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will let you know tomorrow when i pick up my s4
This is a discussion on iPhone vs. Android for UConnect within the Dodge Dart Electronics forums, part of the Dodge Dart Garage - The Mopar Zone category; I'm not sure if there is a thread like this... I use the search before anyone yells at me (which I've always sucked at btw ...
I'm not sure if there is a thread like this... I use the search before anyone yells at me (which I've always sucked at btw even though I am very tech savvy). ANYWAYS. My question here is, do you Android users see the title of the song and information when you connect it via USB? I wonder because I am wanting to sell my iPhone 4S to purchase a Galaxy S4. Yes I know it's fairly new and might not work with some features but down the road maybe with an update it will work. Regardless I'm just curious if Androids also have that feature? I know UConnect is powered by Gracenote, but I realized when I plug in my iPhone 4S the Uconnect recognizes it as "iPod" on the screen, so that is why I have the question.
will let you know tomorrow when i pick up my s4
i just switched cell companys today the s4 wont be in stock till tomorrow afternoon so i haveto go back and pick 2 of them up
Which cell company did you switch from? I just noticed the 714 in your name and was like "Hey I know that! It's an area code!" LOL I have Sprint... but since they are lagging it on 4G, next year I will be switching to T-Mobile. I love fast, but 3G on the iPhone is way to slow to cope with. I live in Pomona and attend college up north in Glendora, I know I put "Los Angeles" as my location just because everyone knows where Los Angeles is lol.
we switched from tmobile to sprint for 2 reasons 1... tmobile no longer has contracts so u have to pay full price for phones but plans are like $20 cheaper...soo no more upgrading with them...everytime u want a new phone u must pay the full price (most new phones are like 500-800$). 2 we both get better discounts thru our jobs for sprint....also if u didnt know...if ur a member of a credit union or AAA u get a discount...pricing for what u get at sprint is 1000x better then anything at tmobile...unlimited mobile to any mobile is awesome 99% of the ppl around have cells not house phones...we had tmobile for 10 yrs and we just switched. tmobile has extremely spotty 4g of any. plus there networks are loosing lots of signal in places where they should have medium to high (aka my house it would say i had no signal when i never had an issue before and it would be in the 2g area)
ok i just tested out the s4 wiht the uconnect and well it will not connect to it via usb cable and streaming it via blue tooth it dosnt show the song name or artist i still need to play wiht it a bit more to fully test it out
I'm in the exact boat as you as far as cellphone companies, but I am switching to T-Mobile. I don't mind paying full price as I do tend to sell my current phone, and then buy a new one which ends up being the same as buying with contract. (well not really, still like $100 dollars more expensive) but anyways, I did the math, and I would save up $100 a month by simply switching to T-Mobile. I like the flexibility they give you, in choosing +$10 for 2GB or +$20 for unlimited. At home I use WiFi and signal bars here is better than Sprints where I live. Not part of the credit union, but I have heard nothing but good things from them so good job in having that.
As far as the Galaxy S4 goes. I am jealous. 2ndly, thanks for checking up. In the future if there is an update of some sort check back to see if any functionality work
Last edited by dby2011; 05-02-2013 at 07:51 AM.
I had an iPhone5 and moved to the HTC One when it launched for Sprint a week ago. I like it more then the S4 and the iPhone5. I was hoping the text messaging feature would work with uConnect when I switched from iOS to Android but alas, still nothing. I had the same problem as you with the iPhone because I use Spotify and want the song info to be displayed while hooked up via USB but it will not do that like my Juke did.


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Download Feud for Google Search Apk File
Play 'Family Feud' against the top ten results in Google's autocomplete.
Google's hilarious autocomplete suggestions have been turned into a game. – The Verge
Google Feud tests whether or not you can guess how Google would autocomplete a search in a Family Feud-style game – Buzzfeed
It's called Google Feud, and it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like. – The Verge

subset: commoncrawl


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ABFE invites press from all publications to attend and cover this event. ABFE does not limited the number of badges per publication/radio/television press representatives and welcome journalists and photographers with open arms. Press badges may not be shared. Photography restrictions apply, see Show Producer; Mary Carter for celebrity show photo restrictions. Photographs taken at The America's Best Food Show are not to be sold to any other media outlet, organization or individual unless permission is granted by The Show Producer Mary Carter. Television Stations are asked to make advanced arrangements with The ABF Events (email Mary Carter – email@example.com to coordinate ideal locations for taped segments and live remotes.
Us | Mission
Statement | Exhibitor
Info. | Competition
Entry Form | Categories
Listings | Photo
Gallery | Slideshows
Hilton | Winners
Circle | Our
Sponsors | Health Dept. Regulations | Rules & Regulations | Link to Us


text:
Jane Price Hill, PE (Ret), MBA
Now retired, Jane Hill was involved with developing computer models for a
wide range of applications: predicting vehicular traffic patterns and volumes,
forecasting economic impacts of transportation facilities, estimating
commuter choice among various forms of transportation, evaluating the
expected impacts of demand side options for electric utilities, and predicting
the technical operation and resulting economics of distributed electric
In recent years, her work was concentrated in energy applications, specifically
determining the expected impact of on-site generation and demand side
options. To facilitate this work, she has developed detailed analysis models
which permit extensive manipulation and evaluation of hourly interval data.
Much of her experience has been in the industrial sector. However, she has
also worked with universities and state and local governments to evaluate
energy options and to develop reporting tools to document the results of energy
efficiency programs.
She has published a number of papers in the United States, Canada, and
Europe. These papers address cogeneration, peak shaving, waste-to-energy,
and economic implications of electric generation options.
She has served on the boards of the
Southeastern Energy Society
and the South
Carolina Chapter of the U. S. Green Building Council. A retired registered
professional engineer in Georgia and South Carolina, she is also a Certified
Energy Manager and a Certified Cogeneration Professional.
P. O. Box 2511
Bluffton, SC 29910
Links to Energy Information
American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Georgia Interfaith P&L
Southface Energy Institute
Southeastern Energy Society
Energy Information Administration
US Green Building Council
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Energy Central
Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance
SC Clean Energy Business Alliance
National Council for Solar Growt


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Las Vegas, Jan. 6th - 9th ,2015 – Tankya, A MFI manufacturer which focus on developing new MFI products, and we have many customers attended or visited CES 2015.
So Tankya sales team have been to CES 2015, and we have taken many cool & new products to have meetings with them, they are very interested in our new products because our products is different with the normal products in the market,
and our new products help some customers got big orders. This is very exciting, and we will continue develop new products to support our customers to seize more market.
Our new product in Jan -- Smart LED Lightning Cable (TKCB-061)
Glow in the Dark Lightning cable / Micro USB cable


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While Wakefield Country Day School was on spring break last week, a group of upper and middle school Spanish students traveled to Cuenca, Spain with their teacher, Gustavo Tisera. Students, while living and dining with local families, spent their days studying Spanish at a local school, canoeing and hiking the river gorges, and exploring the city's historic cathedrals and castle.
About Staff/Contributed 5507 Articles
The Rappahannock News welcomes contributions from any and all members of the community. Email news and photos to firstname.lastname@example.com or call us at 540-675-3338.


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MSI GTX1080 Gaming X SLI Review
Hitman Absolution
Published: 14th June 2016 | Source: MSI | Price: |
Hitman Absolution
We see a similar scenario in Hitman Absolution, as the 1080P doesn't really make use of the second card, but as you run through the resolutions it begins to take effect. Odd.
Most Recent Comments
Could we get the power draw for a locked / adaptive sync'd 60fps at 1080p / 1440p ?
Since 1080p is SO easy for these cards, It'd be interesting to know what watts you need to maintain solid 60fps performance (and the heat that generates).Quote


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Ringside Report Radio UFC FN 57 preview with Cub Swanson now online – Ringside Report + Wrestling Uncensored
Ringside Report Radio November 21, 2014. Hosted by Dave Simon and Fred Garcia.
Cub Swanson appeared on this episode to discuss his bout against Frankie Edgar at UFC Fight Night 57.
Simon and Garcia previewed UFC Fight Night 57 including the main event of Swanson v. Edgar, co-main event of Bobby Green v. Edson Barboza and the rest of the card.
All this and more MMA on this 1-hour episode.
UFC Fight Night 57
Saturday November 22, 2014
Austin, Texas, U.S.A.
—Main Card-Televised- 10pm Eastern- Fox Sports 1—
Frankie Edgar v. Cub Swanson- Featherweight
Bobby Green v. Edson Barboza- Lightweight
Chico Camus v. Brad Pickett- Flyweight
Oleksiy Oliynyk v. Jared Rosholt- Heavyweight
Jospeh Benavidez v. Dustin Ortiz- Flyweight
Isaac Vallie-Flagg v. Matt Wiman- Lightweight
—Preliminary Card- Televised- 8pm Eastern- Fox Sports 1—
Josh Copeland v. Ruslan Magomedov- Heavyweight
Luke Barnatt v. Roger Narvaez- Middleweight
Nick Hein v. James Vick- Lightweight
Akbarh Arreola v. Yves Edwards- Lightweight
—Online Preliminary Card- 7pm Eastern- UFC Fight Pass—
Kailin Curran v. Paige VanZant- Women's Strawweight
Doo Ho Choi v. Juan Puig- Featherweight
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 51:41 — 17.7MB)


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Did you mean: crowfeet
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Good spanking for lesbian slave girl. Bizarre lesbian femdom and bdsm from Germany.rn
7 min 35 sec- wim1000 tnaflix.com
Filthy Nurse fucks her own ass with a metal hook while crucified
Nurse Nasty Filth, aka Savannah Fox, sacrifices her ass for the sake of the patients at the mental hospital. The Director comes on her faces, then leaves it there to dry as he crucifies her and make her fuck her own ass with a metal hook and a pulley system. Then the big cocked Dr. Cockteau plows her asshole.
5 min 37 sec- Assylum tnaflix.com
Dutch Slut Punished in BDSM Cellar
A merciless painful training for submissive Dutch slut Veronica. In a BDSM cellar in Belgium. Tied up and crucified and spanked with a whip all over her body
12 min 47 sec- carmenx tnaflix.com
Extreme BDSM Training my wife Helga 47 years
Yes she deserves it. Extreme private BDSM from Germany. My 47 years submissive wives gets a total training. Bondage Spanking MouthFucking Real Pain and crucified on our wall.
8 min 56 sec- carmenx tnaflix.com
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Kara gives an awesome footjob with black nail polish and toe rings. She gets the huge load so wants so bad. www.karasfeet.com
6 min 15 sectnaflix.com
You need to be well prepared for this one because this girl even got her eyes fucked Bound and restrained big titted blonde got an extremely rough deepthroat and got analed harder than in her worst nightmares She finished crucified against the backdrop of a barn A carved pumpkin head covering her head Darling was reduced to just a pair of tits and pussy decorating the farm
3 min 3 sec- liambdsm tnaflix.com


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Time for even MORE stress.
The sharp eyes of MPOGD have noticed that FilePlanet has launched the announcement for the Pirates of the Burning Sea stress test #2 and written a special feature to get you started.
WHAT: Pirates of the Burning Sea, the MMORPG featuring high seas action and adventure in a bold world of pirates and plunder, is scheduled for its second stress test Thursday, November 15th through Sunday, November 18th, hosted by File Planet.
HOW: Players who are interested in participating need to set sail for http://www.FilePlanet.com to sign up for the weekend play test. Players will be allowed to register starting Monday, November 12th, with current FilePlanet subscribers getting the first go at access into the game.
Once registered, players will be taken to a page with both a link to the Pirates installer and a Stress Test key. The key will not be active (able to be consumed) until 3:00 PM PST on Thursday November 15th. Players will be able to play the entire three days of the Stress Test., or until they hit the level cap of 20.
For all the details on getting in (like when it is), hit the feature at MPOGD.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Pirates of the Burning Sea Game Page.


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Music, bean bag and the parade highlight 2017 Fun Fest
After the success of last year's New Richmond Fun Fest, New Richmond Area Chamber Director Rob Kreibich expects this year's lineup to be even better.
"Last year was the best year we have had in probably a decade. We had struggled on Saturday nights, but we did really well that night last year," Kreibich said. "The only thing that will make a big difference in attendance this year is probably the weather. But we will have a huge tent this year to make sure things can keep going on even if the weather isn't the greatest."
One of the biggest changes at last year's Fun Fest, which will be held at Cyclone Park, was moving the annual parade to Sunday at 12:30 p.m., which according to Kreibich, was well received and saw some of the biggest crowds in the recent history of the parade.
"Last year was a transition year, moving the parade back to Sunday. And I think the crowds returned to what they always were and we are hoping to build on that momentum with more music and units in the parade," Kreibich said. "I think we are on pace to have over 100 units this year, which would be a return to the glory days of the past."
The parade route is the same, with just a slight change to the grandstand position on the route. The parade will start at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, July 16 and will proceed from High Street to Sixth Street. The grandstand will now be located in front of the chamber building in hopes that the sound will reach a larger area of spectators. Line up for the parade starts at 11:30 a.m. Parade entries will be taken until July 7. Contact the Chamber for more information.
One of the biggest changes to this year's festivities is the bands who will be headlining Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
"We have changed up the music a bit this year. We've had the Dweebs for nine or 10 years now, so we are excited about having some new bands, like Paisan & The Family Brass," Kreibich said.
Rural Route 5 will kick off the festival on Thursday night (7-11 p.m.), while newcomer Paisan & The Family Brass will headline Friday night (8:30-10:30 p.m.). Leading into Paisan will be Gravel Road (6-7:30 p.m.). Local band Dream in Green (6-7:30 p.m.), which is made up of New Richmond High School graduates, will open for fan favorite Rhino (8:30-11:30 p.m.) on Saturday night.
"We invited Dream in Green to perform on Sunday after the parade and they did so well that we asked them back to be our lead in on Saturday," Kreibich said. "So we are looking for a band on Sunday. A teenage band that we can launch like we did Dream on Green. Maybe next year they could lead into someone."
Saturday will also feature the fourth annual bean bag tournament from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m. in Cyclone Park. Check in is 9 a.m. Register online at newrichmondchamber.com; or mail/drop off a completed registration form, along with the registration fee to the Chamber office. The annual car show will also be held throughout the day on Saturday.
There will be one additional food vendor at this year's Fun Fest, which will increase the festival's number of food options to six. This year's vendors include: the VFW, NR Band Boosters, New Richmond Youth Hockey Association, St. Mary School, Faith Community Church (new this year) and Westfields Hospital & Clinic, which will be serving healthy food fair.
"We will have food all weekend long, which is an affordable way for the family to eat," said Michelle Scanlan of the New Richmond Area Chamber. "We have encouraged all of those non-profit vendors to try and keep their meal prices around $5."
The Chamber will be offering a shuttle service Friday and Saturday night from Cyclone Park to downtown to encourage people to patronize the downtown establishments. The Chamber is also offering area businesses or organizations the chance to set up a booth at the festival in order to advertise themselves. There are about three to four slots left. Contact the Chamber if you are interested.
"We are excited about the elements we have pulled together this year," Kreibich said. "We are unique in the sense that we are still a four-day festival, while other communities have had to shorten their festivals to one or two days recently. Because this event is still four days long, we do require a lot of volunteers to run and organize everything. This event would never take place without all of our ambassadors, board members and other volunteers. We want to salute all the people who give their time to make the event great."
Wristband hours for the carnival are 6-10 p.m. Thursday, noon-4 p.m. Friday and 2-6 p.m. Sunday.
Visit newrichmondchamber.com for more information on the Chamber sponsored events. See the B Section wrap in the July 13 edition of the New Richmond News, as well as the advertisement in the July 9 New Richmond Express, for more information on the non-Chamber sponsored event going on in New Richmond during this year's Fun Fest.


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There used to be one drink of choice to warm yourself by the fire: a glass of scotch or bourbon. Crisp cold beers, after all, are for the summertime, and the once-slim selection of brews couldn't stand up to the rich, deep, warming character of whiskey. No longer. A growing number of craft brewers are bringing a caramel, smoke, and alcohol punch that's just right for a winter day.
Food & Drink
The Best Cold-Weather Beers


text: A Victorian building in North London that has fallen into disrepair is being transformed into a community asset. Known as the Bothy, the Grade II listed space was left to the benefit of the people but has been empty for over thirty years. Work has started to turn the former agricultural sheds into a centre offering counselling and psychotherapy services for children, young people and families by local charity The Terapia Centre.


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The Public Enemy (1 of 4)
Well, I found it. I found a gangster "classic" I didn't like. Allow me to introduce you to The Public Enemy a 1931 Warner Brother's movie directed by William A. Wellman (who I will attempt to avoid from here on out). Staring James Cagney, Jean Harlow and Edward Woods it's too bad none of these could help it.
The Public Enemy is a melodramatic, ham-handed and over-acted snore. Its plot is weak, its purpose completely void and there is no heart. The story is the typical "rough-childhood" experience turned a boy into a criminal (maybe that's why they call this a classic? It may have started that terrible trend?). But without a moral (besides for the foreword from WB) and without any sympathetic characters the movie becomes laughable and boring.
Tom Powers is a bad boy, not the cool bad-boy attitude that we love our gangsters to have, but that twerpy kind that you just want to backhand constantly. The movie begins in 1909, pre-teen years of Tom, he steals some pocket watches and gets them to his "boss" Putty Nose (What the what kind of name is that anyway?), Putty Nose hires him as a full-time little crook. Cut to 1915 (Yes, exactly 1915. I know because of the big bold numbers flashed across the entire screen this is the most effective way of showing time has passed). Tom Powers is in his late teens (6 years later) but he looks twenty-five. Putty calls in a favor that will make Tom and buddy Matt "big timers!" Oo boy. How exciting. He gives them guns, they blow the job and are forced into hiding.
Years later they work for another guy, Paddy Ryan (who is naming these guys!?). Paddy is a bootlegger and gets them rich. Of course they don't know what to do with the money and since they are uneducated muscles, and nothing more really, their quick rise to power proves once again that "those who live by the gun die by the gun". Or something like that. (Matthew 26:52).
See those expression? That is great acting.
When another gangster dies an accidental death, a war breaks out and Paddy's bootlegging days are over. The first to go must be his muscles. So Tom Powers must die, but don't worry you're not involved in him as a character anyway. You'll just be glad it's almost over.
Also mixed in is some terrible acting from the cast playing Tom Power's entire family. His mother and brother are especially horrendous. Even Cagney is nothing spectacular, playing too far into the gangster attitude he turns it into a caricature. And Jean Harlow should have never appeared in movies. Yuck. Reminded me of that Eye of the Beholder Twilight Zone episode…
How is this woman supposed to be the "babe"!?
Avoid this "classic" at all costs. If you're watching a gangster film from the '30s spend your time on Scarface, not this diaper of half-brained performance slaughterings. In fact, watch the first five minutes of Tom's early years and you'll get a taste for the entire film. Wellman letting these children "act" the way they did, proves his inadequacy as a director, and the fact is only supported by the 78 minutes of excruciating evidence afterward.
The Public Enemy is only avoiding my half-point review score because of Cagney's influence on gangster performances. Even if future actors had to tone it way down to be taken seriously.
Just one question for anyone reading: does this movie deserve any of the credit it receives? Comment in the sidebar!
<—— Over and Up


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Spring has arrived! At my home in Midpines, my garden is filled with the yellow faces of daffodils, and the crimson-purplish hues of the redbud decorate my commute in the Merced River Canyon. Being a native of New England, where springtime weather (i.e., when one can comfortably don shorts) doesn't begin until June, I love living in a climate that permits hiking in shorts and a t-shirt in March.
My personal rite of spring is the hike to upper Yosemite Falls. Today, I made my annual trek to the top, accompanied by warm sunshine and a clear blue sky. Every season this hike offers a new perspective. One year a black bear greeted me on the trail, another year I hiked most of the way on snow. This year with the exception of seasonal creeks crossing the way, the trail was completely dry. However, at the top of the ridge, snow still survived in haphazard patches.
For those who have not made the trip to the top of Yosemite Falls, I highly recommend the experience. Leaning on the railing and watching the pure white water tumble over the cliff, while listening to the constant roar of the rushing water lulls me into a meditative state. Nature truly is magnificent in her artistic expressions!
The view from the top also afforded me a chance to check out the snow in the high country. The Clark Range stood proudly in the landscape, decorated with snow, but not completely covered. Half Dome has a thin layer of frosting on its head.
The Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point is still closed, and with good reason as I could see the many parts of the trail still immersed in blankets of snow. Unlike the Falls Trail, the Four Mile Trail is located on a north facing ridge and doesn't receive the same treatment from the sun. I think this disparate treatment is highly unfair as often the Four Mile Trail isn't accessible until late May or June and by that time the road is already open and Glacier Point becomes reachable by car. I find that after I've hiked four miles and achieved over 3,000 feet of elevation gain, seeing a car at the end of my journey dampens my experience.


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You're probably already making Halloween cards, right? Why not stop by Little Red Wagon Challenge and link up. If you need some inspiration, be sure to stop by the Girlfriends blogs, they always inspire. Can't wait to see your projects!
I would also like to enter the following challenges:
Inkspirational Challenge - #94 Cute Halloween
Addicted to CAS - #75 Spooky


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e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Engineering Simulation andAerospace Computing (ESAC),Northwestern Polytechnical University,P.O. Box 552, 710072 Xi'an,Shaanxi, China
Department of Energy Sciences,Lund University,P.O. Box 118, SE-22100 Lund, Swedene-mail: email@example.com
1Corrresponding author.
Contributed by the Advanced Energy Systems Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF Energy Resources Technology. Manuscript received July 3, 2012; final manuscript received December 24, 2012; published online May 27, 2013. Assoc. Editor: Mansour Zenouzi.
In order to achieve higher thermal efficiency and power output, the gas turbine inlet temperature of gas turbine engine is continuously increased. However, the increasing temperature may exceed the melting point of the blade material. Rib turbulators are often used in the midsection of internal cooling ducts to augment the heat transfer from blade wall to the coolant. This study uses computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to investigate side-wall heat transfer of a rectangular passage with the leading/trailing walls being roughened by continuous or truncated ribs. The inlet Reynolds number is ranging from 12,000 to 60,000. The detailed three dimensional (3D) fluid flow and heat transfer over the side-wall are presented. The overall performances of ribbed passages are compared. It is suggested that the usage of truncated ribs is a suitable way to augment the side-wall heat transfer and improve the flow structure near the leading edge especially under the critical limitation of pressure drop.
Various cooling methods for a turbine blade
The rectangular duct with ribs (unit: mm)
Rib configurations
Grid of numerical model
Centerline Nusselt number, Re = 8000
Velocity contours at different planes, Re = 20,000
Temperature contours on the side-wall, Re = 20,000
Heat transfer and pressure drop
Normalized Nusselt number and friction factor
Centerline normalized Nusselt number
Streamwise direction of Nusselt number at different z/H, Re = 20,000
Thermal performance of both rib configurations
Heat transfer coefficient versus pumping power
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How to get Relief from Coccyx Pain
A coccyx or tailbone injury leads to pain and discomfort in the tailbone region (the condition is known as coccydynia or coccygodynia). Generally, Coccyx Pain can be a consequence of injury to the coccyx during a fall, extensive sitting on a hard or narrow surface, degenerative joint changes, or vaginal childbirth.
Most pain suffers has experienced that a coccyx pain usually gets sharp during some specific activities, for example sitting, rising from a seated to a standing posture or continuous standing. Defecation and sexual intercourse may also become painful. For women, tailbone pain could make menstruation painful as well.
Medical experts believe that although tailbone pain may be slow to heal, but the majority of coccyx injuries can be managed with conservative treatment. Here are some suggestions, which a patient can follow to get relief from coccyx pain :-
- Improve your sitting position. Trying to keep your back firmly against the chair, knees level with your hips, & feet should be flat.
- Lean forward while sitting down.
- Use Coccyx Pillows to get instant pain relief, because these pillow to help take pressure off the coccyx when sitting. There are large of coccyx cushions available in the market, but you can use any type of pillows. For more information check Top 10 best coccyx pillows.
- Avoiding sitting for prolonged periods, or placing any pressure on the area, as much as possible.
- You can use some Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS). The most widely used NSAIDs are ibuprofen, naproxen and COX-2 inhibitors, that really help lessen the inflammation around the coccyx which is usually a cause of the pain.
- Applying ice or a cold pack to the area repeatedly a day to the affected region for the first couple of days following the pain starts. Applying heat or a hot pack to the area is suggested after the first few days.
- If the tailbone pain is triggered or elevated due to irregular bowel movements, then high fiber diet and drinking plenty of water is highly recommended.
If the pain is prolonged or intense, then following options should be followed to get relief from coccydynia:-
- Injection :- A local injection of a local anesthetic (lidocaine) and steroid (to lower swelling in the area) can offer some relief from coccyx pain for a few weeks.
- Manipulation :- Some sufferers get pain relief through manual manipulation, under which massaging is carried out towards the muscles connected to the tailbone to get relief from tailbone pain. Manipulation is usually done through the rectum.
- Physical therapy :- Gently stretching the ligaments linked to the coccyx can be beneficial. A physiotherapist or other properly skilled healthcare specialist can offer guidance about the exercises to improve your abdomen and pelvic floor. Physical therapy with ultrasound examination is considered very good option for getting pain relief from coccyx pain.
- Surgery :- During this procedure, which is termed as a coccygectomy, the coccyx is surgically removed. This method is typically only advised when all other treatment options are unsuccessful.


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Can you pay your tax bill?
Sometimes after filing taxes, we get nervous about what may happen if we receive a tax bill. And not just any tax bill, but a hefty one from the Internal Revenue Service. What can you even do if you can't afford it? Many may ignore it – which is not a good decision and will lead to a bigger problem. Minneapolis tax attorney, Tax Tiger, can help you if you become overwhelmed and stressed about your tax bill.
You aren't alone
According to the IRS, you aren't alone when it comes to needing help paying a tax bill. There are 5 million taxpayers out there who can't front the money so there are a couple of alternatives.
Extend your payment period
The IRS allows for an extension on your bill for up to 120 days. If you think this is ample time for you to gather the money, this may be your best situation.


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Itâs tough, isnât it? Having an investment out there and being patient enough to just let it run its course is something that is difficult for even the most seasoned of veteransâbut especially so for those trading on the Forex! Le Forex, or Foreign Exchange market, is where nations, investment banks, and other investors come to exchange currencies. Nearly two trillion dollars exchange hand in a given 24-hour period of trading (the market is open 24 hours per day, Sunday through Friday) making the Forex the largest and most fluid market in the world. Investors love the Forex because it is simple and has plenty of opportunity for profit thanks to its volatility.
Forex Emotions Archives
As a forex trader you have to learn how to take losses. Period. Don't be a crybaby. Learn how to take losses.
Learning how to take losses is one of the most important lessons you must learn if you want to survive as a trader. Nobody is 100% right all the time.
Losses are inevitable. Even Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods lose sometimes and they're considered the best in their field.
There will be trading streaks where you'll have a number of successful consecutive trades, but that will eventually come to an end you will take a loss.
As that point itâs very important not to lose your head, you must remain in control of yourself. Don't have a cow man.


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In this Pixelmator 2 project, you will work with layers as well as a number of other tools and techniques to create a realistic looking paper receipt such as you might get from a cash register.
Purchase this tutorial for $1
I recently needed a grid, and Pixelmator, as you may have noticed, does not include a grid generator in the Effects Browser. This little tutorial will show you how use the Bars generator to create a grid quickly and relatively easily.
In this Pixelmator 2 project, you will use a number of transformations and effects to create a lakeside reflection of a classic castle.
In this short project you will learn how to use Pixelmator 2 to quickly and easily get a pencil sketch effect.
The original picture of the girl is by Jakub Wyskiel. If you would like to download it, click here.
In this quick project, you will use Pixelmator's Gradient Tool to create text whose color changes as the background color varies.
© 2019 - Pixelmatortutorials.net
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Walter Zapp
Walter Zapp
Walter Zapp (2000)
|4 September [O.S. 22 August] 1905
Riga, Russian Empire (now Latvia)
|17 July 2003 (aged 97)
|Estonian (Baltic German)
|Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika (VEF)
Minox GmbH
|Known for
|Invention of Minox subminiature camera
Walter Zapp (Latvian: Valters Caps; 4 September [O.S. 22 August] 1905 – 17 July 2003)[1] was a Baltic German inventor.[2] His greatest creation was the Minox subminiature camera.[3]
Zapp was born in Riga, Governorate of Livonia (now Latvia).[2] In 1932, while living in Estonia, he began developing the then subminiature camera by first creating wooden models, which led to the first prototype in 1936.[3] It was introduced to the market in 1938. Minox cameras were made by VEF (Valsts Elektrotehniskā Fabrika) in Latvia. VEF made 17,000 Minox cameras.
During the Spring 1941 Resettlement of Baltic Germans, Walter Zapp moved to Germany. From 1941 to 1945, he worked on the development of electron microscopy at AEG in Berlin.
After World War II, in 1945, he founded the Minox GmbH in Wetzlar, Germany. The company still exists.
In 2001, when he went to Latvia for the last time, he said that he had gone to celebrate his 100th birthday in Latvia. He died aged 97, in Binningen near Basel, Switzerland.[2]
The innovative design and technical solutions of Zapp's camera were patented around the world. VEF received 66 patents in 18 countries for Zapp's inventions.[4] Later in the 60's, Zapp was named as the inventor in several patents granted to Minox GmbH for improvements and modifications of a subminiature camera.[citation needed] On the beginning of 90's, Zapp patented his last invention, the Minox T8 pocket telescope.[citation needed]
Walter Zapp (1944). "Ein russisches Galvanometer". Physikalische Blätter (in German). 1 (9): 138–140. doi:10.1002/phbl.19440010907.
Awards and honors[edit]
In 2001, Walter Zapp received a honorary doctorate of the Latvian Academy of Sciences and was decorated with the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana for his special services to the Republic of Estonia.[5] Eesti Post has issued a Europa postage stamp in 1994 to commemorate Walter Zapp and his patented invention (Estonian patent No. 2628), the Minox subminiature camera.[6]
See also[edit]
- ^ "Walter Zapp". Find A Grave. Retrieved 20 December 2010.
- ^ a b c Apinis, Pēteris (2006). A Hundred Great Latvians. Riga: Nacionālais apgāds. p. 126. ISBN 978-9984-26-288-8. OCLC 238892134.
Walter Zapp was born on 4 September 1905 in the family of a Riga merchant. His father was a British subject, but his mother was a Baltic German.
- ^ a b "Rangefinder". 59 (12). December 2010: 98.
- ^ Pēteris Skorovs. "Minox Patents". Historical patents. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
- ^ Teenetemärkide kavalerid: Walter Zapp Retrieved 24 August 2013.
- ^ "EUROPA. Eesti patendid/ 072-06-1994". Postmargid. Eesti Post. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
Further reading[edit]
- Morris G. Moses, John Wade. Spycamera: The Minox Story. 2nd, illustrated edition. HOVE FOTO BOOKS SATTER Incorporated, 1998. ISBN 1874707286, ISBN 9781874707288
- D. Scott Young. Minox: Marvel in Miniature. 1st Books, 2000. ISBN 1-58721-068-1
- Hubert E. Heckmann. MINOX The Queen of Spy Cameras, Variations in 8x11. Wittig Books, 2012. ISBN 978-3-88984-153-7
External links[edit]
|This Latvian biographical article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.


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GearDuino controller is designed for the robot lovers developed a multi-functional practical controller, it will double dc motor driven (TB6612FNG), 4 road digital interface (which can be driven steering gear), 4 road simulation interface, 4 road IIC interface and 1 serial port integration in together, let you can immediately start your robot assembly suite and smart car projects without having to add additional devices.
Humanized row seat color instructions, allowing you to easily distinguish between power supply and signal lines, this design is not only compatible with most of the existing sensor design, also reduced the sensor plug error probability, to bring you more convenient products experience.It has a high triple-a driving power, 6-12v wide input voltage, and only two pins are required for each motor drive to make programming easier.The GearDuino controller is based on the ATmega328P chip, which is the same as Arduino UNO, which you can launch directly from the Arduino IDE 1.8.0 or updated version.
More importantly GearDuino supported Mr Loose programming SuperBlockly online programming function of cloud, you can through the way of high similar to play toys with pieces of graphics object construct application, make the programming more simple and intuitive.
Exquisite workmanship,Superior quality
Logo clearly,Convenient operation
Attention to details,More beautiful


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|Pennsylvania Code - Title 67 - Part 1A - Chapter 159
|New Pneumatic Tires (Extracts).
|Official Title:
|Pennsylvania Code - Title 67 - Transportation - Part 1 - Department of Transportation - Subpart A - Vehicle Code Provisions - Chapter 159 - New Pneumatic Tires (Extracts).
|US State:
|Amendment Level:
|March 2004
|Number of Pages:
|Vehicle Types:
|Car, Component, Light Truck, Trailer
|Subject Categories:
Our online subscription service, offering immediate access to our extensive library of global vehicle regulations, standards and legislation. A fully searchable, accurate, user-friendly resource for consolidated regulations that are updated quickly and frequently.
Our fast and easy means of purchasing up-to-date global vehicle and component standards and regulations on a pay-as-you-go basis. Pay securely by credit card and your documents are delivered directly and immediately to your computer as PDF files.


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Kristin Cavallari: Raising Baby Camden On Her Own
The former reality star has only been a mom for a couple months, but she's had to do it mostly by herself! Find out why.
Being a first-time mother isn't easy, but it's especially difficult when the baby's father is never around — just ask Kristin Cavallari.
"He's gone all the time," the former The Hills star told InTouch magazine of her fiance and baby daddy Jay Cutler, who is the quarterback for the Chicago Bears.
Kristin and Jay welcomed their first baby Camden Jack Cutler on Aug. 8 — just in time for football season.
"Jay's schedule isn't great, so I'm taking on more responsibilities," she told the magazine, adding it's been "hard" keeping the romance alive.
"You have to make time for your relationship," she said.
Hopefully the rumors of their relationship being on the rocks isn't true!
What do YOU think of what Kristin said HollyMoms?
More Kristen Cavallari News:
- Kristin Cavallari: I Owe My Post-Baby Body To Breastfeeding
- Kristin Cavallari Reveals Perfect Post-Baby Body Two Months After Birth
- Kristin Cavallari Debuts Baby Camden Jack


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The heavens are lining up and a stunning blood red moon will grace our sky tonight during a special total lunar eclipse.
If you're anywhere in Australia, you'll have a ringside seat — weather permitting — to the first total lunar eclipse since 2015.
Those in the west will get the most mind-bending view if the sky is clear.
For much of Australia, the eclipse also just happens to fall on the second full moon of the calendar month — otherwise known as a "blue moon".
You may have read that this event is first time a "blue, blood moon" has happened in 150 years. While it's a relatively rare combination, some parts of the world (including Australia) were lucky enough to see a total lunar eclipse on a blue moon just over 35 years ago.
A total lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth's shadow moves across the Moon, blocking out the light from the Sun.
The first of two total lunar eclipses this year will be visible right across Australia, Asia, the west coast of North America and the Pacific.
And it will be a beauty, says astronomer Tanya Hill of the Melbourne Planetarium.
"This one is going almost right into the centre of the Earth's shadow, so it will be lovely and long," Dr Hill says.
Shadow across the Moon
Everyone across Australia will see the Earth's shadow glide across the Moon at exactly the same time over three hours starting from about 10:48pm (AEDT) (see timezone conversions below).
"Slowly you'll see that shadow move across the Moon until it completely engulfs it. That's when we have the beautiful colour of totality forming," Dr Hill explains.
"After an hour or so the Moon will start to emerge and you'll start to see the moon brightening up as it completely drifts away from the Earth's shadow."
And you don't need special equipment to see it.
"If you do have a telescope or binoculars you do get to see a better or closer view, but it's certainly not required to watch that shadow cross," Dr Hill says.
Astronomer Brad Tucker of the Australian National University says the red appearance is caused by the light filtering and bending properties of our atmosphere.
"That red appearance is really the sunrise and the sunset of the Earth falling on the Moon," he says.
When to watch the eclipse
Everyone in Australia will see the full eclipse, but people living in eastern states will get a different view to the west.
While the eastern states will see the full eclipse high in the sky, those on the west coast will see the eclipse start just after the sun sets and the moon rises.
"They'll have a really fantastic view of this strangely large moon as it wanders into Earth's shadow," Dr Hill says.
This extra big moon is not because it's a "supermoon"; it's an optical illusion that makes things on the horizon look bigger.
A simple way West Australians can test this is to hold your thumb next to the Moon at the beginning of the eclipse, then put your thumb against the Moon when it is higher in the sky.
"You'll see that it hasn't changed size at all," she says.
How rare is rare?
You may have read that a "blue, blood moon" is a "once-in-a-lifetime" event. That's true only if you live in North America.
The last time people living in North America saw a total lunar eclipse on a blue moon was on March 31, 1866. This eclipse was not a "supermoon". Nor was it visible from Australia.
"Everybody who is on the night side of the Earth will see the lunar eclipse, anyone who is on the day side won't because the sun is in the sky and not the full moon," Dr Hill explains.
However, total lunar eclipses during blue moons occurred over Australia on December 30, 1982 and December 30, 1963. But, thanks to time zone differences, these were not blue moons in North America. Both these eclipses would have been "supermoons".
Even this lunar eclipse doesn't happen on a blue moon for everyone in Australia.
The full moon happens at a precise time — 1:26PM UTC January 31— everywhere around the world at the equivalent time. This means the full moon will fall on January 31 in most Australian time zones, but it will be 12:26 AM February 1 in New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory.


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I absolutely adore this "bird cage" illustration by Emma SanCartier. And I wanted to make this small piece of art stand out. I could have mounted it in an up-sized frame with generous matting. I decided to make a frame-within-a-frame instead, mostly because I already had all the supplies on hand. The frames were thrift store finds, and the fabric was a scrap I picked up from Fabmo. To buy your own "bird cage" print or any of Emma's other gorgeous prints, go to her Etsy shop. Read more »
I own blue and white dishes. Normally this isn't a problem—until I try to find a cute tablecloth that looks good with my dishes. Apparently, blue as a kitchen or dining color has been out for several seasons. The market is flooded with red, green, and aqua. Instead of waiting for blue to come back in, I took matters into my own hands. First I checked the standard tablecloth size for my 36- x 60-inch table. Turns out, a 60- x 84-inch cloth fits tables 36 x 60 to 48 x 72. Then I found this lovely blue indoor/outdoor fabric at Fabric.com. At 56 inches wide, I figured it would work fine because my table was on the smaller end of that range. After that, hemming the fabric and adding pom-pom trim was a cinch. Final dimensions (pom-pom to pom-pom): 57 x 81 inches. Read more »
These yo-yo headbands, brooches, and hairpins were the sixth and final camp craft I had planned. Unfortunately, we didn't have time for them at girls camp last June, so we're saving the supplies for next year. In these samples, I hand-stitched them to a stretchy headband, pin backs, and a bobby pin. The brooches look great pinned on a scarf or hat, and the headbands are cute alone or in multiples.
After you make a few yo-yos, I'm sure you won't want to limit yourself to just these accessories. Try sewing them onto a tote bag, purse, hat, belt, scarf, or shoes. Or a sweater, t-shirt, tank top, or socks. Or sew them onto pillows, pillow cases, towels, quilts—you get the idea. I just made small yo-yos for these projects, but you can make them any size you want. Have fun!
Special thanks to all my friends who spent hours cutting circles with me. We had fun chatting and working together. Don't worry, ladies, our work will pay off next year!
UPDATE 7/2011: I just added the photos above from this year's girl's camp. The yo-yos were a success. For an alternate craft using most of the same supplies, check out our fabric flower headbands.
I anticipated that this these pillows might not be as well-liked as the other camp crafts because hand stitching is rather time consuming. Surprisingly, these fleece alphabet pillows were very popular at girls camp.
I got the idea from a book titled 101 Crafts Under $10 from the editors at Butterick. Their craft is called "Felt name pillows." The Butterick editors ironed the rest of the name in smaller letters onto the pillow, which I loved but decided was too difficult for camp purposes. We used fleece instead of felt because it's softer and cheaper.
The hardest part (for me) was drawing and cutting out each letter of the alphabet in cardboard for the girls to trace onto the fleece, but you won't have to make the whole alphabet.
Mostly everyone made a pillow out of their first initial, but I thought it would be cute to make "X" and "O" (kiss and hug) pillows. I used red embroidery floss on the "X" and charcoal floss on the "O" so they coordinate. Read more »
Ever since I spotted Swedish designer Jonas Bohlin's tulle lamp in Gudrun Sjödén's catalog last year, I've been dying to make my own. I finally did it! I started with Ikea's Melodi pendant lamp, then added tulle. Never having attempted anything like this before, I guessed four yards of tulle would be plenty. Boy, was I wrong. It actually took 10 yards. No worries, though. At $1 a yard at Walmart, the tulle is quite affordable. This lamp reminds me of a ballerina's tutu. Imagine a pink one hanging in your little girl's room. Or a black one in your modern bedroom. Jonas Bohlin's lamp = $524. My lamp = $25. Woot. Read more »
Whenever I speak to my dad on the phone, he always asks, "Miss me?" This past month I've been getting concerned emails, so apparently some of you missed me—or at least my weekly blog posts. I've missed you too. I think I just needed a break. But I'm happy to say I'm back. I'll be posting every week again. And sending long overdue responses to your emails and comments (my apologies!). This pin board project started with a friend's broken, holey bulletin board and some free fabric samples. I just added copious amounts of hot glue and some white paint. It reminds me of Pottery Barn Teen's Style Tiles—which are $340. Mine only cost me about $7. Read more »
Remember my tank top totes from a few weeks ago? Well, I just had to share this tip. The piece I cut off the bottom of the one of the tank tops made a perfect—and super comfortable—headband. My friend Rhean did a beautiful job modeling it for me. So, save your scraps. Mine is about four inches wide, but nearly any width works. Skinnier = headband; wider = head wrap. They're ideal for pulling your hair back to wash your face or apply make-up too. Read more »


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- Getting started
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You are here:Home/Email/Sending emails / Email Settings
Before you begin sending out email campaigns through the Engaging Networks software, there are a couple of email-specific settings you can configure as needed. You can access these by going to Email > Settings.
If you would like to integrate Google Analytics within your email campaigns you will need to enable it in this area by ticking the box next to "Enable Google Analytics Integration".
You will then need to supply values for Medium and Source.
Medium = The marketing medium you are using to deliver this content (Email Newsletter, Emergency Appeal, etc.)
Source = Identifies where the traffic is coming from (EngagingNetworks, ENEmail, etc.)
NOTE: utm_content will be generated from the subject of your email message which is set when creating email campaigns. utm_campaign is also set when creating email campaigns using the "Google Analytics" field. This is required for every email message if Google Analytics integration has been enabled.
Finally, you will need to supply any domains that you may be linking to within your email campaigns. Each domain needs to be on its own line.
NOTE: We automatically populate the domain list with all of our default domains.
Click to store these settings.
When sending split test email campaigns we allow you to pick the winner by going to the reporting for that email campaign and deciding which email performed better for your criteria. If you would like us to automatically choose a winner, you can enable that here by ticking the box pictured below.
Once this is enabled, you will need to choose a metric for the software to select the winner from and time to delay before the winning email is chosen.
Open rate
The email with the highest percentage of opens will be the winner.
Click-through rate
The email the highest percentage of clicks will be the winner.
Page conversions
The email with the highest percentage of page conversions will be the winner.
NOTE: A "page conversion" is when a supporter clicks on a link to an Engaging Networks form in an email and goes on to complete the action.
Once the metric is set that you would like to base the winner off of, you will need to set the amount of time to wait before the winner is determined.
By default, this is set to 24 hours but can be adjusted to suit your needs. We recommend setting this value to 2 or more hours.
Click to store these settings
© Engaging Networks | Company registered in England and Wales | Company number: 03848111


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Sold Out
ruffles and stripes, oh my! details in all the right place and lightweight linen fabric take this mini to the next level.
+ 100% linen, lining: 100% rayon
+ machine wash cold, do not bleach, hang to dry, low iron
+ model wearing size small
+ model stats: 5'7" / 32" bust / 25" waist / 34" hip
if you would like to see more photos or need to speak to one of our stylish bees, please text us at 512-450-8098 and we would be happy to help ya out!
another one of our may favorites. can be dressed up or down and has flattering smocking throughout the dress, ruffle detail on straps, square neckline and the best tie dye... View full product details
poplin and eyelet white strapless dress with a flowy ruffle on top and tie waist. + 100% cotton, lining: 100% rayon + hand wash cold, do not bleach, line dry,... View full product details
pretty in bright blue. crepe fabric with deep v, exaggerated cuffed sleeves, mock wrap waist, and pleated back. + 100% polyester, lining: 100% polyester + hand wash cold, color bleeds,... View full product details


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With a bang.
The train robbery was great fun.
Not sure if I had more fun because I was NOT next to the kids, or what. The friends from work got tickets separately, and only then did we find out that the tickets were assigned seating - so they were in a different car than us. ACK! Not exactly hosting it well that way.
So, since his wife loves my kids, we swapped out - I went with him, she stayed with my kids. Miss M was THRILLED. She absolutely worships N. She's so pretty. And so pretty. And she carries me. I want a doll that looks Just Like Her. She looks like a princess.
Gaga. Oh, to be so worshiped by my own child... ah, well. It's fun to watch.
Fairly mutual gaga, it seems. N didn't seem to mind being uppied to death, either.
Miss M loved two things about the trip best. First was the shootout. WOO, loud gunfire and people falling over and ... WOO. :)
And second, N carrying her across the parking lot to the car. That ranks right behind the gunfire.
Mr G and Mr B got shells from Paco (the Mexican Bandit, right-hand man for Black Bart the Bad Guy) - they're thrilled as well.
There weren't as many people dressed up as we'd hoped, though. My kids were very dressed up.
Mr G was a cowboy - Quaker style hat (flat brim, round crown), period rifle, fringed vest, jeans, fringed boots.
Mr B was a Native American - bone breastplate, fringed vest, brown pants, fringed boots, and his hair done in braids. More Oglala in style than his actual heritage (Chumash), ah, well. He looked the part, despite his hair being quite blond.
Miss M was a princess, complete with tiara and earrings and sparkly pink and white mary-janes. She wanted to be a Native American, too. But she hadn't given me time to make that, so she went with princess instead.
Miss R was in her usual costume... whatever she thinks she is, but that in their regular clothes. Princess in her regular clothes, this time. It requires a great deal less in the costume making department. Heh.
I went as something like a school teacher - tiered black skirt with some embroidery and lace, brown tall granny boots (relatively period-ish), sheer high-necked black and antique rose floral long-sleeve shirt with a plain brown western-ish vest over it. And my hair more loose than usual (only the front pulled back). Oh, and a garter with a pistol in it. Because otherwise it would have been boring. Just a bit dangerous looking is good, right?
I'd planned to go as a dance-hall girl, but I couldn't find the darn dress. I think I gave it away. Sigh. Blue with black lace and pretty low cut in front... would have been perfect work blackmail photos, but instead I ended up dressed 'too nice' for blackmail. My friend A declined to wear a costume, so I was not getting any blackmail photos, either (though we did get a pic of N with Miss Kitty, the, er, 'boss' of the dance hall girls...).
I had a decent conversation with A, and he had a good time with the event itself. They did the whole play throughout the train, with lots of banter with the audience, practicing holding up our hands for the stickup, teasing the kids, and then setting up the robbery, shootout, stage-fighting fist-fights, and with the good guys eventually winning, even though they were outnumbered three to one.
They also have a murder mystery train ride. That also sounds like fun... but more for grownups.
Mr B was a little put out that we were in costume and other kids were just there in shorts and tees. He said 'everyone was looking at us!' - and then I asked him who looked at us the most. Who? The actors. They loved that we were in costume. It drew their attention, and they played it up from the moment we got to the train platform. We had three different characters come up and talk with the kids. And then there were the spent shell casings from Paco... that was cool. Mr B quickly decided that being in costume was pretty neat. It paid off. And the notice from other people was a fine thing. He's still annoyed that the other people don't Get It. I mean, come on, dress up! Who needs dignity if you have a costume and can play a part?
It was good all around. N got her kid fix, I got to hang out a bit with A (yeah, I talked shop a little), the kids got to play, I got to not have to manage the kids the whole time, my mom had fun, my brother and niece and nephew had fun...Perfect would have been if we'd all been in the same car. Close enough.
So, one more adventure down, solid success. I'll post some pics from these in a few days - no time at the moment. I have to clean the house up a bit, and also re-write my resume - I'm being shopped for a new slot (half-time) within our client company. Still get time to work on the stuff I care about most, thankfully. Don't like the feeling that the reason they're shopping me is partly because I don't fit the role they tried to fold me into. I dislike the feeling that I didn't do a good job on that, but I really am not suited for it (knowledge-wise, not skills-wise - my skills are fine, but I just don't have the data warehousing background required). Still hate that feeling. Bleah. But, should be a better fit for this opportunity, and they are trying - trying to find me a spot that can be strategic all around - help the client, help the company, help my career. I don't mind that part. Bonus, the client is actively seeking people for these roles, so if I'm a fit, I'm good for the client company. Solving their problems is the entire point. They'll pay us if we do, boot us if we don't. So, do, and make everyone happy.


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I recently had an informal meeting with Ikon, Birmingham's contemporary arts gallery, where we discussed how they can use social media effectively. Many galleries, museums, and other attractions have profiles in a number of social networks and Ikon is no exception. The main social media activity from Ikon is on Facebook and Twitter where they have developed a fairly active following. The Twitter account is particularly interesting when used to live blog from a series of talks. Encouraged by this initial success (which has come relatively easily), Ikon are keen to push forward and develop a more comprehensive social media strategy. I asked Ikon three key questions, and discussed a number of solutions for them. Ikon are keen for you to add more in the comments below.
Who talks for Ikon through social media channels?
One of the most difficult things to get right when tweeting as an organisation is voice: should Ikon tweet as Ikon, or tweet through individual members of staff? If the latter, then should these staff run a personal and work Twitter, or change their user names to include "Ikon" e.g. @JonHickmanIkon? Here are some options:
- One organisational Twitter account:
- This is Ikon's current approach and is working fairly well, but we were concerned that the Tweets might end up lacking personality and become broadcast in nature.
- One option on the table is to sign Tweets by the appropriate member of staff, to add a sense of personality to them.
- Another idea was for the Ikon account to be run by one person as their main account, something similar to the excellent organisational tweeting from OverheardAtMoo.
- We also discussed being playful with the identity of @IkonGallery: can followers guess who is tweeting at any given time?
- Tweeting as individuals:
- This can be problematic because staff are mixing their professional life and personal life.
- This format also means that should someone leave the organisation, followers travel with them.
- Personal + Work Twitter:
- This split personality approach gets over the objection to mixing private and personal thoughts, however it is is difficult to maintain when personal interest and work overlap: which account do you tweet from?
- This solution doesn't prevent followers moving with the member of staff, who can change their name (as timesjoanna did when she moved from the Birmingham Post and ceased to be postjoanna). Any social capital generated here is to the individual not the organisation.
- There was an interesting discussion about mixing private & personal twitter accounts at West by West Midlands (hear the audio, led by Kasper Sorenson)
If you have any thoughts on these approaches please, do add a comment below.
How can Ikon's social media be more engaging?
At the time of writing, Ikon has generated a Twitter following of 447 and a Facebook fan base of 766. It's dipping its toe into being conversational with these communities. Answering the question of voice will certainly help to make Ikon more conversational. Current Ikon social media activity merely supports its traditional activity through trnasmission of marketing messages and by live blogging events. I suggested to Ikon that if its social media is to be more engaging it needs to move beyond reporting what is happening, and become the thing that is happening. Essentially this would mean 360° social media arts commissions; a project that would allow public collaboration and participation with the artist. A simple example of this would be for an artist to set a theme for a photographic project, with images collected from the public via Flickr and curated into a physical exhibition by a the resident artist. It is easy to see how this idea can be developed within a number of media, and into something much more in depth.
How would you use social media for collaborative arts? Please do add any thoughts to the comments.
What audiences could Ikon serve through social media?
As the social media audience is still a niche audience, Ikon wanted to know how much effort it should put into this activity. This is especially important if we are to consider a social media arts project as outlined above. I turned this on its head slightly, considering the different groups that Ikon serves or hopes to serve and how they feel about social media:
Members of the public who fall into Group 2 are an easy win: they will be interested in artistic projects and social media projects, and would perceive a lot of benefit from a social media arts project. The objective of a social media arts project might be considered to be to move as many of the potential audience into the Group 2 quadrant. Those in Group 3 are difficult to engage in social media or arts: they have no interest in either aspect. Groups 1 & 4 are potentially the most interesting for Ikon and other arts organisations: they have an interest in one of the two aspects, and this may be enough to get them engaged with a social media arts project. The hope is that then they will reappraise their engagement with arts or social media and continue to explore the newer interest.
The educative possibility of driving people from Group 1 to Group 2 is especially worthy of note. Digital inclusion is high on the government agenda, with several initiatives and policies driving towards the aim of increased online participation. Organisations such as Ikon have an education and community development remit. Driving users towards social media through participatory arts would be a valuable contribution to both organisational aims and the wider agenda of digital participation. This could be delivered through teaming up with social media practitioners and enthusiasts, using the popular surgery format pioneered in Birmingham.
How do you think Ikon could develop audiences and contribute to digital participation? The comments are yours…
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WestGrid brings together computing facilities, research data management services, and a network of technical experts to meet the needs of today's researchers. Together with Compute Canada's three other regional organizations, WestGrid is helping Compute Canada lead the acceleration of research and innovation. As one of Compute Canada's largest regional organizations, WestGrid works collaboratively with Members & Partners across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
WestGrid itself does not conduct research, but rather enables research that is world-class and solves problems for Canadians by using Canadian supercomputers and big data to:
- reduce crime and catch criminals,
- predict election results and public opinion, and;
- help Canadian companies innovate with 3D manufacturing.
These innovators are solving some of our biggest scientific challenges, such as:
- mapping the human brain,
- curing disease and;
- reducing greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft.
Our clients are the researchers and their institutions. The "organization" is the national Compute Canada project which includes the four regional organizations.
Although we mainly support academia we also support some industry and government labs. The resources and services are provided at no cost for anyone working for or collaborating with a university, as per our Access Policy.
View or download our one page background guide to WestGrid: WestGrid.Backgrounder.2018.pdf
How Can We Help You?
Resources / Services
Expertise / Consultation
Training / Outreach
What is Advanced Research Computing?
Advanced Research Computing (ARC) is everything beyond a standard desktop workstation, which includes cloud, supercomputers / high performance computing (HPC), data management, and data storage, all in support of research.
Supercomputers are increasingly needed, especially within our research institutions, as scientists across all disciplines are producing an unprecedented amount of data on everything from predicting weather and ocean changes to searching for distant galaxies. Supercomputers can do the work of thousands of desktop computers and better support the growing needs of researchers today.
ARC is not just the computers and physical infrastructure. It also includes the people (highly qualified personnel) and the service layer that is different than just the equipment definition of HPC or supercomputing.
To better understand this, think of the automotive industry. When designing new cars and looking for stronger and safer materials, you might test the materials through simulations. That would save a lot of time and money compared to trying to crash cars over and over. Then, once a product meets the simulation tests, it can be tested using real materials.
Regional Support
We maintain the philosophy that the best support is local. As such, many of the day-to-day interactions between researchers and support staff are managed by regional-based consortia, providing users with access to the tools and expertise they need, no matter where they are located. Technical support for WestGrid is provided by WestGrid staff and by system administrators and analysts from many of the institutions comprising the WestGrid consortium. System administrators oversee activities related to the deployment and administration of the national platform resources. Those activities include: hardware maintenance, networking, software installation, creation of documentation, OS upgrades, compiler installs, etc.
WestGrid takes special pride in providing our users with the support they need to achieve their research needs. From new to advanced users, support can be in person, by phone or via email and can include debugging, code optimization, applications support, etc. We also offer free or low-cost training opportunities for users both in person and via video conference. Topics range from an introduction to WestGrid and Compute Canada to how to use visualizations and manage big data.
Researchers need a diverse set of tools and training that a few employees of research support in one Department or even one University could provide on its own. In order to accommodate all of the unique research support needs of the very distributed user base, it makes sense for a number of institutions to join up their research computing support resources to take advantage of the economy of scale, and to allow a more diverse set of support offerings.
Funding Model
WestGrid and our seven Member institutions, as regional partners of Compute Canada, receive funding for the operations and maintenance (O&M) needs of national advanced research computing support through the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) Major Science Initiatives (MSI) Fund. The provincial partners and academic institutions provide the required matching funds for all CFI grants.
|Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
|Major Science Intiatives (MSI) Fund
|The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) gives researchers the tools they need to think big and innovate. By investing in state-of-the-art facilities and equipment in Canada's universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions, the CFI is helping to attract and retain the world's top talent, to train the next generation of researchers, to support private-sector innovation and to create high-quality jobs that strengthen the economy and improve the quality of life for all Canadians.
|Through its Major Science Initiative (MSI) Fund, the CFI seeks to support national research facilities that support leading-edge research and technology development, and promote the mobilization of knowledge and transfer of technology to society. The scope of these areas of research—ocean and earth sciences, for example—is so significant and complex that it requires unusually large-scale facilities and equipment, substantial human resources, and complex operating and maintenance activities.
WestGrid Mission & Vision
To support and accelerate research and innovation in Western Canada through:
- enabling access to state-of-the-art research computing infrastructure;
- providing services and expert support to users in all disciplines and experience; and
- advocacy on behalf of Western Canadian researchers and institutions.
To ensure researchers in Western Canada are not impeded by any barriers to advanced research computing tools and services required to lead world class discoveries.


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Source: www.commconcraft.com
Posts Tagged 'internet'
World Wide Web in Plain EnglishApril 10, 2009
Short video about the history of the internetJanuary 6, 2009
"History of the internet" is an animated documentary explaining the inventions from time-sharing to file-sharing, from arpanet to internet.
The history is told with help of the PICOL icons, which are also a part of my diploma. The icons are soon available for free on picol.org
Source: Netzpolitik.org
Human LobotomyDecember 12, 2008
Inform yourself about Net Neutrality and tell everyone about it.
Southpark and the broken internetMay 3, 2008
Southpark has an episode (Season 12, episode 6) where the internet is broken. Watch their prediction how people will react and what will happen.
Source: Netzpolitik.org
Participatory search engine: wikia searchJanuary 21, 2008
Jimmy Wales, founder of the wikipedia project has launched his new project wikia search.
You can start using it under this link http://alpha.search.wikia.com/.
At the moment it is not nearly as good as google or other search engines. At they admitting themselves
We are aware that the quality of the search results is low.
Wikia's search engine concept is that of trusted user feedback from a community of users acting together in an open, transparent, public way. Of course, before we start, we have no user feedback data. So the results are pretty bad. But we expect them to improve rapidly in coming weeks, so please bookmark the site and return often.
But it is good to have other search engines to break the power of the almighty google.
Source: Prolinux.de
Internet behavioral theoryJanuary 3, 2008
Source: Penny Arcade
Miro vs. JoostNovember 2, 2007
The creators of miro, the Participatory Culture Foundation have created an overview to underline the differences between joost and miro.
They also posted an article about why they think that miro is better than joost.
Why would a company like Joost want to make an internet application that's so restrictive? Because if they are successful, they will control both creators and viewers. Creators will have to sign a contract with Joost if they want to reach Joost's audience. Being in the middle of a transaction is a good way to make money. But building a gatekeeping system for internet TV is a terrible direction for the future of media.
In contrast, Miro is an extremely open system. The software is open-source and can be modified by anyone. Anyone can publish to Miro and nothing comes through our servers. Like a web browser, the connection happens directly between the viewer and the creator. We don't even lock-down the content guide– anyone can create an alternative channel guide for Miro.
I'm using miro for some month now and (without having a TV set) allows me to watch series like simopsons, family guy but also films from independend media.
More about miro from me
Video: The Mission Behind Miro
Watch TV series in miro
LinkTV: Mosaic
V-Cast: Rocketboom…
The democracyplayer


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★ Crash, dash and jump your way through the amazing world of Kizi! ★
Played by millions of players on the web, Go Kizi Go finally arrives on mobile packing the same addictive running action and brand new shiny graphics.
★ Fast paced action with highly optimized touch controls
★ Dash and alter gravity to avoid obstacles and collect gems
★ Collect consecutive gems and hit all enemies for huge score combos
★ Fight for the top spot with leaderboard & achievements support
★ Unlock and upgrade 4 super powerups
★ Frantic, Kizi-licious fun for all ages!
Like us on Facebook - https://goo.gl/axme1i
More great games - http://kizi.com/
Kizi – Life is fun!


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Nippon Series Game 5: Giants beat the Lions 7-3; lead series 3-2
by Gen on Nov.06, 2008 @ 4:15 am, under NPB
Yomiuri Giants Koji Uehara 上原浩治 G W L S CG Sho BF IP H HR BB HPB SO WP BK R ER ERA 26 6 5 1 2 0 370 89.2 90 11 16 5 72 0 0 43 38 3.81 Seibu Lions Hideaki Wakui 涌井秀章 G W L S CG Sho BF IP H HR BB HPB SO WP BK R ER ERA 25 10 11 0 5 0 738 173.0 183 16 51 8 122 11 0 80 75 3.90
Pre-Game Notes
Big game for both teams. Based on last night's outcome, it would seem that the Lions have more momentum going into game 5 than the Giants do. I'm guessing that there will also be scouts on-hand to watch Koji Uehara, so it'll be doubly important for him to pitch well tonight. (The scouts might actually come away more impressed with Wakui than Uehara.)
Again, the Giants really need to focus on keeping people off the bases for Nakajima (2 homers and 4 RBI) and Nakamura (3 home runs and 7 RBI over the last two games). And the Giants really need Lee to wake up from his slump (0 for his last 6 at bats and 4 strike outs). But he'll be starting tonight's game on the bench -- Ogasawara will shift over to first and Wakiya will play third. Abe will DH and bat in Lee's spot behind Ramirez.
Wakui has been really dominant so far: he's given up 2 runs (1 earned) on 12 hits, 3 walks, and 23 strike outs over his last three post-season starts (23 innings). Based on those numbers, it would seem Wakui will have another solid start tonight.
With Uehara, I'm not really sure what to expect. He's been much better since the Olympics, but I still don't feel all that confident when he's on the mound. I think it'll be fairly easy to tell if he has his stuff working early on.
6:20PM UPDATE: Takuya strikes out for the second out of the inning. Ogasawara up to bat. Uehara is soft-tossing on the side, keeping his shoulder loose. And Ogasawara strikes out to end the inning.
I wonder if it hurts Japanese pitchers any when they go to the Majors and can't soft-toss in foul territory in between innings. I think most pitchers take advantage of it.
6:33PM UPDATE: 3 straight singles and the bases are loaded for Nakamura. This is a big no-no. Uehara seems to have decent movement on his pitches, but unfortunately they all appear to be going right down the middle. I think he isn't quite there on his velocity.
Uehara strikes out Nakamura on a forkball for the first out of the inning. The Lions score on a run on a chopper to second by Ishii. Takuya tried to turn two, but the ball bounced right near the bag and he had to take it himself and then toss to first.
6:37PM UPDATE: It looks like Uehara has a lot of up-and-down movement, but not as much side-to-side movement. Uehara strikes out Goto looking with a fastball on the outside corner. So he gives up 1 run after giving up 3 straight singles. Nice way to work out of a jam. But it could be a long night for Uehara. He needs to settle down and get into a rhythm.
6:42PM UPDATE: Wakui strikes out Ramirez looking. But Abe just drilled a fastball from Wakui over the center field fence to tie the game at 1. BIG home run for Abe and the Giants. Wakui looked like he might end up on cruise control again and a home run like this could help the Giants get things together against Wakui. Kamei flied out to deep left for the second out of the inning. Wakiya followed with a fly ball to left for the third out of the inning.
6:55PM UPDATE: Hosokawa was lifted due to a silly running play at first base (he sort of slid, sort of didn't, was tagged out by Ogasawara and tumbled). Seems he may have injured his right shoulder. Ginjiro is now in the game catching.
Uehara had a decent second inning, retiring the first two batters in order before giving up a single to Akada (every single has been hit to the opposite field). He then retired Kataoka on an infield pop-up.
Sakamoto strikes out for the first out of the third inning.
7:04PM UPDATE: Nakamura is up to bat for the Lions with Nakajima on second (he reached on a bad throw by Sakamoto and went to second because the ball ended up in the camera well). Nakamura just flied out to center for the second out of the inning.
Uehara doesn't seem to be throwing many forkballs. In the first game, I think close to half of the pitches he threw were forkballs. So far tonight, he appears to be throwing a lot more sliders. Could be an indication that his forkball isn't working very well.
Ishii just got himself an RBI single as the Lions re-take the lead, 2-1. Looked like it was off a forkball.
The Giants have two pitchers warming in the pen. Couldn't get their names.
Goto with a single to left, runners on first and second with 2 outs. The one thing about this Seibu lineup is that it's capable for scoring runs in bunches.
7:10PM UPDATE: Sato with a single. Based are now loaded with 2 outs. Pitching coach is heading to the mound.
Yamaguchi and Nishimura are warming in the pen for the Giants.
7:12PM UPDATE: Ginjiro is up to bat. Uehara is missing his spots. 50 pitches over 2.2 innings (16 batters faced). He manages to strike out Ginjiro swinning. Uehara wiggles out of another major jam.
7:20PM UPDATE: Lots of outside pitches for Ogasawara. With that hurting left hand, seems like the best way to pitch him. He pops out to short, but he made Wakui throw a lot of pitches (10 pitches I think).
Ramirez breaks his bat and grounds into a double play to end the inning.
7:30PM UPDATE: Uehara is out of the game. Yamaguchi is now pitching for the Giants. If there were scouts in the stands, they couldn't have been very impressed with this start.
7:40PM UPDATE: Nakajima is being pulled from the game for some reason. Hirao is coming in to play second and Kataoka slides over to short. Nakajima struck out swinging to end the bottom of the 4th. No official word yet on what the problem was.
7:50PM UPDATE: Yamaguchi starts off the bottom of the 5th with a walk to Nakamura.
I shudder to imagine what kind of crazy numbers this Lions' lineup would be putting up if GG Sato and Craig Brazell were healthy (they accounted for 48 homers and 149 RBIs).
Nishimura and Ochi are warming in the pen.
7:56PM UPDATE: Giants are going to the bullpen again. Looks like Nishimura will be relieving Yamaguchi. There are currently two runners on base (walk to start the inning and then a single after retiring to batters) with 2 outs in the bottom of the 5th.
8:15PM UPDATE: It doesn't appear as though Hosokawa's and Nakajima's injuries are all that serious. Neither will be going to hospital at this point. And both are just icing their ailments. With an off-day tomorrow, the Lions were probably just playing it safe by taking both players out early. BTW: Nakajima apparently felt a twinge in his left side after striking out in the fourth.
8:31PM UPDATE: Giants just tied the game up at 2 on an RBI single by Abe with Ramirez on second (he hustled to second on a ball hit back up the middle that ricocheted off the second base bag and bounced into center).
Kamei just hit a double off the center field fence. Runners now on second and third with 1 out. Wakui is still on the mound, but there are two pitchers warming in the pen.
8:35PM UPDATE: Wakiya just hit a 2-run triple... The left fielder and center fielder were playing shallow and Wakiya drilled one over and between the two for a triple. Giants now have a 4-2 lead.
Wakui has fallen apart all of a sudden here. He's at 100 pitches after 6.1 innings.
Sakamoto just hit himself an RBI double. Giants now have a 5-2 lead. That'll be it for Wakui. Looks like Onodera will be relieving him. Wakui gave up 5 straight hits (4 extra base hits) after retiring Ogasawara for the first out of the inning.
8:47PM UPDATE: Giants bring Toyoda to pitch the bottom of the 7th. He'll face Nakamura, Ishii, and Goto.
Toyoda retires the side in order. On to the top of the 8th.
8:52PM UPDATE: Mitsui is now pitching for the Lions. He'll face Kimura, Ogasawara, and Ramirez in the top of the 8th.
Ochi is warming in the Giants bullpen.
Ramirez pokes a single through the left side of the infield with 2 out. Kajimae comes in to pinch-run for Ramirez. Abe is now up to bat. He hits one to DEEP right, but it's caught at the track for the third out of the inning.
9:01PM UPDATE: Ochi is in to pitch the bottom of the 8th. He'll face Sato, Ginjiro, and Akada.
Kroon is warming in the pen for the Giants.
Ochi retires Sato on a grounder to third. Ohshima comes in to pinch hit for Ginjiro. Oshima singles up the middle and is erased on a grounder to third by Akada. Runner on first with 2 out and Kataoka up to bat. A grounder to third and the inning is over. On to the top of the 9th.
9:17PM UPDATE: Kamei leads off the 9th with a single. Mitsui is still on the mound for the Lions. Kamei steals second with Wakiya up to bat. Wakiya grounds out and moves Kamei over to third.
The Lions bring in a new pitcher: Taninaka. The Giants also bring in Lee to pinch hit for Sakamoto.
Lee is awarded first... Looks like he was hit in the back foot (left). Tani comes in to pinch hit for Tsuruoka.
9:31PM UPDATE: Tani goes the other way and drives in Kamei at third. Giants extend their lead and now lead 6-2. Runners on first and third with 1 out. Suzuki dives over the plate to bunt the ball to third. The 7th run for the Giants scores. Kimura flies out to end the inning.
9:35PM UPDATE: Kroon should be coming in to pitch the 9th.
9:41PM UPDATE: Kroon just gave up a solo shot to Hirao with 1 out. Giants now lead 7-3. Impressive shot by Hirao -- he drilled a 154km/h fastball up in the zone over the left field fence.
Nakamura strikes out swinging on a ball in the dirt. Kroon recovers the ball and tags Nakamura out himself. Nishimura legs out an infield single with 2 outs.
9:48PM UPDATE: Kroon strikes out Goto to end the inning. The Giants beat the Lions, 7-3.
Tomorrow is an off-day and then the series returns to the Tokyo Dome.
10:07PM UPDATE: Box score from the game is now available.


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By granting exemptions to laws and regulations that act as a deterrent to securities fraud, the S.E.C. has let financial giants like JPMorganChase,
An analysis by
JPMorganChase, for example, has settled six fraud cases in the last 13 years, including one with a $228 million settlement last summer, but it has obtained at least 22 waivers, in part by arguing that it has "a strong record of compliance with securities laws." Bank of America and
Only about a dozen companies — Dell,
By granting those waivers, the S.E.C. allowed Wall Street firms to have powerful advantages, securities experts and former regulators say. The institutions remained protected under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which makes it easier to avoid class-action shareholder lawsuits.
And the companies continue to use rules that let them instantly raise money publicly, without waiting weeks for government approvals. Without the waivers, the companies could not move as quickly as rivals that had not settled fraud charges to sell
Other waivers allowed Wall Street firms that had settled fraud or lesser charges to continue managing mutual funds and to help small, private companies raise money from investors — two types of business from which they otherwise would be excluded.
"The ramifications of losing those exemptions are enormous to these firms," David S. Ruder, a former S.E.C. chairman, said in an interview. Without the waivers, agreeing to settle charges of securities fraud "might have vast repercussions affecting the ability of a firm to continue to stay in business," he said.
S.E.C. officials say that they grant the waivers to keep stock and bond markets open to companies with legitimate capital-raising needs. Ensuring such access is as important to its mission as protecting investors, regulators said.
The agency usually revokes the privileges when a case involves false or misleading statements about a company's own business. It does not do so when the commission has charged a Wall Street firm with lying about, say, a specific
"The purpose of taking away this simplified path to capital is to protect investors, not to punish a company," said Meredith B. Cross, the S.E.C.'s corporation finance director, referring to the fast-track offering privilege. "You're not seeing the times that waivers aren't being granted, because the companies don't ask when they know the answer will be no."
Others, however, argue that the pattern is another example of the government being too soft on Wall Street as it has become a much larger part of the economy in recent decades.
The commission has frequently turned the other cheek when the companies again settle similar fraud cases. S.E.C. officials have defended that practice by saying they do not have the resources to take cases to court rather than settle. They recently asked Congress to toughen laws and to raise financial penalties for fraud violations.
But the repeated granting of waivers suggests that the agency does in fact have tools it often does not use, critics say. Close to half of the waivers went to repeat offenders — Wall Street firms that had settled previous fraud charges by agreeing never again to violate the very laws that the S.E.C. was now saying that they had broken.
"It's really hard to see why the S.E.C. isn't using all of its weapons to deter fraud," he said. "It makes already weak punishment even weaker by waiving the regulations that impose significant consequences on the companies that settle fraud charges. No wonder recidivism is such a problem."
The Times analysis found 11 instances where companies that had settled fraud cases had actually lost the special privilege for fast-track stock or bond offerings, versus 49 times that the S.E.C. granted waivers from the punishment to Wall Street firms since 2005. The analysis counted 91 waivers since 2000 granting
The S.E.C. does not maintain a central database of how many companies lose special status or are denied waivers. Its records of granted waivers are scattered across several databases on its Web site.
JPMorganChase is among the big Wall Street firms that have been granted multiple waivers with nearly every settlement of S.E.C. fraud charges. Last July, it agreed to pay $228 million to settle civil and criminal charges that it cheated cities and towns by rigging bids with other Wall Street firms to invest the money raised by several municipalities for capital projects.
"That distinction doesn't do it for me," said Richard W. Painter, a corporate law professor at the
Despite six securities fraud settlements in 13 years, JPMorgan rarely if ever lost any special privileges. It has been awarded at least 22 waivers since 2003, with most of its S.E.C. settlements generating two or more. In seeking the reprieves, lawyers for JPMorgan stated in letters to the S.E.C. that it should grant a waiver because the company has "a strong record of compliance with the securities laws." The company declined to comment for this article.
Citigroup is one of the rare Wall Street giants that has lost significant privileges recently. In October 2010, the bank paid $75 million to settle charges that it misled investors in 2007 about the size of its holdings of assets backed by subprime mortgages. The company told investors that it had about $13 billion of those risky
Because those accusations involved Citigroup's statements about its own financial well-being, the company lost for three years the ability to insulate itself from lawsuits over mistaken predictions about its business. It also lost, for the same three years, the exemption for "well-known seasoned issuers," which allowed it to quickly raise capital in the securities markets. As a result, Citigroup has had to file thousands of pages of new documents with the S.E.C. and wait weeks for the agency's approvals to make itself eligible to sell stocks, bonds and other securities to the public.
Citigroup declined to comment on whether the sanctions have had any effect on its business.
Wrangling over waivers is an important part of the negotiations when companies accused of fraud discuss a settlement with the S.E.C., and sometimes it can involve a form of corporate plea bargaining to a lesser charge.
In 2009, the S.E.C. was negotiating with Bank of America over charges that it had failed to disclose to shareholders that billions of dollars in bonuses were being paid to Merrill Lynch executives just as Bank of America was bailing out the firm.
Because the S.E.C. charges involved fraudulent statements by both Bank of America and Merrill Lynch about their financial status, the merged company was in danger of losing its special privileges for both offerings and forecasts. According to a report by the then-S.E.C. inspector general, H. David Kotz, the waiver issue "was of such importance to B. of A. that the settlement became contingent on B. of A.'s receipt of the waiver."
Bank of America apparently won the argument but would not comment on it. It settled the case by agreeing to a $150 million payment. The S.E.C., however, decided not to charge the bank with fraud, which could have endangered the bank's special status. Instead, the S.E.C. charged Bank of America with violating disclosure rules for shareholder materials and proxies, and Bank of America kept its privileges.
S.E.C. officials said they would not discuss how they arrived at specific settlements and declined to comment on the Citigroup, JP Morgan or Bank of America settlements.
Thomas Lee Hazen, a securities law professor at the
"The ripple effect of having a sanction that could shut them down or could seriously impede a company's operations would seriously affect a lot of innocent customers," he said. "It's a very fine balance. That's not to say that the S.E.C. is striking the balance properly. That is in the eye of the beholder."Continue reading the main story


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Guitar lessons via Skype
Contact me – email@example.com
I am starting to teach lessons with Skpe, and I have space for 2-4 more students locally if you're nearby. My prime offerings are Guitar (of course) and Music Theory.
I plan to work with Popexpert.com and am just in the process of setting that up. I'd love to hear from any friends who would like to be guinea pigs as I learn. On Popexpert the first lesson will be half price, but get in touch about what you'd particularly like and how I can help you with your music.
Here's the hypothetical curriculum:
Guitar and Music Theory Lesson Packages
An overview of the material can be presented in one session for a student with some experience. Beginners will take away as much as they can with a full understanding, and it may take more than one session to digest all the material.
1) Lessons with Jim (Guitar) Continuing study would cover all the subjects listed below with a context of the student's goals and interests.
2) Specific Sessions for Guitar Visualizing the Guitar Fretboard – and how to use Jim's own system and great memory device
– Level 1 – Visualizing the Major (and natural minor) scale
– Level 2 – The Pentatonic scale – the roots of rock lead guitar
– Level 3 – Harmonic minor, melodic minor and other more exotic scales.
– Beginning Guitar Chord Theory – A full set of basic chords in open position for folk and popular music – the five families of chord shapes.
– Rhythm Guitar (intermediate) An overview of bar chords, including the five families of chords and how they relate to the open position chords.
– Jazz Chords (Sevenths and beyond) on Guitar – voicings and inversions
– Chords in Context – Common chord progressions in bar and jazz chords
– How to Play Jim's Songs on Guitar – How Jim plays them and simpler alternatives Come with your questions about a particular song.
3) Music Theory and Harmony Sessions
– Basics of Scales and Chords – where did they come from and how they work?
– Intermediate Theory – Chords in a Key – chords derived from the scale and typical alternatives.
– Jazz Harmony – chord voicings and scales for improvisation.


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The U.K. government has announced the rollout of its renewable heat incentive (RHI) program to domestic properties next spring. The policy has been described as a necessary rebalancing of solar thermal and PV incentives rather than a boost for the former at the expense of the latter.
The U.K.'s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) announced on Friday that its 'world first' RHI launched in November 2011 for industry, business and public sector organizations would be applied to households from spring 2014.
Under the scheme, households equipped with solar thermal, ground and air source heat pumps and biomass heating systems will be paid a tariff in line with the expected energy required for domestic heating of the property and based upon factors such as the number of occupants.
Solar thermal tops the tariff table with system owners guaranteed £0.192 per kilowatt hour ($0.29/kWh) per year over seven years and possibly more, pending the results of a review this autumn.
The good news for solar thermal installers does not mean the technology is being incentivized at the expense of PV, according to Stuart Elmes, chairman of the solar thermal working group at U.K. solar trade body the Solar Trade Association (STA).
"It is a rebalancing of the incentives in the U.K.," Elmes told pv magazine. "For years, solar thermal qualified for only a £300 grant whereas PV had much more generous incentives. For four years there has been a FIT payment for PV and almost nothing for solar thermal.
An incentive for combined systems
"But if the market is balanced, people will select the most appropriate technology for their home," added Elmes. "Because solar thermal systems occupy much less roof space and are less susceptible to shading, this policy should incentivize combined PV and solar thermal systems."
The STA has estimated the RHI could bring in anywhere from £1,150 for a single-person household up to £3,250 for a six-person household.
STA solar thermal spokesman Elmes, whose Viridian Solar company installs combined systems, told pv magazine the difference between the seven-year RHI payment and the 20-year PV FIT level was still arguably more generous towards PV.
"The government has calculated the nominal cost of a kilowatt hour of electricity from an offshore wind turbine over 20 years is 9.5p and has capped the RHI payments at that level. It reached the 19.2p figure because RHI will be paid over the shorter seven-year period," he added.
"If the 20-year PV FIT was calculated in today's austerity environment it would probably be capped at that 9.5p level rather than the 14.9p currently available."