker grilles are the first features that caught my attention. As mentioned above, the tablet supports Dolby Atmos through and it works wonders with the tablet's audio output.
Four sound profiles are available – you can choose between Movie, Music, Game and Voice – and you can customise the sound as well. Normally, I wouldn't bother with presets because in my experience they have little benefit. Here, however, I was pleasantly surprised, and each one had a positive effect on the listening experience.
Through the modes listed above, I found that music sounded richer, movies and games benefited from a wider sound, while podcasts sounded much clearer. Bear in mind that this is still tablet-class sound, so there's little bass to speak of, but for such a small device its audio output is impressive.
It's not only the audio quality that's good, though. The Tab 4 8 Plus is also an elegantly designed tablet. At 7mm thick and 300g, the Tab 4 8 Plus is a very thin and lightweight device to carry around, its rounded edges make it comfortable to hold and its dual-glass design gives it a premium look.
One of its key features is its fingerprint reader, built into the power button, which sits alongside the volume rocker on the right-hand side of the tablet. I found the location perfect for unlocking the device, but it isn't particularly reliable and only on rare occasions did the fingerprint reader work on the first try.
Often, I had to try three times, at which point I opted to input my pin. I've never had to faff around this much with a fingerprint reader – for example, my Huawei P9 smartphone unlocks instantaneously. Don't get me wrong, having it is a definitive plus but I'd want it to work more reliably than that.
For connectivity, there's a USB Type-C port for data transfers and power. A 3.5mm headphone jack sits alongside it, at the top of the tablet. The tablet has dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2. On the left-hand side, a microSD card slot sits under a plastic, Lenovo-branded flap.
If you want to take a picture, there are front 5- and rear 8-megapixel cameras and a flash on the rear to help out in low light. You can record video at 1080p at 30fps. Image quality isn't the best, but it does suffice for the odd quick snap and Skype session.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: Display
The tablet has an 8in 1,200 x 1,920 IPS display, which gives it a 283ppi pixel density. Tested with our colorimeter, I observed a 59.2% sRGB gamut coverage, which is rather low. By comparison, the much cheaper Vodafone Smart Tab N8 achieved 75.7% sRGB coverage.
This means images won't look as vibrant on the Lenovo as they would on the Vodafone tablet and I wasn't too impressed with its colour accuracy either. Still with a contrast ratio of 728:1, movies and photos still look reasonable punchy onscreen and with a peak brightness of 417.6 cd/m2, the display will remain readable in all but the brightest of conditions.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: Performance
The Tab 4 doesn't run stock Android but its installation of Android 7.1.1 is pretty clean and with only a few pre-installed apps – such as SHAREit, an app used to send and receive files between devices, and SYNCit, which is used for synchronizing files across devices, plus the Microsoft Office apps – it runs smoothly.
Inside, you'll find a 2.0GHz octa-core Cortex-A53-based Snapdragon 625 processor and 3GB of RAM. This provides enough horsepower to churn through intensive processes and multitasking. In the multi-platform Geekbench 4 benchmark, the Tab 4 8 Plus achieves a 873 single-core and 4,220 multi-core score. The Vodafone Smart Tab N8 only manages a score of 461 and 1,319 respectively – a sizable difference in multi-core performance.
Playing basic games like Candy Crush isn't a problem, but don't expect to run more demanding titles such as Asphalt 8 smoothly. In the GFXBench Car Chase benchmark, the Tab 4 8 Plus manages to run at 3.4fps. In the less intense Manhattan 3.0 benchmark, it achieves a slightly more respectable score of 9.3fps, but that's still not wonderful.
^ Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus battery life
A non-removable 4,850mAh battery is housed inside, and this ran for 9hrs 43mins in the Expert Reviews battery test – identical to the Vodafone Smart Tab N8. That's fine for a tablet like this, but it does lag behind the impressive 14hrs 49mins achieved by the Lenovo Yoga Tab 3.
Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus review: Verdict
At first glance, the Lenovo Tab 4 8 Plus seemed to be a fantastic device. With an integrated fingerprint reader, two front-facing Dolby Atmos speakers and splendid design, I had high hopes for it.
But with a rather finicky fingerprint reader, sluggish performance in games and middling battery life it's not the best way to spend your £200. If you're after a cheap tablet, the Amazon Fire HD 8 is far cheaper and offers almost as much for your money and, if you don't like the Amazon way of doing things, there's the Vodafone Smart Tab N8, which offers 4G connectivity for a mere £129.
- Processor-2.0GHz Octa-core Cortex-A53 Snapdragon 625
- Screen size-8in
- Screen resolution-1200 x 1920
- Screen type-IPS
- Front camera-5 megapixels
- Rear camera-8 megapixels
- Flash-Yes
- GPS-Yes
- Compass-Yes
- Storage (free)-16GB
- Memory card slot (supplied)-MicroSD (256GB)
- Wi-Fi-802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
- Bluetooth-4.2
- Wireless data-N/A
- Dimensions-210 x 123 x 7mm
- Weight-300g
- Operating system-Android 7.1.1
- Battery size-4600mAh
Buying information
- Warranty-One year RTB
- Price SIM-free (inc VAT)-£200
Sоurсе: expertreviews.co.uk


text:
Edisode 3: New Worlds
Written by Belle
Previously on Episode 2
"Are thy wings plumed indeed for such far flights?" - Walt Whitman
"OK everyone, you know what we have to do, Meg get your girls together, get weapons, we have a fight on our hands!" shouts Josh.
The Buffies are already running for their equipment, they were ready for the tsunami but no one had thought of this. "We don't have time for Cuttiepie" shouts Meg "grab your stuff and let's head for the seafront. Gawd knows how she has survived, I feel this is going to be one of our toughest battles yet".
"Where the hell is Belle" asks Josh, "we don't have time for this - ok everyone go! go! go! - time is running out".
The Buffies run out of the mansion as tho' their life depends on it, which it probably does, and head for the seafront, vaulting over traffic stalled in the jams and knocking down anything which gets in their way - lamp post or high rise, it's all the same to them, pavements and roads crumble to dust under their feet as they run, they must get to Kat before she comes ashore.
The Buffies gather at the seafront behind a breakwater, and ready their weapons for the assault - Kat's path is going to take her right to the property where the family are holed up.
"What's that" asks Diana - in the far distance a small bright diamond of light shimmers, growing slowly larger as it approaches. "It's Belle, it must be, it's Belle" shouts Josh.
Charging towards them is a huge shining metal horse, thunderclaps rend the air and its diamond studded hooves pound hard as it gallops faster and faster thru the sky, the sun shines on its golden wings - astride its back wielding a Claymore sits a naked Belle, her blonde hair blowing in the slipstream, her honed body rippling with muscles, and they are heading straight for WildKat!
"Girls, I guess Belle could do with a diversion, right now!" says Meg.
"Diana, move quick and get that family into their truck, we will take on Kat in a full-on assault to distract her" says Meg. "There is something different about Kat, apart from still being alive", says Meg "take care". "Something about her head" says Diana "she's like a Medusa or something".
As Diana runs for the property, the Buffies leap the breakwater and begin their assault - weapons of unimaginable power blast Kat with beams of energy and rockets with warheads just short of nuclear smash into her, grenade launchers throw bombs which explode harmlessly against her scales. Kat moves towards the Buffies, the assault barely hindering her.
For a moment the diversion works, then Kat sees the fast approaching Belle.
Kat turns her green eyes towards Belle, and her mouth slowly opens.
But this time the few precious seconds count - Belle leans far out of her saddle as Dragonfly turns sideways to fly past Kat "Well I have fallen out of a few saddles before now but at least I was wearing a body protector" thinks Belle "this is my last chance . . . cut off the Gorgon's head is the way it goes".
She stretches her arm out as far as she can, and gripping the Claymore tight she heads for the giant neck of Kat. "Gawd I hope this sword is big enough" she thinks. As it hits the steel like scales of Kat's neck Belle's arm goes from hundreds of miles an hour to zero - her muscles respond to the enormous strain put on them and the weapon bites in - it starts to slice thru Kat's thick neck, Belle's wrist going in deep as she makes sure the sword has maximum effect - black blood burns her as the sword slices thru tendons like steel cables, muscles like living plastic and bone like re-inforced concrete - there is the stench of rotten flesh.
Belle's arm feels like it will be pulled from its socket and she grinds her teeth with the unbearable pain as her body screams in agony at the strain put on it, then suddenly - nothing. Belle is free.
"Gawd I hope my arm has not been pulled off" she thinks.
Dragonfly turns back and Belle sees Kat's head tumble slowly away like some crazy cartoon - it bounces off the giant chest and falls towards the ground but it never reaches there - as it falls it crumbles to dust which blows away in the wind.
WildKat's carcass sways and begins to fall - "OK everyone take cover" shouts Josh as the Buffies scatter.
As the slain beast hits the ground WildKat bursts into a million fireflies which clear leaving no trace.
Belle lands Dragonfly on the seafront beside the cheering Buffies and slides down to the ground, sweat running off her toned body.
An old friend of Belle, Cel, Ace Reporter and Photographer for the 'Malibu Sentinel', is waiting for her. Cel is one of the old school (tho' he is not that old), reliable and dependable with a 'Press' ticket stuck in his hatband.
Cel gets his notebook and pencil out. "Well girl" he says to Belle "you have pulled some stunts in the past, but this beats them all. I have some questions for you."
"What is that creature?"
"This is my new friend, Dragonfly" Belle says "she needs a strong rider to control her - strong in mind and body".
"What happened to you, naked and looking like you have been in a war?"
"It's a long story" says Belle. "I lost my 'Buffie powers' but it was worth it" she laughs.
"Where did Dragonfly come from?"
"She came from beyond the stars, to teach us not to be afraid of the dark" Belle replies. "Now she just wants to go home".
Belle sees Josh and Nic in deep conversation - Josh walks across looking angry.
"Young lady, you have some explaining to do" he says.
"I'm guessing you are talking about Shed 9" Belle replies.
"What do you know about that?" Josh asks.
"It's a long story" says Belle.
Josh looks very angry.
"I'm guessing that it's empty now" Belle says.
"How did you get in and out without being seen?" Josh asks.
"It's a long story" says Belle.
A squadron of jet fighters arrives overhead.
"These aircraft will escort you to a secret Government establishment. I will send Cuttiepie to bring you back here" Josh tells Belle.
Belle mounts Dragonfly, and gets ready to go.
' are we going home . . .'
With a few beats of her wings Dragonfly rises into the air, and Belle guides her towards the jets.
"Auf Wiedersehen, Belle" shouts Diana.
Belle smiles - "Watch the skies" she shouts back.
Dragonfly passes the jets, and carries on upwards.
"What the hell is Belle doing?" rants Josh.
"She's going home" replies Diana.
"Home - where the hell is that!" shouts Josh.
"Beyond the stars" says Meg.
Dragonfly rises high into the clear sky, the last rays of the setting sun glinting off her golden wings - then she is gone.
"God speed, Belle" Cel says.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Twilight of the Buffies
Posted by Meg at 6/13/2011 02:25:00 PM
Labels: story, The Buffies
5 comments:
- AnonymousJune 25, 2011 at 9:12 AM
Belle died on the way to her home planet.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 27, 2011 at 10:19 AM
I post comments anonymously so that you can't get back at me - hee heeReplyDelete
WBL, did you get the secret comments I put in the so called 'spam' I sent you ? I could not have made them more obvious if they had been in CAPS and bold but you have never mentioned them so I assume you are as thick as your dick :)ReplyDelete
- AnonymousJune 27, 2011 at 10:37 AM
I am indeed just a dickhead who does not give a shit about anyone or anything.ReplyDelete
Either you have misread the story, or I have not written it well enough, but 'home' is Dragonfly's home, not Belles'.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability recently launched the Climate Resilient communities (CRC) program, which is designed to support local governments in creating comprehensive climate change adaptation plans. Eight cities and counties including Boston, Massachusetts; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Flagstaff, Arizona; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Lee County, Florida; Miami-Dade County, Florida; the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC); and Tucson, Arizona will be the first participants in the U.S. program. Martin Chávez, ICLEI USA Executive Director said: "Local governments have a responsibility to protect people, property, and natural resources, and these leading communities wisely recognize that climate change is happening now, and that they must begin planning for impacts that will only become more severe in the coming decades."
ICLEI says each of these diverse communities faces different but "serious climate impacts that cannot be ignored." For instance, Miami-Dade country, the U.S. urban area perhaps most threatened by climate change, must deal with "more frequent severe storms, more frequent floods from rising sea levels, and saltwater intrusion into drinking water aquifers—all occurring already." Northeastern cities like Boston are also threatened by sea level rise — a 2009 WWF / Allianz report said the coastal sea level could rise by 26 inches by 2050, destroying some $500 billion in infrastructure in that city alone. Grand Rapids in Michigan is expected to face more extreme weather including lengthier and hotter heatwaves as well as more powerful snow storms that can damage infrastructure.
To support these communities, ICLEI has also set up a new "standardized adaptation planning process" that communities can download and plugin: the advanced Adaptation and Database Planning Tool (ADAPT). According to the organization, "ADAPT walks users through the process of assessing community vulnerabilities, setting resiliency goals, and developing effective strategies that integrate into existing local planning efforts. These wide-ranging strategies may include strengthening infrastructure, diversifying water supplies, and planting more vegetation to counteract the urban heat island effect."
Learn more about the new adaptation program and see case studies, expected climate impacts by region, and free adaptation resources.
Also, check out the carbonn Cities Climate Registry (cCCR), which was recently launched by ICLEI and UNEP at the World Mayors Council on Climate Change. The new registry allows cities to report their local climate action programs on one central platform.
Image credit: Boston Harbor / Xtrain


text:
Learning a new technique can be very frustrating. I hope this will help you understand these techniques. There is more than one way to do everything; if it works for you is right for you.
I love knitting with colour, even adding stripes to a garter stitch scarf makes the knitting more interesting, somehow it will seemingly grow faster too.
Hands on is always best, many stores have knitting classes. If you are getting frustrated seek help, go to the nearest retirement community, pull out your knitting and you'll soon have a new friend happy to help.
The Fantail Swing is knitted from a diagram and written instructions. However, most Intarsia is worked from a graph, with each square representing a stitch.
The difference between Fairisle and Intarsia? With Intarsia the yarn is worked from an individual ball or length of yarn, per area of colour. With fairisle the yarn is carried at the back of the work, side seam to side seam.
Graphs are essential for designs like the Times Cable Swing and picture designs as the Living Reef A Line coat.
Desert Flower A line design.
Right: Wrong side of knitting.
Left: Right side of knitting.
Above: Graph each square represents a stitch.
An individaul length of yarn is used for each area of colour. I strongly recommend a class of Intarsia. Like many crafts, being shown hands-on is most effective.
This is generally a pattern repeat worked in two colors per row in stocking stitch. When Color A is being knitted Color B is carried at the wrong side (or back) of the work. When knitting in B then A is carried on the wrong side (or back) of the work. When carrying over more than 5 stitches the carried yarn is 'woven in' on the wrong side of the knitting. The Madras & Tiffany are the Fairisle designs presently in the range.
Generally the pattern repeat is worked from a graph, showing the stitch repeat, not the full width of the garment. Most Fairisle repeats are geometric and over 5 to 21 stitches. The term 'weaving in' refers to catching the strand of the carried yarn into the wrong side of the knitting. I like to weave in every third to fifth stitch.
Fairisle Repeat
Cable and textured stitches have their origins in Scotland and Ireland. There is nothing more classic than a cream cable sweater; it has an architecture all of it's own. There are several techniques involved. From the basic cable to what I choose to call travelling stitches. I have used cables in most of my swingcoats, along with other techniques.
Right.Diamond Swing has traveling stitches which I have used to create diamonds.
Diamond Cable Swingcoat
Travelling stitches are usually Knit stitches on a base of Purl or Moss. These stitches are moved across the Right Side of the knitting to create zig-zag or diamond texture pattern. The knit stitches are moved right or left across the surface of the knitting by 1 stitch every RS (right side) row.
Again a cable needle is used to move these stitches.
The Knit traveling stitches stay at the front of the work, crossing over the base of Purl stitches.Written as C2R or C2L - Cross 2sts to the Right or to the Left. C2R - place the next st onto CN (cable needle), hold at the back, K2, then P1 from CN. The 2 knit sts have moved across to the right by 1 stitch. C2L - place next 2sts onto CN, hold at front, P1, then K2 from CN.
The Knit traveling stitches stay at the front of the work, crossing over the base of Purl stitches.
With this in mind, I designed the Celtic Cross stitch pattern, which I have used in several designs. The traveling stitches create an 'X' pattern. This is worked on garter stitch - Wrong side rows Purl all stitches.
These patterns are created by increasing or making stitches at the same time as decreasing, always maintaining the same number of stitches across the row.
Stitches are created by working a yrn – yarn round needle – this is worked knitwise, by bringing the yarn forward between the needles, lay yarn over the right needle, as you knit the next stitch the yarn laid over the needle will create the stitch. The next stitch maybe K2tog – in this was the stitches across the row are maintained.
The increase stitches create the lace open work. Lace is generally an all over pattern repeat, often with both written instructions and a graph. The graph will show only the repeat, not the full width of the garment. Lace can also be used as a motif pattern, as I have used in the Hamlet Swingcoat design.
The Blocks Cardigan has lots of bobbles in Wool and Mohair. The pattern on this garment is worked in Intarsia, with a length of yarn per area of colour. However with the bobbles we are working 8 bobbles per pattern block. I use one length of yarn and carry this bobble to bobble across a row, then up to the next row of bobbles. This way I have two ends to sew in, instead of 16 ends (2 per bobble), also it is very difficult to put 2 end into the back of a bobble.
Other textures are created by increasing stitches for several rows, the increase stitches sit proud of the knitting creating a 3D pattern.
This increases the number of stitches across the row. The pattern will then decrease stitches back to the original number. This is generally a stocking stitch motif on a reverse stocking stitch.
Bell Stitch We can get really three dimensional and create an embossed Bell shape in stocking stitch on reverse stocking. Increase 1 stitch to 5 stitches, as with the bobble, but then continue along the row. Wrong side rows Purl these additional stitches. Work maybe 3 rows then start to decrease stitches back to 1 stitch. To keep the Bell shape symmetrical we decrease by working the first two sts and the last two stitches together. There are two different decreases for this, which keeps the shoulders of the bell looking alike: sl1, K1, psso, K1, K2tog = 3sts. These two methods of decrease position our stitches differently creating the shape of the Bell. The following right side sl1, K2tog, psso takes us back to 1stitch. I love the Bell shape, and have used it on the bodice of the Victoria Smock. On the cuff of this design I have added the extra stitches into the cast on edge, so the bells have formed a trim on the cuff.
LEAF LACE This combines making stitches to create lace, as well as the 3D effect. The leaf has a centre stitch, each side of the centre stitch we increase by YRN - Yarn Round Needle - so yrn, K1, yrn - so we have increased 2sts - one each side of our centre K1 - following WS (wrong side) row P3. We repeat this, the increased stitches of last right side becomes K1 either side of centre stitch - K1, yrn, K1, yrn, K1 - following WS P5. As we continue the Knit stitches before the yrn increase 1 stitch. Having worked 3 RS yrn increases you will have 6 increased stitches + the original centre Knit 1 - a total 7sts. These extra stitches create the 3D effect.
The trickiest part of working any texture, where we are moving or creating stitches, is wrong side rows. Wrong side rows rarely have any increase or decreases therefore you just have to maintain stocking stitch or reverse stocking stitch as the right side of the knitting.
Fit & Style
In these designs I find using a double pointed needle in a smaller size to pick up stitch (loops from the right side of the knitting) without actually knitting them. This allows you to check your pick up is even, count the stitches and see if more or less are needed. It is really easy picking up from a striped mitre – simply a stitch per stripe.
I also use this technique when picking up a neckline, using a circular needle. Pick up the loops from the knitting, count the loops, if you have too many you can knit two loops together. If you need more stitches you can spread the stitches out and see where you might have gaps where you can pick up extra stitches.
Necklines can be daunting, often you are taking stitches from a stitch holder; picking up from a cast off stepped even which is uneven, then up the side of the neck from a straight edge. Picking up and knitting at the same time it can be hard to achieve the correct number of stitches. By picking up loops with the circular needle, when you join the yarn and knit you can make the adjustment to stitch numbers. Don't try to pick up too close to the edge of the knitting as cast off decreases can show, it is better to be picking up slightly onto the right side of the knitting.
Intarsia & Fairisle starting with simple vertical stripes then advancing onto more intricate patterns and fairisle. The basic are very simple, again it is about following a graph and preparing yarn placement for the row ahead. I use garments from my range to show talk about skill levels, combining of Intarsia and fairisle and colour proportions. Techniques for achieving the best results include - Joining in a new colour, securing ends, carrying colours and how to cheat!
Fit & Style - full day class: This is great for any level of knitter, as it is about fitting to your body shape, unlike most knitting patterns which are straight up and down. I have being teaching this by commencing with the students knitting swatches, as home work then in the class we take body measurements. Ease and fit relates to the individual, so each student will work from their own body measurement, add ease, and calculate stitches, body length and fit. I use garments from my range demonstrate fit, style and ease, also pattern and colour.
↑ Return to top
Website developed and hosted by Virtual Creations


text:
About six or seven years ago, netbooks were the must-have piece of tech (ugh! I hate that word! Why have I just used it?). These dinky little lappies seemed to be the ideal solution for people who wanted to be able to do basic computer-based activities while on the move - things like browsing the world wide web, reading and writing emails, editing documents, playing simple games – but didn't want to have to carry a heavy and expensive full-sized laptop around with them.
However, the decline of the netbook was as rapid as its rise. Arguably, this was largely to do with the arrival of the iPad and countless similar devices running Android and other operating systems. These shiny touchy-feely tablets attracted people who wanted something for casual usage, things like browsing the web, reading and writing emails, editing documents, playing games. You know, the target audience of the netbook. But, in my opinion, which is of course important because this is my blog, I don't believe the fall of the netbook was just because of the invasion of tablets. And I believe that, even today, netbooks still have a place in the market. Not quite as big a place as they once had, but there's still a place for them.
For me, netbooks never quite got it exactly right. And tablets don't really tick all of the boxes that a potential netbook user might have on their checklist of things they want in a portable device. When they first made their bid for stardom, netbooks marketed themselves on their value. Not value for money, just value. In other words, they were cheap. But cheap doesn't always mean good. In the case of early netbooks, cheap meant nasty. Manufacturers did whatever they could to keep costs low, cutting back in many of the areas that made normal laptops expensive. They had low-spec processors, a small amount of memory, poor graphics and hardly any storage space. Of course, storage could be expanded through the use of memory cards, memory sticks and external hard drives. And there was also the idea that things could be stored online, although the scary world of easily storing things in clouds was still a few years away from becoming a proper reality. And despite the fact that they sold themselves as being little laptops, they were often surprisingly heavy and bulky. It was only really the screen and keyboard that was small. The actual casing of the device was often quite thick. Then there was also the issue that several of them didn't come with Windows. Instead, they had some variant of Linux. And although Linux is a perfectly adequate operating system and can be well-suited to the specs of these kinds of devices, it really isn't something that the general public want to have to use. My mum had an Acer Aspire One during the first netbook boom. Her first complaint about it was that she didn't know how to work it. It ran Limpus Lite, a Linux OS specifically tailored for low-powered netbooks. She was used to Windows, and because things were different, she didn't like it. But even when she began getting used to it, Linux just isn't as user-friendly as it should be. And the version included on her Aspire One was quite locked down. A bit of faffing with it, admittedly fun for somebody like me with a bit of interest in computers, freed up some of the functionality of it, but it didn't still make her jump for joy. And why in the 21st Century, do you need to type in nonsensical commands into terminal window to do basic tasks? Stuff like unlocking certain features or even downloading other applications. And if things went wrong, you were stuffed. Getting an error message saying that a program you are attempting to install is unable to resolve its dependencies means nothing to no-one – apart from Linux geeks. Leave that language in the background, not in the main user interface. I suppose it was my own fault for unlocking the locked-down parts of Linux. The screen resolution was also pants, with you having to scroll left and right on websites to fully view them. Making users scroll horizontally is a big no-no when designing websites, so having to do it because the computer you're using just isn't able to display web pages properly is going to dampen the experience. I recently borrowed my mum's old Aspire One just to find out if it really was as bad as I remember it – it's been in a box since 2009 after about two weeks of usage. After I spent half an hour of getting frustrated with it, it went back in its box. I just couldn't get any pleasure out of using it.
|An Acer Aspire One running Limpus Lite. Yuck!
Over time, netbook manufacturers seemed to address some of the complaints above. They began sticking extra RAM and storage space in them, made them look sleek, sexy and shiny, and through a special deal with Microsoft to grab back some of the OS market share that they were losing to freebie Linux, they installed Windows on them. But, these improvements didn't come cheap. Nope, netbooks suddenly got quite expensive, and appeared to retail for a price similar to that of a standard laptop. One of the key unique selling points of the netbook – its low price – seemed to vanish. At least this was the case when I came to look at netbooks for myself, probably around 2010, 2011, I couldn't find one for less than £200, apart from second-hand ones, and there were very few models still available.
Fast forward to today. Here we are in a world where everyone who wanted an iPad or similar has got one. Companies are falling over themselves to offer free storage of your documents online, or obscene amounts of storage if you pay them for it. But it seems that there is still a market for cheap, low-spec PCs. I have an iPad and a Google Nexus 7 tablet. And although I find them brilliant for casual usage (well, the Nexus 7 was brilliant until Lollipop came along and buggered it up), I have an issue with them for usage that isn't quite as casual, but doesn't require the use of a high-end jumbo computer. For instance, I get the train quite often to work and back and an ideal time to write entries for this blog is when I'm on that train. Or even at work when I'm on lunch. Unfortunately, doing so on a tablet just isn't really that great an experience. Okay, so I can make notes on them and expand on them when I'm at home at a computer, but I'd still like to be able to power up an ultra-portable laptop, tap tap tap away on a proper keyboard, and be productive when I'm out and about. Not to pass time by playing Candy Crush Saga. What I need is a small no-frills laptop. A netbook in other words.
Imagine my joy then when I noticed an advert on TV before Christmas for a laptop with an 11 inch screen, for less than £200. Yes, imagine. I don't need to imagine as I managed to get one, and I'll be talking about it in a bit. It seems that netbook-type devices have slowly been edging their way back into the market. And until now, nobody's really noticed. Not too long ago, Google developed Chrome OS and manufacturers began producing computers that ran it. These Chromebooks, as they like to be known, come in different shapes and sizes, but it seems that the little ones are quite popular. Running what is basically a web browser doesn't require much computing power. They also don't need a great deal of physical storage space as just about everything is done online. Applications are accessed online and documents are also saved online. So Chromebooks can be produced quite cheaply. It's well-known that Google and Microsoft aren't the best of buddies, and neither likes the other encroaching on their territory. Through their Chromebooks, Google are taking small bites out of Microsoft's large share of the operating system market. So Microsoft have retaliated.
Part of the cost of a new PC is the OEM licence for Microsoft Windows. This is usually paid by the manufacturer and passed onto the consumer. To encourage manufacturers to produce laptops with Windows on them, Microsoft have released a special version of it: Windows 8.1 with Bing. The operating system, which is almost identical to Windows 8.1 without Bing, can be installed for nothing (or next-to-nothing) by a manufacturer if the device uses certain low-end processors, and as of February 2015, has a screen smaller than 14 inches. As this makes the PCs cheaper to produce, it means that these savings can be passed on to the consumer.
Enter the HP Stream series. This is a family of laptops from HP with the Windows 8.1 with Bing operating system. The laptops come in 11 inch, 13 inch and 14 inch variants, and their cheapo operating system and associated low specs, enables them to retail in the UK for £179, £199 and £229 respectively*. Ooooh, cheap, low-spec little computers? Sounds like we're back where we were about seven years ago!
* prices were correct as of February 2015
So, is the netbook back? Have HP got it right this time round? Well, they're definitely a lot closer to hitting the mark. After seeing the TV commercial for the HP Stream, I decided to plump for the 11 inch version. I already have a 17 inch laptop with pretty decent specs, so if I need screen space and a bit more oomph to power whatever it is I'm doing, I've always got that. In my eyes, the HP Stream would be the little alternative I could pick up and use for anything else, and take on days out with me, and not be hampered by the limitations of tablets. I ordered directly from HP just before New Year as I'm eligible to get a little discount from them (I should note that I don't work for them though!), and was given a delivery date of a two weeks later. A couple of days before it was due to arrive, I received an email from HP telling me it had been delayed by a week, and was given a voucher code for 20% off accessories. As it happened, the laptop turned up only one day late, so the voucher code was a bit of a bonus. In fact, the HP Stream 11 is just a whole streamload of bonuses, as we shall discover when I decide to mention them.
HP have decided to release their Stream-branded laptops in two colours: blue and pink. One for the boys, one for the girls. Perhaps. Being a boy, I went for the blue option, but was a bit wary of what it would actually look like. Turns out I needn't have worried. The colour of the laptop itself is striking, but it doesn't look tacky. It's quite a deep blue, and I feel it suits the device quite well. The HP Stream isn't going to appeal to your serious corporate type, but it's not designed to do so anyway. That's not to say it can't be used for serious business. It's just that you might look a bit odd whipping one out in front of the board of directors, unless you're one of those wacky types who likes doing crazy things to be ironic. But, the blue does suit the device, and doesn't cheapen it like I feared it might. The casing is plastic, but is like a matt plastic, which again prevents it from looking and feeling cheap. Also making the laptop look deceivingly more expensive than it actually is, is the shiny silver HP logo on the back of the lid, and the words Hewlett Packard printed at the back of its base. Oh yes, it's a nice looking thing.
Things are equally as attractive inside. The blue theme continues around the screen and keyboard, although around the keyboard there is a polka dot effect and a gradient from dark to light blue. This sounds like it would be awful, but again, it actually works quite well here. The keys are a nice bright white with clear dark grey lettering printed on them. A trackpad and the power button are also situated near the keyboard. The bezel around the screen, which is quite wide, houses a webcam at the top and another HP logo at the bottom.
The sides of the laptop are home to all of its ports and slots, one for power, one for an SD card, two for USB, one for HDMI and one for headphones. With the lid down, the laptop looks quite sleek and thin. It's by no means a Macbook Air, but it's a step up from the bulky netbooks of old.
But of course, looks aren't everything. What matters is how usable this computer is as a computer. And, fortunately, it's very usable. As has been mentioned already, installed on the HP Stream is Windows 8.1 with Bing. Although Microsoft have discounted the cost of the OS, they haven't slimmed it down in any way. All they have done, and the reason that it has "with Bing" in its name, is that Bing has to be set as the default search engine. That's it. The manufacturer isn't allowed to change it. But you can, and you more than likely you will. That's if you can figure out how to. It seems that Microsoft have done a little something in Internet Explorer which throws up an error if you try to go into the "Add Search Providers" option and add another search provider from the list that appears. There are other ways of doing it, a quick Google will reveal how. Well, you'll be stuck with having to a quick Bing first to find out. Or you can just install Chrome and set Google, or whatever other provider of search that you wish to use, in that. But other than that, there is no other difference between Windows 8.1 with Bing and Windows 8.1 without it.
Powering up your computer for the first time takes you through the usual Windows set up, and to me seemed quicker than usual. The only thing to be careful of is a little section about your privacy settings, featuring options about what you do and don't want to share with Microsoft and/or HP. It's no different to what you get on any other Windows 8 PC, so there's no need for me to go into it in any detail. Once you're up and running, you may notice a few bits of crap cluttering up the already limited space on your hard drive, so it's best to get removing the junk before you start using your computer for real, just in case you accidentally remove something you shouldn't and need to start again.
One of the first things you'll notice, and probably the first thing to disappoint you, is that the screen quality on the HP Stream isn't amazing. It is high definition, but the matte screen seems to give it a bit of a filmy layer over the display, affecting the clarity and making things appear slightly washed out. The colours are also not particularly vibrant and the display itself can be quite dim. I use mine on its brightest setting, which isn't too bad, but in certain scenarios it could do with being brighter. Of course, setting brightness to the max affects battery life, so don't expect the Stream to run all day if you like things nice and light. Issues with clarity are more obvious when doing things like word processing, browsing the web. Watching videos and viewing photographs isn't too much of an issue, although I could imagine it potentially being more of one on the models with larger screens. The viewing angles are also not too great. Although this isn't really too much of a problem if you're using the computer at a desk, it can be if it's on your lap and you shuffle around a bit. I used my HP Stream on a train (to type some of this as it happens!), and found that the tray table and angle of the seat in front of me prevented me from opening the screen as much as I would have liked, so made it difficult to get a good view of what I was typing. However, the resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels means that documents and websites are displayed at a suitable resolution, so there's no scrolling left and right to view the entirety of whatever it is you're looking at. The screen isn't awful, but it isn't great. That said, the matte finish means there's no reflection on it, so it's not all bad.
The keyboard is almost full-sized, and, unless you happen to have a full-sized keyboard around to compare, you'd be hard-pushed to tell the difference. Something that I like, which my 17.3 inch laptop lacks, is the fact that the HP Stream has its own function keys, rather than having them shared with the numeric row of keys. Typing on the keyboard is a pleasure, and I feel that I can type at my usual rate, approximately two words per minute, just as well on the HP Stream as on other keyboards. A lot of PC reviews mention something about travel when talking about keyboards. I'm not sure what that means, but I'll say that this laptop's keyboard has good travel, and hope that that's a good thing. As with the casing, the keyboard doesn't feel cheap, and compares well with what you'd find on more expensive computers.
As for the trackpad, this isn't quite as brilliant. I've never been a big fan of trackpads, preferring to use a mouse instead, and used some of my 20% off accessories voucher to purchase a wireless one for this device (thanks HP!). The trackpad on the HP Stream doesn't change my opinion about them either. Windows 8 is all about swipes and gestures and stuff. If you don't have a touchscreen device, which is the case with the HP Stream - although I believe that there is a touchscreen version of the Stream 13 - you can do some of the gestures using the trackpad. Swiping from the right brings up the "charms" menu (grrrr!), and I'm sure swiping from other places does other things. But it's a bit hit and miss when it works, and to be honest, wasn't one of Windows 8's best features, so you're unlikely to want to do it anyway. The problem is, it's sometimes possible to accidentally bring up a menu by the trackpad misregistering an action as a swipe. Additionally, it doesn't always register what you have intended to do. Tapping the trackpad itself to open an application sometimes appears to make the computer think you've tapped elsewhere. You can however physically push down the bottom of the trackpad – pushing down on the left is a left click, pushing down on the right is a right click. I find it much easier to use this method to open applications and select particular parts of a screen, even though you sometimes need to give it a good push down, although I will always use my mouse where possible.
Just like the netbooks of old, the specs of the HP Stream aren't the greatest. It has an Intel Celeron N2840 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 32GB eMMC hard disk. The problem with the HP Stream is that, as it runs full Windows, it is theoretically able to attempt to run whatever Windows application you want to throw at it. Attempt is the key word here. Unfortunately, a lot of Windows applications require better specs than the Stream possesses to run well. Expect too much of it, and the Stream will disappoint. For day-to-day productivity and web browsing, the Stream is brilliant. But if you want to start editing the next Hollywood blockbuster or even play about with multi-layered photos in Photoshop, you'll be sitting twiddling your thumbs while the Stream decides what to do. Opening up multiple tabs in your internet browser, or having several applications running at the same time, will also cause things to slow to a crawl. Saying that though, for the purposes I purchased my Stream for, I've never really experienced any speed issues in regular use, and actually find it a nippy little thing. I tested loading up a load of stuff simultaneously just for the sake of this review, but it doesn't reflect how I would actually use it. Don't be put off thinking that all you can do with the Stream is type documents. The beauty of Windows is that there are many many applications out there that don't require much to get them going, which for retro gaming fans like me, includes computer and console emulators. I've also found that websites with online video like YouTube and Twitch run surprisingly well, even when plugged into a TV set through a HDMI cable.
While the processor and RAM can't be upgraded on the HP Stream, it is possible to add to the storage space. The device has a 32GB hard drive, but you'll find that about half of it is taken up with the Windows operating system itself and a partition which I assume contains files to restore things. You'll probably begin with 17GB of usable space, but this will quickly deplete as you begin installing other applications. One such application that you'll be likely to install shortly after taking possession of your HP Stream will be Microsoft Office. Why? Because it's free! The HP Stream comes with a year's worth of access to Microsoft Office 365 Personal. Office 365 is basically the full Office suite of applications (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and so on), but sold on a subscription basis instead of as a one-off. A year's subscription is usually about £60. The applications themselves get installed on your PC, meaning that you can use them offline. You are also able to save any documents onto your PC too. However, doing so eats into your valuable storage space. So, what Office now comes with is the ability to save documents in the cloud (this is standard on all current versions of Office, not just Office 365). When you set up your PC, you are asked to set up a Microsoft account. This gives you a OneDrive account, usually with the default allowance of 25GB of space, which is fairly generous. Any documents you choose to save to the cloud can go into your OneDrive account. However, once you activate your Office 365 voucher, you'll find that the allowance shoots up to 2TB, and Microsoft have recently announced that they'll be doing away with the storage cap completely. So, technically you'll have unlimited space to store whatever you want, and this isn't just documents you create in Office. It's a generous offer, and goes some way to solving the problem of a lack of storage space on the PC itself. Of course, this is partly the reason the HP Stream exists and why providing a large capacity hard drive isn't essential. Microsoft want to encourage people to use their cloudy offerings as standard, to compete with similar offerings from Google who want the same from their Chromebook. However, you're not limited to online-only with the HP Stream. Apps are stored on the device and documents can be saved to it too. It's just that you can get a lot more space if you choose to store things in the cloud. Additionally, you can increase the storage available to you on the Stream with an SD card, USB memory stick or external hard drive. Just remember that if you save something to OneDrive, you need to be online to retrieve it!
HP also appear to throw in a bit of temporary extra storage with Dropbox via one of the shortcuts on the desktop, so that's even more cloud-based storage for you to do what you want with it. How exciting. Of course, if storing your private and personal documents online isn't your bag, then perhaps this won't be the device for you.
The downside to all this temporary subscription stuff? It's temporary. Of course, you can extend your subscriptions to Office 365 and/or Dropbox, but this costs pennies. If you choose not continue you memberships after their free periods are up, you'll still have some use of them. The amount of storage in your OneDrive and Dropbox accounts will return to their default amounts. You'll still be able to access files that are stored prior to the reduction in space, but you won't be able to add additional ones until you've deleted enough to get you below the maximum space allocation, The Office installation on your computer will be limited to being read only, although you will still be able to access the online version of Office, and you can also now edit Office documents through Dropbox too. So all is not lost. And you may decide that Microsoft's Office 365 is actually a good enough product to keep paying for, in which case the HP Stream has served its purpose, both for you and for Microsoft too.
It's already been mentioned that the HP Stream isn't the most powerful of computers, and if you try to throw too much at it, it'll just laugh at you. Internally that is. You can't actually see or hear it laughing. In fact, it's pretty much a silent computer as it doesn't have a fan. Hmmm, I quite like how I linked from talking about the computer laughing at you to mentioning its silent fan there. I'd claim it was deliberate but it was just me spotting the opportunity and jumping on it.
Despite its lack of fan meaning that the HP Stream can operate without anybody knowing it's even on, it does pump out some volume from its speakers. A surprising amount of volume too. The speakers are under the laptop, which does baffle me to an extent. Surely it would muffle the sound if you're using the laptop with a cushion on your lap (can't recommend this though – might make it overheat! At least you won't get burnt legs though). But the sound is actually quite clear and crisp and loud. It uses HP's DTS Studio Sound. I'm not sure if that's a good thing, but it seems to work well in this case. There isn't much depth and bass to the sound it produces though.
Before I distracted myself by talking about its fan and sound, I mentioned that the HP Stream is no super computer. If you're into your games, as I'd expect you would be if you're reading this blog, the HP Stream will struggle with many of the more demanding (and not so demanding) current games. It'll just about cope with Minecraft, although that's with the most basic of settings. But, as this blog is primarily about old games, you'll find that the HP Stream is perfectly suited to old stuff. EA recently offered Theme Hospital for free as part of its Origin service, and that runs perfectly on the Stream. Emulators can be hit and miss, but this is more than likely down to problems with settings or the emulator's lack of Windows 8 support than the computer itself. I'm still yet to get a Mega Drive emulator working properly on my Stream. Kega Fusion refuses to go into full screen, although works fine otherwise. Gens will work in full screen but the diagonals on my control pad won't work, which hampers many games (although that might be an issue with my controller though). As for other systems, ZXSpin also doesn't appear to like full screen, whereas emulators like ElectrEM and VirtuaNES work great and MAME is amazing. There are so many emulators out there though that there's more than likely at least one for each system you wish to emulate that will work fine on the HP Stream. It's just a case of downloading and trying them.
In a way, the HP Stream lends itself perfectly to retro gaming. Despite the fact that back in their day, computer games could take forever to load, old games do have that element of being easy to jump into for a quick game. As the Stream lacks the space or the power to cope with games that demand it, it sort of forces you to play older games. As it loads up pretty much instantly and is so portable, you can be into a game within seconds. And, unlike tablets, you're not just limited to playing console games, either with touchscreen controls (urgh!) or with a controller plugged into it if you have the right accessories. Nope, you can also play hundreds and hundreds of computer games with a proper keyboard. And it is actually such a pleasure to play them on the Stream. I've been whizzing around Acorn Electron Chuckie Egg more in the last few weeks than I have for years. It's as if it's a dedicated retro computer, er, computer.
It's worth also mentioning the Windows Store. Although there are nowhere near as many apps as there are in the equivalent online bazaars for Apple and Android devices, there are still more apps than you'd ever need, and all the main ones are there (Facebook, Netflix, etc). And as Windows 8 was designed with tablets in mind, tablets which run on lower specced processors like that of the Stream, a great many of the apps also work fine on it. Ok, some are probably designed for touchscreen, but this may change as Microsoft appear to be refocusing on Windows as a desktop operating system, with the forthcoming Windows 10 reinstating some of the features that Windows 8 removed. Whether the HP Stream will be able to cope with Windows 10 remains to be seen. It may be able to cope with it, it just might not have the space to install it though! As another incentive to draw you into the Windows Store to find out what it has on offer, HP/Microsoft also throw in a £20 voucher to be spent in the store on apps, games, movies, whatever they have going.
Have I covered everything yet? Keys? Screen? Mousepad? Usability? Camera? Ah! The camera! Yes, the HP Stream has a webcam. It isn't the greatest, being a bit grainy and not displaying images in the highest of definitions, but if all you need it for is chatting to your mum on Skype, it's perfectly adequate. And Skype, which is preinstalled, does run well on the device. It might also be worth mentioning that your year long subscription to Office 365 Personal also gives you 60 minutes of Skype talk time. Of course, video calling to other Skype users is free, so i'm not sure what the 60 minutes actually does. I think it lets you phone people's phones from your Skype account.
As for the battery, I've found that it usually lasts for between five to six hours between charges. I doubt that you'll be using the computer for long periods of time so this is pretty good going.
So, all in all, as you've probably gathered seeing as this review has gone on longer than some of the essays I wrote at university many decades ago, I like my HP Stream 11. Yes, it has its faults. The screen could be better, and I find that I don't tend to use the trackpad when I can avoid it (although that's more down to me not liking trackpads). Apart from that, for the purposes that I wanted the Stream for, it does exactly what I want it to do. It fills that gap that tablets can't, gives me the ability to be both productive and have fun, and is small and light enough to be taken on journeys with me. I probably wouldn't use it as my main PC, but that's because I have other requirements for my main PC which the HP Stream just wouldn't be able to meet. But similarly, just as that other PC satisfies certain requirements, the HP Stream satisfies other ones better. I can't lug my main laptop onto a train and carry it around with me all day. It also just doesn't feel as immediately available as the Stream does. For many people though, it could serve as their main computer, as it can do a lot of everyday tasks, and it is available in larger sizes too.
Is it a Chromebook killer? Personally I think it's better than the Chromebook, just because of the fact that Windows is more versatile. You have access to a much wider range of applications, and the fact that it doesn't require you to be online pretty much all of the time gives you much more freedom as to how you can use it. Here in the UK, the Chromebook isn't as big a deal as it is in places like the USA, so it'll be hard to see if the Stream has any real effect on Chromebook sales. Over in the USA, the Chromebook appears to be most popular in schools. As there is meant to be an education variant of the HP Stream 11 on its way, it looks like HP are working on behalf of Microsoft to get Chrome out of the classroom.
Does the HP Stream signify the return of the netbook? This is more difficult to answer. The netbook was the right idea at the time of its original appearance, but just didn't really work. I think a lot of people purchased netbooks with higher expectations of what they were capable of. What they ended up with disappointed them, and they just didn't enjoy using them. As soon as tablets like the iPad came along, which were undeniably much more of a pleasure to use, people abandoned their netbooks. It's still true that tablets tick a lot of the boxes for many people, and there isn't a need for them to return to netbooks. But for others, tablets are just a bit too casual. They need something in between a tablet and a full-on all-singing all-dancing PC. And this gap can be filled by modern netbook-like devices, devices like the HP Stream. The market for them isn't anywhere near as big as it once was, as it will continue to be dominated by tablets and even large screen mobile phones, but there is definitely a market.
Phew! That took a long time to write! The computer is probably obsolete by now.


text:
Cupole is an hanging lamp characterized by a classical half-sphere shape.
Cupole hanging lamp is ideal to give a touch of creativity to any type of indoor environment.
Entirely made of recyclable polyethylene with rotational moulding technology, Cupole hanging lamp is available in basic colors, with a rough surface to the touch, in lacquered colors in both glossy and matt finish and in the bright colour light white. This lamp involves the use of 5 spotlights with GU10 maximum 9W (spotlights included).
Available also in the LED version Warm Spotlight (2700°K).
Ideal also for the contract.
Designer: Giò Colonna Romano
|ø 120 X H 60 cm
|21 kg
|Packing volume
|1,127 mc
|Delivery time
|20 working days + shipping (2-7 days)
Delivery times may vary due to supplier delays and they are not attributable to Mobilclick. You will always be contacted the exact day of the shipping.
Shipping costs can be calculated in the cart by entering the zip code of your city in the appropriate space (without proceeding with the purchase)
Request your customized quote with the request form!
We have studied a catalog for your company with even better prices.
Contact Us


text:
Editor's note: Daily News staff members will be sending in updates from different parts of Onslow and Carteret counties Tuesday and Wednesday. Some will be serious, some will be fun. To share your photos, click here. To share your observation, email firstname.lastname@example.com with your name and a general location.
Editor's note: Daily News staff members will be sending in updates from different parts of Onslow and Carteret counties Tuesday and Wednesday. Some will be serious, some will be fun. To share your photos, click here. To share your observation, email email@example.com with your name and a general location.
The suns gone down and the curfews underway in Richlands. I wont lie, I am ready for the snow and ice to thaw now that ive seen the forecast for the weekend!
-Amanda, 6:20 p.m.
The best part about snow days is the opportunity to be a kid. It doesn't matter if you're five, 15, 25, or 45, you can dress warm and run around with the best of them. That's exactly what my husband and I did. We ran around the yard with Chopper, our husky, until our feet were cold and our hands were numb. It was great and the perfect way to spend our first snow day together.
Now comes the fun part: I'll read a book and enjoy hot cocoa while he plays a video game and we both enjoy the quiet that comes with little traffic passing the house.
Hope everyone has enjoyed this snow as much as possible!
-Amanda, 4:57 p.m. Wednesday
The thing I think is forgotten about snowy days is the sky. That almost uniform charcoal grey that covers the sky. I don't know if it's technically any different from clouds that bring other precipitation, but there's just something special about it. Maybe it's the way it looks against the clean, white snow and how late in the day, you start to see shades of orange and yellow in the horizon from the sun that's been trying to break through all day long.
Things were quiet this afternoon in the Commons neighborhood in the northern part of Jacksonville. There were some kids sledding on a small hill between their house and their next door neighbor's house this morning. The hill wasn't exactly Kilimanjaro, but they seemed to enjoy themselves. You can tell which houses had children and which ones didn't by how many shoe prints were scattered around the lawns and driveways, which had become indescribable from each other. By about 2:30, almost everyone was settled in for the afternoon, save for a few cars bravely taking on the still icy roads and a couple dog walkers.
Conditions are still good for taking a walk and observing your neighborhood in its winter splendor. There's still time to listen to tree branches rustling in the breeze as the frost they accumulated makes them pop and crackle. There's still time to engage your inner child and build a snowman or get into a snowball fight. By the weekend, it's supposed to be in the lower 60s and the snow will probably be gone. Enjoy it while it's here.
Chris-3:19 p.m. Wednesday
I was pleasantly surprised today that we went through Wednesday night without any major power outages. It also made me think about one difference between losing power during a hurricane and a winter storm: I haven�t worried about losing anything in my freezer. If the power goes out, I�m putting everything out on my back patio. It has been that cold today.
Otherwise, there has been a little bit of melting in Swansboro. I can now see the top step on my porch.
-Jannette, 2:40 p.m. Wednesday
In Richlands, people are starting to stir. Kids have been out playing on and off while a few vehicles have driven by. It's cold. Even my husky isn't going outside for long, which was a surprise since I figured he'd be running crazy out there. We may venture to McDonalds later, but I doubt it. The ice on the roads makes me far too nervous for that. Luckily, we went grocery shopping so frozen pizza saved the day at lunch. Hope everyone's staying warm and comfy!
-Amanda, 1:13 p.m. Wednesday
The sun has been trying to peek out of the clouds for more than an hour here in Hubert. The snow is slowly melting and dripping off the roof at our house and turning some of the ice to slush on the back porch, but the rest remains frozen. More kids are out playing and men are out on four-wheelers driving through the mix.
-Katie, 12:44 p.m. Wednesday
Chopper the husky finds this temperature to be awesome, but he didn't seem to be a fan of skidding across the porch on his way back inside.
-Amanda, 5:58 p.m.
My husband and dog are napping while the ice continues to fall in Richlands. I think they're waiting for the fun part of this to start, whenever that may be. In the mean time, I think I'm about to start another disc of Gilmore Girls Season 1 since they only appreciate that while they're sleeping. Maybe it'll distract me from the sound of drivers who don't appear to be slowing down despite the conditions. Be careful driving folks!
-Amanda, 5:30 p.m.
Ice is still falling steadily in Hubert and looks like it has every intention of sticking on the roads. The wind sounds like it is picking up too. Cars have a thick layer of ice covering them.
-Katie, 5:24
Richlands is starting to look like a sheet of ice!
- Jessica M, 5:23 p.m.
After nearly no rain, sleet or snow all day, precipitation started coming down around 4:45 p.m. in Hubert and covered the street in minutes. The roads are white with ice, and as soon as the little pellets started pouring down kids could be heard outside yelling and playing in it.
- Katie, 5:19 pm
Just broke out the hurricane supply kit-turned-winter storm kit. Haven�t done this in a while. All quiet in my neighborhood in Swansboro. Cold rain/sleet going on and it seems everyone is settled inside.
--Jannette, 5:08 p.m.
The precipitation has started in Richlands. I guess the kids across the street ran inside just in time - they were outside playing just a few minutes ago.
-- Amanda, 3:15 p.m.
Officials have stopped traffic on N.C. 24 at the bridge between Swansboro and Cape Carteret. The temperature in the area is 28 degrees and officials are waiting on N.C. Department of Transportation. Officials recommend not traveling in the area until the bridges are open.
--John S., 1:50 p.m.
There isn't a whole lot going on in Richlands at this point. It's cold but the wind doesn't appear to be blowing and I've yet to see any precipitation. Chopper, my 90ish-pound husky, is napping as he waits for the fun part to begin.
--Amanda, 12:39 p.m.
Conditions have started deteriorating quickly in some local areas as rain turned to sleet as the winter storm moved in.
The Town of Pine Knoll Shores issued an update about 10:30 a.m. that indicated rain started on Bogue Banks earlier than expected, around 7:30 a.m. While the ground was initially wet, any surface that doesn�t hold heat soon after had ice.
The town said that it is now dangerous to walk on anything that could freeze quickly, such as wooden decks.
With icy rain being absorbed on tree branches, the town said power loss could be possible in the area, though no outages had yet been reported.
--- Jannette, 11:20 a.m.


text:
iGarageSale Launches on Android
Via News Release
"Minneapolis, MN (5/5/11) – Performant Design announced today the general availability of iGarageSale for Android smartphones. iGarageSale for Android provides the same great functionality offered by its popular iPhone app – allowing users to locate garage sales on a map near your current location.
iGarageSale for Android is available in two versions. iGarageSale Lite is free, and iGarageSale Pro is available for $1.99. The pro version adds the ability to search, track favorites, and more."


text:
False Allegations of Abuse Lawyers NYC
Falsely Accused of Abuse in Divorce?
Lawyers Fighting Against False Allegations of
Spousal Assault and Child Abuse
These accusations are not only reserved for men. We represent men and women from all walks of life who are facing Orders of Protection petitions, Department of Child Welfare or ACS investigations, and other legal obstacles because their spouse or partner is looking to gain leverage in a divorce or custody action by making false allegations of physical, sexual or emotional abuse against a partner, spouse or even their child.
We are quick to take action to protect your interests. We stress how important it is that our clients not speak to investigators or anyone else about these allegations outside our presence. We conduct an independent investigation, examine all of the evidence being used against you and make thorough challenges in whatever court necessary. We know that failing to do so can result in a chain reaction, where one professional relies on the (unreliable) opinion of another, which then becomes enshrined in the court record, like a snowball rolling down a hill. We seek to prevent this from happening at every single turn.
"In preparing for trial, I prepare for war, but always hope for peace." — Steven J. Mandel
If You Have Been Accused of Abuse, Violence or Neglect, Don't Wait. Get Experienced Legal Help Now. You'll Need It.
Find a real solution with the help of the lawyers of The Mandel Law Firm. We provide knowledgeable legal guidance and dedicated representation with proven results in a timely and cost-effective manner.
Contact us online, or by telephone toll free at (888) 2 WIN NOW (888-294-6669) or locally at (646) 770-3868 to speak with an experienced family law attorney.


text:
What a long, rough winter we've had this year. Record snows and cold had everybody hibernating! But it's May and the snow is gone and it's getting warmer. It's time to get outside!
We're itching to get back out there on the water and we want you to come with us. Whether you're visiting Cape Cod for a week or a weekend this season, we'd love to see you!
Our charters are ready roll and we're ready to have some fun. Join us on the Escape or the Elizabeth B for a great day of fishing. Stripers, tuna, bluefish … they're all there. Give us a shout to book your trip today at 508 776-0350 or make a reservation here.