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Which type of Christian are you? For some reason this question seems to be forefront in many minds. People want to know which Church you belong to so they can "size you up", to them the sect of Christianity to which you belong defines who you are. In today's world there are many variations of Christianity, each group thinking their version is the best and only they are correctly following God's plan. Christians are casting dispersions on other Christians.
Lutherans distrust Catholics. Baptists think Universalist are occultic. Universalists are surprised to hear this because they feel they are Christian. Orthodox faiths believe theirs is the true way and all the rest are missing the path. Everyone is pointing fingers at one another trying to tear each other down.
Do you really think that was God's plan? Does God want His children to constantly bicker about who he loves best? If He is like most parents, that answer would be a big fat no. Or, do you think, God might want us to all love one another, to build up and support one another? God does not inspire malicious thoughts and words. If you are being influenced in such ways, you are not acting as Jesus taught. You are not acting Christian.
It is hard not to get caught up in group-think from time to time. Especially when hanging around only like-minded individuals. God is creative, just look at the world around you, it is obvious. God is working through his children, guiding them where they need to go. Everyone is starting from a different beginning, so everyone is on a different path. Each path will eventually lead to Him. Your faith is the key, God knows what's in your heart.
Many people grow up in their particular religious denomination do to their cultural identity. Irish, Italians and Latinos tend to be Catholic, Germans and Dutch lean towards Lutheran, the southern United States has the Baptist Bible Belt, and England has given us the Episcopalians. Is any one faith better than the other?
Would you consider any of these Christians to be heretical? Do their ways of worship deem them worthy of being wiped from existence? Should their versions of hymnals be destroyed and expunged from history? This is exactly what happened during the first few hundred years of Christianity however.
Ancient texts hidden in the desert sands for centuries are bringing to light some of these scriptures that were lovingly secreted away for safe keeping from those who were out to destroy them. These discoveries can give today's Christian a glimpse into what is was like when all the ancient Christian denominations were politically unified under Roman rule.
When modern Hebrew Old Testament Bible chapters are compared to these ancient versions of the same text, they are identical. Rabbinic scribes tediously transcribed every Old Testament Bible without ever altering one single letter. No mistakes or substitutions were allowed. This cannot be said for the New Testament. When these ancient texts were transcribed, some of them contained versions of the Canon of the Bible that differ from our versions today. There is an inconsistency. This has happened on more than one occasion.
Early in Christianity there were many denominations of Christians, just as there are today. Each of these branches had their own version of the Bible, just as the various Christian denominations have spiritual material unique to their Church today. Everyone has a Christian Bible, but they each have their own traditions within the umbrella of the label "Christian".
Egypt was a thriving center of ancient Christianity and in the 1800s early biblical explorers discovered it still held many ancient documents. One of the most important finds was the Codex Sinaiticus. Discovered in Monastery of Saint Catherine, this handwritten manuscript of the Christian Bible written in Greek is well over 1600 years old, and is the oldest complete copy of the New Testament.
The Codex Sinaiticus is comprised of over 400 leaves of animal skin. Written on these leaves are about half of the Old Testament and Apocrypha (the Septuagint), the whole of the New Testament, and two early Christian texts not found in modern Bibles. There is an Epistle by an unknown writer stating he is the Apostle Barnabas, and 'The Shepherd', written by early second-century Roman writer, Hermas.
When discovered this manuscript raised many questions about the accuracy of the Bible we have today. It was a bombshell to the theological world to say the least. Most Christians worship from the King James Bible, which was completed in 1611 for the Church of England. In 1881 a new version was created, it included 30,000 changes due to the translation of the Codex Sinaiticus. People discovered that many of the verses they held so dear were now relegated to side notes. Well known passages were being questioned. For Christians, the text of the Bible and the Word of God were one and the same. How could there be alterations?
A short while later another ancient Bible was discovered at St. Catherine's, the Codex Sinaiticus Syriacus. These manuscripts preserve a very early Old Syriac translation of the Gospels and may go back as early as the early third century AD. Syriac is an ancient dialect of Aramaic very similar to the language Jesus himself spoke. In this version of the Gospel of Mark, there is a very different ending. There is no mention of Jesus appearing to anyone after the crucifixion. After Jesus is crucified it simply says, "This is the ending" and then starts with, "This is the Gospel of Luke."
This version of Mark is profoundly troubling because there is no Resurrection, yet it does match the version of events as described in the Codex Sinaiticus. The questions surrounding the ending of Mark inspired a new generation of Bible explorers to look for further information about this central event of Christianity. Why do the two earliest known manuscripts of the New Testament say nothing about Jesus' resurrection? The hunt for still older biblical manuscripts was on.
In 1897 old manuscripts were found in an ancient rubbish heap, Oxyrhynchus, among them were papyri with sayings attributed to Jesus. Some of these saying were the same as those in the Gospels, others had never been heard before. If these saying are genuine, then the Bible as we knew it did not include everything there was to know about Jesus' ministry. But, since the Bible is the absolute word of God how could it be missing segments and why was this only true in the New Testament chapters? Are the Gospels infallible and what is the status of these newly discovered texts?
As the original followers of Jesus were dying out, people realized the importance of writing down Jesus' words for posterity. The Gospels of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John represent the canon, or official scripture of the Christian faith, but do they accurately represent the entirety of Jesus' teachings? Is our modern Bible incomplete?
The Bible is considered to be directly communicated by God to the individuals God has chosen to write it down. It is taught that to read the Bible was to access the word of God. The Gospels do tell different stories about the life of Jesus. Even if you forget about all these ancient biblical documents and only look at the modern version of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John you will still find discrepancies. The Gospel stories do not match.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke present basically the story of Jesus in very similar ways. The stories tell the same sayings of Jesus, the order of the material is consistent and even use many of the same words in parallel accounts. For this reason they are called the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of John, though it resembles the other three Gospels, tells the stories of Jesus in significantly different ways. There is a different order of events, different points of emphasis, and it has a unique vocabulary style.
When you look deeper into the Synoptic Gospels of Mathew, Mark and Luke further discrepancies arise. In the opening of Luke 4 Jesus goes into the synagogue and takes the scroll of Isaiah. He is literate and he's a scholar. He is capable of understanding the Hebrew scroll and is able to find the exact place he wants, reads it, and comments on it. Luke and Matthew give us the same wonderful scene for the Sermon on the Mount, which takes place on a mountain. There is no Sermon on the Mount in Mark, in fact there is no mountain on which to have a sermon. There is no scene in the synagogue at Nazareth where Jesus reads the scroll of Isaiah either. None of this is in Mark, but one is in Matthew and the other is in Luke.
1906 art collector Charles Lang Freer purchased some incredibly old manuscripts which included an ancient Greek codex of Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. This extraordinary codex is the third oldest Gospel collection in the world. Known as the Codex Washingtonianus (its display at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC ended Feb. 16) and dated to about the 5th century AD, this manuscript has a variation in the ending of Mark as well, but it differs from the two earlier codex's ending. These early manuscripts of the Gospel of Mark had been systematically tampered with.
In this version of the Gospel of Mark there is a passage only found in this codex. This manuscript does contain what we know as the full version of Mark, which includes the resurrection and Jesus' subsequent appearances. However, there is a passage known as the Freer Logion inserted into the traditional ending. In this passage Jesus reprimands the disciples for not believing in him and his resurrection. The disciples ask for forgiveness saying it is Satan who has caused them to behave this way. Jesus states that Satan's days are over, "The term of years for Satan's power has been fulfilled, but other terrible things draw near. And for those who have sinned I was delivered over to death so that they may return to the truth and no longer sin, so that they may inherit the spiritual and incorruptible glory of righteousness that is in heaven."
Early Church fathers had always stated the phrase, Satan's days are over, was a saying of Jesus', but this is the first time there was evidence of it on paper. This was further evidence of ongoing changes to the Bible during the early centuries. What we see with the New Testament is accidental or deliberate altering of what they were writing, something never seen in copies of the Old Testament.
During the seventh century significant, deliberate alterations of the New Testament took place. A series of editors dramatically changed the character of the texts. Hearing the Word of God has been altered comes as a shock to most Christians, but it seems Christians have been continually attempting to improve the text in an attempt to make it a more readable story since the beginning. Why would God allow the New Testament Bible to be corrupted?
Continual discoveries of unheard of manuscripts remind us that the New Testament is a living document. A document, composed by many people, that chronicles the faith of a budding religion. It is comprised of stories of those whose lives were touched by the wisdom of Christ.
During WWII another spectacular stash of ancient manuscripts known as the Nag Hammadi library were discovered. One of these was the Gospel of Thomas, which begins with the statement, "These are the hidden words the living Jesus spoke and Didymus Judas Thomas wrote them down." This collection has 114 sayings attributed to Jesus, more examples of alternative Christian texts. It wasn't until the 1970s until the actual location of where these texts were found was finally made known when a local farmer took scholars to the site of discovery.
One of the most controversial of the Nag Hammadi texts discovered is the Gospel of Mary. In this book we see women as Disciples of Jesus. Mary Magdalene traveled with Jesus, was present at his crucifixion, and was the first person to see him after the Resurrection. In this Gospel she is given a role of prominence. She speaks of visions and private teachings Jesus gave only to her.
This collection of Gnostic codices was written in the Coptic language. Gnosticism was part of a philosophical Christian denomination that was interested in secret knowledge. Gnostics were considered the scientific and intellectual Christians. There has always seemed to be a rift between Orthodox Christianity and Gnostic Christians.
When looking back at the early years of Christianity we see a wide variety of Christian groups develop. Depending on the location of the sect, various interpretations and rituals developed as well. By the end of the fourth century, Christianity was poised to become the official state religion of the Roman Empire.
In order to unify all the types of people under their rule, Rome decided to unify the texts of Christianity. There could be only one official version deemed acceptable by the Empire. From that moment forth any interpretations that may have been unique to your denomination of Christianity were labeled unworthy and heretical. Verses that may have brought you guidance and comfort in the past were now being tossed aside. Manuscripts were confiscated and destroyed.
When the Roman Empire consolidated its power through the use of the Church, the Gnostic intellectual and freethinking interpretation of Christianity was forced out of official Church doctrine. It was the Orthodox version of Christianity that would shape the Church's future. The Orthodox bishops were not as mystical as the Gnostics and were better at putting out a meaningful message that could be understood by the masses.
As they say, history is written by the victors. The Council of Nicaea decided on the 27 books composing the New Testament. A lot of political intrigue and power-play deals took place. The more rich and powerful a Bishop, the more influence he had on the committee, giving him a better chance for his favored books to be included in the Canon.
Ancient Christians did not want to be excommunicated, yet they could not bear to destroy their holy texts. Instead they tenderly hid them away, possibly hoping to one day return and worship with them again. Gnostics were being condemned as heretics and brutalized with extreme violence. Other early denominations of Christianity were also violently suppressed and lost. From the earliest developments of our faith, there was never been just one version of Christianity.
Modern technology may be able to finally put to rest some of the Church's oldest debates. Multispectral photographs of these ancient texts are bringing remarkable discoveries normally invisible to the human eye to light. Previously unknown letters from Paul were unveiled when the ink in which they were written showed up under certain waves of light.
Today researchers are continuing their efforts to sort through and transcribe all the fragments found at the Oxyrhynchus rubbish heap dig site. Out of the million pieces discovered so far, 5,000 have been published. Images of the fragmented manuscripts are available on-line for public view. Through the public's support, the identification process has sped up exponentially. New versions of the Coptic Gospels have been categorized in what is being referred to as one of the largest ongoing archeological projects in the world. It is said to complete the collection of fragments will take decades and possibly centuries.
Biblical exploration is ongoing and in 2005 Polish archaeologists working in Egypt discovered a fourth century codex called "The Acts of Peter." This Christian text is not included in the modern version of the Bible either. All these biblical variations and rediscovered ancient Gospels give us a greater understanding to what it meant to be Christian in the early years of the Church.
For 2,000 years the Bible has offered comfort and guidance to those in their time of need and it has helped shaped civilization. By rediscovering forgotten ancient manuscripts we are beginning to discover Christianity started out with multiple types of Christians, and it continues with multiple Christian denominations today.


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REVIEW: Game Over by Taylor Keating
Game Over by Taylor Keating
(Guardian #1)
Tor Books (Nov 2010)
Paperback, 405 pages
Paranormal Romance
When I read the blurb for Game Over, initially I wasn't sure what to make of it. It has a hunky dangerous man, (always a good start) separated from his body wafting around the place, and a computer geek girl (dubious at best) trying to create the next best thing in the tech world. Throw into that a Dark Lord and the two characters being submerged into a game that's been created, it all sounds a little ridiculous (because we all know that vampires, werefolk and fairies are quite normal right?).
But what can I say. I started reading Game Over and was hooked. Although it wasn't the fastest I have ever read a book, and I was able to put it down, I was always able to pick it back up easily enough and carry on from where I left off.
So, a little more about the people involved.
River Weston is a very clever and ballsy young lady, who is working with a small team, trying to invent the next super hit in the world of technology. She is the creator of a cyber world, where you gain access via a headset and a platform (yes this technology is around already, but she is maxing it out) and you are transported to the very real feeling world inside. Whilst there, you battle your way through the levels earning credits to upgrade your weapons etc. Although the game idea may not be new, its more about the quality of the experience, and River wants it to be as life-like as possible. Unbeknownst to her, she makes a deal with the Dark Lord, by offering up her soul in order that her game works, and he readily takes her up on her offer, trapping her in her own game.
This is where she meets Chase Hawkins. An ex military man who has been widowed, Hawk decided to volunteer for a new program where his body and soul were separated, in order that he could go out and search for lost Fae in his role as Guardian. His soul was captured by the Dark Lord and he has since been a prisoner. A prisoner, being held by a prisoner, as the Dark Lord is himself confined to a tiny piece of a dimension, trapped there by the Fae, but he has had enough, and wants out. In order to gain his freedom, he needs Hawk to ensure that River makes it to the final level in her now much amended game.
As I write this I realise that there is so much going on in Game Over, and the author has made a much better job of layering it all up, and explaining it in such a way that it is manageable to understand. There is a lot more going on besides the main storyline but I don't want to go into it all and spoil the book.
I liked River. I am not sure what it is that has made me gel with her, but I enjoy computer games, so perhaps its something to do with that. She isn't a quitter, and has just pushed herself to the extreme to be able to create this game, her baby, and there is a rather noble reason behind it, it's not in any way financial…although I am sure that's there somewhere, it certainly isn't the thing that drives her.
I am a real sucker for a military man, and Hawk has this in spades. He is a beefy chap all geared up towards looking out for a species weaker than himself, but not condescending or patronizing in any way. He lets River take the lead when its obvious that she has a better understanding of the world in which they are trapped, stepping aside to let her take on a role he is obviously far more comfortable controlling himself in other circumstances… I sure as hell wouldn't be kicking him out of bed!
There is most definitely chemistry between the pair, although it's not massively in your face, and Game Over isn't all about the bump and grind. Its more of a romantic slow sort of thing, and although they do end up knocking boots, its not the be all and end all of the book.
The main thread of the story is that River and Hawk are now trapped in the game, coming up against foes far scarier than the originals, in levels much harder than River originally wrote. In order to leave the game they have to get to the final level and defeat the Soul Man, that so far in the original game, River has been unable to beat.
Whilst Hawk and River are battling their way through the jungles and cities within the game, Rivers friends are fighting their own battles in real life. One friend (with benefits 😉 ) that is really struggling is Nick Sutton. Nick is one of Rivers game designers and with his help she has developed the game she is suddenly trapped in. He is keeping his eye on her body outside of the game, but has failed to pull her out, choosing only to monitor her vitals. He has his reasons, but I am not going to tell you them… go read it!
I thoroughly enjoyed Game Over and am rather looking forward to reading the next book in the series, Mind Games which I follows on from where this one leaves off, rather than jumping to a new couple, which I have to say I am rather thrilled about. Game Over is a fantastic new twist on a few different paranormal subcultures, that brings paranormal and sci-fi together in an amazing blend of storylines. Bring on Mind Games!
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
- Game Over
- Mind Games
- Fair Game

subset: commoncrawl


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Top Stories
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In 1941, Roland Dickey's dad, Travis Dickey, opened the first Dickey's Barbecue in Dallas. In the 1970's, Roland and his brother, TD, oversaw Dickey's expansion in North Texas. Now Roland's son, Roland Dickey, Jr. is president of a company that is spreading across the United States.
Started as a family restaurant
Travis Dickey opened Dickey's Barbecue Pit on Knox/Henderson in Dallas. The Dickey family home was right behind the restaurant. That restaurant remained the only Dickey's store, until brothers, Roland and TD, opened two more stores in 1969, but soon they expanded even more.
Became a Texas-wide business
Dickey's restaurants spread out across North Texas in the early 1970's. By 1972, they were the biggest barbecue restaurant chain in Texas. In 1976, Roland Dickey, Sr. was the barbecue chef for a catered event for presidential candidate, Ronald Reagan. By 1977, Dickey's became the largest barbecue company in the country, but most of their stores were in Texas.
Growing to a national chain
In 1994, Dickey's began franchising and expanding into other states. Currently there are 109 Dickey's restaurants operating in 40 of the 50 states. Two of those restaurants are in Arlington, TX. According to Jeffrey Gruber, Dickey's director of corporate marketing, Dickey's plans to add another 56 stores in the near future.
Dickey's has grown since its origins as a family restaurant, but they have been true to their roots. Dickey's Barbecue is still family owned and family operated. You can visit the location of the original Dickey's at 4610 N Central Expressway in Dallas. They still serve Dickey's barbecue there.


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Singham Showtimes and Tickets
Read Movie Reviews about Singham Write a Movie Review for Singham
Release Date: 2010-05-28
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama
Rating: NR
Duration: 2hrs 23min
The story, set in the backdrop of Nallore, a small town in Thoothukudi District, revolves around Sub-Inspector Durai Singam (Suriya), a brave and just policeman who serves in his hometown. Durai Singam settles every dispute in his town patiently with his words of wisdom and resorts to force only when the situation demands it. Erimalai (Vivek), Durai Singam's bumbling colleague and friend, often accompanies him. Kavya (Anushka), a city girl who comes on vacation to Nallore, falls in love with Durai Singam. Mayil Vaaganam (Prakash Raj), a big-time extortionist with shady mafia dealings, is required to travel to Nallore to sign a conditional bail but sends one of his henchmen in his place. An angry Durai Singam demands that Mayil come in person for the signature and this starts tensions between them, humiliated he uses his political clout to get Durai Singam promoted to Inspector and transferred to Tiruvanmaiyur police station in Chennai in order to extract revenge. In Chennai, Kavya's sister Divya is kidnapped by Vaaganam, and in his attempt to get her back Singam uncovers a scam in which Vaaganam kidnaps children for ransom from commercial real estate developers. Durai Singam, with unexpected help from the Home Minister (Vijayakumar), gets promoted to Assistant Commissioner of the specially-formed Anti-kidnapping Task Force. The good guy kills the bad guy and gets the girl in the end.
Cast and Crew
- Starring
Suchitra Bandekar, Kajal Aggarwal, Hemu Adhikari, Ravindra Berde, Suhasini Deshpande
- Directed by Rohit Shetty
- Produced by Deepak Nayar
- Written by Hari
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Freezing an animation
I'm in the middle of making a competition mod and at the moment through rcon you can 'pause' the match, which extends the timelimit with the correct amount of time, and pauses all players and prevents them from turning etc. It's not a great deal of a problem, but while the match is paused some animations (such as running animations) continue to run but the player remains stationary. I was wondering if it was possible to freeze the animation to stop it from doing this. I'm currently freezing the players by setting the player's ps->pm_type to PM_FREEZE.
This isn't a major problem, but it would be a neat little extra and thanks for any help in advance :)
I'm sure there is, but I don't think you can achieve it with a server-side mod.
Yeah, it's possible, but not without modifications to the bg_pmove code.
Oh, I forgot to mention it's a full-game mod, so client, ui and server are being modified. I've tried stopping the ps->legsTimer/ps->torsoTimer (at least I think it stopped), but it made no difference.
Well, I herd that setting the timers might freeze the animation. You will need to do some searching in the animation code for comments, etc.
ACtually, altering the animation timer won't work for any animation that loops (walking, running, etc).
What you're really going to want to do is slam the animation's speed to near zero (you probably can't have exactly zero) based on a gamestate check (look to see how Force Rage alters the animation speeds) and then jack up the animation timers so that the animation still freeze that way.
I've spent about 30 mins trying to figure out a few things to do with the animation code but I'm kind of confused. I've always thought as the animation timers (legsTimer, torsoTimer) to be something like a countdown timer where it gets set to however long the chosen animation takes to finish. Then I've seen in some places where it gets set to 1, even though the animation stays for quite a long time.
Another thing is I'm wondering why the ANIM_TOGGLEBIT is used? Is it to restrict the number of animations that can be held in the game, or...?
I don't think it ever *IS* used.
The animation timers are only used to determine when an animation is "finished", it doesn't determine how quickly the animation plays. In fact, actual animation system in the engine doesn't care what the animation timers since it's exclusively used to determine when the next animation should play.
Some animation timers are set to 1 because they are "constant" animations like running or walking. These just constantly loop the same animation while the timer is maintained at 1 to keep it going.
As for the toggle bit, I'm not sure if we're talking about the same thing, but the animation system uses a toggle bit to allow the system to be able to restart an animation already playing.
The way I did it was the way the client did it when it froze an animation when someone was disrupted. This is a last resort idea, if you can't get them to work I can provide more info.
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Kirt Blattenberger
Carpe Diem!
(Seize the Day!)
5th MOB: My USAF radar shop
Airplanes and Rockets:My personal
hobby website
Equine Kingdom: My daughter Sally's horse
riding website
Reproduced by the Armed Services Technical Information Agency
Arlington Hall Station
Arlington, Virginia
NOTICE: When government or other drawings, specifications or other data are used for any purpose other than in
connection with a definitely related government procurement operation, the U. S. Government thereby incurs no
responsibility, nor any obligation whatsoever; and the fact that the Government may have formulated, furnished, or
in any way supplied the said drawings, specifications, or other data is not to be regarded by implication or
otherwise as in any manner licensing the holder or any other person or corporation, or conveying any rights or
permission to manufacture, use or sell any patented invention that may in any way be related thereto.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lincoln Laboratory
• Building 821: Radar Test Building
• Development of a Radar/SAR Assimilation System
for Internal Wave Prediction
• Early U.S. Navy Experimental Radars
• Improved Doppler Radar/Satellite Data Assimilation
• Learning Morse Code Characters: A Replication of
the Keller Method
• Meteorological Studies with the Phased Array Weather
Radar and Data Assimilation Using the Ensemble
Kalman Filter
• Pearl Harbor Revisited: U.S. Navy Communications
Intelligence, 1924-1941
• Radar Cross-Section Observations of the Echo
I Communications Satellite
• Radio and Radar World War I & World War II,
U.S. Army Signal Corps
• What Is Radar?
This report contains radar cross-section measurements conducted on Echo I (60 Iota 1), a passive communications
satellite, from the first revolution on 12 August 1960 to revolution 5159 on 6 October 1961. Tracks on the early
revolutions, up to about 92, generally displayed a fairly constant amplitude, indicating little deformation of the
spherical shape of the balloon. The smoothest observations noted had approximately ±0.5 db (peak-to-peak) fading
variations over the duration of track. Later recordings show amplitude patterns with various mounts and rates of
fading. Fast scintillations, with a period of the order of 0.5 - 1 second, can be seen during certain runs as well
as slow long-term fading during others.
Beginning with about revolution 1944 (18 January 1961), a gradual deterioration in the shape of the balloon wan
indicated by frequent deep fades and a generally rough amplitude pattern. Fades of ±4 db can be seen throughout
most of these rum, with the most severe fades (>20 db in depth) occurring during revolution 5159, the last covered
in this report.
The average cross sections measured were comparable to the theoretical value of about T50 square meters, with
the average becoming somewhat less during the later revolutions when fluctuations were more pronounced.
Amplitude records for fourteen of the observed passes are included. A summary is also included for a voice
communications experiment conducted between Millstone and the Prince Albert Radar Laboratory during revolution 12.
Radar Cross-Section Observations Of The Echo I Commutations Satellite at 440 Mc/s D. P. Hynek
Lincoln Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Since the launch of the Echo I communications satellite much interest ban been expressed In the degree to which
the 100-foot diameter balloon maintained its spherical. shape. Several questions have been raised as to the
possible distortion of its shape In a space environment. Of chief concern is the puncturing of the thin skin by
micrometeorites and the effect of thermal shock upon entering the earth's shadow. Some insight into the amount of
distortion can be obtained by observing the fading characteristics of reflected radar signals. This report
presents amplitude data recorded on a number of revolutions during Its first fourteen months in orbit.
Radar Parameters
Table I
Pertinent parameters of the Millstone Kill Radar during these observations were as shown in Table I.
Frequency: 440 McsAntenna: 84-ft paraboloid., 35-db tracking gainPeak transmitted power: 1.25 to 2.5
Pulse repetition frequency: 28 or 30 pps Pulse length: 2 milliseconds Transmitted polarization: right
circular Received polarization: left circular Conical scan rate: 7.5 rev/sec, (approx.)Receiver noise
figure: 2 db (approx.) System losses: 2 db (approx.)
Data Recording
For recoding purposes the IF signal was range-gated and passed through a logarithmic amplifier. In the majority
of cases, multiple data were recoded on 35-mm strip film by photographing the "x"-axis of an oscilloscope to which
the detected signal had been applied. The film travel speed was l14.8 inches per minute. This speed allows
sufficient space on the film for sequential pulses to be distinguished. The horizontal lines appearing an the film
are range marks but can also be used as grid lines in estimating relative signal strength from. the calibration.
Several runs also appear on a pen-recorded strip chart. In these cases the digital output of an amplitude
sampler was reestimated as an analog signal for recording.
Averaged target and doppler data print-outs were obtained from a real-time digital sampler which is part of the
Millstone Radar system
In all, nearly 100 revolutions of Echo I were tracked by the Millstone Radar from revolution 01 (12 August
1960) through revolution 5199 (6 October 1961). In many cases the satellite was tracked from horizon t horizon.
Amplitude data were recorded on about 35 of those.
The passes for which the amplitude are available are listed in Table II, along with the average cross sections
and fading characteristics. The average cross section given were calculated by averaging several representative
regions throughout the run. The values listed in Table II should be accurate to within ±2 db. Amplitude recordings
of a selected number of runs appear in Figs. 1 through 14. Cross-section samples at various points during each run
are shown directly in the recordings.
* The theoretical radar cross section is approximately 70 square metes.
Of more interest perhaps than the average cross-section measurements are the fading characteristics which are
indicative of the balloon deformation. Early revolutions recorded, up to number 92, displayed smooth amplitude
pattern with signal variations of the order of ±1 db. Right-circular polarization was transmitted and
left-circular recorded. A spot check from time to time, during these early passes, of the relative signal strength
of the two orthogonal received polarizations indicated a ratio of about 20 db. The small magnitude of the
depolarized component indicated that the balloon had fully inflated and maintained its sphericity to a high degree
during this time (and, incidentally, also served as a check on the circularity of the transmitted signal). Figures
1 through 4 (revolutions 01, 09, 11 and 45) are representative amplitude recordings of this early group of passes.
During revolution 01 rapid scintillations, at a rate of 3 or 4 per second, can be seen at 06h 5Ta l0s and may
arise from interference with the final stage of the launching rocket which probably was still within the radar
beam at this time. This effect can be seen to a certain extent at other times during the run. Occasionally a
regular variation is seen every four pulses. This variation is due to the conical-scan modulation of the radar and
is most apparent at time of acquisition.
Revolution 09 displayed the most fading (±1.5 db) of the early passes and also appears to contain reflected ray
interference, with signal enhancement and cancellation, new the horizon. This noticeable near the beginning and
end of track. It in also evident to a degree during other runs.
Revolution 11 contains the smoothest amplitude record made. It was tracked for about 19 minutes with fading of
only ±0.5 db.
Following revolution 92, awe fading was observed (±1.5 - ±3 db), with the ratio of the two orthogonal received
signals at times approaching 6 db.
Fading was generally slow, occurring at irregular intervals, until revolution 156 when a periodicity of 0.5 - 1
second became apparent. It is interesting to note that revolution 156 occurred soon after the satellite first
entered the earth's shadow. This rapid scintillation was last observed during revolution 167 (Fig. 5) when sharp
nulls (4-5 db) were recorded. The short-term fading was not seen during nine passes tracked between revolutions
179 (Fig. 6) a 636 (Fig. 7). Instead, long term, irregular variations of ±1.5 - ±3 db were observed.
During the two revolutions 941 and 942, a faster fading rate, of the order of one second, was again observed
and was mot pronounced during the first half of the observation of revolution 912 (Fig. 8). This short-term fading
was not observed during the last half of this track but instead gave way to a slow rolling amplitude pattern.
This change in fading characteristic, over the duration of a single track, suggests a relatively soother
surface for a portion of the balloon. A very pronounced ground effect can be seen again at the and of this track.
Amplitude data were not available between revolutions 942 and 1448.
Four tracks conducted between revolutions 1448 and 1862 indicate a smoother target with a longer fading
interval and somewhat shallower depth (±1.5 db). No short-term scintillations were observed during this time.
Figure 9 (revolution 1862) is typical of these runs.
On ten tracks taken between revolutions 1944 and 5159, a gradual deterioration of the balloon was indicated by
occasional very deep fades and a generally rough amplitude pattern. (Revolution 1944, 3147, 3941, 4268 and 5159
appear in Figs. 10 through 14) Fades of the order of 10 db can be seen throughout most of the runs, with the most
severe fading recorded during revolution 5159, the last covered in this report. During this revolution two deep
fades (>20 db) were observed having similar characteristics and occurring 6 min 40 sec apart. The track was not
long enough to determine whether the effect was repeated. The cross section at the depth of the fades was of the
order of 10 square meters.
These observations are summarized in the approximate groupings shown in Table III.
In the Appendix is a summary of a UHF communications experiment conducted during revolution 12 between
Millstone and the Prince Albert Radar Laboratory.
Computer print-outs of position and doppler observations are not included in this report.
The series of radar observations conducted on Echo I suggest that the balloon was full inflated soon after
launch and maintained its spherical shape to a reasonable degree until approximately the time it first entered the
earth's shadow. The rapid and regular fading observed soon afterward w have resulted from the interference between
reflections from the individual gores making up the structure. This effect might have been accentuated by shrink
of the balloon following los in internal pressure, giving it a pumpkin-like appearance.
The irregular and more pronounced fading after this time suggests a further deterioration of the general shape
of the balloon with, however, either a modest recovery to sphericity or a relatively smooth surface for only a
portion of the balloon, in observations following this. The change in fading pattern, from rapid short-term
fluctuations to smoother long-term fading, during the track of revolution 942 would suggest a slow rotation to a
smoother portion of the balloon.
Sine the geometry explored, during the course of an any is limited and, in the face of an unknown rotation rate
and orientation, it is difficult to say whether the changes noted in the fading pattern from run to run are
characteristic of the condition of the balloon or of the geometry.
Beginning with the observation of revolution 1944, a steady degradation of the balloon is evident with,
perhaps, multiple punctures taking their toll. The last revolution included in this report (number 5159, 6 October
1961) points to a grossly distorted structure.
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 01 12 August 1960
[All recordings redacted]
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 09 12 August 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 11 13 August 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 45 15 August 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 16725 August 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 179 16 August 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 6363 October 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 94228 October 1960
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 1862 11 January 1961
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 1944 18 January 1961
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 314725 April 1961
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 394129 June 1961
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 426825 July 1961
ECHO I AmplitudeRevolution 51596 October 1961
Millstone-PARL UHF Communications Experiment*
During revolution 12 (13 August 1960) of the Echo I satellite, a communications experiment was carried out at
440 Mcs between the Millstone Hill Radar and the Prince Albert Radar Laboratory (PARL), Saskatchewan, Canada.
A pre-taped voice message was transmitted from Millstone via the satellite to PARL for a duration of some ten
minutes using narrow-band FM. During the first portion of the pass, the Millstone dish was manually trained using
predicted position data from Space Track as corrected by Millstone tracking data gathered on revolution 11. The
last portion of the track was effected with an optical antenna director controlling the dish. PARL first acquired
the target with its radar at 448 Mcs, and then automatically tracked on the Millstone communication signal.
During revolution 11, and earlier tracks, it was ascertained that the balloon had maintained its spherical
shape to a very high degree and would be a good passive reflector for the experiment.
The quality of the received signal at PARL was good and possessed the expected signal-to-noise ratio
(approximately 16 db under ideal conditions). The chronological sequence of events and signal strengths logged for
this experiment are as shown on the following page.
*Data provided by D. R. Hansen, PARL.
*Millstone-type antenna
See the original
Radar Cross-Section Observations of the Echo I Communications Satellite document here.


text:
The manager of 53 Home Improvement Center told police items were missing from the business when he arrived that morning and that the offenders forced open an exterior door to get in.
No one has been arrested in the case.
Register now for free, or sign in with any of these services:


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Where to rent bikes and get a shuttle on the Badger and Sugar River trails?If we want to start on the bike trails in Brodhead or Monroe and end in Belleville, is there any type of shuttle that takes us back to our car? Is there a bike rental in Brodhead or Monroe? - Loraine, Lincolnwood, Ill.
In Monroe, you can rent bikes at the Bike Haus. It's near Twining Park, right on the Badger State Trail at 480 14th Ave. Call 608-293-6791.
Two motels do shuttling: the Gasthaus Motel in Monroe, 608-328-8395, and the Swiss Aire Motel on the Sugar River State Trail in New Glarus, 608-527-2138.
In New Glarus, you can rent bikes at the Depot on the Sugar River State Trail, 608-527-2095.
Also from New Glarus, retired milk deliveryman Gene Webber provides shuttles on the trails. He charges $30 to drop off two people and their bikes in Brodhead for the 23-mile ride on the Sugar River trail back to New Glarus.
He charges $40 to drop off two people and their bikes in Monroe for the 16˝-mile ride back to New Glarus on the Badger and Sugar River trails. Reserve a shuttle in advance by calling him at 608-527-2870.
For more about the Badger trail, see A slice of cheese country. For more about Monroe, see Cheese country.
For more about the Sugar River trail and New Glarus, see Swiss at heart.


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How CIOs Can Manage the Facebook Dilemma
Facebook's soaring success presents CIOs with something of a dilemma. With 900 million users, it's impossible to ignore. It has a growing presence in the workplace, where many people use Facebook to communicate and collaborate. Companies themselves spend a lot of money advertising on Facebook, cultivating communities of users and fans, managing their relationships within those groups, and mining them for data. Yet despite those connections between Facebook and the enterprise, Facebook doesn't offer enterprise class products the way other consumer tech companies from Google to Amazon and Apple do.
And Facebook doesn't appear to have any immediate plans to develop an enterprise version of its platform, says Brian Blau, a research director with Gartner's consumer technology and markets group. As part of a research project in spring 2011, Blau asked Facebook whether it had any intention of entering the market for enterprise social networking. "They said they had no intention of doing that," Blau told CIO Journal.
But CIOs still need to accept the fact that Facebook will be an increasingly important part of their world, even though it lacks the management tools and controls that other consumer tech companies have provided. While many organizations – half, according to some estimates – still ban the use of Facebook in the workplace, CIOs should be looking for ways to use Facebook as a business tool: to amplify their marketing messages through their employees, and to help employees find one another and collaborate on work together.
Employees are already on Facebook, and use Facebook during work hours, and can access it via their mobile devices even if their employers have blocked Facebook on the corporate network. And that presence is a good thing, according to Charlene Li, an analyst with Altimeter Group, a consultancy specialized in social media. "People go on Facebook to get work done, they go on Facebook to get expertise. If I have a well-developed network on Facebook, it's just another channel for networking and getting work done," she tells CIO Journal.
At a minimum, companies should give their employees guidelines on what to say when they're on Facebook. For instance, how should employees handle inquiries from Facebook friends who want recommendations about the products and services that the employee's company sells? Companies should advise employees on what, if anything they should say. "Saying something or not saying something, or having a canned statement that says I can't comment on that – it all says something," said Li. And very few companies have guidelines on how to handle these requests.
Companies also can encourage their employees to subscribe to their brand or company page, and ask employees to "Like" posts to the page that they actually do like. "If you can get five thousand employees to like a post, it has an impact. Employee advocacy can be incredibly powerful," she said.
More adventurous companies are creating private groups on Facebook, but Li says that can be hard to manage. "It tends to be employees and alumni," she said, because companies can't remove people from the group once they've left the company.
Facebook doesn't have the technology or sales force to create a pure business product, but Li says Facebook could help businesses, and generate a bit of revenue, by giving businesses tools to manage those groups, by allowing them to create official, sanctioned groups and to manage those groups using the company's employee directory.
Facebook already offers Facebook Connect, which other companies can use as a means for verifying the identify of their own online users.
"Facebook clearly has legs into the enterprise, even if it doesn't offer enterprise social networking itself," Blau says.
At the moment, "Facebook's simply isn't architected for the enterprise," says Adam Marcus, managing director with OpenView Venture Partners, of Boston, which funds expansion stage technology companies. He said Facebook lacks the security and compliance features that companies often value, because they want to control who their employees communicate with and what they say about the company and its products. There are alternatives—such as Yammer, Jive and Chatter—that are more specifically designed with those needs in mind. The market for business social networking is expected to be worth $4.5 billion by 2016, according to market research firm IDC.
Over time, Facebook may be forced to enter the enterprise market in a more significant way, according to Blau, of Gartner. Consumer Internet companies such as Google and Apple waited quite some time before they offered enterprise products, but eventually their consumer offerings became so embedded in the corporation that they had little choice to make a full-on commitment. "I expect Facebook may follow along the same path," Blau says.
CIO Journal Editor Michael Hickins contributed to this story.


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12 Comments
Lauren Wakefield Amen sister! Love that shot of Justin...hilarious. Jul 5, 2012, 11:33am
sharon elizabeth Chase and I were thinking last night how BEAUTIFUL it would have been to see 4th of July from an airplane!!! I bet it was gorgeous! Jul 5, 2012, 11:25am
Emilia Jane YES AND YES. Actually my post today resonates with this too...kind of funny I hadn't seen this yet :-) Love you!!! Jul 5, 2012, 10:42am
Jennifer Bacchiocchi So true! We sometimes forget how lucky we are to have such problems. Happy 4th to you, Justin and Cooper! Jul 4, 2012, 3:10pm
Stephanie Stewart Happy 4th! Love this post! Jul 4, 2012, 2:54pm
Christa I love that first pic of you...furiously typing away....must send email...lol. Happy 4th & to your dreams :) Jul 4, 2012, 1:08pm
maggieb Remember "Free to Be. You and Me"? Dream on! God Bless America! and God Bless You! Jul 4, 2012, 12:45pm
Jessica Norman YES!!! Love this so much! Jul 4, 2012, 12:00pm
Shefali Lindsey Beautifully written!!! I love reading your writing because it is so gorgeous and full of what comes straight from the heart! Happy 4th to Justin and you! xoxo Jul 4, 2012, 11:43am
Joe Don Richardson LOL. I thought I was the only one who encountered slow internet when trying to upload images. Which is happening now! But seriously you guys rock and I share so much of your sentiment. Jul 4, 2012, 11:36am
Christy Tyler LOVE THIS! Happy 4th! Jul 4, 2012, 11:35am
Pamela Moan Mary you write with such heart and soul. I love reading your thoughts! Hope you and your hubby enjoy your day and TAKE the day off! LOL Jul 4, 2012, 11:29am


text: Thinking of starting as Liverpool or another team that could be taken over. Does having this as the chairman status mean that the club will definately be sold? Also Liverpool have a prety big loan so if they got taken over what happens to the loan? Does it get paid off or not?


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The Lake District of northern Patagonia extends from Puerto Varas, Chile on the west to San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina on the east and up to San Martin de los Andes in the north.
The area is known for its active volcanos, its beautiful lakes and its wild streams. Its also know for its wind and its rain.
For eight days in late December 2006 and early January 2007 we traversed this area by bike and boat. As you will see the scenery was spectacular, the riding outstanding and the people wonderful.
This is most definitely a place to spend a part of your life - even if it is only a small part.
Allan Crawford
October 2007
Comentario publicado.
Inicia sesión o crea una cuenta para publicar un comentario.
Andalucia by Bike Publicado 04 de marzo de 2013
Alhama de Granada Publicado 19 de febrero de 2012
Alhama de Granada Publicado 29 de enero de 2012


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Home > LEAGUE SERVICES > Indepth > August 2012 > News & Notes
News & Notes
Consumers CU supports PLAN of Lake County. Consumers Credit Union (CCU) recently donated $3,000.00 in support of the People Lending Assistance Network (PLAN). A not-for-profit organization, PLAN provides food, clothing, appliances, education and job assistance to individuals and families. Its primary commitment is serving the central Lake County area, relying almost exclusively on donations to fund operations and stock their shelves. Founded in June of 2007 under the leadership of a director, the organization is run entirely by local resident volunteers who choose to help others in need. Volunteers for the organization range from retired military personnel, adult volunteers and local students, many from area churches. PLAN provides extremely efficient services to those in need five days a week. For example, each dollar donated to PLAN purchases nine pounds of food through the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
CUNA Management School names 75 grads, including four from Illinois. Credit Union National Association (CUNA) recently announced the newest graduates of its Management School, including: Mandi Haynes, CCUE, Streator Onized CU; Sanetta Jackson, CCUE, St Mark CU; Christopher Phillips, CCUE, Land of Lincoln Credit Union (high honors); and Gregory Thede, CCUE, Deere Employees CU. CUNA Management School consists of a three-year course of study. Students receive advanced academic training with practical, real-world applications designed specifically for credit union management personnel who aspire to achieve senior-level management and leadership positions in the credit union system. About 4,900 men and women have graduated from the program since its inception in 1954. A graduation diploma is issued in conjunction with the University of Wisconsin Graduate School of Business and is recognized throughout the credit union movement as an honor and mark of accomplishment.
GCS CU donates to Big Brothers Big Sisters. GCS Credit Union recently donated 100 backpacks filled with school supplies to Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Southwestern Illinois. GCS and Radio Disney AM1260 teamed up to donate the backpacks for the third year in a row. All backpacks will be distributed by Big Brothers Big Sisters to the local children they serve. In addition, GCS employees raised $925 through jean days to help BBBS purchase additional supplies for the children. Big Brothers Big Sisters individual mentoring helps at-risk youth overcome the many challenges they face. The mission of BBBS is "to provide a mentor for every child in Southwestern Illinois who wants and needs one." For more information, log on to www.bbbsil.org.
Heritage Credit Union now accepting applications for small grants. The Richard J. McGrath Endowment Fund was created in 2007 to provide small grants for local social organizations in the communities served by Heritage Credit Union. Last year, over $8,000 was awarded to 23 deserving community groups. Recipients included food pantries, senior citizen organizations and community improvement groups. Applications are accepted from July 1 to August 31 each year.
Land of Lincoln CU, Caterpillar, Inc. present Birdies Fore a Cause gift. Caterpillar, Inc. and Land of Lincoln Credit Union in conjunction with the Tate & Lyle Players Championship presented the inaugural Birdies Fore a Cause Gift to two local organizations. Both companies donated one dollar for every birdie shot by Symetra tour players during the 2012 Tate & Lyle Players Championship. Caterpillar, Inc. chose Partners in Education as their beneficiary, and Land of Lincoln Credit Union elected to give to Heritage Behavior Health, as both organizations were an integral part of the tournament's success. The check presentations, including $882 by Land of Lincoln CU, took place July 17 at Hickory Point Golf Course in Decatur. The Tate & Lyle Players Championship is the longest running tournament on the LPGA Symetra Tour.
MyMoneyAppUp Challenge announced. The U.S. Department of Treasury, The D2D Fund, and The Center for Financial Services Innovation recently launched the MyMoneyAppUp Challenge, a contest intended to motivate American entrepreneurs, software developers, the public, and students to propose the best ideas and designs for next-generation mobile tools to help Americans control and shape their financial futures. So far, nearly 600 individuals are following the Challenge and the IdeaBank. More than 130 ideas and numerous App Designs have been submitted. If your credit union has a money-related mobile app idea that could impact the financial lives of Americans, submit a design proposal. You could win the $10,000 Grand Prize, one of two $5,000 runner-up prizes, or one of two $2,500 honorable mentions! Submissions are due August 12, 2012.
North Side offers August community workshops. North Side Community Federal Credit Union is encouraging the community to end their summer right by attending the last of its summer workshops. They will include: Marketing Your Small Business on August 13; Homebuyers Orientation, August 21; First Time Homebuyers Training, August 25; and Basics of Credit Building, August 22. Homebuyers Workshops will also be offered in Spanish every other month.
Rock Valley Credit Union awards two scholarships. Rock Valley Credit Union recently established a scholarship fund for two graduating high school seniors. Applicants must be enrolled full-time in the fall, following graduation from the 2011/2012 school year at a technical, two-year or four-year college or university and working toward a degree. The applicant must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be a member of Rock Valley Credit Union at the time of application. Among other criteria, the winning applicants wrote an essay based on if they feel the credit union difference plays an impact when someone is selecting their financial institution, and with so many financial options available today, what they believe drives a person to select a financial institution over another. Rock Valley Credit Union offers products and services for young adults going away to college with free Checking, over 28,000 surcharge free ATMs nationwide, over 4,800 shared branch location, free mobile banking, on-line banking, e-Statements and a new offering of Student Choice Lending – a higher education loan product for members to take advantage of to help with financing college tuitions/fees.
Scott CU donates more than $18K to United Way. Representatives from Scott Credit Union presented a check recently for over $18,000 to Jeff Lauritzen, this year's Campaign Vice-Chair for the Southwest Illinois Division of the United Way of St. Louis. The money was raised during Scott Credit Union's 6th annual Golf Tournament fund raiser held in May at The Orchards Golf Course in Belleville and during a month-long employee campaign at the credit union. More than 130 golfers and dozens of area sponsors turned out for the golf event that raised $17,000. Scott Credit Union plans to hold a tournament each year to raise money for United Way. Employees of the credit union raised $1,200 during their fund-drive for United Way. The United Way funds nearly 200 health and human service agencies located throughout a 16-county area in Missouri and Illinois. More than one million people in the bi-state community receive services that strengthen families, help the elderly, keep children healthy and safe, and build stronger neighborhoods. For more information about United Way, visit their web site at www.stl.unitedway.org. Do you have community or other news tidbits to share? Tell us! Indepth is always looking for credit union activities that we can share in this section each month. Put us on your press release distribution list or submit information to William Wille as you have it available.
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The first Guardians of the Galaxy trailer premiered on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and it looks amazing. The story of Star-Lord, a refugee from Earth of dubious moral standing and his motley crew of friends which include a sentient tree and PO'd raccoon, seemed an odd choice for a Marvel film. But the tone of the trailer wisely emphasizes the inherent comedy of the premise, and Chris Pratt seems ideally cast as a smart aleck headphone-enthusiast who appears equal parts Indiana Jones and Han Solo. Also, there's John C. Reilly and everything is better with a little John C. Reilly.
Still, Guardians of the Galaxy is an interesting gambit for Marvel. Even though the movie is almost six months away from opening, it's never too early to start speculation about whether it will be a hit or a flop.
Why it will flop
People fear what they don't know - There are nearly as many characters in the Marvel universe as there are stars in the sky, so why did they choose these ones? If Marvel was looking to move into the realm of sci-fi action, someone like the better-known Silver Surfer would seem to be a more logical choice. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" comic was mostly unknown to all but die-hard Marvel fans, so the general public is even less likely to have heard of them. For all intents and purposes, this is an original story and as the somewhat disappointing box office for Pacific Rim showed, the public isn't always eager to embrace what they don't know, even if it appears familiar.
Marvel is due for a flop - The Avengers was one of the highest-grossing movies ever made and the two Marvel films that have followed -- Iron Man 3 and Thor: The Dark World -- were both big hits last year. But these were sequels to movies that fans had already embraced. Branching off to make a movie in which one of the main characters is a tree who doesn't speak except to say his name could be perceived as hubristic on Marvel's part.
No proven stars - Chris Pratt is the center of the movie and like the characters themselves, he's still mostly unknown. Aside from a few small roles in movies like The Five-Year Engagement and Her, Pratt's biggest part up to this point has been his role as Andy Dwyer on Parks and Recreation. He's fantastic within that ensemble (which is easily the best on a comedy) but has yet to prove himself as someone who can carry a movie. The biggest name involved in Guardians of the Galaxy is Bradley Cooper, who voices the violent raccoon. Reread that last sentence and tell me this sounds like a movie destined to be a hit.
Why it will be a hit
It turns out to be the rare sci-fi/ action/ comedy that works - The Avengers was pretty much destined to be a hit from the moment it was announced but what turned it into one of the biggest movies ever was the strong authorial voice of writer-director Joss Whedon. Beyond it's thrilling action sequences, The Avengers was frequently funny and occasionally outright hilarious. Guardians of the Galaxy looks to place an even larger emphasis on the laughs and, at least in the trailer, the jokes land. Movies that can deliver legitimate laughs along with the necessary action tend to have a longer shelf-life than one-note shoot-em-ups.
Don't underestimate the power of the Marvel brand - Even if the characters in Guardians of the Galaxy are mostly unknown, the name of the movie studio behind it isn't. Even more crucially, Marvel is becoming known for the quality of their films, to the point you could argue that they're second-only to Pixar. Just as audiences have come to trust the Pixar brand as a bastion of first-class storytelling, Marvel is doing an outstanding job of building their cinematic universe with directors who add their own stamp to the material. James Gunn, who expertly mixed gross-out humor with gross-out horror in Slither, was an inspired choice for Guardians of the Galaxy.
Chris Pratt has already started to breakout - OK, so I just argued that Pratt was an unknown a couple of paragraphs ago, but it is worth noting that he voiced the main character in The LEGO Movie, which is presently shattering all types of box-office records for February. Much of Pratt's comedic persona shines through in his animated character (sweet-natured, confident, but slightly dim) and the well-reviewed movie is building word-of-mouth even for adults. In other words, people seem to like what they're seeing (or rather hearing) from Pratt.
It's going to be interesting to see how this film turns out and how it's received. Guardians of the Galaxy opens in the theaters on Aug. 1.


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Angry Birds theme parks head for the UK
Pigs are thought to be worried
CASUAL GAMING MONSTER Rovio is planning to open up theme parks based on its smash hit Angry Birds game in the UK.
Reuters reports that the game, which is already a massive hit on the Android and Iphone mobile systems and available for the Blackberry Playbook and Windows Phone, is steadily establishing itself as a cash cow and that has lead to a tie up with a "major US retail chain" for merchandising, as well as playground plans.
"We want to make Angry Birds a permanent part of pop culture," said the firm's marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka during a chat with Reuters. "We're just getting started."
You will already have seen Angry Birds merchandise. You can find it on t-shirts and speaker systems and plush toys, but you should get ready to see a lot more of it soon.
Theme parks will feature swings and climbing towers, as well as slides and other outdoorsy things. We expect that catapults will not be featured, nor blocks of ice, boxes of fireworks, or pigs. The parks will be built in partnership with Finnish playground equipment maker Lappset. We have contacted Rovio for more details.
Rovio will launch Angry Birds in Space this month, the next major release in the series. It should be available tomorrow. µ
INQ Latest
Google Updates: YouTube live after you check you're not dead
It's time for our regular two-step through the Google news
Uber picks up Portugese pen-testers with profiteering plans
Bug bounty offer: accepted


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2007 Highlights: Appeared in 99 games for the Huskies as an outside hitter...Finished third on the squad in kills with 339...totaled 265 digs and 382 on the year to rank fourth and third on the team, respectively...recorded a career-high 20 kills in a five-game win versus Kent State (Oct. 19)...earned a season-high hitting percentage of .515, executing 18 kills on 33 attempts in a three-game win against Buffalo (Oct. 13)...finished the season with nine double-doubles highlighted by a four-match double-double streak (Sept. 29, Oct. 5, Oct. 6, and Oct. 12)...tallied 10 or more kills on 19 separate occasions...named MAC Player of the Week on October 8th as she notched 30 kills, 24 digs, five blocks and 35 points...selected as a member of the 2007 Academic All-MAC Team...earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Second Team.
2006 Highlights: Appeared in all 29 matches and 105 games...was fourth on the squad with 195 kills...totaled double-digit kills in eight matches...had a team-season best hitting percentage of .667 (16 kills, 0 errors, 24 attacks) in a four-game win over Ball State (Oct. 14)...those 16 kills were a season-best...was flawless in a three-game sweep of Iona (Sept. 1) with a hitting percentage of .769 (10 kills, no errors, 13 attacks)...picked up 13 kills and finished with a hitting percentage of .344 (13 kills, two errors, 32 attacks) in a four-game win over Kent State (Oct. 20)...collected seven block assists against Central Michigan (Sept. 23), good for second-best on the squad.
2005 Highlights: Appeared in 22 matches with nine starts...claimed a season-high 11 kills in a four-game win over Indiana State (Sept. 3)...averaged 7.8 kills per match to help the Huskies to a runner-up finish in the NIU Comfort Inn and Suites Invitational (Sept. 2-3)...had eight putaways in a five-game win over Ball State (Oct. 15)...pushed the Huskies to a four-game win over Illinois State (Oct. 25) with eight kills and a season-high six digs...chipped in seven kills in a four-game loss to Ohio on Oct. 25.
Prep: Won three varsity letters for head coach Jeanette Pancratz at Schaumburg High School...helped lead the Saxons to three straight 20-win seasons and a pair of regional titles (2002, 2004)...enjoyed breakout senior season this fall, putting up career-high numbers in kills (239), service aces (38), and total blocks (69)...those efforts led to first team All-Area nominations from the Daily Herald and Suburban Newspapers...also took home her first All-Mid-Suburban League certificate, earning a spot on the league's first team...named Most Valuable Player at the 2004 Glenbard East Autumnfest Classic ... awarded Best Offensive Player and Coaches awards by her peers at the conclusion of her senior year...graduated from SHS in the all-time top-five for single-season hitting percentage (.320).
Club Volleyball: In 2003-2004, played club ball for coaches Jen Friese and Jesse Bossenga in the Sports Performance GLC Select program.
Personal: Major - Family Social Services...Birthdate - January 6, 1987.
Three-Game Match
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Five-Game Match
Irene Johnson's Career Statistics


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Printing FAQ
Pay for Print Frequently Asked Questions
Why is PVCC charging for printing?
Pay-for-Print was implemented to help reduce the amount of excess printing on campus which includes the wastefulness of paper as well as toner and ink. Previously, because printing was considered to be free, little effort was apparent in attempts to reduce wastefulness. Hundreds of thousands of printed pages were ignored, never picked up and had to be recycled. The Library alone uses a minimum of $250 a week in toner costs and 4,000 sheets of paper.
Why can't the printing charge come out of fees I already pay?
Unfortunately printing is not used uniformly by all students. Some students do little or no printing, while others may be printing more than their "fair share". Charging directly for printing will allow each student to control what he or she spends on printing. It may also allow departments to refocus funds that were previously used for printing toward delivering new and improved services.
How can I reduce my cost or amount of printing?
- E-mail information to yourself or documents to professors or colleagues
- Download information or save it to your network drive or a USB drive
- Write down information the old fashioned way, especially if you only need brief notes or the call number for a book
- Print only the pages you need, instead of the entire document. Preview what you are printing to ensure you only send the print job one time and are only printing what you need
What is my username to access my print account?
It is your 13 digit ID card number (on the back of the ID card).
What is my PIN or password?
There is no password.
How do I get a PVCC ID card?
Go to College Safety
Where do I find my 13 Digit ID Card Number?
On the back of your PVCC ID Card.
How do I release my print jobs?
Swipe your ID card, or enter your PIN (13 digit PIN number on the back of your ID card) into the keypad sitting beside a printer.
How do I add money to my print account?
Insert cash, bills no change, into one of the deposit machines located in the Library or Computer Commons. Do not add more than $5.00 to your account. Add only the amount you think you'll need. PVCC is not responsible for lost cards or PIN numbers that are used by others to access your account. It is your responsibility to ensure your account information and funds in the account are safe.
What happens if my ID card is stolen?
Go to College Safety to get a replacement. Call the Helpdesk at 602.787.7780 to have your account frozen so no one else can use your money for printing.
What happens if I pay for a print job and the printer jams and I don't get my print job?
Ask a staff member in the Library or Computer Commons and they can credit the charge back to your account.
Where can I get change for the deposit centers?
Go to the Cashier's Office in the Kranitz Student Center
What if I forgot my ID card at home?
You can't print. Very few exceptions will be made to allow you to print in an emergency. Put your ID card in your wallet or purse so you don't forget it.
If I print my two page document on one piece of paper (back to back), does it still cost 20 cents?
Yes. The cost is .10 cents an "inked" page.
Can I get my account balance refunded to me at the end of the semester, or if I quit attending PVCC?
Refunds of money left in your account should you leave PVCC will only be considered for amounts of $10 or more and require approval by a Dean or Vice President. Please do not keep any more than $5.00 in your account. The safest practice is to keep only what you need for printing class assignments.


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Dedicated IP - Your Reputation is Critical
Your sender reputation is critical to your email delivery success rate. If you are not sure what your sender reputation is:
- Analyze your open and conversion rates
- Check your bounce rates
- See if your emails are landing in the spam folder of your subscribers
If these numbers are good, you probably have a good sender reputation.
If you are seeing a decrease in open and conversion rates, and an increase in poor delivery, then you may want to consider securing a dedicated IP address.
When to Get A Dedicated IP
Dedicated IPs give you complete control of your sending reputation. If your email marketing program sends volumes greater than 200,000 emails per month to varied ISP's, a dedicated IP address might be for you.
Securing a dedicated IP is an important decision and usually connected to the volume of email messaging your marketing programs require. Large volume email marketing programs require email managers to spread the volume out over multiple IP addresses to keep information flowing smoothly.
Shared IP Groups
Since some factors in determining your reputation are email volume and frequency, if you send low volumes infrequently you probably are well served by a shared IP group. Without a dedicated IP address, your emails are in a shared IP group which requires cooperation from all the senders within that group to keep a good reputation with the ISPs. Sharing IPs gives you the opportunity to pair up with other email marketing programs and establish enough volume and frequency to have good results. That is, if everyone is deploying best practices.
Benefits of securing a dedicated IP include:
- Ensuring your email delivery reputation is optimized
- Smooth delivery of your emails to all the major ISPs
- Securing accreditation from services like ReturnPath
- Proper monitoring of your delivery reputation
- Positive sentiment gained with high open, click and conversion rates
- Reduced placement of your emails in the spam folders
- Increased engagement due to a healthy reputation, leading to increased revenue
Contact us to learn more about securing a Dedicated IP address with Mailigen or call us at (+1) 718 303 1864.


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OpenSolaris' security potpourri
By jjj on Jun 14, 2005
Todays release of OpenSolaris will hopefully invite many of you out there to contribute your own code or have it available on OpenSolaris as well as on the other platforms you live on. To help you do so securely, I'll mention a potpourri of OpenSolaris features that we think help to make your code more secure.
Introduction of O_NOFOLLOW and O_NOLINKS
In Solaris 10, and thus now in OpenSolaris, we introduced two new flags to open(2) with the following description:
|If the path names a symbolic link, open() fails and sets errno to ELOOP.
|If the link count of the named file is greater than 1, open() fails and sets errno to EMLINK.
While O_NOFOLLOW certainly isn't new to UNIX, the addition of O_NOLINKS is. With these two flags, constructs like the open/stat-dance we used previously should become something of the past. In pseudo-code we did something like
if (lstat(fname, &lsb) == -1) { fd = open(fname, O_CREAT|O_EXCL|O_WRONLY, 0600); if (fd == -1 && errno == EEXIST) { /\* start afresh \*/ ... } } else if (S_ISLNK(lsb.st_mode)) { /\* fail, symbolic link \*/ } else { if ((fd = open(fname, O_WRONLY)) != -1) { if (fstat(fd, &fsb) != -1) { if (fsb.st_nlink > 1) /\* fail, too many links \*/ else if (fsb.st_dev != lsb.st_dev || fsb.st_ino != lsb.st_ino) { /\* fail, file changed after lstat \*/ } } } /\* success \*/ }
Now, we can do
fd = open(fname, O_CREAT|O_NOFOLLOW|O_NOLINKS, 0600);
Of course, if you want to make sure that you don't open any special files (devices), you'll still have to lstat()/fstat() and check for S_ISREG(). I hoped to introduce O_REGULAR too, but that didn't make it (yet? :-).
Non-executable stacks
Not new to Solaris, but maybe new to you, and certainly worth pointing out: large parts of Solaris, at least the commands in ON (the Operating System and Networking part of Solaris) are built with the stack-segment mapped as non-executable memory. Of course, this will not stop people from exploiting stack-overflows, but it'll surely make it harder to do.
Check out the definition of NES_MAPFILE in usr/src/cmd/Makefile.cmd. It defines an option passed to the linker (through the C-compiler front-end) that tells it to use a mapfile (mapfile_noexstk) that contains
stack = STACK ?RW;
This line is a segment declaration that tells the runtime linker to create the applications stack segment with the Read and Write flags enabled, but the eXecute flag unset. You can check which flags for the stack segment of a particular binary are set by running elfdump(1) on the binary. Search for an ELF section of type PT_SUNWSTACK, as in
$ elfdump /bin/ls ELF Header ei_magic: { 0x7f, E, L, F } ei_class: ELFCLASS32 ei_data: ELFDATA2MSB e_machine: EM_SPARC e_version: EV_CURRENT e_type: ET_EXEC e_flags: 0 e_entry: 0x10e48 e_ehsize: 52 e_shstrndx: 21 e_shoff: 0x6718 e_shentsize: 40 e_shnum: 23 e_phoff: 0x34 e_phentsize: 32 e_phnum: 6 Program Header[0]: p_vaddr: 0x10034 p_flags: [ PF_X PF_R ] p_paddr: 0 p_type: [ PT_PHDR ] p_filesz: 0xc0 p_memsz: 0xc0 p_offset: 0x34 p_align: 0 ... Program Header[5]: p_vaddr: 0 p_flags: [ PF_W PF_R ] p_paddr: 0 p_type: [ PT_SUNWSTACK ] p_filesz: 0 p_memsz: 0 p_offset: 0 p_align: 0
As shown here, the stack segment of /bin/ls is mapped with the PF_W and PF_R, and not with PF_X. Some example mapfiles can be found in /usr/lib/ld, like /usr/lib/ld/map.noexdata, which shows how to map data-segments without the executable bit set (for use on x86 machines). More info on mapfiles (and the linker in general) can be found in the Software Developer Collection on docs.sun.com.
lint security checking
If you've looked at the Makefiles in OpenSolaris, you may have encountered the -errsecurity flag that is passed on to lint. Specifying this flag makes lint perform several static checks on your code that helps keeping you (me?) alert when coding. It won't of course fix any of the logic bugs that are present, but it'll alert you when you use one of the known insecure functions that are part of any POSIX-like UNIX.
There are three levels of complaining that lint will perform for you, core, standard and extended. By default, the Solaris Makefiles set this to "core" which include these checks
- Use of variable format strings with the printf() and scanf() family of functions
- Use of unbounded string (%s) formats in scanf() functions
- Use of functions with no safe usage: gets(), cftime(), ascftime(), creat()
- Incorrect use of open() with O_CREAT
New code to Solaris should not introduce any new lint-warnings on the core level, but I'd suggest you run it with standard or extended on any code you change or introduce. For more info on this option, see section 5.3.13 of the lint Source Code Checker.
Least privilege
Glenn Brunette already showed an example of how to convert an existing setuid application (ping) into a privilege-aware application. There is more information on how to develop privilege aware applications in the Solaris Security for Developers Guide, but I thought I'd just show a little bit of one of the privilege-aware daemons, the NFS daemon nfsd.
Right after starting up, the NFS daemon uses its initial privileges to create a lockfile in a root-owned directory (_create_daemon_lock). It needs all privileges to do so, since it modifies an object owned by "root".
All that it needs from now on, is the privilege to bind to a reserved port (the nfs-port); nothing more, nothing less. Thus the call to __init_daemon_priv which is a convenience routine around a number of calls to setppriv() and setreuid() and setgid().
Once this routine returns, the daemon runs with just the privilege of a normal process (>tt>basic) augmented with the privilege to bind to the NFS port (sys_nfs). No more special "root" like privileges from this point on. In this way, we can perform the argument parsing and other initialization code using minimized privileges that limit the impact of a possible bug in the start-up code.
After the daemon has registered itself for the various protocols it is supposed to support (calls to do_one and do_one), it relinquishes even more privileges. For example, It gives up its right to fork(2) and exec(2) other binaries. For this it uses another convenience rapper-function called __fini_daemon_priv() which removes the listed privileges from the set of permitted privileges (which also removes them from the effective set).
When this routine completes, the nfs daemon runs with the following set of privileges:
# ppriv -v `pgrep nfsd` 5239: /export/ws/work/usr/src/cmd/fs.d/nfs/nfsd/nfsd flags = PRIV_AWARE E: sys_nfs I: none P: sys_nfs L: none
So, IF someone would be able exploit, e.g., a stack overflow bug in nfsd, it the exploit code would not only run as (daemon, daemon) without any basic privilege, it would also need to run in the address space of the daemon itself since it can't fork() nor exec().
Makes for a pretty useless target to attack, not?
Technorati Tag: OpenSolaris
Technorati Tag: Solaris


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Conversion Story
"My life changed," says Glenn. "I may look the same. I may sound the same. But I am not the same man. . . the healing power of Jesus Christ transformed me."
When I first started watching the video, I couldn't stop. Like each of us, Glenn had a unique path which led him to Jesus Christ and to his conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
In An Unlikely Mormon: The Conversion Story of Glenn Beck, Glenn shares his conversion story not only with the live audience of 7,000 but also with all those who want to hear it. The DVD can be purchased from Deseret Book and all royalties are donated to charity.
Each of our experiences is unique in our relationship with Jesus Christ. Similar among all of them though is that He can answer our questions and help us through our personal struggles. Would you be interested in learning more about the peace that the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring into your life?


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Kim Jong Il, the leader of North Korea, died of an apparent massive heart attack on Saturday morning 17 December. Kim's youngest son, Kim Jong Un, is the heir to North Korean leadership. His succession was announced only last year, with a planned formal transfer of power from Kim Jong Il to Kim Jong Un in 2012.
How will the death of Kim Jong Il affect the stability of North Korea and its aggression toward South Korea, Japan, and the United States? The relevant questions include the following: Will North Korea's military support the leadership of Kim Jong Il? Will Kim Jong Il take any aggressive measures against South Korea or others to demonstrate his power and confidence? Will the transition of power in North Korea have any affect on the discussions with the United States, China, and others over the future status of North Korea's nuclear weapons program?
I've been looking forward to Sunday all week, and not just because it's Father's Day and not just because I'm scheduled to have the day off.
It's the final round of the U.S. Open, one of the greatest golf tournaments in the world, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.
After the first three rounds, though, I'm wondering if I should really scrap everything else, park my butt on the couch and spend all afternoon watching it unfold. Because it's pretty much over already.
The point of the spear in Operation Invincible Spirit has been airpower led by a small number F-22s and the naval force led by the USS George Washington. When we seek to intimidate our enemies, the F-22 is the invincible aircraft that is used.
Obama stopped F-22 production because the Chinese and Russians have no aircraft, missile, or ground-based defenses that can stand up to our F-22.
For the third time since becoming President, Kim Jong Il is again challenging Barack Obama. Will Commander in Chief Obama stand up to North Korea's Dictator?
Voice of America News reports that 15 nations have agreed to a set of cybersecurity principles intended to improve the state of cybersecurity worldwide. To achieve that goal nations will share information about their cybersecurity laws, develop international standards of conduct, and help less developed countries tighten their cybersecurity.
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We promote fair labor practices, safe working conditions and environmental responsibility throughout the Patagonia supply chain.
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View our supply chain


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Bike Denver's January Bike Hero
Submitted by Kris Thompson on
Every month Bike Denver has a Bike Hero of the Month award and this month goes to Doris Kimbrough.
Dr. Kimbrough has a surefire formula for keeping fit, saving cash, and avoiding traffic congestion—and it doesn't come from a beaker; it comes from a bike!
Kimbrough rides to campus more often than not, and says that Denver's abundance of sunny, dry days and well-maintained bike paths make her commute a snap. But even on not-so-nice days, she appreciates that "the Denver Parks and Rec Department does a terrific job of keeping those bike paths clear of ice, snow, and mud." Further simplifying her commute, Kimbrough's bike is equipped with saddlebags for hauling books, lunch, purse, computer, etc., and she also carries a rain suit in case the weather gets dicey during the day.
Dr. Kimbrough says she enjoys biking to work because it's healthy and green, and she doesn't have to pay to park.
News Item:
3 Comments
If you are out biking in
Submitted by Max Speed (not verified) on
If you are out biking in this weather, you must have a D.U.I.
Points: 19
everyone's limits are different
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
lol, yea, and anyone riding a bike after the age of 8 needs to grow up and join our car centric society..sure...
- I have absolutely no issue going out and biking in this weather, by choice, not necessity. Now more than ever, my bike is usually more efficient at getting me from A to B than a motor vehicle is.
There are other bikes that can be ridden other than skinny tire'd carbon road racing bikes. I enjoy by racing bike when the roads are clear; however, I love my utility bike with studded tires just as well. The crystal clear skies this time of the year are something to behold along with the sunsets, sunrises, and gleaming snow; all of which you barely get to see, much less appreciate while in a motor vehicle.
Temperature wise - if you can ski in it, you can definitely bike in it.
Points: 34
C'mon, are you really that
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on
C'mon, are you really that humor-impaired? The previous poster was just saying that it's crazy, sick, whacked, wicked nuts, whatever... to be out riding, due to the temps.
Try getting off your anti-car high horse for a minute or two and you'll see it was a compliment to anyone out braving the weather.
Points: 42


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Toyota may be the king of international sales, but that doesn't mean that the company's trucks and cars are without added safety problems. The latest, involving faulty heaters in the seats of six models including 2013-2014 Camry, Corolla, Avalon, Sienna, Tacoma and Tundra, prompting the immediate cessation of sales for more than 36,000 unsold vehicles in the US until the heating component is replaced.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), they were first notified of the problem after tests being done by South Korea's Automotive Test and Research Institute discovered that the fabric backing material used near seat heaters did not comply with U.S vehicle flammability standards.
"The timing of this issue, and its impact on Toyota's most popular models, couldn't be much worse," stated Karl Brauer, analyst for Kelley Blue Book,. "Given that much of the U.S. is currently in the grips of a record cold snap there's sure to be high demand for models with seat heaters."
Meanwhile Toyota spokesman John Hanson noted that there have been no reports of any seat fires or injuries involving the models listed above, and as a result the company is not planning on issuing a recall for any of the vehicles already sold.
For more information, readers can contact the NHTSA at 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE West Bldg., Washington, DC 20590 888327-4236.


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I would like to personally invite you to view the pages and enjoy each day as it comes. These are all personal pictures and insights for living a believing life. There are 30 days of quotes and/or verses to encourage you on your way to being your best and bringing out your inner light to truly shine.
Jacqui is a college grad and has been an at-home mom for over 30 years. Her husband was military, then a corporate executive, then together they've explored the world of entrepreneurship. During that time, they both trained to be ministry leaders. It's been a rocky road at times, building strength and character. Jacqui has recently joined Toastmaster's so she is better able to share her story, coming from being invisible to her personal and Godly shine. Since having grandchildren, she has even gone the next step, with shining white hair that she is proud of. Jacqui would like to encourage you to find your inner shine and wear it proudly.
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