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Wooden Capacitor Modification
The vast majority of components we use are mass-produced by companies which, ultimately, only care about their profits, not the sound - regardless of what their marketing teams would have us believe.
Worse still, some of those mass-produced components, like electrolytic capacitors, are very difficult - or outright impossible - to make at home, from audio-grade materials (like my VNP and VNM Caps).
But how about: we take a ready-made electrolytic capacitor, strip it from all the cheaply made external parts, and replace them with great-sounding natural materials, like wood and wax?
In this guide I will show you how you can
perform such modification yourself fairly easily. You can see the
outcome of my first experiment to the left. If you are curious about
the resulting sound, you can skip straight to the "The Sound of Music" chapter.
You will need:
This is a fairly fool-proof method, but you are well advised to try this on a cheap component first. I picked a Panasonic AM 2200uF / 50V to be my guinea pig.
Let's start with preparing the new casing for the capacitor.
I chose a nice piece of what I believe is an exotic hardwood - sapele. It is heavy, hard, looks beautiful, and is one of the tonewoods commonly used in instrument-making - which suggests it has inherently good "vibrational properties". That ticked all of my boxes.
Use your as-yet-unmodified capacitor as a guide:
Mark and cut - remember it is better to cut a bit too large than a bit too small. Harder and stiffer woods tend to result in better sound; bigger and heavier pieces are also better, but the law of diminishing returns applies: wall thicknesses above 10mm do not seem to make much difference. I usually aim for 5mm - 10mm (measured in the narrowest point). Also while measuring, do keep in mind that nearly all wood drills have a leading "pin" at the centre, which increases the overall required wood length.
One clever way to make the casing heavier and more rigid is by mounting multiple capacitors in the same block of wood. This also makes the arrangement more compact, where space might be an issue.
Try to fasten your cut piece to something stable with a vice or a clamp - it will make drilling a lot easier. It might be a good idea to actually drill the hole before cutting the wood, as a bigger piece will be more stable; my piece was too long to clamp comfortably so I cut it first and drilled after.
Drill slowly, and allow the drill bit to cool every now and then (I had a bowl of water handy for this reason - to quickly cool the bit, and get back to drilling). Sapele is a fairly resinous and fibrous wood, which made this part quite tedious for me, as the dust and shavings were sticking to the drill and edges of the hole instead of getting expelled. I found that the best technique to deal with this was to alternate between slow speed / heavy pressure and faster speed / light pressure to expel shavings - but your mileage may, of course, vary.
If your capacitor just about fits in the hole, you can stop drilling - the capacitor will become quite a bit smaller in a few minutes, and will have more slack.
Your casing is done - if you plan on sealing it with a ground and/or finishing it with a varnish or oil - now is the time to do it, as it will likely need time to dry before you can put the stripped capacitor in it.
I decided to seal mine with a ground that is rumoured to have been used by Stradivarius in his legendary violins - it is called "Vernice Bianca". This ground is said to improve the sound of musical instruments - and, from my experiments with wood-modded capacitors and VNM Caps, it seems that this applies to audio components as well. The improvement is, naturally, not of a staggering scale, but it does make the sound a little bit more tightly defined and markedly more resonant (i.e. "resonant" as opposed to "flat" or "dull").
I asked on a few luthier forums, and was advised, that the best way to make Vernice Bianca is as follows:
Once you have finished applying Vernice Bianca, discard the rest - it must be freshly made every time.
The objective of this stage is to get the actual capacitor out of its "can". But before you start, make sure its negative and positive leads are clearly marked - the actual leads themselves have to be marked, as they will be the only remaining external part after modification. If your capacitor is new, it's not a problem as the negative lead is shorter; if its leads were trimmed, mark the negative lead with a permanent marker. Also, it might be a good idea to write down the exact capacitor model and parameters for later reference.
The following part only applies to standard capacitors - solid capacitors, such as Sanyo Os-Con are more difficult to mod. There is much less that can be stripped away from them, and consequently, the resulting improvement is less significant as well.
First step is to cut the capacitor housing, so we can take it off without damaging the capacitor itself. The best target for cutting is the place where the "can" is pressed into the rubber "stopper" at the bottom and forms a neck. This is a very safe place to attempt a cut because of the rubber underneath - but ideally, the cut should be made at the edge of the neck, to save the effort with bending the can edges later. Try to get a precise, reasonably clean cut as it will also help later. If using a Dremel tool, set it to maximum RPM and proceed slowly to avoid deforming the aluminium. Be carefull - at this speed Dremel will cut right through just about anything. I find it easier to mount it in a vice and manipulate the capacitor instead; clamping the capacitor would be risky, and would likely deform the aluminium casing after the cut was finished.
Here are some further pictures showing the ideal place to make the cut - slightly above the point where the aluminium can begins to bend. (click on any picture for a high-resolution version)
You can see a blue nitrile glove on the above pictures. It is not strictly necessary to use one, but the electrolyte in the capacitors is certainly not something FDA-approved, so try to avoid it, just in case.
Next step is to slide the can off the capacitor. In order to avoid scarring of the capacitor surface, you need to flatten any rough edges of the cut. This is the part where you need a stanley knife blade, or better - a small flat screwdriver. Insert the end of the screwdriver into the opening between the capacitor roll and the aluminium casing. Be very careful here, as this is perhaps the only stage where there is a real risk of damaging your capacitor. Press any bits of aluminium that are sticking out until they are all out of the way, and the capacitor slides out freely.
The first 2mm (or so) of the capacitor roll is just spare insulation - it is visible as the dark border on the picture below. It is theoretically safe to damage it, but try not to, as it retains precious electrolyte.
In order to get rid of the rest of the aluminium, cut the remaining "rim" - a wire cutter does this job cleanly:
With the rim cut, you should be able to bend it and peel it off with minimal effort.
Removing the rubber stopper should be fairly easy, but sometimes it is stuck quite firmly to the leads. If that happens, grab one of the wires with your pliers, and use a screwdriver to push the rubber off a little bit. Then grab the other lead and repeat. Of course, make sure both leads are straight first.
There is just one part left to remove now - the plastic tape holding the capacitor roll together. This requires some extra care, and you may want to skip this part altogether, as it doesn't make THIS MUCH difference, and there is a very real risk of un-rolling the capacitor. Most capacitors are rolled tightly enough that they will not unwrap on their own, even without the tape - but some of them will.
If you remove the tape, you have to wrap the capacitor using one of the methods described in the next chapter.
One last thing -
try not to leave your capacitor roll exposed for too long, as the
electrolyte will dry, shortening the capacitor's life, and reducing
its capacitance. If you must interrupt your work for some reason,
put the aluminium can back onto the roll, and wrap it all in a
plastic bag, or otherwise seal it (I put mine in that blue nitrile glove,
folded the end, and secured with a crocodile clip).
We stripped the capacitor from its ugly clothes - time to dress it back up. The first step is wrapping the exposed roll in paper or fabric, to protect, strengthen and dampen it. This step is optional (unless you removed the tape holding the capacitor together), but highly recommended, as it will protect the roll from hot wax, and also improve the sound to some degree - depending on the material used.
I chose to wrap my capacitor in silk fabric soaked in linseed oil, as this combination sounds excellent in my VNP and VNM Caps. You can use a less noble material, such as paper, or thin cotton. Rice paper is a good choice, according to Cees Piet, but you will need to glue the ends with a lacquer or natural varnish. In any case, whatever you choose, stick to natural materials and avoid artificial (man-made) fabrics or foils. Be careful with silk especially: artificial silk is easily confused with true silk, and labels are often misleading - so insist on "natural", preferably un-dyed silk.
If you choose to
follow my method, start by cutting a narrow ribbon of silk - I used
very fine fabric (the same I use in VNP/VNM Caps), so I cut a fairly
long piece - about 90cm or 3ft. Find a small container, in which
you can soak your ribbon; a jam jar lid worked well enough for me.
Pour a little linseed oil into your container and gently fold your fabric
into it until it's all soaked.
Add at least a few loops "lengthwise" - between the top (where the leads are), and the bottom of the roll. I don't think any particular technique is preferred here, so long as you wrap the entire capacitor tightly and evenly. The picture above shows my capacitor about halfway through the wrapping process (you can just about see the semi-translucent silk between the capacitor and the lid on the floor). Additional wrapping seems to improve the sound slightly, so be generous with it - within reason.
The next step is setting the capacitor in its wooden housing:
On the picture
above, you can see the finished capacitor roll. Also you can see a
candle for heating up wax, and a little "spoon" I fashioned out of
copper foil for convenient melting and pouring of the wax. My wooden
case is not finished yet on this photo, as I was following a
slightly different order then.
Put your wax in a spoon, or other suitable vessel and heat it up until it melts:
You can of course heat it using your cooker, or any other source of heat, I prefer flame for "esoteric" reasons. I like it because it makes me feel like I am performing some kind of alchemy ;)
At this stage (this is completely optional) I add a few pieces of pine resin that I gathered in a virgin forest in Poland and then heated it up to obtain rosin. Pine rosin is hard and brittle, and I use it because it stiffens the wax somewhat (and imparts a pleasant pine note to its smell). It requires some effort and high temperature to melt, and even then does not dissolve completely - but that is to be expected with a "wild", unprocessed rosin. I will be experimenting with other resins - so far copal is showing particular promise.
Pour a little of the melted wax in the bottom of the wood casing. Wait for it to start setting and put your capacitor in (so that it rests on wax, not directly on wood at the bottom). Pour the rest of the hot wax around the capacitor until the entire hole is filled. Hold the capacitor upright while the wax sets - this will take a while as wood is a good insulator and your wax will only cool slowly. As it cools, it will change colour from clear yellow to cloudy white, to solid yellow/beige (or brownish if you heated it to over 85deg.C). It is still quite hot in the picture below:
It is a good idea to mark the polarity on the casing now, as well as write the capacitor name and parameters on the new casing. Also, if you haven't applied any finish to your wood, you can still varnish the exterior. I would recommend at least a coat or two of something simple, like linseed oil or tung oil, which will give it some degree of protection from excessive humidity, mould etc.
And this pretty much concludes the modification. You can also cut a small matching piece of wood with two tiny holes drilled in it, to act as a cover, and stick it on with a bit of melted wax. It is not strictly necessary, as the wax seals the capacitor sufficiently, but it seems to improve the sound a little. It also has the desirable effect of providing strain relief to the leads - so that bending them does not brake up the wax.
One final note:
while this modification is (obviously) not reversible, it is still
possible to move the capacitor to a different housing. To do it, all
you need to do is melt the wax - the easiest way is to heat the
whole capacitor for a while in an oven set to 70-80 degrees Celsius
(wax melts around 62deg.C) until you can take out the capacitor.
Microwave ovens are NOT suitable.
Eventually came the moment of truth: I tested the modified capacitor in the power supply of my "Shigaclone" CD player. I built it with convenient sockets for quick swapping of capacitors, and I used it extensively in my "Big Capacitor Test".
My reference was Black Gate FK 2200uF. It is renown for its intricately detailed and deep, but mellow and natural sound.
The control capacitor was a Panasonic AM 2200uF/50V from the same batch as the modified one. I said about this type "remarkably free of major flaws" in my test results - but the lack of severe flaws alone does not make a capacitor great, unfortunately.
I started the actual test by switching from the Black Gate to the original (control) Panasonic. The sound became predictably dull, flat and grainy, lacking detail, texture and depth, and giving the music slight artificial boxy colouration. I listened for just long enough to satisfy myself that I am familiar with its signature and swapped the original Panasonic for its modified counterpart.
I was hoping for
some nice improvement, but didn't really know what to expect - and
whether the change would turn out to be actually worthwhile... So
with some scepticism, I pressed 'play' and...
In the end, I went back to the Black Gate FK - which now sounded oddly sharp in comparison to the modded Panasonic. Still, it was crisper, and far more dynamic and detailed. It is still my reference, but the modified Panasonic certainly showed me some timbres that were completely beyond what I had heard before - its sound certainly convinced me to modify my "reference" capacitors too.
I have now successfully performed this modification on many more capacitors - including the rare-as-hen's-teeth Black Gates - so I have a much better perspective on the effects of the modification.
Put simply: wood-modding improves the sound, across the board, and in every aspect - significantly so. The effect of wood-modding the three capacitors in the power supply of my test CD Player was comparable with a major component upgrade - you could say it was like buying a new CD Player that cost three times the price of the old one.
I thought the change in detail and soundstage was minor - it turns
out my perception was skewed by comparing my test cap with a vastly
superior Black Gate. In fact, with those three wood-modded Black
Gates mentioned above, the increase in detail was such that I was
able to hear new information in every song I played.
All in all, a staggering improvement.
Wood-mod is a great, great way to improve capacitors. It is not entirely without risks, and may be a bit tedious, but it is certainly worth trying, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
The only major disadvantage that I could think of is the large physical size of the resulting capacitor. Safety may be compromised in case of a capacitor failure (such as caused by reversed polarity or severe overloading), because internal gas pressure will build up before the wax melts and releases the gases. So double-check your wood-modded caps before connecting. Also, this modification will render the capacitor unsuitable for any high-current use, such as in crossovers for high-powered speakers.
On the benefits
side are, so far as I can tell:
If you like the idea, but do not have the time or means to do the modification yourself, I will be happy help you as I thoroughly enjoy doing these mods. Unfortunately, I still have to charge for my time and materials. The cost will probably work out to around £15 for a basic mod of an average-sized capacitor, sealed with beeswax in a pine casing. Better wood or unusually big capacitors would cost more. Extra treatments like matching cover or Vernice Bianca will also cost extra. Please send me an email if you are interested.
The original modified Panasonic cap, as well as its un-modified counterpart are available for listening tests for those curious - or sceptical - about the mod. I only ask that you pay for the postage and I will send them for free - on the promise that you return them after three weeks.
The original idea came from Kees Pel and Olaf Biessen, and also Cees Piet - many thanks guys! I merely came up with some improvements to their process: an easier and more universal way to make wooden casings, less likely to damage the capacitor, and slightly more thorough - as it gets rid of the rubber too, not just the can. And of course, I did my own research into the effects of some exotic materials and treatments.
Performing any of the modifications described above will be entirely at your own risk. If you have questions, please ask. No claims will be accepted for any damage or loss, direct or implied, that arose due to the use of the information provided on this website.
Copyright © 2009-12 Jaroslaw Biniek.


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How does Lady Macbeth defy the social expectations expected of her character in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 5?The raven himself is hoarseThat croaks the fatal entrance of DuncanUnder my...
How does Lady Macbeth defy the social expectations expected of her character in her soliloquy in Act 1 Scene 5?
The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty! make thick my blood;
Stop up the access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
The effect and it! Come to my woman's breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murdering ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature's mischief! Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry 'Hold, hold!'
How is her defyment of social expectations further reinforced by the various literary/stylistic devices (ie symbolism, imagery, diction, etc.)
*****Also, what is the tone of this soliloquy?*****
Thank you in advance!
1 Answer | Add Yours
In her soliloquy of Act I, scene v, Lady Macbeth hankers to be filled with the "direst cruelty", to dam up compassion, to exchange breastmilk for poison. In these taboo-breaking desires, Lady Macbeth contradicts the role and behaviour expected of the women of her time. As she implores the infernal spirits to "unsex me here", she expresses a desire to become like the witches whom, at the outset, Macbeth cannot recognize as female. From the beginning of the play the wife of the thane of Glamis is a woman to be watched. In a barbarous and violent society she can read. This ability alone symbolizes the power she exerts over her husband. From the moment she reads over Macbeth's timorous reflections, she is convinced that he lacks the wickedness to usurp Duncan's kingship. By this accusation she trespasses into the forbidden territory of transgendering. The majority of women of her time would not have questioned male authority. She does, and boldly so. Her willingness to violate established social conventions triggers her gender reversal of the next few scenes: Lady Macbeth becomes a dominatrix driving the Macbeth himself to upset the order of things by regicide.
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subset: commoncrawl


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Definition of extrapolate
transitive verb
1 : to infer (values of a variable in an unobserved interval) from values within an already observed interval
2a : to project, extend, or expand (known data or experience) into an area not known or experienced so as to arrive at a usually conjectural knowledge of the unknown area extrapolates present trends to construct an image of the futureb : to predict by projecting past experience or known data extrapolate public sentiment on one issue from known public reaction on others
intransitive verb
: to perform the act or process of extrapolating
extrapolationplay \ik-ˌstra-pə-ˈlā-shən\ noun
extrapolativeplay \ik-ˈstra-pə-ˌlā-tiv\ adjective
extrapolatorplay \ik-ˈstra-pə-ˌlā-tər\ noun
Examples of extrapolate in a Sentence
We can extrapolate the number of new students entering next year by looking at how many entered in previous years.
With such a small study it is impossible to extrapolate accurately.
Did You Know?
Scientists worry about the greenhouse effect because they have extrapolated the rate of carbon-dioxide buildup and predicted that its effect on the atmosphere will become increasingly severe. On the basis of their extrapolations, they have urged governments and businesses to limit factory and automobile emissions. Notice that it's acceptable to speak of extrapolating existing data (to produce new data), extrapolating from existing data (to produce new data), or extrapolating new data (from existing data)—in other words, it isn't easy to use this word wrong.
Origin and Etymology of extrapolate
Latin extra outside + English -polate (as in interpolate) — more at extra-
First Known Use: 1874
EXTRAPOLATE Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of extrapolate for English Language Learners
: to form an opinion or to make an estimate about something from known facts
Learn More about extrapolate
See words that rhyme with extrapolate Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for extrapolate Nglish: Translation of extrapolate for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of extrapolate for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up extrapolate? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).


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Harlem officials recently honored one of their own for his long service to the city.
At Monday's monthly meeting, they named former councilman and longtime Mayor Pro Tem the Rev. Rudolph Dixon as Councilman Emeritus.
Dixon, 88, served six terms on the council after he retired as a Methodist minister in 1994.
He was replaced in the November election, where he was seeking a seventh term.
"I got angry with the status quo people we had at that time," Dixon said at the meeting. "I said, 'I know I can do better than that.' I won by nine votes."
The Columbia County Board of Education voted Tuesday not to bring children back to school to make up two days missed during this month's ice storm.
The board acted on a recommendation from Superintendent Sandra Carraway to forgive the days missed on Feb. 13 and 14 for students and to ask employees only to make up one of those days, splitting 3-2 in favor of the motion.
Carraway said the only other option would be to bring students and teachers back to school on April 14, the Monday after the Masters Tournament, which had been scheduled as a vacation day.
Members of Columbia County's Construction Advisory Board will again consider recommendations from county commissioners about a recently-contested change to the permit fee for contractors who begin work without obtaining the proper permits.
In October, commissioners approved the board's recommended $500 fee for contractors not pulling permits before they began work.
"It's mostly the subcontractors that are not getting (permits) in a timely manner," county Administrator Scott Johnson said.
Columbia County commissioners are expected to approve Tuesday a $20 million bid to expand a county wastewater treatment plant.
Water Utility Director Billy Clayton said the expansion that will double the capacity of one of the county's four wastewater treatment plants, is necessary preparation for expected growth.
"Columbia County will need this additional capacity," Clayton said.
The following accounts were taken from Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident reports:
Thief steals baby goat
An Appling woman called police Wednesday after realizing that someone stole her baby goat.
The 26-year-old woman said that someone stole her 4-day-old Nubian Lamancha goat from her front yard around 1 p.m. The woman said she heard what sounded like a car door slam. She looked out the window, but didn't see anything.
While most Columbia County residents are excited to see contractors picking up debris left from the ice storm, many are left wondering what happens to it.
The county gave contractor Ceres Environmental Services Inc, approved for disaster clean-up through a pre-event contract, the go-ahead to begin collecting the large amount of debris left from the storm.
County Emergency and Operations Division Director Pam Tucker said the contractor got to work late on Feb. 19 with 53 trucks out collecting debris left at the roadside by residents.
While a Columbia County contractor will pick up debris left from the recent ice storm, some residents are choosing to dispose of fallen trees and limbs themselves.
"Even though the county says they are going to haul it off, you've still got some people who prefer to burn it," said Larry Felix, a Georgia Forestry Commission ranger who oversees the Columbia and Richmond County office.
"If the county is going to haul it off, that's the best avenue," Felix said. "It's much safer that way."
Biker in hospital after wreck
An Augusta man remained hospitalized Monday after a car hit his motorcycle Friday evening.
Michael Dwayne Glover, 31, of Moore Avenue, was in fair condition at Georgia Regents Medical Center, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Moore was riding his motorcycle in the center turn lane of Columbia Road at Buckboard Drive and Wood Creek Drive at about 7 p.m., according to a Columbia County Sheriff's Office incident report.
Glenda Smith recalls peering out of the side door of her Martinez home during the recent ice storm when she heard an ominous sound from above.
The huge tree limb that covered her driveway and most of her front yard was cracking under the weight of the ice, and the 73-year-old knew it was only a matter of time until the branch came crashing down.
"Just about the time (my son) turned to get by the mailbox, the limb fell," Smith said. "It was all over the driveway and all over the front yard."
Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you. That's one old saying that organizers of an anti-bullying event say has been proven wrong time and time again.
Kingdom Learning Academy is hosting an anti-bullying awareness summit 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., March 1 at Evans Towne Center Park. Organizers hope to educate the community and bring awareness about the seriousness of bullying and to let children know that there is help available.
Columbia County News-Times ©2017. All Rights Reserved.


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Scott11's Emile Siegenthaler is on hand to take us through the 1.7km downhill course at Špičák.
There have been some minor improvements to the Špičák course since last year's EDC round though the track retains its mainly rock-based character.
The track is pretty dusty and dry so the riders should be able to gain plenty of speed as they go down the track.
Špičák is also known for its tight turns as Emile shows us on the clip so riders will have to show excellent bike handling skills to ensure they don't lose time.
Seeding for Sunday's finals takes place at 2.30pm CET on Saturday August 11. Check out redbull.com/bike later for the results from the seeding runs of the riders.


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Habitual criminal sentenced, record dates back to 1980s
NEW BERN, CRAVEN COUNTY - A man pleads guilty as a habitual criminal and is sentenced seven years in prison.
District Attorney Scott Thomas says Walter Bryant, Jr., 51, of New Bern, pleaded guilty to Possession of Cocaine and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. He was sentenced as an Habitual Felon to more than seven years in prison.
The case started in October 2011, when a New Bern police officer found Bryant riding a bicycle at night without a headlight. Bryant was uncooperative and incoherent when speaking with the officer. His behavior was such that the officer conducted a pat-down search for weapons and found Bryant in possession of a box cutter, a push rod used for smoking crack cocaine, and a small plastic bag containing crack cocaine.
In court, Bryant entered a guilty plea and admitted his Habitual Felon status. His prior record, which began in the 1980s, includes convictions for sexual assault, drug offenses, and forgery.
Bryant was sentenced to 84 to 114 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay a $600 SBI lab fee, court costs and attorney's fees.


text:
5 Weight Loss Rules For Men
What are the top weight loss tips for men?
Guts, sagging chest muscles, love handles, sagging neck, arms that look soft…men have their own share of body issues. Here are the top ways men can lose weight faster:
LIKE BlackDoctor.org on Facebook! Get Your Daily Medicine…For LIFE!
[ione_facebook_like_box url_segment=blackdoctor.org height="260″]
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Yesterday SimpleGeo announced on its blog that it's in open beta. Until now only select users could tap into its API and data. And, frankly, I was still a bit hazy on what exactly the company was offering. Now it's becoming more clear. Having said that, Mashable states that "SimpleGeo is recognized as one of the leading providers of location-based information; it powers consumer-facing apps that want to offer their users location-based services." So, I guess that organization knows more about it than I. That's fine and may reflect that SimpleGeo is not positioning itself for the professional geospatial marketplace, but rather the broad developer community.
There are two services coming out of closed beta. The are both now, and are promised to always be, free.
SimpleGeo Context gives developers "relevant contextual information such as geographic boundaries, weather, and demographics for a specific location." Sources of those data? Not stated on the website.
SimpleGeo Places is an accessible database of POIs including business listing ready for "real-time community collaboration" or what I'd call "updating." Sources of this data? The original sources are not stated, but this is a new model of POIs: "SimpleGeo Places was built to be the world's first open, free, and unencumbered exchange of place and point of interest (POI) data. Using proprietary data processes, SimpleGeo Places leverages a mixture of crowdsourcing and automation technologies to clean, update, and validate place data that our community creates in real-time." What community? I imagine users of services developed via the API/dataset.
Can these freebies bring in money? Perhaps. SimpleGeo is happy to offer SLAs and Premium Support for unnamed fees.
The company's for free service, SimpleGeo Storage, is now moving to private beta for some part of the first half of 2011. It's a storage/indexing/hosting option with access via HTTP. SimpleGeo uses Cassandra, a NoSQL database for this and I believe the other services backend.
So, are SimpleGeo's offerings revolutionary? Is it indeed so much easier than tapping to the Google or Bing or other APIs? Is the access faster? The data "better"? Stay tuned as for now there's more hype than documentation on those questions.
It's worth noting that the same day this announcement came out Factual another data as a service type company announce $25 million in funding. Oh, and that company already powers Facebook Places with location data. The difference in business plan: " At some point in the future, Factual plans to charge companies a nominal fee per API call though it will cut or reduce fees for companies that contribute back data. Smaller customers below a specific threshold will not have to pay."
- SimpleGeo blog
- Mashable
- GigaOm (on Factual)


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For every long-legged traveler who's sick of being pretzeled into increasingly small airplane seats, a new study offers insight into how to land yourself a few precious extra inches of legroom.
Routehappy.com surveyed U.S. airlines in search of "Roomier" seats — those with at least 32 inches of seat pitch — that travelers could find in regular economy class without having to pay extra. The carrier on which you're most likely to find these is Southwest Airlines, which offers nearly 1,000 domestic flights a day with Roomier seats (this reflects 31 percent of all Southwest flights). Alaska Airlines came in second with 752 flights, or 96 percent of its daily offerings.
While those airlines win out due to the sheer number of flights they offer, it's worth noting that a couple of smaller airlines, JetBlue and Virgin America, offer at least 32 inches of seat pitch on 100 percent of their planes. JetBlue's A320 planes have a generous 34 inches of seat pitch, and they're wider than average to boot. Virgin America's seats are also wider than most, offer 32 inches of seat pitch, and have both Wi-Fi and power outlets — a combination that you won't find fleetwide on any other airline, according to Routehappy.
In all, you can find more spacious seats for free on 13 percent of domestic flights.
Secrets of the World's Best Airlines
If you're willing to pay extra for more space, you have plenty of options. Routehappy reports that of the 22,000 domestic flights that take off each day in the U.S., 9,000 of them have more spacious economy-class seats available for purchase. (Delta and United have the most, followed by American and JetBlue.) On international flights, 47 percent of the 1,800 daily departures have Extra Legroom Economy or Premium Economy options.
You can download the full report at Routehappy.com. The site also offers fare searches with results ranked by "happiness score," which takes seat size, airplane amenities, length of trip and flier ratings into account.
Check out our tips for How to Get the Best Airplane Seat.
— written by Sarah Schlichter


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Nowadays, a patient presumed to have a metastasis of melanoma is given three options: 1) elective lymph node dissection (END); 2)adjuvant medical therapy, the one most in vogue currently being interferon; and 3) sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB). These three modalities have been studied and written about extensively; all three remain controversial. This endeavor was undertaken in order to assess critically each of the three modalities. We sought to accomplish the desideration by reviewing the important medical literature that pertains to each of them, elucidating matters of controversy in regard to END, adjuvant medical threapy, and SNB. The objective, in short, is to make these subjects readily comprehensible and to lead a reader to conclusions that are compelling because the evidence for them is incontrovertible. If that goal is achieved, as we are confident it will be, then the patients will ultimately be beneficiaries.
Product Details
Published Year: 2004
Pages: 79
Language: English
Ships from and sold by Derm101.com.


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The Army's super-ambitious program for new networked armored vehicles is getting more expensive by the day, now totaling as much as $200 billion for around 15 brigades. With war costs mounting, high-tech fighter jets and destroyers gobbling up procurement funds and plans afoot to grow the Army and Marines by close to 100,000 (very expensive) people, don't be surprised if FCS gets canned. (It's already happening by degrees: four of the 18 vehicles have been deferred.)
If FCS goes the way of the dodo, we'll probably see technology developed for the program go spinning out in all kinds of directions, like what happened when the Army earlier canceled its over-budget, under-performing RAH-66 Comanche chopper and XM-2001 Crusader howitzer: communications and sensors from Comanche wound up in new AH-64D Apache Block IIIs; systems from the Crusader were the starting point for FCS' Non-Line-of-Sight Cannon, which is being funded separately from the rest of Future Combat Systems and could survive the budget axe, if it ever falls.
The heart of FCS is its software-based network radios, new sensors and software — and it's these that would probably be salvaged from the program's wreckage. These can, in theory, be ported to new versions of the Army's existing (and still world-beating) tanks and other vehicles, transforming the service at presumably a fraction of the cost of present plans. The Army is already planning on testing out FCS radios and other "boxes" years before the FCS vehicles roll out of the factories. And the service intends to eventually retrofit elements of FCS to older platforms anyways. Expanding and accelerating that plan in place of developing brand-new vehicles could save precious dollars — and could address concerns that FCS vehicles are too thinly armored to survive on modern battlefields by keeping today's tougher tanks and fighting vehicles longer.
Industry is wise to this possibility. At a trade show in March, BAE Systems — one of the major firms involved in FCS — showed off an M-2 Bradley fighting vehicle and a Humvee improved with a host of FCS systems including radios, antennas, power systems, sensors and guns. It's almost as if BAE Systems is hedging its bets.
–Cross-posted at War Is BoringGo Back to Top. Skip To: Start of Article.


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Date of Stay: July, 2016
Very nice neat campground. Owners were very nice and helpful. Nice playground, beach, and fun petting zoo. Also nice walk around lake. Our site overlooked green open space and the lake. There are park models here but they are very well kept. Only down side is lots are not real wide but there are pine trees between sites. Highly recommend.
Date of Stay: June, 2014
Can't really add anything more than all the other reviews noted. All is true and I highly recommend this place for everyone. We are definitely coming back. Stayed on lot one and enjoyed the awesome mountain views. We had a delightful gourmet breakfast in their cozy breakfast room.Just a delightful place.
Date of Stay: December, 2013
Stayed overnight and was easy in and out with level smooth sites. Restrooms were immaculate with spacious showers. Only negative was $2 charge for Wi-Fi. Would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: December, 2013
Stayed overnight and was easy in and out with level smooth sites. Restrooms were immaculate with spacious showers. Only negative was $2 charge for Wi-Fi. Would definitely stay here again.
Date of Stay: June, 2011
Really enjoyed this park. The owners are great with lots of local history and information. Our site was spacious and private - kind of an unusual site with a rock wall on 2 sides. Highly recommend this RV park. It is a bit tight getting into and out of spots. There are long term campers, but they are in separate area. The area is very neat also.
Date of Stay: June, 2011
Park is way too expensive: $60 for pull through site and $40 for back in. We opted for the back in (our rate was AAA). The back in sites turned out to be very narrow and filled with older units that seemed to be parked permanently. Not a very comfortable area. We walked around the other sites and they seemed to be quite nice and spacious. Still too expensive. Just beware of the back in sites.
Date of Stay: June, 2011
Really enjoyed this park. Nice wide sites, very clean and well maintained. Laundry was clean and large. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Would go back here when in area and would highly recommend.
Date of Stay: May, 2011
Very nice overnight park. Easy to get to and nice size sites. Owners were very nice and helpful (we had RV and Toad mechanical difficulties). Laundry facilities were very nice. Would recommend this park
Date of Stay: May, 2011
Campground is nice - well spaced and quiet. Had to stop 2 times for directions (was within a mile). Used address given in GPS - did not work. Found Expo Center easily enough, but no signs for campgrounds or office. No one was in office either that afternoon or next morning. Could find no way to pay anything!
Date of Stay: January, 2010
We have stayed here many times and have been pleased each time. The management is extremely friendly and helpful and the park is kept very clean. Would recommend highly. (Our rate was a weekly one.)
Date of Stay: April, 2009
Great place for an overnight and is easy to get to and back onto the interstate. The attendant was very pleasant and helpful. Sites are tight, but easy to get in and out.
Date of Stay: April, 2009
The only thing going for this campground is the proximity to Carlsbad Caverns. Sites are very tight, area around campground not maintained, the grill was rusted out. All looked like it was left over from the 50's except it did have newer electric and sewers.
Date of Stay: May, 2008
The park was very nice, but we were very impressed with the owners who were always on site. We had a couple of issues - dead battery on towed vehicle and a hard drive computer problem. They were very helpful in both cases - even letting us utilize their personal computer. Can't say enough about their helpfulness.


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First Song From the Spider-Man Musical: 'Boy Falls From the Sky' [Video]
Depending on your opinions of a number of potentially divisive concepts — musical theatre, Julie Taymor, Bono — the development of a Broadway musical based on Marvel Comics' flagship superhero, Spider-Man, is either tremendously exciting or unspeakably vulgar.
For better or for worse, "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" is real and will debut November 14 on Broadway's Foxwoods Theatre. Directed by Julie Taymor (multi-award-winning director and costume designer of "The Lion King" musical) with music and lyrics by U2's Bono and The Edge, "Turn Off the Dark" would appear (based on publicity materials) to be a more or less faithful depiction of Spidey on stage, albeit with presumably spontaneous interludes of singing and dancing to new songs by U2's Bono and The Edge, who created the music and lyrics for the show.
Read more and hear the song after the jump.The first listen to the U2 duo's work happened this morning as part of a "Turn Off the Dark" blitz on "Good Morning America" that included Spider-Man/Peter Parking actor Reeve Carney performing "Boy Falls from the Sky" for a live audience of women in "I <3 P.P." who were certainly not plants.
As for the song itself, well, it's no "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me," but you can decide for yourself with the help of the laughably bad video rip below (thanks again to the media corporations of the world and their draconian licensing practices, for keeping the Internet funny).
Also featured on "Good Morning America" was a fairly long interview with Taymor and Bono & The Edge, where they discussed their involvement with the project.


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Fun Under the Sun: The Wonderful Island of Djerba2013-06-10 2 Share Tweet
If I had to show you what is my favorite place for a summer holiday, I would have no doubt: it's the Island of Djerba, in Tunisia. Take a look!
My vacation on the island of Djerba started here, where I arrived after a short flight from Italy.
The sign indicates the entrance of the resort where I stayed for a couple of weeks, while on the right you can see the dirt track dedicated to tourists who want to reach the lagoon by camel or horse. And while we are at it, let me tell you that you can also ride on the shore of the beautiful fine sand beach!
And for people like me who are allergic to animal fur, you can have fun with a beach volley game as an alternative!
The beach is wide and well maintained, ideal for walking, sunbathing or for a swim. It is a joy to be swung by the waves while lying on a mat! The waters aren't too deep and the beach is safe, even for children.
The color of the sea is simply fantastic, it invites you to take a dip!
Here in Djerba there is always a bit of breeze that saves you from the summer heat, and ensures that you can have fun with kites or parachute!
Just outside the resort, you can find on the public beach some sellers of nice jars and pottery produced locally in the town of Guellala.
I love to jog on the shore! I love these simple ways to have fun. I do not love the nightlife and even nightclubs or disco. I love the long summer days and I prefer to have fun outdoors during the daytime.
Just before sunset, don't forget to take some nice pictures on the beach!
Few kilometers from here there is the small town of Midun, where you can find local restaurants and many shopping centers. You can buy T-shirts, jeans and other locally produced clothing for very competitive prices! You can reach Midun with a taxi, the cost of a ride is very cheap here!
All these photos were taken with my trusty Lomo LC-A.
written by sirio174 on 2013-06-10 #band #girls #lifestyle #shopping #sea #festival #town #fun #summer #majorettes #flying #kite #parachute #beach #fun-under-the-sun #tunisia #requested-post #djerba #midun


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The Three Laws of Robotics, first presented in one of the nine short stories included in this collection, represent the basis of Asimov's robot universe and inspire much later robot fiction. The 2004 blockbuster film of the same name starring Will Smith, while merely inspired by Asimov's stories, exemplifies the extent to which the Three Laws have become mainstream.
I, Robotby Isaac Asimov
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second
The three laws of Robotics:
1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm
2) A robot must obey orders givein to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
With these three, simple directives, Isaac Asimov changed our perception of robots forever when he formulated the laws governing their behavior. In I, Robot, Asimov chronicles the development of the robot through a series of interlinked stories: from its primitive origins in the present to its ultimate perfection in the not-so-distant future--a future in which humanity itself may be rendered obsolete.
Here are stories of robots gone mad, of mind-read robots, and robots with a sense of humor. Of robot politicians, and robots who secretly run the world--all told with the dramatic blend of science fact and science fiction that has become Asmiov's trademark.
Editorial Reviews
The Three Laws of Robotics, first presented in one of the nine short stories included in this collection, represent the basis of Asimov's robot universe and inspire much later robot fiction. The 2004 blockbuster film of the same name starring Will Smith, while merely inspired by Asimov's stories, exemplifies the extent to which the Three Laws have become mainstream.
Product Details
- 9780553900330
- Publisher:
- Random House Publishing Group
- Publication date:
- 06/01/2004
- Series:
- The Robot Series , #1
- Sold by:
- Random House
- Format:
- NOOK Book
- Pages:
- 304
- Sales rank:
- 27,653
- File size:
Read an Excerpt
"Ninety-eight--ninety-nine--one hundred." Gloria withdrew her chubby little forearm from before her eyes and stood for a moment, wrinkling her nose and blinking in the sunlight. Then, trying to watch in all directions at once, she withdrew a few cautious steps from the tree against which she had been leaning.
She craned her neck to investigate the possibilities of a clump of bushes to the right and then withdrew farther to obtain a better angle for viewing its dark recesses. The quiet was profound except for the incessant buzzing of insects and the occasional chirrup of some hardy bird, braving the midday sun.
Gloria pouted, "I bet he went inside the house, and I've told him a million times that that's not fair."
With tiny lips pressed together tightly and a severe frown crinkling her forehead, she moved determinedly toward the two-story building up past the driveway.
Too late she heard the rustling sound behind her, followed by the distinctive and rhythmic clump-clump of Robbie's metal feet. She whirled about to see her triumphing companion emerge from hiding and make for the home-tree at full speed.
Gloria shrieked in dismay. "Wait, Robbie! That wasn't fair, Robbie! You promised you wouldn't run until I found you." Her little feet could make no headway at all against Robbie's giant strides. Then, within ten feet of the goal, Robbie's pace slowed suddenly to the merest of crawls, and Gloria, with one final burst of wild speed, dashed pantingly past him to touch the welcome bark of home-tree first.
Gleefully, she turned on the faithful Robbie, and with the basest of ingratitude, rewarded him for his sacrifice by taunting him cruelly for a lack of running ability.
"Robbie can't run," she shouted at the top of her eight-year-old voice. "I can beat him any day. I can beat him any day." She chanted the words in a shrill rhythm.
Robbie didn't answer, of course--not in words. He pantomimed running instead, inching away until Gloria found herself running after him as he dodged her narrowly, forcing her to veer in helpless circles, little arms outstretched and fanning at the air.
"Robbie," she squealed, "stand still!"--And the laughter was forced out of her in breathless jerks.
--Until he turned suddenly and caught her up, whirling her round, so that for her the world fell away for a moment with a blue emptiness beneath, and green trees stretching hungrily downward toward the void. Then she was down in the grass again, leaning against Robbie's leg and still holding a hard, metal finger.
After a while, her breath returned. She pushed uselessly at her disheveled hair in vague imitation of one of her mother's gestures and twisted to see if her dress were torn.
She slapped her hand against Robbie's torso, "Bad boy! I'll spank you!"
And Robbie cowered, holding his hands over his face so that she had to add, "No, I won't, Robbie. I won't spank you. But anyway, it's my turn to hide now because you've got longer legs and you promised not to run till I found you."
Robbie nodded his head--a small parallelepiped with rounded edges and corners attached to a similar but much larger parallelepiped that served as torso by means of a short, flexible stalk--and obediently faced the tree. A thin, metal film descended over his glowing eyes and from within his body came a steady, resonant ticking.
"Don't peek now--and don't skip any numbers," warned Gloria, and scurried for cover.
With unvarying regularity, seconds were ticked off, and at the hundredth, up went the eyelids, and the glowing red of Robbie's eyes swept the prospect. They rested for a moment on a bit of colorful gingham that protruded from behind a boulder. He advanced a few steps and convinced himself that it was Gloria who squatted behind it.
Slowly, remaining always between Gloria and home-tree, he advanced on the hiding place, and when Gloria was plainly in sight and could no longer even theorize to herself that she was not seen, he extended one arm toward her, slapping the other against his leg so that it rang again. Gloria emerged sulkily.
"You peeked!" she exclaimed, with gross unfairness. "Besides I'm tired of playing hide-and-seek. I want a ride."
But Robbie was hurt at the unjust accusation, so he seated himself carefully and shook his head ponderously from side to side.
Gloria changed her tone to one of gentle coaxing immediately, "Come on, Robbie. I didn't mean it about the peeking. Give me a ride."
Robbie was not to be won over so easily, though. He gazed stubbornly at the sky, and shook his head even more emphatically.
"Please, Robbie, please give me a ride." She encircled his neck with rosy arms and hugged tightly. Then, changing moods in a moment, she moved away. "If you don't, I'm going to cry," and her face twisted appallingly in preparation.
Hard-hearted Robbie paid scant attention to this dreadful possibility, and shook his head a third time. Gloria found it necessary to play her trump card.
"If you don't," she exclaimed warmly, "I won't tell you any more stories, that's all. Not one--"
Robbie gave in immediately and unconditionally before this ultimatum, nodding his head vigorously until the metal of his neck hummed. Carefully, he raised the little girl and placed her on his broad, flat shoulders.
Gloria's threatened tears vanished immediately and she crowed with delight. Robbie's metal skin, kept at a constant temperature of seventy by the high resistance coils within, felt nice and comfortable, while the beautifully loud sound her heels made as they bumped rhythmically against his chest was enchanting.
"You're an air-coaster, Robbie, you're a big, silver air-coaster. Hold out your arms straight. --You got to, Robbie, if you're going to be an air-coaster."
The logic was irrefutable. Robbie's arms were wings catching the air currents and he was a silver 'coaster.
Gloria twisted the robot's head and leaned to the right. He banked sharply. Gloria equipped the 'coaster with a motor that went "Br-r-r" and then with weapons that went "Powie" and "Sh-sh-shshsh." Pirates were giving chase and the ship's blasters were coming into play. The pirates dropped in a steady rain.
"Got another one. --Two more," she cried.
Then "Faster, men," Gloria said pompously, "we're running out of ammunition." She aimed over her shoulder with undaunted courage and Robbie was a blunt-nosed spaceship zooming through the void at maximum acceleration.
Clear across the field he sped, to the patch of tall grass on the other side, where he stopped with a suddenness that evoked a shriek from his flushed rider, and then tumbled her onto the soft, green carpet.
Gloria gasped and panted, and gave voice to intermittent whispered exclamations of "That was nice!"
Robbie waited until she had caught her breath and then pulled gently at a lock of hair.
"You want something?" said Gloria, eyes wide in an apparently artless complexity that fooled her huge "nursemaid" not at all. He pulled the curl harder.
"Oh, I know. You want a story."
Robbie nodded rapidly.
"Which one?"
Robbie made a semi-circle in the air with one finger.
The little girl protested, "Again? I've told you Cinderella a million times. Aren't you tired of it? --It's for babies."
Another semi-circle.
"Oh, well," Gloria composed herself, ran over the details of the tale in her mind (together with her own elaborations, of which she had several) and began:
"Are you ready? Well--once upon a time there was a beautiful little girl whose name was Ella. And she had a terribly cruel step-mother and two very ugly and very cruel step-sisters and--"
Gloria was reaching the very climax of the tale--midnight was striking and everything was changing back to the shabby originals lickety-split, while Robbie listened tensely with burning eyes--when the interruption came.
It was the high-pitched sound of a woman who has been calling not once, but several times; and had the nervous tone of one in whom anxiety was beginning to overcome impatience.
"Mamma's calling me," said Gloria, not quite happily. "You'd better carry me back to the house, Robbie."
Robbie obeyed with alacrity for somehow there was that in him which judged it best to obey Mrs. Weston, without as much as a scrap of hesitation. Gloria's father was rarely home in the daytime except on Sunday--today, for instance--and when he was, he proved a genial and understanding person. Gloria's mother, however, was a source of uneasiness to Robbie and there was always the impulse to sneak away from her sight.
Mrs. Weston caught sight of them the minute they rose above the masking tufts of long grass and retired inside the house to wait.
"I've shouted myself hoarse, Gloria," she said, severely. "Where were you?"
"I was with Robbie," quavered Gloria. "I was telling him Cinderella, and I forgot it was dinner-time."
"Well, it's a pity Robbie forgot, too." Then, as if that reminded her of the robot's presence, she whirled upon him. "You may go, Robbie. She doesn't need you now." Then, brutally, "And don't come back till I call you."
Robbie turned to go, but hesitated as Gloria cried out in his defense, "Wait, Mamma, you got to let him stay. I didn't finish Cinderella for him. I said I would tell him Cinderella and I'm not finished."
"Honest and truly, Mamma, he'll stay so quiet, you won't even know he's here. He can sit on the chair in the corner, and he won't say a word,--I mean he won't do anything. Will you, Robbie?"
Robbie, appealed to, nodded his massive head up and down once.
"Gloria, if you don't stop this at once, you shan't see Robbie for a whole week."
The girl's eyes fell, "All right! But Cinderella is his favorite story and I didn't finish it. --And he likes it so much."
The robot left with a disconsolate step and Gloria choked back a sob.
George Weston was comfortable. It was a habit of his to be comfortable on Sunday afternoons. A good, hearty dinner below the hatches; a nice, soft, dilapidated couch on which to sprawl; a copy of the Times; slippered feet and shirtless chest;--how could anyone help but be comfortable?
He wasn't pleased, therefore, when his wife walked in. After ten years of married life, he still was so unutterably foolish as to love her, and there was no question that he was always glad to see her--still Sunday afternoons just after dinner were sacred to him and his idea of solid comfort was to be left in utter solitude for two or three hours. Consequently, he fixed his eye firmly upon the latest reports of the Lefebre-Yoshida expedition to Mars (this one was to take off from Lunar Base and might actually succeed) and pretended she wasn't there.
Mrs. Weston waited patiently for two minutes, then impatiently for two more, and finally broke the silence.
"George, I say! Will you put down that paper and look at me?"
The paper rustled to the floor and Weston turned a weary face toward his wife, "What is it, dear?"
"You know what it is, George. It's Gloria and that terrible machine."
"What terrible machine?"
"Now don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. It's that robot Gloria calls Robbie. He doesn't leave her for a moment."
"Well, why should he? He's not supposed to. And he certainly isn't a terrible machine. He's the best darn robot money can buy and I'm damned sure he set me back half a year's income. He's worth it, though--darn sight cleverer than half my office staff."
He made a move to pick up the paper again, but his wife was quicker and snatched it away.
"You listen to me, George. I won't have my daughter entrusted to a machine--and I don't care how clever it is. It has no soul, and no one knows what it may be thinking. A child just isn't made to be guarded by a thing of metal."
Weston frowned, "When did you decide this? He's been with Gloria two years now and I haven't seen you worry till now."
"It was different at first. It was a novelty; it took a load off me, and--and it was a fashionable thing to do. But now I don't know. The neighbors--"
"Well, what have the neighbors to do with it. Now, look. A robot is infinitely more to be trusted than a human nursemaid. Robbie was constructed for only one purpose really--to be the companion of a little child. His entire 'mentality' has been created for the purpose. He just can't help being faithful and loving and kind. He's a machine--made so. That's more than you can say for humans."
"But something might go wrong. Some--some--" Mrs. Weston was a bit hazy about the insides of a robot, "some little jigger will come loose and the awful thing will go berserk and--and--" She couldn't bring herself to complete the quite obvious thought.
"Nonsense," Weston denied, with an involuntary nervous shiver. "That's completely ridiculous. We had a long discussion at the time we bought Robbie about the First Law of Robotics. You know that it is impossible for a robot to harm a human being; that long before enough can go wrong to alter that First Law, a robot would be completely inoperable. It's a mathematical impossibility. Besides I have an engineer from U.S. Robots here twice a year to give the poor gadget a complete overhaul. Why, there's no more chance of anything at all going wrong with Robbie than there is of you or I suddenly going looney--considerably less, in fact. Besides, how are you going to take him away from Gloria?"
He made another futile stab at the paper and his wife tossed it angrily into the next room.
"That's just it, George! She won't play with anyone else. There are dozens of little boys and girls that she should make friends with, but she won't. She won't go near them unless I make her. That's no way for a little girl to grow up. You want her to be normal, don't you? You want her to be able to take her part in society."
"You're jumping at shadows, Grace. Pretend Robbie's a dog. I've seen hundreds of children who would rather have their dog than their father."
"A dog is different, George. We must get rid of that horrible thing. You can sell it back to the company. I've asked, and you can."
"You've asked? Now look here, Grace, let's not go off the deep end. We're keeping the robot until Gloria is older and I don't want the subject brought up again." And with that he walked out of the room in a huff.
Mrs. Weston met her husband at the door two evenings later. "You'll have to listen to this, George. There's bad feeling in the village."
Meet the Author
Isaac Asimov began his Foundation Series at the age of twenty-one, not realizing that it would one day be considered a cornerstone of science fiction. During his legendary career, Asimov penned over 470 books on subjects ranging from science to Shakespeare to history, though he was most loved for his award-winning science fiction sagas, which include the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series. Named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Asimov entertained and educated readers of all ages for close to five decades. He died, at the age of seventy-two, in April 1992.
Brief Biography
- Date of Birth:
- January 20, 1920
- Date of Death:
- April 6, 1992
- Place of Birth:
- Petrovichi, Russia
- Place of Death:
- New York, New York
- Education:
- Columbia University, B.S. in chemistry, 1939; M.A. in chemistry, 1941; Ph.D. in biochemistry, 1948
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IMPORTANT: The book does not resemble the movie in any great detail. This is a must read for SF fans out there, packed in a very affordable package.
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov is made up of a series of nine science fiction short stories that all are connected through a robot psychologist named Dr. Susan Calvin. The stories are told as if Susan Calvin is relaying them to a reporter, the narrator. The first story, ¿Robbie¿ is about a young girl who has a robot friend, but her mother disapproves of the relationship. Her mother tries desperately to keep them away from each other. In the next few stories, we are told of two scientists who are distraught with problems in development of labor robots. The two come across danger while trying to relieve the issues almost costing them their lives in the process. A common thread among each story is the Three Law of Robotics, which underlines and governs the way robots should behave as well as the interaction of humans and robots. In the next five stories, Susan Calvin is the main character and the stories talk about the evolution of robots. The stories also talk about her removal from humanity. She retreats due to a mind-reading robot that discovers her romantic feelings for a fellow colleague. Throughout the novel the robots show intelligence and understanding which in some cases surpasses that of the humans. Soon the humans begin to realize that the robots may have more power then they themselves have. Their ability to deduce and analyze creates a major problem for the humans and it seems as though the robots could remove the humans. After their creation it is evident that the increasing knowledge of the robots will be too much for the humans. Isaac Asimov wrote a break through novel many years ahead of its time. His creativity and shear brilliance is shown through his attention to detail and development of the story as a whole. It is good read for anyone interested in the mind versus machine aspect of entertainment.
The book is pretty old, and has a few plot holes, but it's still very entertaining and makes you think a bit. Note that while the movie claims to be based on Asimov's books, that's a big fat lie. The movie takes two elements from these short stories: robots, and the Three Laws of Robotics. That's it. The inclusion of the movie picture on the cover of the new edition is a travesty. It would be more appropriate to put the poster from Mel Gibson's 'Passion' movie on the cover of the Bible -- hey, at least they have some characters and story elements in common!
This book and the movie of the same title have very few things in common. The plot of the movie is not one of those things. This book is a wonderful collection of 'hard sci-fi' short stories that explore the implications (and complications) inherent in Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. The movie is NOT based on any of the short stories in the book. In fact, the movie presents a rather apocalyptic view of intelligent robots in society, while the book attempts to show that robots would be a useful addition to society as long as the Laws work as advertised. The book is required reading for any true Science Fiction fan, but don't expect to find a preview of the movie. It ain't in there. (It's not a bad movie, really - it's kinda like 'Terminator meets Minority Report'.)
Let me start off by saying this book has nothing to do with the movie, to say that the I, Robot movie was freely adapted is a bit of an understatement. This book is a collection of stories about robots succeeding, and robots failing; quite the contrary to Will Smith in his action-packed thriller. These nine stories are told from the point of view of a woman named Dr. Susan Calvin, who is reciting them to a young reporter; the narrator. This book, to say the least, is way ahead of its time; published in 1950, the author, Isaac Asimov, had an unbelievable imagination that more modern authors lack today. He was able to create characters in thirty pages that some books can't create in 300. He writes with such fluent knowledge and brilliance, you would expect him to have grown up with a robot in his home. He uses expertise he got through his Ph. D in biochemistry from Columbia University to craft nine short stories and blend them together with ease. This novel is not just one storyline, with the same characters, and the same conflicts; it is a whole collection of stories with many characters and many conflicts, I grew very fond of this short story plot line throughout my reading experience. Its not just the content of this book that makes it such a good read. Asimov writes with such brilliance and fluency that he can blend together several completely different storyline's into one book, and make it believable. This book stands for so much more than the words and ideas written within the pages. This book represents a time portal into the future; the author writes what he perceives our future will look like and writes it in a way that convinces you the same. This book is intriguing, it makes you question your existence, your ideas and opinions. These stories are triumphant tales of success and failure, celebration and despair, and of confusion and absolute clarity. Isaac Asimov brings you into the future, shows you around, moves some curtains and some pillows away in order to show you the true future, in its true form. He shows you the positives and negatives to advancement in technology, and just how your opinion is formed on this topic is your decision up until that final page when the final story comes to a close and you retire to your thoughts and you questions that Isaac churned up through the use of short stories. So all in all, I loved this book and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read that will get you thinking. This is an intriguing, brilliant book that encompasses creative, inthralling conflicts with dynamic characters and inquisitive storyline's. This breakthrough novel is worth reading (and thinking about).
This book is a collection of short stories tied together by a common theme that sets the stage for and ties together many of the other robot stories of Asimov and frames the three Laws of Robotics.
Must have for all sci fi fans but it makes me mad I can't get a version without will smith on the front
This is a re-read for me, classic Asimov that stands the test of time!
There is a chat at july res1-2 Just search july and click on the first or second result.
Asimov, "I, Robot", 1950 Classic Asimov, of course; substantive, and fun to read. Asimov foresaw issues which are only now becoming worrisome regarding artificial intelligence and humanity's responsibilities toward its eventual creation of new life forms. If you saw the 2004 movie before you read the book, don't expect many similarities -- the movie just lifted the title. I read the book on my Nook HD+. The electronic form from B&N worked well on the Nook.
Foxy the pirate fox, I found you! Where is Foxita and the others?
"What?" Turns and looks at jason nervously.
((Im back!!))*mangle walks in with her hair cut diagnaly an white an pink headphones with n nice white tee an pink tights with yellow belt an pink flats an monster high eye patch over broken eye*"Hiiiii boooys!!!" * says mainly toward witherd foxy*
Hey! I'm the original Foxy!
*runs in and jumpscrares everyone* "its good to be back"
Im back!
Me too!
Foxy The Pirate Fox got locked out so here we are.
Just classic
if you like this read the three Caves of Steel about the earth policeman and the robot policeman on esrth and on a planet where each human is alone in middle of acres of land but hundreds of robots
<b>I, Robot</b> by Isaac Asimov Audio Narration by Scott Brick 3.5 Stars Imagine a world in which the science of robotics has become the driving force behind our economy. Not just a robot to vacuum your floor, a la The Roomba, but actual talking and thinking robots. In this short story collection Asimov has done just that. Much as in today's world where we have those who object to science in one or more of its aspects, Asimov's Earth has many of the same. It is due to these objections that robots have been limited to off Earth use and their brains impressed with three unbreakable laws. 1) A robot may not harm a human. 2) A robot must follow all orders given to it by a human, so long as such orders do not conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence at all costs, except so far as it conflicts with the First or Second Law. Framed around the reminisces of robo-psycologist Susan Calvin as she prepares to retire, we are presented 8 short stories going back to the first uses of robots and their subsequent ban from Earth use to the Machines or Brains which have come to control global economy. I am not typically a reader of short story collections, as I find short stories never give me as much information as I want. However, I thought this one was quite well done. I rather liked that they were all connected, so that it felt more like reading one complete novel as opposed to eight individual stories. Many of the characters spanned several of the stories, so we got to know them better than we might otherwise have done. Unfortunately, I am not a science fiction reader and I occasionally tuned out for brief periods and would have to back up to re-read/listen. I think someone who enjoys the genremore than I did. In all this is a solid book, and I feel like I got a good sense of Asimov as an author and will be interested in trying more by him.
Book Nook Club at taylor swift result one! More details there! Happy New Year!!!" - Blinkyboo


text: Next Story > CIO Journal. Blog Post 'Translates' Google Blink FAQ By Steve Rosenbush Steve Rosenbush The Wall Street Journal CANCEL BiographySteve Rosenbush @Steve_Rosenbush ciojournal firstname.lastname@example.com Apr 4, 2013 4:59 pm ET A technology consultant from New Zealand translates Google's long, technical explanation on why it is creating Blink, from a language known as bull…, ah never mind, into English. To Read the Full Story, Subscribe or Sign In Previous Three Tactics for Cyberdefense Next Manufacturers Build 'Open' Platform To Pool Industrial Data


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Aug 13, 2007 Issue #21
Cover Story
After 95 Years, Still a Linens Pioneer
Sometime in late May or early June of 2004, a jet plane touched down at Palm Beach International Airport. A woman, an interior designer for the White House, deplaned, went directly to a waiting black limousine, which then whisked her a few miles into town. Her destination: Pioneer Linens, where she purchased several thousand dollars worth of luxury linens and other...


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Featuring a complimentary breakfast and free WiFi access, Magdalen House offers accommodations in Lima only a 5-minute drive from San Miguel Shopping Centre. Rooms here are all fitted with a private bathroom with free toiletries, a TV with cable channels, bed linen and towels. At Magdalen House guests will find a 24-hour front desk and a shared kitchen. Other facilities offered at the property include a shared lounge, luggage storage and laundry facilities. The property is conveniently located near an array of commercial and gastronomical options. Magdalena Boulevard is a 5-minute walk away, here guests will find stores, parks and a market. The Zoo and Parque de la Imaginación square are 8 minutes away on car. Jorge Chavez International Airport is 5 miles away; shuttle service can be arranged for an extra fee.


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It is an Alpine 10" Type-R with their OEM grill. I designed the box in CATIA to figure out exactly how much internal volume I would have (only way considering the back side is molded from the car). A lot of research and programs were used to come up with the ideal volume and port length for that specific sub. Honestly, even for a fiberglass box, the research and planning was most of the work. When the box was build, I filled it with packing peanuts and measured in a 1 cubic foot box. Came out to exactly the correct volume that was expected. I was quite impressed for a first time fiberglass build.
Extremely loud for a 10" sub, even in the hatch. Hits all the frequencies very well for a ported box because of the correct tuning. Very pleased with the outcome, would never go back to a port-less box


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New Member Introductions
New members check-in, introduce yourselves, and post a picture of your BMW here!
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: MA
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My Ride: 2004 M3 Coupe
Newbie just bought a 2004 M3. Couple of questions.
Hi all
I've just purchased my first car as a real boy (graduated and working): a 2004 M3. I'm loving it so far, but I have a couple questions.
First off, I bought it from a dealer. When I test drove it a week ago, I saw the floor mats in the trunk. I picked it up yesterday and drove it home with the plastic temporary mats they put in when they're trying to sell it. I planned to put the real mats down when I got home, but they weren't in the trunk. I called up the dealer and asked where they were. The guy told me they weren't around and, apparently, the cleaning guys only saw two mats. I must have only seen the rear mats in the trunk and assumed all were there. Were they obligated to tell me that the car didn't come with the front mats? Can I demand they provide mats?
Second, I'd like to install an AUX jack so I can plug in my mp3 player. I found this cable on amazon and it looks like the ticket: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...A3KHA17SS3453F
My car has the NAV and I feel comfortable doing the installation myself, but I want to make sure this is the correct part. The part number doesn't have a hit on RealOEM.com and I can't find it browsing through the categories.
Thanks, folks!
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Kathleen Model
Clear_Black69Photographer Male Las Cruces, New Mexico, US
My MM URL: http://www.modelmayhem.com/clearblack69
Mayhem # 1398629
About MeMy name is Andres Munoz (DRE) aka Clear_Black69.
"My Art provides a platform for my expression and others like minded who speak in images rather than words."
Currently in Las Cruces NM.
I'm interested in expanding my portfolio and working with talented models, make up artists (MUA), hair stylists, wardrobe stylists, and other talents, my rates are extremely reasonable and my availability is limited.
I am open minded to almost any type of shoot but my time is limited.
My interests:
Gothic // Artistic Nude // Fashion // Lingerie // Fetish // Couples// Dark // Gore and open to any other ideas or styles you may want
My role in society, or any artist's or poet's role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all. Model Mayhem provides a platform for my expression and others like minded who speak in images rather than words.
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Meyers embraces new role in Kinship mentoring program
Lisa Meyers loves to play matchmaker.
She's finding her niche in her new role as program coordinator for Kinship Partners in Brainerd. "I love it," she said. "I absolutely love it."
Meyers accepted the position with Kinship Partners in August after the first candidate selected by the organization declined the position. Meyers heard about the position from a friend and decided now was as good a time as any to make a change in career focus. "It was a great opportunity to do something I really enjoy," she said.
With a background in business and a decade-long career in corporate America, Meyers's transition to Kinship has been a big adjustment, but one she said she has welcomed. "It's worth it," she said. "It's not all about the numbers.
"This is a job where you can consider needs and wants. I love knowing that this really makes a difference in kids' lives."
A Minnesota native, Meyers moved to the Brainerd lakes area with her family in the early 1990s — a move she hoped would be temporary. "We had only intended on staying a few years," she said. "But raising kids in a small town was something we found to be really valuable."
Two decades later, Meyers has learned to love northern Minnesota and she said her new job has allowed her to spend more time enjoying the great outdoors and rediscovering hobbies. Among her favorites: photography.
Meyers spent part of her summer in Malawi, Africa on a church mission trip where she had the opportunity to serve the local community and bring home a photo journal of her adventure. "It's heaven for photographers," she said. It was while she was on her trip to Malawi that Meyers found out she had been offered the program coordinator position at Kinship.
As program coordinator for Kinship Partners, Meyers received applications from kids in need of a mentor and adults volunteering their time to serve as mentors. Meyers said matching the right child with the right mentor is a bit of a science based on location and common interests.
Many of the children in the Kinship mentoring program are considered at-risk — something Meyers says she can relate to having been an at-risk kid herself. "It definitely helps me connect," she said. "When I go into a home I have that compassion — I just want to tell them they're going to get through it. Keep your nose on the right path — it's going to be OK."
Meyers said Kinship has a huge need for mentors, particularly men looking to mentor young boys. For information on becoming a mentor visit kinshippartners.org or call 218-829-4606.
SARAH NELSON KATZENBERGER may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or 855-5879.


text: 48v10ah 1u Lifepo4 Battery For Ups - Topex Battery Co., Ltd. Toggle navigation TRADE DEALS Products Companies Product Company Search LOGIN E-mail Password Remember me Join Free JOIN FREE HomeAgriculture Agricultural Greenhouses 48v10ah 1u Lifepo4 Battery For Ups PRICE: contract price Product Description Topex Battery Co.,Ltd is one of the best China 48v10ah 1u lifepo4 battery for ups suppliers and manufacturers, welcome to wholesale 48v10ah 1u lifepo4 battery for ups from us.LiFePO4 48V10Ah 1U Battery for Base TowerApplications: Base transceiver station, UPS back up power supply, Telecommunication TowerProduction capacity: 20,000pcs per monthAdvantage: * Extremely long life, up to 2000cycles at 100% DOD, or 6000cycles at 25% DOD* Super light weight* Very safe, never get fired or exploded* Wide operation temperature range, -20℃~+65℃* Environment friendly, no lead, no mercury, no cadmium* Fast charge, 1~3hours full chargeShipping: By air, by sea or by express(DHL, UPS, FedEx or TNT)No.ItemsSpecifications1Charge voltageDC58.4V2Nominal voltage51.2V3Minimal capacity10Ah @0.2C Discharge4Charge currentStandard charge: 0.3CRapid charge: 0.5C5Standard Charging method0.3C CC(constant current) charge to 58.4V, then CV(constant voltage 58.4V) charge till charge current decline to £ 0.05C6Charging timeStandard charge: 4.0 hours (Ref.)Rapid charge: 1.5 hours (Ref.)7Max. charge current10A8Max. discharge current20A9Discharge cut-off voltage40V10Operating temperatureCharging: 0°C ~ 40°CDischarging: -20°C ~50°C11Storage temperature-20°C ~ + 45°C12Battery WeightApprox. 10Kg13Battery DimensionL442*W300*H44mm14Battery PackagingMetal15Communication ProtocolRS232, RS48516Parallel ConnectionYes1719〃 CabinetMatch Other products 64v 20ah lifepo4 battery for electric scooter Price: contract price 3.2v 50ah lifepo4 battery Price: contract price 60v20ah lifepo4 battery for electric scooter Price: contract price 3.2v 4500mah lifepo4 battery for portable lighting Price: contract price Company Info Topex Battery Co., Ltd. Contact Person: Elaine Zhang Phone: 86-0755-36675442 Contact now × Contact form Your name: Your E-mail: Your Phone: Subject: Enter a message: Close


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Develop program to modify .csv data and output .sql file
This project was successfully completed by Attractionnet for $111 USD in 3 days.Get free quotes for a project like this
Project Budget$30 - $250 USD
Completed In3 days
Total Bids28
Project Description
We currently have a program that we use to process data. However, our old freelancer that wrote the program no longer is online and we need modifications done to it. I can send you the original source code/program and you can modify it or start new.
Program requirements:
1.) Automatically download raw .csv files from website. (program currently does this)
1.a) Re-name the automatically downloaded files.
2.) Modify all of the fields that we need. (Program currently modifys fields, however we no longer want some fields modified)
3.) Output .sql & .csv file. (Program currently does this, however some fields we no longer want in the output files)
4.) Modify the table name in output .sql file. (Program currently does this, however we want to change the table name around a little bit)
5.) Automactically upload output files to FTP. (Program currently does this).
NOTE: You must have at least 100+ reviews in software development for us to consider your bid. You must also mention "MOD4" in your bid so we know you read entire project scope. We have other projects to do after this.
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Uzma Awan
Latest posts by Uzma Awan (see all)
- Parenting by Umm Ammarah (rtaf) - October 8, 2016
- Five Weaknesses to Overcome This Ramadan - June 1, 2016
- Have You Written Your Will Yet? - April 1, 2016
- The Wills of the Sahabah - April 1, 2016
- Finding Our Way To Jannah - January 6, 2016
We continue with some more characteristics of Asma bint Abu Bakr (ra).
Steadfastness in Religion
When Asma (ra) migrated to Madinah, her mother Qutalyah bint Abdul Uzza came for a visit bringing along some gifts. Her mother being an idolatress, Asma (ra) did not admit her into the house or accept her gifts, until she asked the Prophet (sa) about relations with the idolaters. The Prophet (sa) told her to welcome her mother and accept her gifts.
It was her Taqwa that made her rank Allah (swt) and His commandments above everything else. If she was unclear about a certain matter, she did not proceed on her own, until she received clarification regarding it. "And whosoever honours the Symbols of Allah, then it is truly from the piety of the heart." (Al-Hajj 22:32)
Lessons to draw: Seek knowledge of the religion and protect yourself and your families from committing that, which might be displeasing to Allah (swt). Be conscious of your earning, your food, your clothing, and the kind of people you keep company with. Put Allah (swt) before everything else.
Perseverance and Generosity
Life for Asma (ra) wasn't easy. Her husband Zubair (ra) had neither money nor property. Asma (ra) would do house chores as well as look after her husband's mare. Tending to the mare was the most difficult of all jobs. When she complained to her father, he advised her to be patient.
It was her Taqwa that made her rank Allah (swt) and His commandments above everything else.
When Allah (swt) improved their financial condition, instead of increasing her living status, Asma (ra) increased her charity. She was a woman not blinded by the attractions of this world. She was focused on the hereafter and that which pleased Allah (swt). Advising her children of benevolence, she said: "Spend, give Sadaqah and charity and do not wait for abundance."
Lessons to draw: Many women complain of not having enough to give. There are many simple ways of contributing in the way of Allah (swt), and it does not always involve money. One can contribute in the way of Allah (swt) by giving their time, talent, special skills or even provision. Prepare an extra meal one day and feed an orphan child. Volunteer to teach Quran, a Dua or even academic studies to one of your domestic help's children.
Haya and Modesty
One day, Asma (ra) was walking home with a load of dates on her head. Upon seeing her, the Prophet (sa) signalled his camel to sit down, so that Asma (ra) could climb. But Asma (ra) refused and continued to walk. There were other men with Prophet (sa), and Asma (ra) did not find it appropriate to be the only woman in a group of men.
Once, her son Al-Mundhir sent her an elegant dress from Iraq, but Asma (ra) refused to take it. Her son, knowing his mother, contested that it was not of a transparent material. Asma (ra) replied that it was not, but it was of tight-fitting and revealed the contours of the body.
Lessons to draw: We might spend a fortune on looking elegant and distinguished, but does our clothing cover all the parameters of Haya? Let us dress up to please Allah (swt).
When Allah (swt) improved their financial condition, instead of increasing her living status, Asma (ra) increased her charity.
Asma (ra) instilled in her children religious values and instructed them about always standing up for the truth. She transferred her love for charity in them and raised them upon best characteristics. After her husband divorced her, Asma (ra) started living with her son Abdullah ibn Az-Zubair (ra). Raised by his mother, Abdullah (ra) grew up to be prudent, intellectual and a master archer.
Lessons to draw: Connect your children to Allah (swt), because when the hearts are empty, they would take in anything that Shaytan leads them to. Teach the Seerah of the Prophet (sa) and his Duas. Tell them about Shirk, and teach not to depend on anyone or fear anyone besides Allah (swt).
Adapted from the book: Seerat e Sahabiyat k Darakshan Pehlu and the lectures of Dr. Farhat Hashmi: Seerat e Sahabiyat.


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Scholarships Available
To SUNY Maritime
Both Assemblywoman Audrey I. Pheffer and State Senator Ada Smith have announced the "Cadet Appointment Program" for the State University of New York's Maritime College.
In recognition of the College's exemplary program and proven 100% career placement of its students, the New York State Legislature has approved an appointment program, whereby each elected official can nominate one qualified New York State student to attend the College and receive a full tuition scholarship for four years.
Applicants must be United States citizens, New York State residents and a high school graduate, or within one year of graduation from an approved high school. Additionally, they must have a grade point average at or above 90% and a combined SAT score at or above 1200.
To learn more about this unique program, high school seniors should meet with the college advisor at their school. The advisor will have the applications.
The deadline for applications is December 15. Only one candidate may be nominated every four years from each Assembly and Senatorial District and in New York.
"This is a unique program that offers students the opportunity for a full four-year scholarship at one of the finest colleges in our state," reported Assemblywoman Pheffer.


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Hello to All! I am new here. I am desperately trying to find a crochet pattern for the Sunbonnet Sue and Sam. Of someone could please help me find one, I would be so very grateful.
Thanks ahead.of time for ANY help I can get!!!!!
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Cody Ross returns to the city that hates him
|05.18.12 at 2:23 pm ET
City of Brotherly Love? To Cody Ross, that sort of title for Philadelphia would be laughable.
Ross is returning to a city and ballpark that he demolished two postseasons ago. As such, at Citizens Bank Ballpark, he will almost assuredly be given a welcome reserved for the most infamous villains.
And in a way, he qualifies for the designation, thanks to a 2010 playoff series in which he pulverized Phillies pitching and played an immense role in leading the Giants to an NLCS triumph over Philadelphia and an eventual World Series title.
Ross was locked in during that series. He jumpstarted the Giants by slamming a pair of solo homers against Roy Halladay in San Francisco's Game 1 victory, and he went on to go 7-for-20 with three homers, three doubles and a .350/.435/.950/1.385 line en route to NLCS MVP honors.
Yet with that honor came outrage from the fans of the team that he beat.
One publication called him 'the worst thing to happen to this country since Lee Harvey Oswald.' Enmity towards the outfielder inspired the manufacture and sale of a T-shirt to publicize the sentiment.
And then, of course, there was the Facebook page called simply, 'I Hate Cody Ross.'
"I didn't know about it until my mom brought it up,' Ross recounted of the Facebook page. 'I was like, wow, that's pretty interesting that somebody would go out of their way to make an I hate Cody Ross Facebook page, to take some time.
"It's understandable,' he added. 'They are passionate about their team. They want their team to win. They don't like to see them lose. That year that we beat them, they were supposed to run away with it. It ended up going the other way. You can understand why they got so upset about it. But to have a Facebook page, that may be going a little far."'¨
Of course, the fact that Ross became the target of fan ire in Philadelphia could do little to dampen his spirits about what he accomplished. After all, heroism and villainy are relative terms; typically, villain status in one city means that a player is deified in another. And that was the case for Ross, who had an improbable journey to postseason glory in 2010.
He had been waived by the Marlins in the middle of that season after Florida could not find a trade partner for him prior to the July 31 trade deadline. The Fish cut bait in order to save money on Ross' salary, and when the Giants claimed him, the move was an afterthought.
Yet there he was, a little more than two months later, being feted in San Francisco as a conquering hero. He played a central part in the Giants' first title in San Francisco, and the adulation he encountered in the Giants' city was even more extreme than the hostility directed at him in Philadelphia.
"Going from the regular season, [when] people in San Francisco [said], 'Hey, Cody, glad to have you,' to, 'Thank you. Thank you so much for everything you've done. You're a hero.' People [were] just constantly coming up to me. It was different. It was night and day.
'I was playing games, doing things that I've done in the past. I guess it didn't really register how important it was for not only the city but I guess for me, too,' Ross said. 'It was an incredible experience, not only the playoffs and all that, but just hearing the reaction of the fans and people around the city that were just so excited. It's something that I'll never forget."
It was an experience that drew him to Boston, as Ross wanted to be on a team for whom he could make an impact while also seeking another shot at October. Now, 36 games into his Red Sox career, he has been a central contributor to his new club's efforts to claw into contention.
After his 2-for-3 performance with a homer and four RBI on Thursday, Ross is hitting .262 with a .338 OBP, .500 slugging mark, .838 OPS, seven homers (second on the Sox) and 27 RBI (tied for first on the club). It is the sort of performance that has endeared the outfielder to his new fan base and team.
'Cody will give you everything he has,' manager Bobby Valentine told reporters in St. Petersburg on Thursday night. 'It's enough for me — good player.'
The reception that Ross is likely to get in Philadelphia — a baseball city that resents him as a Viking conqueror — will likely further underscore the point.
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