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MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA -- It has been over 48 hours since my last call. I have still not received an email confirming my refund of $250.02. I would really like a response back regarding this matter. I am now paying interest on your charge. On January 9th I went into a Best Buy store with a phone (772-204-4682) that I have insured under Geek Squad protection plan. Since then the following has taken place.
1/12/16 I received a refurbished phone that was unable to be unlocked. I called Geek Squad and after multiple calls and going into a Best Buy store to have a technician assist me, the phone was still unable to be unlocked. 1/14/16, spoke with Sharon at Geek Squad who issued a gift card at 9:10 am. Confirmation number provided was **. 1/18/16 I received a second refurbished phone from Geek Squad and the same problem occurred with the second refurbished phone. Again I went into Best Buy store and worked with a technician. The SIM card was exchanged and still the phone would not unlock.
1/19/16 began working with Apple who issued me another phone since Geek Squad said the problem was not on their end and that they could no longer help me. Apple and Sprint were able to help me unlock the new phone that Apple sent me. I returned the initial broken phone to Geek Squad. I returned the 1st locked refurbished phone that Geek Squad sent me to Geek Squad.
1/26/16 spoke with Rachel for 27 minutes and case was escalated. This was due to emails that I was receiving that the phones I returned to Geek Squad were locked. Rachel assured me that the case would be resolved and I would not be charged. 2/6/16 called again after receiving another email demanding that I unlock the phone or be charged. I was dispatched to the department that handles charges.
3/1/16 called again after my credit card was charged $250.02. Spoke with Jennifer for 39 minutes and then was transferred to supervisor Cher for a total of 50 minutes and 23 seconds. At that time, I was told the case would be resolved and that the charges would be refunded. I was told "We are so sorry for the inconvenience but there is nothing we can do except refund the charges and to escalate the case for someone in Best Buy or Geek Squad to call you back from corporate". I was provided with 2 emails to contact customer service.
3/23/16 charge of $250.02 has still not been refunded. I called again today. This charge is on a credit card that I am being charged interest on. This is the worst customer service and communication I have ever experienced. I have used Geek Squad for 10 years. After this experience I have nothing good to say about the company or your service.
3/29/16 I called again and spoke with Anyuri in the renewal and cancellations department. Then Shannon in the customer relations department. Then Danielle in mobile department. At the end of that call I was finally transferred to Edgar in the mobile service department. He explained to me that we could walk through the unlock your iPhone again to assure that the phone was not locked. Due to not having the sign in email/password I had to call once my son got home from school.
I did so again on 3/29/16, calling 1/888/Best-Buy and spoke with Wally. Wally went through the case with me again and walked through assuring that the iPhone was not locked. Wally then escalated the case to a GSER (Geek Squad Emergency Response) with Jovan and told me that I would hear back via email the results. 4/5/16 filed a complaint to dispute the charges with the credit company that the charge was charged to.
4/5/16 - no response, I called 1-888-Best-Buy again. Spoke with Ryan who said the case is still open. Ryan asked me if Best Buy sent me the phone back since it was no longer useful to them. I explained to him that I was told it was in a bin with hundreds of other phones. Ryan then transferred me to Diana in the Mobile Services Department. Diana again told me my phone is locked and it is my responsibility to respond to the emails that were sent out and because I did not so within the 30 days that the charge is valid and there is nothing that they can do for me.
I explained to her that I have called multiple times through February to assure that I was not charged. She said there is nothing further that she can do for me. I asked who I could speak to and she said her supervisor and then said it will be awhile. I explained to her that I spent 3 hours on the phone on 3/29/16 and I would gladly wait to speak to a supervisor so that I could get someone high in Best Buy to hear my complaint. She stated "It's going to be a long day". Conveniently at 59 minutes into the call and after keeping me on hold for 30 plus minutes for a supervisor the phone disconnected.
4/5/16 Jennifer (supervisor) called me back after the disconnection. She was very polite on the phone and listened as I again explained the story from January 9th until today. Jennifer then ran the IMIE numbers on the cell phones to assure that the one that I have been charged for is the one that is in fact locked. Upon return of running the IMEI numbers Jennifer stated that both phones show as unlocked but that there is no date listed as to when they were unlocked. Jennifer escalated the case again to corporate to see if they will refund the monies.
It was explained to me that the problem with corporate will be that the phone was not unlocked within their 30 required days. I asked her if it will make any difference that I have called in response to every email referencing the "locked phone" that Best Buy/Geek Squad has sent in February. Still waiting for it to be determined… Here's to waiting for 4/12/16. Best Buy Corporate Customer Care PO Box 9312, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55440.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN -- I brought my laptop in to Geek Squad and left it with them. They fixed the problem I had, but left me with a new one. The keyboard backlight wouldn't turn off. I took it back in and left it with them to fix. I just got it back and the light turns off now, but what did I find? They deleted my browser and all my bookmarks with it! Everything I've saved to it this year is gone! Everything. Not to mention that the scroll and all multi-fingered gestures aren't working now either.
(By the way, the online remote services aren't much better. Many times I've been telling an agent what the problem is only to find that they skipped out, never to be heard from again. Then I have to wait in line again for another agent and hope they don't skip out either.)
GAINESVILLE, GA, GEORGIA -- (11-9-15 @ 1:15 pm, Gainesville, GA store) Tech spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out why it would not power on and told me it was probably the motherboard. He could not be sure because it would not power on. When I asked him things like how much the motherboard would cost, he said "You don't want to know." It seemed like he just wanted to talk about buying a new one and their great financing.
I decided to leave and come back and see a different tech later. I passed a small repair shop on the way home and he said it was the loose fitting where the power cord plugged in. I paid 700 dollars for this laptop less than 3 years ago and resent what that tech tried to pull over on me. I paid 99 dollars for their support deal just to find out they were trying to scam me. Very disappointed!
CARY, NORTH CAROLINA -- I went into a Best Buy store tonight to pick up a computer and a phone that I left with Geek Squad last week, as well as, to get a replacement phone for an HTC phone on my account. My arrival time was about 5:10 pm. Upon arriving in the store after waiting in line I was helped by **. From the start he seemed unable to help me successfully.
He took a long time getting my phone transferred over to the replacement phone and he tried to get me to sign the contract stating that I received the phone back even though the service wasn't on or transferred over so my phone was not complete serviced as yet and I explained that I would sign the paperwork after my phone is complete in working order.
So as that was still incomplete he started to work on my computer issue and he told me that I will not be getting a fixed computer and that I would have to get a gift card for the replacement value of the computer. He went on to tell me that the computer would cost more to repair than the computer was purchased for and that it's now junk. I told him I need to see that in the contract and he showed me some statements none of which stated that when the computer is 85% or more than the cost of the item it is then deemed junk and no portion of the insurance would be given back to me.
I then stated that I did not want to accept that offer of the gift card for the cost of the computer. I let him and ** know that because by this time I asked to see a store manager. I then let ** know that I wanted to start the process of getting a replacement for another phone ordered that I have insurance on. He started typing on the terminal walked to the back and back to the terminal seemingly lost and not knowing what he was doing.
He finally tells me that he's going to have to give me the balance of my insurance back because the phone isn't worth anything and I couldn't get a new phone because the plan is going to expire next month. I then asked him to repeat the date of the insurance plan then he reads it to me and says "oh it expires December 1, 2014". I then state to him, "You see you are so quick to disregard insurance and junk everything out based on how you feel at the moment." He then slams his hand on the table and tells me that he is tapping out and then he walks away.
Before he walks away maybe about 10 minutes before he tells me he's "Tapping out!" While at the terminal ** starts talking to someone else in Geek Squad and he tells the person that ** wants him to get someone else to help me. So I just listen and take notes as to what is transpiring because at this time I am already in the store now for one hour and thirty minutes without a resolution to any issue that I had before I first walked into the store.
Back to the tap out situation when this happened I went over to ** told him what happened and he said he would be over to me when he was done with his customers. I then stated to him I'm a customer as well. He ignored me. I went back over to where I was standing, waited a few minutes and then went to the front door where security was and asked about the stores general manager. He got a card and handed it to me and at the same time I asked him who the store manager was. And as I did that he, the store manager, was walking nearby and he pointed me to **.
I proceed to address my issues with ** and he was short and curt with me and seemed to know a bit about what was going on because he asked me what ** was going to do about my computer. I then went on to tell him that wasn't my main concern. My main concern was the way I was being treated with the lack of true customer service.
How is it that a clerk can walk away from a customer mid transaction and it's OK? He is still curt and short with me until he sees me talking to another customer who was standing next to me who approached me and asked me what was happening because she noticed that I was taking notes and she said to herself "they must be giving me a hard time". She then goes ahead and gives me detailed information that she overheard ** stating to someone else that he was tapping out.
Before she leaves she gave me her name and number because she was just that sympathetic to me about the situation. So when ** sees this he is willing to help me because the woman was white. This is what I believe changed my whole experience around. This is so disheartening that this was the catalyst to getting some customer service that took a total of three hours to accomplish.
He sent over a young lady that provided me with exceptional customer service and couldn't understand what was going on because she stated to me that I was so nice on the phone when she helped me with getting an appointment. So I let her know I didn't understand either and I felt because I'm a black customer, as well as a woman, the white men there don't respect me because I questioned them and pointed out that they were wrong for their behavior. She then went on to connect my iPhone, and get the service transferred over, she also swapped out the HTC phone, as well as, processed the paperwork for the computer all within one hour.
I'm a long time customer of Best Buy. I shop online on BestBuy.com. I've shopped at Best Buy's in NY, MN, FL, GA, CA, MI, I spend a lot of money in Best Buy because I mistakenly thought that all customers would be treated with respect regardless of the color of their skin. I was completely brought back to reality tonight although I have experienced some levels of discrimination before in some of the stores that I frequented before. However, I would talk myself out of believing it was race based. But when it's blatant there is no way to deny it.
I now know that if you're black and go into a Best Buy store your time and money is disregarded and disrespected because of the color or your skin. It should never have taken three hours to accomplish what I needed done and it also should not have taken a white woman who I do not know at all to come to my defense in order for customer service to take place. I am completely appalled at the situation and I'm not satisfied with what took place tonight.
I was finally given a laptop and insurance for the computer and after getting home I plugged it up and immediately realized that it was not a new computer as ** stated. The screen doesn't stay on all the time and the packaging wasn't the same as a new computer although it was in the box that it should have been in. I did not open the box in the store because I was assured it was a new computer.
So I was misled and deceived by ** that the computer was new. I will have to take my time again to go into the store to get a new laptop once again after spending three hours in the store tonight. My kids ended up missing the basketball practice they were scheduled to attend tonight, all because of Best Buy employees with discriminating behavior.
I feel very strongly about the situation. I feel that ** and ** need to be fired because of the situation. ** clearly set the precedent that it is OK for his subordinate to clearly and willfully disrespect me by telling him to get someone else to help me, as that someone else was a black Best Buy employee. He gave permission to ** to walk away from a customer. I know for a fact if I were a white woman with the same issues and concerns and same questions that I had the treatment would be markedly different. I'm saddened that in 2013 I have to write a letter about discrimination that I faced.
** along with the rest of the store, as well as all Best Buys needs to be made aware that treating black customers differently than white customers is unacceptable and intolerable. Because of the vague way that the insurance policy is worded it gives the employees of Best Buy the discretion to totally void an insurance contract based on a case-by-case basis, ignoring any biases the employee may have.
I hope this letter isn't in vain and that some true changes start from the top down. Training on race relations; treating customers fairly, and without racial and gender biases must take place immediately. These occurrences happened at the Best Buy location in Cary, NC. I went back to the store today 9/19/2013 to get the replacement for the faulty computer and was appalled that ** was still employed there!
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA -- Our call for warranted service was ignored. After follow up, Geek Squad finally got random subcontractor out. He said it was un-repairable. Not hearing anything for a week, I called Geek Squad. No information. Subcontractor said he couldn't get a hold of a real person to submit his report so he sat on it. 20 calls and 10 hours on the phone trying to get help, still no help. In the end, we finally learned no report was submitted, so no fix or replacement. Still waiting. I would rather pay for a new washer than deal with these people ever again. Awful support.
FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA -- We took our PC to BB to have a repair and they never called or (e)mailed. And when we would call they say one thing or another. Never that they had sold or destroyed it, that is until I sent a complaint to the Better Business Bureau. Now they are only offering $300 for my pretty new $800 computer. They are now saying we abandoned it which is not true. We called numerous times and even went to store only to be given the run around. Even corporate lied to us and the BBB. They gave us 6 days to accept $300 and we aren't even in town. This is UNACCEPTABLE!
After carrying the protection plan for a few months, I had called to request canceling the monthly renewal back in Jan. 2013 and was verbally told it would be cancelled. Despite that - my card has continued to be charged for the last 18 months!!! I called again in June, 2014, to again insist on canceling and to insist this time getting confirmation in writing. They gave me a reference number (since they cannot send out an email confirmation) - it should be cancelled now. However, they deny there was any previous request received and refuse to refund prior payments.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA -- I visited my local Best Buy to cancel the insurance I have on my iPhone. The person helping me attempted to call the 866 number to help with my request, however, the wait time was going to be over 20 minutes. Since I had other appointments I informed the mobile representative that I would prefer to make the call myself when I had more time to wait. By all accounts, this individual was very polite and helpful.
This morning I call the 866 number and was connected to a Geek Squad Protection agent after approximately 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the agent had a difficult time comprehending my request and instead kept asking questions about other phone numbers included on my account. After several minutes getting nowhere, I asked to speak to another agent. At this point, I was transferred and subsequently disconnected.
After yet another 30 minute wait, I was reconnected to another agent. This individual was able to complete my request but was not very customer friendly in the process. I suggest Best Buy take a close look at their Geek Squad Protection agents to assess both their technical and customer service skills.
MEDFORD, OREGON -- My computer first started failing in early November, '13. It would not start consistently and after a while, it wouldn't start up at all. I took it in around mid-November, along with a pile of installation/software disks that went with it. My husband gathered them up and he was in failing health at the time. (He died 11/26/13). What neither of us had the foresight to do was write our name on all the disks.
After two trips to try to get it fixed (hard drive; motherboard) I received this online message from MS Office 2010, saying my license had expired because of dis-connection problems. That's when I looked for my disks to get the product key and could not find them. I called Geek Squad. One guy said he remembered me bringing them in but they didn't have them anymore and I must have them somewhere.
I called MS. They said I needed to call Dell since the Office program came on the computer. Called Dell. They said, no, all that info came with the computer. After about four phone calls back to Geek Squad, I talked to "Caleb", the head of GS at the Medford store. He talked to the boys in the backroom. They told him I had never brought any disks in.
As of this moment, once again, my computer is not starting up. Even though it's still under contract with them, I WILL NOT GO BACK THERE EVER AGAIN. They simply cannot be trusted. They're either outright liars, or totally inept. Right now, I can't even turn my computer on to do a backup for a new one. I cannot tell you how much I hate them for using this little old lady. Do. Not. Trust. Them.


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Thursday, Sept. 26: 9-11am, Wells Food Pantry Open, WCH; 9:30am, Osteobusters meet, WCH-924-4207; 6:15pm, Home Town Losers meet, Wells Meal Site.
Monday, Sept. 30: 9:30am, Osteobusters meet, WCH.
Tuesday, Oct. 1: 6pm, Game Night, Wells Library.
Thursday, Oct. 3: Osteobusters meet, WCH; 10am, HC Board of Supervisors meets, Court House, Lake Pleasant; 6:15pm, Home Town Losers meet, Wells Meal Site; 7pm, Wells Ambulance Corps meets, Ambulance Bldg.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Please log in or register to manage your account
Model: F2E4141A10DDItem: BLKF2E4141A10DD
This cable provides a high-bandwidth video interface suitable for all digital, flat-panel, liquid-crystal displays. It's built to reduce cross-talk and interference with aluminum undermold shielding. Meets Digital Display Working Group (DDWG) and Digital Visual Interface (DVI) standards. Cable Type: Monitor; Connector/Port/Interface: Two DVI-I Male; For Device Type: Monitor.
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text:
SAN DIEGO — Say there's a customer hovering over a helmet in your store. In one hand, he's clutching the helmet's price tag, in the other, his mobile phone. According to research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey, there's a 75 percent chance that customer is using his phone to read online reviews of the helmet — or worse, to price-compare with your competitors.
"Mobile devices are becoming a vital part of online shopping," says Jeff McKenna, a senior consultant with the Boston-based firm. McKenna discussed his firm's May 2011 study findings at this year's Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition, held this week in San Diego. "Nearly half of smartphone owners and tablet owners use them to make purchases."
And, whether your store is ready for it or not, the overall consensus among marketers is that this percentage of mobile shoppers will only grow larger — all the more reason to ramp up your retail mobile efforts. Research shows that mobile shopping is on the rise among both men and women, in all age groups. In addition, two-thirds of tablet (such as the iPad) owners are using their devices to shop online.
Many of the firm's findings mirror those of Google's own research, which you can read about in more detail here.
About half of mobile shoppers use a credit card as their preferred method of payment, while the other half is evenly split between using PayPal and debit cards. What's interesting to note, however, is of these buyers, only one-third were concerned with identity theft or getting hacked while making a purchase — they're more concerned with being able to shop on a moment's notice. "We were quite surprised that convenience does trump security," McKenna said. "There doesn't seem to be much concern."
That's why, McKenna continued, the top common motivator for shopping via mobile device is convenience. "There's a laziness factor," he said. "There's no need to get off the couch."
Indeed, one survey respondent said that while at home, he was unmotivated to visit another room to use his computer to make a purchase because his smartphone was right at his side. "[These are] time-sensitive purchases," McKenna said. "People just could not wait until they were at a network computer. They want to be able to make that purchase in the moment."
Because mobile shopping is gaining momentum so quickly, McKenna advises new retailers to develop a mobile site before they develop a desktop website. But even if you're a store without a mobile site, research shows that consumers are still willing to wade through hard-to-read websites and other niggling issues when shopping on a mobile device. "What ends up happening is [consumers] find that the convenience trumps those little problems," McKenna said. "More often people are going to work through those issues."
In the long run, however, it's probably best to have a mobile site to make the shopping experience easier for your customers. "Across the board," McKenna said, "consumers are finding that the convenience is something they want to enjoy going into the future."
More from the Internet Retailer Conference & Exhibition:
SHOP TALK: Where to place your in-store pickup counter
Business tips for economic survival
Tips for competing against e-commerce giants
Consumers research online but prefer to buy local
Producing budget-conscious videos
Do your employees have a clue?


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ok guys, you will be kicked out of MP after patch 1.03, you need to update PB, here is the download link, just download this and install it:
UPDATE: it worked at first and when playing FFA, but when in group it keeps kicking you, i think the problem is from Ubisoft side not from our side.
Last edited by YAZ_H; 02-12-2013 at 10:52 PM.
I am just so pissed. I updated it, but now i had 13k assassinate and 15 seconds left to the end, and i got kicked. I hope Noobysoft will fix it soon...
yep, it doesnt kick you all the time when FFA, random kicks and when group, i was able to play one session, then when i pulled back, we all got kicked.
So its definitely Servers Issues not client.
Yeah it doesn't work, sometimes i get kicked even if i only create a group U__U and nobody have said nothing about this patch
Thanks for the effort Yaz!
Please make sure you all contact Support and post in this thread: http://support.ubisoft.com/


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PHILADELPHIA -- Super G's children's programs have been getting attention in the local newspaper here. That's because the retailer, a division of Giant Food, Landover, Md., here has been running full-page advertisements in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer about its Kids' Corner displays, Healthy Start Flyers, manager's rewards for children, shopping-cart seat belts and candy-free checkouts. The Health Start Flyers, which come out once a month, contain information for maintaining health in ...
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text:
Warm coats and big-city plans
The letter was postmarked SEATTLE WA 23 DEC 2013. There was no return address, just a name and city — Everett, Washington.
It was addressed only to Wenatchee World, with the correct post office box, no indication of content. The ink switched in mid-address from black to blue, as if a pen had unexpectedly run dry.


text:
From Gadsden County:
It should be noted that the Gadsden County Supervisor of Elections Office
will be open on Friday, from 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Havana and
Chattahoochee branches of the Gadsden Public Library System will also be
open for early voting only. For more information, please contact the
Supervisor of Elections Office at (850) 627-9910.
Gadsden County Schools are closed Friday. Gadsden County shelters, East Gadsden High School (special needs) and West Gadsden High School, are not currently open, but on stand by notice.
Sand bags are available to the public for free at the County Public Works
Sand Pit at Post Plant Road.
The community - local government, businesses, and residents - is encouraged to update your electronic and telephonic information in the county's Connect-CTY mass notification system at www.gadsdencountyfl.gov .
For more information, please contact Gadsden County Emergency Management at (850) 875-8642.


text:
Now prospective buyers can check out property listings, 24-hours a day, seven days a week from their home computers. Information for Southeast Missouri residential, commercial, investment and rural properties for sale by area real estate companies and even a calculator to determine loan payments needed to cover a purchase are located at the Website semolist.com.
Dave Green, president of Creative Design Group of Malden and Jonesboro, Ark., worked with his staff to design the initial site for several real estate brokers about a year ago.
"Some of the agents were having trouble updating their own Websites and some were interested in seeing what others had listed," he recalled about that first meeting. Green's company proposed a group listing site and initially seven different companies came on board. By March the site went on-line and it has grown steadily in members and offerings ever since.
Semolist is a real estate organization of Realtors and real estate agents in good standing in both their communities and the industry, Green emphasized. Members update their own listings, whether homes, commercial, rental or farmland, daily so the public can view the market's latest offerings. The Website allows the user to search by price, location, number of bedrooms or any of several other variables even whether a pool should be part of the new home's amenities. As the choices come up on the screen, a prospective buyer can click to look at more details, including photos of the exterior and interior, and the name of the listing agent.
"This way you can pretty much see every home for sale through an agent member in the Sikeston area," said Green about the listing. "Every time a house is listed, sold or the price changes it is updated immediately. The site includes the listing agent so you can be off and running toward buying a new house 24-7."
Green said list members have reported several cases of people not just from out of town but even locally who used the site to narrow choices before contacting an agent. "It's possible to make a deal without ever leaving the house," he added.
While the advantage for the buyer to compare properties is obvious, Green said there are several pluses for the participating real estate agents, too. "There is less time spent scheduling appointments, waiting for customers, getting keys, etc."
He was pleased to find companies willing to work together on the Website. "To share information with other agents is sometimes a tough thing to do in the real estate business but led by that group of seven initial members, they have done a tremendous job of working together and with us," Green said. "If it wasn't for the cooperative effort of the local real estate agents, this Website would not be functioning."
Century 21 Premiere Realty of Sikeston was among the first to sign on to semolist.com and Faye Walbourg has nothing but praise for the site. "So far it has worked out beautifully," she said. "There isn't a day that has gone by that we aren't on there."
Often when someone is ready to look at real estate Walbourg said she will refer them first to semolist.com to narrow their choices. She and the Century 21 staff find the site a good tool to help in pricing real estate, too.
Sharing information with other real estate agents, Walbourg said is just another way they can all better serve their clients - whether they are buying or selling.
"Competition is good for people. We will always have competition but we have always worked well together, too. The more people who know about a listing, the better chance we can do a seller justice by getting it sold," said Walbourg. The list now includes members from Sikeston, Dexter, Charleston, Scott City, Jackson, Bloomfield and Chaffee. In addition to real estate agents some 12 to 15 appraisers have paid to become a part of semolist.com, too.
The appraisers are able to make use of a private venue of the site which takes them to information on how much an individual property sold for. Green said this enables them to keep current on values and provide better appraisals for their customers.
Betty Bollinger with Bollinger Service has used the site as an appraiser and a real estate broker since it first went on-line. It is a program that has worked well for her company, she said.
"There are still some glitches," she acknowledged. "You can't ever get all the information someone is wanting and needing but it has worked pretty well - better than some of us expected, really."
The information Bollinger gathers from the site as an appraiser is only available to the site's members and not the general public. Information such as sale price, days on market, date of closing and special circumstances provide a starting point for appraisal of comparable properties, she explained.
"It saves the appraiser time and saves the real estate company some time," Bollinger said. "Overall, I think it is working really well."


text:
rogerfederer.com - Roger opens Davis Cup
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© Paul Zimmer
Roger opens Davis Cup
31.01.2014 | Tennis, Starseite 1
Roger will open the first round tie in the Davis Cup World Group against Serbia's Ilija Bozoljac (ATP 268).
Friday, from 14:00: Bozoljac - Roger followed by Lajovic - Wawrinka.
Saturday, from 15:00: Krajinovic / Zimonjic - Chiudinelli / Lammer.
Sunday, from 13:00: Lajovic - Roger followed by Bozoljac - Wawrinka.
Dusan Lajovic (ATP 102), Filip Krajinovic (ATP 237), Ilija Bozoljac (ATP 268) Nenad Zimonjic (ATP 12 doubles)
Stanislas Wawrinka (ATP 3), Roger Federer (ATP 8) Marco Chiudinelli (ATP 180), Michael Lammer (ATP 441)
Wrong H! The last post on that news article was 01/15/2014 | 07:23 PM
Yup my connection has stopped again! zzz
and actually none of the posts in news "roger defeated in the semis" is deleted,they are just under my name now.That's what i've been telling you.If he changes his name to yours now,they will appear with your name.This site is for the gutter.they should shut it down and fix it.This can't happen in any site,for God's sake,that's unacceptable,no security bridges at all!It would be a good message to the webmaster if we all stopped writing and let only this loser be here.That we should do.
ILR92,do you know what i've thought?Of paying him the same way.I mean if we start immediately using his nicknames saying nice things about his hero how stupic would he feel?
By the way,good for Roger!
FANCY,i want to enjoy it,it's just that my connection isn't good,it shuts every 20 minutes,this is rare,i don't know why.
By the way,good for Roger!
FANCY,i want to enjoy it,it's just that my connection isn't good,it shuts every 20 minutes,this is rare,i don't know why.
9 aces the Serb, Roger, 3 .....
First set Roger!!!
H please don't be silly, no-one will congratulate him, Just enjoy Roger right now.
I can't. Don't have an computer near me :-(
I can't. Don't have an computer near me :-(
HULI, I was thinking the same yesterday.
Watch it '92! - http://www.drakulastream.eu/tennis-live-streaming-video.html - the match!


text:
Autumn has long been my favorite season. It's hard here in Seattle, because Autumn is when the rain starts, and I've been dreading the onset of the rain so much that when signs of fall started, I sorta panicked and wanted it to go away. And yes, the rainy days can be pretty crummy. But every once in a while, a sunny day breaks through, and the beautiful glory of Seattle shines through. It's a really beautiful city, on its good days. Here are some pics that were taken of the park directly across from our apartment just last week.
The other view from my bus stop.


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SIKESTON - Land Clearance for Redevelopment Authority commissioners and city officials gathered Thursday for a "get acquainted" meeting.
"We met with LCRA and I think that everybody is ready to get to work on it," said Mayor Phil Boyer. "It will be good thing moving forward."
City staff agreed during the meeting to prepare a rough draft of bylaws for the LCRA and a flow chart to show how city staff will assist the LCRA, according to Mike Bohannon, LCRA commissioner.
The next meeting, scheduled for 4 p.m. Feb. 24, is slated to address the LCRA's nuts-and-bolts issues. "The 24th will be a very important meeting. It will determine the structure of the LCRA," said Bohannon.
Officials have yet to determine bank arrangements, how audits will be conducted, legal counsel, staffing and administration needs and an address and phone number in addition to establishing bylaws outlining the commission officers and their duties.
Peckham, Guyton, Albers and Viets, the St. Louis consulting firm specializing in planning and urban renewal projects hired by the city for advice on the LCRA, recommends keeping the LCRA as autonomous as possible, Bohannon noted. "We received guidance from them on what needs to be done and how it should be structured."
On the other hand, he believes things should begin to happen with the money presently available. "We have $50,000 and we need to do something now," Bohannon said. "The immediate problem is all the boarded-up, vacant houses that need to come down."
Bohannon said it is important that the LCRA works closely with the city council, Board of Municipal Utilities and the Sikeston Housing Authority to maximize its potential.
"I think this thing is tremendously important to the City of Sikeston," Bohannon said. "We're at a turning point and everybody needs to get on the same boat going in the same direction. We can use this LCRA to make a substantial difference in the city."
"I think this will determine the direction of the city for years to come," he continued. "We need to seize this opportunity. It's not just tearing down houses. There is a lot of things the LCRA can expedite."
Sikeston voters authorized the creation of the LCRA in April 2001.


text:
You are a fan of summerian village ? Come to discover the best forums summerian village on the internet and share your experience with a community fan of summerian village . You can also build a forum summerian village and create your online discussion.
Welcome, Project Phoenix Fire was created to inspire communication between people around the world. In short, we are creating a global village.
community, project, phoenix, fire, welcome, created, inspire, communication, between, people, around, world, short, creating, global, #village
Naruto Forum RPG set in a pre-village era


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One tends to think of editors as red-pencil-pushing cubicle dwellers. But what happens when a cookbook editor pens a tome of her own?
If you're Kim Laidlaw, you pour all your passion for comfort food and baked treats into one lavishly illustrated ode to home-baked comfort. This may be Laidlaw's first turn at authorship, but the San Francisco writer is a veteran of many an ingredient-testing, cake-baking, recipe-parsing marathon on behalf of other authors.
Having waded through her share of ridiculously long and complex recipes that call for arcane equipment and bizarre ingredients, she knew that those were something she'd studiously avoid.
The goal behind Laidlaw's book, Williams-Sonoma's "Home Baked Comfort" (Weldon Owen, $34.95, 224 pages), was simplicity and seduction. The photographs, by Eric Wolfinger, woo the reader with gooey cinnamon rolls, whoopie pies and bacon and egg breakfast tarts, while Laidlaw's recipes -- simple, straightforward and dotted with friendly tips -- make one lunge for the apron and whisk, secure in the knowledge that You. Can. Do. This.
Many of the recipes in the book -- the third in her publisher's "comfort food" series -- are Laidlaw's own, but she recruited recipes and stories from a dozen other bakers, too, including Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson from San Francisco's Tartine, and Bakerella's Angie Dudley.
Naturally, we had questions, starting with ...
Q Wait, you pitched your cookbook idea to yourself?
A (Laughs) I was sort of in, but I had to sell them on the idea and concept. We were thinking about doing a new baking book, and I was trying to think of different authors -- and as I'm thinking, I'm thinking, "I could write this book! I'm a former baker. I love baking. This is what I'm super passionate about."
Q Do you remember your earliest baking experience? One that doesn't involve mud pies?
A I remember baking pie with my mom, being really young and rolling out the pie dough. She had this great mat that she unrolled, with circles and sizes for the pie dough. I'd roll out to the circle.
Q There are certainly pies in this book -- and galettes, scones, savories. What was the idea behind that?
A I wanted to cover all of my favorite types of baked goods. The book is all about getting people to start baking and not be afraid of it. I wanted it to be really enticing and compelling and have a little bit of everything. You want to open it and say, "Oh my god, I have to make it!"
Q Tell us about three of your favorites -- recipes that make you say that, even though you've read them a hundred times.
A The bite-size bacon and cheese scones are really addictive. They're small, so you end up eating a ton -- and I make them often. Mmm, S'mores Brownies. And the Midnight Galette.
Q There's a story behind that galette, the rustic fruit tart filled with peaches and berries, right? Something about a midnight baking session the night you met one of your closest friends?
A A lot of these recipes were inspired by little stories, things my friends love, things my mom would make. I tried to weave in stories throughout.
Q There's a sweet story that's not in here, the tale of what happened the week you started the project and the month you finished.
A I got the green light to start writing the cookbook and found out the same week I was pregnant. I had a little girl the same month the book came out. It was my two babies. I basically wrote the whole cookbook while I was pregnant. I was super into sweet and fruit, not vegetables, so I was in heaven! I'd bake, and my husband would take it into work. My husband became very, very popular.


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SEBRING — A new faith-based movie with Erik Estrada and former POW Pfc. Jessica Lynch will be shown Aug. 22 at Faith Lutheran Church in Sebring.
The family-friendly film called "Virtuous" will be shown in a free screening for all who attend.
Depending on availability, Faith Lutheran Church will also be hosting several stars of the film including Estrada, Brandy Allison, Holly Spears and/or Lynch.
Estrada is best known for his leading role in the television series, "ChiPs." Since that program, he has appeared in a long list of movies, television shows and reality programs.
This is the fourth in a series of faith-based family-friendly films Estrada has made in his partnership with JC Films.
The producers of "Virtuous" casted an "impressive" listed of Christian entertainers in hopes that the film will be that inspiring and challenging experience for women, as the faith-based blockbuster film "Courageous" was for men, a news release states.
"Virtuous" is a multi-plot feature-length motion picture that highlights 10 unique women of different ages, backgrounds and life experiences. "As today's generation of women are vastly diverse, so are the various stories in this film."
One such story loosely depicts that of Lynch. Lynch, who makes her acting debut in the film, at age 19 became the first ever rescued female POW/MIA.
Allison, who will be attending the screening, is a Christian recording artist and the lead actress in the film.
Allison said she agreed to the project because she felt women of all ages and races experience tremendous pressure from an "increasingly unavoidable secular culture."
The film is part of a nationwide "Virtuous Women's Conference" designed to make the film come to life as audiences personally hear from the actresses of the film. "You actually hear our personal testimonies and stories as depicted in the film. It's a powerful combination of film and reality," explained Allison.
The 'Virtuous Women's Conference' will be held at Faith Lutheran on Aug. 23. The conference is a free event along with the movie the night before.


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Four Ways to Win a MakerBot Unicorn Pen Plotter!
Have you seen the sharp hooves on the fine filly above? This MakerBot Unicorn Pen Plotter could be yours on the 11th of December.1
Charged with setting up a Unicorn station at Botacon2 , I decided I would take this opportunity to give away four of these kits as prizes for making contributions to the MakerBot Unicorn/pen plotting community.3
So the goals of this contest are two-fold —
- to encourage coders and scripters to make the process of designing for the Unicorn4 easier by making the pipeline from drawing to printable design simple, and
- to encourage artists/designers to create work to be plotted on a MakerBot Unicorn Pen Plotter
The winner of each prize will be announced during Botacon 0 on Dec. 11th.
Inkscape-to-Makerbot-Gcode Challenge
Goal: Create an open source Inkscape plugin or extension allowing a MakerBot Operator to take a 2D SVG vector-based image and create printable MakerBot Unicorn gcode in one step. Share your code/extension at Thingiverse.com with the tags "unicorn" + "inkscapechallenge", perhaps linking to a project page explaining how to use your tool.
Right now, the best tool for translating vector-based images into printable gcode is Scribbles5. One of the best open source, cross-platform tools for creating vector-based art is Inkscape, a fabulous SVG editor. Currently, optimal workflow for connecting these two tools is rather complicated.
There is already work going on to generate gcode from Inkscape. The Eggbot community are really pushing Inkscape-for-pen-plotting really far, even using Inkscape as its host printing software. So jump in and bring all of these initiatives together by create a single, optimized tool.
Fill/Tone/Crosshatching Tool Challenge
Goal: Create an open source Inkscape plugin that makes life easier for designers by helping them to generate and manage hatches (one direction), crosshatches (two+ layers of lines), and other line patterns as a means of simulating tones and solid blocks when pen-plotting. Share your code/extension at Thingiverse.com with the tags "unicorn" + "crosshatchchallenge", perhaps linking to a project page explaining how to use your tool.
You cannot use a fill command with a MakerBot Unicorn, only the path of the pen tool itself, so creating rich vector-based art on a plotter requires the "fill" elements to be re-interpreted as hatches, crosshatches, dithering, pebbling patterns, and other marks that through direction and nearness of lines create the sensation of tone and saturation of color. This is a similar problem to how Skeinforge 3D prints volumes by converting "solids" into a labyrinth of lines to match the density requested in the "fill" settings."
I'm a massive fan of the Inkscape Eggbot Extensions and use them all the time in my Unicorn design work. Look to the official plugin that assigns preset values to the Inkscape "Hatches (Rough)" Path Effects tool to tame it for plotting — a great place to start! Bonus points if your tool can be used by the Eggbot community as well as the MakerBot community.
Favorite Robots Design Challenge – Single-Pass & Multi-Pass
Goal: Create a Creative Commons-licensed portrait of a favorite robot (real or imaginary) and post jpg/svg/gcode to Thingiverse.com between Nov 26th and Dec 10th with tags: "favoriterobot" + "unicorn". One Unicorn will be awarded to a "single-pass" (i.e. single pen) illustration, and one to a "multi-pass" (ie swapping tools for multiple colors) illustration.
Those participating in the visual design challenges will get this additional bonus: I have, as far as I know, the only herd of Unicorns6 currently out there in the wild. So as the contest continues, I will be making use of this herd to print and share work submitted to the contest on Thingiverse and on the blog here. And I am arranging a Botacon 0 Thingiverse Unicorn-art gallery show, so even if you don't win the challenge, I will be happy to show off your work.7
As the work to be judged will be printed on the Unicorn Herd from the files you supply, make sure to include a jpg, svg, and gcode version of your art (even if you can't print it!) by following a process similar to this tutorial. Learn more about the MakerBot Unicorn on our wiki here and with these tutorials-in-progress.
- Or rather a kit to allow you to create one like this. [↩]
- I'm bringing 3 Cupcakes configured for pen plotting-on-demand during the event. [↩]
- And anyone in the MakerBot/Thingiverse.com community can participate in this project whether or not s/he yet has a Unicorn Pen Plotter. [↩]
- and other gcode pen plotters [↩]
- a Python script adapted by the inventor of the MakerBot Unicorn, Will Langford, from MakerBot co-founder Zach's Lunchlines script for the Frostruder [↩]
- Well, if three makes a herd. [↩]
- And I will have the gcode handy for the Unicorn Herd to print your work as well. [↩]
|Tagged with
|Challenges, Unicorn
|10 comments
10 Comments so far
NickNovember 30, 2010 at 3:54 pm
I'm one of mentioned above gocodetools extension developers. I wonder how can I take part in this challenge? Because gcodetools is an ready extension that could work with plotters that are controlled with Gcode. It can even deal with plotters with tangent knife on the fourth axis.
Also Gcodetools do have some features that can make it easier to fill the area of the path using either Inkscapes's extension or it's own one.
Currently filling the area with parallel strokes or with a spiral being developed.
PS I applause hard work that you've made to bring cnc theme closer to the people.
PSS Sorry for my English :).
MakerBot Robot Hospital! Episode 3- The Null Version - MakerBot IndustriesDecember 3, 2010 at 5:53 pm
[…] Support Team. This time we discuss connection errors, null versions, the Unicorn Pen Plotter Design Challenge,Botacon 0, and Mitch Altman's Brain Machine! Oh yeah, and the Thing-O-Matic 3D Printer! by […]
Four ways to win a Unicorn « Ponoko – BlogDecember 4, 2010 at 8:02 am
[…] the details you need are over on the MakerBot blog, but here's an overview of each of the […]
Competition Heating Up for MakerBot Unicorn Pen Plotter Challenges - MakerBot IndustriesDecember 7, 2010 at 8:07 am
[…] days are counting down for participating in the MakerBot Unicorn Challenge. (The days are four.) At midnight on Friday night I will make one last pass through Thingiverse.com […]
NickDecember 10, 2010 at 11:12 pm
Hi again!
You do not need any special configuration to use Gcodetools with Unicorn pen-plotter.
Just draw whatever you want, assuming the left bottom corner as (0,0) point.
Open Gcodetools – Path to Gcode.
Write down the directory for the output, open Path to Gcode tab and press ok.
(If you are working in inches you should choose inches in Path to Gcode – Preferences tab.)
And that's it :).
All default values should fit the Unicorn pen-plotter requirements.
I have just returned from business trip and it's 6:58 AM 11th here in Russia, but I think it's still the 10th of December somewhere in US. But I wont be upset if I'm late for the challenge :).
Sorry for my English.
JamesDecember 13, 2010 at 8:52 am
Is there going to be an announcement of the winners?
ErikDecember 13, 2010 at 7:40 pm
Do you need the CupCake CNC to use the Unicorn or is the Unicorn a separate Machine


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The 37 lessons contained in Baltimore Catechism No. 2 present the fundamentals of the Catholic Faith in a manner suitable for sixth through ninth graders and those preparing for Confirmation. This edition begins with a section of classic Catholic prayers, including the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, Act of Contrition, and more. Each of the 37 lessons starts with the famous format of phoneticized words and meanings, a mini dictionary to help with learning the vocabulary. The book ends with a compilation of common Catholic prayers and hymns, including Come Holy Ghost, O Salutaris, Tantum Ergo, hymns to Jesus and Mary, and more.
Since its 1885 debut, the Catechism commissioned by the Third Council of Bishops in Baltimore has instructed generations of Catholic faithful.
With an easy to read question and answer format, the Catechism combines solid Catholic doctrinal teaching with meaningful exposure to Scripture and practical application.
The revival of interest in the Baltimore Catechism reflects Catholics growing realization that a clear, concise presentation of the truths of the Faith is just what people young and old need to appreciate, practice and defend Church teaching. Catechists and parents will find this Catechism an invaluable teaching tool as they prepare children and catechumens to receive the Sacraments and lead authentic Catholic lives. Students will find this an uncomplicated and friendly guide to authentic Catholicism.
This book is numbered to correspond with the fourth volume which is the Explanation or Teacher's Guide: Baltimore Catechism No. 4.
See also:
Baltimore Catechism No. 1
Baltimore Catechism No. 3
Baltimore Catechism Complete Set
Contents Of Baltimore Catechism No. 2 include:
Morning and Evening Prayers
Prayers for Mass and Communion
The Right Manner of Confessing
The Rosary
The Stations of the Cross
|Dolf (Spokane Wa, October 14, 2009)
|I really enjoyed the Baltimore catechism no 2 I attended elementary catholic school and could not find my original book. This book brought many fond memories of my youth. Best Uses: Gift, Older Readers, Reference; Describe Yourself: Rarely Read; Pros: Deserves Multiple Readings, Easy To Read, Informative, Well Written


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Definition of chromium in English:
The chemical element of atomic number 24, a hard white metal used in stainless steel and other alloys. (Symbol: Cr)
Example sentences
- The metal can be, for example, titanium, tantalum, chromium, aluminium or tungsten.
- However, nickel alloys containing chromium, titanium and aluminum will form a thin oxide film.
- The most common of the special elements added to cast iron are nickel, chromium, copper and molybdenum.
Words that rhyme with chromiumencomium
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: chro·mi·um
Definition of chromium 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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genre and genres - Genre painting is the depiction of subjects and scenes from everyday life, ordinary folk and common activities. It achieved its greatest popularity in seventeenth century Holland (the Netherlands) with the works of Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).
When used in the plural form, genres are the various categories of subject matter in the traditional academic hierarchy, in descending order of importance: history, megalography, mythology, religion, portraiture, genre (see the first sense above), landscape, still life, rhopography, and vernacular.
(pr. jahn're)
Examples of genre painting:
Greece, Figurine of Aphrodite Playing with Eros, tanagra, late 4th century BCE, polychromed terra cotta, height 18.5 cm, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. This sculpture of Aphrodite is amusing Eros with a spinning top illustrates a tendency towards genre sculpture which was characteristic of Hellenistic art. See mythology.
Petrus Christus (Flemish, Bruges, active by 1444 - 1475/76), A Goldsmith in His Shop, Possibly Saint Eligius, 1449, oil on wood panel, 38 5/8 x 33 1/2 inches (98 x 85.2 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
Quentin Metsys (Dutch, 1465/6-1530), The Banker and his Wife, 1514, oil on wood panel, 0.705 x 0.670 m, Louvre. See Dutch art and narrative art.
Pieter Brueghel the Elder (Flemish, 1525/30-1569), Peasant Wedding, c. 1568/69, oil on wood panel, 114 x 164 cm, Kunsthistoriches, Vienna.
Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577-1640), The Village Fete, c. 1635-1638, oil on wood panel, 1.49 x 2.61 m, Louvre.
Frans Hals (Dutch, c. 1581-1666), Young Man and Woman in an Inn ("Yonker Ramp and His Sweetheart"), 1623, oil on canvas, 41 1/2 x 31 1/4 inches (105.4 x 79.4 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. (On the Met's page, you can enlarge any detail.)
Hendrick Terbrugghen (Dutch, 1588-1629), The Gamblers, 1623, oil on canvas, 33 x 44 7/8 inches, Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
(Attributed to) Dirck Hals (Dutch, 1591-1656), The Jovial Company, c. 1630, oil on canvas, 32 inches x 39 1/2 inches (81.28 cm x 100.33 cm), Frick Collection, NY.
Jacob Jordaens (Flemish, 1593-1678), The Bean King, c. 1638, oil on canvas (transferred from old canvas), 62 x 83 inches (160 x 213 cm), Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Diego Velázquez (Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez) (Spanish, 1599-1660), The Family of Philip IV, or "The Maids of Honor (Las Meninas)", c. 1656, oil on canvas, (318 x 276 cm), Prado Museum, Madrid.
Here is a group portrait (and self-portrait too) that satisfies the requirements of a genre painting as well.
In the center-foreground is the infanta (princess) attended by her meninas (maids of honor) — companions including two young ladies, a dwarf, a child, a dog, a nun, and a tutor.
This little party is visiting the studio where Velázquez stands before his canvas. We see the back of it, perched upon an easel. The painter and most of the others look toward the king and queen as they pose for the painting in progress.
The king and queen would not actually be visible in this picture if their reflected image could not be seen in a mirror placed on the opposite wall. Altogether this is a view, which could only be seen by the king and queen themselves, as they pose for their portrait. The point of view of every person who gazes upon this painting is that of the king and queen of Spain. A very privileged vantage indeed!
Further increasing the sense that we are present at a specific moment is our glimpse of a man in the distant doorway, pausing as he descends or ascends — either entering or exiting the chamber. See Baroque and Spanish art.
Judith Leyster, (Dutch, 1609-1660), The Concert, c. 1633, oil on canvas, 24 x 34 1/4 inches, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC.
David Teniers, the Younger (Flemish, 1610-1690), The Prodigal Son, c. 1650-1700, oil on canvas, Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Adriaen van Ostade (Dutch, 1610-1684), Reading the News at the Weavers' Cottage, 1673, pen and brown ink, watercolor, white heightening, traces of graphite; framing lines by the artist (?) in brown ink and gold, 9 5/8 x 7 15/16 inches (24.4 x 20.2 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
Adriaen van Ostade.
Jan Steen (Dutch, 1626-1679), The Idlers, c. 1660, oil on panel, 15 x 12 inches (39 x 30 cm), Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia.
Hooch, Pieter de (Dutch, 1629-1684).
Nicolaes Maes (Dutch, 1634-1693).
Jean-Baptiste Siméon Chardin (French, 1699-1779), Soap Bubbles, after 1739, oil on canvas, 23 5/8 x 28 3/4 inches (60 x 73 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746-1828), The Forge, between c. 1815 and 1820, oil on canvas, 71 1/2 x 49 1/4 inches (181.6 x 125.1 cm), Frick Collection, NY.
Francis W. Edmonds (American, 1806-1863), The New Bonnet, 1858, oil on canvas, 25 x 30 1/8 inches (63.5 x 76.5 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
William Sidney Mount (American, 1807-1868), Cider Making, 1840-1841, oil on canvas, 27 x 34 1/8 inches (68.6 x 86.7 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
George Caleb Bingham (American, 1811-1879), Country Politician, 1849, oil on canvas, 20 3/8 x 24 inches (50.8 x 61 cm), Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA.
Eastman Johnson (American, 1824-1906), The Brown Family, 1869, oil on canvas, 38 1/2 x 32 3/8 inches (82.5 x 98 cm), Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, CA.
Eastman Johnson, The Hatch Family, 1870-1871, oil on canvas, 48 x 73 3/8 inches (121.9 x 186.4 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY.
Eastman Johnson, The Tea Party, 1873, oil on panel, Phoenix Art Museum, AZ.
John Rogers (American, 1829-1904), Taking the Oath and Drawing Rations, 1866, cast and painted plaster, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, NH.
Winslow Homer (American, 1836-1910), Sparrow Hall, c. 1881-1882, oil on canvas, collection of John Wilmerding. While visiting the fishing village of Cullercoats in the north of England, Homer painted these women and children enjoyed the sunshine at the doorways of their rustic, old house.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir (French, 1841-1919), The Luncheon of the Boating Party (Le déjeuner des canotiers), 1881, oil on canvas, 51 x 68 inches (129.5 x 172.7 cm), Phillips Collection, Washington, DC. The Collection offers The Story Behind the Masterpiece. See fête galante and Impressionism.
Sir Luke Fildes (English, 1843-1927), The Doctor, 1891, oil on canvas, 166.4 x 241.9 cm, Tate Gallery, London. The Doctor was inspired by the memory of the death of the painter's son fourteen years earlier, and by the professional devotion of Dr. Gustavus Murray (1831-1887) who attended the child. Fildes gave his painting a happier ending. It shows the moment when, as dawn breaks, the patient shows the first sign of recovery.
Mihály de Munkácsy (Hungarian, 1844-1900), The Music Room, 1878, oil on canvas, 35 x 46 inches (88.9 x 116.8 cm), Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY. See Hungarian art.
Thomas Dewing (American, 1851-1934), The Gossip, about 1907, oil on panel, 12 x 16 3/8 inches, Minneapolis Institute of Arts. See Ten American Painters.
Julius L. Stewart (American, 1855-1919, active in France), The Baptism, 1892, oil on canvas, 79 1/4 x 118 1/4 inches (201.3 x 300.3 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Frederic Remington (American, 1861-1909), Shotgun Hospitality, 1908, oil on canvas, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, NH. See nocturne.
George Wesley Bellows, (American, 1882-1925), Cliff Dwellers, 1913, oil on canvas, 40 1/8 x 42 inches (101.9 x 106.7 cm), Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Also see Ashcan school.
Thomas Hart Benton (American, 1889-1975), Poker Night (from A Streetcar Named Desire), 1948, tempera and oil on panel, 36 x 48 inches, (91.4 x 121.9 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. See American Scene painting.
Norman Rockwell (American, 1894-1978), The County Agricultural Agent, c.1948, oil on canvas, 36 1/4 x 70 inches, Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden, U of Nebraska, Lincoln.
Ilse Martha Bischoff (American, 1901-1990), Picnic on the River, 1937, tempera on canvas laid on masonite, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, NH.
Paul Cadmus (American, 1904-1999), Sailors and Floosies, 1938, oil and tempera on panel, 25 x 39 1/2 inches (63.5 x 100.3 cm), Whitney Museum of American Art, NY. See frame.
Also see narrative art.


text:
Government Regulations: Full Speed Ahead!
19 November 2013
The size, scope and growth of federal regulations are staggering. A recent study concluded that the equivalent of a new regulation was created every 2 hours and 33 minutes.
Virtually anything Congress wants to do can be argued in economic terms, labeled as "interstate commerce" and then regulated. However, does the Constitution's Commerce Clause justify that much federal power?
Asking the right constitutional questions is essential for determining whether an issue like drunk driving should be addressed by the States or the federal government.
Six economic myths are widespread within the American economy. These myths are exposed as false and the free-market is shown to be superior to central bank intervention.
The "individual mandate" is a tax that is discriminatory, arbitrary and unequal by Fourteenth Amendment equal protection grounds.
19 November 2013
The size, scope and growth of federal regulations are staggering. A recent study concluded that the equivalent of a new regulation was created every 2 hours and 33 minutes.
Posted in American Liberty0 Comments
13 November 2013
Questions to consider regarding the FDA's consideration of a new definition for milk that would include artificial sweetener.
Posted in Q&A0 Comments
12 November 2013
Watch a classic video snippet of economist Milton Friedman discuss the rich, profits, the minimum wage, and government failures.
Posted in Videos0 Comments
09 November 2013
A look at Billy Graham's global influence. Comments in response to his 95th birthday celebration.
Posted in American Legacy0 Comments
08 November 2013
Does seeing photos in color alter our perspective on historic events and people? Rare color and realistically colorized historic photos are referenced for your response.
Posted in American Legacy0 Comments
07 November 2013
Brandon Smith of Personal Liberty Digest asks if America is being deliberately pushed toward civil war. Read his article and discuss.
Posted in Editorials0 Comments
06 November 2013
Some wisdom relating to liberty from George Washington.
Posted in Quotes0 Comments
06 November 2013
The Cato Home Study Course acquaints you with some of the world's greatest minds and friends of liberty. These professionally prepared audio programs cover the historical, philosophical, economic, legal, and moral foundations of individual liberty and limited government.
Posted in American Liberty0 Comments
Added on 12 November 2013


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The Plane-Building Bug Is Airborne in Albany
By Steve Lathrop, 'Albany Democrat-Herald'
Albany is a haven for airplane-building enthusiasts, with up to 10 planes currently being constructed and many more having been built over the years. Ken Elwood, a member of the Experimental Aircraft Association who has been a licensed pilot since he was 21, has built five aircraft, including his open-cockpit Starduster Too bi-plane. Elwood, a retired teacher, helped his students at South Albany High School build a plane. One former student, Roger Rhodes, is helping friends build at least three aircraft at the Albany airport. Dean and Dana Wheeler are building a Vans RV6A plane with Rhodes' help, and the construction process has taken 17 years, on and off. The Wheelers' plane is being built from a kit, but the builders formed most of the aircraft components. "It's a lot of work," says Dean Wheeler. "I had to trim the aluminum to size and bore the holes for all the fittings myself." Wheeler says the almost-completed aircraft is designed to cruise at about 190 miles per hour. Elwood faced a more daunting challenge in the construction of his bi-plane, as he had no kit and had to scour the country to find materials.
October 14, 2009


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|The Tri-County Chapter Board of Governors poses for a photo with "Dancing With the Credit Union Stars" contestants and the event's judges, including California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues President and CEO Diana Dykstra (left of center), CalCom FCU CEO Jon Hernandez (third from left), and 1st Valley CU CEO Gregg Stockdale (third from right).
updated 08/26/13 11:33 AM
Online Photo Gallery Posted
Nearly 90 credit union professionals attended the Second Annual "Dancing With the Credit Union Stars" at the California Credit Union League's Tri-County Chapter meeting on Aug. 22—an event raising more than $5,000 for the League's Political Action Committee (PAC).
Click here to view the online photo gallery!
The fundraiser—which included networking, dinner, and dessert—is modeled after the "Dancing With the Stars" TV show, with judges robed in costume, "in character," and quipping eloquently and humorously as they rated dancers on the floor. The judges included Diana Dykstra, president and CEO of the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues; Jon Hernandez, CEO of CalCom FCU; and Gregg Stockdale, CEO of 1st Valley CU.
Dance contestants got the chance show off their moves, with professional "stars" helping lead the way. The contestants included Jennifer Bathurst, computer operations manager for Arrowhead CU, and winner of this year's event for raising the most money; Annice Kim, CEO of L.A. Healthcare FCU; Anthony Nowak, senior branch manager for Wescom CU; and Lyle Sandlin, president of Wescom Insurance Services.
Dancing "stars" included Sossy Hyatt, marketing director for 1st Valley CU, and Tom Hyatt, both of whom were paired with contestants. The Hyatts have been dancing together professionally for more than 10 years and are two-time Country Western World Champions and U.S. Open West Coast Swing Finalists.
The audience voted with their dollars on who they felt performed the best. Additionally, a silent auction was held to bring in more funds for the cause, as well as event sponsorship.
Sponsors included Wescom CU, Vantiv, CUonline Solutions, CUNA Mutual Group, and Samaha and Associates.
The event was organized by the Tri-County Chapter Board of Governors and held at Sierra Lakes Golf Club in Fontana, CA.
All contributions will be attributed to the CCUL-PAC (Independent Expenditure Account). Contributions are not tax-deductible for state or federal tax purposes.


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our eye care specialties
Pediatric Ophthalmology
The vision needs of children are unique. Childhood is when the eyes grow and develop, and many limitations and diseases can be identified and treated early.
Many times parents or teachers may notice vision problems or even preferred head postures. We help to find a solution whether the problem involves infection, strabismus, lazy eye or a range of other challenges that can affect children's eyes.
We take great care with children, and our expert physician, Dr. Anthony Johnson, specializes in helping children see better.
- Choose another specialty


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Our story
Compassion in World Farming was founded in 1967 in England by a British farmer who became horrified by the development of intensive factory farming. Over 40 years ago he decided to make a difference and take a stand against this farming system. In his lifetime, Peter Roberts saw the demise of veal crates and gestation crates in the UK, and in Europe achieved recognition that animals are sentient beings and secured a ban on the barren battery cage and gestation crates for sows (except for the period up to four weeks into pregnancy). Today at Compassion in World Farming, we campaign peacefully on a global level, to end all cruel factory farming practices. We believe that the biggest cause of cruelty on the planet deserves a focused, specialized approach – so we only work on farm animal welfare.
Our US office is based in Atlanta, Georgia and is headed up by our US Director, Leah Garces.
Campaigning to end factory farming
Compassion has recently expanded its advocacy to include all areas that are detrimentally impacted by factory farming, including: the environment, human health, community and workers' justice.
Compassion USA is dedicated to reforming a broken food and farming system and introducing a more humane sustainable one. Compassion believes ending factory farming must be a priority not just because of the impact on farm animals, but because of the negative impact on farmers and workers, our health, food security and the environment.
Ninety-five percent of all factory farmed animals in the USA are chickens raised for meat (broilers), negatively affecting nearly 9 billion animals per year. That is why Compassion USA has set out to tackle this key area first. Believing in collaboration, Compassion USA recently launched the multi-stakeholder Georgians for Pastured Poultry; focusing on broiler factory farming in Georgia, which is the largest producer of broilers in the country. We will continue to work throughout the United States to reform what we see as one of the most pressing issues of our time.
Read our Strategic Plan (pdf) >>
Want to help farm animals?
Our achievements
We are immensely proud of what we have achieved so far all over the world.
Our award winning undercover investigations have exposed the reality of modern intensive farming systems and brought the plight of farm animals to the attention of the world's media.
- The world's largest foie gras factory farm was being developed and was due to be built in China earlier this year. With the aid of fellow animal welfare organizations, Compassion received media coverage and was successful in preventing it from being built
Lobbying and campaigning
Our political lobbying and campaigning has resulted in the EU recognizing animals as sentient beings, capable of feeling pain and suffering. We have also secured landmark agreements to outlaw the barren battery cage for egg-laying hens, veal crates and sow stalls across Europe.
- January 2012 saw the ban on the barren battery cage come into force in the EU. This has benefitted over 250 million egg laying hens
- January 2013 saw the ban on use of gestation crates after the first four weeks of pregnancy. This has benefitted millions of sows.
Food Business program
Compassion in World Farming's Food Business Team is working with some of the world's biggest food companies - retailers, producers and manufacturers. The companies we work with are a key part of the drive towards a more ethical and sustainable food supply. Our Good Farm Animal Welfare awards are already benefitting over 287 million animals throughout Europe. We are set to launch a US specific Good Farm Animal Welfare Awards in the near future.
Read more about our Food Business impact >>
However, there are still many challenges we have to face if we are to realize our vision of a world where all farm animals are treated with compassion and respect and where cruel factory farming practices end.
We believe that farm animals should not and need not suffer. If you agree, please consider supporting us today. You will literally help us improve the lives of billions.
Thanks for listening
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Our impact
Together, we can give farm animals a better life and transform the future of food production.
Pastured Poultry Week
A celebration of humane and sustainable pasture raised chicken
Farmageddon: the true cost of factory farming
Compassion in World Farming seeks an end to cruel, stupid factory farming.
Our Food Business program
Placing farm animal welfare at the heart of the food industry


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NEW YORK: Wall Street is set to open lower on Tuesday on worries about the spread of swine flu and the viability of banks.
Concerns that swine flu could hurt industries such as travel and tourism escalated after the World Health Organization said it is too late to contain the virus. The WHO raised its alert to a phase 4 out of 6, saying the flu spreads easily but is not pandemic.


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Peer Steinbrück Takes Risk With Gesture
It could be the most authentic move so far in Germany's election campaign: Peer Steinbrück, Social Democrat and underdog to win the Sept. 22 vote, flips his critics the bird.
The photograph appears on the cover of Friday's Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, taken as part of an interview series the magazine conducts with prominent personalities, in which they are asked to respond to questions with gestures rather than words. For the photo in question, the question was posed: "'Faux-pas Peer,' 'Problem Peer,' 'Peerlusconi' – you don't need to worry about such friendly nicknames, do you?"
To that, Mr. Steinbrück flashed the middle finger. Defending the image on his twitter account, he says "straight talk," as he dubs his election campaign, doesn't always have to be spoken in words. The image went viral on Twitter—some saying it is inappropriate for a chancellor candidate, others saying it displays a sense of humor. Chancellor Angela Merkel's press spokesman took his own shot at humor in his response to the gesture, saying "I have no words for this." And of course it wasn't long before Mr. Steinbrück's middle finger had its own Twitter account: @peersfinger.
Just nine days before the election, the gesture highlights the risk-taking appetite and outspokenness of the former finance minister, and stands in sharp contrast to Ms. Merkel, whose aversion to risk leaves voters sometimes wondering what her real opinion is. Her trademark pose is a meditative hand gesture, sometimes referred to as the "rhombus," that is equated with her governing style.
Mr. Steinbrück faces an uphill struggle as the election approaches, with Ms. Merkel still ahead in polls, although her lead has ebbed. Ms. Merkel's popularity rate dropped five percentage points to 49%, while Mr. Steinbrück added two points to 32%, according to a latest opinion poll by Infratest institute for ARD television.
Polls also predict a photo-finish between the center-right and center-left parties. A pool by Infratest institute showed that Ms. Merkel's center-right coalition has lost its majority, with the CDU/CSU and FDP getting a combined 45% of support while the center-left coalition of SPD, Greens and Left reached an combined 46%. Forschungsgruppe Wahlen institute for ZDF television said 46% support Ms. Merkel's center-right coalition, compared with 45% for the center-left opposition.
The clearest solution to the split would be to have Ms. Merkel's CDU/CSU team and Mr. Steinbrück's SPD join a grand coalition. But as that scenario gains sway, the photograph seems to suggest Mr. Steinbrück doesn't care: "Get lost." He has already ruled out his participation in such a coalition.
Mass circulation tabloid Bild Zeitung calls the photo a "firecracker," which Germans use to describe an attention-grabbing event. Tagesspiegel newspaper, which also used the image on its front page Friday, writes "not everybody finds it funny."
It is not the first time that Mr. Steinbrück has raised eyebrows. As finance minister under Ms. Merkel in 2009, he caused a diplomatic row with Switzerland when he used a Wild West analogy to talk about countries with strict bank secrecy laws, comparing governments who are owed taxes to the cavalry.
"The cavalry in Fort Yuma doesn't always have to ride out. Sometimes it is sufficient just for the Indians to know that they are there," Mr. Steinbrück said at a meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers in the U.K. Ms. Merkel's government needed weeks to calm the Swiss down.
The election will show what German voters make of Mr. Steinbrück's gesture nine days from now.


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Beachfront Condo with ocean views from every room!
|Per night
|$300 - $375
|Per week
|$2,100 - $2,625
The condo features a full kitchen including dishwasher and a large dining table for big families. Each bedroom has it's own bathroom and it is separated by a spacious living room which creates a total privacy if needed. The master bedroom offers unobstructed ocean views, king size bed and it's own flat screen TV. There is also a jacuzzi in a master bath.
Second bedroom has two double beds which makes a great room for kids or extra guests.
The large windows in a living room highlight unforgetable ocean views surrounded by palm trees.
Lots of great restaurants and activities on site. Hula show is performed every Friday at Ilikai's lobby followed by Hilton's fireworks next door.
I invite you to experience a paradise at its best !
Dainora Puida
Property Rates
|May 01 2016
|Jun 30 2017
|3 Nights
|Jun 30 2016
|Sep 08 2016
|3 Nights
|Check In: 4 p.m. Check Out: 10 a.m.
|Lodging tax: 14%
|Deposits: $ 200 deposit 13.96% taxes 3% surcharge if paying by visa or master credit card
|Payment Options: Cashier's Check, Mastercard, Money Order, PayPal, Personal Check, Visa
|Other Fees: $ 250 cleaning fee
Reviews for this vacation apartment rental in Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
Kelly Smith
BC Canada
March 22, 2014
What more can I say, it was fabulous trip.
Pam Byrd Schutt
Katy, TX, USA
Aloha from the Ilikai
August 15, 2013
We had a wonderful visit to Hawaii and enjoyed our stay in your wonderful condo. We have two teenagers age 19 and 18. The condo had lots of room and the view was great. The convience to shopping at the mall and the Hilton village was great. We loved the use of beach chairs, coolers, and snorkel gear. You also told us about the rental car places nearby so we didn't rent a car for the week, but only a few days. Thanks again!
Helen Santa Cruz
Central Coast in California
Trump Towers Waikiki
April 16, 2013
We stayed at the Trump international Towers Waikiki beach Walk. It was a nice condo. Would have liked to have a 3bdrm but the 2 bdrm had a office and it worked but the pull out was a bit uncomfortable. Expected this to be more high end-- but like i said it worked. The person we delt with was really nice and she helped us out when ever we called her. From California
Phuong Wong
November 5, 2012
The unit was clean and comfortable for 9 of us including 3 children. But the pool was not so suitable for younger children because of the depth. Staff were fantastic, very helpful and friendly. Location was great close to everything and very short distance from the beach.
Martina Cipolla
portland oregon
Best location, beautiful view, awesome apartment
August 11, 2012
The condo was beautiful, the two terraces had the most spectacular view, the amenties were terrific. My family visited from Switzerland and we had the best time. I would recommend this Condo to everyone and I hope to stay there again in the future. Dainora, thank-you for offering your lovely home to our family
Alison Cameron
Melbourne Australia
Fantastic View to die for
May 27, 2012
This apartment was fantastic the pictures of the view doesn't do it justice really. Ilikai is clean and quite plus you didn't want for anything. 10min walk to shopping centre and about the same for downtown Waikiki, if you want to cab it didn't go above $6. You have The Bus just outside and the trolly's but beware of the trollys as not all stop and really if youa re a family I would take it if not I wouldn't. I will be back.


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27,776 words (≈ about 2 hours)
Story added September 2011 ... A collection of 'fan fiction' short stories based on C. S. Lewis' world of Narnia. Although written for fun, most are moralistic in nature - but I think you will enjoy them anyway. Obviously, Narnia and anything to do with it is owned and copyrighted; hence this is merely 'fan fiction' and not copyrighted. If you enjoy this, please come and discuss at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php#!/group.php?gid=120610104646392
I haven't had a chance to read these yet but I do urge you to post your other Narnia fan-fiction works. There's nothing wrong with playing in other people's sandboxes (provided they're okay with it) and there is obviously a group of people who enjoy them.
Language: English
Written in: 2010
Published: 2010-03-10
Word count: 27,776 words (≈ about 2 hours)
License: Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (cc by-nc-nd)
Tags: short story, fantasy, Narnia
A Southern California native, Bruce T. Forbes is an award-winning author and hymnist. His religious short stories have been published world-wide in children's religious magazines, and his patriotic stories, essays, editorials, and poems have been published throughout the U.S. military newspaper system. He has appeared in guest editorial columns at Israeli internet news sites on the topics of Peace & Religious Harmony. Mr. Forbes is the father of eight children (six living) and thrice a grandfather. He served for two years as a missionary in Japan and has taught children's religious classes for over twenty years. He continues to look for new ways to teach children through story, poem, and song. As a military man, he and his family have lived in Mississippi, England, Hawaii, Illinois, Germany, Israel, Turkey, Italy, and Washington DC. After two decades of such wandering, however, they have settled in the western United States and are enthusiastically sinking roots. Mr. Forbes is currently the music leader for the children's auxiliary in his congregation, and his goal is for the children to learn the Gospel message, learn to love to sing to God, and to make a "Joyful Noise". He says: "As a missionary and as a military man, I've traveled the world and seen a lot of good and a lot of beauty. I have also seen a lot of ugliness. It seems all the beauty I've seen can be attributed to a very loving God - This is what I want to spend the rest of my life celebrating."
Discuss him at: www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120610104646392


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The OpenCrypt Video Conversion API is designed to allow you to transcode/convert video you have uploaded to your server into Flash Video format suitable for displaying on your site with an embedded video player. After providing the Video Conversion API with your video file the API then provides the converted video and a thumbnail of the video for transfer back to your server for hosting, the Video Conversion API also provides metadata information such as video duration, height and width.
The Video Conversion API is necessary because most web hosting companies won't allow access to the programs required to convert/transcode videos due to the load they place on system resources, this means without a dedicated server it is very difficult to convert videos online. The Video Conversion API enables users on any web server to convert videos to be including in web site content which is becoming increasingly popular for product demonstrations, social networks and other content.
The Video Conversion API is integrated with OpenCrypt version 1.8 to offer video management tools, and to enable you to upload and include videos with your products and in your picture gallery. However, the API isn't just for use with OpenCrypt, we invite all developers to use the API with their own tools and services.
Registration for the Video Conversion API is completely free and all new users are given 50,000 free API credits. API credits provide access to all our APIs including the Video Conversion API and IP Location API.
To register for the Video Conversion API simply register a my.OpenCrypt account and visit the API Overview page.
Register my.OpenCrypt Account
Visit OpenCrypt API Overview
Once you have used your 50,000 free API credits you can purchase additional credits as follows:
Video Conversion API Information
The cost of transcoding a video is dependent on the average of the file sizes of the video input and output, and is charged at 1 credit for every 2.5kb of video transcoded. If your source/input file is 1Mb, and the output FLV file is 2Mb, the size 1.5Mb will be used for the calculation, the credits cost in this case would be 600 credits, which depending upon the quantity of credits you purchase would not cost more than £0.03 GBP.
The maximum size for the source video is currently 512Mb. The video conversion API offers numerous quality options so you can produce small filesize/low quality videos, or high quality videos which have a larger filesize. The video conversion API also enables you to set the video size, the audio sample rate and the video aspect ratio enabling you to generate widescreen videos if required. Videos in the following formats are acceptable: AVI, FLV, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, OGG, OGV and WMV. Further video formats are compatible but have not been tested, please contact us if you would like us to test another video format or require an option which is not currently available.
Example Video
The following video has been converted with the Video Conversion API (as has the video at the top of the page). The original video was an AVI file which was 171Mb, three versions are shown below which have been converted using the Video Conversion API with various quality settings. The orginal and converted videos are 640 pixels high by 360 pixels wide so please take this into account if viewing the video in fullscreen on a large monitor.
Medium Quality
2Mb FLV File
High Quality
4.5Mb FLV File
Very High Quality
28.5Mb FLV File
If you pay careful attention to the clouds at the top of the video you will notice the compression artifacts in the medium quality version which are not present in the very high quality version. Whether this is acceptable in return for saving 26.5Mb is dependent upon your requirements, for most purposes these minor artifacts should not be a concern.
my.OpenCrypt uses the same central user database as my.Locked-Area.com and my.DirectoryPass.com, which means you only need one account for all three web sites!
[Click here for information]


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Scientific Publications
< Back to Publications
A framework for installable external tools in Skyline.
|Publication Type
|Journal Article
|Broudy, D., Killeen T., Choi M., Shulman N., Mani D. R., Abbatiello SE, Mani D., Ahmad R., Sahu AK, Schilling B., Tamura K., Boss Y., Sharma V., Gibson BW, Carr SA, Vitek O., Maccoss MJ, and Maclean B.
|Skyline is a Windows client application for targeted proteomics method creation and quantitative data analysis. The Skyline document model contains extensive mass spectrometry data from targeted proteomics experiments performed using selected reaction monitoring, parallel reaction monitoring and data-independent and data-dependent acquisition methods. Researchers have developed software tools that perform statistical analysis of the experimental data contained within Skyline documents. The new external tools framework allows researchers to integrate their tools into Skyline without modifying the Skyline codebase. Installed tools provide point-and-click access to downstream statistical analysis of data processed in Skyline. The framework also specifies a uniform interface to format tools for installation into Skyline. Tool developers can now easily share their tools with proteomics researchers using Skyline. Availability and implementation: Skyline is available as a single-click self-updating web installation at http://skyline.maccosslab.org. This Web site also provides access to installable external tools and documentation.
|Year of Publication
|Bioinformatics (Oxford, England)
|Date Published (YYYY/MM/DD)
|ISSN Number


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Plant Evolution and Diversity
Environment and Plant Evolution and Diversity
A major way humans are changing the environment is by moving plants around to new habitats. We are taking plants out of the habitats in which they evolved and are putting them in new ones, which has a huge effect on plant diversity—some plants become invasive, and invasive plants threaten native plant diversity by outcompeting the plants native to an area. Invasive plants reproduce very quickly and spread to new areas. These plants don't only decrease native diversity, but can cost a lot of money in damage control. Invasive species are thought to be the second greatest threat to biodiversity, after habitat loss (Wilcove et al. 1998).
When plants are moved into an environment in which they did not evolve, sometimes they just don't survive or reproduce there, and they die. However, some plants are good at dealing with a wide range of conditions. These plants are the ones that might be problematic.
Some famous invasive plants are kudzu in the southeastern United States, purple loosestrife in most of the United States, and prickly pear cactus in Australia. In the United States, over $100 million a year is spent controlling invasive plants in waterways. That doesn't include control efforts in forests, farms, or national parks. So how do these plants get so out of control?
Kudzu is native to Japan and China but was introduced to the United States in the late 1800s. It has spread across much of the eastern US, and forms dense thickets, covering other plants in its path.
(Public domain image from US Fish and Wildlife Service, available at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kudzu.jpg)
There are lots of different theories about how invasive plants succeed in new habitats, but two in particular have to do with evolution:
• Enemy Release Hypothesis (ERH)
• Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability Hypothesis (EICA)
The idea behind Enemy Release is that in their native habitat, plants have animals that like to eat them or pathogens (fungi or bacteria) that infect them. These "natural enemies" probably co-evolved with the plant. This means some plants die from the enemy attacks, but a big battle of natural selection is going on. The plants that survive longer and produce more offspring than other plants (that get eaten or infected sooner) may have some sort of resistance to the enemy. Maybe they are less tasty, or hairier, or more resistant to disease. They will pass these traits on to their offspring, and the next generation will be slightly more resistant to enemy attack. However, natural selection is happening on the enemy's side too. Let's say the plants have chemicals in their leaves that are toxic to bugs. Most bugs die when they eat the toxic leaves. Yet some bugs, for some reason, are resistant to the toxin and can eat the leaves and survive to reproduce. They might pass this trait onto their offspring, and all of a sudden there are lots of bugs that can eat the leaves without dying.
The way natural selection works, plants that produce more potent toxins will survive in greater numbers than plants producing less toxic leaves. However, the bugs' natural resistance can keep growing from generation to generation. This whole scenario is an example of what's called an evolutionary arms race—each side keeps building up their defense strategy but each side catches up with the other.
Now let's say we take the plant out of its natural environment (e.g. Florida) and take it to a new one (e.g. Hawaii). The plant still has its toxic leaves, but the little bug that was developing resistance to it is not in the new environment. In the new environment, there is nothing that can eat the leaves of the plant because they are so toxic. The plant has escaped its natural enemies and can survive and reproduce quite well because nothing has evolved the ability to eat it.
The Evolution of Increased Competitive Ability (EICA) Hypothesis builds on the co-evolution idea proposed in the Enemy Release hypothesis, but involves the plant evolving in its new habitat. A fundamental difference is that EICA assumes that the plants are not as successful when they first arrive in the new habitat as they are in later generations.
The creators of EICA, Bernd Blossey and Rolf Notzold, realized that there is often a lag between the time a plant is introduced somewhere and the time it starts spreading rapidly around the land. They proposed that because the plant was taken out of its natural habitat and no longer has to produce energetically costly defenses against its natural enemies, it could put those resources into growing bigger and stronger (or bigger and more prolific in its seed production). In other words, the plant evolves to be a better competitor in its new environment.
Blossey and Notzold tested the EICA Hypothesis by comparing plant growth of purple loosestrife from European seeds (native range) and American seeds (introduced range) in the same conditions. They found that the American seeds grew into bigger plants even though they were growing in the same soil and under the same conditions as the European plants. But hey, you could just say the plants were following the American Dream. The American plants were also less resistant to a beetle that attacks purple loosestrife in its native range.
Not all invasive species become bigger in their introduced ranges, so EICA does not hold for all invasives. Either the ERH or EICA could apply to different invasive plants, and some invasive species are successful for other reasons. This is an active area of research, so scientists don't have all the answers yet.


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Special Issue "Plant Endomembrane Trafficking"
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2013)
Special Issue Editor
Guest Editor
Dr. Rui Malhó
Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
Website: http://webpages.fc.ul.pt/~rmmalho
Fax: +351-217-500-048
Interests: cell and molecular biology; functional genomics; fluorescence video and confocal microscopy; plant cell development
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Eukaryotic cells have a complex set of endomembrane compartments and proper understanding of its structure and function is central to unravel the mechanisms of cell and organism morphogenesis. Plants share many features with other eukaryotic organisms but have also distinct characteristics involved in numerous, fundamental processes, such as cell wall composition, plant nutrition or immune responses. These specificities are yet insufficiently addressed but many innovative approaches are in course and new data emerging revealing how plants adapted and evolved. In this special issue, we aim to cover recent advances in endomembrane trafficking analysis with special emphasis on the role of proteins and lipids and their interplay in the establishment and maintenance of the plant secretory pathway.
Dr. Rui Malhó
Guest Editor
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 300 CHF (Swiss Francs). English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.
- protein folding and post-translational insertion
- protein-lipid interaction
- ion fluxes across membranes
- ER-Golgi traffic and dynamics
- post-Golgi trafficking
- membrane recycling - endocytosis and exocytosis
- vacuole biogenesis
- "-omics" of the endomembrane compartment
- interaction with the cytoskeleton - architecture of the endomembrane compartment
Last update: 19 October 2012