text:
Sketching, Evaluating and Visualizing Development Scenarios in a Geodatabase
It seems that most of what we do with GIS is to explore and evaluate existing conditions. Yet, once we learn to create and alter GIS data, there is no reason we can't create alternative future scenarios, and evaluate them with the same modeling techniques that we have used with data that supposedly represents some current state.
Tutorial Outline
- Think about what we need to represent, and create a data model to hold our representations.
- Create representations of new roads, buildings and of altered land use of our scenario
- Evaluate the impacts of our development proposal.
- Create a visualization of your scenario in its context in 3d
Specific Techniques and User-Guide References:
During the performance of this tutorial we will discuss several techniques that you will want to explore in the software user manuals later. The text of this tutorial will also provide references to specific top[ics from ArcMap's on-line help. These references are highlighted like this.
- Building a Geodatabase Chapter 2 and Chapter 5
- Editing Shape Features and Attributes: Editing in ArcMap Topics from Chapters 3, 6 and 9
- Visualizing Scenarios in Three Dimensions: Using ArcGIS 3D Analyst, Using 3D Analayst Chapter 12
Tutorial Dataset
To download the tutorial data set Right-click here
Exploring our Data Model
We want to build and evaluate several development scenarios that will require specific alterations to the land-cover of a site, building of new roads, addition of buildings that have different uses and capacities, and different planting schemes. We would our representation to avail itself easily to analysis, comparison with other alternatives, and evaluation.
Before we begin building our individual scenarios, we should work with our colleagues to decide the critical components that we will want to analyze and compare, and how we will represent them in the computer. You can think of this as building a formal dictionary of the nouns that we will have at our disposal. In the world of information systems, this stage is known as Creating a Data Model.
Our data model has been coded into a geodtabase which has feature-classes prepared to hold representations of Trees, Buildings, Land_Cover changes, and our Site Boundary All of these feature-classes reside within a feature dataset named Scenario which has been endowed with a spatial extent and spatial reference from the Massachusetts layer in our base data folder. The geodatabase also has a set of controlled domains that determine what values can be entered into certain columns. You can see these by clicking properties for the geodatabase itself.
Create a Scenario
Creating a scenario involves making a copy of the template scenario, and then populating the shape files with our proposed site interventions. For this, we should be sure to open and consult the Editing in ArcMap user guide.
Make a new Scenario Instance
- Make a copy of the template scenario and rename it to indicate a name for your development scenario (e.g. 'scenario1')
- Open the map file in your copy of the template scenario folder. The map file opens up our empty feature classes and several layers from our base_data and model_results folders.
We will begin by finding an apropriate site. For this, we may want to consult some of the siyte systems models that we made earlier in our cartographic modeling exercise. We can find areas that are more likely to be warm in winter and cool in summer and where it is likely to be legal to build. Once we find such a site, we can begin to create a development proposal.
Creating a proposal is a simple process of populating our empty tables. We will begin by making a simple poygon for our site boundary.
Beginnig to Edit
- Use the ArcMap on-line help index to find the heading Editing -> features
which means -- type editing, in the index search field, and then look down the list
of subheadings until you find 'Features'.
- Now, if you don't remember what we did in lab, then read the section of the
page that begins with 'An Overview of the Editing Process.' Also read the section
'Exploring the Edittor Toolbar'
- We are about to add a polygon that defines the boundary of your site. Before
we do this, it will be interesting to open the attribute table for your site
layer. It should have no rows in it at this point.
- Now set 'Site' as your target layer and 'Create New Feature' as your editing task
and create a polygon over the area where you intend to build.
- Now you see your site layer now has a record! If you want to you can update
the Name field.
More complicated Editing Tasks
OK, so now you know how to start editng and to make a simple polygon. Next we will try some more complicated edinint procedures. We will make a prototype building of a specific size, then update its attributes, and then use copy, paste and the rotate tool to make several copies of this building. One problem that comes up when trying to edit when there are lots of layers open, is controling what is selected when you click somewhere. This can be confusing, because when we are zoomed into the small buildings, we may accidentally select, copy and paste the site polygon, which, can be very confusing and annoying. This is why we will begin by making our buildings layer the only layer that is selected.
Precision Editing
- Use Selection->Set Selectable Layers to make your buildings layer the only one that is selectable.
- Set your buildings layer as your editing target
- click one vertex
- We want to make a building that is exactly 4 meters by three meters since we don't know exactly where to click the next vertex, put your mouse somewhere near the right direction, then right-click. You will see among the options in this context menu, Delta XY
- Select Delta XY and enter 4 in the first(dx) field and 0 in the second field. You have just added a vertex 4 meters to the east of your first one, and zero meters to the north!
- You may have to zoom in now to see what is going on. You can grab the zoom tool, even though you are in the middle of editing a polygon, and zoom in to get a good view of your little cabin.
- Now when you grab the pencil tool fromthe editor toolbar, you will resume editing your building.
- Now to enter the final wto vertices of your 3x4 cabin, use the DeltaXY tool to enter the next vertex at 0,-3 and -4,0.
- Now right-click onecr more and choose Finish Sketch to end your sketch
- Finally, lets update the attributes of this building, as follows:
- Stories = 1
- Use = "Residential"
Copying and Pasting Buildings
- Find the Edit Tool on the editor toolbar. If you roll over the tools slowly, their tool-tips will show up...
- Use the edit tool to pick your building.
- Now you can make a copy of the building by choosing Edit->Copy or by simply by holding down your Ctrl key and pressing the c key.
- You can nlow paste a copy on top of the original, by pressing Ctrl-v. since the new copy is exactly on top of the old one, you can't see it.
- Now use the edit tool to pick your building and you can drag the copy off to another location.
- Fianlly, you can rotate selected buildings with the Rotate tool at the right-hand end of the editor toolbar.
- Finally, take a look at the attribute table and see that the attributes of your selected building have been propogated with their shapes!
Now with these techniques, you can see how you can create anything you need to in order to represent any aspect of your site. After you finish this tutorial, you may want to add some roads and some polygons to represent the various alterations you may make to the landcover, such as pavement, clearings, and lawns.
Make another prototype and some copies
- Now to make things interesting, create a prototype of a larger, commercial building -- such as a large building footprint, which will have its stories attribute set to "2" and its use set to "Commercial".
- Copy and paste some copies of this building
More Editing
Create some Trees and Areas of New Land Use
- Create some areas of altered land cover on your New Land Cover layer. Be sure to update the Cover attribute of each new polygon you create.
- Create some roads, and update their Width> attribute. Roads may be 10 or 8 meters wide.
- Create some trees and update their Type attribute.
Now for the moment we've been waiting for -- to use our sketch of buildings to create a summary of the impacts and capacities of your site development scenario. We have added several buildings of different types and sizes, and we have proposed to change some of the existing land-cover. But how much, exactly? The benefit of making our sketch in a data model is that we may now systematically extract information from our sketch that could help us compare one scenario with another.
This procedure is accomplished with a series of processes that has been saved with our template (and therefore copied with our scenario.) To retrieve, explore and run these processes, we should start by loading the Evaluation toolbox and open the model inside.
Add and Explore our Evaluation Model
- Add your toolbox panel by pushing the red toolbox icon on your arcgis toolbar.
- If your Evaluation toolbox isn't already there, right-click in the toolbox panel and add the toolbox from your copy of the scenario folder.
- Right-click on the model inside your evaluation folder and choose 'Edit'.
- The yellow boxes in this model are the processes that we will use to create the summary of Gross Floor Area per each programmed use, and the amount of land that switches from one use to another. Open each of these boxes and take a look at the help for each one to see what they do.
- Starting from left to right, top to bottom, run each of the processes in your model.
- The summary of your building-programs will be a table named Building_Statistics. YOu will need to set your Table of Contents to Source Mode to see this.
- The new raster named Combined> The attribute table for this grid provides a report of the new land uses in a grid of 10x10 meter cells, and what the values for these cells was on the original land use layer. The Count column reflects the number of each cells for each combination of old/new uses. Because the cells are 100 square meters apiece, you can divide the count by 10 to get hectares. The land uses represented by the values in this table can be looked up in the Metadata for the MassGIS Land Use Data Layer
Visualizing our Scenario in 3 Dimensions
So all of this seems like a fairly painful wau to make a sketch of a development scenario, and perhaps it is. Kepp in mind that adhering to this system allows us not only to automate the construction of one scenario, but also to systematically compare multiple scenarios, and also to evaluate our proosed future alternatives with the same tools that we have used to evaluate the existing conditions.
Yet another advantage to composing our development scenario this way is that we can visualize our proposal in the context of other GIS data such as areial photos, in three dimensions! To learn more about this you should take a look at Using ArcGIS 3D Analyst,Chapter 12.
Organize an ArcGlobe Project
- Open up ArcGlobe
- add your trees, buildings and site layers form your scenario folder
- add your orthophoto image, 145914.sid from the base_data/massgis folder
- Now, double-click the trees layer, select the Globe Display tab, and uncheck the box next to Rasterize Feature Layer. Then click OK on the layer properties dialog. This important property, and the nnext step are important features of setting up the ArcGlobe display that you should read about in the manual.
- The next thing you will see is a window saying that you must set the View-Distance for your trees layer. This same thing will also show up layer after setting the properties for the buildings. Click OK to set the view distance properties to 'Far'.
Elevating your Aerial Photo
The magic of ArcGlobe is that you can set the ground elevation of various layers to conform with the elevations given by a digital elevation model. We will start with our aerial photo and then do the same with the site layer and the buildings. Finally, we can set the extrusion proprties for the buildings so that they extrude to their story height multiplied by 3 meters per story.
Setting the Base Heights of your Airphoto and Site Layer
- Double-click on your airphoto layer to bring up its layer properties panel.
- Click the Elevation tab.
- Click the button next to Layer floats above globe surface...
- Use the brows button next to this field to find the USGS_DEM in the usge folder of your tutorial dataset's base_data folder.
- Click OK to apply these settings.
- Use the same procedure to set the elevation of your Site layer.
- Read in the ArcGlobe manual in chapter 12, the section on navigating in ArcGlobe. This will explain how you can zoom to your airphoto layer, change your navigate mode to Surface and use the navigate button to rotate your airphoto so that you can see how it has been draped on the digital elevation model.
- You may want to make your site polygon transparent so that you can see your airphoto through it.
Extruding your Buildings
- Your buildings layer should have its elevations set the same way as the layers that you have already set.
- Then under the Globe Exgtrusion Tab you can set the extrusion of your buildings, using the little calculator button, to extrude to their number of stories multiplied by 3 meters per story.
- While you are modifying the building properties, why not set the symbology properties to distinguish the commercial buildings from the residential ones.
- Click OK to see your buildings in 3D!
- If it looks like your buildings are floating above the airphoto surface, experiment with adding a 3 meter offset to the airphoto's elevation properties (at the bottom of the layer's Elevation properties panel.
You can now document your work by exporting images from your ArcGlobe project using FIle->Export Globe


text:
Sleep Restfully, Inc.
3100 Weslayan Street, Suite 373 Houston, TX 77027
(866) 923-2727 (281) 840-4504 Fax:(800) 540-5078 (281) 501-7969
Not logged in
Print Page
Home » Machines » BiPAP, VPAP & Bi Level Machines
The S9 VPAP™ Auto is a fully‐integrated auto‐adjusting bilevel device designed to address noncompliant OSA patient needs. Based on the award‐winning S9™ platform, the VPAP Auto includes optional wireless monitoring, central sleep apnea (CSA) detection and optional integrated oximetry. It also features a Sleep Quality Indicator, which allows patients to view their therapy progress on a daily basis. Together with ResMed's Enhanced Easy‐Breathe technology and Climate Control humidification system, the VPAP Auto delivers quiet comfort to a wide range of patients, from noncompliant CPAP users to those requiring additional ventilatory support.
The S9 VPAP Auto integrates seamlessly with the H5i™ heated humidifier and delivers market‐leading performance to provide relief from nasal dryness and congestion. As part of the S9's Climate Control humidification system, the H5i intelligently adapts to ambient conditions throughout the night (and from season to season), maintaining a constant, comfortable humidity and temperature level.
« Previous | Next »
Email Friend
Customer Services
How to Contact Us & FAQ
About Us
Returns Policy & Terms
Warranty Information
Insurance Information
Insurance Billing Codes
Privacy Information
Prescriptions Policy
Make a Payment
Quick Links
ResMed CPAP
Philips Respironics CPAP
BiPAP & VPAP Machines
ResMed CPAP Mask
Philips Respironics
CPAP Mask
Inogen One G3
SeQual Eclipse 5
SimplyGo Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Build-A-Mask Program
CPAP Mask Comparison Chart
CPAP Machine Comparison Chart
BiPAP & VPAP Comparison Chart
Portable Oxygen Concentrator
Comparison Chart
Oxygen Concentrator Comparison Chart
ResMed Equipment & Supplies
Philips Respironics Equipment &
©ResMed 2010
Use of the ResMed images, and materials is
made with the permission of ResMed. ResMed owns the copyright in the
text, images, drawings and materials
and ResMed reserves all
rights. All services provided by SleepRestfully.com are independent
of ResMed. We only sell ResMed products to end users residing in the
United States.
The DeVilbiss Healthcare IntelliPAP was designed and
intended for sale and use to patients in the US, Canada, Mexico
only. Medical product requirements, regulations and support
differ by country.
©2014 Sleep Restfully, Inc. All
Rights Reserved

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chapter Update; Murals to Unite The Masses
Murals, by nature, are community oriented projects and statements. They bring people in the local neighborhood together, while often telling a story. Their large scale allows for many layers of intricacy, artistic statements, political messages, historical figures, and playful images. Murals can be purely artistic expressions, community messages, or a combination of both. Three chapter projects have been selected, all involving the use of murals to build cohesion and allowing the community to take hold of the design process.
The [ART]box by the Washington D.C. Chapter, the SOMA Mural Project by the San Francisco Chapter, the We are El Futuro project by the Los Angeles Chapter.
Washington, District of Columbia
Washington D.C Chapter
Washington D.C. is a city that is constantly expanding; often devoting it's focus to new development, while leaving abandoned lots with limited resources.
[ART]box is a project of the [IIII]box collective, which is an initiative to explore the use of design as a catalyst for community building and empowerment. Each project is tailored to the needs of the community where it will operate.
[ART]box is a portable environment that encourages community participation in creating and maintaining outdoor creative spaces. Selected by the non-profit organization, Albus Cavus, to be incorporated into their already existing program called Open Walls.
Open Walls brings artists, educators, and the community to collaborate and create murals and urban art walls. The [ART]box will function as a tool to be utilized in the Open Walls program by having a flexible design which can be molded to fit various activities.
SOMA Mural Project
San Francisco, California
San Francisco Chapter
San Francisco and the Bay Area are hubs for emerging forms of street art, from large-scale murals covering warehouse walls to mosaic-covered trashcans. While the Mission district of San Francisco is known for it's popular graffiti walk, the emerging SOMA (South of Market) district has many bare walls that, to a pedestrian, create a disconnect from the built environment.
Neighbors have complained and even tried to combat graffiti tagging by continuously "whitewash" painting over it. Imagine instead a brightly colored mural, which the community can take ownership of as a piece of art. Seen from past murals, they make it much less susceptible to tagging.
For neighborhoods that are still developing their character, murals are an inexpensive and engaging process that can transform the energy of an area. In an effort to bring unity to these areas, painting a mural will provide a positive aspect everyone can enjoy.
Reflecting San Francisco's technology spirit, the mural will have a marker that links visitors to an interactive narrative told through a free mobile app that creates an augmented reality (A visual overlay seen through a mobile device that has stationary or moving objects – often an animation – which interact with the site or image seen through the screen). The story will allow people to learn more about the history of the project and the community involved.
We are "El Futuro"
Gardena, California
Los Angeles Chapter
The Environmental Charter Middle School (ECMS) inspires and prepares students for an eco-conscious future filled with sustainable lifestyle choices. ECMS teaches children the importance of living a balanced life with nature, being conscious of the impact of their decisions. ECMS teaches young people the importance of living lightly upon the earth, being stewards of your community, and being the change you wish to see in the world.
"El_Futuro Is Us" is a project regarding the ECMS new building, a reclaimed church and schoolhouse. Students will help in the transformation by creating their own piece of art that will be used to create a mural on the outskirts of the property during reconstruction. This allows ECMS to take ownership of the building during the construction phase and integrate themselves into the community of Gardena. By implementing a collaborative piece created by students and built by Cuningham Group Architects and James Stodgel, beauty and nature will be introduced into the revitalization process of this suburban landscape. After finished reconstruction, the mural will be flexible art; it can remain on the perimeter of the site, be integrated into the program of the redesign, or moved to a more accommodating space as the needs and activities of the students require.


text:
When last we left Wellwood's World, Welly had just signed a one-year deal with the Jets after failing to come to terms with the Sharks. After a warren of West Side Story jokes (don't the Jets and Sharks prefer basketball to hockey?), Wellwood settled in with Winnipeg, finding a spot on the third line.
As the internet's foremost Wellwood-ologists, we noticed a few odd things about his start with the Jets. Such as the fact that he's leading the team in goalscoring, with 4 goals in 9 games. That's not normal: Wellwood's highest goal total in his career was 18 with the Canucks in 2008-09. He's also third on the team in points, with 6.
Some players on the Jets made their stats a little more respectable by cashing in on last night's absurd 9-8 victory over the Flyers, such as former Canuck and friend of the blog Tanner Glass, who had his first ever 3-point game (third line for Glass!), tying him with Wellwood for third on the team in scoring. Wellwood, on the other hand, only had one point in the game, a goal. Instead of his usual streakiness, Wellwood has been a model of consistency, scoring in 5 of the Jets' 9 games and never going more than one game without a point.
His goalscoring won't continue on this pace, of course, as his current 36.4 shooting percentage is unsustainable. His point production, however, certainly could. We've talked about PDO on PITB before and I've written about how PDO can provide a reality check for hot starts and scoring streaks, but here's PDO in a nutshell: it's designed to be a statistic that tracks luck. Simple add the even-strength shooting and save percentages when a player is on the ice and you have their PDO number. This number, over time, will regress to 1000. If the number is a lot higher, then the player is getting lucky: either he and his teammates are scoring more than is statistically likely or his goaltender is saving shots that he normally wouldn't, or both. If the number is a lot lower, then the opposite is the case.
In Wellwood's case, his PDO is below 1000, sitting at 962. While this is not outrageously low, it's interesting to see where that number is coming from: his on-ice save percentage is second highest on the team behind Mark Scheifele, who recently got sent back to the OHL, but his on-ice shooting percentage is fourth lowest on the team. Even though he's scoring on 36.4% of his shots, his teammates are not. At all.
So while Wellwood's 36-goal pace will not continue, he should start picking up some more assists.
Of course, it wouldn't be Wellwood's World without something really weird happening to Welly, and in this case it's how he's being used by the Jets. Despite being first on the team in goals and third in points, Wellwood is 12th on the team in icetime (6th amongst forwards) and is 14th in shifts per game. He has twice as many points as Bryan Little, who is ostensibly the Jets' top-line centre, though the 20-year-old point-per-game Alex Burmistrov should probably be taking over that job.
So that's odd in itself: Wellwood is playing relatively sheltered minutes and starting mainly in the offensive zone despite being surprisingly defensively responsible and, once again, leading his team in fewest goals against per 60 minutes. The Jets have instead chosen to bury their fourth line in the defensive zone: Tanner Glass, Chris Thorburn, and Jim Slater have started in the defensive zone approximately 70% of their shifts.
But what is truly surprising is that the Jets don't have Wellwood taking faceoffs. Wellwood has only taken 6 faceoffs through 9 games. While the Jets have three other decent options on faceoffs – Antropov and Little are both at 50%, while Slater is at 55.8% – the next two players in faceoffs taken, Burmistrov and Scheifele, are at 40% and 35.3% respectively.
They do know he's good at faceoffs, right? Wellwood has only had one season where he finished below 50% on faceoffs, his shortened year with the Sharks. Absolutely baffling.
Also strange is his fluctuations in ice time. His highest total was 17:13 against the Penguins, all the way down to 9:46 against the Rangers. The truly bizarre thing is that those fourth-line minutes against the Rangers came after his only multi-point game of the season, where he scored a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Hurricanes. Instead of being rewarded for his play, he played only 13 shifts, albeit in a game where the Jets received only one powerplay and had it cut short by another penalty.
In any case, Wellwood is off to a great start this season with the Jets. We wish him all the best.
s/t to dedicated Bulie Ruth Fisher, who has been watching all the Jets games and keeping us up to date.Tags: featured, wellwood's world
Kyle Wellwood:
Is an extremely well-rounded player. Often appears to be everywhere on the ice at the same time. Has an overwhelming presence which can dominate the dressing room. Is unanimously considered to be one of the hungriest players in the league.
I had nothing witty, OK?


text:
Affidavit: Jersey Bridgeman died from asphyxiation
Posted: November 28, 2012 at 4:17 p.m.
The state medical examiner determined the cause of death of a Bentonville kindergartner murdered on Nov. 20 was asphyxia, according to a probable cause affidavit released Wednesday. Zachary Holly, 28, was arrested Monday night in connection with the death of his neighbor, 6-year-old Jersey Bridgeman. Holly and his wife, Amanda Holly, watched Jersey and her younger sister until around 11 p.m. Nov. 19 while Jersey's mother was at work, the affidavit states.
This story is only available from our archives.
« Previous Story
Miles given raise, extension at LSU
Les Miles has been given a pay raise and contract extension at LSU less than 24 hours after his name was repor... Read »
Next Story »
Man robbed after arranging Craigslist meeting
A man was robbed Wednesday after he arranged to meet a woman on Craigslist. Read »


text:
Like us on Facebook!
Welcome To Downtown Saco
to Saco Spirit, a nationally
accredited Maine Street Maine Community
Saco Spirit is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
whose mission is to make
Saco a better place to live and work by enhancing
the vitality of our downtown,
focusing on preserving the integrity of our
historic downtown district and maintaining it's sense of place. Saco Spirit employs the trademarked and nationally successful "Main Street Four Point Approach" to downtown revitalization which consists of four distinct committees: Organization, Design, Economic
Restructuring, and Promotions.
2015 Saco Sidewalk Arts Festival
June 27th, 2015
Over 150 artists, photographers and fine craftspeople will once again transform Main Street Saco and Pepperell Square into a giant outdoor art gallery. This years' Festival takes place on Saturday, June 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. Click here for an application. Click here for guidelines and instructions.
For non-profit applications please click here
Thank you Art Festival Sponsors
Saco Spirit's 6th Annual Main Street Car Show
Saturday July 25, 2015
8:00 am -1:00 pm
Click here for a car show application
Thank you Car Show Sponsors
and Linda Valentino and Richard's Garage
Nadeen and Beans
The TEAM effort:
A letter from the Executive Director: Nadeen DeSilva
Recently while walking on Main Street, I was stopped by what I thought was a visitor, who asked about the flower boxes along Main Street. I proceeded to explain the elements of the Design Committees' flower program. I then asked where they were from. Their reply was "I love how downtown Saco gives me the feeling of being a tourist in my own town". How rewarding it is to know that Saco Spirit's efforts of cultivating an inviting Main Street enhances not
just the visitors experience, but that of our residents as well.
Success in downtown can only be achieved with a team effort. Our board members, the four committees, merchants and volunteers are what make up the Saco Spirit TEAM. Their talents and skills enhance the quality of our downtown and create a rich and vibrant experience and a destination for both visitors and residents.
As our TEAM grows in "spirit" so does our energy. It gives me great pride in knowing Saco Spirit's passion will help to encourage the growth of our community and economy.


text:
Differential Readings (App Note)
Differential vs. Single-Ended:
In this discussion, a voltage is the difference in electric potential between 2 points. For a single-ended voltage reading, 1 point is an analog input terminal, while the other point is the common ground (GND) of the LabJack. For a differential voltage reading, the 2 points are 2 analog input terminals.
Differential vs. Bipolar:
Note that differential is not the same as bipolar, and they do not necessarily have anything to do with each other (but sometimes do). Bipolar refers to a voltage that can be positive or negative, compared to unipolar which refers to a voltage which is positive only. We use the term bipolar or true bipolar to describe a point that can be greater than or less than ground. We use the term pseudo-bipolar to describe a voltage where the positive point can be greater than or less than the negative point (thus the difference is positive or negative), but neither point can be less than ground.
Differential vs. Isolated:
Differential does not define anything about isolation. For example, assume a 90V battery pack built out of 10x 9-volt batteries in series. You might be tempted to use differential inputs to measure the voltage of each cell, but this will not work because you will have to define ground somewhere and will have large common-mode voltages.
Bipolar vs. Pseudobipolar:
Bipolar refers to a signal that can be plus and minus versus ground. Pseudobipolar refers to a differential signal where the voltage difference (positive - negative) can be plus or minus, but neither the positive lead or negative lead can be minus versus ground.
Take a differential voltage of -2.2 volts. For pseudobipolar inputs, a valid way to get this voltage is if the positive lead is at 0.2V versus ground and the negative lead is at 2.4V versus ground. For bipolar inputs, that same scenario is valid, and it is also valid if the positive lead is at -2.4V and the negative lead is at -0.2.
Why use differential?
Reasons #1 & #2 are key reasons for differential measurements. Reason #3 is good in theory for certain situations, but most of the time single-ended measurement performs as well as differential.
1. The signal is differential and the negative cannot be connected to GND: For example, consider a DAQ monitoring a typical Wheatstone bridge circuit that is excited by 4V/GND from the DAQ and is outputting a 2 mV signal, which means that signal+ is about 2.001V and signal- is about 1.999V. You cannot connect signal- to GND, because that would short out 1 leg of the bridge, so you must connect signal+ and signal- both to analog inputs and do 2 single-ended measurements or 1 differential measurement. If the bridge was excited by a floating source (not referred to the DAQ device), you can define the common ground wherever you want so you could connect signal- to GND and just do a single-ended measurement of signal+.
2. Measuring a small difference between 2 large voltages: For example, consider a DAQ with a simple 1% accuracy spec. This DAQ is monitoring a typical Wheatstone bridge circuit that is excited by 4V/GND from the DAQ and is outputting a 2 mV signal, which means that signal+ is about 2.001V and signal- is about 1.999V. You could take single-ended readings of signal+ and signal-, and subtract them in software to find the difference, but the 1% error of each single-ended measurement is about 20 mV which is very large compared to the 2 mV difference you are trying to measure. A direct differential measurement of the 2 mV difference with the same 1% error has just 0.02 mV of error.
3. Rejection of common-mode noise: Say you have signal+ and signal- coming from a floating AA battery through a long 2-wire cable, and you expect the long cable to pick up a lot of AC noise where the induced noise is the same on both wires. Since the battery is floating, you could connect the wires to 2 differential analog inputs on the DAQ device, and then add a high-value resistor from the negative analog input to GND to provide a path for bias currents. Since the noise at any point in time is the same on both wires, it will get subtracted out by a differential measurement. Alternatively you could connect signal+ to an analog input and signal- to GND, for a single-ended measurement. In theory, the wire connected to ground can't have noise because it is connected to ground, so you just have noise on the positive wire which all shows up in your measurement, but in reality it does not usually work exactly that way and you don't see 100% of the noise.
Differential inputs must have a reference:
The most common mistake when using differential inputs is connecting 2 signals that have no reference to ground. Do an Internet search for "instrumentation-amplifier floating-inputs" or just see the "Floating Voltages" section of the following article about instrumentation amplifiers (in-amps):
Consider an obviously floating voltage source such as a thermocouple or AA battery. If you simply connect the positive and negative leads to 2 analog inputs on a U6, or to IN+ and IN- on an LJTick-InAmp, there is no ground path for the bias currents that must flow in/out of the inputs. The voltage source will try to properly hold the voltage difference between the leads, but the voltage of each lead compared to ground will likely be near one of the power rails and the common-mode voltage will not be valid. A common solution is a resistor from the negative terminal to ground, which can be quite large if desired.
Another example is a bridge circuit excited by an external supply which is isolated from the U6 or LJTick-InAmp. In this case the negative from the supply should be connected to GND (a series resistor can be considered if you don't want a direct connection between the supply ground and GND).
The common-mode voltage must be in range:
Another common mistake is connecting voltages that are referenced to ground, but where the voltages compared to ground are not in the valid range.
For example, the LJTick-InAmp uses a pair of AD623 instrumention amplifiers from Analog Devices with power rails at VS (~5 volts) and GND (0 volts). Figures 22 and 23 of the AD623 datasheet show the common-mode range. Note that the maximum under any condition is about 3.5 volts and the minimum is about -0.3 volts. Signals with a common-mode voltage outside -0.3 to +3.5 volts will definitely not work, and for signals inside that range we recommend looking at the LJTIA signal range tables or online calculator from Appendix A of the LJTick-InAmp Datasheet.
Say you have a 12 volt battery system where the battery negative is connected to LabJack/LJTIA GND. You want to measure the current the battery is providing to some load, so you put a high-side shunt between the positive battery terminal and the load. The shunt is providing a 100 mV signal, so the voltage compared to ground on each side of the shunt is 12.0 and 11.9 volts, and thus the common-mode voltage is 11.95 volts. This is definitely too high for the LJTIA. However, if a low-side shunt is used instead between the negative battery terminal and the load, the common-mode voltage is only 0.05 volts and the LJTIA is fine.
For signal ranges on the U6, see Section 2.6.5 of the U6 User's Guide, and for the T7 see Appendix A-3-2 of the T7 Datasheet.
Why don't I worry about ground when I measure voltages with a simple DMM?
So why can you just take the 2 leads from a simple battery-powered DMM and measure the voltage across a battery or thermocouple, regardless of what grounds might or might not be connected? Because the DMM is isolated and is actually taking a single-ended reading. The black lead is ground for the DMM, but since it is isolated that ground has no meaning to the battery or thermocouple, and wherever the black lead connects is defined as ground for the DMM.
How about a fancier DMM with 2 channels, and 2 pairs of red/black leads, powered by AC mains? First the input channels are isolated (optically or galvanically) from AC mains, so there is no common ground there, and the input channels are also isolated from each other, so the black leads are ground for each channel but not the same. Each black lead defines ground for each channel.
Common amplifier types:
Operational Amplifier (op-amp): Single-ended input and output.
Instrumentation Amplifier (in-amp): Differential input and single-ended output.
Difference Amplifier (diff-amp): Differential input and output.
U6 User Guide says:
'Differential channels are adjacent even/odd pairs only, such as AIN2-AIN3. Thus the positive channel must be even and the negative channel must be +1.'
Does this mean I can measure 7 channels in config differential (AIN0-AIN1, AIN2-AIN3,......,AIN12-AIN13) and 14 channels in single ended as (AIN0-GND, AIN1-GND,....., AIN13-GND) ?
I have read this page many many times, but I am still confused about the advantages of differential or single-ended modes.
As an example, I am reading a (small) signal on a voltage divider, with the aim of meausing leakage currents.
I am reading the signal in differential mode and my minus terminal is connected to ground. Is this different or better (in terms of noise and resolution) than measuring only the + signal in single ended?
I added a new section above called "why use differential". See if that helps.
In your case, if the negative of the signal is connected to ground anyway, the signal is single-ended so there is not reason to measure it differentially.
One quirk is on our oldest device, the U12, where you can only make use of the variable gain (PGA) with differential readings, so if the signal is smaller it does make sense to jumper the negative analog input to GND and use differential.
I am planning on using a U3-HV to measure 4 analog signals, 3 single ended and one differential. The data is to be collected using a laptop. All the signals come from transducers powered by external DC power supplies. All the single ended signals are referenced to AC mains ground. Since the Labjack is powered by the laptop, is it floating whether or not the laptop is plugged into the wall? Is it safe to connect GND or SGND to the AC mains ground whether or not the laptop is plugged in and should it be done through a 100 Ohm resistor or directly? Which ground terminal should I use and does it change depending on whether the laptop is plugged in?
My recommendation would be that if you are not real sure, use a USB isolator. If you mess up you should just blow the isolator but not hurt your host.
Section 184.108.40.206 has some grounding guidelines.
With almost every AC/DC power supply, the DC outputs are isolated from the AC input, so it sounds strange that your signals are referred to AC mains ground. Perhaps use the forum to get into more details about your particular transducers, power supplies, and wiring.
Could I make differential analog inputs changing even input to negative and odd input to positive
I make differential measurement with AIN0 -AIN1 but then I change the polarity a make a new measurement. I mean than in tha t new measurement AIN0 begin negative and ANI1 begin positive, and I had problem with this.
On the U6 or T7? The answer is no. A differential measurement is always Channel# - Channel#+1, where Channel# is even. So positive channel is always even. If you want odd-even, all you have to do is multiply the reading by -1 in software.
I believe you are using the U6 and the UD driver. Resolution is a device-wide setting, so you use iotype LJ_ioPUT_CONFIG with special channel LJ_chAIN_RESOLUTION, and that sets the resolution index for all analog inputs (single-ended and differential). See Section 4.3.3 of the U6 User's Guide.
Note that range is specified on a per channel basis. For differential, the range specified for the positive channel is used.
It is not saying that a DMM can be isolated, but rather is saying that "a battery-powered DMM is isolated". When you have a battery-powered DMM in your hand, it has no connections to earth ground or any other potential. When you connect the DMM to the signal to be measured, it is not isolated from that signal, but is isolated from everything else.
App Notes
- Analog Signals
- Noise and Resolution
- Resolution and Accuracy
- Differential Readings
- Floating/Unconnected Analog Inputs
- Measuring Current (4-20mA)
- Measuring Resistance
- Temperature Sensors
- Thermocouples
- Digital Signals
- Controlling Relays
- I2C, SPI, 1-Wire Examples
- Range and Depth Sensors
- Networking
- Driving LEDs
- Microphones
- Waveform Generation
- Troubleshooting & Misc
Shopping Cart
You guys rock! [...] I have already told several friends who are using other products like this and having problems with support about the excellent support I have received. Expect more orders soon!—David, MediaMachine LLC


text:
Do you believe there are ghosts and demons and Diviners among us?
Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly ecstatic. It's 1926, and New York is filled with speakeasies, Ziegfeld girls, and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that she has to live with her uncle Will and his unhealthy obsession with the occult.


text:
Information and opportunities for young people across Europe.
Information about volunteering opportunities
Information about jobs, entrepreneurship, traineeships and holiday work
Education and training opportunities across Europe
Have your say about politics and society, and participate in Structured Dialogue
Arts and entertainment, science and innovation at your fingertips
Everything about your health, well-being and sports
Your rights and services to feel secure and safe
Discovering the world beyond Europe
Practical information about travelling in Europe
Ever thought of linking your NGO with a partner in North Africa, Turkey or the Middle East? The Euro-Med platform will help you find partners for youth projects and exchange experiences.
Sure, you can go abroad to study, work, volunteer or just to have fun. But what about just immersing yourself in the culture with the Lions Clubs International youth exchange and youth camp programme?
Thinking of helping out not just in Europe, but also further afield? Love people and discovering new cultures? These websites will open your eyes to the many international opportunities for volunteer work around the world.


text:
Grappa serving suggestions
A friend recently brought me a nice (I think) bottle of grappa from Italy, and I'm trying to figure out what to do with it. I'm not in love with it straight (although I don't hate it), so I'm wondering if anyone can think of ways I could perhaps use it in a cocktail? Or maybe just ways I should be serving it to improve the experience--alongside what foods? at what temperature? The only restriction is that I'm *not* interested in dessert applications at all. Thanks!
Talk is closed, but that doesn't mean the conversations have to stop!
Check out this post for a more thorough explanation, and jump onto our Facebook page or our Twitter feed to keep the conversations going!


text:
Ryan Delaney/WRVO
Contractors are feeling the pinch as the federal government cuts back on infrastructure spending. A new report finds construction jobs have been sliding throughout the state.
We've bid [on] five in the last two weeks here, but there are 12 bidders on every job just because of the lack of work.
Read more at innovationtrail.org


text:
FORT WALTON BEACH — When Stephanie Sullivan walked into the Golden Age Club on Saturday afternoon, the surprise on her face may have been fake, but the happiness wasn't.
Sullivan hadn't seen most of her family for quite some time before her (accidentally spoiled) surprise 24th birthday party.
Her family gathered from as far as away as Texas and Tallahassee to celebrate her birthday and see her off before her yearlong deployment.
"She means a lot to my family, and I thought we might as well make it something to remember," said one of her sisters, Priscilla Sullivan, who lives in Fort Walton Beach.
Stephanie, a Navy petty officer second class, grew up in Niceville and currently is stationed at Port Hueneme, Calif.
Stephanie joined the Navy with a desire to better her life and see the world. She works in communications with underwater construction teams.
"It's always good to come back, though," she said.
Stephanie will be deployed to six stations, including Guam and the Philippines.
As the 30 or so family members visited around her, she said it was exciting that they all came to wish her well.
"They're always here for me," she said.
Tommy Sullivan, Stephanie's dad, said he was very proud of his daughter. He credited the community for helping shape her into what she is today.
She practically grew up at the Niceville United Methodist Church Community Life Center and later worked there, he said.
"The village that raised her was here," he said. "She's a Boggy Girl."


text:
The X Factor
The X Factor's Stacy Francis Vs. The Twitterverse
The feud between The X Factor's Stacy Francis and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has reached epic proportions.
Hilton has made regular allegations that Stacy Francis is lying about her run-of-the-mill past and in fact has a storied musical pedigree. But that's just a blogger trying to stir up stuff. It's what they do. But when the object of his current obsession responds, it's a story!
And what a response it is! Francis has her own allegations out now: apparently, Hilton has teamed up with Francis's infamous ex in a slander-fest to end all slander-fests. "It hurts my feelings, because it's a lot of lies he's writing," Francis said. "He's getting all this stuff from my ex-husband and that was my abuser so it's very disappointing."
As could be expected of gossip bloggers and aspiring pop stars, there's a lot of intricate interpersonal backstory (and backstabbing!). It seems that Francis and Hilton were actually friends before the Twitterpocalypse: "he DM'ed me that he loves my voice and hopes that I win." Now that things have gone south, Francis denies all of Hilton's allegations against her, including that she toured with Madonna and put out a solo CD.
Hilton, for his part, is sticking by his claims — and the allegedly honorable way in which he came to them. "I ABSOLUTELY did not get any facts about her past from anyone she's had a relationship with. Period!" Of course, he's also calling Francis "diseased"...so make of this what you will.
Play nice, folks.
Want more X Factor goodness? "Like" us on Facebook!
Vote for your favorite contestant on our X Factor Facebook page!


text:
Deviant Art
How Video Game Characters Developed from 2D to 3D How Video Game Characters Developed from 2D to 3DMore Like This
In this assignment, I am going to discuss how video game characters have developed from 2D to 3D. I'm going to use examples such as iconic mascots such as Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. Furthermore, I'm going to discuss about the key elements of development from 2D to 3D that they go through, the colours, their shapes, the pixels and their movements. Some of the video game characters such as Mario, Pac-Man, Kirby, Link and Sonic the Hedgehog have gone through all the stages of development from concept artwork right up to 3D character designs of themselves.
In Super Mario Bros. and within the official artwork of Super Mario Bros., the colours of Mario's clothing were reversed. When Super Mario Bros. 2 is released, the colours were fixed, despite the fact that the front cover of the game still depicts him wearing red overalls. In the Super Smash Bros
|Sta.sh Submit


text:
iHerb Customer Reviews
chia seeeds
1 person found the following review helpful
Posted by Reviewer1658669 on Apr 01, 2011
s you have to soak them in water for 12-24 hrs to soften they taste better that way chia claims to be high in vitamins with aquired taste unless you combine it with other foods (its bird food).
Gritty dirt mixed in with the white chia seeds
1 person found the following review helpful
Posted by 5299599697278399878 on Aug 26, 2013
I ordered this before with no problem, but this time there were little black specs mixed in. I thought it was just black chia seeds, but upon further inspection they are little pieces of dirt. What a waste! I thought it was just me, but saw anther review with the same issue. I gave it two stars instead of one because the last bag did not have this problem but I wouldn't order again and risk getting a bad bag.
Contains sand-like black specks :(
1 person found the following review helpful
Posted by 4810570341646987769 on Feb 27, 2014
This is my first purchase of chia seeds. I soak my seeds in water and drink it throughout the day. I noticed black specks which I initially thought was just black chia seeds. However, when I crushed it, it resembles sand particles and tastes bad. Very disappointed. Upon looking at some other reviews, I realised I'm not the only one with this bad experience.
Great Product
Posted by 5082816403788336979 on Mar 03, 2014
Good value and product. Perfect for making chia pudding.
Great Chia Seeds
Posted by 5102247090103082160 on Mar 21, 2014
I eat/drink these every day with water. They create a gel-like substance when mixed with (warm) water. They put me in a great mood and I know they are very nutritious. If you eat them before a meal, you will normally eat less. But that doesn't always work. I believe the white chia seeds are almost the same as the dark ones. Great product, great price.


text:
Ada, population 1,700, is located on Highways 9 and 200 in northwest Minnesota. Ada is located about 45 miles northeast of Fargo-Moorhead, a metropolitan area with a population of 100,000.
Ada owes its existence and livelihood to the strength of the local agricultural economy. It has the quality of life cherished by strong agricultural communities. As the county seat of Norman county, the city enjoys the benefits of services found only in larger communities. Some of these services and facilities include...
New School
New Clinic
Indoor Pool
Race Track
Golf Course
Baseball Fields
New Hospital
New Nursing Home
New Infrastructure
Low Utility Rates
Three Parks
Weight Rooms
Movie Theater
County Fairgrounds
FM Radio Station - KRJB 106.5
Grocery Store
Local Newspaper - The Norman County Index
All site content Copyright © 2010 City of Ada
Adminstrator's Login


text:
One team that just fell short of the countdown this year, and could be a sleeper, is Scranton. They're one of the most talented teams in the history of the Lackawanna football conference and lost a lot to graduation.
Only three starters return on each side of the ball, but the Knights have 80 players on the team. They will definitely find some starters on the line to go with some good skill kids.
What Scranton does have is quite possibly the best running back in our area in Jake McCarthy. Last season, McCarthy joined Henry Hynoski, Eugene Lewis, and John Klingerman as the only players to make WNEP-TV "Dream Team" as sophomores.
Jake rushed for 1,745 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. His supporting cast is missing, but McCarthy will be the man, following in the footsteps of his dad and brother, both named Joe, that starred in football before taking the baseball route in college.


text:
Tina Fey on David Letterman - 5/7/2015 - Full Interview
Tina Fey on tonights show of todays aired episode of 5/7/2015 here on the show wishes Dave's last month with a surprising gift!...
- published: 08 May 2015
- views: 275
Mary Tyler Moore turned the world on with her smile. Tina Fey turned the world on with her "Blerg!" "Dorp!" "Nerds!" and other off-kilter utterances as Liz Lemon on "30 Rock." That farcical NBC comedy about a late-night sketch show, echoing...
Stars and Stripes 2014-03-29"Rise of the Guardians"
Tina Fey and her pal Amy Poehler hosted the Golden Globes on Sunday night and are the subject of a CNN special, "Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: First Ladies of Comedy." Here's a...CNN 2014-01-13
Tina Fey and her pal Amy Poehler will host the Golden Globes Sunday night and are the subject of a CNN special, "Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: First Ladies of Comedy" which...CNN 2014-01-10
Tina Fey is revealing all in the last Ask Tina video for NBC.com. Above, Fey answers some difficult questions like, "Why is '30 Rock' ending?" and whether or not she ever...Huffington Post 2013-01-30
The Independent
Like World News?
Tina Fey in "The Muppets" sequel? It could happen. Tina Fey has landed her first post-"30 Rock" job. According to THR, the actress is negotiating to co-star in the "Muppets" sequel. Fey will play a "Russian gulag prison guard," because of course she will. Fey, an accomplished author, screenwriter and Emmy-winning television star, hasn't featured in a lot of films over the...Huffington Post 2013-01-09
Tina Fey and her pal Amy Poehler will host the Golden Globes Sunday night and are the subject of a CNN special, "Tina Fey and Amy Poehler: First Ladies of Comedy" which will premiere at 10 p.m. EST Friday and air again over the weekend. Here's a look back at their friendship over the years: The women of "Saturday Night Live" -- from left, Tina Fey, Rachel Dratch, Amy Poehler,...CNN 2014-01-10
Golden Globes hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler decided to take the hosting gig because ... "it's a kind of very sloppy, loud party, and that seemed like our kind of thing," Fey says in the video below. The Golden Globes honor both film and TV, and Poehler says...Huffington Post 2013-01-03
Tina Fey can roll her eyes with the best of them, even when standing next to Kermit the Frog. Thanks to musician Gavin Thomas, the first unofficial look at Fey in "The Muppets ... Again!" has arrived online. In the highly anticipated sequel, Fey plays a Russian prison guard. "I actually play a Russian good guy, kind of. Who knows?" Fey told HuffPost Entertainment in a recent...Huffington Post 2013-03-19
Fox has ordered a new untitled comedy from Tina Fey straight to series, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The multicamera comedy is set in a women's college that is opening its doors to male students for the first time, and hails from Fey and fellow "30 Rock" executive producers Matt Hubbard and Robert Carlock. Hubbard is set to write the...Huffington Post 2013-08-16
Tina Fey axed nude scenes in new movie. Tina Fey's role in "Admission" marks a departure from her portrayal of Liz Lemon on "30 Rock" -- she says "f--k" during one of the film's more dramatic moments -- but Fey says she drew the line at appearing naked onscreen. "The first meeting I had with [director] Paul Weitz and [screenwriter] Karen Croner, we talked a little about the...Huffington Post 2013-03-20
Tina Fey paid homage to Farrah Fawcett when she hosted the "SNL" Season 39 premiere on Saturday, Sept. 28. In one of the promo images used to introduce the show, Fey struck...Huffington Post 2013-09-29
Elizabeth Stamatina "Tina" Fey ( /ˈfeɪ/; born May 18, 1970) is an American actress, comedian, writer and producer, known for her work on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live (SNL), the NBC comedy series 30 Rock, and films such as Mean Girls (2004) and Baby Mama (2008).
Fey first broke into comedy as a featured player in the Chicago-based improvisational comedy group The Second City. She then joined SNL as a writer, later becoming head writer and a performer, known for her position as co-anchor in the Weekend Update segment. In 2004 she adapted the screenplay Mean Girls in which she also co-starred. After leaving SNL in 2006, she created the television series 30 Rock, a situation comedy loosely based on her experiences at SNL. In the series, Fey portrays the head writer of a fictional sketch comedy series. In 2008, she starred in the comedy film Baby Mama, alongside former SNL co-star Amy Poehler. Fey next appeared in the 2010 comedy films Date Night and Megamind.
She has received seven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, four Writers Guild of America Awards and has been nominated for a Grammy Award for her autobiographical book Bossypants, which topped the The New York Times Best Seller list for five weeks. She was singled out as the performer who had the greatest impact on culture and entertainment in 2008 by the Associated Press, which gave her its AP Entertainer of the Year award for her satirical portrayal of Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin in a guest appearance on SNL. In 2010, Fey was the recipient of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, the youngest-ever winner of the award.


text:
Blog Listing
- @Number71
- A Dribble Of Ink
- A Fantasy Reader
- Adventures In Reading
- Bastard Books
- Beauty In Ruins
- Bibliophile Stalker
- Big Dumb Object
- Bitten By Books
- Boing Boing
- Book Country
- Bookworm Blues
- Caleigh's Blog
- Charlotte's Library
- Cheryl's Mewsings
- Civilian Reader
- Critical Mass
- Curated Fantasy Books
- Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
- Dragons, Heroes and Wizards
- Dreams & Speculation
- Drying Ink
- Edi's Book Lighthouse
- Epic Fantasy Rocks! Forum
- Everything is Nice
- Falcata Times
- Fantasy & SciFi Lovin' News & Reviews
- Fantasy Book News
- Fantasy Cafe
- Fantasy Literature
- Far Beyond Reality
- Feminist SF
- Free SF Reader
- GalleyCat
- Gav Reads
- Genre Reader
- GoodKindles
- Graeme's SFF
- Grasping For The Wind
- Greg Hamerton
- Grimdark Reader
- Hellnotes
- Hero Complex
- Horror Reanimated
- HorrorScope
- Jeff VanderMeer
- King of the Nerds
- Layers of Thought
- Mentajack
- Mithril Wisdom
- Myrmidon Books
- Mysterious Outposts
- Neth Space
- Old Bat's Belfry
- Omnivoracious
- Only The Best Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Pat's Fantasy Hotlist
- Pyr-O-Mania
- Realms of Speculative Fiction
- Rob's Blog O' Stuff
- SFFWorld
- Sci Fi Songs
- SciFiChick.com
- SciFiGuy
- Smorgasbord Fantasia
- Speculative Book Review
- Speculative Fiction Junkie
- Stainless Steel Droppings
- Stomping On Yeti
- Suvudu
- Tez Says
- The Agony Column
- The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.
- The Bibliosanctum
- The Book Smugglers
- The Fantasy Bookshelf
- The Green Man Review
- The Mad Hatter's Bookshelf & Book Review
- The Nocturnal Library
- The OF Blog
- The Overlook Press
- The Ranting Dragon
- The Speculative Scotsman
- The Stamp (of Approval)
- The Vinciolo Journal
- The Wertzone
- The World in the Satin Blog
- Tip the Wink
- Tor.com
- Upcoming4.me
- Val's Random Comments
- Variety SF
- Vast and Cool and Unsympathetic
- Voyager Books
- Walker of Worlds
- Whatever
- When Gravity Fails
- Zeno Agency
- io9
Blog Archive
- ► 2014 (155)
- ► 2013 (260)
- The Curse Of Troius by Alan Edwards (Reviewed by M...
- GUEST POST: Cross-Genre Writing (Or, Attack of the...
- "The Hydrogen Sonata" by Iain M. Banks (Reviewed b...
- Spotlight on Three Independent Titles: Elizabeth H...
- Mini-Interview with Kevin Hearne (Interviewed by M...
- Spotlight on an Unexpectedly Superb 2013 Title: Th...
- Interview with Rachel Aaron (Interviewed by Mihir ...
- The 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Final Round Novem...
- Trapped by Kevin Hearne (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo...
- Interview with Christian Cameron about the Tom Swa...
- The Black God's War by Moses Siregar (Reviewed by ...
- Spotlight on Three Tor 2013 Titles: Marie Brennan,...
- "The Red Knight" by Miles Cameron (Reviewed by Liv...
- The 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards Semifinal Round N...
- Three Dissapointing Books: Juli Zeh, Kennedy Hudne...
- Short Story Review: City Of Screams, Extraction an...
- "The Red Knight" by K.T. Davies (Reviewed by Liviu...
- Spotlight On Three More 2013 Titles, Jean-Marie Bl...
- The King's Assassin by Stephen Deas (Reviewed by L...
- Spirit's End by Rachel Aaron (Reviewed by Mihir Wa...
- "Anomaly" by Skip Brittenham & Brian Haberlin (Rev...
- Spotlight on the Three Major Fantasy Series Debuts...
- SERIES NEWS: The Jesse James Dawson Series by K.A....
- Spotlight on "The Sigil Trilogy" by Henry Gee (wit...
- ▼ November (24)
- ► 2011 (317)
- ► 2010 (346)
- ► 2009 (466)
- ► 2008 (376)
"The Hydrogen Sonata" by Iain M. Banks (Reviewed by Liviu Suciu)
The first three Culture books, Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons and The Player of Games are the three best sf novels ever, with Use of Weapons being first sff on my all time favorite list at number 7. I have read each of them ten+ times across the years and they are as fresh as ever even today.
3 comments:
- Blue Gargantua said...
The book was very good and I did enjoy it, but I was annoyed by the fact that the Gzilt were supposed to be "tech equivalent" to the Culture but from page 1 the Culture was always one step ahead. At no point did the Gzlit seem to be any challenge for the Culture.
On the other hand, one of the Scavenger races (quite low-tech compared to the Culture) scores an impressive victory against the Culture (under special circumstances and it's a victory they'll probably regret). It really undermined all the talk about how powerful the Gzilt were. Just once it'd be nice for the Culture to face some real competition.
- November 28, 2012 at 10:25 AM
- Liviu said...
I agree with this, though the point that the Culture is sort of "first among equals" in the Galaxy is subtly made a few times in the last few books from Matter on.
As for challenge, who knows something extra galactic like a hegemonic swarm from nowhere could appear, though I think IMB said that he wants to keep writing "life goes on" sort of stories in the Culture universe rather than universe changing events
- November 28, 2012 at 11:04 AM
I'm not all the way through this book yet and I find myself kinda annoyed.
Mr. Banks is certainly a powerful and imaginative writer. But he's certainly enamoured of his own prose and this tendency seems to be getting more pronounced as he ages.
Really, there are large blocks of text that could be excised with no effect on the plot. This would also benefit the environment as less paper would have been consumed to print this doorstop.
- March 26, 2013 at 11:24 PM
FBC Info
Order HERE


text:
G20 Summit begins as Greek debt crisis continues
CANNES, France (AP) — European leaders' long-delayed admission that a break-up of their cherished common currency was a distinct possibility is overshadowing a two-day meeting of the world's largest and fastest growing economies beginning Thursday in this Cote d'Azur resort.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy is welcoming Barack Obama of the U.S., Hu Jintao of China as well as the leaders of India, Brazil, Russia and the other members of the Group of 20 leading world economies in the city made famous by its annual film festival, but the event is far from the star turn the unpopular French leader had hoped to make six months before he faces a tough re-election vote.
European leaders are holding another round of emergency meetings Thursday morning about Greece, this time including officials from Spain and Italy — two major eurozone members whose debts have rattled markets and who are seen as too big for Europe to bail out.
All attention is on what Greek voters will say in a referendum early next month on a sweeping European bailout plan. Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted in a late night press conference Thursday that they see the vote as a Greek choice between staying in the 17-member club of countries that use the euro or getting out.
A "no" vote could be devastating. It could lead to a disorderly Greek default, topple fragile European banks and send the global economy back into recession — and would threaten the cornerstone of European unity and decades of work toward integration on a continent wracked by centuries of war.
Sarkozy and other top EU officials have long held that it was unthinkable for Greece to quit the euro because it would be, Sarkozy has said, "a failure of Europe."
But in a late-night press conference with German chancellor Angela Merkel Wednesday, the leaders signaled for the first time that Greece's exit from the euro was indeed possible.
Saying that Europe had "done everything we could" to keep Greece in the eurozone, Sarkozy said "now it is up to them to decide if they want to stay in the euro with us."
That shift was prompted by the shock decision of Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou to call a controversial referendum on his country's $130 billion European bailout plan in early December that caught European leaders completely off guard and scrambling for a response.
Would you like to contribute to this story? Join the discussion.


text:
Fire kills 1, injures 2 firefightersUPDATED 7:56 AM EDT Sep 17, 2012
Baltimore City firefighters battle a fast-moving fire in which one man was killed and two firefighters were injured early Sunday morning. Kim Dacey reports.
More Video
CommentsThe views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
Punta del Este Airport Car Rental
|Ruta 93 km 113
|20100 Punta del Este UY +598-42-558944
|GDS - Code:
|Mo. - Su.
|09:00 - 18:00
|Bank holiday
|09:00 - 18:00
|24 h pickup
24 h return
Welcome to Punta del Este Airport Sixt rent a car
Sixt Car Rental at Punta-Del-Este airport, Uruguay
Car rental at Punta-Del-Este airport will give visitors to the city more freedom and the ability to come and go at will. The airport is some distance from Punta-Del-Este city, so having car rental will make it easier and quicker to get to a desired hotel. Car Rental with Sixt at Punta-Del-Este airport makes it possible to rent a cheap car and they have superb car rental options. This includes, economy cars, sports cars, convertibles, SUVs and minivans. Sixt also performs excellently at the car rental price comparison websites.
Punta-Del-Este airport
Punta-Del-Este Airport is officially known as Capitan Corbeta CA Curbelo International Airport (PDP). It is the closest airport to the city of Punta-Del-Este in Uruguay. The airport has flights from many US, South American and European destinations. Sixt have offices where visitors can rent a car at all of the terminals at the airport. Car rental can be arranged upon arrival or online before flying.
Rent a car and see more of Punta-Del-Este
Punta-Del-Este has many attractions for visitors and visitors can see them all if they rent a car at the airport. Attractions include, the beautiful white sand beaches with stunning sunsets, famous art galleries, museums, and spectacular architecture. The city also has a beautiful port and one of the largest seal colonies in the world. Renting a city car is the perfect way to get around Punta-Del-Este, and visitors will be able to nip around city with ease when they rent a car. Punta-Del-Este is situated in a beautiful part of Uruguay too. There are historical sites, interesting towns and national parks to visit during a road trip using car rental.
( Branch Manager )
Location details
Opening Hours
|Mo. - Su.
|09:00 - 18:00
|Bank holiday
|09:00 - 18:00
Contacts / Lost & Found
SIXT # Punta del Este Airport PDP
|Ruta 93 km 113
|20100 Punta del Este
|Phone no.
Location plan - how to find us
The Sixt branch is located in the arrival hall.
Please park the Sixt vehicle in any available space and return the key to the Sixt office in the terminal building
Outside open hours - pick-up & return
Pick-up out of opening hours is possible for an additional charge. Please provide credit card, e-mail-adress, flight and mobile number.Out of hour return possible.
Return out of opening hours is possible for an additional charge. Please provide e-mail-adress, flight and mobile number.
Categories and services at this location
- Compact Cars & Sedans
- 4x4 / SUV
- Truck
- 24 h pickup
- 24 h return
- Other Sixt countries: Germany Switzerland Austria UK France Spain Netherlands Denmark


text:
Attention TV/radio announcers:
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:
Here is an item of interest to swimmers.
The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (August 13) that due to big waves and inclement weather, red flags have been hoisted at Deep Water Bay Beach and Repulse Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
Ends/Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Issued at HKT 12:09


text:
Ankola (Kannada: ಅಂಕೋಲಾ) which is a Taluk (an administrative subdivision) is in Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka state, India. A small town by any standard surrounded by numerous temples. The main language spoken here is Kannada, and a dialect of Konkani that is unique to Uttara Kannada. Ankola is famous for its native breed of mango called ishaad.
Annual mela called 'Bandihabba' is celebrated on Buddha Poornima in the month of May. This is an important festival to be celebrated for 9 days. On 9th day the mela is conducted near Shantadurga temple and people from around the town and village will throng to temple and celebrate it. Another big festival called 'Vana ratri' is celebrated during November when five temple deities will be out of Ankola town on Palakki for a night stay and will return next morning. The entire town celebrates this town with fire works.
Mansoon is vigorous in this part and no major festivities are conducted during this season other than Ganesh Chaturthi.


text:
August 30, 2007
Faculty Works Featured in Whitworth Art Exhibit, "In House," Sept. 17-Oct. 25
Members of the Whitworth University art faculty practice what they teach. Their works are featured in juried and invitational exhibits nationally and internationally, and are housed in corporate and private collections. Faculty members serve as visiting artists and artists-in-residence in the U.S. and abroad, and are active leaders in the Spokane arts community. They receive grants, win awards, and inspire their Whitworth students to pursue professional art careers.
Works by Whitworth's art faculty will be displayed in the university's 2007-08 opening exhibit, "In House." The exhibit will run Sept. 17-Oct. 25 in the Fine Arts Gallery, located in the Fine Arts Building at Whitworth. Gallery hours are Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Admission is free. An opening reception will be held Tuesday, Sept. 18, from 5-7 p.m. in the Fine Arts Building lobby. A Q&A session with the art faculty will take place at 7 p.m. in the Koehler Gallery, also located in the Fine Arts Building. For more information, please call (509) 777-3258.
"In House" will feature works by associate professors of art Gordon Wilson and Scott Kolbo; professors emeriti Barbara Filo, Pauline Haas and Walter "Spike" Grosvenor; visiting artist Chris Baskin; and lecturers and adjunct instructors including Lance Sinnema, Erin Wenz, Carl Stejer, Stephen Rue, Bradd Skubinna and Meagan Stirling.
The exhibited works will showcase media including handmade books, sculpture, ceramics, painting, printmaking, and graphic design.
Located in Spokane, Wash., Whitworth is a private, liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). The university, which has an enrollment of 2,500 students, offers 53 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.
Meagan Stirling, Whitworth gallery director and art lecturer, Whitworth University (509) 777-4564 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Julie Riddle, public information officer, Whitworth University (509) 777-3729 or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Related Links:
Art Home Page > Department Spotlight >


text:
March 15, 1925-May 7, 2011
William H. Penrod, 86, of Monroe died at 5:02 a.m. Saturday at Mercy Memorial Hospital. He had been in poor health for one year.
Friends may call from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Rupp Funeral Home, where funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Tuesday. Rev. Roy Southerland, pastor of Monroe Missionary Baptist Church will officiate. Burial will be at Roselawn Memorial Park, LaSalle, with military honors by VFW Post 1138 Monroe.
Born March 15, 1925 in South Bend, Indiana, he was the son of Lyle John and Helen H. (Case) Penrod. He married Doris J. Churchill on August 21, 1948 in Monroe.
William was employed by the Monroe County Drain Commission as a Foreman, retiring in 1989.
He served in the U.S. Army during World War II from June 21, 1943 to April 8, 1946 and was a Staff Sergeant.
He played the bass trombone in several area bands, including the Monroe County Community College Band, Monroe Big Band and the Big Band Express. He was an amateur radio operator "WB8ULF" and a carpenter.
Surviving are his wife Doris; his children Patricia A. (Ronald) Hines of Kansas City, Kansas; Linda S. Penrod of Monroe; David W. (Linda) Penrod of Toledo; Charles S. (Sandra) Penrod of Monroe; Helen L. Lewis of Monroe; Sandra M. (Marvin) Hardy of Newberry, Michigan and Paula M. Ivey of Monroe; twenty-nine grandchildren; seventy-two great-grandchildren and fourteen great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by an infant son, Ricky Lee Penrod, and two infant great-granddaughters, Lisha Barton and Marissa Penrod, and a sister, Mary Johnson.
Memorials may be made to the charity of the donor's choice. Online condolences may be sent through www.ruppfuneralhomeinc.com.


text:
Skip Navigation
Understanding your body
Your reproductive health
Getting your period
Getting enough sleep
Looking and feeling your best
Fighting Germs
Your sexuality
Getting help with your health
Links to more information
girlshealth.gov glossary
girlshealth.gov home
The flu can make someone feel pretty miserable for up to a week, but it usually won't need medical treatment unless a person develops complications.
Some people are at high risk for serious complications if they get the flu, including children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, people with asthma, and those with weakened immune systems. If they get the flu and their symptoms are reported within the first 2 days of the illness, a doctor might prescribe an antiviral medicine. But these medicines usually only shorten the course of the infection by 1 or 2 days.
If your doctor prescribes medicine to ease symptoms, be sure to call the pharmacist before you go to pick it up. The flu can strongly affect many areas of the United States, so some pharmacies might have trouble keeping the medicines in stock.
Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD
Date reviewed: September 2014
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
© 1995-
About this siteMission StatementPrivacy PolicyFor the MediaContact Us
This site is owned and maintained by the Office on Women's Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Healthat the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
USA.gov | FindYouthInfo.gov


text:
Temporary Price Drop
Sale Price
$66.60 -
List Price: $213.99
Was: - (Save )
Ends: Today at ET!
You save 69%
HN-CRYS499 Crystorama
Crystorama 521-R-GA Palla Wall Sconce - 5W in.Item # HN-CRYS499
Roll over to zoom
Click for full screen
- Dimensions: 5W x 3.75D x 16H inches
- Contemporary style
- Wall sconce
- Antique gold-leaf finish
Full Description
Shipping Info
About This Brand
Guarantee & Returns
Similar Wall Sconces
Golden Lighting Duncan 3602-1W Wall Sconce
Golden Lighting Accurian 7158-BA1 Wall Sconce
Jeffan Valentti Half Round Wall Lamp
Feiss Boulevard Sconce - 4.25W in. Oil Rubbed Bronze
Stilnovo AJ Wall Sconce - 13.13W in.
$180.00 - $214.00
Feiss WB1446HTBZ/PGD Remy Wall Bracket - 8W in. Heritage Bronze
Customer Reviews
Earn up to $3 in My Reward points
for reviewing this product when you join My Hayneedle Rewards
Write a review
200 points for each review = $2
300 points for reviews including an image or video = $3 Learn More
for reviewing this product when you join My Hayneedle Rewards
Write a review
200 points for each review = $2
300 points for reviews including an image or video = $3 Learn More
Customer Q & A
Be the first to ask a question about this product.
Enter your question, and one of our Customer Care experts will respond via email and also post the answer here.
Ask a Question
Email Address
Please Enter
Your Valid Email
Your Valid Email
Your Question
Please Enter
Your Question
Your Question
Sponsored Links
Crystorama 521-R-GA Palla Wall Sconce - 5W in.
About Crystorama, Inc.With more than 40 years of experience, Brooklyn-based Crystorama Lighting has a worldwide reputation for premium-quality products and professional service. This family-owned company was founded in 1958 by Abraham Kleinberg. Originally dedicated to importing Bohemian chandeliers, Crystorama now sources out the best quality crystal worldwide. These superior crystal, brass, and wrought iron chandeliers carry on a rich tradition of craftsmanship and authenticity.


text:
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm - Art Panel: New Zones
Get a taste of some of the new zones of Cataclysm in this video from the WOW Art Panel at BlizzCon 2009.
by Gamespot Staff on
Did you enjoy this video?Sign In to Upvote
Reminds me of one of the cities from pain killer.
I have reactivated my WoW account after hearing about Cataclysm. WotLK is a great expansion, if you disregard the fu**ed up pvp and I am having the time of my life. It is time for a graphic overhaul of Kalimdor & Durotar. Cataclysm seems like a solid way to make this fit into the World - I can't wait to see it :)
I hate WOW because I still havn't even gotten a 60! I start playing for a month, get bored, deactivate ym account, then 2 months later, i have the most uncontrollable urge to play it again with a new character, must have 6 lvl 30s and 40s....
World of Warcraft Vanilla 6 million players Burning Crusade 9 million Wrath of the Lich King 12 million Cataclysm 16 million (aprox) Sounds like they're doing fine to me.
@Muffin_Monster2 Destroying the lore? You're an idiot. Because lore progression is destruction in many minds. Also, Diablo three surpassing WoW? I'd like to know where you got these statistics. And yeah, blizzard isn't gonna scrap a game with ~11 mil subscribers, have fun with your life.
[This message was deleted at the request of a moderator or administrator]
Thx Muffin for proving that you lack of every possible business knowledge, and thx again to at the same time talk about how people are retards to play the game and pronounce yourself on the gamelore. You're a true asset to this comment section and plz keep posting it's always fun to read that some low minded kid that only make his opinion from game sites feels sorry for wow players. Now go grab a business book and find out why blizz is not dropping wow ... poor kid.
i bought WoW but it didnt work on my pc then i installed it on my laptop but there were too many updates and i waited for about3 hours when i just quit.i feel so sad and want to buy it again.but that will never happen though.im sticking to ps3
I just wanna say that anyone who is gonna buy this game or is playing WoW to this day, ur retarded, and i feel srry for u. With this expansion they r completely ruining the Warcraft lore, its extremely disappointing, whats even more disappointing is they r pushing back Diablo 3 till 2011, and on almost EVERY SINGLE GAMING SITE Diablo 3 is greatly surpassing WoW, so imo, Blizzard should just scrap WoW completely
i dont hate :Pi walk away \(^_^)/
@inalusi i like your idea now i am really going to keep playing. Can't wait to meet satan...i hope he has a big place..maybe i will finally get that tan i have always wanted????
great game cant waitto kick some online ass, ,if u like it get if u dont dont hate just walk away!!!
blizzard is tool of darkness !!! blizzard employees are full of the devil !!! if you dont quit this gane you will burn in hell and play in satan game( x_x ) remember evil is real O_O
I hate this game. Delaying Diablo 3
billaboy69 WoW dosent charge for its updates where did u come up with that?????
stfu worgen everyone knows wow releases a expansion every 2 yrs
this expansion looks like its gonna help wow to become less boring, im glad they are gonna change most of the game, its been a while
when blizzard decide to make better wow graphics i might start playing again...but as i concern they 'll never do that...wow got so boring...
LOTRO is superior to graphics of WoW.but people say that WOW is the MMORPG to go with.LOTRO is great.dont go by gamespots reviews of the game made a few YEARS ago.LOTRO has updated,changed,and had basically turned the game into a 9. something with the addition of moria ,which is just inceredible by itself,and the TON of free updates over the years as opposed to WOW that charges with its updates.And im not talking small updates with LOTRO.Im talking HUGE area maps to the game..Thats whats great about these games.For intstance.The Shire.completely redone.the designers can keep going back over and over to make areas already made better and better.I highly enjoy the LOTRO.any fan of the lotr genre will enjoy its MMORPG.....when i first considered choosing between WOW and LOTRO..the only thing that won me over to LOTRO online was the graphics.Even those have had upgrades over the years.with directx10.....the game is ABSOLUTELY beautiful at high settings.Adventuring alone ALONE,is a joy in itself.Not putting down WOW,after all,ive never played it,but highly recommend LOTRO if ur through with WOW.
lol, looks like complete crap. I quit wow about 2 weeks ago and I'm glad I did. its obvious blizz is running out of ideas...
WoW..... or as i like to refer to it now after a year and a half of play.... "The carrot on a stick"..... picture this.... you (the WoW player) are the Mount.... Blizz is the rider of that mount (you).... the carrot on the stick is WoW.... every time you do something that you think is really cool ( armor up grades/kill a boss etc.) ..... they ripe it away to make it worth less with a X-pac....i guess they will always have a ride in to town, on the backs of the people to stupid to see what is happening to them... Please WoW player ask your self "Is this game fun enough to be worth $180 a year".... then stop the control they have over you... then we can move on to stop-ing the trilaterale commission, the console on forein relations, the buildiburger group , the illuminati, the federal reserve, and every other group that exerts control over yours and my lives with out you even knowing it.
why do you even bother posting, really if you dont have anything nice to say dont say anything at all
graphics are just rubish, the story lines sounds crap and why have alliance got werewolves???? warhammer looks better and plays better forget about this game, its just a bunch of fat guys pretending there cool in the mothers basement
nooooo i cant play this game again...noooooooo... wht ever ill play it for a while :P
wow wow wow , this is going to be the catalyst of my gaming impulses.
looks awsome cant wait for it
no no no no
entiendo a todos pero solo espero que no se trate de vender "cantidad" por "calidad". Si mas adelante agregan a los murlocs para la horda y a los hombres morsa de Northrend como nuevas razas, me habre dado cuenta que Blizzard llego a una "pared" en WoW. y deben de pensarlo de otra manera.
come on people who play wow this expansion should be more fun than old azeroth. blizzard doing big step in warcraft storyline, i think that this expansion will change game for good.
[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]
I love the art style of World of Warcraft.
"though this realy looks awesome" hehe - rofl. this graphics is really not state of the art - and it really doesnt look awesome. ever seen other mmorpgs? but what should they do - they cant break change to actual graphic-standards because of the original graphics - they would loose lots of players
@jmaxdeathscythe are they raising the amount of money we need to pay every month? they dont need that much money! they got to much!
kinda funny that they announce this patch before even releasing "The Lich King"... though this realy looks awesome
$15 may seem a little steep, and I'll agree, I don't ENJOY paying it. But when you think about the fact that this will be the third expansion coming out at a biannual pace, and that they update the game weekly, they have a decent number of people constantly monitoring this game. Someone's gotta get paid and someone higher up has to make money
I think the ideas blizzard has been spawning most recently have been less than satisfactory, at least in my on little world. I believe that the other three WoW titles were perfectly fine, but this cataclysm "thing" seems too much for me, what if I like the old azeroth? Goblins and Worgens as playable races!?! Gay...Deathwing? Sweet. But, it seems that blizzard has run dry with ideas to keep the WoW audience satiated, so now they must turn to exotic ideas that may not be the best for their industry. But these are all my own speculations.
ace070590 If you liked the game keep in mind that you have to get the first two expansions and the original game if you want to play this one.
You know, I've never purchased WOW, but I recently tried the 10-day trial and I must say that I did enjoy the game a lot... and after seeing this expansion pack the game keeps on sparking my curiosity. I am just confused, however, on why exactly you have to pay $15 a month to play this game . . . I know Blizzard is just trying to make money and the game is very intricate, etc, but $15 a month for one game seems a little steep (I am not trying to down the game in any way). As of now, I have Xbox Live ($50 a year) with some good games that have kept me entertained. So I guess you could say that I do want to get WOW, but at the same time, for a more inexpensive price, I am content with my Xbox 360. It is a weird situation but hopefully what I said makes sense...
having to buy the game and the expansions and paying a 15 dollor membership fee every month i should expect the best game ever which it surely is not
This game is a joke.These rich fools havent done anything new in 9 years.
i get a feel of the forsaken and the viking guys in woltk vibe from this art style for the worgen
The music is great don't complain its not like you have a choice on what the ingame music sounds like... you could always mute it and play your own music.
WC2 >> WC3 music. They should've gone with that instead.
going to be great
has the same atmosphere of the forsaken start place very nice all in all
yes! warcraft III music! WoW never matched that level of musical genius.


text:
Fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni, shown here at the Missoni Loves Leaves cocktail party during the Milan Design Week in Milan, Italy this past April, is missing after his plane vanished off the coast of Venezuela over the weekend. Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
Authorities have launched an air and sea search for fashion mogul Vittorio Missoni, who went missing along with his wife and several others, after their private plane disappeared off the coast of Venezuela late Friday.
The 58-year-old executive for the Missoni fashion house left the remote Los Roques archipelago on Friday on a twin-engine plane bound for Caracas, Venezuela with his wife, two friends and two pilots. The plane vanished into the Caribbean 30 minutes after takeoff, according to ABC News.
A Venezuelan pilot told the Italian newspaper La Stampa earlier today that he saw the plane entering "an aggregation of clouds," and that it "may have been hit by a bolt of lighting," Women's Wear Daily reports. The report also identified the two passengers on the missing plane as entrepreneur Guido Foresti and his wife, Elda Scalvenzi.
Here's what it says about the incident on Missoni's website: "The Missoni company today confirms that Vittorio Missoni and his wife are missing in Venezuela. The small plane they were traveling on has disappeared. This is all the information currently available. We are relying on the work of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all the institutions involved, to whom we are grateful for the prompt activities in the research."
Led by Vittorio's son and his niece, a hash tag #findvittoriomissoni has been started on Twitter.
Missoni is known for turning the Italian label—known for its signature zig-zag print—into a global brand and for moving the brand into Asia. While Missoni is favored by stars including Kate Moss and Sofia Vergara (click on slideshow image above), collaborations like one in 2011 with Target (NYSE: TGT) have given the luxury label greater prominence among the masses. Running the company with siblings Luca and Angela, Vittorio Missoni has expanded the breadth of the brand's products into diverse areas such as hotels, housewares, and bicycles.
Luca Missoni is reportedly en route to Venezuela to monitor the search effort, while 91-year-old patriarch Ottavio Missoni, who founded the company with his wife Rosita, remains in Italy with family.
After getting an MA in journalism from Syracuse University, Teresa worked as a general assignment newspaper reporter—general on purpose because besides the usual city hall and police articles, there was the chance to fly an F-18 with the Blue Angels and tag along with bounty hunters on a stakeout—all good preparation for covering entrepreneurs.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
Sign up to receive Upstart Business Journal's free daily email newsletter, weekend edition and breaking news alerts.


text:
Ford Racing Mustang Cylinder Heads
Sorting The Cylinder Heads That Make Big Steam On Race-Specific, Small-Block Ford Engines
As we noted in the second stanza of this series ("Best of Both Worlds;" Jan, '10, p. 70), the term "racing" is somewhat global, with respect to the ways in which Mustangs are modified for and used in various types of motorsport competition. However, despite Mustangs' versatility-especially those equipped with the pushrod engines-drag racing is arguably recognized as the number one form of competition for daily driven and purpose-built Ponies.
Major differences are easily recognized when comparing hard-core racing cylinder heads to their streetborne siblings. Racing heads feature larger and more-elaborate, CNC-ported combustion chambers, and (exhaust) ports that are considerably raised to give air a smoother, straighter exit from the cylinder. They also feature thicker deck surfaces for flat and angle milling (to increase compression), and some have canted valves, which set them far apart from conventional heads.
While some of the street-and-track heads mentioned earlier can contribute to 1,000 rwhp, the big dogs that are included in this report all are capable of helping a Ford small-block engine produce power that is deep into the quadruple-digits with a power adder. Pricing for race-specific cylinder heads typically starts at $1,100 each-in some cases-for just the bare castings alone.
From a cost perspective, the heads being featured in this story are far beyond the needs and affordability of our core group of readers who own daily driven street 'Stangs. However, in the spirit of "equal time" for all of the categories of usage for which cylinder heads are made, we're closing out our series with the bad dudes that are detailed in the following photos and captions.
Air Flow Research
AFR's 225 cylinder heads (PN 1451; 58cc chamber and PN 1456; 72cc chamber; $2,019), are the next (and final) level in the company's small-block Ford head lineup. They share many traits of the 205s that the 350ci bullet in our '86 T-top coupe uses to generate 866 rear-wheel horses (stay tuned for an upcoming report on reaching that new power plateau). The larger heads are 100-percent CNC-ported and flow gobs (intake flow measures 324 cfm at 0.700-inch lift) of air across 2.08 (intake) and 1.600 (exhaust) valves. The 225s are recommended for 347-to-427 stroker engines that turn as much as 8,500 rpm. One important spec to note is that exhaust ports are seriously raised, to 0.375-inch taller than a factory head, which makes them as race-specific as it gets, in the grand scheme of things.
We bet almost everyone competing in the NMRA's Super Street Outlaw class already knows what Brodix Neal heads are. They're the canted-valve, raw-dog heads found on many Super Street Outlaw and Outlaw 10.5 engines. Yes, those castings make tremendous steam. However, Brodix also offers a little-known fully CNC-ported race castings for the classes that require conventional heads. While we couldn't confirm their NMRA legality, Brodix's Track 1 Fs (PN STS T1 F STD 214/214cc; 68cc chamber; 2.08-inch intake valve/PN STS T1 F STD 225/225cc; 68cc chamber; 2.10-inch intake valve; $2,744.38) appear to be suited for EFI Renegade-type engines. With intake flow of 334 cfm at 700-inch lift (for the 225s) and exhaust ports that are raised 0.500-inch from the factory big-cube, Windsor-based engines that spin to 8 grand are the type of engines that these Track 1s thrive on.
We used images of fully assembled Dart Pro-1 CNC cylinder heads and their bare castings (PN 13072143; 62cc chamber; 2.08-inch intake valve; with 1.550 [OD] double valvesprings, $2,910.70) to lead off our first two stories in this series, and they sit atop a complete Dart 347 long-block that we'll be telling you more about in a future issue. Pro-1 CNCs feature 225cc intake ports (2.150x1.300-inch) that flow 325 cfm at 0.700-inch lift, and equally as large, raised (0.135-inch) exhaust ports that flow 235 cfm.


text:
For Media Inquiries, please send a message using the form below. Any support requests made through the form will not reach our customer service department.
* indicates required field
Vice President of Communications,Power Tools
Director of Marketing,Power Tools
Marketing Manager,Outdoor Products
Social Media Marketing Manager, Outdoor Products
Forgot your password? Click here.
Don't have a RYOBI Account? Sign Up Now.


text:
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
At last...a breather
The new shows coincided with the Kansas State Fair. I had the pleasure of talking to a number of folks on Friday and more on Sunday during my two visits to Hutch. As you can imagine, we had plenty of questions about this summer's heat and drought. I think a few folks were a little concerned that they would miss out on this weekend's rains but we were definitely happy with some of the reports received. Hopefully you had some decent rain in your neighborhood.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by! And if you didn't see Millie, there's always next year!
Sunday, September 11, 2011
I was heading to Hutchinson
That's the answer to "Where Were You?", a theme I've heard many times in this past week, leading up to today's 10th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
The day started in rather ordinary fashion. I had slept in a little bit that morning, just coming off the early shift the previous day. I was working at Channel 3 at the time and had turned on the TV expecting to see Mark (Bogner's) forecast. I was scheduled to appear at the State Fair later in the morning, so I wanted to see what updates Mark made to our forecast.
Out of the commercial followed several seconds of black on the TV. My first thought was there must be some kind of technical issue at work. Just as I finished that thought, an image of the burning North Tower of the World Trade Center appeared on the screen. I listened to NBC's coverage thinking, "how the heck could a plane hit that building? No clouds, no fog...it's a picture-perfect, clear blue day."
I continued to watch, not knowing the shock set to unfold just minutes later. As the second plane hit the South Tower, I was flabbergasted. I called my girlfriend (who is now my wife), yelling "What the hell is going on!?!"
"It's got to be terrorists," she responded.
Despite everything unfolding in New York and Washington D.C, I still had to prepare for my trip. I showered, dressed and jumped in the truck, headed up K-96. KFDI was carrying the live TV broadcast of ABC News, and I was glued to the coverage. I don't recall exactly where I was on the "State Fair Freeway", when the South Tower collapsed. But I listened as Peter Jennings narrated a replay of the event: "This is what it looked like moments ago….(about 4 seconds of silence)..My God…." Not seeing the event for myself though, I couldn't believe what he was saying. A building that big fell? I called Mark who obviously had a TV on in the office. "It collapsed?" I inquired. "Yeah," was his simple reply.
Upon reaching the Fair, I helped a couple of gentlemen lower the flags to half-staff near our booth. Needless to say, people weren't in much of a mood for chit-chat. They wanted news from the East Coast.
It didn't take long before the decision was made to head back early to work. Before I left the Fairgrounds, I joined a huge gathering of people around a TV in the Pride of Kansas Building. I called my girlfriend again to check up on her and told her my plans. I jumped back in the truck and was glued to the radio again on the now much longer drive back to Wichita.
I didn't even bother to go back home to change into my suit and tie. I didn't have any on-air duties that day so I just went right to Exploration Place in shorts and a polo shirt. Thank goodness the weather was quiet because I couldn't concentrate on it. My mind was elsewhere.
Later on the day, I talked to friends and family, who were just as shocked and angry as me. But we were getting a clearer picture of the events of the day as more news trickled in and after hearing the President's speech. We learned of the heroes in New York, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Sleep was a major challenge that night.