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Michael Taylor, a reporter for Pacifica station KPFK in Los Angeles, has been murdered. Friends believe the execution-style shooting may have been related to Taylor's involvement in developing a micro-power radio station.
Taylor's body was found April 23 in a vacant lot near railroad tracks in south Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles Times. His hands were bound and he had been shot several times, reports say.
A former homeless man who, according to a friend, had struggled with drug and alcohol addiction, Taylor turned his life around after he entered KPFK's 15-month apprentice program. As a reporter he had an interest in stories about police brutality, gangs and homelessness, associates say. He also reported on the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, whose conviction for killing a Philadelphia police officer in 1982 became an international cause celebre. At least once, Taylor traveled to Philadelphia to cover the death-row inmate's well-publicized appeal for a new trial.
One friend says Taylor was an activist on behalf of Abu-Jamal, and some speculate that Taylor was killed as a result of his reporting or activism. "He was very much interested in issues surrounding his community, and unfortunately rather fearless in his pursuits," says KPFK volunteer programmer and engineer Doran Barons. "He was definitely in areas--he didn't create friends in certain areas."
Others say Taylor had inadvertently become involved with suspicious and possibly dangerous people in an attempt to start a micro-power radio station, perhaps L.A.'s first. Bob Marston, an occasional KPFK volunteer who was building the underground station's transmitter, says one of their co-workers on the project was threatened when he and Marston tried to back out of the project. "Michael never told me about the type of trouble he or we were in," says Marston. "Toward the end, in the last two weeks, Michael decided to pull out of it, too."
Marston says that several days before his body was found, Taylor was visited in his home by two young men who "took him from his place." Whether he was forcibly taken is not clear. Whether Taylor's roommates called police also is not clear.
Sources say other people may be in danger. At least one person involved in the project moved to a new residence after Taylor's murder.
Like many Pacifica volunteers, Taylor was frustrated with the direction in which the network is taking its programming. "They're getting away from controversial subjects," says Marston. "They don't want to attack corporate culture." Taylor spoke out against KPFK management at a rally this spring. His involvement in the unregulated world of "micro-radio" was born of that frustration.
Stephen Dunifer, perhaps the best-known "guerrilla" broadcaster because of his continual court battles with the FCC, says the number of micro-power stations in the country is "in the hundreds." He helps support his 24-hour station with revenue from the sale of kits he sends to folks wanting to set up the underground outlets. The kits contain the workings of "inexpensive, broadcast-quality" transmitters designed by Dunifer.
Marston says he is not giving up on micro-radio in Los Angeles, that there are several groups trying to start up stations.
Taylor is described by virtually one and all as a warm, gentle man with an avid interest in bettering the world. With his "wonderful smile and a cracked tooth," says Barons, there was never a time when Taylor "wouldn't stop a conversation to ... acknowledge you, [say] 'How are you doing, it's good to see you, and what are you up to?' That is the tragedy of this whole thing. He was a good person trying to do good in the community."
Gail Christian, head of Pacifica's National Program Service and temporary manager of WPFW in Washington, says she remembers Taylor showing up at WPFW's door unexpectedly. He didn't have a place to stay, but wasn't worried about it, she says. "He was a guy with a big smile, and he knew it was going to work out. Me, I need a hotel reservation and in-house movies or I don't leave home."
"We will sorely miss him," she says. "It's just sad. And I keep thinking how horrible it would be to have your hands tied behind your back waiting to be shot."
In recent days there was a memorial service in Los Angeles for Taylor, who is survived by two daughters. He has been buried in Oklahoma, where he grew up.


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(Photo by Brent Shipman, Staff)
CHARLESTON -- With the visiting Meridian, Ill. Bobcats erasing a one-time 14-point deficit to come back and tie Charleston early in the fourth quarter, the Bluejays needed someone to step up and stop what could have been a second half collapse.
Luckily for Charleston, Gregory Tucker came through with his biggest quarter of the game, scoring 15 of the Bluejays 20 points in the frame to help his team hold on for the 83-77 win.
"I started feeling it more in the fourth," Tucker said. "I don't even know. I can't even really explain. I think it's real good to come through in the clutch with free throws and everything.
"That comes from putting shots in at practice and getting prepared for it."
Coming out of the half up 44-35, Charleston was able to open up its biggest lead of the night when they went on a 6-2 run in the first two minutes of the third to go up by 14.
Not rolling over, however, the Bobcats started their comeback from that moment on, slowly working their way back in to the game until an 11-3 run to end the third put them back within four points of the Bluejays.
Key to that run was Daryl Rayford, who scored eight of those 11 points, including hitting a three from the left side of the arc to end the quarter.
Meridian's comeback was finally complete in the first minute of the fourth when Cameron Ballard connected on a three from the left corner of the court, followed by Jammerio Moore hitting 1 of 2 free throws to tie the game at 63.
Not getting flustered, the Bluejays scored their first basket of the frame to retake the lead and shortly after a timeout was called, allowing Charleston to regroup with 6:23 left to play.
From that moment on, Charleston slowly started to once again put Meridian in their rear-view mirror, thanks in large part to Tucker scoring 11 of the team's first 12 points in the quarter to push their lead back to seven.
After the Bobcats hit one more shot to make it 75-70, Charleston was able to use ball management to start running down the clock with a little under four minutes to play.
Forced to start fouling, Meridian could only watch as the Bluejays connected on 6 of 8 shots from the line in the final three-and-a-half minutes while Krushon Scott added a basket to help secure the win.
"The bench really played well tonight," Charleston head coach Danny farmer said. "I have to take my hat off to the bench.
"We hustled, played hard and hung on until the end learning how to win games like this. That's what it's all about."
On top of his 15 points in the fourth, Tucker put up another 15 in the first three quarters of play to lead the Bluejays with 30. Coming in second on the team was Jerry Carter who hit three 3-pointers as part of his 15 points.
Pushing their record to 5-2, Charleston will look to stay on the winning path when they travel to Caruthersville on Friday, where they will play the Tigers at 6 p.m.
MERIDIAN (77) -- Cameron Ballard 11, DeMarko Ransom 3, Jerry Johnson 17, Brandon Madison 13, Daryl Rayford 14, Joshua Jones 14, Jammerio Moore 5. FG 31, FT 7-11, F 26. (3-pointers: Ballard 2, Ransom 1, Johnson 2, Madison 2, Rayford 1. Fouled out: Madison).
CHARLESTON (83) -- Aaron Cassel 13, Maurice Moore 3, Ryan Parham 4, Trey Watkins 5, Gregory Tucker 30, Claude Armstrong 2, Jerry Carter 15, Krushon Scott 11. FG 25, FT 25-40, F 16. (3-pointers: Cassel 4, Moore 1, Carter 3. Fouled out: none).

subset: commoncrawl


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Rossdeutscher Named Chairman of SSA Green Initiative
Posted on October 1, 2010 by
FRIANT, Calif.-Ralph Rossdeutscher has become chairman of the Green Initiative Board of the Specialty Sleep Association.
Rossdeutscher, founder and owner of mattress manufacturer Natura World, will lead the board's program to develop a materials-content label guide and a new Level III seal that focuses on more stringent environmental standards for mattresses. Dale Read, SSA's president, said Rossdeutscher and the Green Initiative Board will focus on creating a new level of information for an even higher environmental standard for mattresses over the next few months.
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working title: Shape Up
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Product Description
A great two-player strategy game! Shape Up takes seconds to learn and minutes to play. Get four in a row -- one player goes for shapes, the other for colors. Upset your opponent's plan, while shaping your strategy to win.
Product Awards
Product Information
Maureen Hiron
Out of the Box Publishing
Cathleen Quinn-Kinney, John Kovalic
Year: 2006
Players: 2
Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Ages: 8 and up
Weight: 813 grams
Language Requirements: Game components are language-independent. Manufacturer's rules are printed in English. This is a domestic item.
- 54 game tiles
- 1 shape marker
- 1 color marker
- game board with storage
- easy play rules
Product Reviews
Average Rating: 3.5 in 1 review
As a child, I played Connect Four probably dozens of times; and while it got a little predictable after a while, I enjoyed dropping the checkers down the chutes. As soon as I played MixUp (Out of the Box Publishing, 2006 - Maureen Hiron), I was immediately reminded of the older game. Really, MixUp is little more than Connect Four with a twist. But the twist pretty much changes the game to make it quite a bit different - a rather challenging game between two players. Tense and interesting, it's a game that takes only a brief time to play and has some nice quality components.
The game comes with fifty-four pieces - each with two characteristics: color (green, red, or blue) and shape (moon, raindrop, and lightning bolt). A seven by seven "grid", which is basically seven columns into which the pieces can slide into, is set up, with players deciding whether or not they want to be "colors" or "shapes". The "color" player goes first and picks any tile from the table, dropping it down one of the columns.
Play alternates between players, with each player picking any piece they want (although the "shape" player must pick a different-shaped piece on their first turn), and dropping it down one of the columns. The "color" player is attempting to either get four of the same color piece in a row - diagonally or orthogonally, or a two by two square of all the same color pieces. The "shape" person is doing the same thing, except they go by shapes, not colors. The first person to accomplish this goal is the winner!
Some quick comments on a quick game…
1.) Rules: Obviously these are very short rules; and considering that the rulebook is one of the shortest I've seen from OOTB Publishing (just barely four small pages), there still isn't that much there. The game is very intuitive, and young teenagers I taught it to quickly picked it up. It's a shame that the game is limited to only two players, as I would enjoy a three-player option; but since the game is quick, you can play multiple games in a group rapidly.
2.) Components: The quality is really amazing in this small game, with both the board and the tiles made of a hard but chunky plastic - with the look of high quality (the shapes are pressed into the pieces, rather than simply painted on). The back of the board opens up to hold all the pieces, which means that the small square box is unnecessary if you are looking to easily transport the game. I suppose that with only six tiles of each type, that it would seem that you might run out of some, but I never have; and I've seen/observed the game being played over ten times.
3.) Time: My last comment was easy to make, since MixUp plays in such a short time. Yes, you can sit there for lengthy periods of time, slowly debating over which tile to choose, and which column to drop it in; but I've played against folks of varying temperaments and haven't run into anyone who has played a game longer than 15 minutes. Most games are finished before the board is half filled up.
4.) Sneakiness: Because one player is colors, and the other shapes, the game has an inherent stealth-like nature about it. It's a hard pill to swallow when you lose because of a piece that YOU placed, but it's entirely possible since every piece means something to both players. When I am the color player, I play the color of the tile offensively, and the shape defensively. This might mean that I can do both in one move - and it's a joy when that happens, but more often it means that I have to be careful about setting the opponent up.
5.) Fun Factor: I've read that Connect Four has been "solved", and I believe it, because there is a finite number of moves and options in that game. And I believe that MixUp also probably has a similar number of moves. But MixUp is fun because players are using the same pieces in a different ways, and because it seems as if one has more options. The adding of the "square" (two by two box) method of winning helps the game to never degenerate to a stalemate (I haven't seen one yet) and allows players to quickly force the opponent into a win.
If you liked Connect Four, then this is an easy choice - it's more of the same, only better. If you didn't like Connect Four because of its simplicity, then I would invite you to at least consider MixUp - it adds an astonishingly large amount of tactics with only the changing of a few rules. It has a quality feel in the materials used, a unique feel in the mechanics, and a simple feel in the time and rules. A fun "filler" two-player game, I'm glad to own it. And I'll never play Connect Four again.
Tom Vasel
"Real men play board games"


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I recently chopped off a few inches of hair because the ends were all dry and damaged and breaking (lived in the desert for three years and didn't take care of it properly ). I've been considering chopping it short short, like a short choppy bob style. I've had long hair forever. The last time I cut it short I swore I would never do it again, but I was also a LOT heavier then, and I hated how it made my face look. I've lost a lot of weight and I think with how angular my face is now, I could pull it off.
Here's a picture of my current cut (left) and with it pinned back (right) to sort of approximate the look I'd be going for if I cut it shorter.
If I don't cut it, I'm going to let it grow back out long like my profile pic.


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JAN 13, 2013 - New York Daily News
A Must Read - Share
Lady Gaga had plenty of surprises in store for the little monsters that came to see her on the opening night of her latest North American tour. The "Born This Way Ball" kicked off in spectacular Gaga fashion with a mechanical horse, her infamous meat dress, 40 trunks filled with costume changes, and 800 pounds of liquid CO2.
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Nobody asked me but...I got my crystal ball out and the area high school football season has been laid out before me.
The games start next week and I will lay it out before they play it out.
Class 4, District 1 has been won by West Plains the last two seasons. I am still wondering why MSHSAA continues to let a team from the state of Kansas compete in the Missouri playoffs, but that is another item for another day.
The Zizzers will be led by quarterback Tyler Schmitt who can beat you with his arm or with his legs. West Plains appears to be the favorite in the district with many players returning on both sides of the ball.
Poplar Bluff will return the quarterback-receiver duo of Asa Wyatt and Nick Stith. Wyatt threw for close to 2,000 yards to lead the area last season. Stith had 53 receptions for over 1,100 and had 11 receiving touchdowns, which led the area in all three categories.
Cape Central will return running back Hakeem Hammonds who netted close to 1,000 yards and had eight touchdowns last season.
Sikeston returns a lot of their skilled position players and after last season's disappointing 1-9 record, the Bulldogs are looking to play the ole' Bob Marley classic, "Redemption Song," and find redemption in the new season.
Many were impressed with Sikeston's scrimmage last Friday. Look for the Bulldogs to surprise a few teams this year and notch more wins this season.
Personally, I would love for the Bulldogs to capture the district crown. But I just don't see that happening this year. Baby steps, Bulldog fans, baby steps. Look for West Plains to take the title for a third year in a row back to Kansas.
* Class 2, District 1 is going to be a dog fight this year with Charleston moving into the district with East Prairie, Caruthersville and Malden.
The district is loaded with quality running backs in Kendrickus Reed of the Tigers, Paris Tipler of the Eagles, Joseph Watts of the Bluejays and Ryan Criglar of Malden.
Reed led the area last season with over 2,100 yards. Tipler ran for over 1,750 yards and led the area with 31 touchdowns. Watts was fourth in the area with over 1,370 yards, while Criglar had over 1,000 yards on the ground and over 500 yards receiving.
Caruthersville is defending champions and return several key skilled players led by Reed, along with receiver Rashad Fields and running back Aaron Borders.
Charleston is the newcomer and big things are expected this season after last year's fiasco against Crystal City in district play. The Bluejays have a ton of talent in receiver Jamarcus Williams and quarterback Justin Clark, but can they pull it all together when it counts? Charleston looked a little flat in last week's scrimmage but it is early. Very early.
East Prairie has Tipler and tight end Tony Jones leading the way on offense, but offense wasn't the problem last year. Can the Eagles defense be more than a speed bump this year?
Malden has plenty of speed on the team as many were on the state champion track team last spring. The big question for Malden and most of the District 1 teams is offensive and defensive line play. The line that can gel well together will be the superior team.
My gut wants to say that Charleston will win the district, but after last year's district meltdown against Crystal City, I just don't know. I'll take a wait-and-
see approach on them.
I'll go with a team that's been there. Caruthersville will be the last team standing.
* The Dexter Bearcats are the returning champs in Class 3, District 1 and look to be primed for another run against New Madrid County Central, Kennett and Perryville.
Perryville returns a majority of players off a 0-10 season.
The district will come down between Dexter and NMCC in the final week of the season. Dexter has a ton of talent coming back, but for some reason my crystal ball envisions an eagle soaring over a Bearcat. Crazy.
*Some more predictions sure to go wrong by the end of the season...
Tipler will lead the area in rushing with over 2,200 yards and will win the Carr Trophy for best player in the area.
The Chaffee Red Devils will end their losing streak that has reached 34 games and will not only win a game this year, but will win three.
East Prairie head coach Corey Adkisson will be the coach of the year for the Standard Democrat coverage area.
My NAMB lineman of the year will be Patrick Guest of NMCC.
And finally, nobody asked me but...before the hate mail rolls in, don't blame me. I am just a messenger. If one must blame, please blame the crystal ball.


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British military chiefs said they hoped the deployment of surface-to-air missiles in a London park would "allay people's fears" as the armed forces geared up for the 2012 Olympic Games.
The Rapier and smaller high-velocity missiles were deployed as part of Exercise Olympic Guardian, a nine-day training operation to test the response to a possible attack during the Games.
The missiles were shown off in Blackheath, southeast London, on high ground overlooking Greenwich Park, where the equestrian events will be held, and the steel-and-glass towers of the Canary Wharf financial services district.
Colonel Jon Campbell, commander of the Joint Ground Based Air Defence, said: "We have done as much as we can to allay people's fears. "The Rapier system has a world-class radar on it and is particularly good at picking up low and slow-moving objects in the sky. It means we're able to get the very best picture of what is happening in the skies of London," he said.
Air Vice Marshal Stuart Atha said there was no specific threat to the Olympics, but that system aimed to "detect at the earliest possible stage a range of potential airborne threats".
Blackheath Common - where the annual London Marathon begins - is one of four planned sites around London for Rapier deployment. As part of the training exercise, Typhoon fighter jets are stationed near the capital, along with military helicopters and the amphibious assault ship HMS Ocean.
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Let's start off the new year by revisiting a headline from the old year. The crisis in the home lending market - especially for sub-prime loans to marginal borrowers - hit the fan in 2007 and will cause an additional financial crunch this year. My concern now, as it has been all along, is that trustworthy borrowers who make their payments on time and who follow the rules may well ultimately pay for this manufactured crisis.
What happened is this: The economy was perking along just fine and competition among banks became intense. That competition prompted many lenders to turn a blind eye on customers who had a questionable credit history and an equally questionable ability to repay their home loan.
But the loan officers were under increasing pressure and so the lax policy prevailed. Then speculators entered the market to buy homes, pay only the interest on those properties and then wait for the housing market to increase the home's value. But the housing market slowed, the values actually decreased and those speculators were left with costly properties valued less than what they owed the bank.
When the crisis began to surface, home foreclosures hit record levels. Late payments hit record levels. And the federal government started to become increasingly concerned that the banks and the big boys who buy their loans were going to go under.
A report out of California last week showed that almost 70 percent of the problem loans there were to speculators. Well, tough. Those greedy souls were in the game to make money and they bet on the wrong horse. I don't want one cent of my tax dollar to help them out of their money pinch.
For those questionable borrowers, the lenders are the ones who should suffer the loss. The banks and brokers were so competitive that they knew these loans were marginal at best. I don't want anyone to lose their home but I'm also unwilling to bail out the banks who knew these loans were on the edge in the first place.
Here's how ridiculous the process had become. A new federal rule will go into effect this year that would make some changes for banks who loan money to customers to buy a home. One of those changes is that banks would now be required to have proof of the borrowers' income before making the loan. Well duh! Do you mean to tell me that these banks were providing questionable loans and not even requiring the borrower to provide proof of income? I have no sympathy for these lenders.
Maybe the problem is we have too many banks. Maybe that increased competition promotes loose practices that can harm the entire economy.
As is often the case, the source of the problem in the housing market is greed. Greed among bankers and greed among speculators. Our tax money should never be used to reward greed or ignorance.


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- Report: #733178
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: Terminix - Hazel Park, Michigan
Terminix - Hazel Park, Michigan24030 Vance Ave. Hazel Park, Michigan United States of America
Terminix - Hazel Park, Michigan 24030 Vance Ave Paid $150 for a fraudelent termite report. Second opinion of another company no termites. Hazel Park, Michigan
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The inspector "Chris" indicated on his report that he "suspected" termites could be in the house. However, he said he did not see any evidence. I asked him why should he put "suspected" instead of we do have termites or we do not. We paid them to give us a professional inspection.
However, we realized the company must have told the inspectors to indicate "suspect". He told me that I should have no problem, but he had to include the wording on the document. VA would not accept the word "suspect" on report and we could not close until it was taken care of. We hired another company who did the inspection for $85 and after a thorough inspection the the house, his finding was there was "no visible evidence of termites. Terminix refused to rewrite the report or refund our money.
I feel the company thought we would call them for extermination, because they called the next day for appointment times and cost.
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 05/25/2011 04:34 PM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Terminix-Hazel-Park-Michigan/Hazel-Park-Michigan-48030/Terminix-Hazel-Park-Michigan-24030-Vance-Ave-Paid-150-for-a-fraudelent-termite-report-733178. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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Danish power metal merchants MANTICORA have completed work on their third full-length album, entitled Hyperion, at Aabenraa studios with producer Jacob Hansen (i.e. RAUNCHY, INVOCATOR, ANCIENT, ILLDISPOSED, WUTHERING HEIGHTS), for an October release through Italy's Scarlet Records. Mixed at Jailhouse studios by Tommy Hansen (i.e. HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS, BEYOND TWILIGHT), the forthcoming CD is a concept album, meant as a tribute to well-known author Dan Simmons' amazing Hyperion saga. However, due to copyright issues, MANTICORA have chosen to alter certain names of persons and places in the story. According to an official press release from Scarlet, "Hyperion is a heart-pounding science-fiction novel with emphasis on emotions such as love, rage, loss, fear and pain, and MANTICORA have succeeded in capturing each and one of those emotions on the album. For all fans of science fiction and fantasy, this conceptual piece will be welcomed wholeheartedly."
MANTICORA To Issue "Hyperion" In October
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- Now that we got that out of the way, what do you need?
- We offer case pricing and also can provide any mixer that you need.
- Need ice? We can add that to your order and if you need smokes simply let us know when you place your order.
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Welcome to the home of
New England Apple Association
Apples A (Akane) to Z (Zestar!)August 24, 2016TWO APPLES now available at many New England orchards span the alphabet: Akane and Zestar! With mid-season varieties like McIntosh, Cortland, Macoun, and Honeycrisp still ... Read More
Starting the apple season with SansaAugust 17, 2016THE EARLY RETURNS are in, and there is good news for New England apple lovers. Despite last year's bumper crop, which is often followed by ... Read More
Mutsu and Stayman among the year's best late-season applesApril 20, 2016SOME OF THE BEST New England apples from the 2015 fresh harvest are still available in stores. Cortlands and McIntosh are remarkably crisp and flavorful ... Read More
New England Apple of the Week
Tart/Sweet Scale
|1801 Dundas County, Ontario, Canada
|Fameuse x Detroit Red
Especially juicy, slightly tart, and the most aromatic of all apples, with two-toned red and green skin, McIntosh has been praised by countless writers, chefs, and apple lovers for its unique flavor. Here is Frank Browning's poetic description of the Mac, one of his prize apples in the book Apples: "The McIntosh is a medium sized, bright red to deep purple over green, with a dusty bluish bloom. Crisp but not hard white flesh with berry-like aroma and high juiciness."


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Men's Rights Redditors take on racism. By which they mean a white dude admitting that white dudes aren't actually oppressed
Over on the Men's Rights subreddit, the locals are pig-biting mad about racism. Are they organizing vigils for murdered black teen Trayvon Martin? Are they challenging the Hunger Games fans who are sending out racist tweets complaining about the character "Rue" being played by a black actress?
Nope. They are doing something much, much braver. They are taking on a white dude for mocking other white dudes who are convinced they are the truly oppressed.
Over on the Boston Magazine web site, blogger Barry Nolan sets forth this truly hateful argument:
I have been a white male all my life and to tell you the truth, I have found it to be a pretty sweet deal. … Wherever you look and by almost any metric, any statistic, it works out to be a pretty sweet deal to start out life as a white male. …
So I cannot, for the life of me, understand why so many white men like me can be found whining about how tough it is to be a white man. It's a mystery to me how they came to feel so beset on every side by feminists, minorities, and "the system." When in fact, the system is so stacked in our favor, it's almost embarrassing.
On the Men's Rights subreddit a post blasting Nolan as a "racist idiot" now boasts 90 upvotes. In the comments, the brave antiracists set poor Nolan straight on a thing or two. To Ellwood78, it's just a big coincidence that most of the powerful figures in the US happen to be white dudes:
NoNoJCM, meanwhile, reports on his own bitter experience as one of the oppressed:
Irrel_M is apparently a Stephen Colbert fan who isn't in on the joke:
To paraphrase Sojourner Truth, "ain't I a white dude?"
Note: This post incorporates some
Posted on March 27, 2012, in antifeminism, I am making a joke, I'm totally being sarcastic, irony alert, misandry, misogyny, MRA, oppressed white men, racism, reddit, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 230 Comments.
Polliwog – No need to apologize, and man, I'm sorry that shit happened to you. I wasn't objecting to you saying you'd moved on, more just pointing out that there are a variety of ways of coping that don't involve "I suffered therefore I have a Lifetime Asshole Pass."
Wow, I'm sorry you guys went through all that. I got called names and had spitballs shot at me and I took it pretty hard, but that's nothing.
I ran out of cream for my coffe this morning. Another victory for Antz and the MRM!
Polliwog – No need to apologize, and man, I'm sorry that shit happened to you. I wasn't objecting to you saying you'd moved on, more just pointing out that there are a variety of ways of coping that don't involve "I suffered therefore I have a Lifetime Asshole Pass."
No worries, I just figured it was better to be totally clear that inadvertently say something I hadn't meant. (And I'm similarly sorry – every time I think I've heard all the possible stories of people being assholes, someone shares something like "also, they threatened to set me on fire" and I go back to "WTF HUMANITY, WHY DO YOU SUCK SO MUCH" mode.)
*totally clear THAN
MRAL, if you're still reading – continuing to force interactions with people after they've clearly told you to go away is not OK. Forcing your way into communities that you know don't want you around is not OK. The fact that you do not or are not willing to understand this is not OK.
Now go away, for good this time.
I think Scooby has a point. I worked hard in my classes, spending sometimes, oh, thirty minutes or so on any one of my homework assignments; doing homework during homeroom and other school times; I got As and Bs and was generally a teacher's pet.
And then one day I put on a hoodie and carried some Skittles and I totally failed to get chased down and shot like a dog by some violent vigilante with delusions of authority OH WAIT
I was going to point out that Scooby was Mr. Al last night, when he posted basically the same complaint both here and on Nolan's piece.
I do hope he doesn't become the next Dennis Markuze. Dude was scary because he might hurt someone and scary because he might hurt himself.
Not that it's inevitable.
Markuze was really sick, and at least is getting treated now. M__L is just pathetic (Nobody expect me to buy his word on illness anymore, right? He's a serial liar, and not even a compulsive one)
You have my sympathy about your bipolar diagnosis. I'm depressive, have been all my life but, guess what, it doesn't make me abusive or turn up and bother folks who have already told me they aren't interested in talking to me. People are telling you to GTFO and if you had an ounce of decency you'd pack up your damn goodies and leave.
There are people in this community who are going through and been through stuff that you can barely imagine. Sometimes they're prepared to talk about it, but not to you. You've already made it clear that you think we are lying about life experiences that shape who we are so why the fuck should we put up with listening to your white boy pain?
Goddammit! I wanted to poke MRAL with a stick! And I MISSED IT.
God I'm so depressed.
And dammit, I KNOW bipolar people. I might be living with one in the near future. Somehow, they have managed to NOT be complete asshats; they are actually quite nice people. This leads me to believe that them being bipolar is something unrelated to their level of assholishness.
I know MRAL is gone, but I'd like to remind a hilarious lie he one said: he tried to pass as a middle-aged man with a limp and working in a factory. "He" was poor but had been offered a computer by a family member. (I might have mixed up some details, but that's basically it)
Wait, Mr. Al is actually NWOslave?😛


text:
Two problems with VSyncPosted Monday, 18 November, 2013 - 09:05 by Istrebitel in
I have two different problems with VSync. I'm making a simple app that has to show an image to the user (string of text) for a very small amount of time. Basically, 1 frame on 60hz monitor. Obviously, this is a very simple program and if I unlock fps (VSync off), It's getting 130 FPS on an old Compaq 6510b notebook or 200 (max) on my PC.
In order to test both if the VSync is working, and if the 1 out of 60 frames is actually showing, I've made at test program. All relevant code is in the rendering event :
protected override void OnRenderFrame(FrameEventArgs e) { frames++; time_elapsed += e.Time; if (time_elapsed >= ttl_max) // const double ttl_max = 1.0 { double fps = frames / time_elapsed; SetText(fps.ToString()); frames = 0.0; time_elapsed = 0.0; } GL.Clear(ClearBufferMask.ColorBufferBit); if (frames == 0.0) { GL.MatrixMode(MatrixMode.Projection); GL.LoadIdentity(); GL.Ortho(0, Width, Height, 0, -1, 1); GL.Enable(EnableCap.Texture2D); GL.Enable(EnableCap.Blend); GL.BlendFunc(BlendingFactorSrc.One, BlendingFactorDest.OneMinusSrcAlpha); GL.BindTexture(TextureTarget.Texture2D, text_texture); GL.Begin(BeginMode.Quads); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 0f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 0f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 1200); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 1200); GL.End(); } this.SwapBuffers(); }
Basically, I'm measuring FPS, and outputting it once per second. Of course, in the OnLoad of the GameWindow I've set VSync property to On.
Here are my two problems:
1) It doesn't work on some machines even if it is enabled in the application and allowed in drivers.
I've tested it on some PC's with different graphics cards and OS'es (XP and 7). On all of them, VSync worked , meaning, despite running the window with 200 target fps, It was showing 60 (or 75 for a 75Hz monitor). Now, am testing on a Compaq 6510b notebook (it has mobile intel 965 express chipset for a graphics cart) and it doesn't - it shows ~130 FPS. I've double checked, and in the OpenGL settings of the driver (Intel Graphics Media Accelerator Driver for mobile) it's set to default setting - which is Off for Asynchronous Flip - which means, Vsync is enabled (http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-030506.htm Figure 3). However, I just CANNOT get Vsync to work.
What can I be doing wrong? Is there any way to debug this?
2) Frames get skipped despite Vsync being on and working
On the PC I'm testing, sometimes the frame is skipped! PC is a quite modern one, GTX460 video card and Intel i7 processor 3GHz 4cores, Win7 x64, with vsync off I get up to 700 FPS (somehow, even though I specify 200 as target, because that's the maximum allowed). So, I'm running the app and I'm noticing every once in a while, about 2 seconds (instead of 1) pass between text flashing on the screen. Basically, sometimes a frame is skipped!
How can this be happening?
From what I understand, Vsync means that every buffer flip waits until the monitor requests the next frame, and flips right after. Therefore, there is absolutely no chance for any single "flipped" image NOT to appear on the monitor, whatever the frame rate (even if the frame rate would slow to a crawl due to a busy scene, which is not the case because as I said, the PC is quite fast and the task is trivial). Because in order for the image not to ever appear, only one thing can happen: before it got sent to the monitor, another image took its place. But it cannot happen because of the Vsync!
So, what can allow it to happen?
Thanks in advance!
VSync requires support for the WGL_EXT_swap_interval extension. This was published in 1999, so all modern GPUs should support it. The relevant code in OpenTK can be found in Source/OpenTK/Platform/Windows/WinGLContext.cs line 315.
If this extension is not supported, you will not be able to modify vsync at runtime. For instance:
window.Context.SwapInterval = 1; if (window.Context.SwapInterval != 1) { // vsync is not supported }
In this case, your only option is a driver update from the GPU manufacturer. However, you should still be able to force vsync through the settings UI for your GPU.
For the 700fps issue, please file a bug report at https://github.com/opentk/opentk/issues. It would help if you attach a tiny test case that I could compile and run directly.
Skipped frames can happen for a lot of different reasons, some of them fixable, some not. Most common:
- Latency spikes due to garbage collection. 700 fps gives you a moving average, but does not tell you anything about the standard deviation.
- DWM interference. Starting with Windows Vista, you no longer render directly to the screen. Instead, you render to an offscreen buffer and the DWM decides when and where to display that buffer. This can (and does) introduce stuttering.
- Framerate mismatch. Some monitors are not clocked to 60 Hz, but some number close to that (e.g. 59.94 to match the NTSC standard). This introduces a periodic stuttering (but the period is much longer than 2-3 seconds)
Rules of thumb:
- Log your frametimes, not your framerate. If you see a frametime sequence of (milliseconds) "2, 2, 20, 2, ..." you can immediately locate the frameskip.
- Avoid generating garbage at runtime. Load and cache everything you can at startup. This includes strings.
- Double check that your monitor is running an exact integer refresh rate. There are applications that can build custom display modes if necessary.
- Try disabling the Aero theme. (This is no longer an option on Windows 8)
- Try increasing your process priority to "AboveNormal".
These may help alleviate, but not eliminate, the issue. Depending on the application you are building and the amount of accuracy you require, you might have to consider more drastic measures.
1) I don't think I can force it, the only option is to turn on Asynchronous Flip which disables Vsync, but there's no option (at least as far as I see) to force Vsync to On. Or maybe Asynchronous Flip = Off means Vsync is forced, but still, it's not happening.
The suggested code seems reasonable, but it doesn't work! I've just tried it on the notebook, and SwapInterval gets set to 1 all right (and when I compare it, it's = 1), but Vsync still is not happening.
2) Hmm, so even DirectX 11 games and such all render to the buffer that DWM manipulates?... Shouldn't it hurt in modern competitive FPS titles?
I have just tested, and wierd thing is, this "skipping" almost never happens on the 1.0 version, but it happens a lot of 1.1 (nightly) version. It still sometimes happens on 1.0 but very, very rarely.
Here's an archive with two programs I'm testing wtih http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/f255443a (uncheck the box at the bottom to get the file without the extra BS this site tries to give you).
Program should display FPS, lowest frametime in the last second, and then every frametime for the last second below in rows of 4. When the second passes, a text string should "blink" in the top left corner of the screen (right now it's just the same FPS and lowest frametime string). This "blink" should happen once every second. With 1.0 library verison, it does (I can't even get to to skip once right now, I waited for some time and it didn't skip once). With 1.1 it skips constantly (like, it takes me about several seconds to get the first skip).
What could have changed from 1.0 to 1.1 to introduce those?
Also, I tried filing an issue but "404" screen popped. Here's the version of my test app with vsync off http://www1.datafilehost.com/d/dcf10adf it gives 700FPS on my machine, even though the code is
using (SimpleWindow example = new SimpleWindow()) { example.Run(200, 200); }
Thanks for testing, this means that WGL_EXT_swap_buffer is supported but the driver is choosing to ignore that for some reason. Can you please do one more test with the SDL backend in the nightly? Just copy SDL.dll from Dependencies/x86 or x64 to your application directory and try again.
If the behavior has changed between 1.0 and 1.1, then this is a strong hint that the stuttering is caused by the garbage collector. The implementation of GameWindow is designed to avoid runtime memory allocations - I have filed a bug at https://github.com/opentk/opentk/issues/1
Fullscreen windows can bypass the DWM, so fullscreen games are generally not affected. When running in a window, there is small but measurable performance impact (but it doesn't really matter unless you are under severely limited in memory bandwidth.)
About SDL: Strangely, the lib is called SDL2.DLL in the x86 Dependencies, I've copied it and made a copy of it called SDL.dll just for sure in the folder with my program. No effect :(
About GameWindow: hmm, okay, then I guess my immediate question is this:
Can I myself fix the problem here http://www.opentk.com/node/3435#comment-14675 or is it too complicated? Could you probably hint me how to do it?
The thing I'm coding needs to be done ASAP, so while waiting for 1.1 release to tackle the GameWindow issue, I'd rather use the 1.0 - if I can make it possible to open new GameWindow after previous one was Exit'ed.
You are right, it should be named SDL2.dll, not SDL.dll! You can verify that you are getting the SDL backing as follows:
if (Configuration.RunningOnSdl2) { // SDL2 backend }
I am planning to make a 1.1 beta release later today, so I would suggest waiting for that if at all possible. There are no plans to backport fixes to the 1.0 branch at this point.
So, the difference between 1.1 and 1.0 (https://github.com/opentk/opentk/issues/1) will be fixed in this beta release, but it is not yet fixed in the nightly release 2013-11-12?
I'm investigating as we speak. It's the last blocking issue for the beta release.
Edit: memory allocations are flat after startup, which is how they are supposed to be. This is not a GC issue (or if it is, it's not caused by OpenTK.)
Investigating whether there are any other changes that might affect this.
About frame skips, I assume on your PC when you run my example programs, you experience the same (almost no skips with 1.0, regular skips with 1.1)?
About notebook, I did what you said, yes, RunningOnSdl2 = true, and no, it doesn't help. I understand this is probably a narrow issue with a brand of integrated graphics chipsets or even this exact notebook, and not a problem in OpenTK. However, I'd still like to learn as much about the problem as possible, because the users of the program would be even more confused - they have enabled VSync, and it doesn't work - and will blame the application, most likely.
At the very least I'd like to find a way to check if Vsync is being used or not. So far my only idea is to run it for several seconds, with no output and with target FPS of 200, and check what is the average FPS, and if it exceeds refresh rate by some margin, then conclude that VSync is not being used.
Btw, is there a way to get current monitor refresh rate? Couldn't find an obvious way...
I cannot evaluate the frame skips directly, because I use windows through a VM.
If SDL backend also fails to vsync, then it is probably safe to say that this issue is caused by a lower level of the stack (i.e. the drivers). In which case, your best chance would be to report the issue to Intel and/or the opengl.org forums.
You can get the current refresh rate using:
Btw, you should not use vsync and a "soft" frame limiter at the same time. In other words, if you are using vsync you should set TargetRefreshRate to 0.
Hey there! Any update on the 1.1 beta?
I think I may have some new information on the issue. As I have been recording the frame times for all the frames, I noticed the following:
OpenTK 1.0 - No frame skips
At the beginning, they are erratic, but after about a second or two, they usually settle to times that look like this:
1. 0,0216
2. 0,0118
3. 0,0167 (and then afterwards most have 0,0167 which is standart for 60Hz)
Very rarely will I get different numbers (I mean, there will be variation, but minimal, like, I won't get 0,0516 as a first number ever, but may get 0,220 or something)
OpenTK 1.1 - Frame skips quite regularily
At the beginning, they are erratic, and even after a second or two passes, they still are! Typical values look like this:
1. from 0,0560 to 0,0470
2. from 0,0280 to 0,0030
3. 0,0167 (and then afterwards most have 0,0167 which is standart for 60Hz)
Typically, when frame skip happens, value #2 is at its lowest (it can even very rarely go as low as 0,0003 or something) but sometimes value #2 is low but frame skip won't happen.
OpenTK 1.1 with SDL2.dll - Haven't seen a single frame skip yet (tested for several minutes)
Behaves just like OpenTK 1.0 with different values
1. 0,0316
2. 0,0028
3. 0,0167 (and then afterwards most have 0,0167 which is standart for 60Hz)
So, it's like 0,0100 is subtracted from 2 and added to 1. But it seems that there are no frame skips (at least, haven't encountered any yet!)
Now I have to explain what the numbers mean. Here's the relevant code:
void SetText(string text) { if (Context.SwapInterval != 1) { text = "VSOFF " + text; } if (Configuration.RunningOnSdl2) { text = "SDL2 " + text; } using (Graphics gfx = Graphics.FromImage(text_bmp)) { gfx.Clear(Color.White); gfx.DrawString(text, new Font("Arial", 24.0f), new SolidBrush(Color.Black), 0.0f, 0.0f); // Draw as many strings as you need } System.Drawing.Imaging.BitmapData data = text_bmp.LockBits(new Rectangle(0, 0, text_bmp.Width, text_bmp.Height), System.Drawing.Imaging.ImageLockMode.ReadOnly, System.Drawing.Imaging.PixelFormat.Format32bppArgb); GL.BindTexture(TextureTarget.Texture2D, text_texture); GL.TexImage2D(TextureTarget.Texture2D, 0, PixelInternalFormat.Rgba, Width, Height, 0, PixelFormat.Bgra, PixelType.UnsignedByte, data.Scan0); text_bmp.UnlockBits(data); } /// <summary> /// Add your game rendering code here. /// </summary> /// <param name="e">Contains timing information.</param> /// <remarks>There is no need to call the base implementation.</remarks> protected override void OnRenderFrame(FrameEventArgs e) { frames++; time_elapsed += e.Time; time_list += e.Time.ToString("0.0000")+" "; time_list_word_count++; if (time_list_word_count > 3) { time_list_word_count = 0; time_list += "\n"; } if (min_time > e.Time) min_time = e.Time; if (time_elapsed >= ttl_max) { double fps = frames / time_elapsed; SetText(fps.ToString() + " "+ min_time.ToString()+"\n"+time_list); frames = 0.0; time_elapsed = 0.0; min_time = double.MaxValue; time_list = ""; time_list_word_count = 0; } GL.Clear(ClearBufferMask.ColorBufferBit); GL.MatrixMode(MatrixMode.Projection); GL.LoadIdentity(); GL.Ortho(0, Width, Height, 0, -1, 1); GL.Enable(EnableCap.Texture2D); GL.Enable(EnableCap.Blend); GL.BlendFunc(BlendingFactorSrc.One, BlendingFactorDest.OneMinusSrcAlpha); GL.Begin(BeginMode.Quads); if (frames == 1.0 ) { GL.BindTexture(TextureTarget.Texture2D, text_texture); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 0f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 0f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 1200); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 1200); } GL.BindTexture(TextureTarget.Texture2D, text_texture); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 40f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 0f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 40f); GL.TexCoord2(1f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(1920, 1240f); GL.TexCoord2(0f, 1f); GL.Vertex2(0f, 1240f); GL.End(); this.SwapBuffers(); }
Here's what's happening, and what the numbers are about:
* The number itself is taken from e.Time of OnRenderFrame event.
* During frame zero (which comes before the first frame recorded in the list) I do all the "busy work" - namely, I DrawText on the rather big bitmap (1920 x 1200) and then TexImage2D its contents into OpenGL texture. Then I output the image - twice on this frame, and once on every other frame, which creates the "blink" effect. So the frame zero's SwapBuffers is what draws the frame that gets skipped.
* Then comes frame one. Since e.Time period is difference between the moments when OnRenderFrame event fires, it has a big e.Time, which stands for the time the "busy work" from the previous frame took to execute. On its own, it just outputs image once, like any other frame.
* Then comes frame two. Another normal frame. And all frames after it.
The same code is executed in all three cases, however, the result, as I have shown above, is different. I can only guess what causes them. It seems that TexImage2D is somewhat more... "volatile"? In the 1.1 version? It is definetly not due to the "busy work" taking more on 1.1 than 1.0 - I have added this line of code to the SetText routine:
Random rnd = new Random(); System.Threading.Thread.Sleep(rnd.Next(50)+50);
And it didn't make 1.0 version skip frames - it still shows every "blink" frame. While it seems (may be wrong here) that 1.1 started skipping more frames.
Maybe it is somehow related to how 1.0 and 1.1 treat frames that are "late" - meaning, that come after a frame that took too much time to get rendered?
There is another interesting thing, however.
The picture of frame times looks like this when I Sleep(100) in SetText:
OpenTK 1.0:
1. 0,1210
2. 0,0004
3. 0,0003
4. 0,0130
5. 0,0167 and so on
OpenTK 1.1:
1. ~0,1400
2. ~0,0200
3. ~0,0167 (and so on)
Maybe this is the key difference?
And actually, I'm kinda puzzled - so, despite Vsync, OpenTK 1.0 is actually skipping frames which are late (0,0004 and 0,0003 in a quick succession, followed by 0,0130 - those three frames couldn't have seen the light of the day, could they?) So it doesn't skip the frame that takes long to render, but skips other frames? While OpenTK 1.1 is more volatile - sometimes it'll skip the frame that took long to render, sometimes the frame that goes after it?
Another thing I'm puzzled by is that no matter what Sleep interval I enter (i tried 100, 200, 300) - the picture in the OpenTK 1.0 will be the same:
OpenTK 1.0:
1. 0,0210 + sleep interval
2. 0,0004
3. 0,0003
4. 0,0130
5. 0,0167 and so on
So no matter how much time did it take to render frame 0, it will always "recover" by frame number 5.
I am not sure what to make of it, except that I'm probably going to be satisfied with 1.1 + SDL2 for my task, as that appears to be working without skipping frames. But hopefully this may somehow help you find out the difference, and maybe fix some bug/clunky routine in OpenTK, if that is ever the case.
PS: About the notebook, I have tested on a completely differnt one, ASUS Ul20A, which has Embedded Intel® GMA 4500MHD for a video card, and it has the same problem - no matter what I set (it even has "Force VSync On" option, if it's translated into russian correctly of course) it won't use Vsync (it will report SwapInterval = 1, it will report vsync available, but won't use it).


text:
Mother Love
Category: People
Photo and caption by Dharma Martin
A Mother with her two beautiful daughters, all 3 captivated by this moment of our interaction vividly focused on the camera each delivering a different thought or emotion. Mystified, playful, and curious yet poised.
Location: Faranah, Faranah Region, Guinea
More People Entries »
By Aidas Banaitis
By Rachel Glogowski
By Sameer Masand


text:
With Coming Home just around the corner, The Hesston Record is once again creating unique Coming Home t-shirts as annual keepsakes for over 200 lucky winners.
According to Hesston Record Owner and Publisher Robb Reeves, souvenir seekers can try to snag a T-shirt at two Coming Home events.
"We hand out a lot at the parade. That's where most of them are distributed. The next place is the football game. The cheerleaders throw them into the stands. Also, all of our sponsors get shirts," he said.
Reeves said rather than selling T-shirts, he would rather give them as good-will gifts to Coming Home revelers.
"We want to get as many shirts out as we can. The sponsors make the shirts possible. We want the sponsors to get their message to as many people as possible. Plus, giving something away is a lot of fun," he said.
The Record has been creating Coming Home T-shirts for several years.
"This will be our fourth year for the T-shirts," said Reeves.
Reeves said the shirts are an opportunity for local businesses to advertise year-round.
"I have seen people wearing Coming Home shirts from a year or two ago. And, we usually have around 22 businesses represented," he said.
Reeves said businesses can benefit from the one-time investment on T-shirt advertising for several years.
"It's nice see a kid wearing the shirt like two years after we handed it out," he said.
Graphic Artist Molly Flickner has been tasked with creating this year's new T-shirt design.
"We wanted a fresh and modern twist to go along with the growing community of Hesston," she said.
Flickner said working with this year's design came with a unique challenge.
"The most difficult part was incorporating the house in the logo," she said.
Reeves said while the design will be all-new, the T-shirts will still be printed locally at Atomic Sports.
"We will be going with the same material we had last year. It's sort of a recycled look and people really liked that," he said.
Reeves said the T-shirts are a great way to show community pride throughout the year.
"The shirts are something you can wear on any warm day as a remembrance of Coming Home. With the schedule on the sleeve, it can be handy during the Coming Home weekend to have a shirt," he said.
As a designer, Flickner hopes to give each Coming Home celebration it's own unique look.
"From now on, I am hoping to have a new design each year for the new shirts. And just to know that it is made by a local homegrown Kansan right in there community," she said.


text:
This past Monday I had a celiac-disease-related procedure to check out how my insides are doing after three years of following a rigidly dedicated gluten-free diet.
I was nervous, but not as nervous as I was the first time. I took my little cab over to the hospital and let the nurses in the GI suite take care of me.
I learned several things from the experience about nursing care. I've been lucky enough in my life not to encounter too many nurses "from the other side." The nurse who takes my vitals and gives me flu shots in primary care, yes. The nurses who taught me for 18 months, yes. Watching other nurses do the nurse thing around me? Every day.
But, it is so, so different to be laying in a bed, scared, and having NO idea what is going on at all times.
Taking the information I gleaned during my short procedural visit at Georgetown Hospital, I tried to be a better nurse this week.
1. Yup: IVs do hurt.
2. IVs hurt coming out, too. Nurses told me before that it doesn't hurt when they're removed, other than the old "tape-pulling-off-all-the-arm-hair" bit. False.
3. Blankets = heaven. When patients ask me for their 40th extra blanket, I've found myself confused before. Now I either pre-empt them with four extras to begin with or forgive the fifth request. You're naked in a gown under a sheet!! I get it now.
4. I forget sometimes that although I (kinda) know the way things work in the ER, many of the patients do not. I know that I come in, then I do stuff to them (take their blood, hang fluids, take them to CT), and then the doctor sees them later. They don't get that, and I had been neglecting to consistently explain it.
5. People have NO feeling of control when they're in a hospital bed—even less in the emergency room because they're in pain or something is wrong. Giving them a choice—"apple or cranberry juice?"—is sometimes enough to make people feel much better. Even the little warning of "hey, this is going to feel cold" is incredibly helpful. (The cardiac monitor leads are cold! Who knew?!)
6. Some patients relate to their nurses more than their doctors. (Just as some patients relate to the doctors way more than nurses.) Even though I had met my nurse Brandy just 18 minutes beforehand, when I was being hooked up to anesthesia, 100 monitors, oxygen, and forced to put a giant bite block in my mouth and turn over, the person I wanted near me was Brandy.
7. Huh: the blood pressure cuff DOES get really tight. All the people who I silently thought were crazy before…I take it back. That thing pumps up hard!
8. I felt slight anxiety about the procedure even knowing exactly the medications (and their side effects and half lives!), the type of procedure it was, what was going to happen, and what I would look like at all times (we do endoscopies in the ER, sometimes, and I've been in Brandy's position before). I can only imagine what patients who do not speak "medical" must feel. It's always worth speaking in plain English: better to offend someone by overexplaining something simple than to assume they know what you mean.
9. I still find it difficult to imagine being rude or disrespectful to any health care provider, but I'm not everyone. People act differently when they're hurting, or scared, or if they feel out of control or lonely. I am always as empathetic as possible, and I do try to read each patient individually to determine what they want from me. (Although to be honest, I don't always have time for that step.)
Do you want my hand to hold? You got it (even if you dig your nails into my hand during the procedure). Do you want me to "stop saying sorry, I know you don't mean it"? (which was entirely false, because I always genuinely mean it.) Fine. I'll stop. Want to tell me how to do my job? That's OK, I'll forgive you, I won't snap back, and I'll do it how I do it anyway. Want to sing to me? Cool! I'll sing, too. (That last one was fun.)
Remembering that everyone is different is helpful. Remembering that EVERYONE (patients, family, nurses, doctors, pharmacists, techs) in the ER is stressed out is also helpful. But remembering that people are human and usually will apologize later for words they honestly don't mean to say is the most beneficial in getting me through a rough night or day.
10. The five or six nurses who took care of me last Monday all made a difference in my comfort level and in my experience during the endoscopy. And I didn't get to say one word to them about how great they were, other than a brief and groggy-anesthesia-faced "thank you." It is my biggest hope that often I am making a difference to people in some small way, whether I know it or not.
Here's one word about your nurse: Just like patients, nurses aren't all roses and rainbows. People are often critical of nurses, people think they are "slow" (as I was called last week) or that they don't mean it when they say "I'm sorry." There is no nurse who enjoys hurting a patient, or seeing a person in pain. That is not the vocation we chose. I'm not happy about having to give you an IV. I hate that I have to move you into the hallway—I do. I'm not pumped about giving you the nasty-tasting medication, either, and I am truly sorry that you have to wait 10 hours to get a bed in the hospital proper. I certainly hate inserting a catheter or a nasogastric tube or one of the many other horrible things that could be ordered for you by an ER doc. Everything I do I do because I am trying to help. Always and forever, that is the bottom line: I am trying to help you get better. Forgive your nurses sometimes when they are having a rough day, when they disappear, when they just lost a patient in the room next door, or when they haven't eaten in 10 hours and have the worst case of the hangries ever documented.
Because, as an adorable older gentleman reminded me last week, "Isn't it just so nice when everyone gets along?"


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December 19, 2006
AUGUSTA, Ga.---There's less than a week to go until Christmas, and it looks like someone brought some holiday cheer to the Augusta Commission.
There were lots of potentially hot topics on the agenda today, and the mayor even sent a note asking everyone to be nice.
It looks like something worked.
Augusta commissioners met today for the last time this year. Historically, the topics on today's agenda would have been sure to cause fireworks.
The big issue was a proposal from Commissioner Jerry Brigham. He asked that the commission officially elect Marion Williams mayor pro tem today...a move that would prevent Williams from holding the title again next year.
However, when Brigham made his recommendation, the other commissioners were silent. Finally, a motion was made to table the issue and have a regular election in January, and that motion was approved.
Williams has remained pro tem this year as a holdover from when he was elected in 2005, but he wasn't re-elected this year because when he abstained in January, he created a 5-4 vote. That prevented the mayor from breaking a tie between him and Andy Cheek.
A mayor pro tem can only serve for two years, and even though this is Williams' second year serving, he says he should get a third because he wasn't officially elected.
Now the Commission has allowed Williams his chance to run for that third year.
Anticipating the controversy, Mayor Deke Copenhaver sent a memo to commissioners.
"Things got a little contentious last week, and it's the Christmas season, which I take very seriously, so I just wanted to remind them to treat each other with dignity and respect, and really to try to set the tone for today's meeting," Copenhaver told News 12.
To read the memo the mayor sent to commissioners, click here.


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Gaia Association Wins Award for Providing Ethanol Stoves to African Refugees
- Sep 25, 2008 10:07 AM EST
- [num] Comments
The Gaia Association, the distributor of ethanol-fueled stoves, has just won The Ashden Award for its humanitarian effort in the impoverished Ethiopia. The association provided the stoves to at least 1,780 refugee families, enabling clean, comfortable cooking without the use of scarce wood. A locally-available sugar by-product called molasses, which previously caused pollution is now used to churn out ethanol for the stoves. Watch the video to learn more about Gaia's aid to the refugees or download the association case study here.
- Categories:
- Biofuel,
- News and Events


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Definition of alcohol-free in English:
1(Of a drink) not containing alcohol: alcohol-free lager
More example sentences
- Try alcohol-free beers, wines, and mixed drinks as a substitute.
- Alas, this tasting shows that many brewers have not improved the drinkability of their alcohol-free beers and lagers since their introduction.
- Consider also that alcohol-free beverages and drinks are loaded with profit.
1.1Not serving or consuming alcoholic drinks: the hotel has an alcohol-free bar
More example sentences
- Blundell Park's six bars will be an alcohol-free zone after the Mariners forgot to re-apply for their drinks licence in time.
- Those who defy the ban and continue to drink in alcohol-free areas face arrest and fines of up to £500.
- The town centre is an alcohol-free zone, but this doesn't put them off.
For editors and proofreaders
Line breaks: alcohol-free
Definition of alcohol-free in:
What do you find interesting about this word or phrase?
Comments that don't adhere to our Community Guidelines may be moderated or removed.
= trending


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Quotes tagged: maneuverability
"We used to mow our field with a 1949 FORD 8N with brush hog! It was hard on the body with no power steering! My son kept telling me to get a Ventrac, so I got one at a charity auction!"
Have what it takes to be Top Fan?
Visit my.ventrac.com to submit your story.
Disclaimer: Content submitted by Ventrac Fans is not necessarily approved or endorsed by Venture Products Inc. Always consult your owner's manual for proper operating procedures.


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Things you hate to here OTHER BASS PLAYERS say.
Discussion in 'Bass Humor & Gig Stories [BG]' started by Yngwie 4String, Aug 26, 2007.
Page 1 of 28
Page 1 of 28


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Just realized we never really had a thread for movies that are coming out.
I mean, you can't be starting a thread for each of them, that would be a ****cluster. So maybe we should use this thread to post trailers etc of upcoming films we're interested in......and then others can say how gay they look. jws"lfa"
I'll start
Last edited by PatSox; 04-20-2012 at 10:30 AM.
High school looked OK, for being another movie about people getting high
i've never seen a bad Gordon Levitt role
spent about 40 minutes watching upcoming trailers some time last week and saw quite a few that interested me so i'll go back to imdb and post some more later.
MMAF Revival 4-2
The Gangster Squad (October 2012)
A chronicle of the LAPD's fight to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles in the 1940s and 50s.
This one's a ways off, so there's no trailers yet, but it sure looks interesting. Stars Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Giovanni Ribisi, Emma Stone and Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker). It's directed by the guy who did Zombieland, so it will be interesting to see how he handles something so different
Comes out in October. Most of the better drama's and thrillers seem to come out in the fall. Will be looking forward to that one. SPIIISQG
Last edited by PatSox; 04-20-2012 at 10:26 AM.
All the ones Patsox linked look ****ing awful.
Send lawyers, guns, and money... the shit has hit the fan.
Looper looks pretty badass. Cool thread idea, I don't watch much tv so I miss lots of trailers
"I come in peace, I didn't bring artillery. But I am pleading with you with tears in my eyes: If you **** with me, I'll kill you all."
-Marine General James Mattis, to Iraqi tribal leaders


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Kubla Khan
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Exactly how steamy is this poem?
There may not be any sex here, but there are plenty of disturbing images. What about all the intense imagery, and the "fast thick pants" and the Abyssinian maid, and the story about all the opium it took for Coleridge to write this? If this was a movie, we're just not sure we'd be comfortable taking little kids.


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Are You A Snake Or A Saint?
where do you fit?We have all met people that seem to have no conscience, no guilt and no shame. I believe we call them snakes. Most people are true to themselves and the values they stand for. They marry their high-school sweetheart at 17, retire at 65, and live happily ever after.
But real people, like the ones Tinseltown portrayed in Roseanne and Seinfeld , face everyday dilemmas that pit them against their conscience: "What will people think if they find out?" The constant internal nagging of the "what ifs," terrorize us throughout our lives.
Whether we know it or not, and like it or not for that matter, we base ourselves on our values and life experiences when confronted with the most crucial or minute decision and outcome encountered on our daily paths.
If you decide to opt for one alternative versus another, it is because you either think the cost of not proceeding with the favored choice is too unbearable, or the value of execution too dear. Please be reminded that we're not necessarily talking dollars, but perceived pain and benefit.
can you look in the mirror?Since cynics and pessimists sometimes recognize spontaneous gifts and random outbursts of affection as bribery, when faced with an aforementioned dilemma, both as a giver or receiver, one must always ask: "What's in it for me?" Try to gain as much as you can by doing the things that feel right and make you feel like a winner.
Seize the opportunities when they are right and only when they are ripe. When it feels better to send the wallet back instead of blowing the $500 on a new car stereo, send the fat wallet back and brag about it to all your friends and relatives. Make them proud and feel good about yourself.
When it feels better to advise the cocktail waitress at your favorite watering-hole that she gave you back $15 instead of $5 change, you make her feel better because she needs that extra $10, and hey, maybe that $10 will go a long way (like land you a date with her).
minimize regretThe fact of the matter is, this is life, and life is for real. And in real life, when you lose the wallet, rarely does someone ship it back to you — unless they have something else to gain. So to make sure you can sleep at night, if you are going to steal, make sure it's worth your price, because your real self-worth is derived from the highest temptation that you succumb to.


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Get an alert when new Fergie dates are announced
A complete pump meister with a mix of hard, funky trance. He built this reputation with Tidy Trax and has had slots at some of the top clubs both in the UK and on the continent. He will also be known to listeners of BBC Radio 1, as he regularly presents and mixes on the station's dance shows.
See more info at djfergie.co.uk
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JUN 23, 2014 - Yahoo! News
A Must Read - Share
Medical records purported to be those of Michael Schumacher have been offered for sale and officials are investigating the theft, his agent said, one week after the seven-times Formula One champion came out of a coma. The German driver, who suffered severe head injuries in a ski accident in the French Alps in December, was transferred from Grenoble in France to a Swiss medical center on June 16. "For several days stolen documents and data have been offered for sale," Sabine Kehm, managing director of Michael Schumacher's offices in Geneva, said in a statement on Monday.
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- Report: #960337
Report - Rebuttal - Arbitrate
Complaint Review: village green d/ba village park of hoffman estates
village green d/ba village park of hoffman estates985 grand canyon parkway Internet United States of America
village green d/ba village park of hoffman estates Illinois department of human rights co associates kickback crew screened me of my disability/how long i been disabled/denied housing based--race hoffman estates, Internet
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my white fiance called this racist/prejudice apt..comlex and asked truthfully if they accepted chicago housing vouchers/formerly known as section8.kristen said yes,even called us back after confirming with her supervisor travis.an appointment was given to jenny my fiance for 10am..the next day.upon arriving not only was I discouraged about what occured next I wanted to killmyself for being black.when kristen learned the voucher was mines she said they don't take vouchers"!
kristen also said no such conversation took place.she also said noone told anyone the property accepted vouchers.all lies/fraud!"of course"we asked to see a unit,those opportunities were also strayed I were persistant & disgruntled by the horrible act vs..me so I insisted we have "at least a chance to view an apt"--jen was told a one bedroom was available for like 800 or so dollars .upon arrival the unit she stated viewing her documents(kristen)is taken & someone just! Paid money for the unit.
I was screened "what's your disabili ty"?hoiw long have you been getting it?"I was never offered an application to this date by her at all or the properties & the illinois human right act states what occured was a class 1 act violation.I need an attorney because ill roll over in my grave ,knowing truthfully that a hate/discrimination-act/attempt took place & I've suffered long enough & justice is due.I were denied the full opportunity to rent because of handicapp& race.
the illinois human rights dept..is a fraud,errorneous,kickback/messup charges/don't stick to the human rights act/play by street criminal rules organization funded by tax-payers.I wish a horrible thing occurs to more people so that they may feel like me.zp.dunn oct 26 2012 on my charge the investigator paul galbraith some what a styled drunk & heavy smoker.composed neglegently a charge that not only left out my witnesses name off the charge ,he also words the lies of the respondant to sorta--paint a picture of a innocent b@@@h!!
& in actuality theirs nothing innocent about fraud/schemes/lies/deception..also the charge number 2011ch0252 is dunn vs..village park of hoffman estates..it doesn't name the parent company or its proper name..mmmmm things that make you think.also one of those so--called judges is a moorishamerican,whom is of another political division & shouldn't be ruling on an american of the u.s. that's a sovereign they have totally different views and I suffered as a result of a denial of due process of law ..!thanks illinois
This report was posted on Ripoff Report on 10/26/2012 02:57 AM and is a permanent record located here: http://www.ripoffreport.com/r/village-green-dba-village-park-of-hoffman-estates/internet/village-green-dba-village-park-of-hoffman-estates-Illinois-department-of-human-rights-co-960337. The posting time indicated is Arizona local time. Arizona does not observe daylight savings so the post time may be Mountain or Pacific depending on the time of year.
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BANGALORE | MUMBAI: The Miglani family, which jointly controls the high grade steelmaker Uttam Galva Steel along with ArcelorMittal India, has acquired Brahmani Industries, a greenfield steel plant being built in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, by the controversial Reddy brothers, who also own mines and large tracts of land in the mineral-rich Bellary region of Karnataka.
On March 24, Brahmani Industries convened an extraordinary general meeting to approve change of its name to Uttam Galva Ferrous. "The management of the company is being taken over and the new management has contemplated changing the name of the company, in order to bring the company (Brahmani Industries) under its (Uttam Galva Ferrous) brand name," said a statement in the notice for the EGM. ET has a copy of the notice. The EGM also approved the change in the statutory auditors of Brahmani, from Sarda & Associates to Prakkash Muni & Associates. The exact date of the acquisition is not known and the companies have made no public announcement.


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Sweet Stag LbNA # 32399
|Placed Date
|Jun 30 2007
|Minneapolis, MN
|Found By
|Eagle Eye
|Last Found
|May 9 2008
|Hike Distance
***This one was muggled unfortunately. I have returned to the area and placed a temporary letterbox in its place. The stamp is an M for Minnehaha in the shape of a stag's head. The container is small. The hiding spot is tricky--you wouldn't believe how hollowed out this tree is. But if you twist your arm up and to the back to the right as far as you can, you should be able to grab it with your fingers.
Once upon a time there was a young lady struggling to find her niche in this world. She took a job at St. Joe's for she loved to work with children, and a continual stream of kids in crisis flowed through the shelter. Some stressful nights she would get off work and be particularly keyed up. So she would climb in her SUV, and instead of turning left to go home, she'd turn right. She'd drive .5 miles to the 2nd light and turn right again. She'd travel along this street .7 miles and turn left into a park. She'd follow the driveway till she saw a park bench to her right. She'd park and stroll over to the bench with the inscription "In Loving Memory of Bonnie Leitner" and sit and watch the sailboats dot on the water in the light of the moon.
Then she would rise and follow along the path with the lake to her right. She passed canoes and a refreshment building with a giant cola. She kept going. The path would pass the beach and playground and Dr. Suess trees and a double bridge and a high crooked hitching post. She'd breeze by the shoreline wall, huge weeping willows, an old-fashioned green pump with chained posts, enormous stumps on the beach...She'd listen to the rumble of the rushing-by planes. Before she came to the road bridge, there was a swampy area.
If you have followed her steps this far, you should be able to find to your left an impressive maimed octopus tree. Look for the hole facing away from the trail. Be careful not to be seen looking. There's a tunnel at the top of this hole. The letterbox should be here. This is a very conspicuous spot so PLEASE take care to plant it back up in that hole and cover it well. Do it when no one is around...and thank you for visiting my very first letterbox. To you purists out there--I apologize for the stamp!


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playing with digital images...
i designed some tags for
pricing my flea market booth items.
i always love when price tags are cute!
print away if you can use these!
(even yard sales deserve cute tags...)
this one shows where to write what
ohhh i know a chippy white
desk for seventeen fifty would
be something to write home
about, huh?
do the bees do anything for you?
if you say they make honey i'm gonna...
anyway...i like 'em.
(as always, click to embiggen :)
embiggen :) ha!
you non-flea marketeers can
use them as jar labels
or calling cards
or place cards...
you are planning a dinner party soon, aren't you?


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The 2011 Historic Preservation Book Prize, sponsored by the University of Mary Washington Center for Historic Preservation, has been awarded to Line, Shade and Shadow by Lois Olcott Price. Oak Knoll Press, HES & DE GRAAF Publishers, and the Winterthur Museum published Line, Shade and Shadow in 2010. Line, Shade and Shadow is both a beautifully illustrated exploration of the evolution of architectural drawing craft and an innovative discussion of the preservation of these drawings. In light of the increasing reliance on computers and computer-aided techniques, this volume provides a timely and welcome reminder of a fading craft. This connection to the history of architectural drawings' brings to mind the original intent of architects and builders. Drawing is a creative act and in architectural drawings one can see not only the record of the buildings and landscapes but also the creative process that brought them about. In addition, architectural drawings can be the last vestige of … [Read more...]
2011 Book Prize Winner Announced!
Historic Buildings of Fredericksburg Website
The Historic Preservation Planning Laboratory of Spring 2010 designed and implemented a website! The Historic Buildings of Fredericksburg database was created in order to provide a central depository of information about buildings in Fredericksburg that had previously been scattered, and make it available to the public at large. The database was created for the Center for Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington in the Spring of 2010 by a preservation planning course taught by Smith. The grunt work was done by the students: Chelsea Corcoran, Bill Pieper, Sarah Moore, Megan Hall, Bridget Travers, and Helen Dinndorf. Please check it out, and enjoy! … [Read more...]


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Phil Davy, general manager of Leatt Brace USA, has always on the cutting edge of protective apparel.
Last week Leatt introduced some of the upcoming 2014 products, including several prototype pieces still in development. We caught up with Davy to ask how about highlights from the new lineup as well as the technology behind the gear.
Dealernews: What are some of the highlights from the new 2014 products?
Davy: We developed a new kid's product that's a chest protect/neck brace combination [see image]. If you've been out to any kids motocross races lately, a lot of kids are wearing these things they call "rodeo vests." They're basically a plastic sheet that wraps around the rider and goes over the shoulders as well. While they have a certain amount of impact protection, they're never backed by foam. This makes it difficult to wear a neck brace with them, but these kids wear them because the parents want them to.
Ours uses non-Newtonian foam, similar to D3O, that firms up when you strike it; the whole body structure is made up of that and then it has a neck brace built into it as well, so it's super easy to put on, easy to wear, and we've got kids sizes of it as well.
We've been working on it for a while, and it was a rough idea at first. It's easy to conceptualize things like this, but you quickly find that it's quite harder to make them actually work.
We showed it to some of our big mail-order partners to place pre-orders for them to make sure we had ordered enough. People are coming in and seeing this and ordering 500, 600, 800 at a time, so obviously they were stoked on it and they think it's going to sell like crazy.
When we go to our distributors, over 50 all around the world, we show them our new product and part of the meeting is always, 'What would you like to see from us?' And for the last four years, they have all said exactly the same thing: they'd like to see a knee brace. So we now have developed a new knee brace, but we went about it in a completely different way from everybody else.
A lot of other manufacturers seem to use the original knee brace concept, which was a medical rehabilitation product, then adapt it in such a way that it is supposed to stop injuries. And knee brace technology is actually fairly effective, having probably saved tens of thousands of knee injuries, but we thought we could do better.
So we went to whole bunch of knee surgeons -- Dr. Leatt researching this for about three years. We came up with a prototype design from a design that is completely different from everyone else's. In fact, it only has one hinge on it because only one hinge is necessary to make it work.
It features a plate system [see image, above] that is different from the "cage" type that everyone else is using. Those are good, but those are not the ultimate version of what knee braces are going to look like, as we are carrying it to the next generation of what knee braces need to look like to stop more knee injuries than current technologies are allowing. (continued)


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We <3 the MakerBot Operators: Mark Durbin (United Kingdom)
Recent MakerBot Operator Mark Durbin (MakeALot at Thingiverse) has been shaking up the Thingiverse scene with a tremendous number of models and prints uploaded since January of this year when he put together his MakerBot Thing-O-Matic kit. In particular, we have him to thank for a number of the now iconic braided and knotted vessels, statuettes, and bracelets that he has been coaxing out of OpenSCAD. His more intricate designs have become key models MakerBot Operators with Stepstruder MK6s use for challenging their stepper extruders to print multiple disconnected regions: reversal techniques for string-free printing to the max!
I emailed Mark around the time he released his second spiral cup to ask him about his working process and tools.
A Study in Spirals
Looking at the linear and rotated extrusions in the OpenSCAD manual, I thought it might be interesting to combine both of these, imagining a wavy line going round in a circle, but of course, "twist" isn't available on the rotated extrusion. I tried to create one with a section of linear extrusion, laid it on its side and rotated copies of it about 360 degrees, but it didn't look good. While playing with this, the idea of the pencil cup came to me, originally with all the spirals going in the same direction, but then I thought of flipping each alternate one to link them, so I fiddled about with the distances and the angles of rotation for a while and when it looked right, I added a cylinder for a base and a torus for a top edge. The spirals themselves intruded into the centre and out of the cup a long way, so I flattered them using the scale command. I was so pleased with the result, I set it printing and published it at the same time.
Error - could not find Thing 6917.
Much more interview, after the fold! Read the rest of this entry »
|Tagged with
|android, braid, chess, derivatives, Human Friends!, iris box, knot, make magazine, MakeALot, MakerBot Operators, maze box, openscad, povray, reversal, shapeways, spiral, stepstruder mk6, Thingiverse, torus, twist
|One comment


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UPDATE: "The Flash" Hasn't Cast Savitar, Says Berlanti
TV, Comic Books
Every day this year, I will be examining the artwork on a single comic book story. Today's artist is J. H. Williams III, and the issue is Deathwish #4, which was published by DC/Milestone and is cover dated March 1994. Enjoy!
Continue Reading »
Comics Should Be Good accepts review copies. Anything sent to us will (for better or for worse) end up reviewed on the blog. See where to send the review copies.


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Did you know the average Briton has £15 of loose change hanging around in their pocket, down their sofa or in their drawer? That's over £600 million lying around in our homes waiting to be collected.
For over 100 years, an army of over 100,000 amazing people generate almost £2m to help change children's lives – all by collecting their loose change.
Our collection box scheme is one of our most powerful legacies, featuring our army of over 100,000 amazing people collecting loose change. Together, they generate almost £2 million a year to help change children's lives.
This amazing scheme is held together by our inspirational box coordinators. They are some of our longest-serving volunteers, and their box networks can generate £2,500 in their lifetime.
There are two ways you can get involved
Simply order your box to sit on your desk at work or somewhere safe in your home and start collecting your loose change. We will remind you to empty it twice a year.
As a box coordinator for our organisation, you will:
- Inspire a group of box holders to collect their loose change for vulnerable children and act as our local representative
- Mobilise your family, friends, colleagues or fellow church members to join the powerful army of supporters and take a collection box for their home or workplace
- Gather your amazing network to collect their donations once or twice a year, sending their donations back to us and keeping us informed about changes to your group.
Volunteering to fundraise for our organisation is a wonderful way to change the stories of thousands of this country's most disadvantaged children and teenagers.
Find out more about becoming a box coordinator, or join in today.


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Burton Drive, Cambria, CA 93428, USA. Toll Free (800)
Tel (805)
927-4200 Fax (805) 927-4016 E-mail
Rooms |
Book a Room |
These two-room suites sleep two people. They offer a king bed
featuring our signature Moonstone bedding, private patio and a fireplace in
the living room and bedroom. In addition to a mini-refrigerator, microwave,
and dining area, these Deluxe Suites are nestled throughout the
grounds of the lodge and offer a private garden or patio.
The picture shows the living room of a Deluxe
To book a Deluxe Suite, click on
Book a Room,
select your dates and choose Deluxe Suite from the available rooms.
Book a Room
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