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Each spring visitors are welcomed to more than 250 of Virginia's most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks during "America's Largest Open House." This 8-day statewide event provides visitors a unique opportunity to see unforgettable gardens at the peak of Virginia's springtime color, as well as beautiful houses sparkling with over 2,000 fabulous flower arrangements created by Garden Club of Virginia members.
Williamsburg - Apr. 21 - Historic Garden Week in Virginia - Williamsburg Garden Club - Join the Willliamsburg Garden Club and the Garden Club of Virginia in celebrating of the 300th ...
Old Town Alexandria - Apr. 18 - Alexandria's Historic Garden Week in Virginia Tour - At the peak of springtime in bloom join Alexandria's HIstoric Garden Week walking tour featuring ...
Martinsville - Apr. 22 - Historic Garden Week in Martinsville and Henry County - Martinsville and Henry County are located along Virginia's Southside at the crossroads of US 58 and ...
Harrisonburg - Tour Celebrating Historic Garden Week - The EJC Arboretum celebrates with a tour starting at the FPEC. Arboretum grounds are open free to ...
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Showing All "Bloc Party" Posts
Aug 21st, 2008 70 Comments
Three days ago Bloc Party dropped a little surprise with their plans for a new album. Three days later, it's out. If "Mercury" didn't quite shock your monkey, don't give up. This is being typed as…   Read Story »
Aug 19th, 2008 10 Comments
Yesterday Bloc Party announced that you'd have to wait just three days to hear their forthcoming third album. If that is too long for you, and you are on the internet so it's fair to assume it is,…   Read Story »
Aug 18th, 2008 20 Comments
It's been awhile since Bloc Party reminded everyone how good Gang Of Four were, with their highly impressive debut Silent Alarm. Since then the band has served to remind everyone how good Silent…   Read Story »
Aug 12th, 2008 4 Comments
Some folks think Bloc Party's "Mercury" sounds like "Shock The Monkey," an idea reinforced by the Planet Of The Apes video for the track. The CD version of the single comes with remixes of the track…   Read Story »
Aug 2nd, 2008 5 Comments
One day into Lolla, and Radiohead have already made the trip worth it. Also Chuck Bass -- we saw him chilling in the media area. Kanye, Wilco, and Obama (ha) are on deck. Rest assured we are charging…   Read Story »
Jul 22nd, 2008 26 Comments
While we were flying back from Chicago, news spread hard and fast about a spat between outspoken post-punk kid Kele Okereke and outspoken punk-punk grandaddy Johnny Rotten, occurring Saturday night…   Read Story »
Jul 7th, 2008 32 Comments
This weekend a couple of British music sites posted about a RATM82407.com-styled countdown at Bloc Party's homepage. Turns out the countdown was for the unveiling of Bloc Party's new single…   Read Story »
Jun 10th, 2008 96 Comments
André Allen Anjos's Remix Artist Collective came on our radar last spring with some inspired Bloc Party and Tokyo Police Club remixes. We've kept an ear on the 23-year-old Portuguese artist ever…   Read Story »
Dec 30th, 2007 45 Comments
In what is fast becoming a Stereogum tradition, we've once again conspired with master bootlegger team9 for a celebration of the year in singles. Of course "the year in singles" is a loaded term…   Read Story »
Oct 17th, 2007 8 Comments
Folks were mixed on Kele's "Flux" vocordered vocals, but everything is just a bit sweeter when it's served up with dancing junk monsters, robots, and lovey illuminated god-like things frolicking,…   Read Story »

subset: commoncrawl


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Bought a new pair of trainers recently? Going out tonight? The Government decides how much VAT you have to pay on clothing and at what age you can go into a pub and buy a drink - voting is your chance to choose who makes these decisions.
Young voters in Selby are being urged to have their say in the forthcoming General Election, which will be held on Thursday 6 May. It will be the first chance for many young people to vote.
These young lifeguards at Abbey Leisure Centre will be among those making their votes count in this election. Eighteen year old James Beaston (seated in photograph) said, "I think people should use their vote as it is a way of voicing their opinions and getting involved in the democratic process.
"If you don't vote, you just end up with everyone else's choices. People think young people don't care about the issues but that just isn't true. There are a lot of issues that concern young people and we have to make sure that our voices are heard."
The Electoral Services team at Selby District Council looks after the administration and preparation of elections in the district on behalf of the Returning Officer and they are urging young voters to make sure they are on the electoral roll.
Electoral Services Officer Richard Besley explained, "Every year we send out a form to every single household to collect details of all those who could vote in an election, as well as details of people who are 17 years old so their names can be added as soon as they turn 18. All it takes is a quick phone call or email to check we have the right details registered. If we don't have the right details then you won't get sent the correct polling card and you could lose your right to have your say."
You can contact Selby District Council's Electoral Services team on (01757) 292006 or by email: firstname.lastname@example.com. If the right details are not registered, you will not be able to vote.
The boundaries for the Selby area seat have changed for this election, as part of a wider review of constituencies. The new Selby and Ainsty constituency incorporates new areas of the Harrogate borough and loses the southern fringes of York to the new Outer York constituency.
Click here for full details about election services.


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- Plan Bay Area
- Jun 28:
- Agencies overseeing Plan Bay Area settle lawsuit
- Oct 2:
- Marin Voice: A civil conversation about civics
- Sep 28:
- Dick Spotswood: Does transit-oriented housing really work?
- Aug 24:
- Marin Voice: Time for Marin to get out of ABAG
- Aug 19:
- Marin Voice: Plan Bay Area is a product of one-party rule
- Two new lawsuits filed to challenge Plan Bay Area
- Aug 17:
- Marin Voice: Plan Bay Area is not one size fits all
- Dick Spotswood: Both sides need to keep housing debate civil
- Plan Bay Area critics find fault with government grant to Marin Grassroots
- Aug 14:
- Marin Voice: Silencing the voice of the people
- Aug 6:
- Group co-founded by Larkspur lawyer files suit to block Plan Bay Area
- Aug 5:
- Strawberry residents spur housing rebellion
- Jul 29:
- Marin Voice: Marin's overreaction to Plan Bay Area
- Jul 27:
- Editorial: Plan Bay Area's anti-sprawl goals are a good beginning
- Jul 26:
- Marin Voice: A greener approach to planning
- Dick Spotswood: Marin's pushback helped reshape bay plan
- Jul 24:
- Marin Voice: Bay plan is a guide for smarter growth
- Jul 22:
- Marin Voice: My vote on Plan Bay Area
- Jul 19:
- Plan Bay Area receives final approval, local elected officials defend effort to address global warming
- Jul 18:
- Officials approve controversial Plan Bay Area as Marin opponents turn out for Oakland vote
- Jul 17:
- Marin Voice: Bay plan's unanswered questions
- Marin Voice: Challenging push to 'urbanize' our county
- Jul 15:
- Busload of Plan Bay Area opponents heading to Oakland for final vote on plan
- Jun 27:
- Marin Voice: Plan Bay Area -- unrealistic idealism
- Jun 26:
- Marin Voice: Do we have enough water for Plan Bay Area?
- Jun 22:
- Dick Spotswood: Regional bureaucracies are trying to run the Bay Area
- Jun 13:
- Marin County speaks with loud voice on regional plan for transit and housing development
- Jun 9:
- Editorial: Marin's role in solving regional issues
- Jun 2:
- Editorial: Bay plan should guarantee local control
- May 30:
- Antagonists face off in debate over controversial land-use blueprint roiling Marin County
- May 27:
- San Rafael forum set for Thursday on Plan Bay Area
- May 26:
- Marin Voice: Plan Bay Area means big changes for Marin
- May 19:
- Marin Voice: Another fight to save Marin
- May 14:
- Marin officials: County policies in line with Plan Bay Area
- May 9:
- Planning experts say Plan Bay Area not 'a lot of weird, new ideas,' preserves local control over growth
- May 8:
- Marin Voice: Choosing the future we want
- Apr 29:
- Hundreds turn out in San Rafael to debate long-range Bay Area growth plan
- Mar 26:
- George Russell: ABAG's forecaster
- Mar 10:
- George Russell: ABAG and Corte Madera
NOW that the fractious debate over Plan Bay Area is over, Marinites might want to see what true high-density housing looks like.
All they need to do is drive to Corte Madera. Two minutes off Highway 101, at the corner of Tamal Vista Boulevard and Wornum Drive, the curious can see for themselves.
Once completed in early 2014, the 180-unit four-story apartment complex at 195 Tamal Vista presents a fine opportunity to learn if high-density, supposedly transit-oriented development delivers the environmental and social benefits promised by its advocates.
This San Jose-style massive apartment block on the site of the old WinCup plant has both good and bad aspects.
Built by big-time developer MacFarlane Partners, the looming structure consists of 162 market-rate apartments and only 18 units for lower-income residents. MacFarlane's business plan calls for "high-density, urban-style living."
Plan Bay Area is all about construction of high-density housing near transit corridors. This project, approved before the plan was adopted, provides an example of what's encouraged.
Tamal Vista is immediately adjacent to a transit corridor, Highway 101 and the north-south bikeway.
There's no question that it's high density at 40 units per acre.
Corte Madera, a town inaccurately criticized for dragging its feet when it comes to building housing, delivers big time.
Further, it's in a mostly commercial area where massive construction doesn't degrade single-family home neighborhoods. It replaces a factory that employed a hundred workers who often commuted from out of the county.
The project is privately owned, so it pays property taxes for schools, police and fire.
What's wrong, other than a massive design wholly inappropriate for Central Marin?
The connection to transit is illusory. The seven-minute walk to the scruffy freeway bus pad is useful if potential residents work in San Francisco's Financial District, Golden Gate Transit's destination.
The reality is that the old Financial District isn't the job magnet it was 25 years ago.
It's a 20-minute walk from Tamal Vista to Larkspur's Ferry Terminal. Few daily commuters will make that trek. They could drive, except the ferry's parking lot is jammed.
The 10-minute walk to the Town Center shopping mall hardly makes this "urban style" living. Most residents will drive to Safeway, not walk.
That 195 Tamal Vista has only 18 affordable apartments makes a mockery of what high-density new urbanism is supposedly about. There's little need in Marin for more market-rate housing.
What's wanted are homes for working folks whose jobs are already in Marin.
This project does little to deliver them.
Once finished, 195 Tamal Vista will produce more traffic at an intersection that's already near capacity. Wornum Drive is where the Transportation Authority of Marin plans to locate a new freeway off-ramp, making an already bad situation worse.
Corte Madera had little choice but to approve the high-density project. The town was under pressure from the Association of Bay Area Governments and activists to build more housing.
This was one of the few sites where it made sense to build big.
This construction now makes an ideal test ground for the concept of high-density housing. Corte Madera should monitor what happens once 195 Tamal Vista opens.
Find out where the new residents work. Are their jobs located nearby or far away? How many apartment dwellers either use transit or instead drive to work, shop and play?
What's the project's real-world impact on local streets?
The results should disclose whether suburban high-density urban-style housing provides the environmental benefits that supporters claim or if it's just marketing hype from real estate developers.
Columnist Dick Spotswood of Mill Valley now shares his views on local politics twice weekly in the IJ. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Royal Dutch Shell has confirmed it is not planning to drill off Alaska's north coast this summer, in an admission that the controversy that has dogged its Arctic exploration plans has set back its ambitions for another year.
In a statement, Shell said it had told the US Minerals Management Service that it had withdrawn its Plan of Exploration for the Beaufort Sea for 2007-09, meaning that it will miss the short window for drilling in the area this summer.
The move is really only a formal acceptance of a position that was generally understod already: drilling this year was going to be too difficult. Shell insists, however, that this is a setback, not a defeat. In the Arctic, one of the last great frontiers for oil and gas exploration, it is playing the long game. Read more


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It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.
ddo, f'ing forums, melmoth, mmo January 26th, 20121:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
1:28 And yay did God visit the forums to see if his creation was good. But lo did the forums say 'No, God' and 'God no!', and they did explain unto God why only a newb would create man in a such a way. And the forums did then show God how to create a man who would have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
1:29 Then God became confused. For though one post on the forums did say 'Create unto ye a man in this fashion, and your man shall be the greatest upon the earth' verily did another spring forth which declaimed the first and spoke unto God 'nay, create man in this way or let him forever crawl upon his belly and suck dust for all the days of his life'.
1:30 And God did consider bringing floodwaters on the forums to destroy all life under the various topics and every creature that has the breath of life in it. But quickly did God realise that there were no living creatures on the forums, only phosphorous manifestations of vitriol and invective.
1:31 So God destroyed man and made him again. And again. And again. Until eventually God thought 'sod it' and hit the random button and hoped for the best.
1:32 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, he wasn't sure about it any of it any more.
2:1 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he went and twiddled with Jupiter for a bit, because it was without form, and void, and he could play around with it without suffering the truculent criticism and dissent of alternating prepossessions.
And so, some six or seven thousand years hence, man is still a complete and utter shambles today, even after the great re-roll around Genesis 6:9.
In other news, I spent a few hours on the DDO forums last night trying to determine a sensible build for a new character, because stat choice can have a large impact on the viability of a character and is largely set in stone once the character is created. After searching around for absolutely ages, I concluded that there definitely wasn't a Flood Forum button anywhere to be found. So I picked a path which looked about right (and which the forums will tell you is tantamount to deciding to eat the serviettes at a Michelin-starred restaurant rather than anything from the menu), and got on with trying to play the game under the pressure of several fathoms of guilt and inadequacy which had built up over the course of my browsing.
After such an evening of reading the forums, I can't help but expect that I'll login with a new character one day only to be confronted by a huge 'NO! WRONG!' sign, whereupon I find myself summarily ejected from the game, my account deleted, and the game in the process of uninstalling itself from my hard disk drive.
I really wouldn't mind an MMO where I could customise a character's abilities based upon the alien concept of them sounding fun, while still being able to fulfil a role within the game. Or, if 'learning to play (in a very specific way determined outside of the game by spreadsheets and data mining)' is still to be a requirement, then perhaps it would be sensible to postpone those decisions which require learning until after I've had a chance to play.
10 Responses to "It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it."
Gank Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:30 pmlol! Nice one.
Link back thingy (aka I ripped you off again):
Bronte Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:40 pmThe Secret World said they'd do this. RIFT claims they HAVE done this. But the playerbase reveals all in due time…
Van Hemlock Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 1:58 pmGuild Wars does seem the complete antithesis of the DDO character creation and development minefield.
I know I know, why don't I marry it if I love it so much. You know, I think I will! Invites soonest, RSVP!
Telwyn Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 3:50 pmDDO is moderately unforgiving in that you can easily create an underpowered character by trying to be a 'jack of all trades' or by not researching stats and enhancements in advance.
The playerbase is another thing of course. In my short time in that game trying to play with a guild and with PUGs (the perennial problem of joining a game late and being miles behind everyone else) I found it to be by far the worst crowd for 'build-snobbery', much worse than anything I've encountered in WoW, LoTRO or anything since. This was pre-F2P on the EU servers which were pretty low populated by 2009, top heavy with level capped veteran players so I guess that's not surprising…
Vatec Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 4:32 pmRift – It really doesn't matter what you pick from 1 to 50, you can respec cheaply pretty much at will, and you can have up to five (soon to be six) different builds available simultaneously, so if the one you picked is wrong for =this= situation, one of the other four (five) probably isn't. Are there cookie cutter builds? Absolutely. For the most part though, it doesn't matter.
darkeye Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 6:23 pmI was playing Rift for a few days recently, and attempting to quest on Ember Isles on my rogue, which began as an absolutely painful experience. None of the four builds I'd soloed to cap with worked, not even a ranger with boar, it was 50/50 if the pig would last a fight with a single mob, and if he didn't I'd get squished. I could have gone ranger/bard but wasn't sure of that, hadn't any bard skills and no money. Going to the forum there was one build that everyone seemed to be using, or variations of same build (Riftstalker/Assassin/Bladedancer). That's a pretty extreme example, where only one build is the right decision, so much for choose your own build, it was a little to do with poor gear but there was huge difference for me between the 'super' build and others. Still it's an improvement over DDO, I can't play that because of the complex character creation, and reading the forums does take away a lot of the fun and time that could be spent playing the game. So ummm, Skyrim!
Vatec Says:
January 26th, 2012 at 11:04 pmYep. The deeper you get into the Rift endgame (raiding, high-rank PvP, soloing Ember Isle, soloing chronicles), the more likely you'll have to use a cookie cutter build. But at least it's both cheap and easy to do so -and- you can carry other roles around for other situations and break out the cookie cutter only when you need it.
It's not a perfect solution, but it's certainly better than picking an advanced class at level 10 and being stuck with it, for just one alternative. And yes, I know you can still choose different builds within that advanced class. But rumor has it that it gets fairly expensive to switch around after a while….
Brian 'Psychochild' Green Says:
January 27th, 2012 at 1:31 amThere are two levels in DDO (and probably in most MMOs).
1. The normal level. Want to run through low level quests on normal? Maybe solo with a hireling? Perhaps you created a "well-rounded" character like the ones you played in tabletop? Did you accidentally roll a halfling? You'll do fine.
2. The hyper extreme level. Want to solo raids as a caster without spending spell points? Want to go through all quests on elite level with 3 of your friends? Want to tank bosses five levels above your character's level? Want to disable traps in some of the hardest quests in the game? Time to do some planning.
I think frustration sets in when you want to go from the first level to the second on the same character. It becomes frustrating when the character you played quite happily at levels 1-8 suddenly gets slaughtered at levels 15+. Little quirks in the game, such as ACs that mere mortals can achieve being absolutely pointless after about level 13, etc. make it tough on people. The stop-gap measure is to make it so you can respec easily. The true answer is to make content based on challenging the player rather than just testing against numeric thresholds. This is much easier said than done, though.
Melmoth Says:
January 27th, 2012 at 9:48 am@Gank: It's not a rip off, it's sociable linkage, something I must try to do more of myself, but my style of post doesn't seem to lend itself to doing that very often.
@Bronte: I think you're right with Rift, in that they've solved the very initial problem of having to make decisions without having knowledge of the game (although maintaining class restrictions seems a bit arbitrary), but from my experience it quickly became clear that there was still really only One True Way to build a character based on whether they were going to be tanking, healing or doing DPS.
@Van Hemlock: Of course we all know that you can only invite seven other people, and you've filled four of those spots with heroes already.
@Telwyn: The game evidently lends itself nicely to the min-maxer style of play, and thus that's how the player-base developed. It just seems a shame that the greater the freedom given to players to customise their characters, the more restrictive the range of 'acceptable' builds appears to become.
I think that perhaps EVE and Guild Wars are the games that have given a level of freedom which doesn't seem to have ended-up actually shackling the player-base further.
@Vatec: Rift is an interesting case study, because I'm not entirely convinced that it isn't just the illusion of freedom which the game presents; yes one can respec at will, but into what? Generally it's into a tank role, a healer role, or a DPS role, and within those roles there's not all that much flexibility. Or so it seemed to me, but it's been some time since I last played it.
@darkeye: Perhaps cookie cutter builds are always going to be with us in MMOs, but I find that to be a sad state, that an 'absolute and correct build' exists and that once it has been discovered then players should adhere to it in order to complete content. It makes me wonder as to why they bother to implement the 'option' at all, and whether something like Vindictus, with its fixed characters, perhaps provides a more honest solution.
@Brian 'Psychochild' Green: "The stop-gap measure is to make it so you can respec easily. The true answer is to make content based on challenging the player rather than just testing against numeric thresholds. This is much easier said than done, though."
In the case of SWTOR, I wonder if $200,000,000 could at least have gone, in part, towards trying.
I think DDO is an exceptional case, where there does seem to be two levels of difficulty (outside of the individual dungeon difficulty), and I accept that this is probably to do with the fact that when the game was originally released, content was only provided up to level 10, and so perhaps the disparity can be explained in the fact that by the time they got around to adding new content, they already had a small dedicated player-base who all had highly tweaked and optimised level 10 characters, and thus they provided content for these people; which was entirely sensible at the time, but of course does make for an excellent example of a highly strung, over tuned system for a game that has gone free-to-play and opened its doors to the general public.
The issue seems to come from the 'pressure of others' that MMOs naturally provide. In Skyrim I can build a ridiculous themed character (some might call it an RP character), and still complete content and thus enjoy the game, but that's only because there are no other people relying on my character to perform in an optimal fashion.
I suppose it comes down to whether there are actually that many players who want to create unique and individual characters and 'exist' in these virtual worlds, or whether this genre has always been about picking a role and performing to the best of your ability as a cog in the machine.
Brian 'Psychochild' Green Says:
January 27th, 2012 at 9:48 pmI think you're right, Melmoth, and the old level cap influences a lot of the game. More than one person has mentioned the "AC becomes pointless after level X", where X is some number a bit above 10 (the old limit). Difficulty takes a sudden jump upwards, in general, around there. This shows another potential weakness of free-to-play, as there's less financial incentive to go back and rebalance the system, and more incentive to sell things like respecs to "help" you fix prior mistakes. This assumes you aren't ready to reroll the character, though, which becomes a lot easier as you get more experienced and can blow through low level content eaisly.
The expectations of other people is also a huge issue. I posted up on the forums the first build that I took to max level (15 Monk/5 Rogue) and people soundly tore into it. Since I hadn't over-optimized the character it was labeled a "flavor build". I also had a few PUGs make comments, including "where did you get that shit (build) from?" I enjoy the character just fine, though, and have run high level content. I can do epic traps with the character, for example, and tear living creatures (that can be sneak attacked) wonderfully. I have fun with it, even if others look down on it.


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Aaron Bass, 72, of Cleveland, died Saturday March 29, 2014, in a local hospital.
He was the son of the late Aubrey and Dora Lee Bass. He was also preceded in death by a son Nathan Nicholson.
He was the owner operator of B and L Construction and at one time owned Aaron Bass Trucking. He was a member of the Liberty Gospel Tabernacle.
The family will receive friends Tuesday from 5 until 8 at the Wildwood Chapel of Jim Rush Funeral Homes who will announce survivors and funeral arrangements.


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EZ Radio customers Save $2 per ticket to one or both of Myrtle Beach's best shows.
Valid for performances through 12/31/14.
This offer is available only by purchasing tickets online through the link on this page. It is not available by phone or at the theater box office. This offer cannot be combined with any other discount or promotional offer, does not apply to previously purchased tickets, and is subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply.


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DIGITAL LOGIC DESIGN JNTU previous years question papers
Time: 3 hours Max Marks: 75
Answer any FIVE Questions
All Questions carry equal marks
1. (a) Design a circuit with four inputs and one output where the output is 1 if the input is divisible by 3 or 7.
(b) A safe has 5 locks:v,w,x,y,all of which must be unlocked for the safe to open.The keys to the locks are distributed among _ve executives in the following manner: Mr.A has keys for locks v& x
Mr.B has keys for locks v& y
Mr.C has keys for locks w& y
Mr.D has keys for locks x& z
Mr.E has keys for locks v& z
i. Determine the minimal no. of executives required to open the safe.
ii. Find all the combinations of executives that can open the safe, write an expression f(A,B,C,D,E) which speci_es when the safe can be opened as a function of which executives are present
iii. Who is the `essential executive' without whom the safe cannot be opened.
2. Explain about 4-bit binary Ripple Counters? [15]
3. Explain about the following:
(a) latch excitation table
(b) Merging of ow tables. [15]
4. Explain about PLA in Detail? [15]
5. Design a Excess-3 to BCD code converter using minimum number of NAND gates.
6. Reduce the number of states in the following state table and tabulate the reduce stateTable [15]
Present state Next state output
a f g 0 0
b d c 0 0
c f e 0 0
d g a 1 0
e d c 0 0
f f b 1 1
g g h 0 1
h g a 1 0
7. (a) Show the weights of three di_erent 4 bit self complementing codes whose only negative weight is - 4 and write down number system from 0 to 9
(b) Decimal system became popular because we have 10 fingers. A rich person on earth has decided to distribute Rs.one lakh equally to the following persons from various planets. Find out the amount each one of them will get in their respective currencies:
A from planet VENUS possessing 8 fingers
B from planet MARS possessing 6 fingers
C from planet JUPITER possessing 14 fingers
D from planet MOON possessing 16 fingers [7+8]
8. A Communication system is designed to transmit just two code words A(x1,x2,x3,x4) = 0010 and B(x1,x2,x3,x4)=1101.However, due to noise in the system, the received word can have as many as two errors. Design a combinational circuit such that output f1will be equal to 1 if the received word is A; output f2 will be equal to 1 if the received word is B and output f3 will be equal to 1 if the word received none of these two.


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L.R. Heartsong, author of THE BONES AND BREATH: A Man's Guide to Eros, the Sacred Masculine, and the Wild Soul, recounts his experience of the 2014 Men's Conference deep within the Northern California redwoods:
Standing in [...]
Men in community, restoring wholeness to ourselves and Soul to the world.
May 15, 2011
May, 2011
Dearest Redwood Men,
Marc Deprey has told me that you are having the Redwood Men's Conference at the Mendocino Woodlands Camp this year. I am so happy to hear you are together once again under those magnificent trees. I also know that you will bring much grace to the new venue. Once again, I'm sorry that I am unable to be with you, but please know that I am thinking of all of you this time of year.
My best wishes to you all,
Gentle Men
Robert A. Johnson
May 5, 2011
I have previously sent you a poem by Mary Oliver and asked of you that you spend some time with it and take it in.
There's a bit of a story behind my selection of this particular poem that relates to the up-coming conference at the Mendocino Woodlands Camp III in less than three weeks–Thursday May 19 to Sunday May 22 where we will gather in community for the twenty-first time and the very first time in our new home, deep in the Mendocino forest, among the tall redwoods that filter the sun's rays as they fall through the branches as only redwood trees can.
It is a protected and cared for historic public setting, whose unique history and current scope is well documented on the web site of the Mendocino Woodlands Camp Association ( http://www.mendocinowoodlands.org/home.html). Many of you know the three camps already but for those of you who don't. I urge you to visit the web site. It is inspirational.
But back to the poem.
Another first for us this year is our hiring of a professional caterer to provide us with nourishment for our bodies commensurate with the nourishment we always find for our souls when we gather together in community the way we do–year after year. I have had the pleasure of getting to know Chef Oscar of The Phantom Cafe who will be preparing our meals for us. Hari Meyers and I met her back in October of last year in Ft. Bragg when she agreed to be our chef. Yes, Oscar is a she, Oscar Ann Stedman, her first name having been chosen by her grandfather, she tells me.
With the conference just three weeks away, Chef Oscar has begun to do the shopping, laying in some of the non-perishable supplies essential to the practice her art and we have had several conversations and have chosen menus selected from the multiple options she offered us. I will not reveal everything to you–the smells that will be emanating from the large lodge kitchen as we go about our work and play together will titillate more than any words I could find to describe this menu or that one.
But since I've promised to tell you how I happened upon Mary Oliver's poem, I will tell you this much. The committee decided to spend a little extra money to have Chef Oscar present us with one of her premier specialties, a fresh caught King Salmon banquet. When I told her this, she was very pleased, telling me she was just that morning talking with local fishermen who were thrilled to be able to begin salmon season for the first time in several years on this very Sunday. She went on to describe her method of baking the salmon–topped with seasoned breadcrumbs, resting in a bath of white wine and lemon juice, which makes it poached as well as baked and through some miraculous chemical or alchemical process of heat and moisture and flesh, the grain of the fish flesh rises to a vertical position, as if the fish itself were a souffle rising, at least that's the best I can remember what she said. I needn't tell you I was actually salivating by the end of her description.
But there was another thing that happened–I remembered, vaguely, Mary Oliver's poem about the bear and the salmon and so it was on my mind this morning as I was thinking about sending out the call for our first Wednesday of the month spoken word gathering. I looked it up and loved it, again, as I most often do with Mary Oliver's poems. After all, it was her poem, The Journey, the first poem of hers I had ever heard, when Doug spoke it on Memorial Day in the Temple of Melodious Sound at Camp Gualala in the year 2000, that launched me on to my own journey toward being what I was born to be. You may remember this. I have shared it before . . .
The singing
The singing had stopped
and with it, for a moment,
our very breath,
as if life itself had been left behind.
In that deep, transported silence
beneath the old growth canopy
where forty men
like ancient monks, in filtered light,
had sung their morning ritual,
a voice—a knowing voice,
deep and rich in timbre, spoke:
"One day you finally knew
What you had to do . . . " 1
Like the spirit of God hovering above the deep,
these spoken words
and those that followed
breathed life once more into my soul;
and there began, again my journey
1. From Mary Oliver's The Journey
Such life changing experiences that happen when we come together in community are not unique to me.
So I simply want to remind you each of the richness of experience that awaits us in Mendocino and ask you each to consider coming to join us if you have not already made that decision. Who knows what miracles, what changes within and what connections may be forged among us if we step into this experience together. Think about it and come, if you can. You owe it to yourself and to those whom you love.
Brother Bill
May 1, 2011
Listen! Listen to this! Can you hear it?
Try speaking it aloud. Take a breath.
Give yourself over to it, even if you are in the presence of someone else. Do not think, "This is an e-mail." Do not think of all the e-mails waiting to be opened. Do not think of all the pressing obligations that await you, all the things you have not done.
Think instead, "This is a moment for me to accept a gift, a precious gift of words filled with the magic that words sometimes hold."
Try it. Do it. Do it now . . .
I have seen the great feet
into the river
and I have seen moonlight
along the long muzzle
and I have seen the body
of something
scaled and wonderful
slumped in the sudden fire of its mouth,
and I could not tell
which fit me
more comfortably, the power,
or the powerlessness;
neither would have me
entirely; I was divided,
by sympathy,
pity, admiration.
After a while
it was done,
the fish had vanished, the bear
lumped away
to the green shore
and into the trees. And then there was only
this story.
It followed me home
and entered my house
a difficult guest
with a single
which it hums all day and through the night
slowly or briskly,
it doesn't matter,
it sounds like a river leaping and falling
it sounds like a body
falling apart.
Mary Oliver from Red Bird, 2008
If you followed my admonition, my heart felt admonition, I cannot presume to know how these words touched you inside but I would wager they touched you in some way–such is the nature and purpose of Mary Oliver's tremendous outpourings over the years.
– Brother Bill


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December 20, 2013Congratulations to the winners of our 2013 photo contest themed The Many Faces of Chimney Rock!" And thank you to everyone who participated and contributed their talents. Shannon's inspiring story and photo of her victorious summit of Chimney Rock won her the grand prize in our 2013 photo contest. Misty Holtzman of Cherryville, NC, won second place with a photo of Devils Head. Our Facebook fans voted to award the Peoples Choice award to Jeff Woollam of Hendersonville, NC. Grand Prize Winner Shannon Snyder of Leicester, NC is a below-the-knee amputee (pictured). I thought my life as I knew it was over and I would never walk again, Shannon said, after enduring five ankle surgeries during the eight years following a car accident in 1995. An avid walker, the mother of two and a career RN, Shannon developed a post-surgery bone infection that made her very sick. I went to my surgeon with a magazine picture of a prosthetic leg and told her that I wanted to walk again and return to my passion for nursing, Shannon says. Continue reading Shannon's story and see the winning photos and their stories on our photo contest page. See all the finalist photos on our Pinterest board.
Contest judges included Patrick Sullivan, photographer for the
Hendersonville Times-News, Garrett Byers, photographer for The
Daily Courier in Forest City, N.C., Jeff Miller, Owner of
Mountain Lens in Asheville, N.C. and Mark File, Owner of
RomanticAsheville.com Travel Guide. |
The Old Rock Café near the Park entrance has been getting attention for their local 100% grass-fed beef burger from Hickory Nut Gap Meats and new regional craft beer offerings. Its become the go-to burger joint in the Gorge, but dont take our word for it. The Old Rock made the cut for Zagats latest guide of Must-try Burgers across the Country!
So come cozy up with a burger, or on a chilly day try our
award-winning chili or hot soup specials. Remember, our Annual
Passholders get 15% off food and beverages (excluding alcohol).
Check the current
hours and see a menu. Want to add your two cents about a
recent dining
experience? Review the Old Rock on TripAdvisor.
In Sept. 2013, the Park was awarded an NC GreenTravel certification for it's environmentally-friendly practices. "Chimney Rock Management LLC, which operates the Chimney Rock component within the larger developing state park under a concession contract with state parks, earned its place among NC GreenTravel locations by installing public recycling containers, using locally-produced food in the parks restaurant, reducing water usage, installing more energy-efficient lighting and appliances, removing invasive plants and increasing public environmental education effort." Staff at Chimney Rock Management LLC and Chimney Rock State Park as a whole have made great strides in recent years when it comes to environmental sustainability, said Lewis Ledford, director of the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. They represent the complete commitment to stewardship found at all our state parks. "NC GreenTravel, a DENR program launched in October 2011, recognizes tourism-oriented businesses for their accomplishments in environmental stewardship, including energy and water conservation, waste reduction, recycling and other practices that help protect the environment."
Read the full article in the Asheville Citizen-Times. Learn more about the
Park's sustainable
practices. |
August 1, 2013-- John Mason has dazzled the auditory senses of our guests for years, decades actually. John was drawn to the hammered dulcimer, an ancient instrument dating back 3,000 years to a mountain culture, when he first heard its haunting, melodic sounds performed by Jerry Reid Smith. A self-taught, award-winning recording artist, John has been traveling the Southeast playing and perfecting his skill on the hammered dulcimer for 30 years, with more than 20 of those in the shadow of Chimney Rock. The Tar Heel Traveler, Scott Mason, from WRAL TV in Raleigh visited John recently to understand the motivation behind his music... and what keeps him coming back to Chimney Rock. Not surprisingly, "the scenery is a tremendous inspiration," John says. This is the only job Ive ever had in my whole life, when Im going home, Im actually looking forward to coming back the next day. We're proud to claim John Mason, a native North Carolinian and authentic local artist, as our featured musician. You can often find him playing the dulcimer and entertaining guests with his stories under a white tent in front of Cliff Dwellers Gifts, located at the top parking lot. He's recorded nine albums and his music is for sale at his white tent and in both gift shops. Watch the TV interview with John's performance. Watch the slideshow of John. Meet John on our website.
Enjoy live music at one of our upcoming
concerts and events.
Blue Ridge Country readers recognize the Park in 7 best categories. Summer 2013Chimney Rock State Park won the platinum award for Favorite State Park in Blue Ridge Countrys 2013 Best of the Mountains poll. Readers gave the Park three more platinum honors for Best Hike to Take the Dog Along, Best Birding Area and Best Beautiful Fall Foliage Spot. Chimney Rock was also awarded three golds for Best Hiking Trail (non-AT), Best Scenic Photo Opportunity and Best Waterfall. Chimney Rock has a lot of longtime, passionate fans and friends that eagerly shared their feelings to help earn these impressive honors for the Park. These awards are really about our fans and their love and support for this beautiful, iconic mountain destination in Western North Carolina, said Mary Jaeger-Gale, General Manager, Chimney Rock at Chimney Rock State Park. The Best of the Mountains poll features a variety of reader selections, ranging from best waterfall to best southern cooking. Awards were given to cities, attractions, people and activities throughout the Blue Ridge Mountain region. The 2013 Best of the Mountains award winners can be found in the July/August 25th Anniversary Edition of Blue Ridge Country online and in print.
Thanks to all our fans and friends who voted for us! YOU are
what makes Chimney Rock the best. |
May 23We just celebrated National Wildflower Week! As the smaller blossom variety of Carolina rhododendron is past bloom, now the Mountain laurel with its small umbrella-shaped pinkish flowers is starting to burst with color. Wild columbine is still in bloom, and youre likely to spot fire pink along the road. Also, keep an eye out for the poplar trees blooming. May 8Chimney Rock's wildflower scenery is in full swing now! With all the recent rain, the vegetation looks bright green. Fire Pinks are now blooming, along with purple phacelia, wild columbine and Little Sweet Betsy trillium. Magnolias are adding color to the beautiful and abundant flowering dogwoods, silverbell trees, sweetshrub and Carolina rhododendron. Sign up for our guided Spring Wildflower Walk to learn how to recognize them this Sat., May 11 from 11am-noon. April 24Its the perfect time to hike Chimney Rocks Four Seasons trail, which is now packed with blooming wildflowers, flowering trees and shrubs! Expect to still see colorful violets, purple phacelia, chickweed, wild columbine, Little Sweet Betsy trillium and other trilliums. Buckeye trees are blooming, and the flowering dogwoods and silverbell trees look gorgeous now. Sweetshrub and Carolina rhododendron blooms are popping up everywhere. April 15Spring is in full swing in Hickory Nut Gorge! Look for loads of violets blooming, along with purple phacelia, trilliums, and wild columbine. Our redbud trees are spectacular now, and other flowering trees and shrubs in bloom include Blue Cohosh, silverbell trees and some of our popular favorites, the white flowering dogwoods and Carolina rhododendron. April 3, 2013Chimney Rock is showing some spring colors now. Our bloodroot (right), Little Sweet Betsy Trillium and cut-leaf toothwort that bloomed last week still look great. Several colorful varieties of violets are now blooming, along with star chickweed. Our maple trees are blooming, and the redbud and peach trees are in full bloom with vibrant purples.
Want help identifying these blooming beauties? Learn from an
expert on May 11, 11am-noon at our Spring Wildflower Walk on
Mother's Day weekend. Wildflower guide books are also available
in our gift shops. |
April 22, 2013To celebrate Earth Day this week, try practicing some of these fun green tips at home with your children. Help us save the planet, one small act at a time! 1) Get Your Hands Dirty: Most kids love to play in the dirt. Turn this into a fun gardening experience to grow plants and herbs in your yard or in small potted plants. Planting fruits, vegetables, flowers or herbs can thrill children, teach them patience and teach them how we all can contribute to the natural beauty of the world. 2) Pick up Trash: Grab some rubber gloves and garbage bags and help beautify your local parks and playgrounds. Teach your child that having a safe, healthy place to play is good for their community as well as the environment. Afterwards, celebrate your hard work with a picnic outside. 3) Swap Your Car for the Bike: Instead of taking the car, go on a bike ride or pack up a stroller with essentials and walk. Walking and bike-riding are great ways to save gas and reduce emissions while getting healthy exercise for your family. 4) Go Take a Hike: Take your child on a nature walk and encourage your family to play outdoors. Even in urban areas, natural beauty can be found just a few miles from home. While outside, point out birds, insects and plants to educate your child while nurturing a love and appreciation of the natural world. 5) Practice Recycling: Teach your little ones the value of recyclingnewspapers, magazines, cans and junk mail are just a start. Even kids as young as toddlers can help sort recycling and place items into bins just be careful with glass and metal edges. 6) No Gushing While Brushing: Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth during the two-minute brushing time dentists recommend to prevent wasting water. 7) Lighten Up on Energy: Let your toddler/preschooler practice turning off the lights whenever you leave a room. Help them open curtains and blinds to let in the sun's natural light. And put them in charge of making sure you turn off the TV, computer, etc. when not in use. Conserve energy and youll save money on your utility bills! 8) Fresh is Best: Go to your local farmers market and teach your child how to pick out ripe seasonal produce for healthy snacks. Theyre eco-friendly because these fresh fruits and vegetables havent traveled a long distance and aren't wrapped in a lot of packaging. Having your tot smell and feel all the produce is also a great sensory activity for them. 9) Use a Reusable Bag: Next time you go to the store, give children the task of carrying their favorite backpack or bringing along other reusable bags. Put them in charge of decorating those bags and they'll be more likely to remind you to bring them with you.
10) Trash into Treasure: Bring to life the artist in your
one and save those empty containers for crafting projects rather
than automatically tossing them. Egg cartons can be used as paint
palettes, milk cartons as planters or bird feeders and boxes have
infinite possibilities.
For more ways to teach your children about nature and being a
good steward, check out our Education page.
February 2, 2013Grady the Groundhog, Chimney Rock's live animal ambassador, saw his shadow on Groundhog Day around 11:15am, meaning that we can expect more six weeks of winter weather ahead! Having rested up all winter while brushing up on his meteorology and bringing a keen eye to his big day, Grady disagreed with predictions by Punxsutawney Phil and the WNC Nature Center's Nibbles, who each called for an early spring. About 70-80 people attended Grady's Groundhog Day from 11am-1pm for a brief nature program on groundhogs, followed by his shadow sighting/prediction, family guided hikes and Groundhog Day kids' crafts. Congrats to most of you who guessed correctly! |
Everyone probably remembers the Beatles I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends. The Friends of Chimney Rock State Park a new Friends group designed to aid in fundraising and volunteer work are now forming and are calling on a little help from you. The first Friends meeting was March 1 and had a superb turnout of more than 65 people! The Friends group is open to anyone, regardless of age or background, interested in the Park and its preservation and outdoor recreational opportunities. They will be organizing a membership structure and setting goals, including fundraising, education, trail building and trail maintenance. In doing so, they will work with Park staff to further the parks mission.
To join or get more information, download the Friends of
Chimney Rock
State Park's two-page Brochure
& Membership Application form. You may also "like" their Facebook
page to follow their progress! Read the recent article in the
Citizen-Times. |
Cub Scout Pack 659, from the Polk County, North Carolina area, raised the flag on Chimney Rock this morning in honor of Veteran's Day. Color guard included: Sandra Poteat (Cubmaster)and Ed Harrelson (Weebelos Leader) and Weebelos Alex Harrelson, Caleb Potter and Josh Poteat (ages 9-10). Participating scouts included: Eric Harrelson, Lukas Tipton, Colin Searcy, Sebastian Potter, Riley Searcy, Logan Conner, Josh Munn, Michael Morgan and Trey Thompson (ages 6-9). "We teach our boys all about the flag and what it represents and we encourage them to be good citizens. Also, one of the pack's requirements is to understand the special days you should display your flag. As they grow up, they will always remember raising the flag on Chimney Rock that can be seen for miles and miles," says Sandra Poteat, Cubmaster.
Birthdays are special, so to make your day even brighter we're
offering FREE one-day admission on your birthday. Offer valid
on birthday only and does not apply to other guests in party;
must show a valid ID. This complimentary admission cannot be
upgraded and is not good for next day re-entry. |
September 2009 -- The Associated Press and ABC News
recently including Chimney
Rock's Hickory Nut Falls as one of the best places in North
Carolina to see fall foliage and waterfalls.
We're thrilled to be part of this list of beautiful places in
Western North Carolina.
Our former Naturalist Clint Calhoun recently captured a timber rattlesnake courtship dance. This ritual is rarely seen by humans. Many thanks to Clint for allowing us to share this video with you. The above video was shot in the Hickory Nut Gorge area and shows two males competing for a nearby female. The males do not injure each other, rather continue to writhe around trying to dominate until one finally gives up. Here's more information about timber rattlesnake young from the very knowledgeable folks at the St. Louis Zoo: The female gives birth to live young in late summer or early fall. A litter may have anywhere from five to 14 snakelings, with eight being the average. Newborns are about 10 to 13 inches long, and are somewhat lighter in color than adults. Babies are born with a single tiny rattle segment (called a button) on their tail. Each time the skin is shed, a new segment is added to the base of the tail. You'd think this means the rattle will grow longer and longer throughout a snake's lifetime. But no! As the rattle becomes longer, the end pieces become weak and break off. Female timber rattlesnakes, and some other pit vipers, keep close watch over their young, a trait that's rather unusual among snakes. Female timber rattlers even lay scent trails to help their offspring find winter dens. |
July 2009 -- We're excited to be one of the North Carolina locations featured in National Geographic Traveler's "Family Vacation Planner." The magazine posted on its website the best places across the nation to take a family with children. Here's how they describe the Family Vacation Planner: Spice up your familys travels with this comprehensive collection of memorable local attractions from every state and the District of Columbia. These family-friendly sights and activities were chosen by National Geographic Traveler for their authenticity and lasting value. Youll find entries grouped by states and by categories of interestadventure, animals, culture, entertainment, history, nature, and science. Whether theyre in your own backyard or across the country, youre sure to find a wealth of attractionsmany of them freethat your whole family will enjoy.
Click here to see the Chimney Rock listing. |
July 2009 -- Jack Betts, an associate editor with the
Charlotte Observer,
named Chimney Rock as one of the "best places to stand
in North Carolina." |
June 2009 -- Budget Travel picked its favorite eight lake
towns across the
country and Lake Lure and Chimney Rock made the cut. |
MORGANTON, NC The ridge, summit and slopes of Cane Creek Mountain are now part of the developing Chimney Rock State Park thanks to two acquisitions totaling 330 acres secured by Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina on behalf of the North Carolina state parks system. Cane Creek Mountain extends the new state park northeast from Worlds Edge and offers outstanding views of Chimney Rock, the Pool Creek watershed and Lake Lure. The mountain is also part of the stunning view looking south from Lake Lure and east from Chimney Rock. Foothills Conservancy negotiated the first purchase agreement a year-and-a-half ago with landowners Bob and Anne Washburn for a pristine 174-acre wilderness tract which was purchased by the state parks system in December. The purchase of 156 adjoining acres from John and Alan Moore was made by Foothills in February, using a loan from The Conservation Fund. The state completed the acquisition of both tracts last week for addition to Chimney Rock State Park. Funding awards to state parks in 2007 and 2008 by the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund and the N.C. Natural Heritage Trust Fund made the $6.5 million needed for the purchases possible. Lasting protection of Cane Creek Mountain represents another milestone in safeguarding the scenic views and nationally significant natural heritage of Hickory Nut Gorge, said Tom Kenney, Foothills Conservancys land protection director. We are very grateful for these landowners careful stewardship of the land over many years and their wishes to achieve conservation with these sales. The federally endangered White irisette plant and a number of other rare plants and animals find shelter on Cane Creek Mountain, part of a nationally significant natural area. The acquisition also protects a N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission Wildlife Action Plan priority habitat forested rock outcrop complex. Foothills Conservancy has worked closely in western Rutherford County with the state parks system and other conservation partners since 2004 to secure support for and create a new state park in the Hickory Nut Gorge by acquiring priority tracts, including Chimney Rock Park and Cane Creek Mountain. Our longstanding partnership with Foothills Conservancy has yielded many benefits both in the Hickory Nut Gorge and elsewhere in western North Carolina, said Lewis Ledford, state parks director. Targeted, high quality land acquisitions such as these result in very effective conservation as well as the creation of a world-class state park. To date, 4,320 acres have been set aside for the park, with acquisitions supported by the three state conservation trust funds, the N.C. General Assembly and private donors. Foothills Conservancy continues to work with the owners of other tracts that are strategic to this new park. The only current public access is at Chimney Rock, the former 1,000-acre tourist destination. The state parks system is developing a master plan to guide long-term conservation efforts and development of facilities and access throughout the state park, and public input will be a part of that process.
Foothills Conservancy is a non-profit regional land trust working
to protect significant natural areas and open spaces, including
watersheds, farms and forests, along the Blue Ridge Escarpment
and the Foothills in Rutherford, McDowell, Burke, Caldwell,
Alexander, Catawba, Lincoln and Cleveland counties. Find more
information about Foothills Conservancy on the web at
www.foothillsconservancy.org or by calling 828-437-9930.
Foothills Conservancy is also a participant in Blue Ridge
Forever, a campaign to protect 50,000 acres in the Southern Blue
Ridge by 2010.
January 2009 -- In a recent survey of Southern Living Magazine readers from Delaware to Texas, Chimney Rock was named number three for best scenic views.
Click here to
view other winners. Thanks Southern
Living readers! |
December 2008 -- We're excited to be on this very
exclusive top ten list from USA Today!
Check out the complete article here. |
September 2008 -- Chimney Rock was featured on
the Our State program on UNC-
To view the segment,
click here.


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Celebrate your Phoenix Suns fandom with this Survival bracelet from WinCraft. This bracelet is made from military-grade paracord and features a domed acrylic Phoenix Suns logo on the plastic bucket. If you need help, this bracelet unravels to over eight feet of survival paracord. Make sure you're covered with Phoenix Suns spirit when you don this bracelet!
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I am lucky I guess, because I was working in a fast food place. That was not going to get me any place and I started looking around. It was a friend of my cousin who told me that I might be able to catch on at this job. I went to see this guy who works as a heating contractor in Essex county NJ. In fact my buddy told me where he was working and I sort of had the interview while he was working at this strip mall not far from Lodi High School. I had a resume with me, but he hardly looked at it. Instead he gave me this test, pretty much wanted to know if I knew the difference between a pair of line man's cutters and a needle nosed plier, that sort of thing. He told me I was on probation and I started working, even though I really was not dressed for it.
I must have looked a bit foolish that day. I was not dressed up like I was going to a wedding or something, but I was dressed fairly nicely and trying to make a good impression. That really did not make sense when you realize that a heating contractor does not wear a suit and tie to the job site. Right now you need to wear layers. You have to be able to stay warm when you are out in the cold, but then strip down so you do not burn up when you are in doors. We are always going from one to the other and in my case I spend a lot of time running errands. If I need to grab something from the shop or pick it up from a supply house, then that is what I do.


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1820 - Commodore Stephen Decatur is mortally wounded in a duel with Capt. James Barron at Bladensburg, Md., over criticism on loss of USS Chesapeake, to HMS Leopard in 1807.
1915 - "Naval Aviator" replaces title "Navy Air Pilot" for officers who qualified as aviators.
1929 - The destroyers USS Robert Smith (DD 324), USS Moody (DD 277), and USS Selfridge (DD 320) are sent to protect Americans and their property during the Mexican Cristero uprising.
1943 - USS Gudgeon (SS 211) attack a Japanese convoy 30 miles north Surabaya, Java; sink an army cargo ship and survive the depth charge attack by her escort vessels. Also on this date, USS Tambor (SS 198) damages a Japanese transport Bugen Maru in the Sulu Sea, off Negros, Philippines.
1946 - USS Missouri (BB-63) departs the U.S. to return the body of deceased Turkish ambassador, Mehmet Munir Ertegun, back to his homeland for burial, and arrives in Istanbul on April 5.


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Bike Messengers Pedal Past Bandwidth in Data Race
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- 7:00 am |
- Permalink
The longstanding trend with messengers is the fixed-gear bicycle: Bikes that have only one gear that works in direct proportion to the pedaling speed of the rider so if the back wheel is moving, so are the pedals — no coasting.
This allows the messenger to control his speed with his legs, keeping his hands free for the radio and, ideally, some steering. Many of the messengers may also have 27-speed carbon fiber bikes, but most prefer to work on fixed or single-speed bikes that they can ride through any conditions and lock up anywhere — and that require little maintenance.
Many messenger services also have a cargo bike (above) on hand for larger packages that would usually require a truck or van for delivery. Increasing the allowed package size is another way messengers have adapted to keep their services relevant.


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WHAM13 - Search Results
Albany man sentenced in fatal shooting
Albany, N.Y. (AP) -- A 26-year-old Albany man has been sentenced to 21 years in state prison for fatally shooting another man last spring.
The Albany County District Attorney's Office says Leonard Spence was sentenced in county court Friday.
He pleaded guilty on Nov. 22 to first-degree manslaughter in the killing of 26-year-old Darzee Reid of Troy. Police say Spence shot Reid with a handgun last April 18. He was originally charged with second-degree murder.
Reid was slain a few blocks from the Albany barbering school he was attending.
A spokeswoman for the district attorney says neither Reid nor another man injured by gunfire was the intended target of what she described as "retaliatory street violence."
Spence fled Albany after the shooting but was caught by U.S. marshals in Pembroke, Ky. a month later.


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Tag Archives: Richie Martin
Gators Defeat Commodores in 1-Run Shutout
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Gators Tame Tigers, Complete Sweep
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Gator Baseball Does Some Spring Cleaning, Sweeps Georgia
A day after winning both games of a double header Saturday, the No. 18 Florida baseball team completed the sweep of rival Georgia with a score of 10-3 on Easter Sunday. The Bulldogs got on the board early with an … Continue reading
No. 20 Florida Baseball Hosts FAU Tonight
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Aggies Force Rubber Match
The Florida baseball team lost the chance at a second win in College Station after falling to Texas A&M 5-4 on Saturday. Florida claimed the series opener Friday night with a score of 5-3 in an extra-inning affair but couldn't … Continue reading
Florida Baseball Tries For Six Straight Wins
The Florida baseball team?(11-6) is looking to continue its winning streak as the team kicks off its 30-game SEC schedule with a three-game series against Arkansas (8-5) this weekend at home. good paying part time jobs The Gators' bats came … Continue reading
Miami Takes Game Two Over Florida Baseball Saturday
The No. 17 Miami Hurricanes clinched the series over No. 20 Florida Gators Saturday night with a three-run Miami home run in sixth to break a 2-2 tie, defeating the Gators 5-2. Miami put the first runs on the board, … Continue reading
Florida Baseball Falls Short In Game 1 In Miami
The No. 16 ranked Florida Gators fell to No. 11 Miami Hurricanes Friday night in the opening game of a three-game set by a 6-4 score. essay writers online The Gators came out strong with a 3-0 lead in the … Continue reading
Maryland Evens Weekend Series With Gator Baseball
The Florida Gator baseball team will enter Sunday?s rubber match after falling to the Maryland Terrapins 9-7 Saturday evening. cheap oem software downloads buying software The Terrapins came out swinging, scoring two quick runs in the first inning off of … Continue reading
Florida Gators Baseball: A Fresh Start: New Year, New Faces, New Talent
The Florida Gator baseball team has high expectations entering the 2014 season. With the start of the season three months away and no seniors on the roster, Florida will have to rely on its younger players to step up and … Continue reading


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Sumeria at a glance
Sumeria is a company specialized in providing solutions for waterproofing and coating with polyurea technology. Having an extraordinary qualified and efficient team, and the most advanced technical equipment, we are able to place a mobile operations team to start working in any part of Europe in less than five days.
Solving problems, creating value
At Sumeria our culture is: Be the best at what you do. That's why we focused and mastered on the application of polyurea coatings and we do not offer less reliable waterproofing solutions.
That allowed us to achieve our 3 principal goals:
-Be Reliable. We provide 5 year warranty period. Furthermore, the solution of 100% pure polyurea we use, has a EOTA certificate that ensures a durability of at least 25 year.
-Be Fast. We solve problems, and problems must be solved fast.
We have the capacity for start operations in less than 5 days in any part of Europe.
One of our mobile teams can coat an area of up to 900 square meters per day.
The polyurea coating dries in 6 seconds. That means that our clients don't have to stop operations in the area by days or weeks.
-Be Valuable to our clients. Our solutions can save a lot of money to our clients, since many times alternatives of a polyurea coating are more expensive in money and time.
Check our Portfolio to see examples.
Sumeria Romania
Tel +40 0728 530 885
E-mail firstname.lastname@example.com
Sumeria Spain
Tel +34 646 651 780
E-mail email@example.com


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Gear Review
Not so much
It looks cool. BUT the buttons fell of on the first day I had it. The zipper is really rough on you chin/neck and the elastic on the bottom is very loose.
I love Nikita clothes so I will continue to buy their stuff, this piece just wasnt the best..
Erika, us at Nikita thank you for your feedback, and you can be sure we want to hook you up with a new jacket! Our customer service in this case goes through Dogfunk, our partner in this crime. But we'd be more than happy to a) replace the jacket b) stitch the buttons back on or c) something else to make you happy! best regards, Runar and Heida@Nikitaclothing
View More Details on Nikita Amuser Jacket - Women's


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Cruise ships in Southampton are an impressive sight. From the moment you see one of the cruise ships in Southampton you know you're moments away from the start of your holiday. Plus as well as the fact they remove the hassle of airports, a Southampton cruise is a great way to see the world.
If you know the cruise ship you would like to travel on, simply click on the relevant link below, or alternatively scroll down to see details of Southampton cruise ships that are available to you.
No fly cruises from Southampton offer you all the flexibility you need to see the world. Not only are there no luggage weight restrictions, with the wide range of Southampton cruises on offer you can choose which of the cruise ships in Southampton which suits you the most.
Below you will find information about the cruise ships in Southampton that you can choose from for your holiday of a lifetime. No fly cruise from Southampton really are the hassle-free way to see the world…
With P&O Cruises you can choose from seven stunning cruise ships. Southampton cruises aboard the P&O Cruises fleet offers something to suit everyone's tastes. Below you will find a brief description of each of the seven ships as well as some of their key facts and facilities you can find on board. Whichever ship you choose, you can look forward to the same P&O Cruises experience; from exceptional service and attention to detail, to delicious cuisine and outstanding entertainment all tailored to today's British tastes.
Each of the ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet is packed with incredible features. Perhaps spend your day rock climbing, ice-skating, relaxing by the pool, surfing on the surf simulator, café hopping or shopping. In the evening, catch a show at one of our on-board theatres or try your luck in the casino. With 6 classes of ship available, you're sure to find something that suits your style.


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Sat, Sep 9, 06 at 21:36
I have TONS of the current Fiesta dishes but I made a mistake. I bought 3 of each color that I have and now I realize that I wish I had gotten one of every shade that Fiesta offers. I have cobalt, persimmon, cinnabar, sunflower, juniper, plum, scarlet, and peacock. I have 25 4 piece place settings. I also have fruit bowls, serving pieces, gusto bowls, jumbo mugs, cups and saucers....etc etc etc. I would like to change my collection to one of every color. If anyone wants to trade colors please let me know. I'm in the Kansas City area. I do have a friend here who is a great collector and she wanted to see if there were others in the area that would like to trade pieces. (We are both shopaholics and have TONS of Fiesta!) My kitchen is full but I just can't stop until I have all the colors!
Dana |
Follow-Up Postings:
Try this on the cookware forum. Linda C |
- Posted by jacquelinemaxine (My Page) on Mon, Jan 1, 07 at 23:45
I have one Rose set (minus mug), one Colbolt 4 piece set, two Cinnabar 4 piece sets, one Periwinkle saucer and two Rose saucers to trade. I'm looking for a Periwinkle dinner plate, a Periwinkle mug, a covered sugar bowl and an American Christmas Tree spoon rest. I live in West Sacramento, California. Let me know if you are interested in trading. Jacqueline |
Does anyone have broken Fiesta Ware or other dishes to sell at a reasonable price? I use the pieces for mosaics. Kay |
Hi, I have 4 4-piece place settings: cinnibar, cobalt, sunflower, and scarlet, that I would like to trade for other colors. I also have 3 plum bowls (the size that comes in the 4-piece place settings). Let me know if anyone is interested. I am in Napa, CA but am willing to send them wherever. Thanks! |
Natbraun, I would like to trade for your four piece setting of scarlet. I have four piece set of tangerine and or plum. Let me know if you are interested by posting on here. THANKS!!! :):) |
I didn't check back here until today. YES! I would love to trade a scarlet for your tangerine setting. Where are you located? I'm in Napa, CA. |
Natbraun, I am in Lexington, KY...my email is email@example.com. Email me your address and I will email you mine back :) YEA |
- Posted by kelleighnigh (My Page) on Thu, Feb 5, 09 at 11:50
Kay, If you are still making mosaics from chipped Fiestaware, please contact me at email@example.com |
- Posted by Jeff(email@example.com) onMon, Jun 27, 11 at 3:35
I have 4 in perfect condition blue covered onion bowls for sale.. email for photos, price and to get phone number firstname.lastname@example.com |
- Posted by Jeff(email@example.com) onMon, Jun 27, 11 at 3:36
I have 4 in perfect condition blue covered onion bowls for sale.. email for photos, price and to get phone number email@example.com |
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I have a permanent house guest who insists on useing an electric space heater to boost the temperature in her room. Really, it's like a sauna in there. The electric bill is killing me. I am thinking of installing a low amp circuit breaker for her room. I am thinking that 10 amps will allow normal power usage, but will trip when the space heater is turned on. Where would I be able to find a 10 amp breaker that would fit into the normal slot in a home breaker panel? Any other ideas on how to limit the power usage? |
Follow-Up Postings:
- Posted by bus_driver (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 8:24
You registered and posted this on the same day. The problem is not electrical and there is no electrical solution-- it is a people problem. Discussion and agreement is the best choice. If you insist on being in control, as I might do if all else fails, remove the space heaters from the premises just as fast as they are brought there. Space heaters present significant fire danger, even the newest ones. The "guest" could help pay the utility bill. |
- Posted by ronnatalie (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 9:31
It will however be illegal under the NEC. You can not put 15A receptacles (normal wall outlets) on a 10A circuit. Further, the code almost certainly requires a full 15A circuit. |
Would this permanent house guest be your daughter? It's time to put on your big boy pants and be a parent and set some rules. Or start charging her rent to cover the electric bill. Or just go down to the circuit breaker panel and flip the breaker off manually whenever you know she's turned on the heater and claim ignorance. |
"It will however be illegal under the NEC. You can not put 15A receptacles (normal wall outlets) on a 10A circuit." Just curious about the logic or reason (if any) for the rules about receptacle vs circuit size. In another thread it was stated that 15A receptacles on a 20A circuit were OK, which seems wrong because the circuit will let you draw more current than the receptacle is rated for (this is what my electrician just installed and the inspector passed) while putting an over-capacity receptacle on a lower amperage circuit (eg a 20A receptacle on a 15A circuit) might let you plug in a 20A plug--if you could ever find one in the wild--, but the breaker wouldn't allow you to pull that many amps through the circuit. This seems backwards of what would be safe. |
- Posted by bus_driver (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 14:17
I know of no reason that 15 amp receptacles could not be on a circuit protected at 10 amperes. But ongoing issues in this case would not be resolved by doing that. And in the ensuing (not electric) power struggle, tampering is likely. In my shop I have an industrial 1/2 hp door operator on a 20 x 14 door. The motor has a thermal protector and additionally it is plugged into a ceiling receptacle which is protected by a 10 amp time-delay plug fuse. I see no safety issues with that. |
- Posted by ronnatalie (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 15:12
Article 210.21 precludes it. If it was a single receptacle, you could legally use it the rule says the receptacle rating is not less than the branch circuit rating. However, I suspect highly we're talking at least one duplex receptacle, then it has to be one of the combinations in listed (none of which involve a 10A circuit). |
- Posted by bus_driver (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 16:19
210-21 refers to outlet devices, not to the short circuit and overload protection. So how could a 15 amp receptacle be unsuitable, per 210-21, for a 10 amp circuit? |
- Posted by ronnatalie (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 16:26
210.B(3) says SHALL. There's no provision for having multiple 15 or 20A receptacles on a 10 amp circuit. These are the rules on what receptacles can be installed on what circuits. There's no provision for multiple 15A receptacles on a 10 amp circuit. |
In fact, it doesn't give provisions for ANY receptacles on a 10a circuit. "Receptacle ratings shall conform to the values listed in Table 210.21(B)(2)". That table doesn't have a 10a value under "circuit rating" therefore, NO 10a branch circuits feeding two or more receptacles of ANY rating are allowed. |
- Posted by bus_driver (My Page) on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 17:28
Notice that the words "Total" and "Maximum" appear there. Nothing about minimums. If your interpretation is correct, then a motor that should be protected per Article 430 at 10 amperes- or some value less than 15- could not use a cord and plug for the disconnect. But a motor protected at 15 amperes could -- not very logical. 210-19(A)(1) does not specify the minimum rating of circuits. 240.6(A) lists interesting information about ratings of Fuses and Fixed-Trip circuit breakers. For a bedroom circuit- forget the 10 amps. Any such would have to be in addition to, not as a substitute for, the minimum 15 amp circuit(s) required by 210.52(A). |
This post was edited by bus_driver on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 18:03
- Posted by alan_s_thefirst (My Page) on Fri, Feb 8, 13 at 15:35
Apart from any rule contradictions, where is the breaker panel located? They're going to be running to the panel to reset it all the time, and it's bad for the breaker. Too many trips could make it fail, and it might fail to trip. As others said, it's a people problem. If the house is actually reasonably warm, they might have a thyroid problem! An electric blanket might be a better option for them, with a timer so they don't leave it on too long. They're quite cheap to run. If it's not resolvable through diplomacy, maybe you need to ask them to leave, or pay more towards the energy bill. |
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Allshare brings DLNA to the Samsung Galaxy S2 among its many other connectivity features and its many other features full stop. This impressive looking handset provides a dual application processor also to ensure that everything runs like clockwork and that you can run multiple apps seamlessly.
With the main 8 megapixel camera on this phone you can instantly capture photos and create stunning High Definition videos in the top 1080 pixel quality no less. Once you have created your multimedia you can share it easily through the Bluetooth 3.0 wireless file sharing or the USB 2.0 wired file sharing respectively. Alternatively use the integrated social networks such as Facebook and Twitter within the Social Hub of the device to allow friends and family to see what you have to share. If its not possible for you to wait that long or you simply want to see it all on a bigger display hopefully also packing 1080p HD quality, the Allshare feature is perfect. This uses the DLNA technology for multimedia sharing between devices to synchronise the handset with an HD television or computer display and allow everyone to enjoy an HD video clip in HD and on an appropriate screen. This is a new and upcoming feature which is also on other handsets and has featured in the Samsung Galaxy S3 news.
This new connectivity does not render the large 4.3 inch Super AMOLED Plus display of the Galaxy S2 useless though. When you are out and about you will still want to watch your video clips and downloaded movies in the best possible quality and thanks to the impressive display with superior colour and ultrafast response times this is perfectly possible to do. Meanwhile the enhanced readability of the display also makes it perfect for reading on, whether it be on the Web browser which is very much like viewing webpages on a PC, or whether its reading downloaded ebooks within the Readers Hub. This already loaded area enables you to not only download from over 2 million book titles but a vast range of magazines and newspapers too, and not just in English. The Music Hub and Games Hub are each just the same ensuring that wherever you go you can keep yourself or others entertained with this handset.
With so much to do and see all on the same device it is no wonder that the Samsung Galaxy S2 features have led it to become among the best phones to have. The cameras and Android 2.3 all add further to its many offerings.


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Oct 14, 2012 10:38 PM by ASSOCIATED PRESS
SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) - A preliminary report says pilots involved in a small plane crash at Lake Tahoe in August that killed all five people aboard expressed concerns about the aircraft's fuel/air mixture at high altitude before departing.
The Tahoe Daily Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/Rp9di8 ) the National Transportation Safety Board also cited an improper fuel/air mixture as a contributing factor in a 2009 crash at Lake Tahoe Airport that killed the pilot.
Witnesses say the single-engine plane in the Aug. 25 crash wasn't producing full power when it crashed shortly after takeoff at the same airport near South Lake Tahoe.
The crash killed Fresno residents Harold Cardwell, 60, Kin Cardwell, 41, Francisco De La Mora, 43, Lorena De La Mora, 39, and Esmeralda De La Mora, 6.
The report didn't list a cause.
Information from: Tahoe Daily Tribune, http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Offensive or inappropriate comments are subject to removal. To report a comment, please e-mail us at email@example.com, and include the name of the story and information on the comment.
Thank you! KSBY.com
2 hours ago


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Liver impairment in HIV disease is common and has many possible causes, only one of which are the medications you're taking. Many infections can result in liver damage, including:
Other factors that may damage your liver to the point that it is operating at less-than-optimal function, even before infection with HIV, include:
On top of that are the many HIV drugs which can also cause liver toxicity. The combination of all of these explains why a certain level of liver toxicity and dysfunction is a frequent occurrence in PHAs.
The liver uses enzymes to help it get rid of the waste produced in your body both by normal body processes and by the breakdown of drugs, alcohol and other toxins. When the liver is overly stressed by this waste or damaged by various infections, liver enzyme tests done on blood samples may show significantly elevated values. These liver enzyme tests include the following:
All PHAs on HAART should have their liver enzymes monitored on a regular basis since liver damage is rarely something that is felt until it is quite advanced. It is especially important that people who already have some liver damage -- because of hepatitis, for example -- get regular blood tests for liver enzymes.
Bilirubin (a waste product) is also used as an indicator of liver disease. Note that some of these tests can be elevated by problems other than liver disease, so they must be interpreted carefully. However, even without elevations in these tests, there can be a level of less obvious liver dysfunction that should be addressed. Unfortunately, many people remain unaware of liver disease until it reaches a point that causes:
Since a functional liver is critical for life, detoxifying and repairing it can be one of the most important things you do for your long-term health, especially if you want your liver to be able to handle HAART over the long-term. The most obvious first step in a liver repair program is to eliminate as many sources of toxicity as possible. You may not be able to eliminate your HAART meds, but the following steps can help a lot:
If you are taking meds that can cause liver toxicity, a careful review with your doctor should be done in order to determine if there are other meds that can be substituted for problematic ones.
A review of possible drug interactions should also be done. It is always possible that drugs that would normally cause no problems when taken alone might interact in a way that would cause significant toxicity. A "brown bag" checkup with your pharmacist to look at every single thing you're taking, whether it's by prescription or over-the-counter, is appropriate to check for all possible interactions.
An excellent website where you can check for drug/drug, drug/food and drug/herb interactions is www.aidsmeds.com.
Last, but certainly not least, any indication of liver damage should immediately prompt an assessment of the possibility of any infections or cancers that can damage the liver, including:
When hepatitis B or C are present, treatment may be considered.
In addition to removing, as much as possible, anything that might be stressing the liver, it is very important to add the therapeutic agents that can help the liver to detoxify, repair and protect itself. There are a number of potentially useful agents, listed below:
Glutathione (GSH) is the most important intracellular antioxidant and is crucially important for protecting the liver against toxicity when it goes about its task of breaking down drugs and other toxins. Taking the following nutrients may help to maintain or increase levels of glutathione:
For anyone with liver dysfunction or disease, the above nutrients may be very important as part of a total treatment approach.
For people with fatty livers, another important nutrient is the amino acid carnitine. Researchers say that it may help prevent mitochondrial toxicity, thus helping the body to handle fat better. Early studies of its use for non-HAART-related elevated triglycerides in PHAs did, indeed, show successful lowering of the blood fat levels. Research in animals has shown its successful use in reversal of fatty livers. The usual dosage is two capsules (500 mg each) twice daily. The alternative is Carnitor, the basic form of carnitine, available by prescription only. It is usually prescribed in doses of 3,000 mg daily (three 330-mg capsules, 3 times daily). Too-high doses can cause diarrhea, so watch for this. Doses of plain carnitine need to be higher because the acetyl-L-carnitine releases four times as much free carnitine into the bloodstream, using equivalent doses.
An herb called milk thistle (Silybum marianum) contains the compounds silybin, silycristin, silydianin and isosilybin, which, as a group, are commonly referred to as silymarin. Silymarin has powerful effects as both an antioxidant and protector of the liver. It protects healthy liver cells from toxic chemicals by promoting healthy cell membranes, and stimulates protein synthesis, which promotes new liver cell growth, thus repairing the liver where it is damaged. Specifically, it promotes repair and regeneration of liver cells through the anti-inflammatory silymarin flavonoids found in the plant. There are many herbal formulas available that contain silymarin in useful quantities. The suggested dosage for most of these is two capsules, three times per day, to be continued until liver enzymes return to normal; long-term use may help to continually protect and regenerate the liver. However, for those on HAART, it is important to know that silymarin may interact with some medications.
WARNING: Based on results of test-tube studies, milk thistle and compounds found in milk thistle, such as silymarin, may have the potential to affect levels of protease inhibitors and non-nucleoside analogues in the blood. Milk thistle and its extracts may also affect levels of other drugs that are processed by the liver. This action of milk thistle has the potential to cause side effects or weaken the activity of HIV drugs, causing them to not work effectively. One later study of milk thistle in people showed that most had only minor reductions in indinavir (Crixivan) levels. However, some caution is still required. For more info on the potential effects of milk thistle and sylimarin on medications, see the CATIE Supplement Sheet on milk thistle available at www.catie.ca/supple-e.nsf.
A licorice root extract known as glycyrrhizin has been shown in studies in Japan to reduce liver inflammation. It has been used for more than 40 years in Japan as a treatment for chronic liver disease and stomach ulcers. It should definitely not be taken if you have high blood pressure, low blood potassium or a weak heart or kidney problems. It can cause water retention and blood pressure increases that could be very serious. www.daair.org
For more info on liver health, see "13 Ways to Love Your Liver " in the spring/summer 2002 issue of CATIE's Positive Side magazine and "Me and My Liver" in the Spring/Summer 2005 issue, available at www.positiveside.ca or by calling 1.800.263.1638 [if you're in Canada].


text: Developed by Black Isle Studios, Icewind Dale is the tale of one groups journey into the treacherous Spine of the World Mountains in order to thwart a heretofore-unknown ancient and dreadful evil. Using a modified version of the original Baldurs Gate engine, Icewind Dale is defiantly a stylish game, but can it possibly live up to todays gameplay and visual standards? Is Icewind Dale a fireball of fantastical fun or a frostbitten foray into futility? Read on, Lords and Ladies, as we venture into the bone chilling depths of Icewind Dale. I may even toss in a bit more alliteration just for kicks, I MAY.