text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Mar 11, 2003
|Filing date
|Nov 14, 2000
|Priority date
|Mar 3, 1998
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Dusan Petranovic, Ranko Scepanovic, Edwin Jones, Richard Schinella, Nicholas F. Pasch, Mario Garza, Keith K. Chao, John V. Jensen, Nicholas K. Eib
|Original Assignee
|Lsi Logic Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (11), Referenced by (15), Classifications (8), Legal Events (10)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 09/034,550, filed Mar. 3, 1998 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,174,630.
The present invention concerns the field of semiconductor wafer fabrication. Specifically, it relates to the correction of proximity effects in patterning.
A. Wafer Construction.
Photolithography is a common technique employed in the manufacture of semiconductor devices. Typically, a semiconductor wafer is coated with a layer (film) of light-sensitive material, such as photoresist. Using a patterned mask or reticle, the wafer is exposed to projected light, typically actinic light, which manifests a photochemical effect on the photoresist, which is subsequently chemically etched, leaving a pattern of photoresist "lines" on the wafer corresponding to the pattern on the mask.
A "wafer" is a thin piece of semiconductor material from which semiconductor chips are made. The four basic operations utilized to fabricate wafers include (1) layering, (2) patterning, (3) doping and (4) heat treatments.
The layering operation adds thin layers of material, including insulators, semiconductors, and conductors, to a wafer surface. During the layering operation, layers are either grown or deposited. Oxidation involves growing a silicon dioxide (an insulator) layer on a silicon wafer. Deposition techniques include, for example, chemical vapor deposition, evaporation, and sputtering. Semiconductors are generally deposited by chemical vapor deposition, while conductors are generally deposited with evaporation or sputtering.
Patterning involves the removal of selected portions of surface layers. After material is removed, the wafer surface has a pattern. The material removed may form a hole or an island. The process of patterning is also known to those skilled in the relevant art as microlithography, photolithography, photomasking and masking. The patterning operation serves to create parts of the semiconductor device on the wafer surface in the dimensions required by the circuit design and to locate the parts in their proper location on the wafer surface.
Doping involves implanting dopants in the surface of the wafer through openings in the layers to create the n-type and p-type pockets needed to form the N-P junctions for operation of discrete elements such as transistors and diodes. Doping is generally achieved with thermal diffusion (wafer is heated and exposed to the desired dopant) and ion implantation (dopant atoms are ionized, accelerated to high velocities and implanted into the wafer surface).
Construction of semiconductor wafers with these steps is well known in the art of semiconductor fabrication. Examples of wafer construction processes are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,679,598 issued to Yee on Oct. 21, 1997, entitled "Method of Making a CMOS Dynamic Random-Access Memory (DRAM)," U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,076 issued to Rostoker et al. on Sep. 2, 1997, entitled "Automating Photolithography in the Fabrication of Integrated Circuits," U.S. Pat. No. 5,595,861 issued to Garza on Jan. 21, 1997, entitled "Method of Selecting and Applying a Top Antireflective Coating of a Partially Fluorinated Compound," U.S. Pat. No. 5,444,265 issued to Hamilton on Aug. 22, 1995, entitled "Method and Apparatus for Detecting Defective Semiconductor Wafers During Fabrication Thereof," and U.S. Pat. No. 4,652,134 issued to Pasch et al. on Mar. 24, 1987, entitled "Mask Alignment System." The specifications of these five patents identified in this paragraph are hereby incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference.
B. Patterning And Proximity Effects.
As the most critical operation of wafer fabrication, patterning sets the critical dimensions of the particular semiconductor device. Errors in the patterning process can cause distortions that cause changes in the function of the semiconductor device.
Design rule limitations are frequently referred to as critical dimensions. A critical dimension of a circuit is commonly defined as the smallest width of a line or the smallest space between two lines. Consequently, the critical dimension determines the overall size and density of an integrated circuit (IC). In present IC technology the smallest critical dimension for state-of-the-art circuits is 0.3 micron for line widths and spacings. Once the layout of the circuit has been created, the next step to manufacturing the integrated circuit is to transfer the layout onto a semiconductor substrate, Photolithography is a well known process for transferring geometric shapes present on a mask onto the surface of a silicon wafer. In the field of IC lithographic processing a photosensitive polymer film called photoresist is normally applied to a silicon substrate wafer and then allowed to dry. An exposure tool is utilized to expose the wafer with the proper geometrical patterns through a mask (or reticle) by means of a source of light or radiation. After exposure, the wafer is treated to develop the mask images transferred to the photosensitive material. These masking patterns are then used to create the device features of the circuit.
An important limiting characteristic of the exposure tool is its resolution value. The resolution for an exposure tool is defined as the minimum feature that the exposure tool can repeatedly expose onto the wafer. Currently, the resolution for most advanced optical exposure tools is around 0.2 micron. Thus, the resolution value of present lithographic equipment is close to the critical dimension for most IC circuit designs. Consequently, the resolution of the exposure tool may influence the final size and density of the IC circuit. As the critical dimensions of the layout becomes smaller and approach the resolution value of the lithography equipment, the consistency between the masked and actual layout pattern developed in the photoresist is significantly reduced. Specifically, it is observed that differences in pattern development of circuit features depends upon the proximity of the features to one another.
The magnitude of such proximity effects depends on the proximity or closeness of the two features present on the masking pattern. Proximity effects are known to result from optical diffraction in the projection system. This diffraction causes adjacent features to interact with one another in such a way to produce pattern-dependent variations.
Proximity effects and methods for correcting for them are discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,682,323 issued on Oct. 28, 1997, to Pasch et al. entitled "System and Method for Performing Optical Proximity Correction on Macrocell Libraries" (hereinafter the "Pasch '323 patent"). The specification of the Pasch '323 patent is incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference, The system and method described in the Pasch '323 patent performs optical proximity correction on an integrated circuit mask design by initially performing optical proximity correction on a library of cells that are used to create the IC. The pre-tested cells are imported onto a mask design. All cells are placed a minimum distance apart to ensure that no proximity effects will occur between elements fully integrated in different cells. An optical proximity correction technique is performed on the mask design by performing proximity correction only on those components, e.g., lines, that are not fully integrated within one cell.
Proximity effects and methods for correcting for them are also discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,705,301 issued on Jan. 6, 1998, to Garza et al. entitled "Performing Optical Proximity Correction with the Aid of Design Rule Checkers" (hereinafter the "Garza '301 patent"). The specification of the Garza '301 patent is incorporated herein as though set forth in full by this reference. The system described in the Garza '301 patent involves a method for identifying regions of an integrated circuit layout design where optical proximity correction will be most useful and then performing optical proximity correction on those regions only.
More specifically, the method includes the following steps: (a) analyzing an integrated circuit layout design with a design role checker to locate features of the integrated circuit layout design meeting predefined criteria; and (b) performing optical proximity correction on the features meeting the criteria in order to generate a reticle design. The criteria employed by the design rule checker to select features include outside corners on patterns, inside corners on features, feature size, feature shape, and feature angles.
C. Proximity Effect Correction.
A technique related to proximity effects involves the use of modified shapes or adjacent subresolution geometries to improve imaging. An example of this is the use of serifs on the corners of contacts. FIGS. 1A and 1B show contacts as formed on a reticle. FIG. 1A shows a contact 1 without serifs. FIG. 1B shows the same contact 2 with serifs. For contacts with dimensions near the resolution limit of the optics, a square pattern on the reticle will print more nearly as a circle. Additional geometries on the corners such as those shown in FIG. 1B will help to square the corners of the contract. Techniques such as those reflected by FIGS. 1A and 1B are often called proximity correction.
In addition for corner rounding for rectangular features, there is also the issue of line shortening. FIG. 2A shows a rectangle 3 as drawn on a reticle with a width W and a length L. Printed to size on the wafer as shown in FIG. 2B, the rectangle has a length L′ and width W′ 4. Where there is room, rectangles can be biased longer on the reticle to give printed features of the desired length.
FIG. 3A shows a conventional pattern 5 and FIG. 3B shows a corresponding proximity correction pattern 6 wherein width variation 7 has been added to compensate for effects of adjacent features and serifs 8 have been added to corners to reduce corner rounding and feature length shortening.
Other examples of proximity effects and the adjustments made to patterns in order to correct for such effects are provided in the Garza '301 patent discussed above In particular, FIGS. 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 2A, 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, 6, 7A, 7B, 7C, and 8 of the Garza '301 patent provide such examples.
Proximity effects are a well-known phenomenon in electron beam lithography, where they result from electron scattering. In optical lithography proximity effects are caused by the phenomenon of diffraction. As a consequence of proximity effects, printed features do not have simple relationships to reticle dimensions. This creates a situation in which it is difficult to fabricate a photomask where the designer gets what he or she wants on the wafer. Unless otherwise expressly indicated in a claim herein, it is intended that the claimed invention can be applied to correct for proximity effects whether the proximity effects are optical, electron beam, x-ray or otherwise.
Some limited form of proximity correction has been in use for at least two or three decades. These pattern modifications were usually requested by a wafer engineer based on knowledge of a particular process step. In recent years, proximity correction has become more of a science that an art due to the introduction of several proximity correction software programs. The proximity correction process consists of measuring several generic test patterns processed on a wafer and constructing a multilevel lookup table from the measured data.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a method and apparatus for one-dimensional application of optical proximity correction to a desired pattern. The present invention is a method and apparatus for applying one-dimensional proximity correction to a piece of a mask pattern, by segmenting a first piece of a mask pattern with horizontal dividing lines into a plurality of segments, segmenting a second piece of said mask pattern with said horizontal dividing lines into a second plurality of segments, and applying proximity correction to a first segment from said first plurality of segments taking into consideration a second segment from said second plurality of segments.
These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those persons having ordinary skilled in the art to which the present invention relates from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1A shows a contact as formed on a reticle.
FIG. 1B shows a contact as formed on a reticle.
FIG. 2A shows a rectangle as drawn on a reticle with a width W and a length L.
FIG. 2B shows the rectangle with a length L′ and width W′ as formed on the wafer.
FIG. 3A shows a conventional pattern on a reticle.
FIG. 3B shows a corresponding proximity correction pattern wherein width variation has been added to compensate for effects of adjacent features and serifs have been added to corners to reduce corner rounding and feature length shortening.
FIG. 4 is an 8-by-8 grid wherein the grid represents a portion of a desired pattern, wherein the pattern has been divided into grid squares for purposes of systematic proximity correction treatment.
FIG. 5 identifies the various squares in the grid.
FIG. 6A reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6B reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6C reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6D reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6E reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6F reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6G reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6H reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 6I reflects an inner square and an outer square on the grid.
FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary pattern on a routing layer.
FIG. 8 depicts the step of segmenting a vertical piece and the pieces adjacent to it in the x-direction.
FIG. 9 shows the particular segments created by the dividing lines.
FIGS. 10A-E depict corresponding segments from adjacent pieces.
FIG. 11 depicts two pieces from a pattern of a routing layer.
FIG. 12 reflects the preferred approach to vias.
FIG. 13 depicts a piece segmented by lines corresponding to power rails.
FIG. 14 is a block diagram which illustrates the proximity correction system environment claimed herein.
A. Proximity Correction: General Case.
According to the present invention, there exists a desired pattern for imprinting on to a wafer surface. Generally, this pattern in in digitized form stored in memory of a general purpose computer. However, if a mask is created with the identical pattern, proximity effects will create unwanted variations in the imprint, which may influence the performance of the IC.
FIG. 4 is an 8-by-8 grid 20. The grid represents a portion of a desired pattern, wherein the pattern has been divided into grid squares for purposes of systematic proximity correction treatment. Each square is r wide, where r is the radius of influence with respect to proximity effects. In other words, in applying proximity correction to a particular object, we are not concerned with objects more than a distance r from the object at hand.
For example, if there is no object within r from the square object shown in FIG. 1A, our proximity correction of the square object might consist merely of adding serifs as shown in FIG. 1B. However, if another object is closer than r to the square object, additional proximity correction techniques might be applied as needed.
The value of r will generally be determined before operation of the present invention by the operator. The value of r may reflect a tradeoff between accuracy and efficiency. In other words, the larger r the more accurate the proximity correction application; the smaller r the less costly the application of the present invention. The value of r could be calculated in some fashion or chosen based upon experience and empirical data. Typically, using optical masking technology, r will be between 10 to 50 nanometers. Preferably, r will be between 15 and 40 nanometers. More preferably, r will be between 20 and 35 nanometers. Most preferably, r will be approximately 25 nanometers.
For purposes of our proximity correction system, we have a library stored in memory in the form of a lookup table which identifies the appropriate proximity corrections for the various patterns which we might encounter. The library entries are based upon empirical data and might include, for example, the proximity correction treatments reflected by FIGS. 1A and 1B. FIGS. 2A and 2B and FIGS. 3A and 3B. Each library entry concerns a specific pattern for a square with dimensions of 4r (i.e. 16 squares in the grid in FIG. 4) and contains the appropriate proximity correction for that pattern. Generally, it would be expected that about 216 library entries would be required. Although there would be numerous entries, each entry would only have to be determined once.
The proximity correction library is then applied systematically to the desired pattern. For purposes of systematic application of the proximity correction library, the various squares in the grid are identified as shown in FIG. 5. Each square is identified by its x-coordinate followed by its y-coordinate, with the origin of the grid at the bottom left comer.
FIG. 6A shows the operation of the present invention. Shown on FIG. 6A is an inner square 51 and an outer square 50. The inner square 51 comprises the following grid squares: (2, 7); (3, 7); (2, 6); and (3, 6). The dimensions of the inner square are 2r. The outer square 50 comprises the inner square and the following additional grid squares: (1, 8); (2, 8); (3, 8); (4, 8); (1, 7); (4, 7); (1, 6); (4, 6); (1, 5); (2, 5); (3, 5); and (4, 5). As can be seen, the dimensions of the outer square 50 are 4r.
For the outer square 50 we check our library for the appropriate entry. The entry concerns only the portion of the pattern contained inside the outer square. We then apply the proximity correction specified by the entry to the inner square only. The correction to the inner square is then saved in memory. As should be apparent, the border of the inner square is 1r away from the border of the outer square.
FIG. 6B reflects the next step. In FIG. 6B there is an outer square 52 and inner square 53. These inner and outer squares are the same dimensions as the respective inner and outer squares in FIG. 6A. We follow the same operation as we did with respect to FIG. 6A. In our preferred embodiment, we do not consider the corrections that were made to inner square 51 in the previous step. Rather, the pattern contained within grid squares (3, 7) and (3, 6) is our desired pattern. However, it is possible to consider the corrected pattern for these two grid squares if desired.
We then continue this correction process in the order as reflected by FIG. 6C (outer square 54 and inner square 55), FIG. 6D (outer square 56 and inner square 57), FIG. 6E (outer square 58 and inner square 59), FIG. 6F (outer square 60 and inner square 61). FIG. 6G (outer square 62 and inner square 63), FIG. 6H (outer square 64 and inner square 65), FIG. 6I (outer square 66 and inner square 67).
It should be noted that the order of correction could be different. For example, we might institute corrections in the following order: Inner square 51; inner square 53; inner square 57; and inner square 59. Further, configurations other than squares could be used. For example, we might use outer and inner rectangles other than squares. In this instance, it would generally be desirable that the dimensions of the outer rectangle be 2r greater than the dimensions of the inner rectangle. In addition, we might round the comers of the outer square or rectangle such that all points on the outer square or rectangle are exactly the distance r from the closest point on the inner square or rectangle.
Finally, it should be noted that the present invention can operate with either a single processor or with parallel processors. Therefore, we might utilize a single processor to make the corrections one inner square at a time. Or we can divide the inner squares such that inner squares are assigned to different processors and the proximity correction operations are conducted in parallel.
Where the operations are accomplished in parallel, we can treat neighboring inner squares simultaneously if we consider only the desired pattern in applying our corrections to the inner squares. However, if we wish to consider previous proximity corrections made during operation of the present invention, neighboring inner squares should not be operated on at the same time.
After we have made our corrections, we reconstitute our pattern such that our corrections are included. Further, proximity correction operations may then be effected if desired. From our corrected pattern, we can make our mask and form the semiconductor wafer according to our design.
B. Proximity Correction: Segmentation
In addition to the general method for applying proximity correction, pieces can be segmented and individualized proximity correction can be applied to the individual segments. We have developed two basic methods for applying proximity correction to segments, relative segmentation and unitary segmentation, each of which is described below.
1. Relative Segmentation.
Lines designed to have the same dimension, but which are placed in different proximity to other features in a layout (isolated vs. densely packed), will not have the same dimensions after being developed. Thus, a group of densely packed lines tends to transfer differently when compared with an isolated line. Significant problems can arise in an IC when line widths are not consistently reproduced.
This problem is of concern with respect to, for example, routing layers of a wafer. To a large extent, the patterns on the routing layers consist of horizontal and vertical wiring lines. An exemplary pattern on a routing layer is reflected by FIG. 7. Shown on FIG. 7 are a vertical piece 100, another vertical piece 101, an L-shaped piece 102, and another L-shaped piece 103.
With such a routing pattern, an proximity correction method with relative segmentation can be applied. For purposes of this example, we intend to apply proximity correction in the x-direction with respect to vertical piece 101.
The first step in our proximity correction with relative segmentation method is to segment vertical piece 101 and the pieces adjacent to it in the x-direction. To obtain the appropriate segments we segment the affected segments with dividing lines 110, 111, 112, 113 and 114. Each of these lines is derived from a physical structure on one of the considered pieces, namely here an end point of a piece. This is shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 9 shows the particular segments created by the dividing lines. Piece 100 has three segments, 200, 201 and 202. Piece 101, the piece to which we plan to apply proximity correction, is divided into five segments, 203, 204, 205, 206 and 207. Piece 102 is divided into two segments, 208 and 209, and piece 103 provides one segment, 210.
It should be noted that in the embodiment shown here, only segments contained within y-boundaries established by the end points of piece 101 are considered. Also, it should be noted that we do not consider the horizontal leg of piece 102.
As can be seen in FIG. 9, each segment of piece 101 is in one of four basic situations. The first situation is that of having no adjacent segments. This is exemplified by segment 203 as can be seen by FIG. 10A.
The second situation is having an adjacent segment only to the left. This is exemplified by segment 206 as can be seen in FIG. 10D. The third situation is having an adjacent segment only to the right. This is exemplified by segment 204, as is shown in FIG. 10B. Finally, the fourth situation is having adjacent segments to both the right and the left. This is exemplified by segments 205 and 207, as shown by FIGS. 10C and 10E, respectively;
After segmentation, proximity correction is then applied for each segment in the subject piece, namely piece 101. In applying proximity correction to each segment, the segment and the segments (if there are any) adjacent in the x-direction are considered. For example, with respect to segment 205, only segments 205, 201 and 209 are considered. With respect to segment 203, only segment 203 is considered. With respect to segment 206, only segments 206 and 201 are considered.
Because each segment of piece 101 is in one of four situations, it is possible to have an proximity correction library with only a minimal number of entries. However, the method may also take into account the length of the segments, in which case additional library entries may be required. Also end segments (such as segments 204 and 207) and comer segments require special treatment due to proximity effects which cause round-off at comers.
In the preferred embodiment, the segmentation and proximity correction process is carried out with respect to each piece in the pattern. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the proximity correction carried out with respect to one segment is not considered when later applying proximity correction to a segment adjacent to the first segment. However, if desired, it is possible to consider the proximity correction applied to the first segment.
Further, it would be expected that the segmentation and proximity correction process would be carried out with respect to horizontal segments as well. In that case, the proximity correction to a horizontal segment would take into account segments adjacent to the first segment in the y-direction and the dividing lines would be vertical instead of horizontal. After the relative segmentation proximity correction method described above is applied to a pattern, additional proximity correction procedures may be carried out for the pattern as needed or desired.
In applying the relative segmentation proximity correction procedures discussed above, certain complications may arise. For example, a routing layer may have connections between wires and cells, which are typically called vias. Vias are vertical openings filled with conducting material used to connect circuits on various layers of a device to one another and to the semiconducting substrate. Vias serve the same purpose as "contacts."
A wire with a via at the end(s) may have a shape similar to that of a dog bone. FIG. 11 depicts two pieces from a pattern of a routing layer. The first piece 200 is a straight vertical piece. The second piece 201 is also a vertical piece, but has two vias such that both ends (202 and 203) of the piece are wider than the wire portion giving the piece the appearance of a dog bone. With respect to the vias, one of two basic approaches can be taken in applying the relative segmentation proximity correction method. First, the segments with vias can be ignored and treated later with a two dimensional proximity correction method. Second, the segments with vias can be considered and treated during the relative segmentation proximity correction process. Treating vias during the relative segmentation proximity correction process would add complexity to the process. However, if the via portions are of consistent width, it may be possible to treat the via portions during this relative segmentation proximity correction process without too much more complexity.
FIG. 12 reflects the preferred approach to vias. Two dividing lines (210 and 211) divide pieces 200 and 201 into segments. Piece 200 is divided into segments 220, 221 and 222 and piece 201 is divided into segments 223, 224 and 225.
Note that the dividing lines do not divide the pieces exactly where the end portions (203 and 202) of piece 201 meet the wire portion of that piece. This is because the end portions will also cause proximity effects on the wire portion of the same piece. Therefore, the dividing lines are far enough away from the end portions such that any proximity effects caused the end portions to segment 224 are not significant.
Assuming we intend to apply proximity correction to piece 201, we apply proximity correction only to segment 224, taking into consideration segment 221. Likewise, if we intend to apply proximity correction to piece 200, we apply proximity correction only to segment 221, taking into consideration segment 224. The other segments are noted in memory and left for treatment later with a two dimensional method. Corners may also require treatment different than that applied to straight segments.
2. Unitary Segmentation.
Segmentation can also be used for proximity correction wherein the segmentation of a particular piece is accomplished without reference to another piece which is also segmented. In other words, only a single piece need be segmented before application of proximity correction. FIG. 13 shows a piece 250 which is placed on a layer of an integrated circuit device having power rails (252 and 253). In this instance, the piece overlaps each of the power rails. Utilizing the power rails as demarcations, the piece can be divided into three segments, one segment 254 positioned between the rails, one segment 255 positioned to the right of the right rail, and one segment 256 positioned to the left of the left rail.
We can then apply proximity correction measures to the middle segment 254 by itself, taking into consideration the proximity effects caused by the power rails. We do not need to consider the proximity effects caused by other structures (including the two segments which are outside the power rails) because such effects would be de minimis with respect to those caused by the power rails. After making the proximity corrections to the center segment, the center segment can be stored without further correction. Generally, the proximity correction would involve the subtraction of serifs at the inside corners formed by the power rails and the inner cell segment. [See, Garza '301 Patent, col. 11, 11. 45-46.]
This method of unitary segmentation can be combined with the invention described in the Pasch '323 patent discussed above and incorporated herein by reference. Proximity correction can first be applied to a pattern as described in the Pasch '323 patent, then the unitary segmentation method can be utilized to correct for the effects of other features, such as power rails as described above. Likewise, the invention described in the Pasch '323 patent can also be combined with relative segmentation proximity correction method described above.
C. Proximity Correction System Environment.
Generally, the methods described herein with respect to proximity correction will be practiced with a general purpose computer, either with a single processor or multiple processors. Generally, a pattern will be supplied in a digitized form. The particular proximity correction method desired will then be performed by a general purpose computer so as to modify the digitized representation of the pattern. The modified pattern will then be utilized in forming a mask.
FIG. 14 is an illustration of a general purpose computer system, representing one of many suitable computer platforms for implementing the inventive optical proximity correction methods described above. FIG. 14 shows a general purpose computer system 350 in accordance with the present invention includes a central processing unit (CPU) 352, read only memory (ROM) 354, random access memory (RAM) 356, expansion RAM 358, input/output (I/O) circuitry 360, display assembly 362, input device 364, and expansion bus 366. Computer system 350 may also optionally include a mass storage unit 368 such as a disk drive unit or nonvolatile memory such as flash memory and a real-time clock 370.
CPU 352 is coupled to ROM 354 by a data bus 372, control bus 374, and address bus 376. ROM 354 contains the basic operating system for the computer system 350. CPU 352 is also connected to RAM 356 by busses 372, 374, and 376. Expansion RAM 358 is optionally coupled to RAM 356 for use by CPU 352. CPU 352 is also coupled to the I/O circuitry 360 by data bus 372, control bus 374, and address bus 376 to permit data transfers with peripheral devices.
I/O circuitry 360 typically includes a number of latches, registers and direct memory access (DMA) controllers. The purpose of I/O circuitry 360 is to provide an interface between CPU 352 and such peripheral devices as display assembly 362, input device 364, and mass storage 368.
Display assembly 362 of computer system 350 is an output device coupled to I/O circuitry 360 by a data bus 378. Display assembly 362 receives data from I/O circuitry 360 via bus 378 and displays that data on a suitable screen.
The screen for display assembly 362 can be a device that uses a cathode-ray tube (CRT), liquid crystal display (LCD), or the like, of the types commercially available from a variety of manufacturers. Input device 364 can be a keyboard, a mouse, a stylus working in cooperation with a position-sensing display, or the like. The aforementioned input devices are available from a variety of vendors and are well known in the art.
Some type of mass storage 368 is generally considered desirable. However, mass storage 368 can be eliminated by providing a sufficient-mount of RAM 356 and expansion RAM 358 to store user application programs and data. In that case, RAMs 356 and 358 can optionally be provided with a backup battery to prevent the loss of data even when computer system 350 is turned off. However, it is generally desirable to have some type of long term mass storage 368 such as a commercially available hard disk drive, nonvolatile memory such as flash memory, battery backed RAM, PC-data cards, or the like.
A removable storage read/write device 369 may be coupled to I/O circuitry 360 to read from and to write to a removable storage media 371. Removable storage media 371 may represent, for example, a magnetic disk, a magnetic tape, an opto-magnetic disk, an optical disk, or the like. Instructions for implementing the inventive method may be provided, in one embodiment, to a network via such a removable storage media.
In operation, information is inputted into the computer system 350 by typing on a keyboard, manipulating a mouse or trackball, or "writing" on a tablet or on position-sensing screen of display assembly 362. CPU 352 then processes the data under control of an operating system and an application program stored in ROM 354 and/or RAM 356. CPU 352 then typically produces data which is outputted to the display assembly 362 to produce appropriate images on its screen.
Expansion bus 366 is coupled to data bus 372, control bus 374, and address bus 376. Expansion bus 366 provides extra ports to couple devices such as network interface circuits, modems, display switches, microphones, speakers, etc. to CPU 352. Network communication is accomplished through the network interface circuit and an appropriate network.
Suitable computers for use in implementing the present invention may be obtained from various vendors. Various computers, however, may be used depending upon the size and complexity of the OPC tasks. Suitable computers include mainframe computers, multiprocessor computers, workstations, or personal computers.
It should be understood that the present invention also relates to machine readable media on which are stored reticle designs meeting the requirements of this invention, or program instructions for performing methods of this invention. Such media includes, by way of example, magnetic disks, magnetic tape, optically readable media such as CD ROMs, semiconductor memory such as PCMCIA cards, etc. In each case, the medium may take the form of a portable item such as a small disk, diskette, cassette, etc., or it may take the form of a relatively larger or immobile item such as a hard disk drive or RAM provided in a computer.
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|Jan 10, 2006
|Mar 10, 2009
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Multilayer OPC for design aware manufacturing
|Oct 22, 2004
|Sep 15, 2009
|Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
|Method and system for reducing the impact of across-wafer variations on critical dimension measurements
|May 8, 2006
|Aug 24, 2010
|Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
|Semiconductor circuit pattern design method for manufacturing semiconductor device or liquid crystal display device
|Jan 22, 2009
|Jul 3, 2012
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Multilayer OPC for design aware manufacturing
|Oct 30, 2012
|Jun 10, 2014
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Automatic wafer data sample planning and review
|Mar 15, 2002
|Oct 2, 2003
|Numerical Technologies, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for identifying an identical cell in an IC layout with an existing solution
|Jun 4, 2004
|Dec 8, 2005
|Invarium, Inc.
|Method and system for designing manufacturable patterns that account for the pattern- and position-dependent nature of patterning processes
|Oct 22, 2004
|Apr 6, 2006
|Zach Franz X
|Method and system for reducing the impact of across-wafer variations on critical dimension measurements
|Dec 6, 2004
|Jun 8, 2006
|Texas Instruments Incorporated
|Correcting a mask pattern by selectively updating the positions of specific segments
|May 8, 2006
|Nov 30, 2006
|Kyoko Izuha
|Semiconductor circuit pattern design method for manufacturing semiconductor device or liquid crystal display device
|Jan 10, 2006
|Sep 20, 2007
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Multilayer OPC for Design Aware Manufacturing
|Jan 22, 2009
|May 14, 2009
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Multilayer opc for design aware manufacturing
|U.S. Classification
|716/53, 430/5
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 27, 2006
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Oct 18, 2006
|Surcharge for late payment
|Oct 18, 2006
|Fee payment
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Year of fee payment: 8
|May 8, 2014
Owner name: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AG
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text:
Original paper
Tumors in the 18th and 19th centuries at Brno, Czech Republic
Vargová, Lenka; Horáčková, Ladislava; Němečková, Alena; Krupa, Petr; Menšíková, Miroslava
Anthropologischer Anzeiger Volume 70 No. 4 (2013), p. 385 - 405
published: Dec 1, 2013
ArtNo. ESP140007004003, Price: 29.00 €
Symptoms signs of benign and malignant tumors were observed during paleopathological analysis of skeletal remains from the city of Brno in the Czech Republic. Approximately 1,200 skeletons were examined from two Modern era archaeology sites: the Ma?a Nová ulice (Little New Street) cemetery and the cemetery of the Nemocnice Milosrdn´ych brat?í (Merciful Brothers' Hospital). Osteomas, usually located on the flat bones of the cranial vault, were the most frequent skeletal pathology. Symptoms signs of malignant tumors were observed in three cases. In one case lytic foci caused by the metastases of a malignant tumor in the soft tissue was observed. Traces of myeloma multiplex were found in two individuals. Living conditions in that period, and possible carcinogenic environmental influences were assessed for the general population of Brno. This report contributes to a better understanding of the historical development of cancers and the clarification of possible causes for their modern increase of incidence.
18th–19th centuries • bone remains • paleopathology • tumors

subset: commoncrawl


text:
FD-M series
The FD-M Series leaves behind conventional flow sensing technology where paddle wheels or other obstructions can cause clogging or incorrect monitoring. The FD-M has no moving parts allowing liquid to flow freely while monitoring.
The FD-M is commonly used in a wide array of industries such as grinding, injecting molding, and welding. It is more tolerant than conventional sensors to variations in temperature and fluid type. Additionally, the FD-M's analog capability broadens the scope of possible applications.
This flow sensor features an easy to read display and simple select-and-toggle buttons on the face of the unit. Installation is simple as there are several models available to suit a variety of pipe options.
Your KEYENCE direct sales engineer can bring the product to your facility for a live demonstration. KEYENCE's sales engineers are highly trained and have extensive industry experience to help you find the solution you need.
Need more information about one of our solutions? Want a price quote? Have a support question? Contact us with your inquiry and your local product expert will reach out to you with the best answer.
Have a quick question or prefer to reach out by phone?
*Callers will be directed to the nearest sales office.


text:
Category: Stock Graphic, Illustrations
Stock Graphic >> Illustration - Vector quote about love Navy design 44066 by SoNice @ CreativeMarket
File Size: 602.8 KB; Vector: Yes.
My love deep like an ocean!
It can be used as a design of valentine cards, posters, notebooks, t-shirts and so on.
You will get.
- EPS 10 vector file.
Yo may also like.
The illustration may not be resold or sublicensed.
We would love to see what you create!
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Keywords: anchor, nautical, love, ocean, sailor, rope, nautical design, valentine, feelings, marine, navy, isolated, white background, print design, style.


text:
The Rose City Rollers hosted both San Francisco and Seattle this past weekend. The Break Neck Betties, Portland's reigning home team champions, took on Rat City's Grave Danger, and Rose City's travel team, the Wheels of Justice, faced off against the Bay Area All Stars. It was on opportunity for Rose City to exhibit their skills to our West Coast-ian neighbors, to welcome them to our fair city, to fete them hospitably, and then to destroy them without mercy. It mostly worked out.
More after the jump.
Friday's bout was heavy on the penalties, the hits, and the power jams. For the most part, Portland's Break Neck Betties were able to put up a series of consistent, solid jams in the face of their opposition, gradually ticking up the score. Occasionally Seattle was able to take advantage of penalties and sneak in with a power jam, usually ratcheting up several points in the process, making the game a race between consistent base hits and huge home runs (to use a sports metaphor to describe a sport thing). By the end of the first half the bout was nearly tied, with the Betties hanging onto a slim 113-111 lead. Rat City hit back in the second half, taking a quick lead early on. For the rest of the game, the lead shuttlecocked back and forth between the two teams, most notably in a weird double power jam situation (both jammers were in the box for part of it) that left the Betties with a 179-178 lead, and mere minutes to go.
By the time the final jam came around the score was a dead-even 205-205. Nails were bitten. Seats were occupied in an edge-only fashion. Win the jam, win the game. The Betties' Licker 'N Split, amid roars and cheers, soon grabbed lead jammer status, scored two points, and ended the game. The crowd, as they say, went wild. The officials weren't done, though. Conferring in the middle of the floor, the refs adjusted the final score for penalties and ruled the official final as 207-199, Betties. Despite Portland's team still taking it, the zebras managed to suck a little bit of the air out of the room, deflating the last-minute drama with the official adjustments.
Saturday's bout was an opportunity for vengeance. Last year the Rose City Rollers had their dreams of regional championships crushed beneath the wheels of the Bay Area Derby Girls. This weekend's bout didn't have championship hopes on the line per se, but the sweet smell of potential revenge hung in the air as the Wheels of Justice faced off with the Bay Area All-Stars.
The B.A.D. Girls took an early lead, but Rose City was able to answer back with high-scoring jams from Scald Eagle and Licker 'N Split. Midway through the first half, it looked like Portland's hard-hitting, powerful jams were going to get the job done. Toward the end, though, Bay Area came back with a series of low-scoring, methodical jams that ended the half 69-55—Rose City still had the lead, but it was rapidly evaporating.
Bay Area hit Portland hard at the start of the second half. Bricktator, taking advantage of penalties, brought the score up to 69-80 for the B.A.D. Girls in a painful power jam. Rose City responded—the combined efforts of jammers Mutch Mayhem, Scald Eagle, and Licker 'N Split tied the game at 90-90. Penalties, though, were not on Rose City's side, and a power jam by Bay Area's Lulu Lockjaw brought the score to 110-125, with a Bay Area lead. For the rest of the bout, Bay Area kept the score comfortably afloat above Rose City, and the scoreboard displayed an insurmountable-seeming 127-175 going into the final jam.
Scald Eagle gave it her all in that last one, dancing, gliding, and even hopping past B.A.D. Girls in the last seconds. The crowd knew it couldn't really be done, though. She managed to cut the lead to Rose City 146, Bay Area 175. Rose City went down, but at they went down in a blaze of glory.


text:
Anthropomorphic Apple Head Girls Salt & Pepper Shakers
Sold for:
Start Free Trial
or Sign In to see what it's worth.
- Sold Date:
- Source: eBay
ATTENTION SALT AND PEPPER SHAKER COLLECTORS: Over the next couple of months I will be selling a collection of rare vintage salt and pepper shaker sets as well as newer sets. I will have new listings for bidding on Sundays at 8:00pm and I also will be putting others in my store, so save me in your favorites and come back often because you might just find that set you have been wanting for a long timeThis is for a vintage set of salt and pepper shakers. They are a pair of anthropomorphic aplle head girls with skirts on. They are in excellent condition except for all over age crazing. Both corks are included. NOTE: The picture gives them no justice at all. These are a must have for someone who collects unusual salt and pepper shakers. Bid now they won't be around for long! Please check out my store for more unusual and unique items at affordable prices. Thanks! Any questions or for more pictures, just e-mail me. I am cleaning house so keep checking back for new items. Also please check out my store for more unique and unusual items at affordable prices. I will combine shipping if you buy multiple items from me ,as long as they are within reasonable time of each other.Thanks! SHIPPING Due to my scedule I CAN ONLY MAIL PACKAGES ONCE A WEEK AND THAT IS ON MONDAY , IF THAT IS A PROBLEM PLEASE PICK PRIORITY ... read more


text:
Get all our Detroit auto show coverage here
TCC Team
2007 Chevrolet Volt Concept
2007 Chevrolet Volt ConceptEnlarge Photo
Best production vehicle: Jaguar C-XF. Now wait, I hear folks shrieking, that's a concept vehicle. Yeah, sort of, but it's just a thinly-disguised version of the production Jaguar XF that will replace the aging S-Type and likely determine the long-term viability of a seriously troubled brand. How many other make-it-or-break-it cars were there at this year's Detroit Auto Show?
Most significant: I'm going to go with another GM car here, the Cadillac CTS. The second-generation sedan shows that Caddy's nascent renaissance isn't the proverbial flash-in-the-pan. The original CTS was visually striking, but still not quite up to the best-in-class. From its refined exterior to the lavish interior, it will be hard to ignore the '08.
Predictions for
2007: It's hard to imagine the
competitive situation getting any worse, but 2007 is likely to bring a battle
royale, especially if sales slump to the 16-million mark, like many predict.
That could prove especially troubling for
Bengt Halvorson
West Coast editor
2008 Dodge Grand Caravan
2008 Dodge Grand CaravanEnlarge Photo
Best production
vehicle: Two of
them: Toyota Tundra CrewMax, and the new Chrysler minivans. As the truck market
Most significant: Chevrolet Volt. People on the show floor were getting charged up over the Volt, a car that if produced would be revolutionary, with the potential to be the next 'it car' for green-conscious commuters. Although, as with the Saturn Vue plug-in hybrid, the technology is contingent to improved battery technology and reduced cost, let's hope GM builds on its electric car expertise, and builds the Volt.
Predictions for 2007: The auto industry will continue to see hard times, as the market seems to be in the middle of a major segment shift, not just an adjustment. The small-car market may not explode, but as gas prices inflame again come summer, full-size SUVs will see a lasting slump.


text: my brother has a problem with his ds, pokemon black and white keep crashing when he tries to save. i updated his firmware with the official and ysmenu that works fine on r4i gold. he has an r4-sdhc. could anyone be kind enough to help him with this problem? thanks in advance, grumphie


text:
In all of history and in all fields of intellectual endeavor, a tension has existed between theory and practice. Those of us who earn a living in the real world seldom want to appear as slaves to some set of abstract ideas. It was no surprise, therefore, that the word "baloney" was Wall Street's greeting to the pioneering theories of finance developed by a small group of academics in their ivory towers during the years from 1954 to 1972. Yet those breakthrough theories would in time earn five Nobel Prizes in Economic Science. Baloney they were not.
In Capital Ideas Evolving, today's foremost financial historian expands upon his groundbreaking book of 1992, Capital Ideas: The Improbable Origins of Modern Wall Street, to recount how these financial theories finally migrated from the towers of ivory to the towers of glass on Wall Street and other financial centers around the world. The result has been a global revolution in the nature of financial markets, the menu of investment strategies, the development of exotic financial instruments, and the role of an uncertain future in all investment decisions. Even the academics who originally developed these theories are active today in the markets and in the creation of new financial structures and strategies.
The opening pages of Capital Ideas Evolving confront the attack on these theories from researchers in Behavioral Finance, who argue that the theoretical assumptions of fully rational investors are a far cryfrom reality. Bernstein finds strong positive conse-quences in the daily interaction between these critics and the impact of financial theory. Based on personal interviews with leading practitioners and theoristsincluding five of those who played a prominent role in Capital Ideasthis book also describes how today's key practical applications developed from the core ideas of finance theory into the new and exciting formats of the investment process found in today's environment. This story includes the startling success of a group of leading institutional investors, all of whom developed their strategies from a base composed of the principles once categorized as "baloney."
As Bernstein traverses between financial theory and a history of modern financial innovation, he gives us a vivid and enlightening view of today's investment world. This engaging and insightful book brings to life the individuals, ideas, and issues that are transforming the financial landscape.


text:
03 September 2016
New Trailer for Power Line Movie 'Life on the Line' with John Travolta
"Any little distraction will kill you." Voltage Pictures has debuted another new trailer for the movie Life on the Line, an action-thriller about the risky lives of power line workers. The film stars John Travolta and Devon Sawa as two line workers who end up working during a massive storm that nearly destroys their lives. The cast includes Kate Bosworth, Sharon Stone, Gil Bellows, Julie Benz and Ryan Robbins. We featured a trailer for this earlier in the year, as it looks unlike anything else being released nowadays. It seems obliviously cheesy, but also almost like a throwback to 90's action movies. Tavolta looks pretty wild, though I'm not sure if this will be any good. The release date listed in the trailer is for Singapore, not the US.
Here's the newest trailer (+ a poster) for David Hackl's Life on the Line, direct from YouTube:
Life on the Line follows the lives of a crew of eccentric and courageous power line workers who do the extremely dangerous work of fixing the crumbling electrical grid. John Travolta stars as Beau, a salt of the earth man who blames himself for his brother's death and raises Bailey, his orphaned niece (Kate Bosworth). His worlds collide when Bailey's handsome lover (Devon Sawa) joins his linemen crew on the eve of a massive and deadly storm that threatens to rip their lives apart. Life on the Line is directed by former production designer David Hackl, of the films Saw V and Into the Grizzly Maze previously. Voltage Pictures seems to be releasing this movie sometime in 2016, though we're still not sure of any exact date yet.
Similar movies:


text:
Grande 5000 Business Class
Colour Options : White Sink/Silver Base/ Black
Chair/Chrome Arms.
The larger Grande Business Class adds an integrated leg rest and rear shelf to the standard luxurious and comfortable Grande wash point, together with an increased capacity.
All of our wash points come with taps and plumbing provided all you need is a hot and cold water supply.
Designed to sit across your salon's plugs, letting the water through but catching the hair before it becomes a problem.
Made from flexible silicone that'll fit all sink designs and comes in pristine white that'll keep your backwash basins looking clean and smart.
Revitalise your tools with our professional services
Copyright © 2005-2017 CoolBlades.


text:
We have all been there at some point. Whether you have children or not, chances are you have been out dining with a very cranky "future leader of the nation" or an indecisive and shy little guy.
Sometimes taking children out to eat can be a serious test on your patience. The kids might show out a little more than usual for one reason or another. They might become "crippled with anxiety" and "faaaar too embarrassed" to speak up and order what they want.
Someone from this Altoona, Pennsylvania deli had this life-changing idea to help kids and parents order their food as quickly and stress-free as possible.
Wait until you see this genius idea, it's truly a hospitality masterpiece!
Eating Out Should Be Relaxing But Sometimes Things Get Stressful!
Children Can Be Unpredictable And Shy When It Comes Time To Order
A Cranky Kid And A Busy Restaurant Are No Match!


text:
"Adding to review"
Posted via NHS Choices
I would like to comment further that from the previous review that physical needs are being fully addressed also and the review process is much more relaxed and nicer than when I was in hospital previously.I am grateful to be looked after during this period as I was so unwell that I badly needed help and care which has been provided by all staff.
Response from Bushey Fields Hospital 2 years ago
Thank you for your feedback. Our aim is to provide the best possible care and treatment for service users and to help us do that we welcome feedback from you, your family and carers. We welcome any comments you may have on the services we provide. Please contact our Service Experience Desk (SED), which is the central point of contact for all concerns and enquiries, whether these are formal or informal complaints, compliments or suggestions. You can contact SED on 0300 555 0535 or email email@example.com


text:
Oil leak costs engineering firm £11,900
Broxbourne-based JL French has been fined £10,000 for discharging trade effluent into a river, contrary to section 85 of the Water Resources Act 1991. The company, which produces aluminium parts for white goods, pleaded guilty before Hertford magistrates on 23 March.
Sorry you do not have access to this article. Please contact Customer Support at
or call 020 8267 8120


text:
Better places to live by design: companion guide to planning policy guidance 3
This publication was withdrawn on
Archived and replaced by the new planning practice guidance launched 6 March 2014 on an external website.
This guide aims to promote deeper thought and greater flair from those entrusted with creating better Places to Live. Following on from By Design…


text: Human Rights Observatory Australia Vows to Continue Hunt for Malaysian Jet Australia's Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose country is taking a lead role to find the missing Malaysian jet, says he has set no time limit on the search for the aircraft. Officials said debris spotted Sunday that was considered to be a promising lead, instead turned out to be fishing equipment. In recent weeks, satellites and spotter planes have located hundreds of pieces of debris that investigators have hoped could be traced to flight MH370. But so far, they have not found...Read complete article© Voice of America - Monday, March 31, 2014


text:
effective dose for 50 percent of the group; the amount of a drug that is therapeutic in 50 percent of the persons or animals in which it is tested.
median effective dose
Tagged: e
Read Also:
- Edacity
[ih-das-i-tee] /ɪˈdæs ɪ ti/ noun 1. the state of being ; voraciousness; appetite.
- Edam
[ee-duh m, ee-dam; Dutch ey-dahm] /ˈi dəm, ˈi dæm; Dutch eɪˈdɑm/ noun 1. a mild, hard, yellow cheese, produced in a round shape and coated with red wax. /ˈiːdæm; Dutch ˈeːdam/ noun 1. a town in the NW Netherlands, in North Holland province, on the IJsselmeer: cheese, light manufacturing. Pop: 28 000 (2003 est; includes […]
- Edamame
[ed-uh-mah-mey] /ˌɛd əˈmɑ meɪ/ plural noun 1. unripe, green soybeans that are steamed or boiled in their pods. noun Japanese term for fresh soybeans; also written eda mame Word Origin Japanese
- Eda mame
noun See edamame


text:
Results 1-1 of 1 for french tutor colchester
French Tutors in Colchester, United Kingdom
Find Private & Affordable French Tutoring in the Colchester Area!
Felicia S. Private French tutor in Colchester, United Kingdom
Whatever your needs, I can provide tailor-made solutions at any age, whether for exam preparation, business purposes, relocation or hobby . Feel free to contact me for more information and to discuss your requirements. German,French, English As a native speaker of German and...
MA in German, English, Pedagogy at the University of Cologne; Qualified Teacher Status


text:
This article is written by Dave
Chaplin, an IT Consultant with 10 years experience. He leads and mentors teams of developers
on agile .NET projects and has extensive experience in agile development techniques, particularly
Test-Driven Development. Dave can be emailed at
Tuesday, September 9, 2003
It is often stated that the majority of all IT projects have either failed or
are running late. In my opinion the largest contributor to failure is due to
building the wrong product. The documented system requirements may well be met,
but if the end product doesn't actually add any real business value then the
project has failed. Building the wrong thing results from getting the
requirements wrong, and getting the requirements wrong means failing to
diagnose the business problem and clearly define measurable business goals from
which solutions can then be built to solve them problem. This article discusses
how to correctly define the unambiguous measurable business goals in order to
mitigate the risk of the project failing.
For an IT project to be a success it needs to go through the following steps:
A business problem is ultimately a concern with the bottom line, but
could be expressed at lower levels as statements like:
To solve business problems we need to define business solutions
To achieve the business solutions we need to define business goals. These put
more weight to the business solutions and define clear targets in order to
solve the business problem.
A business goal is an unambiguous definition of a clear target that needs to be
reached in order to satisfy a business solution and effectively solve the
business problem. Here are some examples:
If it cannot be measured and does not have a target then it is not a business
[Note: A business requirement is another name for a business goal.
However, it is often the case that business solutions get labelled as business
A system requirement describes a piece of functionality the system must provide.
The set of system requirements define what will be built in order to meet the
business goals. Each system requirement should trace back to one or more
business goals.
Yes, in the same way that business goals can be vague. More often than not the
system goals are not even specified: Here are some examples of terrible system
This clearly defined measurable business goal enables the system designers to
objectively evaluate which of their ideas will be most effective. Once a system
requirement is implemented the test can be conducted to determine if the
implementation has met the target. If it has then success can be claimed and
resources can be re assigned to other areas of the business, or onto other
goals. If not, then other implementation will need to be considered. This is
what iterative development is all about which will be discussed later. There
will be other goals which will also need to be satisfied, some of which could
be negatively effected by system requirements designed to meet other goals. The
whole set of business goals needs to be evaluated against the whole set of
possible system requirements. This will help to determine which set of system
requirements will have the best overall effect.
Unless the goals are unambiguous and measurable they will be misinterpreted by
both stakeholders and system designers which runs the risk that the real
business need will not be met. They need to be measurable so they can be tested
and evaluated to see if success can be claimed.
The statements are actually business solutions to increasing profit, becoming
more efficient, and maintaining and expanding the customer base, which are good
high level business solutions
Both statements are useful and not to be dismissed. If a system requirement is
stated we can ask the question 'Why?' in order to get to business solutions.
Once we arrive at business solutions we can ask 'How?' to get at quantifiable
measures to define the goals.
It is the role of the business analyst to establish the business problem, the
business solutions, and define the business goals. It is the role of the
project manager to co-ordinate the entire team of business analysts, system
designers, developers, testers, and stakeholders to ensure the business goals
are met. It is the role of the system designers and developers to build
solutions that will meet the business goals. It is the role of the testers to
test that the solutions created meet the business goals.
Here's an example of a conversation with an analyst and a client that results
in a set of unambiguous measurable business goals being established. For
And so on….
The business problem is that the client wants to increase the revenue of the
company. The business goal is that they want to double the company revenue. One
business solution is to write more articles or perhaps double them. In order to
double the number of articles extra time needs to be created by reducing the
time spent on other activities, one of which has been identified as the
invoicing process.
Golden rule: Don't let anyone other than the stakeholders agree with goals for
the project
Iterative development can take longer than waterfall development, because the
code base needs to re engineered at each step based on the changes in direction
defined. However, the chances of hitting the target are increased.
In order to make the adjustments you must be able measure how far away from the
target you are at the end of each iteration. If you do not know how to measure
where you are, and you do not know what the target is then it will not be
possible to adjust the plan. In practice on iterative projects with no clear
goals changes do get made but they tend to be vague hand waving type
suggestions with no real basis for their justification.
Once a draft set of business goals has been established it is of paramount
importance to agree the goals and measures with the stakeholders and order the
priority of the goals. Be extremely careful at this stage not to allow the
business analyst and/or project manager to agree the goals without consulting
the stakeholder. To do so negates the whole point of setting the goals in the
first place. If they are not agreed by the stakeholder then the whole problem
if misinterpretation rears its ugly head again.
To ensure project success ensure you have a set of unambiguous measurable
business goals which are agreed and prioritised with the stakeholders. At each
iteration measure the distance from the goals and report progress, then allow
the stakeholder to re prioritise accordingly.
Other Articles
Test Driven Development (Dec 2003)
The Losers Olympics (Sep 2003)
Making Projects Succeed: Part 1 - Measurable
Business Goals (Sep 2003)
Pitfalls In Software Development (June 2003)
Extreme Web Architectures - Testing Web Applications In
Seconds (June 2003)
Pair Programming and Quad Programming - From
Experience (June 2003)
Making Extreme Programming A Success (April 2003)
Contractual Test Driven Development (TDD with DBC)
(April 2003)
Moving To XP (Feb 2003)
Maximising Development Productivity (Dec 2002)
Writing Automated Browser Tests Using
NUnit and IE (Oct 2002)
Mitigating Requirements Risk With Agile
Practices (Oct 2002)
10 Tips for Successful Team Leading (Oct
Developing Automated Using Tests Using NUnit 2.0
With VB.NET (Sep 2002)
Quality By Design - Part 1.doc (May 2001)
Quality By Design - Part 2.doc (May 2001)
Quality By Design - Part 3.doc (May 2001)
Other Resources
Extreme Programming
Agile Modelling


text:
"If you look at pictures of Fortune 500 CEOs, you might be in for a surprise" says MoneyWatch's Steve Tobak. "Very few have facial hair. In fact, hardly any do. The same is true of American political leaders."
In this article that explores shaving and employment, Tobak goes on to review some of the statistics on the matter.
…anywhere from 80 to 90 percent of adult males are clean-shaven, while the percentage of senior executives without facial hair appears to be significantly higher. So, while this analysis isn't exactly scientific, there does seem to be a correlation between climbing the ladder of success and facial hair…
"Several studies I came across actually did conclude a positive bias toward clean-shaven men in business hiring decisions," Tobak reports.
While Tobak does note the exceptions to this rule (think Apple CEO Steve Jobs), he also concludes by advising his male readers to strongly consider the "perception" facial hair can create in present or future employers. "Whether the bias is real or not" he says "if you're hot on the trail of a job or a promotion and want to play it safe, I'd go ahead and shave if I were you."
Read Tobak's full article at MoneyWatch and consider how the MicroTouch Max could help you on your path towards vocational success!


text:
Q&A: Why would my website be listed as a proxy avoidance website?
July 6, 2012 by admin
Filed under Discussions
Question by blkobswg: Why would my website be listed as a proxy avoidance website?
I have a personal website that when I try to access from school it lists it as a proxy avoidance website. My website is a forum, nothing else. So why would it list it as a proxy avoidance site?
Best answer:
Answer by NoWay.
It could be the site your forum is being hosted from.
Like I know proboards message boards don't work here.
Sometimes keywords are what sets it off to be blocked for whatever. I've tried to go to very harmless sites and it tells me that it's R-rated content, sexual content, or some sort of free gaming site when it's got nothing do with games at all.
I don't know why they block the most harmless websites, but usually it's so you don't stray away from your work.
What do you think? Answer below!


text:
I speak on a few things I am qualified to evaluate and a few that I am not over at The Financial Diet, one of my favorite sites:
Author: kaysoligan
Measure in Love
Today is Yom Kippur, the day of atonement in the Jewish faith. I'm a middling Jew. I came into it late and adopted what made best sense to me in the context of a spirituality based on a lot of things we have no better name for than witchcraft as I went along. It's a long-term exploration that lets me go a little deeper each year, learn a little more; faith is, in that way, much like life. And my life and my faith are coalescing, slowly, towards the same goal. Put simply, the goal is love.
I would posit love is the easiest and most fragile feeling, the easiest and most fragile theoretical object we ever hold in our hands. Love is a Rorschach test: what people see when they see it tells you more about them than it does about the thing itself. It's real and it's a construct. It's a word for a lot of things that are not the same thing. And it is, in all of its expanse and breadth and depth, the thing I have chosen as my particular undertaking, and the thing I measure myself against each year on this day. How am I doing, I ask, at love?
I'm doing fine. Better than before. Not nearly as well as I could be. My love is sincere but sometimes scatter-brained. When faced with the challenge of unkindness, my love falters to anger, a significantly easier emotion for me to access and one that served me well, for a long time, as a shield against the painful vulnerability true love requires. Life is not unlike a video game in many ways; conquer one level, feel good for a moment, and the universe will often hand you a new challenge to overcome, one that makes every previous challenge you sweat so hard seem laughably simple. And so in the last few years my capacity for love, my ability to love, has been challenged in new ways, and I have often faltered and often failed, although to my credit, I do get back up and try again, although to my detriment, I don't always do it with any particular degree of grace.
Sometimes life will hand me back one of those "laughably simple" challenges I longed for when new ones arose, and sometimes I manage to fail at those as well. Those ones hurt; those ones are like being a high school junior and failing one word on a third-grade spelling test. "I just blanked!" I think to myself, but it's human feelings on the line, and relationships I've worked long and hard for, not a school grade, and even the occasional slip and failure won't do. And yet, in my slips and failures, my friends and family find their capacity for forgiveness, and their forgiveness reminds me to love.
And so, in the liminal space of the days of awe, when we simultaneously look back and consider the future – no neat "Happy New Year!" clean-slates for Jews – I remember the admonition to measure in love. Go with me on this: the admonition, or invitation, is from a musical called Rent. If you were a 90s theater kid nerd you knew all the words. If you ever loved theater or were a nerd you knew all the words. And as a lost, intermittently lonely, nerdy kid, they were the kind of words that saved me: exuberant, meaningful, joyous. With time and a little perspective, that measured word for "enough space to be embarrassed by the process of growing up," I've come to think of it as corny and sweet. But like everything else that holds real meaning – like love – it is many things that are difficult to simplify. It is musical; it is a call to arms for weirdos; it is one of the earliest examples of successful diversity in theater; it is written by a white man; it is written by a Jew. It is written by a young man who died suddenly and without warning at the height of his earliest success, whose last call to arms was a call to love. It is a reminder, both in the creating and the telling of it, that time is limited and precious and that deciding exactly what we will do with it is our most profound daily challenge. And when I look back on this past whirlwind year, and when I look back on however many I have to come, I will try, in fact, however corny, to measure in love. I have very little else to give.
Wild and Precious
B and I are at Navarre Beach in Florida with his family for a week, taking the closest thing we've had to an actual, full-fledged vacation in nearly four years. I did work, but it's been more relaxing than anything else, more listening to the soothing sound of the waves crashing on the shore and the kids running around laughing and eating seafood than looking at my phone. We also went to an alligator farm and we all got to hold a very, very small alligator, which felt surprisingly pleasant. His squirmy and resigned sort of demeanor reminded me, oddly, of our dog.
One of the books I brought with me is Mary Oliver's "Felicity," her apparently long-held, secret stash of something nearly like love poems. She's maybe most famous presently for the line regarding the grasshopper, asking, "What are you going to do / with your one wild and precious life?" but I found another one last summer that I got stuck on, that reminded me of the beach, and those few months when B and I were hurtling towards each other with all the inevitability of gravity, and that echoes now with this summer barely past, that seemed so weirdly endless:
What This Is Not
This is not just surprise and pleasure.
This is not just beauty sometimes
too hot to touch.
This is not a blessing with a beginning
and an end.
This is not just a wild summer.
This is not conditional.
Re-reading it sitting by the water the other day, I flipped to the back cover for the first time; I'd only recently found out anything about Oliver personally and wanted to know more. The author's bio wasn't much, but it mentioned that she was from Ohio and – upon the writing of "Felicity" – resides in Florida. That would be an awesome coincidence, if I still believed in those.
They let me write about BUFFY.
BUFFY, Y'ALL. Buffy.
I may have officially peaked.
We're Staying Here.
My neighborhood goes completely nuts in the spring. Windows open, dogs out for long walks, kids playing basketball, and everything blooms all at once. I noticed before we got a dog, but now I spend time outside every day, wandering the neighborhood, and I'm knocked over by how gorgeous it is. Germantown is largely turn-of-the-(20th)century homes, in varying degrees of grandeur – from four stories extending back half a block to one story shotguns lined up shoulder-to-shoulder with a foot or less of space between, and nearly every front yard has a tree or two going wild right now. Along the sidewalks someone has planted what I think is a sort of cherry blossom – the flowers climb the branches the same way – in purple, one every few feet, so they form an archway over the sidewalks. Low stone walls out front of homes are lined with ivy and gardens have daffodils coming up, low bushes are an insane riot of color. It's beautiful and every time I walk outside it feels genuinely good, like the world is waking up and I'm a part of it.
Inside our home, everything is familiar, and comfortable, and right where I like it. I'm undertaking a massive spring cleaning and – unusually for my all-or-living-in-filth approach to housekeeping – I'm doing it in stages, but the deadline is the end of this month, because we'll be having a friend stay with us for a little while, and this house is entirely structured around two people, and needs to shift over to accommodate three.
But that's the thing – it will be wonderful with three, equally wonderful when it goes back to two. Either way the wood floors will gleam and the light will be stunning in the afternoon and my books will be where I can find them and the front porch will be just right for morning coffee. We've got the most perfect little home we could ever imagine, for who we are, and where we are, and our lives right now, so we're staying. We're signing a year-long extension to the lease and we're just not going to pack up any of our boxes, still neatly stacked in the basement, and we're just not going to rent a moving truck, and we're just not going to have a single thing to concern ourselves with except living where we like and how we prefer. I haven't lived in one place longer than a year or so since I left my folks' house at age 18, but we're at a year and a half here, two in October, and all told we'll be at least three. I can't tell you how wonderful not moving is. How wonderful to leave all of your things right where they are and have a house without cardboard boxes around, peace and no chaos, security and stability, the pure pleasure of being able to find what you want or need in the place where you like to put it. So we're staying here, and I am so very glad. The gift of the one is the absence of the other, so the flip side of staying here is that we are not leaving, and not leaving is its own lengthy rumination on a theme that may just comprise a great deal of the waking moments of whatever constitutes the rest of my very pleasant life.
The Saga of Bill Belichek, or: How We Got Ourselves a Dog
B and I have been talking about getting a dog since before I moved here, and every now and then, we've gotten a sign from the universe that we ought to keep it mind, not the least of which (signs, that is) being that we kept wanting one, and considering it, and talking about it all of the time.
I would look at dogs up for adoption online and wonder which one might be right for us. There were always more older dogs, but sometimes there were puppies, as well. I realized that most people I know up North with a dog got them young, usually from a breeder; down here, about half of my friends went to a shelter. A typically captivating Bitter Southerner article laid this phenomenon out for me. I will quote it here at length, while recommending that you read it, God, read it; read everything they publish.
A little more than half of all dogs brought into animal shelters in the United States are euthanized, according to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. And in a state such as Tennessee, which has the eighth highest percentage of dog owners of any state, you can expect that rate to rise. Because of a lack of leash and spay/neuter laws and less municipal money for animal control and care compared to other regions — coupled with a culture of generally letting people do whatever the hell they please — the stray-pet population in the South is far greater than other parts of the country. And when you add in the fact that seven of the top 10 states in dog ownership are in the Southeast, and the other three fall into some definition of the South, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association's latest Pet Ownership and Demographics Sourcebook, folks, we've got ourselves a big problem.
Southern animal shelters are overrun with dogs that will never be adopted. We have a huge supply that doesn't come close to meeting the demand. There is neither enough room in our shelters and rescues nor enough Southerners willing to adopt stray dogs. Thousands of perfectly good, healthy dogs are euthanized every year as a result.
When you look at the Northeast, the opposite is true. With large human populations and stricter animal control laws, there is a huge demand for dogs and little supply. State-of-the-art animal shelters sit empty and unused with people coming in every day looking to adopt dogs that just aren't there. While I could go to any animal shelter around me and get as many dogs as I please, it's not that easy up North.
We did look at dogs online that needed to be rehomed, and at some very cute puppies, but in the end we were looking for our dog, the one for us, and we knew we'd go to a shelter. Much like dating, there's little you can tell from a picture. Much more like dating, you also can't tell much from bringing them home. If you're smart, you don't pay for them and sign papers making them legally yours when you bring them home after one date, but how you live is your business, darling, and I do not judge.
So for Christmas B got me a leash and some dog toys, and we talked about it some more, and I realized that we had spiraled; the conversations had started loose and gotten tighter and tighter and we were suddenly getting close to doing the thing very quickly, and then one day we picked a day to go meet some dogs and on that day we went to meet some dogs.
As outlined in detail above, there are plenty of pets down south that need loving homes, but all through January, I was startled by how many dogs there were on the adoption websites. Due to those lax spay and neuter laws (also mentioned above), Kentucky has more Pitbulls than homes for them. They're the hardest to get adopted by far, and litters of them will appear all at once, looking for a place to land. But in January, there were all kinds of puppies, nearly as many puppies as older dogs, and a lot of different breeds. They're Christmas dogs – dogs given as gifts and given to a shelter soon after. I am told it is worse after Valentine's Day.
There's something unpleasant in that about humans that one can only sit with.
So we looked through the pictures on the packed website and mapped out a meet-n-greet route. There are five or six Humane Society locations within a 20 or 30 minute drive and even more just a little further out, so we narrowed it down to two that had a few dogs we thought looked like they might be ours, some older, some younger. And we saw Eddie. Eddie was an absurdity. He was a fluffy dog that had been abandoned or escaped without a chip, found by students on the local college campus. His hair was so horribly matted they'd had to shave him down to nothing, and the before and after pictures could've been two completely different animals. If you'd told me one was a small bear and one was a forlorn and misplaced creature of unidentifiable origin that might arguably be part dog and was certainly part house-elf, I'd have bought that line. We agreed we'd hold off and meet Eddie last if we could take any more after the first two shelters, but Eddie was a lot older – four years old – and he'd been a stray, which can come with a host of challenges we needed some time to decide if we were up to.
The first shelter was just a room full of puppies in oversized crates, stacked on top of each other. They were loved and cared for; it was sad only in the sense that they so desperately wanted attention that I couldn't take one out to the play area without crying at the sound of the others' whimpering. We knew we were looking for a small-to-medium sized dog, because B wants a dog you can hold in one hand, and I want a direwolf; neither B's sensibilities nor the size of our house and yard will accommodate my preference, so we had hard size restrictions. We also decided against a Pit or Pit mix, although that broke my heart; B has many beloved nieces and nephews, and I would never want their parents to feel uncomfortable leaving them with us. Here I will add that many of my friends have Pitbulls and they are endlessly sweet, incredibly loving, and deeply loyal. I do recommend them, sincerely. I had to discount them on bad PR, and because as mixes, they tend to be enormous.
So we met Ginger, who I'd liked the look of online. She was small and copper-colored, and I knew right away we'd call her Penny. She was super sweet and playful, a little nippy like puppies are. I looked at B. He looked at me regretfully.
"I'm just not feeling it."
I actually laughed with relief. "I'm not either!" I played with her and gave her a treat. "You're not our dog! But that's ok! You're so adorable! You're going to find the best home!" We put her back.
We met three more sweet dogs and none of them were ours. I had thought the problem would be wanting to take every dog home – and it was, for sure – but since I had a very realistic sense of what we could rationally offer a dog, and so many other people came in to meet them, I wanted very badly not only for us to find the dog that was right for us, but for every dog we met to find the home that was right for them. The small puppies we met were all super social and would love having kids around. B and I like to sit quietly, watch TV, and go on long walks. Couple: likes TV, long walks, naps. Seeking same. We sought onward.
Our next stop was the main campus of the KY Humane Society. I cannot emphasize enough how lovely everyone is, how clean the facilities are, what good care they take of the animals. The front room of this facility had a lot of very fat, contented cats, and the dogs were in a room in the back. There were some more puppies, but none of them seemed like ours. There was a 10 year old Puggle I could feel us both desperately wanting to take home, immediately; it still hurts to think about her. Her name was Ziggy, and we both knew right away we would call her Ziggy Stardust. But taking her home meant certain heartbreak. She needed care, which would cost money: frequent vet appointments, shots. She would be our dog for a short time, and it would be hard to talk ourselves into another after.
There was a sweet dog, Sadie, who was enormous at a mere four months old, who slept like a rock even with people in her pen. She had huge, sad brown eyes. I was pretty sure she was our dog, but I also thought she might be sick; she was listless, even outdoors; she wasn't interested in sniffing around or chasing a ball, and she acted no differently when we put her back in her pen. I had a hard time leaving her, but she wasn't B's dog.
We sat in the car outside, exhausted and overwhelmed. We'd petted and played with half a dozen dogs and met three or four times that many. It seemed like we might not find our dog that day at all. But it was still early, and even though it was a bit of drive we could beat traffic if we left just then, so we decided to go over the bridge to Indiana to meet Eddie.
Kentucky Humane Society partners with Feeders' Supply stores throughout the area to house dogs that need homes. We'd only been to shelters so far, but this was really just a giant pet store (food, toys, cleaning supplies etc – not a puppy mill) with a space in the back that housed some animals up for adoption. The girl there was every bit as nice as everyone else we'd met and the dogs as well cared for. There were six crates in the back, and five of them were occupied. We met one extremely sweet small dog who shed so prolifically I knew B's allergies wouldn't be able to stand it (nor would my vacuum). We also met Rebel Rebel (who I immediately called Dean), and took him into the washroom for a few minutes to play with. He was six months old and a complete puppy in every sense – rowdy, playful, and excited. One of the reasons the shelters were full was that recently a man had been found living in the woods with 31 dogs, and he refused to be taken to a shelter until he knew that all of the dogs would be cared for as well. Rebel had been living in the woods his whole life. He would certainly be a mess and a project to train, but we both liked him, and I wanted to take him home, and I knew if I asked, B would say yes.
Eddie was the last dog we met. He was wearing a tiny, ridiculous sweater the shelter had put on him after they'd had to shave all his fur off, and it did something to both of us, the sight of that tiny helpless creature in his little sweater, his little dignity wrapped around him, nose in the air, eyes huge in his tiny face. He was shaking when I carried him out of the crate. We took him into the washroom. He sniffed around a little bit, then settled between the two of us, still shaking. He was fine with being petted and carried. He didn't seem interested in toys.
I can only remember a little of the conversation we had when we decided we were taking him home – I thought he'd be more like a roommate than "our dog," whereas a puppy who'd only really known us would be more of a friend and a pet. We knew he'd been abandoned but had no idea what his life had been like before. Would he like kids? Would he be happy in a house with just two people? Had he ever been trained? Had he been abused?
In the end we went on instinct, probably less for the dog itself and its "rightness" as for our mutual instinct to take care of things that obviously need love but don't know how to ask for it. We decided to take Eddie home, and then suddenly we were taking a dog home.
B called him "Oscar Winner Eddie Redmayne," which lent a forlorn nobility to his thin, shaking countenance. I held him while B did all the paperwork – KY Humane Society had fixed him, since he hadn't been neutered when they found him, plus he was up to date on shots and had been given flea and tick medication. They gave us a little booklet of coupons and I carried the dog around the store while we picked out food, and a small harness for walks, and bowls to eat and drink out of. I had a leash and some toys in my Christmas gifts, and we decided to figure the rest out later. And that's how we found ourselves in B's car, six hours after our day began, our new little dog still shaking on my lap, driving home.
Find out more about KY Humane Society here: https://www.kyhumane.org/
Find out more about adopting and rescuing Pitbulls here: http://www.pbrc.net/
Find out more about P.E.T.S. Animal Rescue Road Trips here: http://www.petsllc.net/
I'm In Way Over My Head: On big magic and finding just the right book at just the right time.
A few days after we found our gorgeous, magical home, I got the keys from our landlord and B and I broke in at night like teenagers, guilty and excited, to walk through it again. The bright red door, the high ceilings, the beautiful wood floors, everything took my breath away, left me giddy at my own good fortune. When we had visited, it had been full of bustle and people, with the contractor working and our landlord wheeling and dealing, light and noise everywhere. In the quiet and the dark, all ours, we really saw it for the first time.
It was filthy.


text:
AddressLieu dit Pitelet
St Victor Montvianeix
Holiday Rental Description:
Our cottage, La Maison de Réflexion was converted from an old forge in which the cart wheels and hand tools were manufactured. It is decorated and furnished to a high standard and has received 3-star Show more descriptionby the new French national tourism authority whose representative, at the conclusion of the evaluation visit, very kindly told us that it was a wonderful start his Monday morning!
The accommodation, which is on one level, has a wood stove and electric radiators and is therefore suitable for renting all year. It can accommodate up to four adults and consists of two bedrooms, one double and one twin-bedded, a living/dining room with integral TV (French channels only), DVD and CD players, free WiFi access and a good-sized shower room with toilet and hairdryer. A cot and high chair are also available on request.
The kitchen is well equipped with pots and pans, cutlery and crockery, oven, hob, microwave, fridge / freezer, dishwasher, iron and ironing board. A clothes washing service is also available.
The property has its own enclosed, lawned garden, south-facing, suitable for children and dogs with a beautiful view of the surrounding countryside and is equipped with garden furniture and barbecue - ideal for enjoying the views and beautiful sunsets on summer evenings.
Our goal is to have the gîte ready for you from 15:00 on the day of arrival. You are welcome to contact us by telephone on the day to see if it will be ready sooner.
La Maison de Réflexion is a "No Smoking" gîte.
Pitelet is a typical and peaceful village of the region. It is situated at 750 metres in the beautiful hills of the wooded mountains aboveThiers and on the edge of the Livradois Forez Regional Park .
St Victor Montvianeix is a large commune, but with only 6 people per square kilometre, the 300 miles of pathways are a delight to explore on foot or by bike (to rent). And if you are an avid bird watcher, we have a real diversity of species here.
Our nearest town, Thiers, has been the capital of French cutlery making for six centuries. A visit to the museum, the workshop to make your own pocket knife and the numerous shops bear witness.
For a panoramic view of the department take the new funicular railway to the summit of the Puy de Dôme. At 1,500 metres the highest of the chain of volcanoes is currently fighting for the recognition of UNESCO. Or you can climb to the top on foot if you like. The views are spectacular.
Clermont Ferrand is the nearest big city and the capital of the department, with its black cathedral built in volcanic stone as well as being the home of Michelin.
And in addition there is the charming town of Vichy, famous for its water and restorative treatments.
Our region has five delicious AOP cheeses and several distinctive wines, the best known of which are the AOC wines of St Pourçain. And then there is our ham, sausisse de choux, aligot, truffade...
...And if your appetite is still not whetted enough, we invite you to take a look at our website using the link provided. You will find more information about us, as well as other photos and reviews of our previous guests. You are also welcome to contact us for any further information. Our goal is to make your stay as enjoyable as possible.
There are no hidden costs. Our prices include:
- a free 4-course meal on the evening of your arrival.
- a comprehensive Welcome Pack.
- bedlinen and towels.
- electricity and firewood.
- cleaning. We just ask that you leave the house how you
we would wish to find it.
- tourist taxes.
And if during your stay you do not want to cook for yourself or go to a restaurant, we are happy to cook for you. Once we have agreed the menu and the number of dishes you want, you can dine with us or enjoy the meal at the gîte.
All seasons here are wonderful in their individual way and therefore we are open all year and are also available for long-term lets during the months from October to April (please contact us for more information).
Prices:Prices may vary depending on the season. Please check with the owner.
|Daily Price
|Weekly Price
|Room (2 pers.)
|Room (3 pers.)
|375 - 625


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iPhone X review
HP T550uk
Carafaraday, I missed all your postings, but am having similar problems. The machine has been back to HP who could find no problem with it. Fair enough, it worked OK for another week. Then it failed to start again, we noticed that there was no blue light on the cordless receiver unit. Tried an old set of corded mouse/keyboard and the unit fired up OK. Tried the cordless stuff agin, worked fine for a day or so. This kept happening for a week or so, called HP who sent out another remote keyboard/mouse/receiver unit. Then the computer failed, did the same thing, but failed to work with the corded mouse/keyboard. Called HP again, they told us to box it up. Did so, called this morning for a pick up time, was told that the machine would not be picked up as the problem was the monitor and it should be only an HP monitor with this machine. I told them I bought the machine without monitor as Comet were selling as such and never saw any notice that we required a dedicated HP monitor with it. I have actually tried a Sony CRT and a BENQ TFT on the HP with the same results, in fact my CRT works fine on the old computer I am using now.
SO now HP have referred me to Comet, who have referred me back to HP, who say they will call me.
Is my 620 quid wasted?
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