text:
- Home
- News
- Sports
- Opinion
- Obituaries
- Features
- Special Sections
- Classifieds
- Public Notices
Indian Land residents are paying up to 17 cents more per gallon for gas than folks in Lancaster, Fort Mill (Valero charges $2.44), Rock Hill and even Tega Cay.
When you ask the business owners at the S.C. 160/U.S. 521 and Marvin Road and Doby's Bridge intersections why, they say to attract North Carolina customers.
They don't reduce prices to equal the other South Carolina communities. They only want to entice the North Carolina folks for profits while fleecing local residents. I would surmise that many of the South Carolina residents do not even know it.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the The Lancaster News, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
|ZIP Code:


text:
Club Colours:
Home Kit
Away Kit
Email all club officials
The name of our organisation is Mohammedan Sporting Club (London). We have been established since the late seventies. Until March 2000 it was financed and run by a single individual. The organisation now consists of Officers and an Executive Committee all of whom are volunteers and is wholly self-financed.
We also have an established constitution, which we adhere to. Our main activity at the moment is football. We currently participate in a summer league, League Bangla, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and we triumphed as champions on three occasions in their seven-year existence. During the winter we participate in the Inner London Football League Premier Division. Although success is a welcome achievement our main aims and objectives are to develop programmes of various levels of sporting activities, which will encourage young people to participate, and for personal development. To plan and organise programmes which encourages local people, specially the young from East London in their interest of sports. We are developing links and improving networking amongst other sports organisations for example Tower Hamlets Sports Council, Professional/Amateur football clubs and football associations etc.
We are developing initiatives to help the youth of East London to participate in sporting activities and in turn diverting them from crime, drugs and other menaces of society. We have been successful in doing this as we have around fifty young members participating.
Ten of our members have attained an FA coaching badge financed by the Club.
Our other activities include providing free coaching sessions for the age groups 5-9, 10-12, 13-14 and 15-19. Our future plan is to enter all these groups into local football leagues.
We have toured Bangladesh on two occasions recently and have established good links with the professional clubs. Indeed our last tour, in April 2004, incorporated a friendly against a star-studded side, which included nine current national players.
Aug 2004 - UK Bangladeshi Football Champions
Aug 2004 - Played London Tigers Cup Final at Loftus Road (QPR)
Jul 2004 - Entered two teams in the Summer League Bangla, one age group of 16-19.
Apr 2004 - Toured Bangladesh
Jan 2004 - Sponsored a member for advanced FA course
Feb 2004 - Sponsored 10 members for FA coaching courses
Aug 2003 - League Bangla Champions
Aug 2003 - League Bangla Cup Winners
Jul 2003 - £1,000 Cup Winners
Aug 2002 - League Bangla Cup Final Winners
Mar 2002 - Inner London Football League (ILFL) runners up
Apr 2002 - ILFL Cup runners up
Apr 2001 - Dhaka Mohammedan officially recognises us as their UK branch
Apr 2001 - Toured Bangladesh
Aug 2000 - League Bangla Champions
Notify the league secretary of any updates as soon as possible. Changes to the club contacts or kit colours must be notified immediately.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Need An Officer? Click Here!
Placing Sworn Officers into Off-Duty, Private Security Details
Construction, Traffic & Crowd Control • Workplace, Retail & HOA's • VIP & Asset Protection
When it comes to private armed security and community safety, we are the name you can trust. We are a nationally licensed and insured company that works exclusively with sworn police officers. We have 25 years of experience and over 10,000 off-duty police officers who present effective safety solutions for your unique needs.
When you need to take extra measures to protect yourself, your family, or your company, you should work only with the best armed security group in Arizona. Look to Law Enforcement Specialists, Inc. for your security personnel requirements, and we'll keep you safe, around the clock.
We are a nationally licensed and insured company that values personal protection and professionalism above everything else. To maximize our private protection services, our team develops strong professional ties with thousands of off-duty police officers nationwide.
Our security company offers personal protection for high-profile individuals including diplomats, executives, and celebrities. We also provide private armed security services for commercial, residential, and government clients. We work with over 10,000 sworn officers throughout the country so we can provide the security detail you need, as soon as possible.
If you require security detail, get in touch with us and our team will gladly prepare a free quote for you.
Law Enforcement Specialists, Inc. Features a diverse range of private armed security services. We cater to different types of clients, and service all properties from residential to commercial. We also provide traffic services to keep you, your haul, and commuters safe on the road.
Check out the services of our seasoned law enforcement officers:
• Commercial
From retail establishments to entertainment venues, clients from the business community trust our comprehensive commercial security solutions. We protect the workplace from safety threats.
• Personal Protection
High-profile clients rely on us for off-duty police protection anytime and anywhere necessary. We customize our personal protection services to ensure client satisfaction.
• Residential
When there is a threat to your household, trust us to keep your living environment safe. Our team ensures crime prevention and safety for homeowners.
• Government
Government officials are exposed to various threats and vulnerabilities. We take on the unique challenges faced by clients who work in different levels of government.
• Events
A prominent police presence ensures the safety of your event. Allow us to keep event attendees safe and in line to deter any criminal activity.
• Crowd Control
It may be challenging to manage and control crowds, but our private security team finds ways to contain the situation and keep everybody safe.
• Hotel & Resorts
With strong police presence, hotel and resort guests feel more comfortable and secure. We hire only fully qualified off-duty police officers to keep your guests safe.
• Church Security
Our uniformed and armed officers provide solid security solutions for places of worship including churches, mosques, and synagogues. We keep churchgoers safe.
• School Security
Have the assurance that our private security will keep students and school campuses safe. Our team provides peace of mind for school administrators and owners.
• Wideload Service
When you need to transport oversized load, rely on our team to escort your crew and ensure road safety.
• Traffic Service
Our seasoned off-duty police officers make sure that your crew and other commuters are always safe and secure on the road. This service is available throughout Arizona.
Michael Mirand, LPC
LES has pre-existing relationships with thousands of sworn officers and law enforcement agencies throughout the country so we can implement a security detail quickly, while remaining in compliance with law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction in your desired service area.


text:
Writings by Phil Madeira, author of "God On The Rocks: Distilling Religion, Savoring Faith" and producer of the CD "Mercyland: Hymns For The Rest Of Us"
Sunday, January 24, 2010
The Grandmonster
My mother's mother, Mormor, was baby-sitting for me, and in her wisdom, she believed a boy needed a nap. It didn't matter to her that I was simply not going to drift off into the land of Nod. It was the way things were to be.
I still remember the exact spot in which I stood, opening a bureau drawer as the bedroom door swung open. She looked like a giant to me, backlit by the hall light, her white hair lit by a halo hardly befitting this non-angelic intruder.
Her annoyed tone carried a song of shame. Her English was void of w's, quaintly endearing to some, but grating to me.
"Vie aren't you sleeping!!?", she intoned. "I wish you'd go to Hell!!", I burst out, knowing Hell was The Bad Place, but not realizing that "go to Hell" was a less than quaint colloquialism.
Apart from a recollection of my Uncle Gene putting an ice cube down my 2 year old back, this is my first memory, quaint and endearing indeed.
What followed my outburst remains provocatively forgotten. I doubt that I escaped unscathed, and I assume my punishment was so severe that I've blocked it for all these many years. Of course, I deserved something for my unrestrained and bitter words. In all likelihood, she washed my mouth out with Ivory Soap, appropriate for the crime and acceptable for the times. And when my mother returned, no doubt I was held on her lap and my posterior regions laid into with the right hand of the law.
I wasn't diplomatic enough to explain to my grandmonster that my mother was perfectly happy to let me expend every ounce of energy I had on a summer day, or that the ancient melodies wafting up from the street were calling to my primeval heart, and that it was impossible to ward off the sirens' taunts.
This incident has been part of our family mythology for many years now, highlighting my audaciousness- a four year old telling his grandma where to go.
She didn't go there soon enough, however, and until she grew senile in her nineties, she was present to disapprove of nearly everything I did.
She was an immovable Swede, stubborn and opinionated, solid in her faith and superstitions. Her genuine belief that I was inherently bad was rooted in the fact that as an infant I had not been baptized. Citing the nursery rhyme "Monday's Child", she believed that because I had been born on a Thursday, I had "far to go". Her son Carl, born on a Wednesday and twice divorced, was indeed "full of woe".
This was the kind of logic I was up against.
For the span of 36 years, and then some, Mormor was very plain about the disturbance I was in her life. There was nothing I could do to please this woman. She would often ask me, in exasperation, "Vhy can't you be like David and Ann-Elise?", my older siblings. I used to scratch my head, wondering what I'd done to deserve her consistent chiding, but I could never quite figure it out.
"Vhy can't you do things the right vay?", "Vat do you think Yeesus thinks of you?", and "If your father knew the vay you behaved, he'd spank you good" were all verses in her soul-less liturgy.
She believed that I played the drums just to annoy my mother. I remember her coming down to the basement where I played, flipping the light switch on and off, frantically trying to get my attention, a look of utter panic having overtaken her face, with hands cupped over her ears. I'm sure she believed that I had been taken over by some demonic force, and that these syncopated rhythms I played were straight out of Satan's forbidden jungle.
Indeed, I was transfixed by rhythm and soul and by music which dripped like morning dew off of large magnolia leaves. The South had a hold on me as if the Mississippi had reversed its muddy current, winding soulfully through the cradle of the Civil War, washing across my ancestral farmlands, and straight through Rhode Island, picking me up along the way, and dragging my heart back to Dixieland.
That my bluesboy heart could hope for understanding from this woman whose feet were rooted in frozen, unyielding Swedish soil now seems quite unreasonable. However, it's a fair to expect one's grandmother to love her grandchild.
Thus, I played harder and louder.
Once, I remember sitting around our dining room table, Mormor, Dad, a girlfriend, and me. Mom was away visiting Sweden, and Dad felt the obligation to do something nice for his mother-in-law, which meant doing something not-so-nice for me. Thinking he might give her a reason to appreciate me, Dad suggested "Phil, why don't you play O Sacred Head Now Wounded for Mormor?"
I was a college student, and had taken a semester of piano, hoping to discipline my wild fingers by learning a Bach piece. I had happily memorized a fugue and the moving Bach hymn "O Sacred Head".
"He'd only ruin it", she assured the stunned room.
I've never played it since.
Music, a common thread which ran through the tapestries of both my parents' families, was something that my Grandmother believed I was defiling. I think she had genuine concern for my soul and bewilderment for how to rescue me, but her grand error was believing that the attempt to control me was the solution. If anything solidified my insistence on clinging to who I wanted to be and steering my ship a destination of my choosing, it was my mother and grandmother's desire to take the tiller out of my hands.
We never found our common ground, and any attempts on her part to be pleasant were usually thinly masked stragegies to make me acceptable. She even wrote me a letter when I was in college, kindly suggesting that I would be so much happier if I would give my heart to a more civilized expression. Yet, as my story reveals, the thought of my attempting to play a Bach hymn was akin to sacrilege to her. It was shameful to her that she had a blasphemer for a grandson.
If only I had been born and baptized on a Sunday.
So, what of my profane declaration to my mother's mother? Some people find this story peculiar and disturbing, while I see it as a gasp for air, a demand for recognition.
I don't want to bask in the warmth of my rudeness, but it probably saved me from going in a direction which life never intended for me. Years later, my father told me I should be grateful for his mother-in-law's inability to accept me for who I was, believing that she taught me early on that you'll never be satisfied if you follow anyone else's call but your own.
13 comments:
Goodness gracious! Now I'm waiting anxiously for the next installment......!ReplyDelete
Thanks for reading, Julie.ReplyDelete
Phil, this really resonated with me.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous26 January, 2010
Thanks for sharing, Phil. Despite her intentions, she sure seemed to fuel your desire to break out beyond staid expectation. Brings back memories of my stern Grandfather who was hyper-judgmental. I honestly only ever remember him smiling once. I've tried to steer in an opposite direction partially because of his poor example.ReplyDelete
What did she know? I think you play real perty, Phil.ReplyDelete
God gives us people like that to direct us and make us stronger, in my case, my mother. Only she was much more subtle about me not being perfect in that "Christian" way that only she can be. I always wanted to please. It took me years to shake it off, and I'm still struggling with it. But it makes me a better person, and I let God lead me now instead of her.ReplyDelete
You are so blessed, Phil. Thanks for writing.
Thanks for each of these responses.ReplyDelete
Tom, aw shucks.
Kurt, your remark of this resonating with you- I think everyone has someone in their lives whose negative presence can either empower you or disable you.
Mark, your rigid, unsmiling grandfather and my similar grandmother are probably more common than not.
Following "Mormor's" funeral, an event occured, which I'll write about later. It was a simple moment, but one in which I was able to see her from the perspective of eyes that can forgive. Stay tuned...
And as always, I am so appreciative of my little band of readers, and particularly those who venture a comment.
Wow! I,too, never measured up in my grandmother's eyes/mind/heart....and it has taken me 56 years to shake the grasp it has had on me. I am joining your little band of readers.
Jan, so great to hear from you.ReplyDelete
"Over the river and through the woods to grandmother's house we go" apparently needs a new and less cheerful melody! ;)
Missed this post, until today when I started digging deeper. I think Mormor must have been a major player in making you who you have become. If she weren't, you wouldn't be ruminating on it 20 years after she passed (unless my math is wrong). You learned to push back at an early age (age of 4, apparently), and to be comfortable in your own skin. Mormor informed your sense of (darkish) humor, art and perspective on life and its challenges. Yeesus! Cheers for Mormor.ReplyDelete
Biff/AM Coffee- My father used to say the same thing about her with the exception of "cheers for Mormor". I have a feeling my personality wouldn't be much different had she been the typical fun-loving grandmother, as her daughter was overbearing and demanding as well.ReplyDelete
But I'm pretty damned happy the way things turned out. Cheers for, er..... me! ;)
I'm sorry for the pain this caused you but good for you for pressing ahead and pursuing your dreams. I fear that for many the story does not work out as yours does. I wonder just how many people give up who they are and what they want to do in their life in the face of such opposition. It is so sad that parents/grandparents hinder their children from discovering their identity and being the person who God created them to be. This stunting of their children's inner growth can have lifelong, tragic consequences. Yet it sounds like your father gave you good support. Do you think that helped make the difference? I think fathers are so important in the psyche of their sons—daughters too for that matter.ReplyDelete
Thanks, Jacqueline. I think children need to feel advocated and defended, in situations like the one I've described.ReplyDelete
You're right about my father. And I think he gave me advocacy, defense, and humor nonetheless.
My grandmother provided me with a great story, rife with conflict. I was fortunate to have a personality which was quite buoyant, and a low tolerance for anyone who wanted to change me. Thanks for writing. And yes, daughters need strong dads!
Your comments are welcome, and I will try answer any questions, if possible. Thanks for reading! pkm


text:
Joseph Thomson (explorer)
Joseph Thomson
|14 February 1858
Penpont, Dumfriesshire, Scotland
|2 August 1895 (aged 37)
London, England
|Geologist and explorer
Joseph Thomson (14 February 1858 – 2 August 1895) was a Scottish geologist and explorer who played an important part in the Scramble for Africa. Thomson's gazelle and Thomson's Falls, Nyahururu, are named after him. Excelling as an explorer rather than an exact scientist, he avoided confrontations among his porters or with indigenous peoples, neither killing any native nor losing any of his men to violence.[1] His motto is often quoted to be "He who goes gently, goes safely; he who goes safely, goes far."
Early life[edit]
Born in Penpont, Dumfriesshire, he was apprenticed into his father's stone-masonry and quarrying business. He developed a keen amateur interest in geology and botany, which eventually led to his formal education at the University of Edinburgh, studying under Archibald Geikie and Thomas Henry Huxley.
Royal Geographical Society[edit]
On graduating in 1878, he was appointed geologist and naturalist to Alexander Keith Johnston's Royal Geographical Society expedition to establish a route from Dar es Salaam to Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika. Johnston died during the trip and Thomson was left to take the leadership role for the expedition. Thomson successfully led the expedition over 5,000 kilometres (3,000 mi) in 14 months, collecting many specimens and recording many observations.
In 1883, he embarked on another Royal Geographical Society expedition, this time to explore a route from the eastern coast of Africa to the northern shores of Lake Victoria. British Empire traders wanted a route that would avoid potentially hostile Maasai and German traders who were competing in the area. The expedition set out a few months behind the rival German expedition of Gustav A. Fischer. Thomson's leadership was again a success, demonstrating the feasibility of the route and making many important biological, geological, and ethnographic observations, though Thomson's attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in a day failed. However, on the return journey, Thomson was gored by a buffalo and subsequently suffered from malaria and dysentery.
He recovered in time to give an account of his experiences at a meeting in November 1884 of the Royal Geographical Society, which awarded him their Founder's Gold Medal the following year. His book Through Masai Land followed in January 1885 and was a best seller. One of the first to read it was the young Henry Rider Haggard. His imagination fired by Thomson's expedition, Haggard promptly wrote a book of his own, King Solomon's Mines. Thomson was outraged. He had provided the first credible reports of snow-capped mountains on the Equator and had terrified the Maasai warriors by removing his false teeth and claiming to be a magician. The Captain Good character did the same in King Solomon's Mines, encountering snow on the mountains and then frightening the Kukuana tribe by removing his teeth. Thomson wrote a novel of his own: Ulu: an African Romance, but it failed to sell.
In 1885, Thomson was employed by the National African Company to forestall and hinder German influence in the vicinity of the Niger River, but he returned the following year to the UK to lecture, disillusioned that no further opportunities existed for large-scale exploration in the continent. He became discontented with his life in the UK and struggled to identify new opportunities for exploration. A modest expedition to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco was marred by trouble with porters and local political difficulties. He spent a month in 1889 travelling in central Europe with budding author J. M. Barrie.
British South Africa Company[edit]
In 1890, Cecil Rhodes employed Thomson to explore north of the Zambezi, conclude treaties and gain mining concessions from tribal chiefs on behalf of his British South Africa Company, which had been chartered by the British government to claim the territory known as Zambezia (later Rhodesia, modern day Zimbabwe and Zambia) as far north as the African Great Lakes. Though he made a sequence of important treaties on the trip, a smallpox epidemic in the intervening country stopped him from achieving the ultimate goal, which was to meet Alfred Sharpe at the court of Msiri, King of Katanga, and to assist Sharpe in incorporating the mineral-rich country into Zambezia by treaty. Thomson's role was to have brought supplies of cloth, gunpowder, and other gifts with which to impress Msiri. Without these, Sharpe was rebuffed, and a year later, the Stairs Expedition led by Captain William Stairs, believing itself to be in a race with another attempt by Thomson to reach Katanga, killed Msiri and took Katanga for King Leopold II of Belgium. Unknown to the Stairs Expedition, by this time Thomson had been instructed by the British government not to go.[2]
Thomson's health had deteriorated because of cystitis, schistosomiasis, and pyelonephritis. In 1892, he contracted pneumonia and, seeking the right climate in which to recuperate, spent time in England, South Africa, Italy, and France. He died in London in 1895, at the age of 37.
Taxa named in honour[edit]
Taxa named in honour of Joseph Thomson include:
- African gazelle, Eudorcas thomsonii, known as Thomson's gazelle[3]
- Freshwater snail Limnotrochus thomsoni E. A. Smith, 1880[4]
- Land snail Achatina thomsoni E. A. Smith, 1880[4] is a synonym of Achatina spekei Dohrn[5]
- Freshwater bivalve Unio thomsoni E. A. Smith, 1880[4] is a synonym of Grandideriera burtoni (Woodward, 1859)[5]
See also[edit]
- ^ Through Maasailand: In the Footsteps of Africa's Greatest Explorer
- ^ Moloney, Joseph Augustus (1893). With Captain Stairs to Katanga. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company (ISBN 0955393655).
- ^ "Thomson's Gazelle". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
- ^ a b c Smith E. A. (1880). "Diagnoses of new shells from Lake Tanganyika and East Africa". Annals and Magazine of Natural History (5)6: 425-430.
- ^ a b Verdcourt B. (1983). "Collectors in East Africa – 6. Joseph Thomson 1858–1895". The Conchologists' Newsletter 84: 67–70.
Further reading[edit]
Works by Thomson[edit]
- To the Central African Lakes and Back (2 vols., 1881)
- Through Masai Land (1885)
- Through Masai Land – A Journey of Exploration Among the Snowclad Volcanic Mountains and Strange Tribes of Eastern Equatorial Africa at the Wayback Machine (archived 25 April 2005) (New and revised edition, 1887)
- Travels in the Atlas and Southern Morocco (1889)
- Mungo Park and the Niger (1890)
Works about Thomson[edit]
- Rotberg, R.I. (1971) Joseph Thomson and the exploration of Africa
- Thomson, J.B. (1896) Joseph Thomson: African explorer
External links[edit]
|Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Joseph Thomson.
- Media related to Joseph Thomson (explorer) at Wikimedia Commons
- Hugh Alexander Webster (1898). . In Lee, Sidney (ed.). Dictionary of National Biography. 56. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
- Penpont's Joseph Thomson Project
- Google translation of kenyalogy.com article
- An account of Thomson and Rider Haggard by author Nicholas Best


text:
Hai for you all there !
please smile whenever what feeling you are :)
Do you have a feeling right ?
and what your feeling right now ? is it okay ? bored? tension? stressed? disappointed? broken?
are u fine with hiding your feeling? let me guess.....hummm i think its not good for hiding your feeling. But for me its better express all your feeling and maybe it can help u reduce the worst feeeling.
I want shared you something about feeling of men to girls that he loved most. But i can't say that's all true. Its up to u to judges him.
A man will never make her hurt and he always be on your side if she got a problem.
he also can be a good best your partner that u wanted almost. he always make u smile, laughing with the stupid jokes or ridiculous things.
he always like to spend time with her if he got some work to do but he never missed that time.
sometimes u saying that make he hurting but he will be okay with u because he know he's not your ideal type. he also accept the way you are.
he never complaint what u do but he also give a support and an idea to look great. sometimes he know all your behavior.
he know what u like most to eat and he will bring u at there. he just want make u happy all things that he can do for u. he always be patience to u. he also keeps his head low for u.
sometimes he give u a present to cheer up your mood.
you can see the way he treats u like the princess. he cared every things that u want to do.
he never wanted to leave u. and he don't want u to leave him.
he keeps waiting for u, be patience in any matter.
he keep his heart for u. he keep to love u until his last breath.


text:
With the Olympics over, Vladimir Putin has Russia on the march. Former Ukraine president Viktor Yanukovych has surfaced in Russia, where he has been given asylum. In Crimea–a part of Ukraine–armed men have seized the Parliament building and hoisted the Russian flag:
The buildings of the Crimean Council of Ministers and the Crimean parliament were seized by an unknown group of 120 armed men at around 4 a.m., according to Crimea Prime Minister Anatoly Mogilyov, the nation's former prime minister and a longtime loyalist of ousted President Viktor Yanukovch. Mogilyov and UDAR party lawmaker Serhiy Kunitsyn said the men were professionally trained individuals with automatic weapons.
"More than 120 armed men entered the Crimean Supreme Council and the Crimean government. These professionally trained people are armed. They brought weapons – automatic weapons, grenade launchers, and machine guns," Kunitsyn said….
Mustafa Jemilov, former head of the Mejilis of the Crimean Tatar people, said in Ukraine's parliament on Feb. 27 that the men occupying the crimean government buildings "came by buses from Sevastopol."
"There are reports of movement of armed vehicles from the Russian fleet in different directions," he said. "We also got signals that in many hotels there are Russian soldiers in civilian clothes. This all is very alarming." …
Jemilov believes the group of armed men come from one of two camps: "either they are Russian soldiers, or former Berkut soldiers who with allegiances to Russia."
Putin, meanwhile, warned that Russia is "prepared to defend the rights of its compatriots"–by which he apparently meant ethnic Russians in Ukraine–"and would react appropriately to any violation of them."
In Havana, a Russian intelligence ship has suddenly appeared in the harbor:
A Russian warship docked in Havana Wednesday, without explanation from Cuba or the Russian government.
The State Department did not immediately respond to TheBlaze's request for comment, and a Defense Department spokesman said this was "the first he was hearing of it," but was looking into the matter.
That's reassuring.
The Meridian-class intelligence ship is packed with electronic eavesdropping equipment and weaponry, including AK-630 rapid-fire cannons and surface-to-air missiles, according to the Daily Mail.
Russia openly states that it is looking for homes for new bases so that it can expand its military reach. The Moscow Times explains:
The Defense Ministry plans to expand its military presence to several key regions outside Russia in an effort to increase its long-range bomber coverage.
The Russians deserve credit for candor, I suppose.
"We need bases for refueling [our aircraft] near the equator, and in other places," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said, adding that negotiations are close to producing a result, Itar-Tass reported Wednesday.
Talks are underway with Seychelles, Singapore, Nicaragua, and Venezuela, Shoigu said. This would extend Russian bomber coverage throughout several key strategic areas in the Southern hemisphere and along the equator, a significant expansion of Russia's historical and existing range.
While Russia is working on securing bases in far off locales, it has also been beefing up its military presence in the post-Soviet sphere.
As America retreats around the world, Russia moves to fill the vacuum. But don't worry: John Kerry has the global warming situation totally under control.


text:
Tamil Actor Dhyan Sreenivasan Profile
Date of Birth : December 20, 1988
Place of Birth : Thalassery, India
Siblings : Vineeth Sreenivasan
Parents : Vimala Sreenivasan, Sreenivasan
Movies : Thira, Kunjiramayanam
Awards : Asianet Film Award for Best New Face of the Year (Male)
Nationalaity : India
Ethnicity : Malayali
Father's Name : Sreenivasan.
Mother's Name : Vimala Sreenivasa
Occupation : Actor
Sun Sign : Capricorn
Movies : Thira, Kunjiramayanam
Awards : Asianet Film Award – Best Debut Actor
He is Known best as the son of the notable actor, director, and screenwriter Sreenivasan.
This Indian entertainer earned a 2013 Asianet Film Award for his starring role in the Malayalam movie Thira.


text:
Dishonored, by all counts, is not a very traditional game. First off, it is a new critically and commercially successful IP that comes at the end of a console cycle from a studio known for little else outside of 2002's Arx Fatalis (although its creative heads went into it already well renowned). Second, it's an ostensibly steampunk game that utilizes stealth mechanics that focus around the supernatural. Third, Susan Sarandon. I could go on, but trust me on this: it's a very unique game.
It's odd then that one of the largest components is incredibly traditional and almost entirely by the book. I know that makes it sound like a bad thing, but it's not. Lead writer Austin Grossman did a fantastic job and I actually found Corvo's story to be quite fun (though something tells me had I gone for high chaos, it would be less fun and more fuc—well, you'll see), but beat for beat, you could overlay a map of traditional story elements and simply connect the dots.
The monomythic structure is popular for many reasons, but the primary one would be that it just works. This is because it is relatable in so many ways despite involving things that we'll never experience (the supernatural, space wars, dragons, etc.) because the emotional journey of the monomyth is something everyone can relate to. It's how we are shaken loose from our comfortable world of our known quantities—that small, miniscule portion of the universe that we can say we can control—and thrust into a situation we are not entirely familiar with. We know what it's like to cross that threshold of the unknown and that relief when we find someone capable of taking us by the hand and showing us the way. And we know what it's like to think we've reached the end, that we've gone as low as we can go only to go lower, and then rise up again to defeat this unfamiliar challenge.
Or at least we'd like to think we know what that's like. It's easy to imagine how that feels whether or not you've actually done it which is why it's such a relatable cycle of winning and losing. It's something we all strive for because we've seen how it happens in sports and movies and comics and we want to have that in our lives, too.
Even when it involves a silent protagonist that has to prove he didn't kill the woman he was sworn to protect in a grotesque plot of winding backstabs and diseased melancholy.
SPOILER ALERT: past this point, this article will discuss the plot points of Dishonored. If you wish to remain untainted for your first time through the game or if you want to cut your afternoon reading short by a few hundred words, then you should probably stop here. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
But that's because it still follows the traditional path: known to unknown to fall to rebirth to ultimate victory (at least in one particular ending). Corvo starts out coming back from an adventure abroad. He's been trying to single-handedly rally up support for Dunwall across the Isles to defeat the ever-worsening plague. This is rare as he is the personally selected bodyguard for the Empress and he isn't ever really supposed to leave her side, but urging from the Spymaster makes everyone think it's somehow a good idea. This opening sequence is the return from another adventure. It is actually both the final phase of Corvo's previous monomythic journey and the start of this new one. When he was on his own in the other principalities, he was in the unfamiliar. He is back to his old world and thus the circle is complete.
But the Call to Adventure soon beckons as almost immediately, he is attacked by supernatural assassins (of which he currently is not). His Empress is killed, her daughter and heir kidnapped, and he is blamed for all of it. The Call flows into his arrest and subsequent escape orchestrated by the Loyalists all the way up until he quite literally gets Supernatural Aid: the Outsider. The appearance of the Outsider should not be confused with the helper (who will come back later as the third act breaks) but he does get lumped in with the other Loyalists as the Threshold Guardians, the people that signify the crossing of the boundaries for our hero between refusing the adventure and taking the first step towards it. Corvo is a bodyguard; make no mistake in thinking that being an assassin is not part of his transformation.
The Helper and the Mentor in this case, though, are the same person as Samuel will give advice as how to approach the first couple of missions but also later serve as the utility that aids us in the last act break. The Initiation is pretty straightforward when Corvo sets about his first task of eliminating the High Overseer Campbell, but this also gives rise to the moment of Meeting the Goddess, which in our case is little Emily. She is the one that Corvo still loves and will do anything to protect, and he finally has her.
Briefly. There is time enough for what Blake Snyder calls in his seminal screenwriting guide Save the Cat! "Fun and Games" as Corvo and the soon-to-be ironically named Loyalists go about removing the other Pendletons and a Lady Boyle from power, all of which leads up to Snyder's Midpoint where the monomythic Ultimate Boon is found. Once Corvo takes care of the Lord Regent, we feel we have won, but it is an ephemeral and foreboding feeling as Corvo begins to reel and then pass out from a poisoned drink. It is the All is Lost moment when we think we are finished. From what we see, the story is over and we have lost. It was a false victory.
But our helper! Saved by Samuel, it turns out we are not dead and instead set adrift in the Flooded District, but Corvo's prospects are not much better here. Instead, we have our darkest moment as we are hauled in by Daud and stripped of our weapons and imprisoned. It is our Death, Snyder's Dark Night of the Soul. We have hit our lowest point from which we may not return. It is oddly also the weakest part of the story since we have no Refusal of the Return. Corvo never doubts himself in this moment as he should. We don't get that proper debate about was it worth it, is it worth even trying to fix it all this time, etc. Instead, as soon as we are thrown into the pit, we immediately try to escape. The moment of self-doubt sort of comes later when we visit with the Outsider and he instead tells us that we should have questioned ourselves somewhere along the way. An unfortunate misstep.
But the break into act 3 where we've escaped and return to cross the threshold once again is almost poetic. We were imprisoned before and escaped to the Hound Pits, and now we've done it all again only to return once more with the same goal: to overthrow a liar and betrayer and set things right with Emily as the empress. Not only that, but we've once again come to fall into the hands of our original guide Samuel. He has come to save and deliver us into the final rise, the Atonement of our actions.
Or not. The only guaranteed part of the ending of Dishonored is revenge, and vengeance can never be a part of the act of atoning. Havelock's death is immaterial to Corvo's return to the known world and is instead simply a light that points the way. But being a game of choices and actions, we can just as easily choose to not fix the empire, let it crumble and wash away like the eroded buildings of an endless flood. Here is where Dishonored takes to its strengths and breaks from the traditional, from the monomyth, from Snyder's holy scriptures of Hollywood pens. We have the choice to be uncaring and leave Dunwall without a leader, just as we have the choice to give it to them. We have been making the choice for the past 30 hours to make them whole again or leave it broken and wasted.
Much like the rest of the game, Dishonored takes a traditional shell, works within it, and then breaks it from the inside. We play from a traditional point of view, we have familiar controls, and we have a rote set of story beats (to the point where some complain of its predictability), but that is necessary to buck all the trends and show you the outer fringes of the medium. Without acknowledging the rules, how are we to know that they can and have been broken? How else are we to know it's okay to look at a map, walk its path, and at the end, after days of sneaking and looting and killing, just walk away?
To turn our backs and know that we did it our own way.


text:
The blue check of this suit gives it a modern day heritage feel. It is subtle and on trend allowing the wearer versatility to use this suit on any occasion. The one button jacket features peak lapels, slanted side pockets, four button cuffs and side vents. Team with the matching trouser for a timeless tailoring choice with a stylish edge.
64% Polyester 33% Viscose 3% Elastane
Click and Collect:
Click and Collect from one of our 25 store locations across the country. This service is free and your order will be ready for collection after 10am 2 working days after you order. When you collect your order please bring a proof of purchase and the card you have used for payment.
Standard Delivery:
Standard delivery is free on all UK Mainland orders over £70 and your order will be will be delivered within 2-3 working days. For orders under £70 the standard delivery option is £4.95.
UK Next Day Delivery:
Place your order before 5pm to qualify for Next Day Delivery on most UK Mainland orders. For orders over £70 this is charged at £2. For orders under the value over £70 the cost for this service is £6.95.
All returns on UK orders are FREE, you can return via Collect+ or via Royal Mai or alternatively you can return all or part of your order one of our stores. You have 28 days from receipt of your order to do so as long as they are unworn and in a saleable condition. For exchanges we ask that you place a new order for any items you require and return back to us any unwanted items.
Please visit our Delivery & Returns page for full information.


text:
I am learning the features of DiscoverText with my free trial, and I am especially interested in the PowerTrack Gnip feature as demonstrated in this video:
Unfortunately I was unable to recreate the same overview to display all of the metadata fields as shown in the video. Is it possible to enable this overview?
An avalanche of new metadata fields are included in the metadata payload when you use Gnip PowerTrack via DiscoverText. The video listed above describes the scope and nature of the massive enhancements to the Twitter payload.
However, the metadata will vary depending on the user and the nature of the Tweet (i.e., is it an original tweet, a retweet, or a reply). Here's a way to recreate the steps taken in the video:
1. On the item view, click the File Info icon (as seen on the two screens shown below) to see the metadata.
2. On the Archive Details page, click on TopMeta Explorer.


text:
Superior Business Analysis seeks to provide the doers in organisations of all sizes with the tools, training and support to improve what they do and get better results. Our focus is on providing practical and easy to implement advice and tools for DIY business improvement.
We do this through providing tools, training, services and other information for:
- Thinking through your processes
- Scoping your system needs and options
- Managing change
- Making your Improvement Roadmap
- Refining and implementing your strategy
Take a look at our Topic pages, which give you an overview of the broad types of initiatives that may be involved in improving your business at any scale, from improving isolated processes through to a broadscale whole-of-organisation effort to get full implementation of an organisation's strategy.
Much of our tools, training and services are based on or refer to the Superior Business Analysis Framework. This is a model we've developed and refined over recent years and we encourage ANYONE to use it. We have developed this Framework to give people a simple idea of what needs to be thought through for an organisation to function effectively, efficiently and sustainably. Here's a quick guide to it – you can download it as a PDF too.
Specific topics that we touch on include:
Business Improvement
- Strategic Planning
- Documentation of Policies, Procedures and Core Business Know-How
- Logic Analysis and Problem Solving
- Reporting Frameworks
- Continuous Improvement Mechanisms
Change Management
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Communications and Copywriting
- Transition Planning
- Business Support
Traditional Business Analysis
- Facilitation
- Process Mapping and Improvement (As Is and To Be)
- Business Requirements Analysis and Design
- Project Support (Business Cases, Project Planning etc)


text:
Dive into the amenities of SpringHill Suites Orlando at SeaWorld®, located just steps away from an iconic theme park and water park, Aquatica. Recharge during your visit to The Sunshine State by retreating to our hotel's family-friendly suites, featuring mini-refrigerators, flat-panel TVs and signature Marriott bedding. Take care of your work tasks using our workstations and free high-speed Wi-Fi, then head over to our complimentary breakfast buffet for some delicious hearty and healthy options. You can also pick up an energizing cup of Starbucks® from the SpringHill Lounge. Don't skimp on your workout routine during your stay. Instead, get the blood pumping by using the cardio equipment and free weights at our fitness center, open 24 hours a day for your convenience. Cool down afterwards by taking a swim with your family in our hotel's outdoor pool. Whether you're here conducting business or to make some new fish friends nearby, make unforgettable memories at SpringHill Suites Orlando at SeaWorld®.Show More
Host your upcoming social or business gathering in our hotel's event room featuring AV equipment, catering options and the ability to seat 45 guests.Learn more
After an afternoon full of sunbathing or swimming in our pool, grab a slice of pizza or a burger from our outdoor restaurant, Splash Bar & Grill.Learn more
Featuring a plethora of arcade classics, our game room is the perfect place for your kids to spend their downtime.Learn more


text:
Luke Davidson cleaned up at this session at Birmingham Wheels Park.
Luke Davidson
Skegness – March 29th 2013 Meeting Report
The first installment of a three meeting Easter weekend saw Brisca fans gather at Skegness Stadium. Plenty of sunshine greeted early arrivals but the sun was fighting a losing battle with a brutal westerly wind and as the evening progressed temperatures continued to get even lower testing the endurance of an above average crowd.
European Champion 2010 Luke Davidson (464) Posters for sale
Technical Illustrator Roy Scorer has produced the second of a series of profile illustrations of BriSCA F1 Stockcars available for purchase.
Northampton – July 17th 2010 Video; 42 Car Grand National
One of the most talked about tar races of the year, the 42 car Grand National from the Saturday night of the European Championship weekend.
Northampton – July 18th 2010 Meeting Report
Bright and breezy weather greeted the cream of BriSCA F1 tarmac talent for the main event of the 2010 European Championship at Northampton on July 18th
Northampton – July 18th 2010 Race Results
European Championship:
1st – Luke Davidson
2nd – Andy Smith
3rd – Chris Cowley
Meeting Final:
1st – Dylan Williams-Maynard
2nd – Andy Smith
3rd – Tom Harris
Luke Davidson takes the 2010 Euro Crown
Luke Davidson has raced to victory to take the 2010 European Championship title, and will get to carry the Red & Yellow chequered roof for the next 12 months.
Movers and Shakers: May 2010 Grading
A new monthly photo feature of a selection of up-graded drivers.


text:
The angel of the Lord kills Herod
Acts 12:21-23 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
This sounds very "Old Testament."


text:
image courtesy of peeron
image courtesy of bricklink
image courtesy of sheep
image courtesy of the plastic brickset number: 4855
set name: spider-man's train rescue
theme: studios, spiderman
year: 2004
pieces: 294
price: us$30
minifigs: 4
great theme.
great set.
come with a traincar, train tracks, a slammer and a spider web.
the train car has a raisable roof and seats for 3 minifigs.
minifigs included a spiderman minifig, a doc ock minifig, a j. jonah jameson minifig and a train signalman minifig.
great playability.
overall design is great.
must have for spiderman lovers.


text:
Don't Be Fooled by New NDAA Detention Amendment
The Senate is once again debating the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), and is within a day or two of voting yet again on the issue of indefinite detention without charge or trial in the United States itself.
Last year, Congress passed the NDAA and made permanent very broad authority for the military to throw civilians into prison without charge or trial. While military detention without charge or trial is illegal in the United States, some key senators urged that even American citizens and others picked up in the United States could be detained under NDAA.
They did not succeed. The NDAA that was signed into law on New Year's Eve last year was bad enough, but it did not authorize military detention within the United States. Some in Congress now want to have a second crack at it-some to make it better and some to make it worse.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein has introduced an amendment that superficially looks like it could help, but in fact, would cause harm. Feinstein was a forceful leader last year against the NDAA detention provisions and believes that she is doing the right thing this year. But the problem is that the actual text of her amendment is bad.
It might look like a fix, but it breaks things further. Feinstein's amendment says that American citizens and green-card holders in the United States cannot be put into indefinite detention in a military prison, but carves out everyone else in the United States.
There are three problems with her amendment:
- It would NOT make America off-limits to the military being used to imprison civilians without charge or trial. That's because its focus on protections for citizens and green-card holders implies that non-citizens could be militarily detained. The goal should be to prohibit domestic use of the military entirely. That's the protection provided to everyone in the United States by the Posse Comitatus Act. That principle would be broken if the military can find an opening to operate against civilians here at home, maybe under the guise of going after non-citizens. This is truly an instance where, when some lose their rights, all lose rights -- even those who look like they are being protected.
- It is inconsistent with the Constitution, which makes clear that basic due process rights apply to everyone in the United States. No group of immigrants should be denied the most basic due process right of all -- the right to be charged and tried before being imprisoned.
- It would set some dangerous precedents for Congress: that the military may have a role in America itself, that indefinite detention without charge or trial can be contemplated in the United States, and that some immigrants can be easily carved out of the most basic due process protections.
The executive director of the Japanese American Citizens League just wrote to Congress:
The [Feinstein] amendment is of particular concern to the Japanese American Citizens League because of our historic concern stemming from the Japanese American incarceration experience during World War II. Nearly half of the internees were not United States citizens, and would not have been protected by this amendment. In consideration of due process and the rule of law within the United States, we urge you to oppose the Feinstein amendment, unless revised to protect all persons in the United States from indefinite detention without charge or trial.
There are good ways and bad ways to amend the NDAA. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colorado) has introduced two amendments that would change the NDAA in good ways. But Sen. Feinstein, despite good intentions, has introduced a harmful amendment.
There is still time to stop it. Call your senators now and say "Vote NO" on the Feinstein amendment, unless it is fixed to make the entire United States off-limits to indefinite detention without charge or trial by the military. The congressional switchboard number is 202-225-3121. This amendment goes to the very heart of who we are.
And here is a letter from a coalition of organizations urging a NO vote:
Learn more about the NDAA: Sign up for breaking news alerts, follow us on Twitter, and like us on Facebook.
To: Feinstein...
"Whenever I hear any one arguing for slavery I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally."
The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VIII, "Speech to One Hundred Fortieth Indiana Regiment" (March 17, 1865), p. 361.
- November 30, 2012
Charles Slakan
Doesn' t the U.S.Constitution require anyone commiting a crime in the US to be tried in the area of judicial jurisdiction where the crime was committed? This is consistent with other terrorists who have been tried and imprisoned here in the USA?
The enemy combatant definition can not be used to undermine the Conztitution.
The idea of detaining anyone for years and years without a trial is surrealistic. It doesn't fit what once were the Law and Ideals of our nation.
Detaing innocent people is a crime; there just is no other way to describe it.
I sincerely hope President Obama does not add that crime to his legacy. No one could forgive him for it because he is a lawyer from Harvard.
- December 1, 2012
This is so disturbing an inhumane on so many levels, I'm almost fed up to the point where I want to migrate to a different country.
- July 6, 2013
I would like an update to this ,as your reports says it is a year old.. anything new as of today Nov 15, 2013?
- November 15, 2013
The fact that our Constitution is being shredded by first Bush now Obama administrations including Congress should scare the living hell out of ALL Americans. This isn't about "where to try some terrorists". This is fundamentally stripping away constitutional rights and freedoms that had been preserved for over 200 yrs. In the last 10 yrs, they've been slowly stripped away and no one seems to care. WAKE UP AMERICA!
- December 22, 2013
So, you think the point of this is to give the U.S. the right to start picking citizens off the street for some permanent R&R? There is a point where the black helicopter conspiracies become a bit tired.
I am an American citizen, and I believe firmly in Constitutional rights. In fact, I believe in them so much I took the time to correctly spell the word.
I also recognize that legislators, like Dianne Feinstein, may be unfamiliar with the United States Constitution, and laws breeding from this unfamiliarity are often challenged and overturned.
This is part of the discourse of our nation. If you wish to wrap yourself in fear or self-deport, fine. I'm certain neither you nor anyone you know, have ever known or have ever heard of will be permanently detained by this clause of NDAA. And no, my head is not buried in any sand and I have no natural tendency to trust everything government does.
If you have time to kill fearmongering about law, this is perhaps an uneventful place to start. Take a gander at our national expenditures if you really wish to raise your pulse.
- December 29, 2013
Jason Walker - ...
I just made a very thoughtful post about this matter, and it was "blocked as spam" by ACLU.
Now I know which organization is not protecting my rights to free speech. I couldn't go back to save my work and inquire why it was blocked, it was simply deleted, marked as Spam and "Denied."
The ACLU is dead to me, as apparently freedom of speech is valuable everywhere except within the walls of ACLU.
- December 29, 2013


text:
our whirl wind july with it's constant stream of visitors has come to a bittersweet end, and i'm pooped! so after scrubbing off the hand prints, swabbing the decks, fluffing, hoovering, and whipping off every slipcover adding them to the mountain of laundry, trying to set some order back in our humble abode, here i am lounging about in the pool ~ alone...how come i don't do this more often? probably because i'm not much of a water bug, but it's just what i needed, to be still, to get quiet, and just float. it felt strange at first, made me a bit agitated, guess i was so used to constant action. finally everything just melted away and i scanned my gardens, a hawk circled above the tall pines, birds chirping, my neighbor had some crazy disco with a strong bass playing, not loud ~ it was happy noise, and i admired my pedi ~ next time i'll go lighter, pinker...the best part though was planting creative seeds, ideas i haven't had time for lately, suddenly came flooding in. today i feel restored and ready to hit the studio!
hope you take a few minutes for yourself today -
xo, heidi


text:
In a world where business success seems to be relying on fast product movement and speedy delivery, warehouses have become focal points and storage systems are now more crucial to the efficiency of operations than ever. To that extent, there are now warehouse systems that have been especially designed to help businesses balance between increasing stocks, space limitations and the need for speed. The challenge is, however, finding the system that provides your business with all that, researching the market deep enough and taking into account all possible factors, including future expansion possibilities, before investing in one. Above all, businesses need to find industrial shelves that can be installed easily, are highly durable and provide some level of flexibility. Whether they're used to hold or to display goods, storage systems enable you to make the maximum of your space and increase your productivity.
Shelving and racking manufacturers have acknowledged the changing needs of businesses, warehouses and distribution centres and therefore, most of the units and systems available on the market do indeed respond to all those needs, which makes the buying process even more difficult. However, if your storage needs are not out of the ordinary and you don't have particular requirements due to environment or product type, then there are common types of warehouse shelving that might just work for you. Steel shelving is at the top of the list and it is suitable for both warehouses and the retail industry, but not only. Generally, steel bays are used for high-density applications, such as under-mezzanine storage, and they're available as open systems and closed units. For heavier loads that require a higher level of sturdiness, back and sway braces are recommendable. Most warehouses use steel shelving because it is quite cost-effective and it responds to most storage needs. Nevertheless, many storage areas handle palletised goods and if your warehouse is not really suitable for pallet racking, then long span shelving systems are good solutions, because you can store pallets on the ground and then install shelving that spans over them for loading and picking levels.
If your warehouse operations, on the other hand, are bespoke and you have specific environment requirements or products that are weirdly shaped, then you need to custom industrial shelves to suit your particularities. While custom shelving and racking designs may not be all that common, like basic steel shelving, wire shelving or even pallet racking, they're certainly efficient when it comes to increasing warehouse productivity. This is because bespoke shelving will reduce manual labour, picking errors and operational time frames and it will increase speed of loading and picking, therefore lead to faster product movement. There are suppliers of shelving and racking, such as Rapid Racking, which provide design services in addition to their off the shelf products, thus enabling you to find the right type of storage units for you and your warehouse, be that long span shelving systems, pallet racking, basic steel bays or any other type.


text:
Short Plays at Woodend Provide 'Springboard' For Emerging Scriptwriters
Nine brand new short plays by emerging Scarborough writers can be seen at Woodend Gallery, Scarborough over the next few months.
Each of the three evenings of 'script-in-hand' rehearsed readings feature work by three writerscovering topics as diverse as football hooliganism, Edith Sitwell and cruise liners in space!
The new season starts on Friday 2nd October at Woodend on The Crescent in Scarborough at 6.30pm. Entrance costs £3 and soft drinks are available to purchase, or you can bring your own bottle.
Springboard Scriptwriters are organising the events and their aim is to entertain and explore issues through sharing of original work. However, unlike standard rehearsed script readings, the audience members are offered the opportunity (if they wish) to give direct, anonymous feedback on the plays they have watched. This provides interactive fun for the audience, and helps to improve the quality of writing.
All of the plays have been workshopped through the scriptwriting course of the Outreach Department of Stephen Joseph Theatre under the tutorship of Alison Watt.
The three plays on 2nd October are by Elaine Brookes, Neil Arnott and Rosie Larner.
'Warn Torn Lego' by Elaine Brookes
Elaine started writing 4 years ago after she took early retirement. She joined a play writing course at the SJT as up until then, all she had written were work reports and documents! Her play explores how a soldier coming up to retirement feels about walking away from the responsibilities he has lived and worked with all his professional life.
Elaine says:
"Writing this play has been a real challenge for me. I wanted to ensure that I portrayed the soldiers and their situations as accurately as possible."
'A Hornet's Nest' by Neil Arnott
Neil says:
"The play is set in 1983 at a time when football hooliganism was at its peak. For some young Watford fans their lives are about to change irrevocably."
Neil has been writing murder mystery evenings for over twenty years with over thirty different plots, but only started writing plays in 2014. His first play 'Best Served Cold' was performed at SJT in Feb 2015 as part of Plays and Pinot.
'Family Portrait' by Rosie Larner
Rosie has written and performed work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and previously was co-leader of an experimental drama workshop which provided group support, preparing members for external LAMDA awards.
Rosie says:
"My inspiration for the play was the beautiful setting of Woodend, the Sitwell family home, where Springboard events take place. 'Family Portrait' focuses on the childhood of the acclaimed poet Edith Sitwell and the divide between public image and private experience."
The full Springboard season is:
2nd October – Plays by Elaine Brookes, Neil Arnott and Rosie Larner.
23rd October – Plays by William Duffield, John Cooper and Colin Scales.
27th November – Plays by Stuart Larner, Paul Spencer and Michelle Watts.
Bookings can be made by ringing Woodend on 01723 384500. Further information is available at: www.facebook.com/SpringboardScriptwriters
Short Plays at Woodend Provide 'Springboard' For Emerging Scriptwriters Reviewed by Editor on 19:56:00 Rating:


text: Abdul Qadir Hassan a well-known columnist. He wrote a lot of articles on multiple topics. He earns a great reputation through his scripts. He discussed about the most beautiful topic education. I saw a man other side on my neighbor by climbing on the wall. There I found a poet, dramatist and a party person. I think his article was published a side to mine. A title of it was Drama of Osama. I was writing on Osama and as well I gathered plenty of information about him. When I study it closely I saw a name of most reputed person Amjad Islam Amjad. I felt a craze to study this paper effectively. It was my thought that it contains and hide a wonderful message in which. I was complete stun, it was above my expectation. Now a day when I read a scripts which contains plenty of important information I feel happy a lot. In these there is a problem of Urdu language. We are unaware of it to use a right words. Our pronunciation is thoroughly giving a wrong message. Our leader Mian Shahbaz Shareef is busy to establishing a Danish School which is a great effort from this government. Complete column related to this topic is given below in Urdu. You can read it here and can get a knowledge of it.


text:
|RGBD Segmentation in Cluttered Indoor Environments
|Zoltan-Csaba Marton
Hi! I am a PhD student in Computer Science department at Brown University.
Object segmentation is a prominent computer vision problem, and with the advent of RGBD sensors like Kinect this problem is solved much better than just using the color information. The objective is to develop framework, by integrating existing methods to do effective RGB-D object segmentation in clutter indoor environments. Overall approach is to divide the scene into segments and then group them to form an object using machine learning techniques.
This project aims at getting features for each surface patch and group them to gether based on a machine learning technique. I have been experimenting on the features that could represent the surface patches belonging to an object and how they relate with the inter and intra object surface patches. Below are some of them, with their description and plots.
For all the below analysis please look at the image below and the segments derived out of basic region growing which doesn't make use of RGB color and purely based on surface curvature.
ColorHistogram: Binning colors is pretty normal thing to get the appearance cues. But they can be done in two ways. One that captures the color channels independently and the other that captures a dependent binning. In this section I am showing the independent binning of values on three different channels. Independent means at a pixel/point in scene we check RGB values different and increment the bin where these values belong to. Below is the plot that shows how the histograms look like for RGB and HSV color space.
ColorHistogram 3D: Binning colors dependently means having a matrix with RGB in 3 dimensions and increment the value of the (r, g, b) bin only if that combination is satified. This gives a 3D histogram. Below images show the 3D histogram concatenated to a 1D histogram for RGB, HSV and YUV color space. This binning style is referred from [1].
Verticality: Verticality actually represents how the surface patch is orientated with respect to the camera viewpoint. Histogram is developed by binning the difference of angles between the normals and the direction in which the camera is pointing to (i.e the positive z axis for any point cloud from Kinect). Below is the histogram plot for this feature. However this is not so useful to this segmentation project but more aimed towards the object discovery and saliency related problems to distinguish the a surface patch from its peers. This is implemented based on [2] which was adopted from [3].
Dimentionality Compactness: This actually shows how compact a surface patch is. One could do a PCA of a surface patch and derive a local frame of reference. This when followed by creating a bounding box gives the 3 dimensions in which the patch ranges the max. This bounding box will have 3 dimensions and their ranges are computed. Once this ranges (xrange, yrange, zrange) are sorted into min_range, mid_range and max_range, two ratios are computed. 1) min_range / max_range and 2) mid_range / max_range. Below is plot of this histogram for the above mentioned segments. This is implemented based on [2] which was adopted from [3].
Perspective scores: This is the ratio of the area projected in the image to the maximum area spread by the region in 3D. The pixel_range below means the bounding box range in the particular direction of the image pixels. xrange, yrange and zrange are the dimentions of the 3D bounding box of the surface patch. Note that PCA shouldn't done here as we are comparing the 3D surface patch with its appearance on the image. This is implemented based on [2] which was adopted from [3]. Below are the elements of the histogram.
pixel_x_range (in meters) / xrange
pixel_x_range (in meters) / yrange
pixel_x_range (in meters) / zrange
pixel_y_range (in meters) / xrange
pixel_y_range (in meters) / yrange
pixel_y_range (in meters) / zrange
diameter_of_bounding_box_pixels (in meters)/ diameter_of_cuboid_bounding_box_in_3d
area_of_bounding_box (in metersquare) / area_of_the_largest_two_dimentions_in_3d
Contour Compactness:
This is the ratio of the perimeter to the area of the region. This is the ratio of number of boundary points computed for a segment to the total number of points in the region. This is implemented based on [2] which was adopted from [3].
[1] A.Richtsfeld, T. Mörwald, J. Prankl, M. Zillich and M. Vincze: Learning of Perceptual Grouping for Object Segmentation on RGB-D Data; Journal of Visual Communication and Image Representation (JVCI), Special Issue on Visual Understanding and Applications with RGB-D Cameras, July 2013.
[2] Karthik Desingh, K Madhava Krishna, Deepu Rajan, C V Jawahar, "Depth really Matters: Improving Visual Salient Region Detection with Depth", BMVC 2013.
[3] Alvaro Collet Romea, Siddhartha Srinivasa, and Martial Hebert, "Structure Discovery in Multi-modal Data : a Region-based Approach", ICRA 2011.
These features will go into the features module of the pcl_trunk pretty soon. Currently working on the relational features which tells how two surfaces are related to each other. Next blog post should be on that.
Almost close to the end stage of GSoC, but this project has long way to go! Hope to keep pushing stuff till the entire pipeline is up on PCL.
Global Radius-based surface descriptor concatenates the RSD descriptor as discussed in the previous post to represent the complete object. GRSD gives a good description of the 3D shape of the object. Below are the set of objects and its GRSD descriptors i.e. histograms. I have used University of Washington's "Large scale RGBD dataset" for the experiments.
It can be seen that all the descriptors are different from eachother. Planes and box surfaces are similar as the surface characteristics are similar in this case. Both GRSD and RSD are pushed into the pcl-trunk for people to use. The test files for these two features are also included in the trunk for the basic usage of the same.
Currently working on the NURBS for small surface patches. Since NURBS are already available in PCL we will be looking at how to tailor the same for our needs. After this we plan to work on the features that compute the relationship between the surface patches.
RSD Feature is a local feature histogram that describes the surface local to a query point. There is pcl implementation for this that is available in the features folder. With the help of my mentor I understood the algorithm by which this feature is obtained. To very if this is working perfectly we took a real object whose radius is known and generated the RSD computation on the entire point cloud of the object. This gives RSD Feature Histogram for all the points in the pointcloud. We can also get the min and max radius of the local surface patch around each point in the pointcloud. I generated various combination of parameters to know how the radius computed varies. Below is the object used which has a radius of 3.5cm which is 0.035m
Below are some of the params chosen and their corrresponding effect on the min and max radius in the local surface patch of each point. For Normal Radius search = 0.03 Max_radius = 0.7 (maximum radius after which everything is plane) RSD_radius search = 0.03
For Normal Radius search = 0.03
Max_radius = 0.1 (maximum radius after which everything is plane)
RSD_radius search = 0.03
For Normal Radius search = 0.02
Max_radius = 0.1 (maximum radius after which everything is plane)
RSD_radius search = 0.03 - This is found to be good way for generating histograms
I tried to do MLS smoothing on the point cloud data and then compute the RSD feature which makes the normal computation better and resulting in consistency over all the points on the object surface.
For Normal Radius search = 0.03
Max_radius = 0.7 (maximum radius after which everything is plane)
RSD_radius search = 0.03
For Normal Radius search = 0.03
Max_radius = 0.1 (maximum radius after which everything is plane)
RSD_radius search = 0.03
For Normal Radius search = 0.02
Max_radius = 0.1 (maximum radius after which everything is plane)
RSD_radius search = 0.03 - This is found to be good way for generating histograms
Now I tested out how the actual feature looks like at a point on the sphere to check if it matches with the histogram in the paper. The same is compared between raw point cloud from the kinect and MLS smoothened point cloud. Below is the result of the same.
It was really hard to fix the previous image that it can show the histograms with values and good resolution. So below is the snapshot of the spherical and cylinderical surfaces.
Cylinderical Surface:
Spherical Surface:
Next post will have the details of how GRSD results are and how they differentiate the characteristics of two surfaces. GRSD code from the author will be integrated into the PCL code base. We also plan to categorize the pipeline into modules that fit into the PCL code base as features, surface and segmentation sections. These information will be posted in the next post.


text:
Trump National Custom Wine Lockers
Trump National in Bedminster,NJ is well, TRUMP NATIONAL! Mr. Trump asked Joseph & Curtis to design a Private Member Wine Storage feature in the club where members can store their personal wines in a climate controlled wine cabinet and have access to those wines when dining at the club. We designed a beautiful wine cellar that integrates aesthetically into the lounge area. Each member drawer features the members name engraved onto a brass plate and stores 12 bottles of wine.
With members who missed out on a waiting list, this Private Member Wine Storage Program sold out in 2 weeks! We are currently designing & building another wine Cellar for Trump National.
- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8


text:
5030 Camino de la Siesta, Suite 290
San Diego California 92108
Phone: 800-775-4902 Ext. 548www.sandiegobhrtdoctor.com
Stephen Center, M.D. – BodyLogicMD of San Diego
Stephen Center, M.D. of BodyLogicMD in San Diego California is a Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy Expert with years of experience treating men and women for the many symptoms and conditions related to hormone decline. Using individualized Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy programs integrated with custom fitness and nutrition plans, Dr. Center offers his patients one-on-one care and a natural alternative to regain and sustain optimal levels of health and wellness. Dr. Center is the Board Examiner of the American Board of Anti-Aging Medicine and has extensive training in the fields of Anti-Aging Medicine and treating hormone decline with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy.
As an active member of the American Academy for Anti-Aging Medicine and with extensive training from the Fellowship in Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine, Stephen Center, M.D. offers the very best in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy and Anti-Aging treatments to his patients in the San Diego area. Dr. Center is also a member of BodyLogicMD, a national network of highly trained physicians specializing in Natural Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy.
Common Benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy
- Relief from the symptoms of Menopause
- Relief from the symptoms of Andropause
- Restored sexual libido
- Improved mental cognition
- Increased energy
- Prevents bone loss
- Reduces the signs of aging
- Preventative properties sustaining health
Learn more about the benefits of Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy from the experts today by contacting BodyLogicMD of San Diego and scheduling your Bioidentical Hormone consultation with Stephen Center, M.D. Experience for yourself the difference that personalized care from a hormone optimization specialist can make, contact Dr. Center today!


text:
Red Head Brass expanders are precision instruments, made for smooth easy operation. They make every attachment a snug, uniform, secure fit assuring a safe hose and coupling assembly. The Brute machines come complete with operating instructions.
- Attach 1" through 3" couplings
- Ideal for in-house use or mounted in aservice van for field repairs
- All-in-one design means fewer partsand no hydraulic connections
- All current Red Head Brass expansionunit assemblies and replacementparts can be used with the X-Pander
- Size: 13" W x 17" D x 10" H
- Weight: 45 lbs.
Additional Information


text:
Intelligent Transport Systems request
Intelligent Transport Systems request for proposal starts today
5 February 2014
The procurement of maintenance services for Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) assets moved a step closer with the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage starting today.
"Roads and Maritime Services called for Expression of Interest (EOI) in November last year for ITS assets managed in and from Sydney," a Roads and Maritime Services spokesperson said.
"This was the first step in a procurement process which followed positive industry discussion with organisations with expertise in ITS.
The maintenance of ITS assets includes traffic signals, electronic message signs and electronic lane changing systems.
"The following shortlisted applicants have significant experience in ITS and have been invited to submit detailed proposals as part of the RFP stage:
Leighton Boral Amey Joint Venture
Lend Lease Tyco Joint Venture
UGL Engineering Pty Ltd
Cubic Transportation Systems (Australia) Pty Ltd.
"Roads and Maritime aims to provide road users with a reliable road network to ensure safe and efficient journeys, while working with the private sector to deliver improved services with greater innovation.
"The RFP stage is open until Tuesday 8 April. The evaluation stage will then start, with successful proponents to be announced in mid-May.
"Roads and Maritime is a customer-focused delivery agency and has introduced new capabilities and innovations to improve safety and reduce disruption to traffic on NSW roads.
"Increased contestability of maintenance will reduce the cost of managing and maintaining assets and will deliver improved services for all road users," the spokesperson said.
CONTACT: Roads and Maritime Services Media Unit: 8588 5999


text:
1. Stand for something more than your product or service.
Consumers are willing to pay a premium for businesses that demonstrate an ability to go beyond profit and care about the wellbeing of people and the planet.
2. Find your spark
Trace your way back in history to the original idea that started your business. And when you find that original idea, write a compelling purpose statement that aligns your entire company to move powerfully into the future.
3. Go beyond customer-centricity
Become people-centric. Design a business model that spells W-I-N for your employees, customers, partners, shareholders, investors, and society.
4. Go digital
Marketplaces are now a series of conversations. Your prospective customers are talking about you and your offerings. Even if your industry is not using the internet much yet, especially if your industry is not using the internet yet, go digital. Participate in the conversation.
5. Flip that org chart
Leadership is changing from top-down to bottom-up. Employees are choosing to follow leaders who lead from behind; leaders who dedicate
their energy towards creating the circumstances for their teams to succeed.
6. Make work personal
Help your people develop their inner journey, and facilitate their mental, emotional, and spiritual growth. People who share life stories and grow together are bonded for life.
7. Measure your human-ness
Go beyond quantitative measures, and begin to pay more attention to qualitative measures which are better indicators of the human condition.
Have more time? Great! Check out this video gallery
gross national happiness
indian way of business
the new world
where do good ideas come from?
what does your brand stand for?
conscious capitalism
happiness = better work


text:
It may be summer, but that doesn't mean that learning has to take a hiatus until September rolls back around. If you're headed to the zoo with your kids this year, take along an animal scavenger hunt to make the visit the most memorable yet.
One thing to love about this activity is that it's so affordable! For starters, many major zoos offer completely free admission or family rates (Check out this list from Trekaroo of US zoos that are ALWAYS free).
Plus, we've found some great printable scavenger hunts for you to download, so you can get saving and get going. It's as simple as packing up one of these easy-to-use scavenger hunts along with your sunscreen and sandwiches. Your kids will feel like real-life safari adventurers equipped with their pencils and official checklists!
Make sure to tailor the scavenger hunt to the age group of kids you will be taking along. Even toddlers and preschoolers can participate in this fun activity—so don't rule them out! They can identify animals based on pictures or colors; let them match the animal on the page with the real-life one behind the cage, like in this hunt from blogger mommy Jenae.
Kids who are just starting school can learn basics about animals while sharpening their reading skills (try this one from Kindergarten teacher Jenny), while older kids will stay engaged for hours competing with each other to find the most "clues" (check out this one from blogger mommy Cheryl). Your kids will walk away with more than a bit of sun and dose of wonder—they'll also engrain awesome biology information into those brains of theirs from real-life interaction with everything the zoo has to offer.
Undercover science lesson? You didn't hear it from us.
Want to stock up on more scavenger hunt templates? Check out this Pinterest page for more free printables you and your kids will love.


text:
Pretty Lights – "We Must Go On" x "I Know The Truth" x Led ZepplinJanuary 31st, 2012 by ctengler | Electronic Dance Music |
Derek Vincent Smith, aka Pretty Lights, has seen his popularity rise exponentially since he began dropping awesomely soulful hip-hop beats on the people of Colorado. The man with the awesome electric shows, and the bangin samples sprinkled throughout his music, truly represents everything that is right in the world of Electronic music. To say that Pretty Lights is a DJ would be an insult to this man; constantly mixing live and sampling all kinds of different genres, his concerts are more of an experience than anything else.
One of his newest tracks, I Know The Truth, was created with technology that dates back to the 1960's; he even pressed his own vinyl in order to get the grungy feeling that he achieved on the track. His light shows bedazzle his fans and leave them asking for more once he plays his last track. Pretty Lights even created his own label signing artists of similar nature, and offering all the music to be downloaded for free, that is the spirit of EDM and Derek embraces it wholeheartedly.
Pretty Lights-We Must Go On
Download Pretty Lights Music Here
Pretty Lights- I Know The Truth
Epic Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin
Download Pretty Lights vs. Led Zeppelin


text:
After three successful documentaries on the subject, you wouldn't think the West Memphis Three needed the "based on a true story" treatment, but Hollywood just adores telling you a story you've already heard. In Devil's Knot, which sounds like it's about an anus, director Atom Egoyan (Chloe) gets famous actors like Reese Witherspoon and Colin Firth to do their most dramatic impressions of characters we already know pretty well. Complete with Kevin Durand as John Mark Byers, cementing his status as Hollywood's go-to actor for anything that requires a menacing redneck. And the trailer begins with a child singing ominously through a wall of portentous reverb, so you know it's going to be a very balanced portrayal.
"You've heard the news reports. You've seen the documentaries. Now see what a murdered child's mother's dream sequences might look like, starring Reese Witherspoon."
Opens May 9th.


text:
You're trying to make things better at your organization, but it seems like you're running in circles. You might have even picked up the best tools (ahem … memberplanet) but might not be using them to your full advantage. If you're ready to pull all your hair out, read this for some membership-management relief.
1. Start by organizing your members
Use membership levels to organize your members. Membership isn't necessarily a one-size-fits-all option, and that's okay. Nonprofits often raise the most if they allow members to give the maximum donation they can (and are willing to) offer, instead of pigeonholing them into one or two static rates.
That means the generous guy or gal willing to donate a couple grand can be part of one membership level (a really fancy one), while folks with a smaller budget may be able to access basic membership for $20. Some organizations even offer free memberships in the hope that these upgrade to paid status later on.
For members who opt to pay manually, or those who are past due, send reminder emails to keep them informed, which brings me to my final point on member levels -- communicate to members using the levels, types and auto renew statuses. Your messages should be targeted to specific recipients, whether those are your top-tiered members, lapsed members, or another list based on variable data.
memberplanet users: Here are support documents on how to set up membership levels if you haven't already. Smart Lists allow you to segment your distribution lists so you can target your communication based on variable data. Use the membership tools to your advantage to set up automatic renewals, offer free memberships, and more.
2. Get mentally organized to save time and sanity
Take a step back, clear your mind, and get organized. There are a lot of excellent organization tips online, such as Peter Economy's, the Leadership Guy at Inc. Here's our own specific to-do items that directly apply to managing your group:
Now that you've got some targets, recognize the fact that you're not likely to hit them unless you use a calendar. Whether it's a smartphone app or a physical appointment book, a calendar is great way to get organized and hit consistent deadlines.
Note to memberplanet users: Our free app allows you to accomplish admin tasks on the go. If you find yourself tied to your desktop most of the time, download it on the App Store or Google Play and give it a whirl.
3. Delegate the right tasks – and know which ones to do yourself
Delegation is simple – but if you're not doing it right, you could be wasting even more valuable time. First, you need to identify the tasks you should delegate and the ones you shouldn't. Here's some of the best stuff to pass off:
It's important to let go of some of these jobs, even if you love or have gotten used to doing them.
memberplanet users: You can assign an unlimited number of admins. Share the load with those who can take on the responsibility.
Whether your organization has 20 members or 20,000, it pays to stay organized, as well as to make sure the memberships you offer are flexible and diverse enough to attract a variety of supporters. Managing membership can be tough, but it doesn't have to be a hair-pulling experience.
Log in to your account today to explore new ways to help your organization succeed.
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply.


text:
Posted by Anuraj on Tuesday, September 1, 2015 Reading time :1 minute
.Net ASP.Net ASP.Net MVC HTML5
Today in ASP.NET forums I found one question about implementing Exel export from ASP.NET5 / MVC 6. So I thought I will implement and share the code. So this post is about implementing excel export using Open XML SDK in ASP.NET 5.
The question is about Excel export using Office Interop, as it is not a recommended approach and I am not sure, can we use COM / Interop in ASP.NET 5, I am using Open XML SDK.
First include the Open XML SDK in the project.json file.
Open XML SDK requires WindowsBase reference, so I removed the DNX Core framework reference and included WindowsBase as framework assembly. Now you need write the code for exporting excel from the model. The excel generation code I took from an SO post. In that code, the export was using Data Table, I modified the code to support model object.
And finally to download the file, you can use the FileContentResult type, to return byte array.
For some enterprise application, you may need to include Excel export option for all the Grids, for such purposes, you can create a ActionResult class, which accepts the model and exports the file.
Happy Programming :) The complete source code is available on GitHub
What do you think? I would like to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and questions in the comments section below.


text:
It's been ten years (2007) since Surya yoga clothes was founded. Surya, the yoga clothing brand, is the brainchild of the Australian couple Yohann Lebreton and Melissa Meeks, who have strong ties with Nepal. They draw for the designs from the backgrounds in the ecotourism and handmade designs. It saw the couple the opportunity to connect to the impressive Nepali artisans.
For the yoga clothes are all natural, sustainable fibers and low content dyes used. The beautiful naturally dyed hemp and cotton, are unique in composition, design and workmanship. The raw organic fibre (hemp, nettle, wool, lokta, leather) are produced and harvested by small cottage industry Nepali artisans, in villages and cities in Nepal.


text:
Eat Local: Local Kitchen's baked mac 'n' cheese with Gouda, sharp cheddar, Gruyère, mozzarella, buttered bread crumbs, and candied bacon.
The corner space on Ferndale's busy West Nine Mile Road, formerly occupied by Via Nove, has been updated and toned down to emphasize the comfort-food approach of proprietor Rick Halberg. The menu offers many familiar dishes — from burgers and potpies to mac 'n' cheese — carefully prepared and served in a high-ceilinged room and covered patio with a two-sided fireplace. No frou-frou, just the light from pillar candles and blue-and-white dishtowel napkins atop uncovered wood tables, including what Halberg calls a "common" table to underscore the neighborhood feeling of a place he hopes will become a local hangout.
244 W. Nine Mile Rd., Ferndale; 248-291-5650. L & D daily Br Sun. $20
In the shadow of the Birmingham Theatre marquee, in a space that formerly housed Forte, this plush steakhouse offers 28-day aged prime, and 36-, 40-, and 50-day dry-aged prime, as well as Kobe-style Wagyu beef in a clubby setting that flows from the spacious cocktail lounge at the entrance to well-decorated dining rooms with handsomely appointed tables. An extensive wine list accompanies the menu that also features platters of chilled seafood. Service is emphasized.
201 S. Woodward, Birmingham; 248-594-4369; hydeparkrestaurants.com. D nightly. $35
photograph by joe vaughn


text:
From massive conifers over 20 stories tall, to minute clumps of pink Douglasia prying a life out of rocky peaks, the Olympic Peninsula and Olympic National Park boast an amazing diversity of plant life.
Over 1,450 types of vascular plants grow on the Peninsula, nearly the same number as the British Isles—an area 30 times larger. In addition, hundredsof species of non-vascular mosses, liverworts and hornworts also live here.
Why So Much Diversity?
The park and surrounding Olympic Peninsula have snowy peaks that plunge to mist-shrouded coast. Misty temperate rain forest on the west side, lies only 34 miles from dry oak savanna in the rain shadow northeast of the mountains. These quick changes in elevation and precipitation mean a lot of different habitats are crowded into the area.
Click below to learn more about some of the typical vegetation at different elevations.
Though they are not true plants, many types of fungi and lichens also grow in these habitats.
Some of Olympic's plant species are not native to this area, see Invasive Exotic Plants to learn more.


text:
I'm going tell you the perfect developer laptop environment setup. Does not matter if you are a Linux or Windows developer. Maybe Mac user can also find this interesting.
I'm mainly a .Net developer. Sometimes I dabble in Node.js (So Cool!) on Ubuntu. I also use Ubuntu for using Git. My main technology focus for this year is ASP.Net MVC, SharePoint 2010 and Node.js. I sometimes use BizTalk as well.
Firstly let's discuss my hardware requirements. I need the following laptop spec:
- Intel Core i7 CPU
- 12 GB Ram (minimum)
- 32GB SSD Drive
- 17" Screen Resolution
- Nvidia Geforce 500M GPU
- LaCie Rugged SuperSpeed 500GB USB 3.0 External Hard Drive
I'm going to use this laptop to setup the minimum Ubuntu OS with VMWare or Virtualbox on top. I'm going to create development VM images on the external hard-drive that will use that nice USB 3.0 performance.
Hardware in Detail
The Intel Core i7 CPU has great benefits such as 4 Cores with Hyper Threading. Including Intel Turbo Boost Technology and Intel HD Graphics. This CPU will provide enough horsepower to run multiple VMs.
The 12GB Ram is necessary for being able to run multiple VMs. As an example, SharePoint 2010 requires 8GB Ram to run and running Visual Studio for development can easily consume 4GB Ram.
The 32GB SSD Drive is the main hard drive on which Ubuntu and the virtual applications are running. SSD gives you very high IOPS. You don't need allot of capacity to run the minimum installation of Ubuntu.
The 17" Screen resolution is just a personal choice that give you enough screen real estate for development.
The Nvidia Geforce 500M GPU provide some nice features where certain graphic intense application will benefit from. The virtual applications started to support 3D acceleration inside the VMs. A side interest for me is also the ability to develop with Nvidia Cuda and OpenCL. Nvidia also provide the Optimus technology that intelligently optimize the GPU for better battery life.
The Lacie 500GB USB 3.0 drive is where all my VMs will be saved. The drive run at 7200 rpm and can deliver a transfer rate of up to 110MB/s via the USB 3.0 interface. The 500GB size is more than enough. You can get an additional external 2TB drive to backup the VMs.
Minimum Ubuntu Installation
Firstly go and download the minimum Ubuntu installation CD ISO. You can install it via cd-rom or USB device. Install Ubuntu as required by following the installation guide. At the end of the installation you be given the command prompt inside Ubuntu. Make sure you are connected to the internet via a network cable. This is required to download the additional packages.
Now we want to enable some of the fancy Ubuntu features, because we don't want to be in the command prompt for ever. So here is what we are going to install.
- Minimal Gnome
- Wireless Networking
- Chrome Browser
- Ubuntu Theme
- VirtualBox
- VMware Player
Type the following to install the minimal gnome. This will install a graphical environment.
sudo apt-get install gnome-panel gdm gnome-terminal
Type the following to install Wireless Networking. This will give you a battery monitor and a icon to configure wireless networking. Additionally you get the hibernate button on the shutdown menu.
sudo apt-get install network-manager network-manager-gnome gnome-power-manager hibernate
Let's install the Chrome browser. Type the following.
sudo apt-get install chromium-browser flashplugin-installer
The default gnome theme looks ugly. Type the following to enable the Ubuntu theme.
sudo apt-get install ubuntu-artwork
After that I would recommend you run the following commands.
sudo apt-get update
sudo reboot
The laptop will firstly make sure it has all the updates and after that we reboot the laptop. After the reboot you will get the login dialog that you use to login to the desktop. Once you on the desktop open a terminal so that we can install Virtualbox or VMWare player. The virtualization technology that you choose is up to you. I will show both.
Firstly I will recommend that you install the Build Essentials on Ubuntu. Some packages require that the build essentials are install before the packages can install.
sudo apt-get install gcc build-essentials
Lets Virtualize – VirtualBox
Type the following to install VirtualBox. In the terminal type:
sudo gedit /etc/apt/source.list
Add the following VirtualBox repository
deb http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian maverick contrib
Now let's add the public key of VirtualBox to the system.
wget –q http://download.virtualbox.org/virtualbox/debian/oracle_vbox.asc –O- | sudo apt-key add -
Update the package database.
sudo aptitude update
Now to install VirtualBox type the following magic command.
sudo apt-get install virtualbox-4.0
After VirtualBox has installed you might want to install the dkms package.
sudo apt-get install dkms
Lets Virtualize – VMware Player
Lets start installing VMWare Player. Go to the VMware player download page and download the binaries. Now we need to give the VMWare bundle executable privileges. Type the following in terminal where the VMware bundle exist.
chmod +x VMware-Player*.bundle
gksudo bash ./VMware-Player*.bundle
After these commands a installer window will pop up. Just follow the wizard guide. This was now quick and easy.
Installation Summary
At this stage all the required software is installed for you to get started with creating VMs. Here is a list of some additional software you might want to install on Ubuntu.
- 7-zip
- Blowfish
- VLC-Player
Just remember that you want to keep your Host OS as small as possible and to use as little possible memory. I would recommend that you format the external drive to ext 4 file system. It provides very nice performance for the VMs.
I hope you see the benefits of using VMs for your development environments. With this setup you can go crazy with creating VMs and you can easily backup your VMs en data. If you have any suggestions to improve this setup, please let me know.


text:
Please consult your professional financial, investment, and tax advisers before making any investment in initial coin offerings ("ICOs"). UNLOCK does not provide investment or financial advice and does not endorse or recommend investment in any ICOs advertised on this site. The content on this site is provided for informational purposes only and should be supplemented with independent research and factual verification. UNLOCK receives compensation for promoting certain ICOs. Such compensation is not based on whether or not users of UNLOCK invest in advertised ICOs or other types of "success" fees. UNLOCK is not regulated as either a broker-dealer or funding portal and is not a member of FINRA.
UNLOCK does not offer or sell any securities, solicit investors for securities offerings, engage in any negotiations regarding potential investments, or participate in the sale or purchase of any securities or otherwise effect transactions in securities. Any offer, sale or purchase in ICOs is in the sole discretion of, and is conducted directly between, issuers and the prospective investors. All information provided regarding potential ICO investment opportunities is prepared solely by the issuer, and such issuer is solely responsible for the accuracy of all such statements. UNLOCK has not independently verified any such information.